XS (comics)

Superherobox|

caption=Art by Phil Moy
comic_color=background:#8080ff
character_name=XS
real_name=Jenni Ognats
publisher=DC Comics
debut="Legionnaires" #0 (October 1994)
creators=Tom McCraw
Jeff Moy
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
alliances=Legion of Super-Heroes
aliases=
powers=Super-speed|

XS (Jenni Ognats) is a fictional character, a superheroine in the future of the DC Comics universe. She is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and Bart Allen's cousin.

Character biography

Despite being the granddaughter of Barry Allen (the Flash) and the daughter of Dawn Allen (one of the Tornado Twins), Jenni Ognats did not at first display any signs of super-speed. However, the Dominators, knowing her family heritage, captured her. At the sight of seeing her father tortured, her latent super-speed powers activated. She managed to escape with her father before stray fire from the Dominators caused their base to explode.

After this, she checked herself into a laboratory to help her learn to coordinate herself at super-speed. Once she learned control, she was drafted into the Legion of Super-Heroes. She eventually learned to overcome her initial fear and nervousness, while she developed crushes on Cosmic Boy and, later, M'Onel, and eventually dated Dyrk Magz.

During the Legion's first trip to the 20th century, XS was separated from them. She met her cousin Impulse, becoming a good friend. She revealed how she was participating in an archeological dig in the future. XS fought side by side with Impulse and other speedsters during the events of "Dead Heat". Afterwards, the 27th century Flash fixed her grandfather's cosmic treadmill, enabling her to go home. Unfortunately, she overshot, encountering two further future incarnations of the Legion before returning. Impulse left her a goodbye note in the building she was participating in excavating.

XS was one of the Legionnaires left behind after many of her teammates were lost, causing the team to be forcefully disbanded. She traveled to Xanthu with her teammate Star Boy, where she found herself caught in a war between Xanthu and Robotica. While the two Legionnaires managed to save millions of lives by distracting Robotica long enough for the surviving Xanthuians to escape off-planet, the two remained trapped there for months thereafter, until rescued by their returned teammates.

XS's last appearance so far came in Teen Titans/Legion, where she teamed up with her cousin Bart, who at the time was Kid Flash. She has not been seen in the current "Threeboot" continuity.

XS was recently mentioned by the mentally unhinged ex-Legionnaire Starman in "Justice Society of America" (vol. 2) #7. Though this version of Starman is not from the same Legion continuity as XS, he asks Superman if he remembers that she had "such a crush" on him, indicating that some version of Jenni Ognats has survived the events of "Infinite Crisis" and the creation of the "Threeboot" continuity. Since Starman is not from Threeboot continuity either, this has been revealed to be a reference to the unrevealed events of the original meeting between the "Legion of Three Worlds". Sure enough, XS is shown prominently in preview solicits for August 2008's "" miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and George Perez, in which XS and the Allen family will play a key role.

Note

A super-speedster character called Rush appeared one year before XS in "Legion of Super-Heroes" (v.4) #51. Rush never appeared again and could be considered the prototype for XS.

Other Media

XS made a cameo in the "Legion of Super Heroes" episode "Dark Victory" Pt. 1.

External links

* [http://www.dcuguide.com/profile.php?name=xs Unofficial XS(Jenni Ognats) Biography]
* [http://www.hyperborea.org/flash/jenni.html History & Significant Appearances]
* [http://www.blacksuperhero.com/exhibithtml/detail.cfm?id=90 Museum of Black Superheroes Entry]
* [http://www.majorspoilers.com/archives/1786.htm A Hero History Of XS]