Blockbuster
Blockbuster by Luke Ross
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Uncanny X-Men #210 (October 1986)
Created by	Chris Claremont Michael Golden
In-story information
Alter ego	Michael Baer
Species	Human Mutant
Team affiliations	Marauders
Abilities	Superhuman strength, stamina, durability, and mass

Blockbuster (Michael Baer) is a fictional mutant character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Chris Claremont and Michael Golden and his first appearance was in The Uncanny X-Men #210.

Publication history

Blockbuster first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #210 (Oct. 1986), and was created by Chris Claremont and Michael Golden.

The character subsequently appears in X-Factor #10 (Nov. 1986), Thor #373-374 (Nov.–Dec. 1986), The Uncanny X-Men #240 (Jan. 1989), #243 (April 1989), X-Man #13 (March 1996), X-Men #200-203 (Aug.–Nov. 2007), and X-Men: Messiah Complex #1 (Dec. 2007).

Blockbuster appeared as part of the "Marauders" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #18.

Fictional character biography

Blockbuster is one of the team members of the Marauders, superhuman killers that the mutant thief Gambit brought together while he was working for the enigmatic Mister Sinister. Sinister ordered the Marauders to massacre the mutant Morlocks in their underground community. While carrying out this massacre, Blockbuster and the Marauders fight various superheroes, including the mutant the X-Men.^[1]

Thor appears in the Morlock tunnels when he is summoned by the frog Puddleglup, and encounters Blockbuster who has tortured the mutant Archangel. After a brief battle, in which Blockbuster is able to break Thor's left arm, Thor kills him to avenge the innocent Morlocks that Blockbuster has slain. Thor burns his remains, as well as those of the slaughtered Morlocks.^[2]

Sinister clones the Marauders using his technology. Blockbuster and the other slain Marauders then return as part of the demonic invasion of Manhattan known as the Inferno. Sinister sends Blockbuster and the other Marauders to defend his orphanage which doubles as a laboratory headquarters. Most of the X-Men are tainted because of the demonic invasion to become more bestial and aggressive, and the mutant Havok kills Blockbuster.^[3]

Although the X-Men are able to discover and deactivate many of the Clone Vaults used by Sinister after the events of X-Cutioner's Song, Blockbuster still returns with the other Marauders, and attacked the X-Mansion.^[4]

Messiah Complex and Death

Blockbuster's body is later shown being consumed by Predator X when the Marauders come to a town in Alaska. The Marauders were searching for a mutant baby, a rarity at the time; they had also met the group called the Purifiers, who were also looking for the child.^[5]

Powers and abilities

Michael Baer has an immense physical size, which grants him tremendous strength, stamina, and resistance to injury. He is shown to be powerful enough withstanding direct blows from Thor, at least for a while. Then, the first Blockbuster was eventually killed by him. His clones shared the same powers as him, but were further augmented by Mister Sinister.^[6]

In other media

Television

• Blockbuster makes non-speaking cameo appearances in X-Men: The Animated Series.^{[citation needed]}
• Blockbuster appears in Wolverine and the X-Men as a member of Mister Sinister's Marauders.^{[citation needed]}

Video games

Blockbuster appears in Deadpool as a member of Mister Sinister's Marauders.^[7]