Purifiers (Marvel Comics)

{{short description|Fictional characters}} {{more citations needed|date=June 2019}} {{Infobox comics organization  |name=The Purifiers / Stryker Crusade |image= |imagesize=  |caption= |publisher=Marvel Comics |debut=''Marvel Graphic Novel'' #5: ''X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills'' (1982) |creators=Chris Claremont Brent Anderson |type=Terrorist |business= |organisation= |organization=y |base= |owners=Reverend William Stryker ('''founder''') Matthew Risman ('''successor''') Bastion Jason Stryker ('''successor''') |employees=Nimrod Rictor ('''Mole for the X-Men''') Reverend Craig |fullroster= |subcat=Marvel Comics |sortkey=Purifiers }} The '''Purifiers''', also known as the '''Stryker Crusade''', are a fictional paramilitary/terrorist organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are usually depicted as enemies of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Brent Anderson, they first appeared in the 1982 graphic novel ''X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills''.

A force of Christian fundamentalists led by Reverend William Stryker, the Purifiers see themselves in a holy war against mutants, believing them to be the children of the Devil and thus worthy of extermination. The Purifiers made only sporadic appearances since their first appearance, but returned to prominence in the 2000s, when they became prominent antagonists in the series ''New X-Men'' and ''X-Force'', and played a major role in the 2007 - 2008 crossover storyline ''X-Men: Messiah Complex''.

The Purifiers appear in the television series ''The Gifted'' as antagonists to the mutants, although not a wide organization like the comics. They are led by failed Senator Benedict Ryan, portrayed by Peter Gallagher.

==Fictional organization biography== In the 1982 graphic novel ''God Loves, Man Kills'', the Purifiers are first seen aiding their leader, William Stryker, in his plans to annihilate the mutant race. The Purifiers work to fulfill many of Stryker's goals, abducting Professor X and several of the X-Men, killing mutant children, and defending Stryker's church against the X-Men and Magneto.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cronin |first=Brian |date=March 28, 2020 |title=Kitty Pryde Defends Nightcrawler's Humanity Against Reverend Stryker |url=https://www.cbr.com/x-men-kitty-pryde-speech-god-loves-man-kills-reverend-stryker-nightcrawler/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328140609/https://www.cbr.com/x-men-kitty-pryde-speech-god-loves-man-kills-reverend-stryker-nightcrawler/ |archive-date=March 28, 2020 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=CBR |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cronin |first=Brian |date=October 3, 2015 |title=You Go Your Way and I Go Mine: Kitty Pryde's Use of the N-Word |url=https://www.cbr.com/you-go-your-way-and-i-go-mine-kitty-prydes-use-of-the-n-word/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313210251/https://www.cbr.com/you-go-your-way-and-i-go-mine-kitty-prydes-use-of-the-n-word/ |archive-date=March 13, 2018 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=CBR |language=en}}</ref> Eventually, one of the guards, horrified that Stryker would attempt to kill the young mutant Kitty Pryde, shoots him and ends his genocidal plans.<ref name="God Loves, Man Kills">{{Cite web |last=Cronin |first=Brian |date=March 15, 2020 |title=How Did God Loves, Man Kills Become Official Marvel Continuity |url=https://www.cbr.com/x-men-god-loves-man-kills-continuity-marvel-stryker/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316171322/https://www.cbr.com/x-men-god-loves-man-kills-continuity-marvel-stryker/ |archive-date=March 16, 2020 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=CBR |language=en}}</ref> With Stryker arrested and sent to prison, the Purifiers disband.<ref name="X-Men 1982">''Marvel Graphic Novel #5: X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills'' (1982)</ref>

