Scalphunter (Marvel Comics)

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caption=Scalphunter
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Scalphunter
real_name=John Greycrow
species=Human Mutant
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Uncanny X-Men" #210 (Oct 1986)
creators=Chris Claremont
Marc Silvestri
alliance_color=background:#c0c0ff
alliances=Marauders
United States Army
aliases= John Riverwind
powers=Healing factor. Technomorphic powers allow him to manipulate mechanical constructs into any configuration he desires, heightened senses|

Scalphunter (John Greycrow) is a fictional mutant villain character in the Marvel Comics Universe. His first appearance was in "Uncanny X-Men #210". This character was created by Chris Claremont, John Romita, Jr. and Dan Green.

Fictional character biography

Scalphunter is a Native American who originally fights in World War II for the United States, but is to be executed for murdering his fellow officers. He gets shot by a firing squad and is believed killed. However, he survives and is found and recruited by enigmatic mastermind Mister Sinister early on. Later, apparently not working under Sinister, he kills the employer of the savage mutant Sabretooth and offers him money to join Scalphunter's boss as a mercenary, which Sabretooth accepts.

Years later, he meets the thief Gambit, who would later recruit Scalphunter as a member of the Marauders, a band of assassins operating under his one-time boss Sinister (and reuniting him with one-time ally Sabretooth, who was field leader for the loose team), who sends the Marauders to murder the entire underground mutant community known as the Morlocks. He shoots young Morlock Tommy after using her to lead the group to 'The Alley', the Morlock's home in the tunnels. Gambit apparently follows the Marauders, having learned of their intentions, and manages to save one Morlock, who will grow to be Marrow. In the course of the Mutant Massacre, the Marauders clash with the X-Men and the original X-Factor team, as well as Thor and Power Pack, leaving several Marauders dead.

Subsequently, the X-Men thwart the Marauders' attempt to assassinate Sinister's former pawn, Madelyne Pryor, in San Francisco. Failing, they try once more in New York City during the demonic invasion "Inferno" event. During this time, it is revealed Sinister has cloned the entire band of Marauders, to replace any members of the team who are killed with exact replicas (as was done in the case of the Marauder known as Riptide). Scalphunter manages to live throughout his encounters with heroes, but when the Marauders later fight dimensionally-displaced Nate Grey after trying to assassinate Sinister's former servant, Threnody (a clone of Scalphunter's) is killed. When Sinister poses as Dr. Robert Windsor a scientist in the Weapon X program, Scalphunter is still helping him obtain mutant DNA, as Sinister supposedly helps prisoners escape, only to take them to his own labs for experimentation.

Scalphunter is one of the still-powered mutants living in tents on the Xavier Institute lawn after almost all mutants were depowered on M-Day. When immortal mutant Apocalypse comes, Scalphunter leaves and serves him. When Havok warns Scalphunter and fellow Apocalypse recruits Fever Pitch and Skids that they are in over their heads, Scalphunter replies that Apocalypse has explained that he is on the side of mutants in this case, as they are in danger of becoming extinct.

Following Apocalypse's defeat, Scalphunter returned to his master and rejoined the Marauders. Scalphunter is involved in the initial assault on Cooperstown, Alaska for the mutant child, and assists the team in their defence of Sinister's base from the X-Men, badly wounding Nightcrawler in the process.

X-Men: Divided We Stand

After Sinister's defeat and the death and disbanding of the rest of the Marauders, Scalphunter flees to a tiny town in the desert, where he works as a cook at a rest stop. He fears the X-Men are going to kill him, and has fully gone into hiding. A preacher begins to eat at the diner, and constantly plagues Scalphunter with incessant chatter. One night, Nightcrawler attacks Scalphunter in his trailer, revealing that he was the preacher, in disguise. Scalphunter tries to kill him, but is easily defeated. Nightcrawler tells him that he sought him out to kill him, but changed his mind as he realized that Scalphunter had no soul - he was just a copy of a copy. He then forgives Scalphunter for all his sins, past and future, then leaves. The next day, Scalphunter is seen back in the diner cooking, now wearing a gold cross.

Powers and abilities

Scalphunter has techno-morphing powers, allowing him to construct mechanical devices at a superhuman rate from the numerous components attached to his costume. Scalphunter is an extraordinary master of conventional firearms, and has been known to use a wide variety of weapons including pistols, rifles, shotguns, laser guns, and miniature cannons. He also has superior regenerative abilities, which may slow his aging to a degree.

Other versions

House of M

Greycrow appears in the House of M as the captain of the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. He is telepathically coerced by Emma Frost into flying the helicarrier to Genosha.