Marvel introduces Mosaic, pro basketball player turned superhero

Marvel obviously has big plans for its latest Inhuman, who will star in his own ongoing comic book series this fall.

Fans of pro sports in the U.S. tend to treat star players almost the same as superheroes, but Marvel is introducing a character who is both — or at least one that is transitioning from one life to the other.

His name is Mosaic, and while Marvel has been teasing him for a while, the company finally took all the wraps off its plans today. Mosaic is an Inhuman with the power to jump from body to body, controlling the bodies and memories of anyone he takes over. But those abilities came with a high price.

That’s because before his exposure to the Terrigen Mists, Mosaic was Morris Sackett, a professional basketball player who was one of the most famous athletes in the Marvel Universe. It seems he enjoyed the celebrity life, but he’s now literally no one, and that is as big a change for him as becoming a superhero.

“To say that Morris will have a long, hard road to travel to become a hero is an understatement,” Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso said in a press release. “One minute, Mosaic holds the world in the palm of his hand, the next, he has absolutely nothing, except for powers that will transform him into one of the Marvel Universe’s most complex characters — powers that , if not properly harnessed, will feel more like a curse.”

Marvel obviously has high hopes for Mosaic, featuring him prominently in teases for upcoming projects. He’ll also have his own ongoing series debuting in October, written by screenwriter and novelist Geoffrey Thorne and illustrated by Khary Randolph.

Fans won’t have to wait that long to see Mosaic in action though. His first appearance takes place in Uncanny Inhumans #11, on sale later this month. He’ll also feature in a special free 10-page story available at all Barnes & Noble stores on August 6.

We’ll keep you up to speed on more about this new athlete turned superhero, but you’ll be seeing him in large doses soon enough.

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