Following his release from prison,<ref>''X-Treme X-Men'' #25 (July 2003)</ref> Stryker discovers Nimrod, a time-traveling Sentinel from the future, in his church. Accessing Nimrod's memory core, Stryker sees the effects of "Decimation" months before M-Day occurs, enabling him to lay the groundwork for a renewed campaign against mutants.<ref>''X-Treme X-Men'' #27 (August 2003)</ref> Using Nimrod's knowledge of the future, Stryker is able to save numerous people from untimely deaths, accrediting his interventions as miracles from God and allowing him to substantially increase the ranks of the Purifiers. The use of Nimrod's visions allows Stryker to gain the support of prominent political and business leaders, as well as the veteran assassin Matthew Risman.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=April 2009}} The Purifiers contact the Facility, a branch of the Weapon X program, and commission its scientists to create Predator X, a creature designed to hunt mutants.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=April 2009}} The Purifiers specially target Wallflower and Dust, two mutants who Nimrod determined would be instrumental in their defeat.<ref>''New X-Men'' (vol. 2) #34 (March 2007)</ref>

When M-Day strikes and over ninety-nine percent of the world's mutants were rendered powerless, the Purifiers attack the Xavier Institute and kill over forty-five students, including Wallflower.<ref name="God Loves, Man Kills" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Zachary |first=Brandon |date=October 17, 2021 |title=The X-Men's Forgotten Generation Defeated Marvel's Ultimate Mutant Killer |url=https://www.cbr.com/the-x-mens-forgotten-generation-defeated-marvels-ultimate-mutant-killer/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017014958/https://www.cbr.com/the-x-mens-forgotten-generation-defeated-marvels-ultimate-mutant-killer/ |archive-date=October 17, 2021 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=CBR |language=en |quote=William Stryker and the Purifiers had become increasingly emboldened by this tragedy for the mutants, resulting in an attack that cost the lives of numerous depowered former students. Stryker had been gaining such an advantage due to a series of "miracles" that were in reality the warnings of a time-displaced Nimrod.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Webber |first=Tim |date=April 25, 2020 |title=X-Men: How a Weapon X Villain TOTALLY Changed After Fox’s Marvel Movies |url=https://www.cbr.com/x-men-stryker-movie-comic-changes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502104521/https://www.cbr.com/x-men-stryker-movie-comic-changes/ |archive-date=May 2, 2020 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=CBR |language=en |quote=In Chris Yost, Craig Kyle, Mark Brooks and Paco Medina's New X-Men, Stryker and his Purifiers emerged as a far more high-tech threat, and they killed over a fourth of the depowered mutants at the Xavier Institute.}}</ref><ref>''New X-Men'' (vol. 2) #25 (June 2006)</ref> After Stryker is killed by Elixir, the Purifiers retreat.<ref>''New X-Men'' (vol. 2) #27 (August 2006)</ref> Following Stryker's death, Matthew Risman takes control of the Purifiers, vowing not to cease "until the world has been purified."{{Volume needed|c=y|date=April 2009}}

During the ''Messiah Complex'' storyline, the Purifiers are one of the three factions, along with the X-Men and Marauders, searching for Hope Summers, the first mutant born since M-Day. All three groups are alerted to Hope's birth simultaneously and head for the remote Alaskan village where she had been born.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=April 2009}} The Purifiers beat both the X-Men and the Marauders to the scene and kill every child in the city to make sure that Hope did not survive. The Purifiers are then attacked by the Marauders, who killed several of their members. By the time the X-Men arrive, the Purifiers and the Marauders have both left, with Hope's whereabouts unknown.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=April 2009}}

Rictor is planted as a mole to spy on the Purifiers. When the New X-Men, led by Surge, attack the Purifiers in retaliation for their assault on the institute, they learn that the Purifiers had upgraded some of their best fighters with cybernetics, creating a new team of Reavers under the command of Lady Deathstrike. The Reavers are sent to find Hope, but are repelled by X-Force.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=April 2009}}

