Purifiers (Marvel Comics)

The Purifiers / Stryker Crusade
File:Purifiers.jpg The Purifiers. Art by Kaare Andrews.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Marvel Graphic Novel #5: X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills (1982)
Created by	Chris Claremont Brent Anderson
In-story information
Member(s)	Reverend William Stryker (founder) Matthew Risman (successor) Rictor (Mole for the X-Men) Mary Jacob Joseph Jack Abrams Nimrod

The Purifiers, also known as the Stryker Crusade, are a fictional paramilitary/terrorist organization in the Marvel Comics universe and enemies of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Brent Anderson, they first appeared in the 1982 graphic novel X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills.

A force of Christian fundamentalists led by the ruthless Reverend William Stryker, the Purifiers see themselves in a holy war against mutants, believing them to be the children of the Devil and thus worthy of extermination. The Purifiers have appeared only sporadically since their first appearance, but have recently returned in full force in the pages of New X-Men, and are scheduled to play a major role in the upcoming X-Men: Messiah Complex event.

Fictional organization biography

God Loves, Man Kills

The Purifiers are first seen aiding their vicious, leader Rev. William Stryker in his plans to annihilate the mutant race. The Purifiers worked to fulfill much of Stryker's plans, abducting Professor X and several of the X-Men, killing mutant children and defending Stryker's church against the X-Men and Magneto. Eventually, one of the guards, horrified that Stryker would attempt to kill the young mutant Kitty Pryde, shot the fundamentalist pastor and ended his genocidal plans. With Stryker arrested and sent to prison, the Purifiers disband in his absence.

New X-Men

However, the Purifiers would eventually re-emerge, stronger than ever. Following his release from prison, Stryker found the highly advanced Sentinel Nimrod in his church, having teleported there using its advanced time-travel technology. Accessing the damaged Sentinel's memory core, Stryker saw the effects of Decimation months before M-Day actually occurred, enabling him to lay the groundwork for a renewed campaign against mutants. Using the knowledge of the future contained within Nimrod, Stryker was able to save numerous people from untimely deaths, accrediting his interventions as miracles from God, allowing him to substantial increase the ranks of the Purifiers. The use of the Nimrod visions also allowed Stryker to gain the support of promenant political and business leaders, as well as the veteran assassin Matthew Risman. The Purifiers also contacted the branch of the Weapon X program known as the Facility, and commissioned its scientists to construct Predator X, in order to hunt down a mutant Stryker saw as the Antichrist. Finally, the Purifiers obtained advanced weaponry included fully-automatic rifles, anti-tank weapons and Vibranium-based weaponry to aid them in their crusade, and specially targeted Wallflower and Dust, the two mutants the Nimrod data showed would be instrumental in the defeat of the Purifiers.

When M-Day struck and over ninety-eight percent of the world's mutants were rendered powerless, the Purifiers were more than ready to begin their campaign. Their first attack against the Xavier Institute destroyed a bus carrying over forty-five depowered students, killing them all. As Risman assassinated Wallflower per Stryker's instructions, the vicious pastor was able to deceive the mutant Icarus into betraying his teammates, giving them another avenue of attack.

The Purifier's crusade culminated in an all-out attack against the Xavier Institute, in an attempt to eliminate the New X-Men. With the majority of the X-Men on patrol and searching for the Purifiers, and the O.N.E. Sentinels disabled with the hand of Nimrod, the Purifiers were able to breach the grounds and mansion with determined fighting. While one force of Purifiers assaulted the encampment of the 198, the rest converged on the mansion itself, wounding numerous students, along with Emma Frost and Cannonball, and killing the Institute student known as Quill. Despite the extensive damage and injuries caused in their attack, the death of Stryker at the hands of Elixir and the return of the X-Men forced the Purifiers to withdraw, having taken numerous casulities in the process.

With Stryker's death, Matthew Risman has taken command of the Purifiers, vowing not to cease "until the world has been purified." Since the attack on the Institute, the Purifiers have been lying low and rebuilding their strength for another offensive, as well as trying to find and recover the missing Predator X.

Messiah Complex

The Purifiers are one of the three factions, alongside the X-Men and Marauders, searching for the first mutant baby born since M-Day.

All three groups were alerted to the baby's birth more or less simultaneously, and headed for the remote Alaskan village where the birth took place. The Purifier task force beat both the X-Men and the Marauders to the scene, and proceeded to cull every child in the city, in order to make sure the mutant baby did not survive. They were then attacked by the Marauders, who killed several Purifiers. By the time the X-Men arrived on the scene, both villain teams had departed, with the whereabouts of the baby unknown. Rictor was planted in as a mole to find out what the Purifiers are up to. When the New X-Men, led by Surge, took it upon themselves to attack the Purifiers in retaliation for their assault on the Institute, it was revealed that the Purifiers had upgraded some of their best fighters with cybernetics, creating a new team of Reavers under the command of classic X-Men villain and one-time lover of Stryker, [Lady Deathstrike (comics)|Lady Deathstrike]]. While the New X-Men's raid did damage their primary church in Washington, the Purifiers managed to drive the mutants off, before dispatching Deathstrike and the Reavers to find the mutant baby. Although the new Reavers have since been destroyed by the Wolverine's incarnation of X-Force, their greater forces remain intact and ready to continue their crusade.

Known membership

• William Stryker (founder and first leader)
• Matthew Risman (second leader)
• Jack Abrams
• Nimrod
• Rictor (mole for the X-Men)
• Mary
• Jacob
• Joseph

Powers and abilities

Being baseline humans, the Purifiers possess no superhuman abilities to speak of, relying on superior technology in their genocidial campaign against mutants. The Purifiers possess a variety of deadly armaments and munitions, some more conventional weapons like assault rifles and anti-tank rockets, as well as more advanced and expensive equipment like Vibranium-based weaponry. The group also used the knowledge contained within Nimrod's memory banks to great effect, although that advantage was lost when the Sentinel reactivated and destroyed its keepers, before being defeated by the New X-Men.

The Purifiers are all highly-trained, and have been shown to be capable of holding their own against both O.N.E. troopers and the X-Men. Their belief in the righteousness of their actions and their belief that they are fulfilling God's work by killing mutants is a source of great strength for the group, enabling them to commit acts that would make more moral, reasoned individuals cringe, and enabling them to hold their ground in the face of great odds or past defeats. Combined with their secret nature and fanatical determination, the Purifiers are undoubtedly a deadly foe and a cause of great concern for the remaining mutants.

It was eventually revealed that the Purifiers are expanding their bases from New York to Washington DC.