Weapon P.R.I.M.E.(PRototype Induced Mutation Echelon) is a Canadian-based team of superhuman operatives. Like Weapon X (Garrison Kane) they work for Department K. When they first appeared, they were assembled by Kane to take down Cable. Most members had a grudge against Cable for various reasons, though in most cases it was a case of mistaken identity and the offenses against them were actually Stryfe's doing.
Leader: Weapon X > Tigerstryke
Membership : Rictor, Wendigo/Yeti, Tigerstryke, Grizzly, Double Trouble, Killjoy/Killspree
Associates: Weapon X, G.W. Bridge
First appeared: X-Force (1st series) #10 (mentioned), #11 (seen)
Before
- Several members of the team belonged to an organization called Wild Pack or later Six Pack, a mercenary group Cable founded when he first came to the present. It's members were Cable, Domino, Grizzly, G. W. Bridge, Hammer and Garrison Kane. [X-Force (1st series) #8 and Cable: Blood & Metal #1-2]
- During his time with the New Mutants under Cable's leadership, Rictor claimed that Cable was responsible for some incident in his past. In time it will turn out that it was actually Stryfe who killed Rictor's father. In New Mutants (1st series) #98 Rictor entirely left the team to search for Wolfsbane in Genosha.
- G.W. Bridge, nowadays a SHIELD commander wants to bring in Cable for questioning, he asks Garrison Kane, who became Weapon X for help; but he refuses and tells Bridge to bury the past. [X-Force (1st series) #1-2]
- Francois Lartigue is the third man wearing the curse of Wendigo; he first appeared in Incredible Hulk (2nd series) #272 and later faced Spider-Man.
Chronology
| X-Force (1st series) #10: | After seeing Stryfe take his helmet off, Weapon X believes that Cable is responsible for the Mutant Liberation Front. At Department K he is introduced to Rictor, who traveled to Toronto to join Kane; he too wants to make Cable pay for the things he did to his father. |
| X-Force (1st series) #11: | Weapon X contacts G.W. Bridge to work together in bringing down Cable. He already started to build Weapon PRIME, a team of operatives (Tigerstryke, Wendigo) each with a personal grudge against Cable. |
| X-Force (1st series) #12: | Weapon PRIME retrieve their final member Grizzly in Australia; together they plan their fight against X-Force. |
| X-Force (1st series) #13-14: | Weapon PRIME surprise-attacks X-Force; but X-Force prove to be more than capable; they are winning the fight. Meanwhile Cable teleports all their stuff out of the base and triggers the autodestruct device. Somehow the device malfunctions and blows up earlier. Cut off from Cable, X-Force helps Kane, Bridge and Rictor to get out of the exploding base. Grizzly, Wendigo and Tigerstryke are missing. Bridge and Kane still want to arrest X-Force and calls in SHIELD reinforcement, but Rictor sides with X-Force since his grudge was only against Cable, not his former teammates. |
In between
- Rictor rejoined X-Force, but he will leave the team again. Currently he is together with Shatterstar in Mexico.
- G.W. Bridge continues to pursue Cable and X-Force with his SHIELD resources.
- Weapon X returned to being a solo operative, he and Cable kind of make up in the Cable: Blood & Metal #1-2.
- X-Force (1st series) #20 reveals that Grizzly wanted to leave the life of constant mutant fights behind, that is why he left unnoticed during the fight. Yet Domino recruits him for another mission involving former members of the Six Pack.
Chronology continued
| X-Force (1st series) #22-23: | Grizzly and Domino break into Department K to check their documents on Cable. They are surprised by Weapon PRIME (with new line-up : Tigerstryke, Yeti, Double Trouble and Killjoy) but able to outrun them. |
| Northstar #1: | After Canada’s superhero team is disbanded, Weapon PRIME steps in to fill the gap. Their first assignment is to remove Northstar from the public eye. The line-up is still the same, but Killjoy changed his name to Killspree and Yeti received a big neurological implant. By mistake they kill a man they thought to be Northstar. |
| Northstar #3-4: | As Northstar has to deal with a threat to old friends and allies around the world, he is hunted by Weapon PRIME. But as they reach him, they have to work together to prevent innocent bystanders from harm. Afterwards Northstar escapes again, because his former teammate Vindicator distracts Weapon PRIME. Heather is able to talk some sense into the team's leader Tigerstryke, he drops the mission. |
Afterwards
- A Wendigo has appeared again in the pages of Wolverine and Captain Marvel, if this is the same as Yeti or not unknown; but if it isn't, it has to be assumed that Yeti no longer has superpowers as the Wendigo curse always transformed only one man at a time. Since the Wendigo curse has passed to several new recipients since Weapon PRIME was active, this suggests that Yeti no longer exists as we knew him. Most recently, a similar Wendigo was "domesticated" for the Master's government run Alpha Strike team.