Shortly after the events of ''Messiah Complex'' and the dissolution of the X-Men, the Purifiers raid a heavily defended S.H.I.E.L.D. installation with the help of several double agents, murdering sixteen S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel before breaching the primary vault and recovering an unidentified artifact. The fact that the Purifiers launched an attack specifically on baseline humans rather than mutants worries Cyclops, who fears that whatever the Purifiers stole from S.H.I.E.L.D. was worth enough to risk bring down the agency's wrath upon them.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=April 2009}} The Purifiers bring the object, revealed to be the head of Bastion, to one of their churches. Bastion's head is placed onto Nimrod's body, bringing him back to life.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Matadeen |first=Renaldo |date=April 25, 2024 |title=X-Men '97's Bastion & Operation Zero Tolerance, Explained |url=https://www.cbr.com/xmen-97-bastion-operation-zero-tolerance/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521111021/https://www.cbr.com/xmen-97-bastion-operation-zero-tolerance/ |archive-date=May 21, 2024 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=CBR |language=en |quote=[Bastion] was rescued by the Purifiers and reassembled for wars such as X-Men: Second Coming and Messiah Complex.}}</ref> Bastion reveals that he is seeking the Technarchy leader Magus, who is lying in the bottom of the ocean, and takes one of Magus' offspring to graft it into himself.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=April 2009}}

The Purifiers, acting on Bastion's orders, seek out a number of prominent anti-mutant leaders. They forcibly recruit Donald Pierce, save the Leper Queen from execution, retrieve Cameron Hodge from a crater in Mount Everest, and dig up the corpses of Graydon Creed, Stephen Lang, Bolivar Trask, and William Stryker. Despite Risman's objection, the corpses are bonded with the Technarch offspring, which reanimates them and places them under Bastion's control.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=April 2009}}

Meanwhile, the Purifiers use a brainwashed Wolfsbane to attack Warren Worthington III and obtain his wings, which contain Apocalypse's techno-organic strain. Using the sample, the Purifiers employ scientist Adam Harkins to duplicate the strain and use it to create an elite team of Purifiers called "the Choir." Risman leads the Choir against Bastion's Purifiers in an attempt to destroy Bastion and the reanimated remains of Stryker, considering them unholy.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=April 2009}}

Archangel later attacks the Purifiers in an attempt to reclaim his wings, killing every member of the Choir. During that point, Matthew Risman is shot in the head by X-23 around the point where Matthew tried to kill Bastion. Wolfsbane ends up killing her father Reverend Craig, a member of the Purifiers, under her brainwashing.<ref name="X-Forcev306">''X-Factor'' (vol. 3) #6 (October 2008)</ref>

During the ''Second Coming'' storyline, Bastion is seen with Stephen Lang, Bolivar Trask, William Stryker, Graydon Creed, and Cameron Hodge stating that their forces are assembled and at his disposal. Bastion tells them that the Mutant Messiah has returned and gives them orders to kill her. Later, Bastion attempts to kill Hope Summers, but he is confronted by Rogue and injured when Nightcrawler sacrifices himself to save Hope. Bastion would later confront Hope, again defeated, and then destroyed by her.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Rich |author-link=Rich Johnston |date=May 14, 2024 |title=Hope's Father And What Happens To The Mutants (X-Men Forever Spoilers) |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/hopes-father-and-what-happens-to-the-mutants-x-men-forever-spoilers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514144120/https://bleedingcool.com/comics/hopes-father-and-what-happens-to-the-mutants-x-men-forever-spoilers/ |archive-date=May 14, 2024 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=Bleeding Cool |language=en |quote=A firefighter in Cooperstown, Alaska, her daughter, Hope Summers, was the first mutant born after M-Day and Cable saved her from the Purifiers.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schlesinger |first=Alex |date=October 24, 2023 |title=A Surprising X-Man is Marvel's Most Caring Father |url=https://screenrant.com/x-men-cable-marvel-most-caring-father-hope-children-vault/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231024152025/https://screenrant.com/x-men-cable-marvel-most-caring-father-hope-children-vault/ |archive-date=October 24, 2023 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=Screen Rant |language=en |quote=After Hope's birth, Cable saves her from a group of anti-mutant Purifiers, convinced that Hope is the messiah of both mutant and humankind in the future.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=George |first=Joe |date=April 24, 2024 |title=X-Men '97 Episode 7's Villain Twist Just Set Up One of the Worst X-Men Stories Ever |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/x-men-97-bastion-ozt-theo-james/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424211839/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/x-men-97-bastion-ozt-theo-james/ |archive-date=April 24, 2024 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=Den of Geek |language=en-US |quote=Working with anti-mutant extremists such as the Purifiers and the Right, Bastion launched a hunt for Hope, the first mutant born after the Scarlet Witch depowered the world’s mutant population.}}</ref>

