Josiah X
Encyclopedia
Josiah X is a fictional character
who exists in Marvel Comics
' shared universe
, the Marvel Universe
. He is the son of Isaiah Bradley
, the black Captain America and the father of Elijah Bradley, the Patriot. The character was created by Christopher Priest
and Joe Bennett
, and debuted in the The Crew
#1.
, the World War II Super Soldier program
of 1942, operated by "Reinstein", used African American
test subjects in a beta phase. The clandestine experimentation that empowered Josiah's father Isaiah Bradley
held similarities with the Tuskegee Experiments
.
After a failed suicide mission to destroy the Super-Soldier efforts of the Nazis, Isaiah was court-martialed and imprisoned at Leavenworth
in 1943. In 1960, Bradley was pardoned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
, and released.
While Isaiah was in prison, the government attempted to use his altered DNA to create another Super-Soldier. After 39 attempts they had a single success, which was Josiah. He was more or less Isaiah and Faith's genetic son, but born to a surrogate mother. His surrogate mother smuggled him out from under the government's watchful eye.
minister. He replaced his last name Bradley with the letter “X”. He has had many names including "Justice", the one he used as a hero. The "X" apparently symbolizes his allegiance to the Lost Tribe of Shabazz. Josiah runs a Muslim Mission in the "Mog" (Little Mogadishu) in Brooklyn, New York.
Josiah grew up alone in a Catholic orphanage outside of Boston. His powers revealed themselves when he lashed out at one of the orphanage nuns while in his early teens. Believing he had accidentally killed Sister Irenia, he fled. Under the assumed name of Josiah Smith he entered the U.S. Army.
Josiah served several tours in the Vietnam War
, becoming a seasoned and experienced veteran. His unit, made up of primarily Black soldiers, were nearly killed on a mission by an inconsiderate and racist officer's order to bomb the area while they were still on patrol. His assault on the heartless officer was rewarded with a court martial. Josiah was sent back to the States to serve out his sentence in Fort Leavenworth
, a stateside military prison
.
Blood tests at a secret research facility in Berkeley, California
proved he was the missing Super-Soldier baby. His surrogate mother was brought in to confirm a genetic match, and she again helped him to escape. She also told him the truth about his past and the real first names of his genetic parents.
It was a long four years later before he could act on this knowledge. He came across a list of African-American individuals abused by the Super-Soldier project, and used it to find his parents' full names and their location.
After meeting his real parents, Josiah left the US and traveled abroad as a private military contractor and adventurer; he eventually ended up on the continent of Africa
. It was in Africa that Josiah discovered the Islamic faith
and decided to use it to find a purpose for his life.
clandestine "Crew
" after they were tricked into believing he was a criminal. After the usual superhero fight, Josiah joined them in order to seek out those who had not only framed him, but had also turned his neighborhood into a war zone.
When Iron Lad
was trying to recruit the next generation of Avengers
, Josiah was one of the people he tried recruiting. Since Josiah was gone at the time, his nephew Elijah Bradley
went in his place, taking the name Patriot.
Scientists were able to synthesize a more balanced replica of the peak human abilities in his genes. Josiah is extremely strong (able to bench press over 1100 pounds) and his body possesses phenomenal endurance.
Because of his many years on the run from the US government Josiah has gained experience and training as both a soldier and mercenary. He also has decades of experience with a variety of martial arts styles, languages and weapons. He is a highly skilled combatant.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
who exists in Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
, the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. He is the son of Isaiah Bradley
Isaiah Bradley
Isaiah Bradley is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, an early product of the United States' Super-Soldier program during World War II.-Publication history:...
, the black Captain America and the father of Elijah Bradley, the Patriot. The character was created by Christopher Priest
Christopher Priest (comic book writer)
Christopher James Priest is a writer of comic books who is at times credited simply as Priest. He changed his name legally circa 1993.-Biography:...
and Joe Bennett
Joe Bennett (penciller)
Benedito José Nascimento , better known as Joe Bennett, is a Brazilian comic book artist.-Biography:Joe Bennett was born in Belém....
, and debuted in the The Crew
The Crew (comics)
The Crew was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics in 2003. The series was cancelled with its seventh issue. The series was written by Christopher Priest, and illustrated by Joe Bennett.-History:...
#1.
Publication history
As depicted in the series Truth: Red, White & BlackTruth: Red, White & Black
Truth: Red, White & Black is a seven-issue comic book limited series written by Robert Morales and drawn by Kyle Baker, published by Marvel Comics.- Synopsis :...
, the World War II Super Soldier program
Weapon Plus
Weapon Plus is a fictional clandestine program that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. It was created by Grant Morrison during his run in New X-Men. The program's purpose is the creation of supersoldiers intended to fight the wars of the future, especially a Mutant-Human war...
of 1942, operated by "Reinstein", used African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
test subjects in a beta phase. The clandestine experimentation that empowered Josiah's father Isaiah Bradley
Isaiah Bradley
Isaiah Bradley is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, an early product of the United States' Super-Soldier program during World War II.-Publication history:...
held similarities with the Tuskegee Experiments
Tuskegee Syphilis Study
The Tuskegee syphilis experiment was an infamous clinical study conducted between 1932 and 1972 in Tuskegee, Alabama by the U.S. Public Health Service to study the natural progression of untreated syphilis in poor, rural black men who thought they were receiving free health care from the U.S...
