-Ceana Sinclair: Rahne's mother. Not much is known about her except
that she was a prostitute that died giving birth to Rahne.
-Reverend Craig: Rahne's father. He raised her as a ward of the church,
never letting on that he was her father. He treated her poorly, and was
abusive. Rahne has recently found out the truth of her parentage, causing
her to question her faith in god and her role in the universe.
-Bridget Shane: Rahne's half sister, and child of Rev. Craig by another
prostitute. Also a mutant.
-Moira MacTaggert: Motherfigure to Rahne. No actual relation.
Base of Operations: Professor Xavier's School of Gifted Youngsters, Salem
Center, New York
Group Affiliation: X-Factor
Height: (human) 5 ft. 5 in., (transitional) 6 ft., (lupine) 32 in. at
shoulder
Weight: (human) 90 lbs., (transitional) 120 lbs., (lupine) 100 lbs.
Eyes: Blue-green (sometimes orange)
Hair: (human) Red, (transitional, lupine) Red-brown
Other distinguishing features: Prior to the Genoshan Mutate Process that
caused changes in Rahne's physiology, Rahne's hair never grew longer than
a crew-cut. Once she was healed of the process by the mutant Haven, her
hair began to grow, and now grows at a normal rate. Other changes that the
process caused, such as increased mass and an emotional bond to Alex (Havok)
Summers, were also healed by Haven.
Education level: High school. Rahne also has been an apprentice to the world's leading geneticist, and has had advanced first aid and emergency medical training.
Traits and Temperament: Rahne is a devout christian (raised as a Presbyterian --current denomination unknown). She has strong melancholy tendencies. She is quick to take action when her loved ones are in danger. She is usually seeking a relationship.
Notable Psych Trauma: Rahne was raised by an abusive guardian who eventually tried to burn her to death. She was literally killed and resurrected by an alien entity. She was mentally reduced to a zombie-like state and kept as a slave, while maintaining consciousness of her previous life. She endured a ong period of being unable to take a fully human form.
Strength level: In human form Wolfsbane possesses the normal human strength of a woman of her age, height, and build who engages in intensive regular exercise. In her lupine and transitional forms, Wolfsbane's strength is heightened, but not to a superhuman degree.
Defense training: Rahne has had intense self defense and hand-to-hand combat training under Cable, Havok, and Nightcrawler. In combat Rahne has repeatedly proven to be a fearsome opponent. She tore out Wolverine's throat once. She has shed the blood of Sabretooth, Polaris, Feral, and many others.
Known superhuman powers: Rahne is a mutant who can transform herself into a
wolf, while retaining most of her human intelligence, or into a transitional
form which combines both human and lupine aspects. She can make the
transformation at will, seemingly without strain or limitation of time.
She cannot adopt any other form but these, nor can she take the form of
different kinds of wolves. Her wolf form always has the same physical
characteristics, which are those of a wolf.
Although Wolfsbane can transform herself into a wolf, she is not a werewolf;
in other words, her power is a natural mutation and has nothing whatsoever
to do with magic. Her transformations are not dependent on lunar phases,
and she has the same vulnerabilities to injury as does a normal wolf when
she is in lupine form. Wolfsbane's transformations are brought about only
as a conscious act of will on her part.
In lupine form, Wolfsbane's strength, speed, reflexes and senses are similar
to those of a wolf's, but are also heightened beyond those possessed by a
real wolf. In lupine form Wolfsbane can see into the ultraviolet and
infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. As a result, as a wolf
she perceives things as patterns of heat. Thus, she can see things even
in absolute darkness (in terms of what is "visible light" to ordinary
humans). As a wolf she can hear sounds that are beyond the range of human
hearing. When she is in lupine form she can also detect scents that
ordinary humans cannot, and therefore, she can trail someone by scent
just as a wolf or dog can. As a wolf Wolfsbane can judge a person's
emotional state and detect any changes in that state as they occur
through observing the heat patterns and scents that person gives off.
Wolfsbane retains virtually all of her human intelligence when she is in
lupine form. However, as a wolf she might have difficulty at pattern
recognition, or in comprehending particularly complicated concepts which
she could understand somewhat more easily as a human. She does not possess
a wolf's instincts, and therefore must learn how to use her lupine
abilities. However, when she is in lupine form, since she then has a
wolf's vocal organs, she cannot speak. But as a wolf she can achieve
a degree of telepathic communication with her fellow ex-New Mutant
Mirage, Dani Moonstar.
Wolfsbane's "transitional form" combines elements of her human and
lupine forms. In it she retains her full intelligence and is capable
of speech. In transitional form Wolfsbane is less agile than she is
as a wolf, but she is stronger than she is as a human being. She can
stand erect and use her front "paws" as hands. She is still covered
with fur in her transitional form, but the coat is thinner. At least
some of her senses in transitional form are more acute than they are
in her human form.
