Paulie Provenzano (comics)

Omertà
Paulie by Salvador Larroca.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Uncanny X-Men #392 (April 2001)
Created by	Scott Lobdell Salvador Larroca
In-story information
Alter ego	Paul Provenzano
Species	Human Mutant
Team affiliations	Genoshan Assault X-Men United States Army
Abilities	Invulnerability, Superhuman strength

Omertà (Paul "Paulie" Provenzano) is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Universe. He is featured in the Eve of Destruction story arc in Uncanny X-Men.

Paulie first appears in the Eve of Destruction storyline, beginning in Uncanny X-Men #392.

After just being discharged from the United States Marines, Paul Provenzano returns to his home in Brooklyn, where he attempts to take over the local 'chapter' of the Mafia. The three leaders, whom Paulie has known all his life, were meeting in a local bakery, a mob-owned business. The leader declared he would not be popular if he made a "made man" out of a mutant. Paulie explains he was taking over. At first they were amused by his declarations, then they shoot him. Paulie easily resists their bullets, then brutally injures the men.

Jean Grey surprises and lectures him on the seeming waste of using his powers to take over the local mob. Paulie correctly guesses that she is here to recruit him into the X-Men and agrees to join, if only to see her in her costume. Jean's intention is to recruit Paulie for a mission to Genosha, to rescue the rest of the X-Men from Magneto.

Jean briefly leaves Paulie to enter the X-Mansion while she talks with Sunpyre on the front driveway. Paulie is thrown through the front doors moments later. Northstar follows. Paulie protests, revealing his homophobia and Northstar protests as he is gay. Paulie dares Northstar to hit him, as he, Paulie is invulnerable. Throughout the storyline, Paulie regularly calls Northstar "Maple-Leaf" and puts him down for being homosexual Northstar's super-speed is enough to stun, but not hurt him.

During the trip Genosha, Paul and teammate Hector Rendoza receive a telepathic 'crash course' in their mutant powers, allowing them better control and understanding. Moments later Paul suggests that he and Jean enter the cargo bay for 'privacy'. As a rebuttal, she makes him perceive her as elderly and overweight, an unpleasant visual. He also participates in a telepathic jaunt into Dazzler's mind, to see what had recently ravaged the dimension she had arrived from. The attackers were childlike versions of the alternate reality Age of Apocalypse villains. This Paulie is one of the few people in current continuity to have an inkling of what had gone on in said alternate reality.