Enigma

ENIGMA

Real Name: Collins (first name unknown)

Class: Human mutant

Occupation: Superhero

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: Ellen Collins (mother), Jimmy Collins (father, deceased), unnamed cousin

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Pacific City, California, formerly Arizona

First Appearance: Enigma #1 (March, 1993)

Powers: Enigma possessed the powers of flight, superhuman strength, mind control, telekinesis, telepathy and the ability to molecularly alter living tissue.

History: (Enigma #1 (fb), 6 (fb), 7 (fb) 8 (fb)) - Collins was born on a dilapidated farm in Arizona. He was a mutant with the ability to manipulate living tissue, and as an infant he inadvertently turned his father Jimmy into a monstrosity. His mother Ellen tossed him down the farm's well, but after screaming himself hoarse he used his telepathy to demand food from her, so she began tossing lizards down the well. In madness Ellen took a shotgun and shot her husband until his deformed face was obliterated, and she was taken to an insane asylum. Collins used his telekinesis to bring food to him since his mother was gone, and as an adult exorcists came to the farm to deal with the floating lizards. They rescued Collins from the well, and his broken solitary mind screamed at the new reality all around him, an entire world outside his well. He disliked the doctors that examined them, finding humanity to be full of hubris, and little more intelligent than the lizards he was more familiar with, so after clouding their minds he returned to his well, but being unable to deny the outside world he found no peace. He travelled, finding a house sunk by an earthquake that once belonged to the Smith family. There was a collection of 1970s Enigma comics there, and he decided to make his life the same as the superhero therein. He needed parameters like the well gave him, and becoming a superhero seemed a good way to recreate that. He needed a rogue's gallery, so he sent out packages that would transform ordinary people into supervillains of his making.

(Enigma #1, 2) - Enigma paced in his lair, inventing languages and reciting the dictionary backwards to try to keep his mind at ease, but his patience wore thin. He put on his mask and went on patrol as the Enigma. He tracked down his enemy the Head, who was eating the brains of citizens in Pacific City, sand although he was too late to save the Head's latest victim, he used his telekinesis to prevent Head from killing the vic's girlfriend. Young Michael Smith was there as well, having had strange dreams about Enigma, who fled before Michael could talk to him. The Head soon turned his attention to Smith, and his attack left Michael comatose and brain damaged. Enigma fought with the Head, hoping for some sense and reality in their struggle. He saw only madness in the Head's eyes, so he bashed his head in. Still seeking a sense of self Enigma visited Michael in the hospital, and he later came out of his coma, remembering that Enigma was the superhero of a series of comics made in the 1970s. The Truth, another old villain from the comics like the Head, appeared in Pacific City and started a massacre until Enigma confronted him. The Truth confronted him with the lies about his identity, and the Enigma slumped to the ground. In his hospital room Michael reread the last issue of the Enigma comic, where he was killed by the Truth.

(Enigma #3-5) - Enigma pushed Trust away with his telekinesis, and drifted away to heal. The Truth showed up at Saint Peters, and Enigma fought him again. Michael was also there, and he'd brought Titus Bird, creator of the Enigma comics with him. Michael was hoping he could shed light on the Enigma, but Titus admitted that the comic was a product of being high on drugs, and he never had a proper ending for the series. Michael was tired of mysteries, and hopped the police barricade to confront the Truth. When the villain stared into his mind he saw something he couldn't deal with and recoiled, allowing the Enigma to snap his neck. Enigma stroked Michael's face, and Michael felt an erotic charge before the hero flew away. At home Enigma did his best to pretend he didn't exist. The Interior League broke into people's homes, rearranging their furniture, which led to at least one family member to lose their mind and slaughter everyone else in the house before killing themselves. After a long, bloody spree the Enigma finally met up with them, and massacred them.

(Enigma #6-8) - Michael was investigating the murder of Jimmy Collins, when he decided to return to his childhood home, buried by an earthquake, and the location of the first Enigma comics he'd bought. The Enigma was waiting for Michael at his childhood home, and when he asked just what the hero was, Enigma replied "Anything you want me to be." Before answering any more questions Enigma wanted Michael to see him in action, and brought him back to Pacific City for a final confrontation with Envelope Girl. Enigma ripped out her stomach, but Michael stopped him from killing her, and realized Enigma only had a comic book sense of right and wrong. He saw no reason not to kill villains, and had little concept of what an "innocent" person was supposed to be. Michael demanded to know his secret identity, and Enigma told a fairytale version of his life story. Michael admitted that he had erotic feelings for Enigma, and Enigma was ready to please him, so the men embraced. The couple made love for days, and Michael was over the moon being with his special comic book hero. He told Enigma about Titus' theory that he'd created him, and Enigma smirked, saying he'd created himself. In an attempt to teach Enigma morality he took him to Envelope Girl's hospital room and had him heal her, but Enigma admitted he felt nothing one way or the other. He panicked when he sensed his mother Ellen nearby. The newly monstrous Ellen killed Envelope Girl, and nearly killed Enigma before fleeing. Michael nursed him to health, and he told Michael more of his life's story. Enigma told Michael about how he'd found his families sunken home, and after reading the Enigma comic, decided to become the character and make the comic come to life. Michael felt immense guilt for what violence Enigma had caused, but Enigma couldn't see that he'd done anything wrong. He admitted that he knew little of humanity, and had entered Michael's mind to be part of it, which was why Michael started dreaming of him, and he'd even made Michael fall in love with him. Michael was aghast, dut decided he liked the new him. Titus, Michael, and Enigma met Enigma's mother one last time, but the outcome of there meeting was unknown.

Comments: Created by Peter Milligan & Duncan Fegredo.

There was a pin-up of Enigma in Vertigo Gallery: Dreams and Nightmares #1.