Hepzibah is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Dave Cockrum and Chris Claremont, the character first appeared in The X-Men #107 (October 1977). Hepzibah belongs to the alien species called Mephitisoid. The character has also been a member of the X-Men and the Starjammers at various points in her history.
Publication history
Hepzibah debuted in The X-Men #107 (October 1977), created by Dave Cockrum and Chris Claremont. She appeared in the 2014 Cyclops series. She appeared in the 2022 Captain Marvel Annual series.
Fictional character biography
Origin
A member of the Mephitisoid species, Hepzibah was born on the planet Tryl'sart, while under Shi'ar Imperial Rule. Imprisoned by the authority of the then Shi'ar Emperor D'Ken, brother of Deathbird and Lilandra of the Royal House of Neramani, she first met Corsair (Christopher Summers) on the prison labor world Alisbar. Summers rescued her from a particularly gruesome death sentence (to be eaten alive at a banquet), prompting her to swear an eternal bond to him. The two met fellow prisoners Raza Longknife and Ch'od, and, after escaping Alzibar, the four of them formed the Starjammers. Summers, using the name "Corsair" in tribute to the science fiction adventurers he had admired during his youth, quickly earned the three aliens' respect and became the group's leader, eventually also winning the heart of Hepzibah, becoming her lover. It was Corsair who gave her the nickname "Hepzibah" (after the character of Miss Mam'selle Hepzibah from the comic strip Pogo), because her Mephitisoid name consists of a series of scents impossible to reproduce in spoken language.
Encounters with the X-Men
Hepzibah and the Starjammers teamed up with the X-Men on multiple occasions. The first time, the Starjammers came to the aid of the X-Men against D'Ken's Imperial Guard. Later, with the other Starjammers, she fought off an alien attack on the HMSS Starjammer starship. After that, she helped save Wolverine's life in outer space, and then engaged in mock combat with Carol Danvers. Hepzibah and the Starjammers helped the New Mutants neutralize the threat of the Magus.
Together with Ch'od, she sought the "map-rod" holding information on the location of the "Phalkon" power source. The Phalkon turned out to be the Phoenix. She and the Starjammers were attacked by Deathbird's Shi'ar starships. With the other Starjammers, she first met Excalibur on Earth and aided a rebellion against Deathbird on a Shi'ar border world.
Later, she was captured by Warskrulls and impersonated by one of them, until she was freed by the X-Men.
Other encounters
During the Kree/Shi'ar War, she battled Wonder Man and the Vision while escorting the Shi'ar nega-bomb to the Kree Empire. With Raza, she accepted an assignment from the former Kree admiral to kill the Black Knight. With the Starjammers, she visited the Avengers and Binary on Earth. She was thwarted in her attempt to poison the Black Knight, and the plan was foiled. She then returned with the Starjammers to the Shi'ar Empire.
Hepzibah also aided the Hulk in rescuing some of the Hulk's people from the alien forces of Troyjan. The Silver Surfer personally saved her life, an incident which led her to believe she simply intimidated the forces threatening her.
The Rise and Fall of The Shi'ar Empire
After Corsair reunited with his son Havok, and the Starjammers participated in a conflict between Lilandra's and D'Ken's forces, Corsair was killed by his own son Vulcan. Hepzibah raided the X-Men's stolen Shi'ar ship's weapons locker and was ready to take vengeance on Vulcan. However, she was forced to return with the repowered Professor X, Warpath, Darwin, and Nightcrawler when Lilandra, hoping to save her beloved Xavier from death and protect some of the X-Men (believing that the battle was not going well) locked the ship into a jump course for Earth. Consequently, Hepzibah, separated from her fellow Starjammers, is currently residing with the X-Men on Earth, with no foreseeable way to return to Shi'ar space to help the Starjammers and Lilandra continue to fight Vulcan.
Member of the X-Men
Since she is stuck on Earth and has nowhere else to go, Hepzibah joins Professor X's team of X-Men. She and Warpath have already created a bond of sorts, with Hepzibah remarking that his presence has helped her through her mourning of Corsair. Together, they confront one of the X-Mansion's guardian Sentinels when Caliban, a long time X-Men ally, runs onto the grounds.