Radius (comics)

Superherobox|

caption=Radius in his X-Corps outfit by Aaron Lopresti
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Radius
real_name=Jared Corbo
species=Human Mutant
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut=(As Jared Corbo) "Alpha Flight: In The Beginning" #-1 (As Radius) "Alpha Flight" volume 2 #1 ( both 1998)
creators=Steven Seagle
Scott Clark
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
alliances=Alpha Flight X-Corps Beta Flight Hellhouse
aliases=
powers=Force-Field generation|

Radius (Jared Corbo) is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a former member of the superhero team Alpha Flight. He first appeared in "Alpha Flight: In The Beginning" #-1, and first appeared as Radius in "Alpha Flight" vol. 2 #1 (both published in 1998).

Fictional character biography

Jared and his younger half-brother Adrian (later codenamed Flex) were raised in the Hull House orphanage, which was actually a facility operated by the Canadian government's secretive Department H. While Adrian became shy, reserved and bookish, Jared became athletically inclined, aggressive, and arrogant. Both brothers manifested mutant powers after puberty: Adrian gained the ability to transform parts of his body into blades, while Jared manifested a personal force field that could not be shut down. Jared rejects the initial flirtations of his teammate Murmur for personal reasons.

Later, he is sent with to corral the mutant Wolverine, whom the entire team believes has killed the ex-Alpha Flight member Box. This was part of the lies and mind-control that Department H was using on the entire team. Jared's bravado, when the team corrals Wolverine, is met with shock by Adrian, who has a high level of respect for the man. Jared stands up to Wolverine's intimidation tactics but soon fight breaks out anyway. Backup X-Men soon join in. It is Adrian, though, who calms things down by wanting to talk instead of fight. Various discrepancies in the mission lessen the Alphans desire to do battle.

The brothers were recruited into a new incarnation of the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight.

They assist the new Alpha Flight in battling several foes, including the Zodiac organization and the Brass Bishop. The Bishop is found by Alpha Flight after many innocent civilians go missing. He has brainwashed them and is building a Tower of Babel, an enormous structure that is intended to reach heaven. The team also confronts Department H's own power-mad leader, Jeremy Clarke, who dies of radiation poisoning during a Zodiac raid on the Department H headquarters. Their Alpha Flight team fight several members of the original Flight and later team up with them to defeat a new Weapon X, who had been created by a rogue Department H scientist. Both groups of Alphans merged into a unified Alpha Flight following this adventure. The Corbo brothers and several other members of the new team were later reasigned to Alpha Flight's trainee team, Beta Flight.

Radius is lated hired by X-Corps, a militaristic strike force founded by former Generation X headmaster and former X-Man Sean Cassidy, a.k.a. Banshee. The X-Corps was ultimately betrayed by its criminal members. Radius is defeated when the villain Avalanche opens a chasm beneath him. Apparently Radius survives this to be depowered on M-Day. He was shown to be depowered [New Avengers #18] .

It was later revealed that Unus the Untouchable was Radius' father after Flex starts searching for their fathers through their adoption agency ["Alpha Flight" vol. 2 #10] .

Powers and abilities

Radius generates a permanent force field around him that he is unable to deactivate. He does not feel the impact of blows upon it. While the shield is generally porous enough for him to breathe, he can make it almost impervious, even to air.

He can also create extensions of the field to use as a ranged attack, and brace objects against it to "fake" super-strength.

Ralphie Hutchins

*Ralphie Hutchins has been also called Radius which was his third form. [comicbookdb|type=characteracter|id=3483|title=Radius (Ralphie Hutchins)] He is also known as Brute, Seeker, Torque, Earthlord and Entity. He first appeared in "She-Hulk" vol. 1 #6 and as Radius in "She-Hulk" vol. 1 #24

Bibliography

*"Alpha Flight" vol. 2 #-1, 1-20
*"Uncanny X-Men" #355, 401-404
*"Wolverine" vol. 2 #142

Footnotes

External links

* [http://alphanex.alphaflight.net/index.php/RadiusAlphaFlight.Net Alphanex Entry On - Radius]
* [http://forum.alphaflight.net Discuss Radius on the Alpha Waves Forum]
* [http://www.uncannyxmen.net/db/characters/showquestion.asp?fldAuto=848 Uncannyxmen.net character bio on Radius]