Hybrid (Rom Spaceknight)

Isolated from his alien race after his ship crashed on Earth, an unidentified Dire Wraith shape-shifter, weary of warfare, opted to become human. As farmer Jacob Marks, he courted the human Marjorie Seaton to enhance his disguise; much to his surprise, he fell in love with her. They married, and a hesitant Jacob eventually gave in to his wife’s desire to have children. To Jacob’s relief, their son Jimmy appeared completely human. However, when Jimmy was 15, the Wraith elders finally found Jacob, and insisted on examining Jimmy’s potential; Jacob reluctantly acquiesced, allowing Jimmy to be exposed to Wraith magic and the truth of his ancestry. The boy became cold, callous and cruel; even the Wraiths feared him as Jimmy’s powers swiftly surpassed his mentors. Jimmy’s mother attempted to reach him, but when the elders stopped coming, either slain or driven away by the Spaceknight Rom, Jimmy turned on her; realizing his son was evil, Jacob tried to kill Jimmy, but the boy repelled his attack, then aged Marjorie nearly to death as punishment.

Having deduced Jacob was a Wraith, Rom confronted the boy. Calling himself Hybrid, he attacked Rom and slew his father. While Rom and Hybrid fought, Hybrid informed his foe of his plan to force humans and Wraiths to breed and create a new race. Their battle was interrupted by the X-Men, who had detected a new mutant. Hybrid tricked them into fighting Rom, but soon attacked both sides and was apparently destroyed by Rom’s neutralizer, wielded by the X-Men’s Sprite (Kitty Pryde).

Reintegrating himself months later, Hybrid briefly allied with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants’ Mystique, Rogue and Destiny (Irene Adler) to battle Rom again. Learning of Hybrid’s depraved plans for them, the trio changed sides; Rogue absorbed some of Hybrid’s powers, weakening him enough to allow Rom to disperse his atoms again. Hybrid reformed several months later, soon overpowering Rom and his fellow Spaceknight Starshine, and battling the New Mutants. Magik (Illyana Rasputin) used her soul sword to disrupt Hybrid’s concentration, allowing Starshine (now human again thanks to Hybrid’s magic) to once more disperse him with Rom’s neutralizer.

Hybrid again reformed, but his mind was fractured. In Jimmy’s amnesiac form he reached out telepathically to X-Man (Nate Grey), tricking him into reintegrating his mind. Hybrid fought X-Man, only to be blasted to atoms once more.