- Garrison Kane resurfaced as a subject of the Weapon X program. Several new bionic implants made him more machine than man. He died in Weapon X (2nd series) #12.
- Grizzly and Bridge have also died since their Weapon PRIME days, in Cable (1st series) #24 and Punisher (8th series) #10, respectively.
- The remaining members of Weapon PRIME, Tigerstryke, Killspree and Double Trouble, have not appeared since 1994.
Members
Rictor (Julio Esteban Richter)
First appearance: X-Factor (1st series) #17
First Weapon PRIME appearance: X-Force (1st series) #10
All Weapon PRIME appearances: X-Force (1st series) #10-13
Powers: Generates waves of vibration out from his body to cause any nearby objects to shake, crumble, shatter or disintegrate, destabilize the ground beneath him to cause earth tremors, and focus his emissions into vibe-quakes, tightened seismic shockwaves with tremendous concussive force.
Wendigo / Yeti
First appearance: Incredible Hulk (2nd series) #272
First Weapon PRIME appearance: X-Force (1st series) #11
All Weapon PRIME appearances: X-Force (1st series) #11-13, 22-23, Northstar #1, 3
Powers: Possessed by the curse of the Wendigo, striking those who commit cannibalism in the Canadian woods, granting him superhuman strength, speed, agility, endurance, hyper-keen senses, a phenomenal resistance to injury and regenerative abilities, and razor sharp claws. He has a neuro-implant that enables him to think and speak like a regular human.
Fact :
- Was called Wendigo in X-Force (1st series) #12, since X-Force (1st series) #13 he is referred to as Yeti
- An electric collar keeps the usually mindless beast under control.
- Later the collar was exchanged with an neurological implant, now the man inside the beast was even more in control and able to speak.
Tigerstryke (Mitchell)
First appearance: X-Force (1st series) #11
All Weapon PRIME appearances: X-Force (1st series) #11-13, 22-23, Northstar #1, 3-4
Powers: none, human. Wears an electric-magnetic battlesuit (based on the Hudson model) that increases his strength, speed, and reflexes, has infrared sights and energy signature detectors, focuses E.M. energies into concussive bolts and shaped energy fields, and is equipped with rocket thrusters that enable him to fly.
Grizzly (Theodore Winchester)
First appearance: X-Force (1st series) #12
Last appearance: Cable (1st series) #24 (killed by Domino, because he was brainwashed by Tyler and killed innocent people)
All Weapon PRIME appearances: X-Force (1st series) #12-13, Northstar #1, 3
Powers: Massive, red-furred body gives him superhuman strength, endurance, reflexes, resistance to physical injury, heightened senses, and razor edged claws.
Double Trouble
First appearance: X-Force (1st series) #22
All Weapon PRIME appearances: X-Force (1st series) #22-23, Northstar #1, 3
Powers: Twins that share a psychic link and a bio-electrical symbiosis that forges an energy bond between their hands, allowing them to fly and release destructive plasma discharges.
Killjoy / Killspree
First appearance: X-Force (1st series) #22
All Weapon PRIME appearances: X-Force (1st series) #22-23, Northstar #1,3
Powers: Heightened strength, speed, agility, and reflexes, wears a flexible armor made out of multiple layers of titanium plating and equipped with scythe blades on each forearm.
Weapon P.R.I.M.E. associates
Weapon X (Garrison Kane)
First appearance: X-Force (1st series) #2
First Weapon PRIME appearance: X-Force (1st series) #10
All Weapon PRIME appearances: X-Force (1st series) #10-14
Powers: Human quadriplegic outfitted with cybernetic limbs that increase his strength, speed, and reflexes, can detach at the wrist either as projectiles or wire-guided taser units, and carry retractable plasma blasters, laser weaponry, and a circular shield.
George Washington “G.W.” Bridge
First appearance: X-Force (1st series) #1
First Weapon PRIME appearance: X-Force (1st series) #11
All Weapon PRIME
appearances: X-Force (1st series) #11-14
Powers: none, human, former mercenary, for a time SHIELD commander