Maverick

Early Life

Christoph Nord was born in East Germany. He is a mutant, a soldier, and an idealist. Christoph fought against the communist regime during the height of the Cold War, joining the West German Underground, and working with a black ops team called Cell Six.

While in Venice trying to stop an assassination, Christoph had a run in with the Confessor. Nord was still young, and was defeated. He fell many stories from the chapel roof where they battled. As Christoph's powers had not yet emerged, he had to spend six months in the hospital after the battle. While in the hospital, he met a woman named Ginetta Nord (then Ginetta Barsalini), whom he fell in love with. The two were married a year later in Sicily.

After three years of married life, Maverick's team, Cell Six, was ambushed by Soviet troops. Everyone died, except for Christoph, it was then that he finally saw his wife for what she truly was... KGB. Knowing that her cover was blown, Ginetta tried to attack Christoph with a kitchen knife. He fired twice and Ginetta fell. Just before she died, she told him that their unborn child died with her.

Team X

Team X

On a mission in East Germany, both Creed and Logan were badly injured by shrapnel. Rather than following his orders and leaving them behind, North dragged them across the the countryside. Reaching the border, he was cornered by Andreas Nord, his brother-turned-soviet-assassin, who offered to let him live if he gave up Logan and Creed. North saved his teammates the only way he could; by killing his own brother (as well as the rest of the men with him). North took a few hits as well, but wasn't permanently injured. Because of this incident, Logan holds North in very high regard.

During a mission to retrieve a device called the Carbonadium Synthesizer, the team was attacked and defeated by Omega Red. Although Wolverine had retrieved the synthesizer, he decided that it could not be trusted in the hands of their superiors, and decided to give it to North to stash somewhere. Because of this item, North and Logan had many run-ins with Omega Red, who never gave up trying to get it back.

Maverick

Maverick

Maverick was one of many mutants to contract the Legacy Virus, which almost cost him his life. While hiding out, waiting to die, Maverick was approached by Elena Ivanova, who wanted his help in tracking down Sabretooth, who had killed her mother. Unfortunately, Elena had inadvertently led Omega Red right to Maverick. Red wanted to capture Maverick and get the Carbonadium Synthesizer back for his own uses. The two managed to escape with the help of Kestrel, one of Maverick's former teammates.

While seeking treatment at a clinic that offered to help mutants suffering from the Legacy Virus, Maverick rescued Bolt from the Friends of Humanity, who were attempting to bomb the clinic. Maverick helped Chris and his family find a new home and take on new identities. Unfortunately that didn't work out, and Maverick ended up saving Chris's life quite a few more times.

While hiding out with Elena Ivanova, Maverick's virus finally gets to him, causing his heart to stop. He is dead for almost a minute, until Elena finally manages to bring him back with her psionic powers. Maverick wakes up with a an explosive blast of energy. Over the next few minutes, they discover that the Legacy Virus has gone into remission, and his powers have come back. Not only are his powers back, they are more powerful than ever, and have mutated in new ways. The kinetic energy his body absorbed could now be released as beams of concussive force or heat, or used to increase his physical strength up to tenfold. When the virus went into remission, it also destroyed all of Weapon X's artificial memory implants.

Elena finally managed to track down Sabretooth, and snuck out of the hotel where the two were staying while Maverick was out getting into a bar fight with Blob.

Agent Zero

When the Weapon X program was revived, two of the first people on their list to recruit were Maverick and Kestrel, his old teammate. Sabretooth was sent to recruit them both. When neither accepted the offer, he killed Wraith and brutally mauled Maverick. Near death, Maverick was taken to Weapon X headquarters, where he was healed and then upgraded with explicit intent of assassinating Wolverine. All odor from his body was removed, he was given a Vibranium suit which silenced all of his movement, his healing factor was greatly enhanced, and he gained the ability to shoot a corrosive chemical designed to hinder an enemy's healing factor from his fingertips. From this point on he became known as Agent Zero.

Agent Zero's first mission was to kill Wolverine. He was given his Anti-Metal firing rifle, and perched on a roof to wait for his shot. When the opportunity arose, he missed, and tried to say that it was an accident. The Director didn't believe him, and Zero received a powerful electric shock. After Sabretooth escaped from the program, The Director once again showed his control over Zero by giving him an even more powerful shock when Zero was about to kill Creed.

