Warren Worthington III
Warren Kenneth Worthington III is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #1. Warren is a founding member of the X-Men, having used the moniker Angel. Later stories would reveal that prior to joining the team, he had acted as a vigilante under the moniker Avenging Angel.
Warren is a mutant, an evolved species of humans who are born with superhuman abilities. The character originally possesses a pair of large feathered wings extending from his back, enabling him to fly. He is the heir of the Worthington family fortune, and this privileged background results in Warren being stereotyped as self-absorbed and unable to deal with hardships during his early years with the X-Men. This personality was ultimately replaced with a more introspective and brooding personality in the late 1980s, when the character was changed into the darker Archangel persona. While Warren's wings were originally feathered, his transition to Archangel resulted in metallic wings and newfound powers.
As one of the original X-Men, Warren has had a frequent presence in X-Men-related comic books throughout the years and also appeared occasionally in X-Men animated series and video games. Ben Foster played the role of Warren in the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand and Ben Hardy portrayed a younger unnamed version in the 2016 film X-Men: Apocalypse.
Publication history
The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-creator Jack Kirby and first appeared in X-Men #1 as Angel. Lee made Angel rich and conceited, as well as a winged human to make him the first Marvel character with wings. He appeared as a regular character in that title until it was cancelled with issue #66. The title was revived shortly after, reprinting earlier issues from issue #67 to #93. In 1970 and 1971, a three-part Angel solo feature was published as a back-up strip in Ka-Zar #2 and #3 and Marvel Tales #30.Angel appeared in the X-Men revamp by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum in 1975 with the introduction of the "All-New, All-Different X-Men", but left the X-Men title with issue #94. Angel and fellow X-Man Iceman were transitioned into a new series called The Champions, which ran from 1975 to 1978. Series creator Tony Isabella had wanted to do a series about Angel and Iceman traveling together on the highway, in the vein of Route 66, but the editors told him to make it into a full team book.
Angel returned to the X-Men briefly in The Uncanny X-Men #134, officially returning to the roster in issue #138 before once again leaving in issue #148. Afterwards, the character, along with fellow founding X-Men Beast and Iceman, joined the roster of The Defenders, as part of a short-lived "revamp" of the title, in which the series was renamed The New Defenders. Angel would stay with the title, as the group's leader, for the book's last three years of publication. The series was canceled in 1986 to free up Angel and his fellow X-Men to star in X-Factor, which debuted in February. Angel remained in the book until issue #70, which was the last issue before the book was revamped with an all-new roster. During X-Factor #16–24, the character is presumed dead after losing his wings and apparently killing himself in a plane crash. Angel was dramatically revamped as a character, given a new costume, blue skin, and metallic wings which could fire blades. He first appeared as Archangel in X-Factor #24. According to X-Factor writer Louise Simonson and penciler Walt Simonson, the Archangel revamp was motivated in part by their feeling that Angel was a Mary Sue, and in part by the fact that, due to the inflation of superhero abilities, Angel was underpowered compared to other characters in the Marvel Universe.
Angel was added to the cast of Uncanny X-Men title and appeared in that series and its companion series X-Men for most of the 1990s. In 1996, Marvel also published a one-shot story simply called Archangel, which was written by Peter Milligan. He also appeared alongside Psylocke in a limited series called Psylocke & Archangel: Crimson Dawn. From 1999 to 2001, Angel also featured in the series X-Men: The Hidden Years, which was set in the original X-Men's early days.
Under Joe Casey and Chuck Austen, Angel became leader of the X-Men team that appeared in the pages of Uncanny X-Men. After Chris Claremont replaced Austen on that title, the character went away for several months before reappearing in the pages of another Claremont-written series, Excalibur. He continued to guest-star in the Incredible Hulk title during the events of World War Hulk and then returned to Uncanny X-Men while simultaneously appearing in X-Force , where the character regained his metallic wings and again assumed the codename Archangel, and subsequently in Uncanny X-Force, in which his mind and personality were wiped.
