Lifeguard (comics)

Superherobox|

caption=Lifeguard. Art by Salvador Larroca.
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Lifeguard
real_name=Heather Cameron
species=Human Mutant / Shi'ar
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="(as Heather Cameron) X-Treme X-Men" #6.(as Lifeguard) X-Treme X-Men" #7.
creators=Chris Claremont and Salvador Larroca
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
alliances=X-Men X-Corporation
aliases=
powers=Reactive adaptation|

Lifeguard (Heather Cameron) is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Salvador Larroca, she first appeared in "X-Treme X-Men" #6 (December 2001). She is a mutant, gaining whatever superhuman abilities are needed in a life-threatening situation. She and her brother Slipstream were briefly members of the segment of X-Men featured in the series "X-Treme X-Men."

Fictional character biography

X-Treme X-Men

Heather and Davis Cameron were a lifeguard and a surfer, respectively, living in Surfers Paradise in Australia. Unbeknownst to them, their father is an underworld crime lord known as Viceroy, and upon his death they were attacked. Together with Storm and Neal Shaara (the new Thunderbird), they managed to defeat their attackers. Heather discovered she was a mutant with the power to manifest whatever was necessary to save the life of someone in danger around her, including her own. Her power enabled her to manifest wings, golden armor, the ability to breathe underwater, and many other less noticeable adaptations. Heather soon joined the splinter team of X-Men, and formed a romance with Thunderbird.

During a mission to infiltrate the ship of the intergalactic warlord, Khan, Heather's appearance changes to resemble the alien Shi'ar race, and it was theorized that she and Davis had some Shi'ar heritage. Jean Grey notes that the cranial markings on her head and the crest of feathers she had manifested indicated Heather is of Shi'ar royal ancestry. Her brother, unable to see past her new, alien appearance, leaves the team. Lifeguard and Thunderbird travel in search of him.

The Xavier Institute

Months later, Lifeguard and Thunderbird returned to the X-Men, apparently not locating Slipstream. Together with Thunderbird, she joined the X-Corporation. However this only lasted weeks, as there was a synchronized attack on several of the X-Corporation offices after the catastrophic events of M-Day, leading Cyclops to call for the disbanding of all offices.

Heather is one of a handful of mutants to have retained her powers in the wake of House of M. She currently resides at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. She does not make an appearance in nor is she active in any X-Men roster, though the "198 Files" verify her location. She is still involved with Thunderbird III. A recent panel at the San Diego Comic Con mentioned that both Lifeguard and Slipstream would be seen again sometime in 2009.

Powers and abilities

Heather's mutant power allows her body to react to any threat by transforming or manifesting a power to deal with the situation. In all of her appearances, she has only been shown to use this ability in defense of others. It is as yet unknown if she's able to use this ability for her own protection. She has a moderate level of control over this power and has sometimes been able to trigger it at will, although she has not displayed any control over the transformations or powers she manifests. So far, Heather has only manifested physical changes such as extra arms, armored skin, wings, and a mermaid tail.

In her most recent appearance, she appeared to be locked into her final transformation of gold skin, wings, and claws; still unable to control her powers and possibly unable to transform any further or reverse the change.

Other versions

X-Men: The End

Lifeguard appears in X-Men: The End as a protector of Aliyah Bishop in the Shi'ar Imperium. She is ultimately killed sacrificing herself for Aliyah.

Links

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* [http://marvel.com/universe/Lifeguard Lifeguard on the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki]