Raza Longknife
Encyclopedia
Raza Longknife is a character from Marvel Comics
, usually seen in the X-Men
series and various spin-offs. He is the last known surviving member of his unnamed alien race (which chose to die en masse in one final battle against the Shi'ar
empire as the culmination of their warrior culture), and a member of the Starjammers
.
; with Corsair
, Hepzibah
, and Ch'od
, and associated himself with the group. He is a cyborg, being partly living flesh and partly machine. Raza speaks in an archaic form of old English, which can be both an annoyance and a source of amusement to his allies. Raza was married, though his wife is now deceased, and he has a son named Rion. "His initial grudge against the Shi'ar came about when their former emperor, D'Ken
, slaughtered Raza's race of people, but Vulcan became the focus of Raza’s rage after he murdered Raza’s friend Corsair."
With the Starjammers, he came to the aid of the X-Men
against D'Ken
's Imperial Guard
. Much later, with the other Starjammers, he fought off an alien attack on the Starjammer vessel. He engaged in mock combat with Carol Danvers
, after she joined with the Starjammers. With the Starjammers, he aided the New Mutants
in combat against the Magus
. Together with Danvers, then known as Binary, he sought the "map-rod" holding information on the location of the "Phalkon" power source; this power source turned out to be the Phoenix
. Raza and the Starjammers were attacked by Deathbird
's Shi'ar
starships. With the Starjammers, he first met and fought Excalibur
on Earth and aided a rebellion against Deathbird on a Shi'ar border world. Raza was later captured by the Warskrulls
, and impersonated by one of them, but was ultimately freed by the X-Men.
Alongside Hepzibah and Ch'od, Raza battled Wonder Man
during the Kree
/Shi'ar War, while escorting the Shi'ar nega-bomb to the Kree Empire. With Hepzibah, Raza accepted an assignment from a former Kree admiral to kill the Black Knight
in hopes of being reunited with his son. With the Starjammers, Raza visited the Avengers
and Binary on Earth, and Raza fought and seriously injured the Black Knight. Raza battled Hercules
, but was defeated by the Vision
. Raza confided in Binary, who reconciled him with the Avengers. He fell out with Hepzibah, but returned with the Starjammers to the Shi'ar Empire.
Raza has suffered from the death of his loyal friend Corsair. He has also dealt with Hepzibah's stranding on Earth although several X-Men have remained with the Starjammers.
In the “X-Men: Kingbreaker
” miniseries, Raza was infected and became reluctant host to an alien symbiote
that appears to be of the same race as the Spider-Man
villain known as Venom
. The symbiote-controlled Raza subsequently becomes a member of Emperor Vulcan's Imperial Guard. In the concluding events of the War of Kings
, Raza was incapacitated by the Nova Corps and is presumed to be receiving expert medical attention to remove the symbiote.
, this time captained by Deathbird
. He seems to have the same history as his mainstream counterpart.
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...
, usually seen in the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
series and various spin-offs. He is the last known surviving member of his unnamed alien race (which chose to die en masse in one final battle against the Shi'ar
Shi'ar
The Shi'ar are a fictional species of aliens in the Marvel Comics universe. The Shi'ar Empire also called the Aerie, is a vast collection of alien species, cultures and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Empires, and alongside them, is one of the three main alien empires...
empire as the culmination of their warrior culture), and a member of the Starjammers
Starjammers
The Starjammers are a fictional team of space pirates from the pages of the X-Men comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Starjammers first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #107 and were created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum...
.
Fictional character biography
While imprisoned on Alisbar, Raza Longknife (his last name is an English translation of his true last name) met and formed the band of smugglers and space pirates known as the StarjammersStarjammers
The Starjammers are a fictional team of space pirates from the pages of the X-Men comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Starjammers first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #107 and were created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum...
; with Corsair
Corsair (comics)
Corsair is a fictional character, a star-faring hero in the Marvel Comics universe. He leads the space-faring team the Starjammers and was best known as the father of X-Men superheroes Cyclops, Havok, and Vulcan...
, Hepzibah
Hepzibah (comics)
Hepzibah is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She is a member of the intergalactic enforcers known as the Starjammers and currently a member of the Uncanny X-Men. She first appeared in X-Men #107 and was created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum.-Origin:Hepzibah was born on...
, and Ch'od
Ch'od
Ch'od is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe, usually seen in the X-Men series and various spin-offs. He first appeared in X-Men #104 .-Fictional character biography:...
, and associated himself with the group. He is a cyborg, being partly living flesh and partly machine. Raza speaks in an archaic form of old English, which can be both an annoyance and a source of amusement to his allies. Raza was married, though his wife is now deceased, and he has a son named Rion. "His initial grudge against the Shi'ar came about when their former emperor, D'Ken
D'Ken
D'Ken Neramani is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He is best known for being the evil brother to both Lilandra and Cal'syee , two important characters in the X-Men franchise.-Publication history:...
, slaughtered Raza's race of people, but Vulcan became the focus of Raza’s rage after he murdered Raza’s friend Corsair."
With the Starjammers, he came to the aid of the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
against D'Ken
D'Ken
D'Ken Neramani is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He is best known for being the evil brother to both Lilandra and Cal'syee , two important characters in the X-Men franchise.-Publication history:...
