Contributed by Mike McDermott
Steck’ee is the best friend of Genis, son of Mar-Vell and the new Captain Marvel. Steck works as a waitress (and sex worker) at Glib’s bar on the planet Calculex. What race Steck is is unknown, but she is blue-skinned and possesses the ability to switch genders, although she prefers her female form. Being friends with a superhero proved to have its hazards. Genis’ enemy Zey-Rogg had Steck kidnapped, and possibly raped or tortured as well. After Genis rescued her, their relationship took an unexpected turn, and they became lovers. Unfortunately, the transition from friend to lover did not proceed smoothly.
Steck’ee is also a follower of the Universal Order of the Dedicated. We learned in issue #5 that Steck can be either male or female.
Steck’ee reappears a story arc in issues #32 – 35 (written by Peter David, dated 2002). Genis returns to his old haunt, Halvacenter on the planet Calculex, hoping to reunite with Steck’ee and other friends from the Grog and Grub. Instead of a welcome home, he finds his friends in fear, and Steck’ee is presumably murdered by the serial killer who has caused officials to put the city under curfew. What Genis discovers is Steck’ee is alive still and is being held hostage by Magus, Warlock’s evil self, who now plans to use Genis’ former lover as a pawn to gain power. After many taunts and threats of torture and death to Steck’ee, Genis relents and tells magus to take his soul. It’s a trick of course, as Magus finds out a cosmically aware soul contains too much power to absorb. As punishment, Marvell turns him into another energy form and transports him “far away from everything.” The lovers’ reunion is all too brief as Marlo Jones is in trouble and only Genis can rescue her, so Genis and Rick Jones trade places.
Steck’ee returns to her/his apartment in Halvacenter, accompanied by Rick Jones. Jones curiosity about the relationship is piqued. He’s a little shocked by Steck’ee’s straightforward statement that they were “more like copulation buddies.” As there’s no privacy in the empty quarters, Steck’ee switches to male form while changing clothes and Jones registers out loud his shock to see a penis. Steck’ee assures Jones that Genis is fine with the gender shifting, but David doesn’t elaborate on whether Steck’ee was ever in male form during their lovemaking.
Their final scene together is a bittersweet farewell. Steck’ee. in female form, wishes Genis the best and cautions him to remember his roots. The story seems and its conclusions seem rather rushed, likely due to the series being canceled and replaced with a new volume and a different direction.
Steck’ee first appeared in Captain Marvel #1 (volume 2) and her gender switching ability is noted in Captain Marvel #5. Steck’ee’s sexual orientation is likely pansexual.
Created by Fabian Nicieza and Ed Benes.
Art (left side) by ChrisCross Rich Perotta, and Chris Sotomayor and (right side) Patrick Zircher, Rich Perotta, and Chris Sotomayor respectively from Captain Marvel issues #34 and #35 (2002).
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