Graymalkin

Graymalkin
Graymalkin as depicted on the cover of Young X-Men #1 (June 2008). Art by Terry Dodson.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceYoung X-Men #1 (June 2008)
Created byMarc Guggenheim
Yanick Paquette
In-story information
Alter egoJonas Graymalkin
SpeciesHuman mutant
Team affiliationsX-Men-In-Training
Young X-Men
Jean Grey School Students
Abilities(When in darkness)
  • Longevity
  • Night vision
  • Superhuman strength
  • Invulnerability

Graymalkin (Jonas Graymalkin) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a member of the Young X-Men and is named after the address of the Xavier Institute. His super-human strength varies on how much light he is exposed to and was discovered after his father buried him alive for finding him sexually experimenting with another boy.

Publication history

Graymalkin was created by Marc Guggenheim and Yanick Paquette. He first appeared in Marvel Comics' 2008 series Young X-Men #1 during a prophetic vision by X-Men character Blindfold. His first full appearance was in Young X-Men #3. His previously unknown background was explored in X-Men: Manifest Destiny #3. While featured primarily in the ongoing Young X-Men series, Graymalkin has appeared as a supporting character in various other Marvel X-Men titles, including Secret Invasion: X-Men, Wolverine and Power Pack, Generation X, and Marvel's Voices: Pride.

Fictional character biography

Origin

Jonas Graymalkin was the only child born to Charles and Marcia Graymalkin over two centuries ago. His family lived on the land where the Xavier Institute would eventually be built in New York. Jonas was 16 years old when his father caught him in the barn with another boy, experimenting with each other sexually; calling him an abomination, his father beat Jonas unconscious and buried him alive. Completely cut off from light, his mutant powers activated, and he fell into a state of suspended animation for 200 years.

Divided We Stand

After the events of Messiah Complex, Jonas awakens from his hibernation after what he describes as "some manner of apocalypse decimated the area, upsetting the very structure of the earth". He is found by Cipher and takes to observing the Young X-Men from the shadows, watching them leave to confront Sunspot's Brotherhood of Mutants. After Blindfold is captured, Graymalkin decides he must rescue her, kill "the Cyclops" and makes unexplained references to Cipher while rambling to himself. He later confronts Cyclops, who is revealed to be a disguised Donald Pierce.

Young X-Men

After the team deals with Pierce, Beast announced that an analysis of Graymalkin's DNA revealed he is not only a mutant, but related to Charles Xavier. Graymalkin later talks with Anole, another young gay mutant, about his past, with Anole assuring him that he will be safe with the X-Men.

Powers and abilities

Graymalkin has a number of abilities that vary with exposure to light. His powers appear to strengthen with a lack of light, and he is weaker with exposure to light, though he is not powerless. Beast discovered Jonas' powers activated when he was buried alive and he went into suspended animation for over 200 years. His primary ability is super-human strength. He possesses night vision allowing him to see clearly in total darkness. Beast lists invulnerability and longevity as additional abilities, which allow him to survive the pressure and cold extremes of being buried alive.

Reception

Lyle Masaki of AfterElton.com expressed interest in the vignette wherein Graymalkin and fellow gay teammate Anole discuss Graymalkin's sexual identity and the consequences of being discovered by his father. Masaki praised the seemingly platonic interaction between the two stating that, "[w]ith the small number of gay superheroes out there, camaraderie between gay characters is as rare as same-sex couples".

References

  1. ↑ Tramountanas, George A. (May 13, 2008). "X-POSITION: Marc Guggenheim's "Young X-Men"". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  2. ↑ Arrant, Chris (January 27, 2008). "THE YOUNG ONES: MARC GUGGENHEIM TALKS YOUNG X-MEN". Newsarama. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
  3. 1 2 3 Benns, Tristan (November 1, 2024). "15 Most Effective Defensive Powers in X-Men History". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on August 13, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026. Born in pre-revolutionary America, [Graymalkin] spent two centuries buried alive in the woods near the Xavier Institute after an attempted murder by his bigoted father. Surviving only through his mutant gift – the darker it is, the stronger and more durable he becomes – Graymalkin has the potential to be one of the X-Men's sturdiest soldiers, but only in the dark. With an equally increased longevity and incredible self-sustenance, Jonas is particularly hard to harm when enveloped in shadow.
  4. ↑ White, Brett (March 28, 2017). "ResurrXion Rundown: Everything We Know About Marvel's X-Men Relaunch". CBR. Archived from the original on March 30, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2026. Since this is the school book, a number of other teen mutants (Broo, Pixie, Glob Herman, Genesis, Graymalkin and Anole) will be seen roaming the halls.
  5. ↑ Kyle (June 23, 2021). "Marvel Voices: Pride #1: Anole in "Good Judy"". Comic Watch. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2026. "Good Judy" is a sweet tale of friends watching out for each other. Your best "Judy" always wants what's best for you and will be there for you through thick and thin and in this story Pixie and Graymalkin both share their concerns for Anole in a way that feels real and relatable.
  6. 1 2 Wyatt, Cat (March 13, 2025). "The 10 Oldest X-Men Characters of All Time, Ranked from Youngest to Oldest". CBR. Archived from the original on March 19, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026. Jonas Graymalkin is a mutant with a long and rather unfortunate history. He was born sometime in pre-revolutionary America. This wasn't the best time for somebody with mutations to be born. Jonas faced the horrible consequences of being born at the wrong time, as his religious father beat him nearly to death and then buried him. Graymalkin remained buried for a terrifying 200 years, surviving only because of his mutation, which grants him enhanced strength in darkness. Ironically, he was finally freed during a Sentinel attack.
  7. ↑ Pagent, William (March 3, 2024). "Professor X's Complete X-Men Family Tree". CBR. Archived from the original on November 16, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2026. After being beaten to near death and buried alive by his father in the 1700s, Jonas Graymalkin developed the mutant ability of Darkness Empowerment, wherein his strength, sight, agility and constitution dramatically increase when he is enveloped in darkness. This power kept him alive for over three hundred years while he was trapped underground. A Sentinel blew up a portion of the Xavier Mansion he was buried under, thereby freeing him.
  8. ↑ Young X-Men #2 (July 2008)
  9. ↑ Young X-Men #10 (March 2009)
  10. ↑ Cronin, Brian (May 25, 2024). "When the X-Men Solved a Mystery That Didn't Actually Exist". CBR. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2026. One of the young mutants on the team, Graymalkin, mysteriously mentions a "Cypher" early in the series, in Young X-Men #3 (by Marc Guggenheim, Yanick Paquette, Ray Snyder, and Kris Justice), although obviously, readers are meant to think about Doug Ramsey, whose codename was Cypher.
  11. ↑ Young X-Men #3 (August 2008)
  12. ↑ Young X-Men #6 (November 2008)
  13. ↑ Wolverine and Power Pack #2 (February 2009)
  14. 1 2 Masaki, Lyle (November 19, 2008). "The new "X-Men" series has two gay characters...will it amount to anything?". AfterElton. Archived from the original on January 13, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2009.