Avalanche
Real Name: Dominic Petros
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men 141
What's His Problem? A Greek immigrant, Petros has used his mutant powers for criminal gain as Avalanche since first coming to public attention in the United States. How and why he went bad is a tale as yet untold.
Powers: Avalanche can generate powerful vibratory waves capable of shattering or crumbling most objects; directed at large masses, like buildings or the earth itself, these vibrations produce earthquakes or avalanche-like waves of debris. Petros can control the scale, locality, direction and intensity of these effects with great precision, though his power is purportedly capable of devastating entire cities. His greatest limitation is his inability to affect organic matter, which reflects his vibrations back at him; Avalanche is otherwise immune to his own vibratory powers.
Favorite Quote: "They're not worth it." (X-Factor Annual 6. When a Freedom Force mission goes bad, Avalanche decides to take the heroic, grievously wounded Crimson Commando to safety rather than go back and rescue his old criminal buddies, Pyro and the Blob.) "The Killing Stroke" was a story that ran through New Mutants Annual 7, Uncanny X-Men Annual 15, and culminated in X-Factor Annual 6. Not for the weak of stomach, but far better than the lead story in those annuals -- editor Jeanne
Heroes He Keeps Running Into: Avalanche has fought the X-Men and their allies many times, and has also fought the Avengers on several occasions. His worst thrashing, though, was at the hands of the Hulk.
People Who Think He's Not So Bad: Avalanche gets along fairly well with most of his teammates in the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, especially Pyro (who seems to have been a very close friend at one time) and the Crimson Commando, who owes Avalanche his life. The authorities tolerated Avalanche and his Brotherhood cronies while they served as members of the U.S. government's Freedom Force, but the Force is defunct and the Brotherhood have returned to crime.
Most Despicable Act: Avalanche once threatened to ravage California with earthquakes unless his monetary demands were met. Thanks to the Hulk, all he got for his trouble was two broken arms.
by Sean McQuaid
