Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== Mojoverse ====== ===== Part 1: The Dossier: An At-a-Glance Summary ===== * **Core Identity:** **The Mojoverse is a chaotic, pocket-sized dimension ruled by the tyrannical, media-obsessed alien Mojo, where all of existence is dictated by television ratings and gladiatorial combat serves as entertainment for its grotesque inhabitants.** * **Key Takeaways:** * **Role in the Universe:** A bizarre and hostile dimension, the Mojoverse primarily functions as an antagonist setting for the [[x-men]] and their allies. It serves as a sharp, often terrifying, satire of corporate media, celebrity culture, and the audience's insatiable demand for spectacle. * **Primary Impact:** Its most significant contributions to the Marvel Universe are the introduction of key characters, notably the freedom fighter [[longshot]] and the warrior [[shatterstar]], whose lives and origins are intrinsically tied to its oppressive systems. The dimension's constant incursions have repeatedly traumatized and tested Marvel's heroes, particularly members of the X-Men like [[psylocke_(character)|Psylocke]] and [[dazzler_(character)|Dazzler]]. * **Key Incarnations:** In the Earth-616 comics, it is a fully-realized, surreal dimension populated by the "Spineless Ones" and their genetically engineered slaves. In contrast, its existence in the wider MCU canon is currently limited to a brief but direct mention in //Deadpool 2//, suggesting a similar gladiator-world origin for Shatterstar without having been visually or narratively explored. ===== Part 2: Origin and Evolution ===== ==== Publication History and Creation ==== The Mojoverse first crashed onto the scene in **//Longshot// #3** in November 1985. It was conceived by writer **Ann Nocenti** and artist **Arthur "Art" Adams**. The creation was a direct product of its time, serving as a biting and surrealist critique of the 1980s media landscape. Nocenti, a keen social commentator, used the dimension to explore themes of consumerism, network executive greed, and the dehumanizing nature of entertainment when taken to its extreme. Art Adams' unique and highly detailed art style was instrumental in defining the look and feel of the Mojoverse. His designs for Mojo—a monstrously obese, cybernetically-enhanced invertebrate—and the dimension's chaotic, tech-infused landscapes immediately established it as one of Marvel's most visually distinct and unsettling locations. The concept of a dimension where physics and morality are subservient to television ratings was both innovative and prescient, satirizing trends that would only become more pronounced in the decades to follow with the rise of reality TV and online streaming culture. ==== In-Universe Origin Story ==== === Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) === The in-universe origin of the Mojoverse is a tale of cosmic irony and technological devolution. The dimension, which exists in a pocket of spacetime outside of the main Marvel Universe, is inhabited by a race of beings known as the **Spineless Ones**. Millions of years ago, they were a humanoid species, but the discovery of electromagnetic broadcast signals from Earth-616 utterly captivated them. They became hopelessly addicted to these transmissions, and over generations, their society stagnated. They stopped moving, evolving into the grotesque, immobile, yellow-skinned beings seen today, relying entirely on cybernetic platforms for locomotion. This societal paralysis led to madness. To create their own entertainment, their lead scientist, **Arize**, developed technology for genetic engineering, creating a race of humanoid slaves to perform all labor and, eventually, star in their gladiatorial broadcasts. Fearing the slaves might one day rebel, Arize imbued them with free will. The leader of the Spineless Ones, however, demanded a being without a spine—metaphorically and literally—to rule them. This resulted in the creation of **Mojo**, a monstrous tyrant who seized control of the dimension, renaming it the "Mojoverse" and its primary planet "Mojoworld." Mojo transformed the entire dimension into his personal television network. He, along with his chief assistants **Major Domo** and **Minor Domo**, produces a constant stream of violent, often lethal, programming. The most popular "star" of these shows was [[longshot]], a genetically engineered slave with incredible luck powers and hollow bones, designed by Arize to be the perfect hero figure. Longshot's repeated rebellions and escapes became Mojo's highest-rated series. The dimension operates in a bizarre time loop; events are often replayed, rebooted, or altered to maximize entertainment value, making its history a fluid and often contradictory narrative. The X-Men became Mojo's favorite unwilling guest stars after he discovered their exciting and drama-filled lives, leading him to kidnap them repeatedly for his "specials." === Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) === As of the current timeline, the Mojoverse has **not** made a direct or explicit appearance in the core Marvel Cinematic Universe (designated Earth-199999). However, its existence is strongly implied and effectively confirmed through adjacent media now being integrated into the main MCU canon. The primary