Prudence Leighton

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caption=
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Quiet Man
real_name=Prudence Leighton / Steinbeck
species=Human Mutant
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Mystique" #1
creators=Brian K. Vaughan
Jorge Lucas
alliance_color=background:#cccccc
alliances=Shepard
Xavier's Underground Network, X-Corporation
aliases=Agent 16
powers=Prudence: Telepath capable of projecting her consciousness into the body of other women
Steinbeck: Pyrokinetic capable of spewing flames from his throat|

Prudence Leighton is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. Prudence, originally a female, was murdered by Steinbeck, a pyrokinetic mutant. She used her ability to possess his body, taking on the codename Agent 16, and also the Quiet Man. The first appearance of both is "Mystique #1".

Fictional character biography

Prudence Leighton was part of a network of secret agents and spies gathered by Charles Xavier in order to perform missions deemed unfit for the X-Men due to their sensitive nature. Her last assignment involved the purchase of Soviet Union Sentinels by military commanders of Cuba.

Prudence was murdered by Steinbeck, a pyrokinetic mutant arms dealer, before the eyes of Shortpack, her handler, who secretly loved her. However she did not pass on completely and took over Steinbeck’s body – she accessed his powers and resources and contacted her brother.

Prudence was falling into mental decay because her power didn't really work on men and she and her brother Shepard set out to assassinate Charles Xavier with one of the greatest assassins on the planet, the newly blackmailed agent Mystique. Calling herself the Quiet Man, Prudence played the role of a mysterious benefactor who offered to remove Mystique's tracking implant in exchange for her services.

Unfortunately their machinations came apart when Mystique double crossed them. Prudence removed the Quiet Man’s cloak and revealed she was still wearing the outfit she’d been murdered in (for some odd reason) while in Steinbeck's body. She and Mystique fought but Mystique proved far more capable and dodged Stenbecks breath and Prudence’s punches to stab Quiet Man in the stomach.

Prudence's and Steinbeck's minds apparently went into overdrive and their powers reached critical mass. They began to swell and exploded, throwing Shortpack and Mystique far from the site.

Powers and abilities

Prudence can psi-jump into other people, allowing her consciousness to inhabit their body and control their actions.Steinbeck/Quiet Man can spew pyrokinetic flames from his throat cavity, inhabited by a second mutant capable of possessing other women.

Notes

* Steinbeck killed Prudence's body, but she projected her consciousness into his to escape full death. Since Prudence can only inhabit women, Steinbeck is apparently a hermaphrodite, possessing both male and female sexual organs, enough to qualify for Prudence's power. However, this is only a theory.