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    Tag

    Character » Tag appears in 166 issues.

    Brian Cruz (Tag) was selected early on by Emma Frost as one of her proteges and later joining her squad, the Hellions. Ultimately depowered due to M-Day and met his death in a bus bombing by Stryker.

    Short summary describing this character.

    Tag last edited by agentofasgard on 01/06/21 05:59AM View full history

    Origin

    Brian Cruz
    Brian Cruz

    Brian Cruz was born and raised in . He is also one of the many mutants that once inhabited the world.

    He lived with his mother who supported mutant rights and her son completely. When his powers first activated, he was in class and made everyone run away from him.

    Creation

    Tag was created by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir & Carlo Barberi. He was part of the new generation of mutants to take up residents in the Xavier Institute that now was public. Tag was one of Hellions followers.

    Character Evolution

    While it was common knowledge that Tag was a follower of Hellion, it turns out that he really cared for Hellion and was desperate for friends. He was incredible afraid that he would be alone in life, when given one wish, he said that he wanted to keep his friends together.

    Major Story Arcs

    Joining the Mutants

    No Caption Provided

    Tag was one of Emma's advisees. This meant when the squad system was instituted he became a Hellion like the others. While competing against the squads, he would do whatever he was told to do by Hellion. He often came into conflict with the New Mutants squad because of this.

    X- Men Academy

    Brian was assigned to the Hellions, under the supervision of Emma Frost. Tag along with other Hellion team member, mainly Hellion, quarreled with the New Mutants.

    He was Hellion's side-kick, friend and he supported Julian's impulsive decisions. When the FBI transported Tag's fellow classmate, Wither, to jail.

    Tag followed Hellion and his teammates to sneak Wither away from the FBI. Their rivals, the New Mutants stopped them as Cyclops, Emma and Rahne arrived and assigned them all punishment.

    Kingmaker

    For further details: Hellions

    Hellions
    Hellions

    After the Hellions won the Field Day competition, Hellion brought the entire team to his house. After Hellion got into a fight with his parents, the team went to investigate the parents. Through their investigation they discover the Kingmaker and are all contacted.

    The King Maker want to make deals with them all to get them to do as he wants. Tag quickly agreed to be apart of this along with the others on the team, wit the exception of Dust who had reservations. So the Kingmaker granted them what they wanted and everyone except Tag revealed what he had asked for.

    During the next couple days all the wishes came true sans Tag, but no one knew what he had even wished for. It would turn out that Tag wished to not be left alone by his team, so Kingmaker made it so his teammates would need him for their own wishes to come true. When the team was sent out to complete a mission for the Kingmaker as payment the team decided that they were not willing to become what Kingmaker wanted and they decided to leave behind what the got from Kingmaker.

    M-Day and Death

    For further details: Decimation

    Powerless
    Powerless

    Shortly after this, the students returned to the institute. It was not long after that the Scarlet Witch warped reality and created the House of M alternate reality in her father's image. Once that was over she declared "No More Mutants" and 90% of the world mutant population was left without their powers, including Tag.

    He awoke to find himself powerless while Hellion still had his. Emma would separate the school into humans and mutants and would force the humans out. While the bus Tag was leaving on started to go, a missile launched and all the students on the leaving bus were killed. Tag, along with other mutant victims, had a funeral on campus and was buried on the grounds. His family wouldn't take his body.

    World War Hulk

    For further details: World war Hulk

    When the Hulk had came to collect the professor for sending him away, Mercury stopped and yelled at Hulk about how much pain their people had been through. She stopped at Tags grave and told Hulk about him and his death at the hands of people that hated mutants even though all Tag ever wanted was to be liked.

    Krakoa and ressurection

    Tag (on the far right) with his former teammates of Academy X
    Tag (on the far right) with his former teammates of Academy X

    When the X-Men formed the Mutant-nation of Krakoa on the likewise named island of Krakoa, the mutants unlocked the secrets of ressurection. As such, allmost all (former) mutants that where killed, where ressurected by a group of mutants known as The Five. This also was the case for Tag, whom after being ressurected, remained on the island nation.

    Powers and Abilities

    No Caption Provided

    Tag had a low level psionic ability to make people either run away from or run towards a person. This was limited by range, if the person running away reached a certain distance the effect would wear off.

    He had to make physical contact for his powers to work. Brian would say, "Tag, you're it" when he used his powers on someone.

    Status

    Known Relatives: Mr and Mrs Cruz (parents).

    Citizenship: Citizen of Puerto Rico. A minor with no known criminal record.

    Place of Birth: San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Marital Status: Single.

    Grave stone
    Grave stone

    Occupation:

    Deceased. Formerly: Student and Adventurer.

    Education: Xavier Institute; High School level classes.

    Place Of Death: Driveway of Xavier Institute, in school but explosion.

    Characteristics

    Gender: Male

    Height: 6'1"

    Weight: 165 lbs

    Hair: Brown

    Eyes: Brown

    Alternate Realities

    Earth-58163

    House of M
    House of M

    In this re-envisioned world of Scarlet Witch, mutants are the majority and are in power. Young burgeoning mutants now have two options for their future schools and futures and mutants. Either picking between the New Mutant Leadership Institute, ran by Xi'an Coy Mahn ( Karma), where here they develop the future diplomats and leaders of the world, though they do not get combat training. The other option is to join the SHIELD training program, ran by Sebastian Shaw. It is here they have a more military training focusing on warfare and covert operations. Tag was a student at the New Mutant Leadership Institute and due to his involvement was able to save the lives of both Karma and Cypher.

    Too Much Information

    Too Much Information
    Too Much Information

    In this possible future where Prodigy's powers were unblocked, Tag and the other hellions became fugitives and Prodigy declared them terrorists. Tag was killed during the final assault against the White House by Quill.

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