Bedlam (comics)

Bedlam
Bedlam from X-Force #108. Art by Salvador Larroca.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Factor X #1 (March, 1995) (Age of Apocalypse) X-Force vol. 1 #82 (October, 1998) (Earth-616)
Created by	John Francis Moore Jim Cheung
In-story information
Alter ego	Jesse Aaronson
Species	Human Mutant
Team affiliations	X-Force M.U.S.E. New Hellions
Notable aliases	Jesse Bedlam
Abilities	Ability to disable any EM-powered equipment, Ability to scan and perceive existing energy fields, Ability to scramble the human brain's neural chemistry

Bedlam (Jesse Aaronson) is a fictional character, a mutant superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He originally possessed the mutant ability to create and project a bio-EM field. This has the effect of temporarily disabling any similarly powered technology in the vicinity. He can also utilize his power to scan the environment for other pre-existing energy fields. After the High Evolutionary reset the mutant genome in every mutant on the planet, Jesse's abilities expanded to be able to affect the human brain's neural chemistry, thus allowing him to project the illusion of pain and confusion into other people.

Another, unrelated Bedlam was an enemy of Alpha Flight.

Jesse Aaronson was created based on a character that had appeared in the Age of Apocalypse crossover, but did not have an Earth-616 counterpart at the time. He was orphaned at the age of 5 after his parents were killed in a car crash. After that, he and his brother Christopher were put into foster care separately. Jesse went through multiple foster homes due to his emotional instability and was forced to go through many therapists before being placed in a psychiatric hospital at 13. He was exploited during that time by one of the doctors, who wanted to use Jesse's burgeoning powers for a book and performed experiments on him, and tried to convince Jesse that his brother was simply a figment of his imagination. Jesse was eventually rescued by Lucas Whyndam and ended up in the hands of the Professor Charles Xavier's Mutant Underground Support Engine (M.U.S.E.), a group based out of Montana with the goal of rescuing mutants and training them as field agents. When he reached the age of 19, Jesse decided to leave M.U.S.E. in order to track down his brother once and for all. He enlisted the help of the mutant spy and former X-Force member, Domino. He offered her information regarding the whereabouts of the Prime Sentinel unit named Ekaterina Gryaznova in exchange for Domino's help. Gryaznova, now calling herself Gryphon, had implanted a device in Domino's body several months ago, which severely diminished her mutant powers. Upon entering the base, Domino was captured but Bedlam managed to escape. Using his resources from M.U.S.E., he managed to track down X-Force in San Francisco and break into their headquarters, in order to ask them for help. The team managed to free Domino and apparently kill Gryphon. In the process, Bedlam used his power to short circuit Domino's implant.