Mortis

Origin

Lois London is the younger, half-sister of the Dazzler, born to Dazzler's mother, Katherine Blaire, and Katherine's lover, Nicholas Brown. At a young age, Lois watched her father beat her mother, and her mother spiral into alcoholism and drug addiction. Eventually, Katherine sobered up, and took Lois with her as she fled her abusive lover. Katherine took on a new identity, Barbara London, and in turn changed Lois' surname as well. Lois grew up with Barbara a normal teenager, and eventually left for college. Lois, a big Dazzler fan, never knew Alison Blaire was her own half-sister as Barbara was too ashamed to discuss her sordid past. After the Dazzler reunited with Barbara, Lois introduced herself. Lois, however, had no idea about the Dazzler's mutant powers until Alison used them to help the pair a building fire. Lois kept Alison's mutant powers a secret.

Creation

Mortis was created by Danny Fingeroth and Frank Springer and first appeared on a picture in Dazzler issue 20 before appearing fully in Dazzler Issue 21 (1982).

Mayor Story Arcs

Dazzler

Lois soon became a target for trouble as the Dazzler's then-enemy, Rogue attacked Lois in her dorm room. Dazzler, with the help of Luke Cage and Iron Fist, was able to evade Rogue and draw her focus from Lois, as Lois watched helplessly. Lois soon became plagued by headaches and migraines, which she was hoping was a simple case of mono. When leaving a Dazzler concert and walking the streets alone, Lois was attacked by a hobo. Attempting to get away, Lois's hand crackled with a mysterious energy; when she touched the hobo, he suddenly dropped dead. Lois then fled to Alison's apartment for safety, confused and panicked over what occurred. The Dazzler then decided to take her younger sister, and flee New York. While stopped at a motel, Lois attacked and killed the motel manager's cat that scratched her. Because of this, Alison took Lois and fled again. Later, mysterious photos emerged of Lois killing the hobo in New York, with a blackmail message. The blackmailer demanded that the two sisters assassinate a man in California, or else the photos would be given to the police, and Lois would be arrested. Fearing what the judicial system would do to a mutant, Alison convinced Lois to go along with the plan.

Lois's world turned upside down when she discovered the target was her own father, Nicholas Brown. Brown had sent an assistant to search for Lois, but the assistant went rogue and attempted to gain money in blackmailing Lois into killing her own father and his boss. The plan foiled, Brown and Lois were reunited, with the Dazzler in the middle. Although she had been protected by her half-sister, and just reunited with an abusive father she barely knew, Lois eventually decided to stay with Brown. Who was now very wealthy and well-connected in California, offered Lois a sense of security she needed. Lois and Alison then parted ways, with Alison angry and hurt. The two women have not spoken since.

Family Problems

Lois continued to live with her father, but was constantly haunted by her past. She tried to pass as a normal human being by never using her powers. However, the face of the hobo she'd killed continued to haunt her mind. Seeing the coverage of her sister on television, made her bitter and Lois grew more & more convinced that her father loved her sister more.

One day Lois was called to her father's office. There she found him in a drunken rage. He began to verbally abuse, calling her a monster and calling for Dazzler. In his rage he violently slapped Lois, which brought back the memories of him beating her mother. Fear mixed with anger, and Lois defended herself with her powers. She killed her father, but immediately regretted it. Her father's dying were to tell her that he still loved her, suggesting that he had been manipulated by an external force.

Necrosha

However, Selene had been posing as Nick Brown's assistant. As soon as Lois had killed her father, Selene (still in disguise) comforted Lois and guided her away. Selene manipulated Lois. Convinced her that her power to kill was a good thing, and as such made her into an integral part of her new Inner Circle.

As Mortis, she wore skin-tight black clothing & dark make-up that made her skin look even paler than before. She worked alongside Senyaka, Blink, Eli Bard and Wither to help Selene in her bid to resurrect dead mutants in order to gain ultimate power. She helped to capture Destiny and brought insolent guards to Selene's attention. Selene was her new queen, and Mortis helped to explain the Decimation that M-Day had on the mutant population when it was revealed that it also effected the deceased mutant population of Genosha.

Mortis joined the rest of the Inner Circle in their attack upon Utopia. Although not part of the initial siege on Utopia, they were sent to retrieve the sacrificial knife which Eli Bard had previously used to transform the spirits of Warpath's dead tribe into the new Demon Bear. When they arrived, Mortis used her power to kill Diamond Lil. She then tried to do the same thing with Wolverine, but didn't work because of his healing factor. She later meets with her sister, telling her that she hates her. Mortis and Wolfsbane fight each other in final battle. Wolfsbane mentions how Mortis smells like her sister, which enrages her saying she is nothing like her sister. Wolfsbane agrees and slices Mortis's throat, fleeing away from Necrosha with Blink.

After Necrosha Dazzler

After fleeing from Genosha, Klaw heard Mortis' cries of rage against Dazzler. Klaw, because he had been 'killed' by Dazzler, decided to unite with Mortis. Together they planned to murder her using Arcade's Murderworld. Dazzler fought off all of Arcarde's robots and then Klaw himself, while Mortis watched. When it appeared as though Dazzler was going to win, Mortis joined the fray and tried to kill her using her powers. Unfortunately for Mortis, her powers could not kill Dazzler. They entered into fisticuffs and Dazzler proved victorious. Lois is then taken to Utopia where she is being treated psychically by Psylocke.

Second Coming

Apparently cured, Mortis is among the Utopia residents who Cyclops makes X-Men to help fight off Bastion's Sentinels. However, she is not seen following this and potentially used the opportunity to escape from the X-Men.

Powers & Abilities

Mortis can generate highly-destructive energy from her hands that, through molecular transformation, can disintegrate inorganic matter or cause living things to disperse their life-energies, either causing temporary bouts of pain and weakness or instant death.

Other Media

Games

X-men: Battle of the Atom

Mortis is featured in the mobile card game "X-Men: Battle of the Atom" based on the comic book story with the same name. Her cards are:

• [Selene's Circle] Mortis
• Selene's Inner Circle

Mortis is also a boss in the Nochrosa Event.