White Rook / Vargas (Earth-2299)

History Vargas first made his presence known to the X-Men in his native Spain, attacking them after they had been captured by a Spanish Police special ops team. He blocked the path of Psylocke and Beast, who were trying to rejoin their teammates. After beating Beast to a bloody pulp, he challenged Psylocke with his sword. As skilled as the telekinetic ninja was, she was no match for Vargas, who killed her with a stab to the gut. He left Beast holding her body for the others to find.

Soon after, Gambit stole into Vargas's house and pilfered a diamond. He was caught by Vargas's henchmen, the twins Thais and Thaiis, but fought them off. Vargas caught Gambit, but let him go after showing him a statue he had made of Psylocke, and playing a card game for Remy's life, even though Remy lost. Vargas knew about the diamond as well, but let Gambit keep it, knowing it would only bring trouble to the mutant. Vargas also owns one of Destiny's diaries, apparently the one in which Bishop (in the Dreamtime) saw Gambit acting as a conduit for a space elevator.

Even stranger is the fact that Vargas appeared in one of Destiny's diaries, dressed in full battle regalia and engaged with Storm in a sword fight. He resurfaced in Madripoor during the invasion by Khan, but targeted Rogue as his next victim, because he saw that she would kill him in the volume of Destiny's journals that he stole. As the invading aliens were in his way, he began to fight them, and killed Shaitan, the chief lieutenant, who was masquerading as Storm (thus explaining the prophecy). Vargas then found Gambit, who was being used as the energy conduit for the aliens' trans-dimensional gateway and prepared to kill him to cut off the invasion. Rogue intervened, but her powers gave out and Vargas impaled the two of them on his sword.

Rogue and Gambit survived, and though wounded, Rogue tracked Vargas down and ambushed him. Vargas was unable to stop her unfettered fury, especially after she touched and mimicked him. Under the point of his own sword, Vargas explained about the diaries and Rogue's part in his demise. Rogue realized that the diaries could trap you into doing what it stated, or into committing great atrocities to avoid the "prophecies." She was seen preparing to stab Vargas, but the video camera that was the sole witness to the event lost power at the critical moment, Rogue did not kill Vargas, but after defeating him, she had already proved that she was 'superior' and Vargas left, defeated. The people that viewed the footage of the live invasion were still under the belief that Rogue did in fact, kill him.

Vargas recently became the new White Rook of the Hellfire Club, a position that gives him privileges that his previous existence did not give him and which he believes will allow him to regain his lost honor in the duel with the X-Men Rogue and allow him to eliminate definitely that power-draining mutant woman who represents the greatest threat to he.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Vargas claims to be the next step in human evolution, the "pure and legitimate Homo sapien superior".Vargas is not a mutant, but is not fully human either, much like Captain Marvel / Carol Danvers is a relatively perfect human physical specimen. He is genetically perfect.

Super Human Strength: Vargas possesses physical strength superior to that of any Olympic athlete that has ever competed. He is as physically strong as a human can be without being classified as superhuman, enabling him to lift up to 80 tonnes.

Super Human Speed: Vargas can run and move at speeds that are beyond that of any Olympic athlete in history, though he can't move at a superhuman rate. He can, however, reach a top speed of 409 km/h.

Super Human Agility:Vargas' agility, balance, bodily coordination, flexibility, and dexterity are at the pinnacle of human capability and conditioning. He is superior to any Olympic level gymnast that has ever competed.

Super Human Reflexes: Vargas' reflexes are similarly honed and are superior to those of any Olympic athlete in history. His reaction speed makes it possible for him to out-react even the fastest humans or mutants, no matter how well-trained.

Super Human Stamina: Vargas' highly developed body eliminates the excessive build-up of fatigue-producing chemicals in his muscles, granting him exceptional endurance and lung capacity. His lung capacity is at peak human level enabling him to hold breath for 12 hours under water.He could exert himself at peak capacity for several hours without rest before showing any signs of fatigue.

Super Human Durability: Skin, bone, and muscle tissues are denser/harder and augmented to levels that are considerably stronger and harder than a normal human; thus being impervious to injury to an extraordinary extent.

Hyper Accelerated Healing Factor: Healing speed and efficiency is beyond the highest limits of human potential, which means he can heal faster than most human beings. He is able to regenerate injured tissue and brain cells to an extraordinary degree, heal broken bones, broken neck, and torn muscles within an hour or so, regenerate missing limbs or organs.

Foreign Chemical Immunity: The white blood cells (WBCs) in his body are efficient enough to keep him from becoming intoxicated by alcohol, drugs, or impurities in the air.

Disease Immunity: Due to his highly efficient immune system, Vargas is immune to all Earthly poisons, toxins, venom, viruses, bacteria, diseases, disorders, parasites, allergens, gas attacks, and nerve-toxins of any kind.

Advanced Longevity: His "hyper accelerated healing factor" also extends his longevity & health due to extensively healthy cells being regenerating.

Abilities

Master Combatant/Tactician: Vargas is an exceptional armed and unarmed combatant, and was able to overcome the natural athleticism and martial arts skills of Psylocke and the superhuman physical attributes that The Beast and Rogue possessed with relative ease.

Anatomical and Physiological Training: Knowledge of pressure points and nervous system.

Multilingual: He can speak fluent American English Spanish French  Russian Greek Latin Japanese Chinese and possibly many other languages.