After Maverick's supposed death at the hands of Sabretooth, Bolt went to the mutant Cable to learn how to fight. He trained in armed and hand-to-hand combat, and took on Maverick's namesake in order to get revenge for him. Bolt got a costume just like Maverick's, and even started acting and sounding like him. While infiltrating the terrorist group Gene Nation, Bolt was sent to aid in the bombing of Grand Central Station. Agent Zero arrived to stop the bomber, and believed that it was Bolt(who was still dressed as Maverick). "Maverick" began drawing his gun, and Zero shot him, only to realize that "Maverick" had been trying to shoot the bomber. Zero went to remove the mask, realizing to his horror that it was his old friend Chris.

Bolt never knew who Agent Zero was, and died believing that Maverick was long gone. Agent Zero held Gene Nation, especially Marrow, personally responsible for the boy's death. He went on a rampage, killing pretty much every member of the Gene Nation before going after Marrow herself.

Once again using the alias "Maverick", he lost his powers during M-Day. He reunited with Wolverine, who wants information about the Carbonium Synthesizer, but they were attacked by Omega Red.

Powers & Abilities

Maverick's mutant powers allow him to absorb kinetic energy from an impact with his body while taking little to no damage. He can store that energy and convert it into concussive blasts from his hands, or increase his physical strength up to tenfold. During his first visit to Weapon X, Christoph was given a superhuman healing factor, which also greatly suppresses his aging. During his second trip, all odor was removed from his body, he was given a Vibranium suit which makes his body movements completely silent, and he was given the ability to fire a corrosive chemical from his fingers which turns a mutant's healing factor against him.

Christoph has been a spy, a soldier, an assassin, and a mercenary, and as such he is greatly skilled in unarmed combat. For the last 50 or more years, all that Maverick has done is hone his body into a killing machine. He is well-trained in the use of many weapons, and is considered to be an expert marksman of the highest caliber. Even without his powers, he is certainly a force to be reckoned with.
 

Depowered for good?

Agent Zero lost his powers as a result of Scarlet Witch's actions during the House of M. Maverick was last seen residing with other Depowered Mutants (see [[ Wolverine: Origins:vol:18130]] #7). While the loss of his powers will obviously affect Christoph's life, the years he spent without them have shown that he is more than capable as a regular human. Cross your fingers he doesn't disappear after this.

Equipment & Weapons

As Maverick:

Maverick's power suit is airtight, and contains a few minutes worth of oxygen should he need it. At one point, he had an artificial booster field added to his armor, multiplying the kinetic energy of anything hitting him, thereby allowing him to absorb more power. He also added wrist-mounted needle launchers, which fired minuscule needles that sent powerful electric shocks through his target every few seconds. Maverick always carried an assortment of weapons, including pistols and rifles of many kinds.

As Agent Zero:

After healing and upgrading him, Weapon X gave Agent Zero a suit made of Vibranium, which not only render him completely silent, but also refracts light, allowing him to disappear in the dark. He once again started using wrist-mounted weapons, although this time they were blasters. He carries two pistols loaded with Adamantium bullets, as well as an Adamantium knife. When he was sent to kill Wolverine, he was also given a precision sniper rifle loaded with Anti-Metal, supposedly the only thing that can pierce Adamantium. It is unknown if he still has possession of the rifle.

Characteristics

Alternate realities

Earth-1287

This is the home reality of the Maverick that was a member of the Weapon X group that appeared in Exiles. This Maverick was an agent of SHIELD, and after he was killed by an alternate version of Captain America, Maverick's body was taken home and he was given a proper burial by his world's Nick Fury.

Earth-5700

In this reality (a possible future), Agent Zero was a member of the X-Men, who were led by Wolverine. Unfortunately, The Director had mental controls installed in Zero's brain, and when they were activated, he slaughtered the rest of the X-Men. The last surviving member was Wolverine, and their friendship allowed Zero to fight the controls long enough to kill himself.

Media

X-men Animated Series

X-men Animated Series

Maverick appeared on the X-Men animated series in the episode "Weapon X, Lies, and Video Tape." In the episode "Whatever it takes", Morph turns into Maverick while trying to taunt Wolverine.

Wolverine and the X-Men

Wolverine and the X-Men

Maverick was a major character in the novel Codename: Wolverine, which focused on Wolverine's time with Team X.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE

Maverick/Agent Zero does appear in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, sort of. The character is called simply Zero or Agent Zero, and is played by Daniel Henney. In the movie Zero is shown dual-wielding Berettas with extreme accuracy, and performing superhuman feats of agility. He is not shown to have any of his normal powers, and wears simply a shirt, tie, slacks, and sunglasses.