Fenris (comics)

Superherobox|

caption=Fenris
Art by John Romita, Jr.
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Fenris
real_name=Andrea Von Strucker and Andreas Von Strucker
species=Altered human
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut=
Uncanny X-Men #194 (Jun 1985) (as Andrea/Andreas)
Uncanny X-Men #200 (Dec 1985) (as Fenris)
creators=Chris Claremont
John Romita, Jr.
alliance_color=background:#c0c0ff
affilations=Thunderbolts Assembly of Evil
powers=Disintegration Beam (Andrea)
Concussive Blast (Andreas)
Flight (both)|

Fenris (Andrea and Andreas von Strucker) are two fictional characters from the Marvel Comics universe, namely German twins Andrea and Andreas von Strucker, children of supervillain Baron Wolfgang von Strucker of HYDRA. Andrea is female, Andreas is male. They first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #194 (June 1985) as Andrea and Andreas and were first called Fenris in "Uncanny X-Men" #200 (Dec 1985). They were created by Chris Claremont and John Romita, Jr.

Fenris is also the name of the terrorist organization the two are head of, which is made up of armored soldiers based on technology developed by HYDRA.

Fictional character biography

Like their father, the twins are white supremacists, have great sympathy for the Nazi agenda, and strive for the Fourth Reich. The Strucker twins have gone up against Storm, in which Storm interrupts Andreas' attempted assault on a native woman in Africa. Andrea retaliates for Storm's humiliation of her brother by shooting her in the head and leaving her to die ["Uncanny X-Men" #196] .

The Strucker twins despise Magneto for his role in their father's seeming death some years after World War II. They conduct acts of terrorism and finally attack Magneto during his trial in Paris by the International Court of Justice for his crimes against humanity ["Uncanny X-Men" #200] . The X-Men foil their assassination attempt, but Fenris manages to escape by allowing themselves to be swept into the old city sewers.

The twins later resurface as part of the Upstarts, a group of mutant millionaires who engage in a campaign of murder as part of a game organized by the mutant telepath Gamesmaster and the Hellfire Club's former Black Queen Selene. The twins tried to acquire Omega Red for the Upstarts but failed. The twins ultimately met their match, though, when they tried to kill Wolfsbane, the former New Mutant. Along with her new X-Factor teammates, Wolfsbane easily beat the twins.

The twins joined a conference of powerful criminal leaders who intended to divide up the empire left by the fallen Kingpin. Among the members of the conference were Slug, Hammerhead, Tombstone and their sibling Werner von Strucker. The twins did not believe Werner was actually their sibling. This, and other arguments, caused the conference to degenerate into a shouting, shooting and blasting match. Fenris attempted to kill Hammerhead but he was rescued. Their sibling is soon after killed by their father, who had attended the conference disguised as the assistant to Werner.

The twins resurfaced, where they were seen working with their father Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker ["Citizen V" mini-series] . They fight Citizen V, though Andrea discovers that he is actually Baron Helmut Zemo. Having been decapitated by Nomad under orders of Henry Peter Gyrich, Zemo had survived when Techno, to Zemo's own surprise, transferred Zemo's mind into the comatose body of the second Citizen V, John Watkins III. Zemo quickly kills Andrea to keep her from telling anyone his secret.

After Andrea's death, her brother became the fourth Swordsman and joined the New Thunderbolts. By tanning his sister's skin and using it as the grip on his sword, he is able to maintain the powers he shared with her as a part of Fenris.

Andrea mysterious returned, not long after Andreas had contracted to have her cloned by Arnim Zola. However, the speed at which she had been cloned concerns Thunderbolts' director Norman Osborn. ["Thunderbolts" #122] Andrea accompanies Andreas and the Thunderbolts into battle against the Skrulls during the Secret Invasion, and witnesses as Moonstone incapacitates Andreas and attempts to make a deal with the Skrulls. ["Thunderbolts" #123] Andrea then attacks Moonstone, and while she is preoccupied with Moonstone, Bullseye kills her from behind. ["Thunderbolts" #124]

Powers and abilities

As a result of genetic engineering when they were still in utero, the twins possess bio-energy powers which only function if the twins are in physical contact - usually by holding hands. Andrea generates blasts of destructive energy that can disintegrate matter, while Andreas fires bolts of pure concussive force. Their powers also allow them to fly, though again, only when they are in physical contact.

Other versions

Ultimate Fenris

In the Ultimate Marvel continuity, Andrea and Andreas von Strucker are co-presidents of Fenris International, a global investment firm. The Struckers are two androgynous German mutant business tycoons who seek mutant supremacy through economic control. Although they claim their motives are honorable, they are deeply involved in corporate crime. It was shown that they are both siblings and lovers. They have dealings with a thus-far unseen Black Tom Cassidy, and have tried to recruit Gambit and Rogue; however, Rogue rejected the offer and Gambit, who was already in their employ, rebelled to help her escape. It is revealed that the Fenris twins are behind the recent Sentinel attacks, along with Bolivar Trask, the creator of the first wave of mutant hunting robots. It has also been revealed that they are tied to the Mutant Liberation Front. As a result of their activities involving the Sentinels and the Mutant Liberation Front, Bishop apparently killed the twins during their battle with the Bishop's team. ["Ultimate X-Men" # 87]

In other media

Film

In the 1998 film "", Andrea von Strucker was played by Sandra Hess. Andreas did not appear, but Andrea did have a younger brother named Werner (in the comics the twins had an older half-brother named Werner). The two had no apparent mutant powers. Confusingly, Andrea was codenamed Viper.

Bibliography

*"Citizen V and the V Battalion" #1-3
*"Cloak & Dagger" vol. 3 #8-9
*"Excalibur" vol. 1 #32-34
*"Gambit" vol. 3 #10
*"Generation X 1996"
*"Quicksilver" #8-9
*"Uncanny X-Men" #194, 196, 200, 260, 268
*"X-Men" vol. 2 #4-7

Trivia

* Andrea is the elder twin. ["Uncanny X-Men #200"]
* Andreas is bisexual. ["New Thunderbolts #17"]
* Andreas was sexually assaulted by the Purple Man. ["New Thunderbolts #17"]
* It has strongly been hinted that Andreas and Andrea are incestuous lovers. ["Citizen V #1, New Thunderbolts #17"]
* Andrea was once married to a man named Jan. Jan is deceased. ["Uncanny X-Men #194"]
* Andrea was once involved with John Watkins III (aka Citizen V). ["Citizen V #1-3"]
* Andreas and Andrea had a half-brother named Werner von Strucker who was murdered by their father.

References