Though not nearly as intense as Wolverine's, Rahne has a superhuman
healing factor.
Wolfsbane's lupine and transitional forms are more massive than her
human form. The source of this additional mass is unknown.
History
Rahne Sinclair, known also as Wolfsbane, is a woman of intense passions.
She has endured much trauma, made great personal accomplishments, and
is a true illustration of the highest ideals of Xavier’s Institute.
Rahne was born somewhere near the Scottish Highlands and grew up in the
town of Kinross. From childhood, before her mutancy ever manifested,
Rahne was hated. She never knew her mother, and was raised as a ward
of the church under the strict fundamentalist Reverend Craig. When
Rahne discovered that she could turn into a wolf, Craig even led a
torch-carrying mob after Rahne, intent on burning her to death. As
she collapsed from exhaustion, the geneticist Moira MacTaggert rescued
her and became Rahne’s guardian (eventually her mother). Knowing that
Rahne must have been a mutant, Moira took her to Professor Charles Xavier.
The X-Men, whom Xavier wrongly believed to be dead, had always defended
his dream of peaceful human and mutant coexistence. Rahne became Xavier’s
first recruit in a team of students that he called the New Mutants.
The worst legacy that Reverend Craig had left in Rahne was self-loathing.
Xavier’s journal states that Rahne’s upbringing had left her painfully shy
and insecure. She resented the fact that her hair never grew much longer
than a spike cut until she was older, and generally felt unlovable. Worse
than that, she had recurring guilt simply for being a mutant.
At first, Rahne’s personal code of ethics was relatively extreme, but her
virtues and her flaws are what really defined her character. As she spent
time with the other New Mutants, she initially projected her morals onto
them, fearing Illyana (Magik) Rasputin as a witch. However, she was soon
the most eager to make new friends.
Closest to Rahne was Danielle (Mirage) Moonstar. Dani shares a rapport with
animals, and therefore with Rahne when she is in wolf form. Rahne also
developed a long-standing crush on Sam (Cannonball) Guthrie, which was
never returned, though they did become close friends. Eventually Sam
unofficially “adopted” Rahne as a little sister.
Despite Rahne’s benevolent nature, she carries grudges seemingly
indefinitely, is easily offended, and is ferocious when angered.
Conversely, she is deeply sympathetic and frequently moved to tears.
Xavier’s intention was not to recruit a fighting team, but to offer a
sanctuary for mutants like Rahne to be free from oppression and to learn
how best to use their powers. However, as with Xavier’s original students,
Rahne and her teammates frequently found themselves in harm’s way. Not long
after Xavier formed the team, he left earth for a time, leaving his former
archenemy Magneto as the school’s headmaster. Magneto had no rapport with
the students, and they became involved more and more in dangerous adventures
without permission. Consequently, Rahne went to lost civilizations, outer
space, other dimensions, and has traveled to both the past and the future,
on a career that was only the beginning of sorrows and suffering for her.
One of the earliest traumas for Rahne as a New Mutant was being caught up
in an uncontrollable distortion of powers with Cloak and Dagger, an occurrence
that also affected her teammate Roberto (Sunspot) DaCosta. She also suffered
broken bones, collapsed lungs, and was even killed and resurrected by the
being known as the Beyonder. She was kidnapped many times and saw a lot of
violence, especially for someone so innocent and sweet. Sometimes Rahne
would be comforted by visits with her mother, Moira MacTaggert, but most
of the time, her friends were family to her.
Rahne and Doug (Cypher) Ramsey were beginning to develop a romance when
Doug lost his life trying to protect Rahne. Rahne’s thoughts again turned
toward Sam (Cannonball) Guthrie, but still he hardly noticed her. Not long
after that, Illyana (whom Rahne had learned to love as a friend) was
reduced from a teen to a toddler. Then, the New Mutants returned from
space, only to find that the X-Mansion was destroyed. Magneto abandoned
the students, and they were on their own.
Teaming up with Rictor and Boom Boom from X-Factor, they soon found themselves
in Asgard. There, Rahne began another short relationship with Rictor. When they
left Asgard, Rahne’s best friend Danielle decided to stay, which meant another
sad goodbye.
Returning again to Earth, the team was soon taken in by the mutant Cable. This
proved to be another ill-fated move, as she found herself saying good-bye to
Roberto (Sunspot) DaCosta before long. But the worst was yet to come.
Some time while Cable led the New Mutants, Rahne suffered from an apparent
mental illness and was confined to a straight jacket in a padded cell,
believing herself to be Queen Rain of the land of Geshem. As if that
weren’t bad enough, Cable led the team into the Mutant War in Genosha
(a.k.a. X-Tinction Agenda).
