Vanisher made his debut in X-Men #2 in November 1963, making him one of the very first antagonists in the X-Men's rogues' gallery, second only to Magneto. He was co-created by the legendary duo of writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the architects of the Marvel Universe. In the nascent days of the Silver Age, Lee and Kirby were rapidly building out the world of their new mutant heroes. After establishing the ideological threat of Magneto in the first issue, Vanisher was introduced to present a different kind of problem. He wasn't a mutant revolutionary; he was a brilliant, arrogant super-thief who used his incredible powers for personal enrichment. This helped to broaden the scope of threats the X-Men would face, grounding them in more traditional superhero conflicts while still exploring the ramifications of mutant abilities. Vanisher's power of teleportation, depicted with a distinctive puff of smoke, was visually dynamic under Kirby's pencil and posed a logistical nightmare for the young team, forcing them and their mentor, Professor X, to think beyond fisticuffs. His swift and ignominious defeat via psychic amnesia also served as an early, and somewhat chilling, demonstration of the sheer power Charles Xavier wielded.
The origin of the Vanisher differs dramatically between the comic books and his brief, memorable appearance on film.
Little is known about the early life of Telford Porter. He emerged on the world stage as an adult, a fully-formed criminal mastermind with complete control over his innate mutant ability to teleport. Arrogant and theatrical, he dubbed himself “The Vanisher” and quickly established a reputation as the world's greatest thief. His first major caper, as detailed in his debut, involved infiltrating a high-security American military installation and stealing the nation's top-secret defense plans. He effortlessly bypassed every guard and security measure, announcing his crime to the world and demanding a ten-million-dollar ransom from the U.S. government. When the military attempted to corner him on the White House lawn, he teleported away with contemptuous ease, leaving the authorities helpless. This brazen act brought him to the attention of Professor Charles Xavier and his newly-formed X-Men. The team confronted Vanisher at his secluded compound, but they were no match for him. He easily dodged Cyclops' optic blasts, teleported out of Angel's grasp, and evaded the physical attacks of Beast and Iceman. He trapped the entire team, save for Xavier, and prepared to eliminate them. However, he had not accounted for the Professor's immense telepathic power. From miles away, Xavier launched a focused psychic assault that overwhelmed Vanisher's mind. Rather than simply defeating him, Xavier chose a more permanent solution: he completely erased Vanisher's memory, including his own name and knowledge of his mutant powers. The once-feared super-criminal was left a confused amnesiac and was taken into custody. Eventually, the mental blocks Xavier had put in place eroded, and Telford Porter regained his memories and powers. He returned to his life of crime, frequently clashing with various heroes over the years, including Spider-Man, the Champions, and subsequent incarnations of the X-Men. His origin story remains a classic example of a “villain of the week” from the Silver Age who managed to endure, becoming a recurring and recognizable part of the Marvel criminal underworld.
The Vanisher's cinematic appearance in the 2018 film Deadpool 2 is a radical and purely comedic adaptation, existing within the continuity of the Fox-produced X-Men films.1) In the film, Deadpool and his friend Weasel hold auditions to form a super-team they call X-Force, intended to be a more proactive and lethal alternative to the X-Men. One of the applicants is The Vanisher. During the recruitment montage, his presence is indicated only by a completed application form floating on a chair. Weasel explains that Vanisher's power is invisibility. He is accepted onto the team despite no one ever seeing or hearing from him. During the team's first and only mission, the members of X-Force perform a high-altitude parachute jump into a convoy to rescue the young mutant Russell Collins. The mission immediately goes disastrously wrong due to high winds. One by one, the team members are killed in gruesome, comical ways. The Vanisher is blown off course and drifts into a set of power lines. As he is electrocuted, his invisibility fails for a brief moment, revealing him to be an ordinary middle-aged man played in a surprise cameo by actor Brad Pitt. He then dies, his film appearance lasting less than two seconds of screen time. This version has no stated backstory, no connection to mutantkind (his powers are never explained), and no personality beyond the joke of his invisibility. The adaptation serves as a meta-commentary on superhero tropes and a perfectly executed celebrity gag, bearing no resemblance to the established comic book character beyond the name and the concept of elusiveness.
Telford Porter is an Omega-level mutant,2) possessing one of the most powerful and versatile forms of teleportation on Earth.