's Imperial Guard
Imperial Guard (comics)
The Imperial Guard is a team of fictional super-powered alien warriors in the Marvel Comics universe. The Imperial Guard serves the rulers of the Shi'ar Empire, both by enforcing Shi'ar Imperial law on all planets within the Shi'ar Galaxy and as the Emperor or Empress's personal guard...
. Much later, with the other Starjammers, he fought off an alien attack on the Starjammer vessel. He engaged in mock combat with Carol Danvers
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is the name of a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and designed by artist Gene Colan, the non-powered Carol Danvers debuted as a member of the United States Air Force in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 and as Ms. Marvel—a...
, after she joined with the Starjammers. With the Starjammers, he aided the New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
in combat against the Magus
Magus (Technarchy)
The Magus is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.The Magus is a techno-organic patriarch of an alien civilization, and should not be confused with another character called Magus who is associated with Adam Warlock.-Publication history:...
. Together with Danvers, then known as Binary, he sought the "map-rod" holding information on the location of the "Phalkon" power source; this power source turned out to be the Phoenix
Rachel Summers
Rachel Anne Summers is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne for Marvel Comics....
. Raza and the Starjammers were attacked by Deathbird
Deathbird
Deathbird is a fictional character. She is a Marvel Comics supervillainess, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, she first appeared in Ms. Marvel #9....
's Shi'ar
Shi'ar
The Shi'ar are a fictional species of aliens in the Marvel Comics universe. The Shi'ar Empire also called the Aerie, is a vast collection of alien species, cultures and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Empires, and alongside them, is one of the three main alien empires...
starships. With the Starjammers, he first met and fought Excalibur
Excalibur (comics)
Excalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an off-shoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the original Excalibur first appeared in Excalibur Special Edition , also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.The...
on Earth and aided a rebellion against Deathbird on a Shi'ar border world. Raza was later captured by the Warskrulls
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
, and impersonated by one of them, but was ultimately freed by the X-Men.
Alongside Hepzibah and Ch'od, Raza battled Wonder Man
Wonder Man
Wonder Man is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Avengers #9 .-Publication history:Wonder Man debuted in the superhero-team title The Avengers #9 Wonder...
during the Kree
Kree
The Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud...
/Shi'ar War, while escorting the Shi'ar nega-bomb to the Kree Empire. With Hepzibah, Raza accepted an assignment from a former Kree admiral to kill the Black Knight
Black Knight (Dane Whitman)
Dane Whitman is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, the company's third person to bear the name Black Knight. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, he first appeared in The Avengers #47 Dane Whitman is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics...
in hopes of being reunited with his son. With the Starjammers, Raza visited the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
and Binary on Earth, and Raza fought and seriously injured the Black Knight. Raza battled Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
, but was defeated by the Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
. Raza confided in Binary, who reconciled him with the Avengers. He fell out with Hepzibah, but returned with the Starjammers to the Shi'ar Empire.
Raza has suffered from the death of his loyal friend Corsair. He has also dealt with Hepzibah's stranding on Earth although several X-Men have remained with the Starjammers.
In the “X-Men: Kingbreaker
X-Men: Kingbreaker
X-Men: Kingbreaker is a four-issue comic book mini-series starring the Starjammers and published by Marvel Comics. Taking place in Marvel's main shared universe, the Marvel Universe, the series was written by Christopher Yost, with pencils by Dustin Weaver. It was announced at the Fan Expo 2008...
” miniseries, Raza was infected and became reluctant host to an alien symbiote
Symbiote (comics)
In the Marvel Comics universe, The Symbiote is a specific parasitic species of extraterrestrial organism...
that appears to be of the same race as the Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
villain known as Venom
Venom (comics)
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
. The symbiote-controlled Raza subsequently becomes a member of Emperor Vulcan's Imperial Guard. In the concluding events of the War of Kings
War of Kings
"War of Kings" is a comic book crossover storyline written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, published by Marvel Comics, and set in Marvel's main shared universe. The six issue limited series was published between March and August, 2009....
, Raza was incapacitated by the Nova Corps and is presumed to be receiving expert medical attention to remove the symbiote.
Powers and abilities
Raza has been converted into a cyborg, with various bionic body parts, including his left eye, his left arm and hand, and much of his face and thorax. This gives him superhuman strength, enhanced agility, speed, and reflexes thanks to his robotic parts. Raza's cyborg body contains computers that he can utilize for various tasks. Raza can convert his bionic left hand into a bladed weapon at will. His cyborg body contains advanced sensor systems and atmosphere processing systems that enable him to breathe in various alien environments. He is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, trained in various forms of combat known in the Shi'ar Galaxy. He is a brilliant swordsman and marksman, with various forms of Shi'ar weaponry. He wears battle armor of unspecified composition, and uses Shi'ar knives, swords, and energy guns.Age of Apocalypse
Raza appears as a member of the StarjammersStarjammers
The Starjammers are a fictional team of space pirates from the pages of the X-Men comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Starjammers first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #107 and were created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum...
, this time captained by Deathbird
Deathbird
Deathbird is a fictional character. She is a Marvel Comics supervillainess, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, she first appeared in Ms. Marvel #9....
. He seems to have the same history as his mainstream counterpart.
Television
- Raza Longknife appears in the 5-Part Phoenix Saga of X-MenX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
. He appears as a member of the Starjammers.