Rahne’s friend, the extraterrestrial Warlock, was apparently killed. Then,
Rahne was put through the Genoshan mutate process, whereby a mutant’s
willpower is destroyed, and they are genetically/mentally bound to a
designated master. Essentially, Rahne was made a slave with no more
self-awareness than a zombie.
In the aftermath of Genosha, the New Mutants disbanded and became Cable’s
X-Force, but Rahne stayed in Genosha. The mutate process had left her
unable to revert to human form without becoming a mindless mutate, and
soon it was discovered that the process had affected her in other ways.
Her physical form was more muscular. She had a very high sexual desire,
most notably for Alex (Havok) Summers, to whom she had been genetically
bound. Alex, however, was only interested in his long-time love, Lorna
(Polaris) Dane. Regardless, Rahne became a member of X-Factor, which Alex
led, and struggled with her sanity as the bond grew more and more difficult
to bear.
The process had also caused Rahne to slowly become more vicious when
angered. While in Trans-Sabal, a religious zealot took Rahne captive.
Her violent captor beat his own sister to death, and when Rahne saw
this, she reacted with pure rage. It is believed that she killed the
man, and this issue has not been dealt with since the incident.
Of the friends Rahne made while a member of X-Factor, the closest was
without a doubt Guido (Strong Guy) Carosella, who could relate all too
well to struggling day to day with intense pressures.
Rahne lamented being trapped in wolf form, wondering if anyone would
ever find her attractive. Worse than that, as time wore on, Alex burned
in her mind until it was all she could do not to force herself on him or
attack Lorna in a jealous rage. She also hit on her teammate Jamie
(Multiple) Madrox, effectively scaring him off. Eventually, Rahne was
completely cured by the mysterious mutant known as Haven.
Not long after, the fallout of a terrible battle with the extraterrestrial
race known as the Phalanx left a being that bore uncanny similarities to
Doug Ramsey and Warlock. The being called himself Douglock, and took up
with the UK team Excalibur. Rahne soon followed him, happy to be with her
mother Moira who had contracted the deadly Legacy Virus.
One thing Rahne accomplished in her time with Excalibur was to confront
Reverend Craig as an adult. Rahne suggested that she discovered that Craig
was actually her father, and that her mother had been a prostitute.
By that time Rahne had changed much. She still occasionally revealed very
conservative thinking, but was not the timid little girl who wore a tee
shirt over her swimsuit anymore. She still prayed, but not out of fear of
eternal damnation. She still sought a relationship, but had enough
self-respect not to let her peace of mind depend on it. And for some reason,
her hair finally grew long.
In recent years, Rahne has also seen the demise of Illyana (Magik) Rasputin
and her brother Peter (Colossus) Rasputin. But while with Excalibur, Rahne
and Douglock began yet another ill-fated relationship. By the time Excalibur
disbanded, they had drifted apart. She has since then learned that Douglock
is in reality Warlock, who just happens to have a lot of Doug’s memories.
During a reunion of the New Mutants, Rahne and her teammates all met past
versions of themselves, and had to bid a sad farewell to Illyana and Doug
all over again.
Rahne’s primary concern during her stay with Excalibur was with her mother,
who was dying from the Legacy Virus. When Moira quarantined herself to search
for a cure, Rahne locked herself in with her, rather than be without her.
Perhaps the most catastrophic event of Rahne’s life is when Raven (Mystique)
Darkholme killed Moira. Mystique also used a power neutralizer on Rahne,
which left her unable to shape shift.
Some time later, Rahne showed up at Xavier's Institute again, with a very
different look and a more reckless approach to life. After leading Danielle's
class of New Mutants into a short adventure, she nearly killed Josh (Elixir)
Foley when he restored her shape-shifting powers during a kiss.
With the wolf back in her, Rahne's automatic impulse was to attack Josh,
which nearly killed him. Feeling unable to control herself, she ran from
the institute, but was soon persuaded by Dani to regain control.
Rahne had a sort of relationship with Josh Foley, but broke it off in short
time, because by this time she had become a teacher. She was even given her
own squad, the Paragons. Unfortunately, student Kevin (Wither) Ford found out
about the relationship and exposed them to the faculty. Unable to face her
shame and not wanting to be fired, Rahne left Xaviers after a short but blunt
fallout with Dani, who was Josh's legal guardian.
It is unknown where Rahne went in her time away from the mansion. Only she will ever know, and those who can read it in her mind keep it to themselves out of respect. Her return to the mansion was silent. She just, came back, little words were spoken because most know that deep down rahne understood what was so "wrong" about her actions. Currently she does not lead any group.