Jason Stryker

Jason Stryker is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is usually depicted as the mutant son of William Stryker and an enemy of the X-Men.

Jason Stryker
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Marvel Graphic Novel #5 (January 1983)
Created by	Chris Claremont (writer) Brent Anderson (artist)
In-story information
Species	Human Mutant
Team affiliations	Purifiers
Notable aliases	William Stryker, Jr.
Abilities	Light emission

Publication history

Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Brent Anderson, he first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel #5 (1983). His character was later re-introduced in All-New X-Men #19 (2013) and was officially given his name "Jason Stryker" in that version.^[1]

Fictional character biography

At the time Jason's mother, Marcy Stryker, got pregnant, his father William was still a colonel and stationed on a nuclear testing facility. After the couple crashed their car in the Nevada desert, Marcy went into labor, forcing Stryker to deliver their baby. Marcy fell unconscious in the process and, upon waking up, she asked if the baby was fine, only for William to snap her neck. William saw his son's birth as a sign from God, causing him to turn into a religious fanatic that ensures the genocide of all mutants.^[2] However, Jason was kept alive and Stryker resorted to A.I.M. to treat his son's mutant condition.^[1]

As an adult, Jason joined the Purifiers to continue his father's work and faced the original X-Men's time-displaced version.^[3] Jason was defeated and arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D.^[1]

Powers and abilities

Jason Stryker possesses the ability to project a blinding white light from his body that is powerful enough to knock several people unconscious. His mutation was apparently initially unstable, as he was born deformed and was also implied by his father to be deathly ill, afflictions that A.I.M. was able to alleviate, though with side-effects such as chronic headaches and insomnia.

Other versions

The Ultimate Marvel iteration of the character is Reverend William Stryker, Jr., the son of William Stryker, Sr. and the leader of an anti-mutant coalition armed with Sentinel technology. His wife Kate Stryker and son John Stryker were killed during the "Ultimatum" wave through New York, leading to his hatred of mutants.^[4] Stryker is later revealed to be a mutant with the power of technopathy. After Shroud kills him, Stryker transfers his consciousness into Master Mold.^[5] Stryker attacks Kitty Pryde's team of mutants, who manage to destroy him.^[6][7]

In other media

Film

• Jason Stryker appears in X2, portrayed by Michael Reid McKay (normal form) and by Keely Purvis (illusionary form).^[8][9] This version is a mutant with heterochromic eyes and the ability to project illusions into people's minds. He was previously lobotomized, leaving him mute and docile. William Stryker utilizes secretions from Jason's brain to control the minds of other mutants.
• Jason Stryker makes a cameo appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.^[8][10]

Video games

Jason Stryker appears in X-Men: The Official Game, voiced by Steve Blum as an adult and by Grey DeLisle as a child.^[11]