Vanisher's personality is defined by his core traits: arrogance, cowardice, and an all-encompassing sense of self-preservation. He is exceptionally greedy and motivated almost entirely by personal gain. He holds most people, hero and villain alike, in contempt, believing himself to be intellectually superior. In a fight, his first instinct is always to flee. He has no sense of loyalty and will betray anyone to save his own skin or make a profit. During his time with X-Force, this was tempered by a pragmatic, cynical survivalism. He complained constantly but performed his duties efficiently, knowing that his life depended on it. He is a survivor, not a fighter.
The chasm between the two versions is immense. The comic version is a fully-realized character with a specific, well-defined power set (teleportation), a long history, and a distinct, unlikable personality. He is a mutant whose powers are an expression of his desire to escape and evade responsibility. The film version is a simple sight gag. The creators swapped his complex teleportation for the more visually straightforward (or, rather, visually absent) power of invisibility to create a joke about building a team with a member who might not even exist. The film version is an adaptation in name only, using the brand recognition for a comedic punchline.
Vanisher is not a character who makes friends; he makes temporary, mutually beneficial arrangements. His “alliances” are almost always born of necessity or greed.
Over his long criminal career, Vanisher has been a member of numerous teams, almost always as a means to an end.
This is the quintessential Vanisher story. It establishes his entire modus operandi: a bold, large-scale theft, a public challenge to authority, and a complete overestimation of his own abilities against the full scope of the super-powered community. The story is most notable for its conclusion. The X-Men's inability to physically stop him forces Professor X to intervene directly with his telepathy. The decision to solve the problem with a complete mind-wipe is a stark reminder of the ethical lines Xavier was willing to cross, even in the earliest days of the X-Men.
This 2008 storyline by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost reinvented Vanisher for the modern era. After years as a minor, recurring villain, he is thrust into the spotlight when Wolverine's new X-Force hunts him down. They need a teleporter for their wetwork missions, and Vanisher is the best there is. The story reveals he has a terminal brain tumor, which the team's healer, Elixir, can manipulate. By offering to hold the tumor at bay (and threatening to make it worse), they blackmail him into service. This arc transforms him from a generic thief into a tragicomic figure: a coward trapped in the most dangerous team on Earth, complaining every step of the way but proving to be an invaluable asset.
During this massive 2010 crossover, Vanisher played a critical, if reluctant, role. The mutant race was on the brink of extinction, and all of their hopes rested on protecting Hope Summers, the first mutant born since M-Day. As X-Force's teleporter, Vanisher was responsible for moving soldiers across the battlefield and, most importantly, for teleporting Hope and key team members out of inescapable situations. Despite his terror in the face of Nimrod Sentinels and overwhelming odds, he performed his duties. This storyline showed that, while still a self-serving coward, he could be counted on when his own survival was directly linked to the success of the mission.
The final chapter for the prime Vanisher occurred in the prelude to the Age of X-Man event. When the powerful mutant Nate Grey decides to create a new “utopian” world, he dispatches his Horsemen of Salvation to remove those who might resist. Vanisher, in the middle of a bank heist, is confronted by this reality's version of The Blob. Deeming Vanisher a “thief” and therefore an imperfection not worthy of his new world, the Horseman uses his power to completely disintegrate Telford Porter. It was an abrupt and ignominious end for one of Marvel's oldest mutant villains.
In this dark, alternate timeline where Apocalypse rules North America, Telford Porter was one of the many mutants captured for experimentation by the Dark Beast. The horrific torture he endured left him mentally shattered and his teleportation powers dangerously unstable. He was part of a group of escaped prisoners known as the “Seattle Core.” A terrified and broken man, he was eventually found by Magneto's X-Men and, seeing his suffering, Quicksilver was ordered to put him out of his misery.
The Vanisher of the Ultimate Universe was a more grounded and sinister figure. He was an underground operative in the mutant smuggling trade, associated with the Mojo of his reality. This version was less of a theatrical super-villain and more of a gritty black marketeer. He was eventually captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. after an encounter with the Ultimate X-Men.
Vanisher appeared in a season 2 episode titled “Whatever It Takes.” His portrayal was largely faithful to his early comic book appearances. He was depicted as an arrogant thief who captured the interest of the Shadow King. This version helped introduce him to a generation of fans who may not have been familiar with the Silver Age comics.