evidence comes from the film **//Deadpool 2//** (2018), which was originally part of the 20th Century Fox X-Men Universe. In the film, Deadpool assembles a team called X-Force, one member of which is the alien warrior **Shatterstar**. When asked about his origins, Shatterstar explicitly states, "I'm from a planet called Mojoworld." This single line of dialogue is the sole MCU-canon confirmation of the dimension's existence. It establishes several key points: * A planet named "Mojoworld" exists. * It is inhabited by beings with alien physiology, as Shatterstar claims to be superior to humans in every way. * It likely has a culture that produces warriors like Shatterstar, aligning with the comics' gladiator-centric society. With the events of //Loki// and //Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness// establishing the vastness of the multiverse, and the upcoming film //Deadpool & Wolverine// officially integrating characters from the Fox universe into the MCU, Shatterstar's statement becomes a canonical fact. This opens the door for a future, full-fledged introduction of the Mojoverse. An MCU adaptation would likely lean heavily into the reality-show satire, perhaps presenting it as an interdimensional version of //The Truman Show// or //Survivor//, a perfect fit for the current Multiverse Saga. Shatterstar's unceremonious and comedic death in //Deadpool 2// could even be explained away by the Mojoverse's penchant for clones, reboots, and retcons for the sake of a "new season." ===== Part 3: In-Depth Analysis: Society, Technology & Laws of Reality ===== === Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) === ==== Society and Culture ==== The society of the Mojoverse is a grotesque parody of a media-driven corporate hierarchy built on a foundation of slavery. * **The Spineless Ones:** The ruling class and primary audience. They are physically inert, morbidly obese beings who live vicariously through the content broadcast to them. Their entire existence is passive consumption, and their whims dictate the "programming slate," which means life or death for the performers. * **Mojo:** The absolute ruler, functioning as a hybrid of a dictator and a network executive. His power is directly tied to his ratings. High ratings grant him political and even physical power within his dimension, while low ratings can weaken him. His every decision is filtered through the lens of "what will play best with the audience?" * **The Slave Class:** Genetically engineered humanoids created by Arize. They perform all labor and serve as the cannon fodder and stars for Mojo's shows. Within this class are specialized castes, such as the warrior clones bred for the arenas, of which [[shatterstar]] is the prime example. * **Rebels:** A recurring faction, often led by [[longshot]], who fight for freedom. Their rebellion is, ironically, one of Mojo's most popular and profitable franchises, a fact he gleefully exploits. The core cultural value is **entertainment**. Morality, justice, and truth are irrelevant concepts. An action is "good" if it gets high ratings and "bad" if it's boring. This has created a deeply cynical and nihilistic society where life has no intrinsic value beyond its potential as content. ==== Technology ==== Mojo's technological prowess is immense, though it is exclusively focused on media production and control. * **Genetic Engineering:** Arize's science allows for the creation of bespoke lifeforms, from the simple laborers to complex beings like Longshot, who was designed with specific powers (luck manipulation, psychometry) to be the perfect sympathetic protagonist. The [[x-babies]], childlike clones of the X-Men, are another product of this technology, created to star in a more "family-friendly" lineup of shows. * **Cybernetics and Weaponry:** Mojo himself is a masterwork of cybernetics, fused to a multi-legged mobile platform equipped with powerful energy weapons and broadcasting equipment. His chief enforcer, **Spiral**, is a powerful sorceress and cyberneticist capable of creating advanced cyber-implants, such as the bionic eyes she forcibly installed in [[psylocke_(character)|Psylocke]]. * **Reality-Warping Broadcasts:** Mojo's most powerful tool is his ability to manipulate reality through his television broadcasts. He can teleport individuals across dimensions, alter environments, resurrect the dead (if it makes for good television), and broadcast psychic signals that can influence viewers on a massive scale. ==== Physics and Metaphysics ==== The Mojoverse does not adhere to the standard laws of physics or time. * **Pocket Dimension:** It exists in its own continuum, connected to but separate from Earth-616. This allows it to perceive other dimensions as mere broadcasts. * **Temporal Plasticity:** Time is not linear. Mojo can rewind, fast-forward, and edit events as if they were tape. This has led to a significant temporal paradox: Shatterstar is the son of Longshot and Dazzler from a future timeline, but he was once sent back in time where his genetic material was used by Arize to create his own father, Longshot. This creates an impossible but very "dramatic" bootstrap paradox that defines the dimension's nonsensical nature. === Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) & Adjacent Media === Based on the limited information from //Deadpool 2//, we can only extrapolate the nature of the MCU's Mojoworld. * **Society:** Shatterstar's self-proclaimed superiority and warrior status strongly suggest a culture that values physical prowess and combat, consistent with the gladiatorial entertainment of the comics. It is a place that produces beings bred or trained for fighting. * **Technology:** His possession of two advanced-looking swords implies a technologically capable society, but the nature of this tech is unknown. It is unclear if it is cybernetic, energy-based, or something else entirely. * **Interdimensional Travel:** Shatterstar's presence on Earth confirms that travel between Mojoworld and other dimensions is possible. Whether this is common, a result of Mojo's machinations, or a one-off event (perhaps Shatterstar was a "rebel" who escaped, like Longshot) remains to be seen. A fully realized MCU Mojoverse would likely streamline the bizarre biology of the Spineless Ones for cinematic clarity, perhaps making Mojo a more visually dynamic (though still grotesque) CGI character. The theme of a "deadly reality show" is a concept that audiences can easily grasp and would provide a rich well of both horror and dark comedy, perfectly suited for properties like Deadpool or a potential X-Men reboot within the MCU. The meta-commentary on entertainment, sequels, and reboots is a theme the MCU, particularly through Deadpool, is already actively exploring. ===== Part 4: Key Inhabitants & Factions ===== ==== The Ruling Class: Mojo and the Spineless Ones ==== At the top of the food chain sits **Mojo**, the sentient embodiment of network executive privilege and megalomania. He is not merely a villain; he is a force of nature within his own dimension. His primary motivation is the endless pursuit of higher ratings, which he believes will secure his power and satisfy the insatiable appetite of his populace, the Spineless Ones. He is cowardly and physically unimposing without his technology, but his control over the dimension's media infrastructure makes him nearly omnipotent within its borders. He is assisted by **Major Domo**, his sycophantic and long-suffering chief of staff, and **Minor Domo**, Major Domo's six-armed, cybernetically-enhanced daughter who is being trained as her successor. Another key figure is **Spiral**, Mojo's dimension-hopping sorceress and scientist. Once a human stuntwoman named Rita Wayword, she was captured and physically and mentally transformed by Mojo, becoming his most feared and effective, albeit often reluctant, agent. ==== The Rebels: Longshot, Shatterstar, and the Cadre Alliance ==== The primary opposition to Mojo's rule is a perpetually struggling rebellion. Its most famous figurehead is **Longshot**. Created to be the ultimate hero, he possesses superhuman agility, an uncanny "luck" factor that bends probability in his favor, and the psionic ability to read the recent memories of objects. Despite being designed by the system, his inherent goodness and desire for freedom make him its greatest enemy. He is the eternal spark of rebellion in the Mojoverse. **Shatterstar** (Gaveedra-Seven) is another key rebel. Bred in Mojo's gladiator pits, he was engineered to be the perfect warrior. He possesses enhanced physical attributes, a powerful healing factor, and the ability to generate powerful vibratory shockwaves through his twin blades. He escaped the Mojoverse and became a founding member of the Earth-based team [[x-force]]. His complex temporal relationship with Longshot makes their dynamic one of the cornerstones of the Mojoverse's lore. ==== Unwilling Guest Stars: The X-Men ==== No group has suffered at the hands of Mojo more than the **X-Men**. Upon discovering their "broadcasts," Mojo became obsessed with them, viewing their constant struggles, heroic sacrifices, and interpersonal drama as the greatest television content imaginable. He has repeatedly kidnapped the team to force them to "star" in his productions. * **Psylocke (Betsy Braddock):** During one of her earliest adventures with the X-Men, Betsy was captured by Mojo and Spiral. Mojo ripped out her natural eyes and replaced them with bionic cameras, broadcasting everything she saw back to his audience. This was a profound violation that traumatized her for years. * **The X-Babies:** To capitalize on the X-Men's popularity with a younger demographic, Mojo created childlike clones of the team called the X-Babies. While initially comedic, these clones possess the powers of their progenitors and have often fought for their own freedom, becoming a chaotic third faction in the Mojoverse's conflicts. * **Dazzler (Alison Blaire):** The mutant pop star had a significant relationship with Longshot, even joining his rebellion and living in the Mojoverse for a time. She eventually became pregnant with his child, who would grow up to be Shatterstar in a future timeline. ===== Part 5: Iconic Events & Storylines ===== ==== //Longshot// (Miniseries, 1985) ==== This is the foundational text for the Mojoverse. The story follows an amnesiac Longshot who escapes his home dimension and lands on Earth-616. Pursued by Mojo's forces, including the formidable Spiral, Longshot navigates a world he doesn't understand, his innate luck and goodness making