Obscure X-Men Bios: Pete Wisdom
Pete Wisdom is a British mutant who worked for MI-6 (the secret intelligence service) and then another British intelligence department - Black Air. But, he was slightly too empathic for black ops work, and joined Exalibur both because Black Air wanted intel on them, and as a way to keep what he saw as the last bits of his soul intact.
Wisdom is a poor fit for superheroics. He thinks costumes are stupid, and insists on always wearing a wrinkled suit instead. He clings to his cynicism like it's a security blanket. He is off-putting and unlikeable to most people. And he prefers to stand around snarking while other people save the day.
But he's also desperate to do good, even if he doubts he can. He believes in other people, often to his own detriment. And he LIKES working with others, even though he can struggle to show it.
While a part of Excalibur, he helped take down Black Air, who turned out to have an alien infiltration problem and be trying to take over the UK. He also started a relationship with Kitty Pryde, aka. Shadowcat.
Warren Ellis, who created Wisdom, wrote Kitty like she was in her mid-20s. Wisdom was in his early 30s. But she'd been in her late teens shortly before, and later stories confirmed she was still, at most, in her very early 20s. There was supposed to be an age gap, but not the decade+ barely-legal situation that it retroactively turned out to be.
It was a fascinating relationship. Kitty had always be written as 'precocious' - intellectually mature for her age, but somewhat behind emotionally. These days she'd obviously be autistic, but in the early 80s she was just a girl who struggled with friends her own age, was good at computers, and delighted her teachers.
Wisdom was a perfect relationship for her in many ways. He recognized her skills and never seemed emasculated by her outperforming him. He verbally supported her. And he didn't require her to dig too deep into her confusing emotions, because he had suppressed most of his own.
Those are also the reasons it was unlikely to ever be an endgame relationship. As they grew and healed, they no longer fit together. He started getting more emotional and needy. She started needing less support, and wanting a more equal relationship. He ended up panicking, leaving the team, and breaking his own heart before she had the chance too.
And then he wasn't Kitty's love interest anymore, and that had been his entire reason to exist.
Warren Ellis liked him enough to make him the temporary leader of X-Force during his run on the book. Wisdom wore an eyepatch to look cool and faked his death.
He returned to the UK and became the head of MI13, one of a chain of British governmental departments focused on 'weird' stuff like aliens, mutants, and magic. (Black Air had been an earlier one, as well as W.H.O. - The Weird Happenings Organization.) He was not particularly good at this, because it required networking and social skills he did not possess. But he tried! And his attempts were both sad and hilarious!
(An example: he ended up in a political marriage with a fairy to stop a fairy invasion. He remained utterly oblivious to the fact that she had feelings for him, and tried to allow her to live her own life while he lived his. She now despises him, and I still don't think he realizes what he did wrong.)
He stayed the head of MI13 for 15 (real time) years, showing up occasionally when people wanted some James Bond/The Avengers (TV Show) fun in their comics. Then he got murdered to free Morgan Le Fay, resurrected by Krakoa, and realized that he no longer counted as a British citizen. Desperately, he reformed a group of telepaths called the S.T.R.I.K.E. Psi Division on Krakoa so that he could keep doing the only thing he knows how to do - be a slightly pathetic and very cynical government agent trying to do at least a bit more good than bad.
You might have noticed that at no point in this post did I mention his powers. That is because they don't matter. He can make 'hot knives' - energy projections that come out of his fingers. Sometimes he does this! Other times he uses a gun. Other, other times, he stands around and does nothing while other people use THEIR powers. He prefers the latter.
Wisdom has a FASCINATING family.
His dad is a conspiracy theorist who is probably a BIT more stable than Wisdom believes him to be, but has never really recovered from his wife's murder (by the serial killer he was trying to arrest). Wisdom should probably treat him with a bit more respect, but you can also see in every interaction how BADLY it messed the dude up to watch his dad have a break down just at the age when Wisdom needed him to be modelling how to be an adult.
His sister Romany studied the occult as a researcher. She was FAR cooler than Wisdom and deserved SO MANY mini-series. She only had 10 appearances, and was killed within 5 years of her debut, but I want so much more Rom content! (Wisdom knows that dramatics run in the family and believes she may ALSO have faked her death. I live in hope!)
One of the strengths of the X-Men is that it can support a variety of characters who don't really work as superheroes for various reasons. They are united by being mutants, not by the team they're on, but they'll also let just about ANYONE try being on a team!
Wisdom is a delightful example of this flexibility - he ISN'T a superhero, but he sure did give it his best shot! He's had a variety of minis over the years, because the niche he DOES fit into is fun and interesting. He's SUCH a supporting character, but strong enough to headline those poorly-selling minis. And he's a straight man who just invites you to give him diverse and amazing supporting casts. Most of whom will never show up again, but they are SO GOOD, you guys! John the Skrull is SO SO GOOD! Romany Wisdom is just a joy to see! Tink is wonderful! Dr. Faiza Hussain should be a household name!
I love characters that hit most of the 'cool guy' tropes, but aren't actually cool. And that's Wisdom to a T. He loses verbal fights with a foot long dragon that can only sort-of talk! He's great.
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