Spyke

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caption=Spyke in a scene from the X-Men Evolution episode African Storm.
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Spyke
real_name=Evan Daniels
species=Human Mutant
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut=' episode #5 "Speed and Spyke""'
creators=Bob Skir
Steven E. Gordon
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
status=active
alliances=The Morlocks
X-Men
previous_alliances=
aliases=Porcupine
relatives=Storm (aunt)
powers=Can extend self-repairing exoskeleton, projectile spikes, later flaming spikes|

Spyke (Evan Daniels) is a character who was briefly a member of the X-Men in the animated series "". Created by writer Bob Skir and artist Steven E. Gordon, he first appeared in "Speed And The Spyke", episode #5 (December 9 2000), where he was voiced by Neil Denis.

Spyke is an African American, a high-school freshman, and has the mutant ability to project spikes out of his body.

The character was originally created as a way to diversify the show's X-Men roster. It was important to the show's creators, the WB network (who ran the show) and Marvel Comics to have an African American in the show. According to the show's producer Boyd Kirkland, turning Bishop (the first Black male X-Man) into a teenager would not have worked. [" [http://news.toonzone.net/2000/oct/20/spyke.php Milk: It Does a Body Good] ", http://www.toonzone.net/, posted October 20, 2000, accessed October 26, 2006.] Initially, Spyke was the team's muscle and looked closer to how he looked in season four, but Marvel decided they didn't like the "monster" angle and he was given a much more normal look. He was originally intended to be called Armadillo and have cornrows. He has similar powers to Marrow, a pre-existing character, though Kirkland says this wasn't intentional. [" [http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0012/08/index.htm X-MEN: EVOLUTION'S SPYKE VS. MARROW?] ", http://www.comicscontinuum.com/, posted December 2, 2000, accessed September 23, 2006.]

Character biography

Evan Daniels was born in New York, New York to an unknown father and Vivian Daniels. His mutant powers are first noticed at his high school basketball game by his Aunt Ororo (aka Storm a longtime member of the X-Men), and his teammate Pietro. The next night Storm, along with Cyclops and Jean Grey, approached Evan's parents about his mutant powers and attending Xavier's School. Evan angrily declines on his own behalf and leaves.

He goes to his school to catch the thief who keeps breaking into his locker. It is revealed that Pietro is not only the thief, but a mutant with super speed powers. Pietro, who renames himself Quicksilver, breaks into all the lockers in the school and lets Evan take the heat as he escapes prosecution. Only when Charles Xavier uses his pull to help Evan get out of prison does he join the X-Men and the school under the code name Spyke. Spyke settles the score with Quicksilver when he, Cyclops, and Jean defeat the speedy mutant. Spyke is cleared of all charges when he catches Quicksilver's arrogant confession on tape.

During his tenure with the X-Men, Spyke didn't want any special treatment from anyone at the school because he was Storm's nephew. Though he liked being an X-Man and thought of them as his family, Spyke at times acted selfishly and inconsiderate of others. Spyke would goof around in class and on at least one occasion ditched school mid-class to go skateboarding with his human friends. He also was late for several training exercises in the Danger Room resulting in him getting reprimanded by Storm and causing several X-Kids to fail in their training exercise because Spyke was not there to back them up. If not for him saving Storm's life from the Hungan, Spyke would have been sent home to his parents due to his lack of concern for school and DR training.

After he and the other X-Men were discovered to be mutants, Spyke grew angry at how they were being treated. After drinking Pow-R8, an energy drink that was toxic to mutants even by touching it, Spyke found out he could not retract or fully control his spikes. After seeing how cruelly he was treated because of his condition, Spyke joined the Morlocks (a group of mutants who could not "pass" for human and so were driven underground) because he wanted to fight for mutants that look different from normal humans. Storm did not take this well and tried to convince Spyke to come back, but he refused. When he returned later in the series he has mutated even further, and now most of his upper body is covered by armadillo-type bone-plates except for his face and below the waist. He later helped out in destroying the Pyramids surfaced by Apocalypse. Spyke is last seen in a group photo with the X-Men, the New Mutants and their unaffiliated allies.

Powers and abilities

Like Marrow of the Morlocks, Spyke can extend or retract bone spikes that grow inside his body. He may shoot them out or bring them out to grab and hold. He also needs to drink milk to replace the calcium that he loses when using his powers. [" [http://news.toonzone.net/2000/oct/20/spyke.php Milk: It Does a Body Good] ", http://www.toonzone.net/, posted October 20, 2000, accessed October 26, 2006.] Spyke, an expert skateboarder, integrated his skateboarding prowess into battles.

In the later episodes as his mutation evolved, Spyke gained the ability to light the ends of the spikes on fire. He can now also make protective plates form around his body. However, he is now unable to fully retract his projections. He also gained the ability to extend small spikes on his feet to scale and stick to walls. In this form, Spyke no longer uses his skateboard.

Appearances in other media

Comics

*A student at the Xavier Institute named Spike appeared in "New X-Men" #126 near-simultaneously following the debut of Spyke on "X-Men: Evolution".

*A member of X-Force (later X-Statix) named The Spike was introduced in "X-Force" #121 near-simultaneously following the debut of Spyke on "X-Men: Evolution".

Films

*A member of the Brotherhood appears in "" portrayed by Lance Gibson. While his name is spelled similar to the Spike of the comic, the character's powers are very similar to that of the Spyke from X-Men: Evolution.

ee also

References

External links

* [http://marvel.toonzone.net/xmenevo/bios/heroes/spyke/ Spyke's Profile at Marvel Animation Age]