him an unlikely hero. The miniseries established the core concepts of the dimension—the ratings-obsessed culture, the Spineless Ones, and the tyrannical rule of Mojo—all while telling a compelling story about identity and free will. ==== The Mojoverse Saga (//X-Men Annual// #10, //New Mutants Annual// #2, 1986) ==== This two-part story marked the first major crossover between the Mojoverse and the X-Men. Mojo kidnaps the X-Men and de-ages them into children, forcing them to fight his schemes. The story is famous for formally introducing Psylocke to the X-Men team and for the creation of the X-Babies. It cemented Mojo as a significant, albeit bizarre, recurring foe for Marvel's mutants and established his specific obsession with their team. ==== Shattershot (Various X-Men Annuals, 1992) ==== This sprawling crossover event delved deep into the complicated history and future of the Mojoverse. The story centers on Arize, the geneticist who created the slaves, who travels to Earth to warn of a dystopian future where Shatterstar's evil counterpart, "The Enhanced," rules. The X-Men and X-Force are pulled into the conflict, which hops across time and space, revealing the full extent of the Shatterstar-Longshot temporal paradox and exploring the philosophical implications of a society built entirely on manufactured narratives. ==== Mojo Worldwide (//X-Men Gold// & //X-Men Blue//, 2017) ==== In this modern storyline, Mojo launches his most ambitious production yet by merging New York City with Mojoworld. He forces the two contemporary X-Men teams (Gold and Blue) to reenact famous moments from their history in a "greatest hits" special. This story served as a meta-commentary on the X-Men's own convoluted history and the tendency for comic books to constantly revisit past glories. It was a clever update of the Mojoverse's satirical purpose, targeting modern nostalgia-bait and event-driven storytelling. ===== Part 6: Variants and Alternative Versions ===== ==== Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610) ==== The Ultimate Marvel version of the Mojoverse was drastically different. Here, **Mojo Adams** was not an alien invertebrate but a morbidly obese, human television mogul and mutant-hater from the nation of Genosha. He produced a deadly reality show called //Hunt for Justice//, where his agent, a cybernetically enhanced Wadey Wilson (Deadpool), would hunt down and execute mutants live on air. He captured the X-Man Longshot to be his next star, forcing him to fight for his life on a remote island. This version stripped away the surreal extra-dimensional elements in favor of a more grounded, but no less vicious, critique of reality television and media-fueled bigotry. ==== //X-Men: The Animated Series// (1990s) ==== For many fans, this beloved animated series was their first introduction to Mojo. He appeared in the episodes "Mojovision" and "Longshot." The series faithfully adapted his core concept as a ratings-mad tyrant from another dimension. "Mojovision" saw him capture the X-Men and force them into parodies of popular films and TV shows, while the "Longshot" episode focused on the titular rebel's escape to Earth and his fight for the freedom of his people. This adaptation captured the zany, high-stakes energy of the comics perfectly. ==== Age of Apocalypse (Earth-295) ==== In this dark, alternate timeline, Mojo's broadcasts were of a different nature. Instead of lighthearted (though deadly) entertainment, he was a broker of information. His "shows" consisted of pirated transmissions from other realities, which he would sell to the highest bidder. The X-Men of this reality traveled to the Mojoverse to stop him from selling crucial information to Apocalypse's forces, showcasing a more grim and opportunistic version of the character. ===== See Also ===== * [[mojo]] * [[longshot]] * [[shatterstar]] * [[spiral_(character)]] * [[x-men]] * [[x-force]] ===== Notes and Trivia ===== ((The name "Mojo" is often seen as a play on "mojo," a term for supernatural charm or power, which he desperately seeks through his ratings.)) ((Ann Nocenti and Art Adams' original //Longshot// miniseries was initially not intended to be part of the main Marvel Universe, but its popularity led to its integration.)) ((The temporal paradox where Shatterstar is both the son of Longshot and the source of his genetic material is one of the most famous and debated "chicken-or-the-egg" scenarios in Marvel Comics. The official handbook entry for Shatterstar confirms that Longshot has no parents, being created from Shatterstar's future DNA, making them a genetic loop.)) ((Spiral's "Body Shoppe" is a place of perverse science and magic where she performs cybernetic and physical modifications on behalf of Mojo, or sometimes for her own clients. Lady Deathstrike is one of her most famous "customers.")) ((In the comics, Mojo's power level is directly tied to his television ratings. When he is popular, he is a powerful reality-warper. When his ratings dip, he becomes physically weaker and more vulnerable. This was a key plot point in the //Mojo Worldwide// storyline.)) ((The visual design of the Spineless Ones, requiring mechanical spiders and platforms to move, is a literal interpretation of the term "couch potato," a critique of passive media consumption.))