During the 2011 "Fear Itself" storyline, the global chaos caused by Skadi and the Worthy leads a splinter group of Purifiers to believe that the world is coming to an end and that an appearance by the Devil is imminent, spurring them to "save" as many people as they can. Purifiers member Jonathan Standish also kidnaps a young superhero and uses his webcam, stating that the superhumans are the reasons behind the current chaos in the world. X-Force tracks down Standish as he shoots the superhero, who is identified as Daniel Chilton.<ref name="Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Men #1">''Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Force'' #1 (September 2011)</ref>

The Purifiers reappear in the series ''All-New X-Men'', where they target an amnesiac X-23.<ref>''All-New X-Men'' #19 (January 2014)</ref> It is later revealed that William Stryker's son Jason Stryker, who was believed to have been killed as an infant by his father for being a mutant, is still alive. Jason had secretly been sent to A.I.M. to have his powers suppressed. Jason went on to succeed his father as the leader of the Purifiers.<ref name="All-New X-Men #20">''All-New X-Men'' #20 (February 2014)</ref>

==Membership== ===Current members=== * '''Jack Abrams'''<ref>''All-New X-Men'' #21 (March 2014)</ref> * '''Anne'''<ref name="X-Men 1982"/> * '''Brother Paul McGuinness'''<ref>''New X-Men'' (vol. 2) #42 (November 2007)</ref> * '''Rocco''' * '''Sister Mary'''<ref name="X-Force vol. 3 #3" /> * '''Jonathan Standish'''<ref name="Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Men #1"/> * '''Benedict Ryan'''<ref name="Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Men #1"/> * '''Jason Stryker'''<ref name="All-New X-Men #20" /> - Current leader

===Former members=== * '''Rictor''' - Requested by Cyclops to work as a spy since he was depowered. * '''Taylor''' - Expelled for the infiltration of Rictor. * '''Nimrod''' - Blasted out of the timestream by Surge. * '''Father Matthew Risman'''<ref>''New X-Men'' (vol. 2) #22 (March 2006)</ref> - Second leader. He was scarred by Dust and later killed by X-23. * '''Reverend Craig''' - A fanatically hostile Scottish pastor and Wolfsbane's father. He was mauled to death and eaten by Wolfsbane.<ref name="X-Forcev306" /> * '''Eli Bard''' - Left the Purifiers after getting himself infected by the transmode virus and joined with Selene to ignite the Necrosha event. * '''Leper Queen''' - Shot and killed by X-23. * '''Adam Harkins'''<ref name="X-Force vol. 3 #4">''X-Force'' (vol. 3) #4 (July 2008)</ref> - A member of the Facility who is the creator of the Choir. * '''Gabriel'''<ref name="X-Force vol. 3 #4"/> - Leader of The Choir. Killed by Archangel. * '''William Stryker''' - Founder and first leader. Killed by Elixir and reanimated by Bastion.<ref name="X-Force vol. 3 #3"/> Later cut in two by Archangel. * '''Cameron Hodge'''<ref name="X-Force vol. 3 #3"/> - Killed when his lifeforce and the lifeforces of the Smileys are forcibly absorbed by Warlock via their shared connection of the technorganic Transmode virus. * '''Donald Pierce'''<ref name="X-Force vol. 3 #3">''X-Force'' (vol. 3) #3 (June 2008)</ref> - Destroyed by an optic blast from Cyclops. Though later revived, he does not rejoin. * '''Bolivar Trask'''<ref name="X-Force vol. 3 #3"/> - Killed himself after escaping from Bastion's control.<ref>''X-Factor'' #206 (August 2010)</ref> * '''Graydon Creed'''<ref name="X-Force vol. 3 #3"/> - Resurrected in ''Weapon X'' #27 (2017) by Azazel. * '''Stephen Lang'''<ref name="X-Force vol. 3 #3"/> - Killed during the final battle with the so-called Mutant Messiah.<ref name="X-Force vol. 3 #28">''X-Force'' (vol. 3) #28 (September 2010)</ref> * '''Bastion'''<ref>''X-Force'' (vol. 3) #1 (April 2008)</ref> - Returned to life by the Purifiers. Ultimately destroyed by Hope Summers during the final battle of Second Coming.<ref name="X-Force vol. 3 #28"/>

