15 Comic Book 'Firsts' You Didn't Know
7. Harpoon - First Inuit With Superpowers
The X-Men villain, Kodiak Noatak, debuted in Uncanny X-Men #210 in 1986. He is a mutant who can turn any object into energy after he throws it, which has given him the moniker, Harpoon. He usually works with the mutant-hunters, The Marauders, under the leadership of Mister Sinister.
Not only is Harpoon the first superpowerd Inuit in comics but he also indirectly led to the creation of one of the X-Men's biggest villains. When the Marauders tracked and killed mutants living in a subterranean community, the X-Men intervened, trying to stop the slaughter. When Angel crossed paths with Harpoon, the Inuit impaled Angel’s wings, forcing them to be amputated.
Shortly after, Angel met a scientist who claimed he could graft new wings onto him. However, this scientist turned out to be a brand-new villain called Apocalypse. He intended to usher in a new age of destruction by turning mutants into mindless slaves, starting with Angel.
Angel eventually reverted to normal but was permanently traumatised by what Apocalypse did to him. Apocalypse went on to become one of the X-Men's greatest enemies and it's all thanks to Harpoon; an X-Men villain that most die-hard Marvel fans have never heard of.