After his personality was stripped, he appeared in a supporting role as one of the students at the Jean Grey School in Wolverine and the X-Men. He later joined Magneto's more militant X-Men team in Uncanny X-Men and an international strike force in Astonishing X-Men after his memory was restored. At the same time, a time-displaced version of Angel's younger self was brought to the present and starred in All-New X-Men and X-Men Blue, before being returned to his correct time-period in the mini-series Extermination.
Angel appeared in House of X and Powers of X, which detailed the birth of the Krakoan Age. He was made the CXO of Krakoa's new X-Corp and appeared in the mini-series Empyre: X-Men, X-Corp and Dark X-Men. As the Krakoa era came to a close, he was the focus of the 50th anniversary issue of Giant-Size X-Men and appeared in the mini-series X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse.
Fictional character biography
Angel
Warren Worthington III was born in Centerport, New York, to Kathryn Worthington and Warren Worthington II and the grandson of Warren Worthington. He attends Phillips Exeter Academy in his adolescence when his feathered wings begin to grow from his shoulder blades. At first, Warren feels he is a freak and aberration, but he soon learns that he can use his wings to fly and help people. When there is a fire in his dormitory, he borrows some props from the school's drama department, dresses up as a heavenly angel, and rescues his friends. He soon learns that he is in fact a mutant. He dons a mask and costume, calls himself the Avenging Angel, and becomes a solo adventurer, before being recruited by Professor Charles Xavier for the X-Men.Warren's status as a wealthy playboy, as well as being an outspoken individual who chafes at the notion of being told what to do, is the subject of much tension within the X-Men. In particular, Warren is in love with Jean Grey, who is in love with Scott Summers, although he ultimately sets aside his love for Jean, coming to terms with the fact that Jean loves Scott. Angel still harbors an unrequited love for Jean even as he begins dating Candy Southern.
While pursuing Sauron in the Savage Land, Angel is attacked by Pteranodons and falls to his death. He would have remained dead if not for the "Creator", who is Magneto without his costume. Magneto provides the necessary medical treatment needed to revive Angel and provides him with a new blue-and-white costume. Unknown to Angel, the costume also has a device installed that lets Magneto gain control over Angel, which he does months later when he makes an attack on the X-Men.
Around this time, Angel publicly reveals himself as a mutant after discovering that his uncle Burt Worthington has not only murdered his father, but also poisoned his mother to ensure his inheritance of the Worthington fortune.
When the original X-Men are captured by the mutant island Krakoa, Professor X creates a new team of X-Men to rescue them. When this new team decides to stay on as X-Men, Angel and the rest of the original team, with the exception of Cyclops, leave. He and Iceman go to Los Angeles, where they found the Champions with Hercules, Black Widow, and Ghost Rider. Following the apparent death of Jean Grey and Cyclops' subsequent exile from the team, Warren rejoins the X-Men. During this time, Angel unsuccessfully pursues pop star Alison Blaire, also known as Dazzler. He grows increasingly disturbed by the behavior and actions of Wolverine, and quits the team in protest.
He is kidnapped by the Morlock leader Callisto, who intends to force Angel to be her lover. Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Sprite arrive in time to stop Callisto from cutting off Angel's wings. Storm fights and defeats Callisto for the right to be the leader of the Morlocks, effectively freeing Angel in the process.
Shortly thereafter, Angel joins the Defenders, along with Beast, Iceman, and girlfriend Candy Southern. Using Angel's New Mexico house as their base, the group has several adventures before most of the group are killed freeing teammate Moondragon from demonic possession.
Angel considers retirement following the collapse of the Defenders, but the discovery of Jean Grey alive changes his mind. Jean Grey is furious at the increase in anti-mutant hysteria in the two years she has been missing, and opposes the X-Men's decision to align themselves with the villain Magneto. To appease Jean's desire for action, Warren organizes X-Factor. He recruits his old prep school friend Cameron Hodge to run the team, unaware that Cameron hates mutants, particularly Warren. Since Cyclops is married to Madelyne Pryor at the time and reacts coldly to Jean's return, Angel takes advantage of Jean's need for emotional support and expresses his love for her. This destroys Warren's relationship with Candy Southern, after Candy finds Warren consoling Jean.