Sammy Paré

Squid-Boy (Samuel "Sammy" Paré) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was a 10-year-old mutant, who was a student at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning.

Squid-Boy
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Uncanny X-Men #410
Created by	Chuck Austen Ron Garney
In-story information
Alter ego	Samuel "Sammy" Luc Paré
Species	Human Mutant
Team affiliations	Xavier Institute
Notable aliases	Squid-Boy
Abilities	Ability to speak and breathe underwater Fish-like adaptations

Publication history

Created by writer Chuck Austen and artist Ron Garney, his first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #410 (2002)

Fictional character biography

Sammy Paré was a 10-year-old Canadian boy whose genetic mutation caused him to physically resemble a fish. The physical nature of his mutation caused his classmates to ridicule him. Sammy considered using a gun he had obtained to shoot his tormentors, but before he could do so he was visited by Professor X and the Beast, who recruit him to enroll at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning in New York. The Beast and Professor X do this with full knowledge of the weapon Sammy is carrying around; he is convinced to give it up. Sammy, with his parents' approval, chooses to enroll at the school for mutants in order to pursue an education free from persecution.[1]

On the return trip to the Institute, Professor X took a detour to Ireland to aid in an X-Men mission at Cassidy Keep. Sammy saved Juggernaut (Cain Marko) from certain death from drowning in the ocean, which began a friendship between the two. Cain subsequently reformed and became a surrogate father to Sammy, who also became friends with Carter Ghazikhanian and Icarus from the New Mutants.

Sammy's mother eventually found out about his relationship with Cain and called upon the Canadian super-team Alpha Flight to bring the boy home. Sometime after Sammy's departure, Juggernaut suspected that Sammy's father Claude was physically abusing him. Cain, who had suffered similar abuse at the hands of his own father, decided to visit Sammy to investigate. When he and Northstar arrived at Sammy's home in Vancouver they found the boy covered in bruises. Cain snapped and beat Sammy's father Claude severely, destroying the Paré home in the process. He was subdued by the intervention of Alpha Flight. [2] When Cain was subsequently incarcerated for violating his parole Sammy's mother testified on his behalf. After Juggernaut's release, Sammy returned to the Institute with his mother, who entertained the thought of a romantic relationship with Cain.[3]

Later, the Juggernaut infiltrated the Brotherhood of Mutants, working as a double agent for the X-Men. When Sammy stumbled upon the meeting of the group outside the school grounds, he assumed that Juggernaut had betrayed the X-Men and lashed out at him. Black Tom Cassidy used his control over plants to cause a group of vines to distort and crush Sammy's body mortally wounding him. With his last breath, Sammy told Cain that he hated him for what he'd done then died. Sammy's death caused Cain to snap again and attack the Brotherhood who were then subdued with the help of the other X-Men.[4]

Although the Brotherhood was defeated, guilt over Sammy's death troubles Cain to this day. When Tom's humanity was restored after M-Day, he showed remorse for killing the child stating "That wasn't me, Cain, you know that. I wasn't in my right mind... You've got to understand... that mad life, before... it was like some dream."

Powers and abilities

Sammy was a mutant with the ability to speak and breathe underwater. His body had many fish-like characteristics, such as orange scaly skin and a dorsal fin. Sammy had many physical adaptations to allow him to survive underwater, such as gills, webbed feet and hands and a slender frame.

In other media

Television

• Squidboy appeared in Wolverine and the X-Men voiced by Dominic Janes. He and his mother (who was depicted as a mutant here) first appear in the episode "X-Calibre" as refugees on a ship bound for the mutant safe-haven Genosha along with Network, Pixie, Shatter, and other unnamed mutants. He befriended Nightcrawler on the ship. Squidboy and the others are assisted by Nightcrawler when they are attacked by the ship crew and later, Spiral and her Reavers from the Mojoverse. His underwater ability came in handy when it came to helping Nightcrawler repair the ship. Squidboy also infiltrated Spiral's ship. When Spiral threatened Sammy, Nightcrawler rescued him and Squidboy and the other mutants were once again bound for Genosha. In the episode "Foresight" Pt. 2, Squidboy makes a cameo in the crossfire of the Sentinels attacking Genosha, yet he and his mother survive the attack.

References

1. Uncanny X-Men #410 (Oct. 2002)
2. Uncanny X-Men #437-441, written by Chuck Austen
3. X-Men #161 (Sept. 2004).
4. X-Men #163 (2005)

External links

• Squidboy at Marvel.com