Wing (Marvel Comics)

Wing (Edward "Eddie" Tancredi) is a fictional mutant character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Fictional character biography

Eddie Tancredi (codenamed Wing), was a teenage mutant featured in Joss Whedon's run on the third volume of Astonishing X-Men, appearing as one of the students attending the Xavier Institute. He first appears in issue #3 during the storyline "Gifted," where he relates to his teacher/counselor, the X-Man Kitty Pryde, the story of how he broke his legs the first time he tried to land after using his powers of flight. He then tells her about his fears of having his powers taken away due to the recent development of a mutant "cure," but gets into deep trouble after she gives him a pep talk and he asks her if she's a "fucking retard." Kitty is later shown asking the other X-Men about "the maximum amount of detention the human body can withstand."

He next appears in issue #4 talking to his friend Hisako Ichiki, who reveals that she knows that Wing has a crush on Kitty Pryde. They are suddenly attacked by the alien warrior Ord, who is looking to attack the X-Men, but as they aren't there, he decides to make an example of Wing instead. Ord chases him into the sky and then uses the Mutant cure serum on him, letting him freefall back to the ground. Hisako manages to use her powers to catch him and cushions his fall so that he doesn't receive any major injuries that the Mutant Elixir can't repair. However, Wing immediately becomes despondent over losing his cherished ability.

In issue #7, the first of the "Danger" story arc, a depressed Wing is shown near the edge of a cliff, lamenting the loss of his powers when Hisako appears behind him, first to give him comfort, but then suddenly chides him to jump off, which he does at the end of the issue and falls to his death. However, the setting around him and Hisako suddenly dissipate to reveal that it was all a holographic Danger Room scenario, and that Wing was the first fatal victim of the now sentient and hostile Danger Room.

In the following issues, the students at the institute become trapped inside the Danger Room shortly thereafter where they find Wing's corpse. Hisako becomes distressed at seeing the corpse of her friend, which the Danger Room suddenly animates to life. It uses Wing's body to converse, while attacking via dangerous simulations. No other students die.

The Danger Room eventually relinquishes control over his corpse during the incident and Wing does not appear in any form again within the X-books.

Hisako would later refer to him as her best friend.^[1]

While it was originally thought that Wing was not a member of any of the X-Men's various training squads, a 2010 handbook entry reveals that he and Armor were both members of Kitty Pryde's Paladins squad.^[2]

Powers and abilities

Wing has the ability to fly freely without using any visible sort of power or propulsion.

Other versions

In X-Men: The End Wing is shown briefly in a scene when The Xavier Mansion is being destroyed.

References