Scuzz (comics)

Superherobox


caption= Artwork by Paul Ryan, from D.P. 7 #32.

comic_color = background:#ff8080
character_name = Scuzz
alter_ego = Dennis Michael Cuzinski
publisher = Marvel Comics
debut = " DP7" #1 (1986)
creators = Mark Gruenwald
Paul Ryan
alliance_color = background:#c0c0ff
alliances = Therapy Group C Clinic for Paranormal Research DDTeens White Eventists
aliases = Scorcher
powers = Generates a corrosive substance over all of his body

Dennis "Scuzz" Cuzinski is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. He first appears in D.P.7 #1.

Fictional character biography

Pre-White Event

Dennis Cuzinski was born on October 13, 1971 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Although his early life was never explored, it's known that his father was an alcoholic and his mother died when he was 12. Because of the lack of strong parental guidance, Dennis (or "Scuzz" as he became nicknamed, due to a play on his name), became something of a juvenile delinquent.

He was 15 when his powers first manifested. The bed he was lying on began smouldering beneath him. His father thought Scuzz'd been smoking in bed and administered corporal punishment, only to find own his hand burning.

On the Run

On the advice of a guidance counsellor, Scuzz's father put him in the Clinic for Paranormal Research where he joined Therapy Group C. One of the members discovered the clinic had been spying on them and he escaped with all of them to live a life on the run.

Scuzz at first enjoyed the life of an outlaw, and even suggested the rest of the group take on code names to keep their identities secret... although he used his old nickname, claiming he wanted people to know who he was. He showed an ability for thinking up creative uses of both his own power and that of his friends. He and the others escaped a number of attempts to capture them with superhuman bounty hunters but he eventually began to feel none of the others were taking him seriously because of his age. After a fight, he left the group to strike out on his own.

Scuzz got into trouble with the locals at a bar who thought he was eyeing their bikes. A fight ensued and escalated quickly as Scuzz's powers came into play. Scuzz was beaten severely.

A barmaid took him to the hospital and looked out for him. When he recovered enough to be released, she took him into her home, letting him stay for a few weeks. Despite being much older than him, the two found some romantic chemistry... but the relationship ended when they first kissed and her mouth was burned from the contact. Scuzz left, realizing he could never have a physical relationship with someone without hurting them.

To vent his frustration, Scuzz returned to the biker bar and picked a fight, this time using his powers to their fullest capacity, throwing explosive balls of corrosive liquid around and burning everything he touched. As his corrosiveness began to wear down from extensive use, he stole a bike and rode it out into the night. He intended at first to ignite the gastank and committ suicide, but by this point he had temporarily exhausted his ability.

He soon encountered a bounty hunter and was captured and returned to the Clinic. There he was brainwashed into believing the Clinic really did have their best interests at heart, and returned to therapy.

The DDTeens

The Clinic began a radical restructuring at around this time, though, and managed to purge the more sinister elements. After learning that a group of militant black patients were starting their own special interest group, Scuzz had the idea of starting his own therapy group, comprised of the Clinic's teens.

Scuzz's group became known as the DDTeens, a play on the pesticide DDT. His attempt to recruit Charlotte Beck into his group caused tension with the leader of the Black Powers, and several physical altercations with the group ensued.

While playing outside, Scuzz and his team realized they were being photographed by a reporter. A former employee of the Clinic had told him of the unusual people gathered there, and of several suspicious deaths that had occurred there and been covered up.

Realizing the police would be raiding the Clinic soon, he took the DDTeens and fled. His team eventually wound up at the house of Stephanie Harrington, one of the members of his original therapy group. She allowed Scuzz and the DDTeens to move in to her basement.

They stayed there for over a month before Stephanie's husband threw them out. They returned to take up residence in her abandoned house after the CIA recruited her.

The DDTeens turned to crime to get food. The last job they pulled was to steal groceries from a grocery store. The police came and there was a high speed chase, ending in an accident that severely wounded most of his team, and killed two, including a girl Scuzz had a crush on. Scuzz was driving the car at the time.

The White Eventists

Scuzz was wracked with guilt over his role in the accident and the deaths that followed. He contemplated suicide again, standing on a bridge. It was this time he was found by a new cult, the White Eventists, which believed that paranormality was a divine gift and the End Times were coming soon. They invited him to join them, and he accepted. He became quiet, withdrawn, and much less impulsive.

There he found some measure of peace, but his sudden change of character worried one of his friends from the DDTeens. Michael Crawley believed he'd been brainwashed, and brought David Landers to rescue Scuzz. Scuzz didn't want to go, but the Cult convinced him that his destiny was calling him elsewhere.

He left with Dave and Michael and headed to New York. There, while attempting to preach the gospel of his religion, he was taken by a street gang that was torturing White Eventists. The paranormals didn't fight back, because their faith was a pacifist one, but Scuzz and the others were rescued by David Landers. The White Eventists asked Scuzz to join the New York branch of their faith. Dave, realizing that even if he believed the church was crazy, they seemed to be doing Scuzz some good, let him. Michael Crawley felt betrayed and left.

Scuzz fell in love with Hannah, one of the White Eventists he was being tortured with. She merely had blue hair and a tail, but Scuzz's paranormality still posed a significant problem, one she saw as a test of faith when word came around that there was a man, William Wexler, claiming the paranormal ability of being able to cure other paranormals. The White Eventists believed the Cure was an affront to God and planned peaceful protests. Scuzz was torn between his faith and his desire for physical affection.

Scuzz wound up going to the Cure, but instead of seeking relief, he attacked Wexler in the name of God. Wexler cured Scuzz's paranormality in self defense during the attack. Because of his sacrifice, Scuzz was welcomed back into the church despite the fact that he no longer had his paranormality.

Powers and abilities

Scuzz's body produces an unknown corrosive chemical on an almost constant basis. It is present in all of his bodily fluids, and a brief touch with his skin usually contains enough to cause pain to another person. Direct contact with his bodily fluids can cause severe burn damage. He is able to consciously increase the amount of corrosiveness at will. He's shown an ability to corrode a variety of substances, up to and including tempered steel. He cannot consciously retard his body's production of this chemical below a certain point.

Because of the constant nature of his ability, Scuzz wears through clothes extremely quickly. Within two days of normal wear, any normal clothing will be destroyed past the point of usability. Anything he handles for a long period of time will be similarly damaged.

By spitting into his palm and rolling it, Scuzz is able to create what he calls "Scuzz-Balls". These globules can be thrown at short ranges with explosive potential.

When Scuzz is extremely angry or when deliberately he works himself up into such a state, Scuzz enters what he calls "Scorcher Mode". At this time, Scuzz's corrosive factor is increased dramatically, and he can create Scuzz-balls from his hands without spitting. He can only last in this mode for about two minutes, and afterwards the corrosive intensity drops to negligible levels. Coming out of Scorcher mode and severe injury seem to be the only times his corrosive levels drop to the point where he can touch others without pain.

Other versions

Exiles World Tour

*During the Exiles World Tour, an alternate version of Scuzz came into existence after the Exiles battled the Proteus possessed Justice shortly after DP7 escaped. His history, demeanour and powers remained that same but how the Exiles now affected his future is yet to be revealed.