.
After a failed suicide mission to destroy the Super-Soldier efforts of the Nazis, Isaiah was court-martialed and imprisoned at Leavenworth
United States Disciplinary Barracks
The United States Disciplinary Barracks is a military prison located on Fort Leavenworth, a United States Army post in Kansas....
in 1943. In 1960, Bradley was pardoned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, and released.
While Isaiah was in prison, the government attempted to use his altered DNA to create another Super-Soldier. After 39 attempts they had a single success, which was Josiah. He was more or less Isaiah and Faith's genetic son, but born to a surrogate mother. His surrogate mother smuggled him out from under the government's watchful eye.
Fictional character biography
Josiah is a MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
minister. He replaced his last name Bradley with the letter “X”. He has had many names including "Justice", the one he used as a hero. The "X" apparently symbolizes his allegiance to the Lost Tribe of Shabazz. Josiah runs a Muslim Mission in the "Mog" (Little Mogadishu) in Brooklyn, New York.
Josiah grew up alone in a Catholic orphanage outside of Boston. His powers revealed themselves when he lashed out at one of the orphanage nuns while in his early teens. Believing he had accidentally killed Sister Irenia, he fled. Under the assumed name of Josiah Smith he entered the U.S. Army.
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, becoming a seasoned and experienced veteran. His unit, made up of primarily Black soldiers, were nearly killed on a mission by an inconsiderate and racist officer's order to bomb the area while they were still on patrol. His assault on the heartless officer was rewarded with a court martial. Josiah was sent back to the States to serve out his sentence in Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, a stateside military prison
Military prison
A military prison is a prison operated by the military. Military prisons are used variously to house prisoners of war, enemy combatants, those whose freedom is deemed a national security risk by the military or national authorities, and members of the military found guilty of a serious crime...
.
Blood tests at a secret research facility in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
proved he was the missing Super-Soldier baby. His surrogate mother was brought in to confirm a genetic match, and she again helped him to escape. She also told him the truth about his past and the real first names of his genetic parents.
It was a long four years later before he could act on this knowledge. He came across a list of African-American individuals abused by the Super-Soldier project, and used it to find his parents' full names and their location.
After meeting his real parents, Josiah left the US and traveled abroad as a private military contractor and adventurer; he eventually ended up on the continent of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. It was in Africa that Josiah discovered the Islamic faith
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and decided to use it to find a purpose for his life.
The Crew
Josiah became involved with James Rhodes'War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
clandestine "Crew
The Crew (comics)
The Crew was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics in 2003. The series was cancelled with its seventh issue. The series was written by Christopher Priest, and illustrated by Joe Bennett.-History:...
" after they were tricked into believing he was a criminal. After the usual superhero fight, Josiah joined them in order to seek out those who had not only framed him, but had also turned his neighborhood into a war zone.
When Iron Lad
Iron Lad
Iron Lad is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular Young Avengers, a team of which Iron Lad is a member. He first appeared in Young Avengers #1 , created by writer Allan Heinberg and illustrator Jim Cheung...
was trying to recruit the next generation of Avengers
Young Avengers
Young Avengers is an American comic book series written by Allan Heinberg and published by Marvel Comics. It follows a group of young superheroes, each of whom patterns themselves after a member of the long-established Marvel superhero team the Avengers....
, Josiah was one of the people he tried recruiting. Since Josiah was gone at the time, his nephew Elijah Bradley
Patriot (comics)
Patriot is the name of two fictional, comic book superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe: the Golden Age hero Jeffrey Mace and the modern-day character Eli Bradley.-Patriot :...
went in his place, taking the name Patriot.
Powers and abilities
Due to his unique genetic makeup, Josiah has aged very slowly. Although he is well over fifty years, he appears to be a perpetual 25 years old. Due to the gene manipulation process that eventually led to his creation and birth, Josiah's genetic code was manipulated with great precision to compensate for the side effects of unrefined Super Soldier serum.Scientists were able to synthesize a more balanced replica of the peak human abilities in his genes. Josiah is extremely strong (able to bench press over 1100 pounds) and his body possesses phenomenal endurance.
Because of his many years on the run from the US government Josiah has gained experience and training as both a soldier and mercenary. He also has decades of experience with a variety of martial arts styles, languages and weapons. He is a highly skilled combatant.
Equipment
- Josiah carries the scarred battle shield belonging to his father and predecessor IsaiahIsaiah BradleyIsaiah Bradley is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, an early product of the United States' Super-Soldier program during World War II.-Publication history:...
, similar to one used by Steve Rogers before receiving his vibranium-steel shield. It is an unpainted concave triangular metal shield with an embossed eagle, useful for either defense or offense. - For protection he wears a loose chain mesh shirt over light padding. This mesh shirt is capable of blunting the impact of most small arms fire.