In the X-Men comics, Mojo is a recurring villain. He was developed by Ann Nocenti and Arthur Adams, a writer, and an illustrator. Unfortunately, other top-tier X-Men villains such as Magneto, Apocalypse, Sentinels, and Juggernaut frequently overshadow him. Mojo, on the other hand, is a really unique villain with a motivation that is far different from the usual take over the world and establish supremacy cliche.
In November 1985, Mojo makes his first appearance in Longshot #3. His persona is a parody of network executives who will go to any length to increase TRP and ratings.
He is a tyrant who reigns over the Mojo World, a dimension devoted to television. He tries to enslave the X-Men in order to make them the stars of his television shows and acquire more popularity with the general public. Essentially, Mojo is using the power of reality television to bolster his political standing. His show will most likely be called Keeping Up With The X-Men.
This film aims to put him in the spotlight and turn him into the star of his own television show.
Most Disgusting – Origin Of Mojo
Mojo is an alien supervillain who comes from an extra-dimensional and extratemporal realm called the Mojoworld. In this world, the populace consists of semi-humanoid beings.
The nature of their world is unique in a way that when it intercepts the radio and television signals from Earth, the signals get distorted, scatter through the timeline, and bombard the brains of these beings, slowly driving them insane. Because of this, they have developed an immense love for televised entertainment but they also hate and fear humans. It took them centuries (as per their time) to figure out the source of the transmissions.
Mojo’s race could not stand upright and as a result, did not evolve enough. That is until a scientist named Arize came into the scene. He developed exoskeletons for these semi-humanoid beings and it triggered a fast, technological revolution. And yet, some of them refused to use these exoskeletons and dubbed themselves to be the Spineless Ones. They would use motorized platforms for transportation.
They also demanded slaves who would work for them as they ruled so Arize used genetic engineering to create humanoid slaves for them. The appearances of the slaves were based on the nightmares of the Spineless Ones, which were basically the television characters from the distorted signals transmitted from Earth-616. However, they were oblivious to the fact that Arize had secretly planted seeds in the genetics of the slaves to eventually take over Mojoworld and rule with justice. After he refused to build weapons for the Spineless Ones, he was banished.
The television industry influenced the power structure in this world, which went on to be ruled by Mojo, an obese robotic monster with legs like spiders. He named their universe Mojoverse and their world Mojo World, acted as leader, and controlled the slave trade. His followers included dog-like metallic creatures called Wildways. He has a chamberlain – an android named Major Domo who is extremely loyal to Mojo.
One of his slaves, Longshot, rebelled against Mojo’s rule and escaped to Earth after having his memories removed. He allied himself with Dr. Strange and Ricochet Rita and together, they defeated Mojo, who sent bounty hunters to Earth to capture Longshot. When Longshot returned to the Mojo World to free the slaves, he was captured by Mojo.
Mojo gained an interest in Earth and captured the mutant Psylocke. He implanted bionic eyes in her body, which turned out to be interdimensional cameras that Mojo used to record and broadcast everything in Psylocke’s line of sight. She allied herself with the New Mutants and the X-Men and became an X-Man herself.
Mojo sent Longshot to Earth, who became a member of the X-Men. Mojo wanted to turn the X-Men into children and make them his slaves but with help from the New Mutants, Mojo was made to flee again. However, Mojo realized that his association with the X-Men garnered top ratings from the audience aka the Spineless Ones in Mojo World, making him more powerful politically.
When the X-Men were presumably killed by the Adversary, Psylocke’s broadcasts, that had made Mojo so politically powerful, stopped. His show lost its lead cast so he created adorable chibi clones of X-Men. These X-Babies helped fill this gap by giving him the greatest ratings ever. He also created Avenger chibis later. However, the X-Babies rebelled against him.
