S'ym - Fictional Character Biography

Fictional Character Biography

S'ym was a minion of Belasco, the ruler of the demonic dimension known as Otherplace or Limbo. S'ym first battled the X-Men when the team were transported to Limbo via teleportation "discs" in their search for 7-year-old Illyana Rasputin, the younger sister of the X-Man Colossus. Because the physical laws of time and space differ between dimensions, Illyana seemingly returned to the X-Men only moments later, but returned as a fourteen-year-old.

During Ilyana's seven years in Limbo Belasco took her as his heir and apprentice, until one day she defeated him, becoming Limbo's new ruler - and S'ym's master - before returning to the X-Men. S'ym made several attempts at challenging Illyana's newfound status as Limbo's ruler. At each turn Illyana defeated S'ym, leaving S'ym to agree to serve Illyana whenever she visited Limbo. Finding a potential way to finally defeat Illyana, S'ym allied himself with the extraterrestrial Magus, allowing himself to be infected with a techno-organic virus). Despite the boost in power, that attempt and a subsequent rebellion failed.

S'ym then enlisted the aid of the demon N'astirh, aiding him in the corruption of Madelyne Pryor into the Goblin Queen. By manipulating one of Illyana portals from Limbo, the trio unleashed a demonic invasion of New York City known as the "Inferno". S'ym was defeated when Illyana sent most of the invaders back to Limbo.

S'ym remained in Limbo, while plotting a new invasion of Earth. He planned on using the Nexus of All Realities to invade Earth, but was stopped by his former master Belasco, who manipulated Cable into confronting S'ym. Belasco reasserted his control over both S'ym and Limbo; however the two were later defeated by Nightcrawler as his girlfriend, Amanda Sefton, took over Limbo. S'ym turned to an alliance with the Archenemy, a powerful magical entity, and disguised himself as Duke Bleys, becoming one of Sefton's most trusted advisers. As Bleys, S'ym tricked Sefton into allying herself with many other demon lords and merging their various realms and dimensions into a single bastion against the Archenemy. S'ym then revealed his true identity and revealed that the single, united realm was a much easier target for the Archenemy than the countless dimensions he was fighting before. Nonetheless, Sefton and her army managed to slay the Archenemy and undid the merging of realms.

S'ym is next seen in the New X-Men "The Quest for Magik" storyline. Illyana returns to rule Limbo and S'ym is shown to be one of her servants. He appears to be free of the techno-organic virus, with no explanation given.