83 – LONGSHOT

Subject: Longshot
Real Name: Longshot
Height: 6’2″ Weight: 80 lbs.
First Appearance: Longshot Limited Series #1, September 1985

Power Ratings:

• Energy Projection: 1/7
• Mental Powers: 3/7
• Strength: 2/7
• Fighting Ability: 5/7
• Intelligence: 2/7

Whoa, Longshot is only 80 pounds? Those thighs must be filled with helium!

Longshot is one of those character’s that’s just too quirky, too whimsical, and surprisingly, too sincere to hold much cred with fans. It doesn’t help that he looked dated the moment he debuted (created by Art Adams and Ann Nocenti), he wasn’t a mutant (he was a genetically-engineered being for Mojo‘s entertainment), and he had one of those annoyingly cute and vague powers (somehow he is able to alter probability in his favor, aka he’s super lucky).

Given enough time I end up finding myself acting as a defender of such silly characters just for the sake of being different (as a kid I chose Michelangelo because none of the other kids wanted to be the goofy turtle with chainsticks). Longshot isn’t one of my passion projects, but someone very close to him is (you’ll know soon enough if you didn’t already).

Longshot was gone from the X-books when Lee took on X-Men, but he soon reappeared for another quick stint at the Mojoverse, wherein we see him leading a rebellion with his lady love, and I guess it’s that depiction that Lee chose when he decided he was gonna put Longshot in a jetpack. Clearly Lee and co. couldn’t take Longshot at face value either.

I don’t remember if Longshot’s luck had been explained as a psionic ability at this point, but that would be the only way to explain how he has a 3/7 for Mental Powers. His 5/7 for Fighting Ability is apt, as are the rest of the ratings.