Reavers (comics)

The Reavers are a fictional team of criminal cyborgs appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

In the Marvel Universe, the Reavers are dedicated to the destruction of the X-Men and a number of them especially wanted to take revenge on Wolverine in particular. The group are assembled under the leadership of character Donald Pierce and consist of three survivors from a group of Australian cyborgs who formed the original 'Reavers', along with other cyborgs.

The Reavers are not to be confused with the Reavers, who are involved in the histories of the Guardians of the Galaxy members Starhawk and Aleta.

The Reavers appeared in the 2017 film Logan, with their leader Donald Pierce portrayed by Boyd Holbrook.

The Reavers first appeared in the comic title Uncanny X-Men #229 (May 1988) and were created by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri.

The original group of cyborgs calling themselves the Reavers operated out of an underground complex beneath the fictional ghost town of Cooterman's Creek in North Central Australia. They act as a commando-style team of thieves, with apparently dozens of members. Their base is equipped with advanced computers and a sub-basement tunnel system. The Reavers coerce the mutant Gateway to teleport them around the world to conduct their robberies. Informed of the Reavers' existence by Roma, the X-Men defeat the Reavers in battle and expel them from their base, which they take for their own use. The X-Men destroy some of the Reavers and force most of the rest to enter the Siege Perilous to meet unrevealed fates. Only Pretty Boy, Skullbuster, and Bonebreaker escape.

The Reavers are reassembled under the leadership of Donald Pierce, who reorganizes the team as an assassination squadron to undertake para-military style commando operations, dedicated to taking vengeance on the X-Men in particular and eliminating mutants in general. Pierce combines the three survivors of the original Reavers with Lady Deathstrike and the three former Hellfire Club mercenaries Cole, Angelo Macon, and Reese.

While the X-Men are away from their Australian base, the Reavers retake the ghost town and wait for the team to come back. However, on their return, the X-Men escape the Reavers through the Siege Perilous. Only Wolverine, who is on a leave of absence in Madripoor, remains. Once he returns, they capture, torture, and crucify him. Wolverine escapes the Reavers with the aid of Jubilee. The Reavers then attack the Muir Island Mutant Research Center, theorizing that it is Wolverine's most likely destination. During the assault on Muir Island, Skullbuster is rendered inoperative by sniper fire from Forge. Donald Pierce rescues a gravely wounded pilot named Cylla Markham, who agrees to be converted into a cyborg.