X–Men Explorer v.02
Black Tom Cassidy

Black Tom Cassidy

Thomas Samuel Eamon Cassidy

Created by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum
First Appearance
Appearances
109
Primary Team
Debut Era
1970s

Banshee's cousin and longtime X-Men villain, Black Tom Cassidy channels biokinetic energy through wooden objects to fire concussive blasts. A bitter Irish aristocrat who lost his family estate to Sean Cassidy, Tom partnered with the Juggernaut for decades as a mercenary duo terrorizing the X-Men. During the Krakoan era he found unexpected redemption as the living extension of Krakoa's defense network, merging with the island's plant life to become its protector and early warning system.

Appearances Over Time

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Series

Most Appearances By Series

X-Force (2020) 35 issues

Issues #1 – #9

35 of 50 issues (70%)

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Wolverine (2020) 11 issues

Issues #27 – #50

11 of 50 issues (22%)

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Classic X-Men (1986) 9 issues

Issues #10 – #9

9 of 45 issues (20%)

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X-Force (1991) 8 issues

Issues #1 – #91

8 of 130 issues (6%)

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X-Men (2004) 6 issues

Issues #158 – #164

6 of 51 issues (12%)

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Generation X (1994) 6 issues

Issues #18 – #61

6 of 76 issues (8%)

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The Uncanny X-Men (1981) 5 issues

Issues #361 – #464

5 of 405 issues (1%)

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The X-Men (1963) 5 issues

Issues #101 – #99

5 of 141 issues (4%)

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Deadpool (1994) 4 issues

Issues #1 – #4

4 of 4 issues (100%)

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Uncanny X-Men (2016) 4 issues

Issues #11 – #14

4 of 19 issues (21%)

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Events

Event Participation

First Appearance

The X-Men #99

June 1976

Fan Sentiment

Black Tom Cassidy is one of those villains who works best as part of a duo, and his partnership with Juggernaut gave the X-Men some of their most entertaining brawls in the Claremont era. His energy-channeling-through-wood power set is distinctive if slightly odd, and writers have struggled at times to make him a credible solo threat. The Krakoan era gave him his most interesting role in years, merging him with the island itself as its defense system, a creative reimagining that turned a B-list villain into something stranger and more compelling. Fans tend to remember him fondly as a classic rogue with Irish charm and a grudge, even if he rarely headlines a story on his own.

Real Name

Thomas Samuel Eamon Cassidy

Created By

Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum