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History

What can I do? I've got super-human strength...I'm virtually indestructible -- and I believe in truth, justice, and the dignity of man. -- Rage src

Origin

At 13, Elvin Haliday was exposed to toxic waste while hiding from a group of bullies. Returning to his grandmother's home, Elvin was nursed back to health. The chemicals caused Elvin to grow in strength and invulnerability, until he appeared to be a muscular man in his mid-30's. Encouraged by his grandmother to use his new found abilities for good, Elvin adopted a costume and name: Rage.[2]

Soon after his transformation, Rage confronted the Avengers demanding to be made a member. He scolded Captain America for the team's lack of any black members. Rage left after a brief scuffle. But Rage ended up assisting the Avengers in their next mission. After the team was reorganized under a new United Nations charter, Rage was invited to join as a probationary member.[3]

Avengers & New Warriors

After racial tensions escalated due to the machinations of the Hate-Monger, Rage and the New Warriors battled the Sons of the Serpent. The Avengers joined the fray, but Captain America was ultimately able to calm the situation and forced the Hate Monger to retreat. During the battle, though, it came out that Rage was, in fact, only fourteen. Because of this, Cap told Rage that he could not be an Avenger, but could continue as a trainee if he wished.[2]

Rage was dejected with the demotion. He soon helped the New Warriors steal one of the Avengers' Quinjets for one of their missions and was ultimately fired from the Avengers for that indiscretion. He soon joined the New Warriors as a full member.[4]

During his time with the New Warriors Elvin's grandmother was killed by a street gang, leaving him an orphan.[5] Andrew Chord, the legal guardian of his teammate Night Thrasher, became Elvin's legal guardian.[6]

Later, Rage and Night Thrasher were voted out of the New Warriors after they had been absent during the team's battle with the paramilitary group, Undertow, who enslaved teammate Namorita.[7] After their expulsion from the New Warriors, for a short time, Rage and Night Thrasher acted as mentors to their former foes, Psionex.[8] Rage and Night Thrasher took it upon themselves to free Namorita from Undertow. After doing so, all three were soon back with the New Warriors.[9] Soon, though, the team began to drift apart and Night Thrasher formally disbanded them. After the New Warriors broke up, Elvin left for boarding school. Speedball contacted him to join a new version of the team, but Elvin turned him down, preferring to concentrate on his studies.[10]

Elvin remained inactive as an adventurer and only returned a couple of times when called on as a reserve Avenger. First, he assisted the team against Morgan le Fay after the heroes returned from the Heroes Reborn dimension. He assisted them during the breakdown of the Scarlet Witch as well.[11][12]

Civil War / Initiative

Rage and former teammate Justice learned that people were hunting down former New Warriors members because of the deaths caused by Nitro. They both sought out the legal services of Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk) in protecting the allies of the New Warriors. They eventually discovered that former New Warriors member Carlton LaFroyge, aka Hindsight Lad was responsible for the persecution and exposure of their teammates. Hindsight operated a website outing the identities of the twenty or so remaining Warriors; he was also operating a death pool. When John Jameson arrived, he arrested Hindsight Lad.[13]

Both Rage and Justice decided to side with Captain America, and refused to go along with the proposed Superhuman Registration Act. Rage escaped from the containment van that held those that refused to comply with the Superhuman Registration Act. After Captain America's assassination, he registered and became one of the trainees in Camp Hammond.[14]

Americops

With the appearance of the Americops, a private police force with violent methods, Rage stood in front of an anti-Americop rally in Brooklyn, since, since he didn't like their excessively violent approach toward civilians. This conflict was broadcast live on TV and watched by Captain America. Hoping to prevent the situation from getting worse, Captain America, along with his bird Redwing and trainee Falcon arrived to defuse the situation.[15] The situation escalated either way, mainly due to Rage's willingness to fight the Americops. In order to protect Rage, Cap had Falcon remove him from the scene,[16] for which he later berated Cap.[17]

Rage would then reconcile with Captain America and Falcon over a UCWF charity event.[18] When Ariella Conner, a writer and outspoken opponent of illegal immigration, visited the Empire State University, Falcon convinced Rage to join him in offering her a piece of his mind. The young heroes found themselves protecting Conner from a group of extremist students going under the name of the Bombshells.