===The Choir=== In ''X-Force'' #4, the Purifiers extract techno-organic material from Angel's wings and graft them to some of their members, who gain techno-organic wings similar to Angel's own. This group was dubbed "The Choir" and was created to "strike down Satan's spawn with God's own might". One of the Purifiers, known only as "Gabriel", willingly becomes the first Purifier to receive the graft. He is appointed leader of the Choir by Father Risman.<ref name="X-Force vol. 3 #4"/>

==Powers and abilities== Being baseline humans, the Purifiers possess no superhuman abilities, relying on superior technology in their genocidal campaign against mutants. The Purifiers possess a variety of deadly armaments and munitions, some more conventional weapons like assault rifles, flamethrowers, and anti-tank rockets, as well as more advanced and expensive equipment like vibranium-based weaponry. The group also used the knowledge contained within Nimrod's memory banks to great effect, although that advantage was lost when the Sentinel reactivated and destroyed its keepers, before being defeated by the New X-Men.

The Purifiers are all highly trained, and have been shown to be capable of holding their own against the X-Men. The group also possesses links to allied churches all over the world, and their membership includes corporate elites, political figures and intelligence personnel. This allows the Purifiers to avoid reprisals from law-enforcement agencies for their terrorist actions.

==Other versions== An alternate universe iteration of the Purifiers from Earth-1610 appear in the Ultimate Marvel imprint.<ref>''Ultimate Comics: X-Men'' #2 - 4 (November 2011 - February 2012)</ref>

==In other media== ===Television=== The Purifiers appear in ''The Gifted'', consisting of Benedict Ryan (portrayed by Peter Gallagher) and Jace Turner (portrayed by Coby Bell).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lovett |first=Jamie |date=January 2, 2018 |title=Two Major X-Men Villain Groups Appear On The Gifted |url=https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/the-gifted-hellfire-club-purifiers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806034819/https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/the-gifted-hellfire-club-purifiers/ |archive-date=August 6, 2024 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=ComicBook.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lovett |first=Jamie |date=July 24, 2018 |title=The Gifted Season 2 Features Classic X-Men Villains the Purifiers |url=https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/the-gifted-season-2-purifiers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240723184532/https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/the-gifted-season-2-purifiers/ |archive-date=July 23, 2024 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=ComicBook.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Damore |first=Meagan |date=October 17, 2018 |title=The Gifted EP Reveals the Insidious Threat of the Purifiers |url=https://www.cbr.com/gifted-season-2-purifiers-threat/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103142514/https://www.cbr.com/gifted-season-2-purifiers-threat/ |archive-date=November 3, 2018 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=CBR |language=en}}</ref>

===Films=== Reverend Craig appears in ''The New Mutants'', portrayed by Happy Anderson.

===Video games=== * The Purifiers appear in ''X-Men: Destiny''. * The Purifiers appear in ''Marvel Heroes''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kistler |first=Alan |date=October 17, 2012 |title=NYCC: Marvel Heroes Reveals New Characters and Features |url=https://www.cbr.com/nycc-marvel-heroes-reveals-new-characters-and-features/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170506030650/https://www.cbr.com/nycc-marvel-heroes-reveals-new-characters-and-features/ |archive-date=May 6, 2017 |access-date=March 22, 2025 |website=CBR |language=en}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/Purifiers Purifiers] at ''Marvel.com'' {{S.H.I.E.L.D.}} {{X-Men characters}} Category:Christianity in popular culture Category:Comic book terrorist organizations Category:Comics characters introduced in 1982 Category:Fictional cults Category:Fictional mass murderers Category:Fictional private military members Category:Marvel Comics organizations Category:Marvel Comics supervillain teams Category:X-Men supporting characters