Longshot returned to Mojo World with Mojo II, an upright and human-looking clone of Mojo. He deposed Mojo and tried to flee the slaves and make Mojo II the ruler but Mojo II turned out to be evil like his predecessor. Longshot then defeated Mojo II as well and Mojo reclaimed his position as the leader.
Why They Call Mojo The Most Disgusting Villain
Mojo, with his abnormal physical body, and unusual antagonistic characterization, is often dubbed to be a really disgusting villain. However, he wasn’t originally supposed to be an enemy of the X-Men. Writer Ann Nocenti had created him for the Longshot miniseries and Mojo was supposed to be a foe only to him but the story eventually set Mojo up to be a potential foe to Dr. Strange. Nocenti then introduced him to the New Mutants’ orbit and he has been there ever since.
She based Mojo’s character, taking into account the criticisms of media theorists Marshall McLuhan, Walter Lippmann, and Noam Chomsky. McLuhan held ideas about the proliferation of television affecting humans and society as a whole. He believed that it would create negative aftermath, which Nocenti referred to while creating Mojo World. The philosophical edge used while creating Mojo helped birth this mad, television executive persona.
Mojo’s design is one of the most disgusting and iconic things about him. People who spend hours in front of the television have a slouched posture and it is a common gag in comics and cartoons to depict obsessed viewers with eyes forcefully kept open to prevent blinking or falling asleep. With wires holding Mojo’s eyelids open and a spineless body, his character design is a real horror show that is a caricature of real live television addicts.
Artist Arthur Adams also took inspiration from the 70s sci-fi movie A Clockwork Orange as he illustrated Mojo. In the movie, Malcolm McDowell had eye clamps similar to those of Mojo’s as he was brainwashed. It eventually scarred his corneas.
Televisions have often been referred to with several negative connotations all over the world. It has been called an idiot box and a device that rots your brain. Mojo literally embodies that notion but in his case, it’s hyperbolic and on steroids. Whenever he leaves Mojo World to come to Earth, he exudes an anti-life field, causing everything around him to die. People turn to dust, plants wither, and natural disasters begin to occur. His toxicity makes him a walking wasteland.
What Makes Mojo So Dangerous
Opposing a group of powerful mutants obviously requires an enormous amount of strength. The anti-life field that makes him a walking wasteland is a terrible feat in itself as it kills everything in its way and alters weather patterns in the worst ways possible. But that’s not all that he can do.
He can project concussive force bolts, control the minds of others, increase his power over them via television ratings, and he can teleport across dimensions.
However, ever since he stripped Spiral away from her inter-dimensional powers and sent her back to Earth-616, he lost his ability to dimension hop as freely as he used to.
Mojo is also a powerful sorcerer but the limits of his magic and sorcery remain unknown. Similarly, he has superhuman strength, the limits of which are unknown as well.
Aside from his arsenal of superpowers, he is cunning, a master manipulator, and exceptionally good at coming up with evil schemes and plots. He has vast manpower under his control and he can call upon them whenever he requires assistance. He also has access to vast technological resources.
Mojo wields a mechanical tail attached to the back of his carriage (which can walk and fly). This tail shoots laser stingers.
Creative And Terrifying Versions Of Mojo In Various Forms Of Media – Explored
Mojo is an underrated villain in the X-Men verse but he has garnered a place in several forms of media, thanks to his interesting character design and unique character in general.
X-Men: The Animated Series boasted Mojo’s first-ever appearance in media as he appeared in the episode ‘MojoVisions’. He then appears in another episode called ‘Longshot’. Here, he was voiced by Peter Wildman.
He then appeared in Wolverine and the X-Men as a sub-villain. Charlie Adler voices him.
In Marvel’s Avengers Assemble, Ralph Garman voices him in the episode ‘Mojo World’.
Mojo has not appeared in a live-action film yet but he is referred to in Deadpool 2.
He has made several appearances in video games such as the Marvel Contest of Champions Mobile Game, X-Men, X-Men: Children of the Atom, X-Men: Mojo World, Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, and Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3.
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