When he was returning home from ESU, Rage tried to stop Speed Demon and Man Mountain Marko from robbing a pawn shop. Unfortunately, the villains got the drop on him and escaped through a back door right before the Americops arrived. The Americops brutalized and arrested Rage.[19]

Rage refused to accept any assistance from the Avengers or lawyers with ties to superheroes, believing that as a fighter of the African American community, he shouldn't accept what he considered to be an easy way out. He also intended to use this opportunity to show the injustice of the judicial system. Using a surveillance system derived from his ability to communicate with birds, Captain America got footage of the robbery that could help Rage's case and expose the Americops.[20] However, it was deemed inadmissible by Judge Roderick, and Rage was eventually convicted.[21]

Days following the handling of Elvin's verdict, he was moved to the Z block of a state penitentiary, a special block for super-powered convicts, some of them who had been apprehended by Rage himself. Elvin was cornered by several convicts and beaten up not long after being transferred. He was left in a comatose state with extensive brain damage.[22]

Death

Eventually, Rage recovered from his coma and when the Hive's invaded Earth, they sent agents to force symbiotes into bonding with superhumans, so then a Poison could assimilate both the symbiote and its host. Together with D-Man, Rage oversaw the evacuation of Manhattan across the Manhattan Bridge. They were both attacked by a group of Poisons and bonded to symbiotes. Shortly afterwards, Rage and his symbiote were consumed by a Poison, resulting in their deaths.[23]

Rage resurfaced alive as part of a group of heroes called by Mister Fantastic in the Negative Zone to fight the forces of the Cancerverse led by the Sentry.[24]



Powers and Abilities

Powers

Elvin's exposure to the radioactive waste at the age of 12 has granted him a superhumanly enhanced physique with various corresponding powers.[25]

Superhuman Strength: Rage possesses great physical strength that varies at times. Under normal circumstances, he possesses sufficient strength to lift somewhere more than 75 tons but less than 100 tons. For undefined reasons, however, the Rage's strength increases if he focuses it for violent purposes. While using his strength for violence he is able to lift 100 tons.[26]

Superhuman Speed: Rage is capable of running and moving at speeds considerably beyond even the finest human athlete. Rage has proven capable of outrunning an express train with ease, hence he is able to run at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour.[27][28]

Superhuman Stamina: Rage's highly advanced musculature generates considerably less fatigue toxins than the musculature of an ordinary human. He can physically exert himself at peak capacity for about 24 hours before fatigue begins to impair him.[28]

Superhuman Durability: The tissues of Rage's body are extraordinarily more resistant to physical injury than those of an ordinary human, making them nearly impervious.[28]

Superhuman Agility: Despite his great bulk, Rage's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete.[28]

Superhuman Reflexes: Rage's reflexes are similarly enhanced and are superior to those of the finest human athlete.[28]

Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite his great resistance, it is possible to injure Rage. However, his metabolism allows him to rapidly heal damaged tissue much faster and more extensively than an ordinary human. He can't, however, regenerate missing limbs, organs, or brain cells.[citation needed]

Abilities

Rage is a formidable hand to hand combatant, having received training from Captain America and Night Thrasher, among others. Rage prefers using street-fighting techniques that enable him to make full use of his great physical strength.[28]

Strength level

Somewhere more than 75 tons but less than 100 tons if he is not using his strength for fighting and violence; a maximum of 100 tons if he is using his strength for fighting and violence.[citation needed]



Trivia

Rage's Birthday is November 20th. [ citation needed ]

As of Avengers: The Initiative #6 he was still under 18 years old.

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