Mimic (Calvin Rankin)is a Marvel Comics character, who was briefly a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Werner Roth, he first appeared in X-Men #19 (April 1966).

Mimic possesses the ability to adapt the powers and abilities of people around him. He permanently absorbed the abilities of the five original X-Men. He is the first character added to the team after the original line-up and possesses the dubious honor of being the first member asked to leave. In the 1990s, he re-emerged as a villain.

An alternate reality version of Mimic has become a popular member of the reality-hopping team the Exiles.

Character history

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Calvin Rankin, using one of his late brilliant father's inventions, either awakened his latent mutant gift or received superhuman powers the ability to temporarily copy the skills, physical traits, knowledge, and superpowers of any person within close range (approximately ten feet). Rankin set his sights on joining the X-Men and blackmailed his way into their ranks, receiving the rank of deputy leader, but he was expelled shortly after for placing his own interests above those of the team. He apparently sacrificed himself in a battle with the Incredible Hulk and was believed dead for years.

In actuality, Mimic was in a coma, and only when the regenerative mutant Wolverine came near him was he able to copy his healing factor in order to heal himself. When his power to mimic powers grew to instead drain life energy, Mimic was moved to a remote Siberian location where he remained until X-force investigated a distress call. X-force found dead scientists and an enraged Mimic who blamed them for their deaths. During the fight, Mimic copied the powers of Sunspot, and their identical charge caused a large explosion. His mimicking of James Proudstar's power diplayed for the first time the full extent of the power.

Mimic joined the evil entity Onslaught, and after Onslaught's defeat, Zero Tolerance imprisoned him. Excalibur tracked his telepathic signature, thinking that he was Professor X and freed him. Mimic later joined the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Mimic reappeared in Thunderbolts #103 (August 2006) as a prisoner of Baron Zemo and Songbird.

Powers and abilities

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Aside from his ability to copy the skills, physical traits, knowledge, and superpowers of nearby people, the Mimic permanently possesses the powers of the original five X-Men: Angel, The Beast, Cyclops, Iceman and Marvel Girl. Thus, he has powers of flight (granted by angelic wings), increased strength and agility, optic blasts, temperature manipulation, and telekinesis. He partly retains Professor X's telepathic powers so that his telepathic signature is mistaken for that of Charles Xavier's himself in Excalibur #123, although he is not shown to be uncovered during recent searches for Xavier. He may also retain Wolverine's recuperative abilities.

Mutant?

The original Mimic as created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby is not a mutant, but receives his powers after breathing gas in his father's laboratory. Later X-Men writer Scott Lobdell claims it merely awakens Mimic's latent mutant powers, but this point is never made in the comics themselves and remains a point of discussion.

The Exiles' Mimic

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Mimic's heroic counterpart from a parallel world is a founding member of the multiverse-traveling superhero team The Exiles. This Mimic has a clear mutant origin, and his powers have a restiction: He can only copy a maximum of 5 mutant powers at a time, the copied abilities are about half as powerful as those of the original owners, and he can't copy knowledge and skills.

Appearance in other media

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Mimic appears in the the X-Men animated series in the beginning of the episode "One Man's Worth", as a member of the Mutant Resistance fighting a quadrupled robot. He has the muscular body of the Beast and Angel's wings, and he shoots an optic blast, seemingly having the mutant powers of the original X-Men permanently.

Mimic appears in issue #6 of the X-Men Evolution comic book. He befriends Spyke but leaves the team due to his arrogance. Unlike in the regular comics, his body (designwise) remains the same when he copies powers.

Brotherhood of Evil Mutants members | Marvel Comics mutants | X-Men members | X-Men villains | 1966 introductions