Evangeline Whedon

**Evangeline Whedon** is a recurring character on FOX's *The Gifted*. She is portrayed by Erinn Ruth.

She is a mutant lawyer with ties to the X-Men.

## Early Life

Four years ago, Evangeline approached Polaris in a mental hospital. She explained to Lorna that she represented the X-Men and convinced Lorna to join the mutant underground.

A year later, she found Thunderbird fighting in an arena and made him an offer to lead the mutant underground's Atlanta headquarters. She then proceeded to help John get clean from his pill addiction.

## Throughout the Series

### Season 1

In X-roads, four years ago, Evangeline paid Lorna Dame a visit at Lakeview Mental Hospital. She introduced herself and extended her hand though Lorna refused to engage with her. Proceeding forward, Evangeline told Lorna that she was an attorney and that Lorna's situation was recently brought to her attention. According to the court records, Lorna was involved in a Purifier counter-protest that turned violent, which is how she ended up in Lakeview. She was given psychiatric care as an alternative to jail. Apparently, the judge took pity on Lorna as her sister had a bipolar disorder as well. However, the judge didn't know that Lorna was responsible for half a dozen protesters "accidentally" falling off an overpass. Should she find out, Lorna would be transferred to a maximum security facility. The world had been steadily changing since 7/15 and a hard time was coming for mutants. The X-Men needed fighters like Lorna to join in the upcoming war though the X-Men themselves had disappeared following 7/15. However, before they went missing, they left a underground network to help mutants in need. But it needed leaders, like Lorna. So Evangeline was hoping to convince her to join as she wasn't the only one with demons inside her, Evangeline remarked. She then pulled up her sleeve as her hand turned red with scales and black talons extended from her fingers.

### Season 2

In *unMoored*, three years ago, Tucson, Arizona, finds John Proudstar at a fight club. Evangeline believes that John was meant to be more. So she explains that she worked with the X-Men before they disappeared and she now needs John's help, and in him doing so, she'll provide him with purpose again. Evangeline is very much aware of John's past. His life on a poor reservation and his two tours in the marines with decorations for bravery, and how he was kicked out after 7/15. As for Evangeline, she only ever wanted to be a lawyer, becoming the youngest prosecutor in Philadelphia history. And then her powers manifested and she lost everything. She was close to ending it when the X-Men found her. Back to John, who she wants to lead the Atlanta station. She explains that John is being chosen because they know who he is capable of being.

Present day, Evangeline receives a surprise visit from John, Marcos Diaz and Caitlin Strucker, though she isn't pleased to see them as their arrival could result in Sentinel Services connecting her firm to the Mutant Underground. She can't have them there, especially since they're fugitives who are supposed to be dead. Marcos informs her that they're fighting every day while she's hiding. Caitlin pleads with her to help in anyway, but as Evangeline explains, she's simply a mutant's rights lawyer. John knows some of her past cases involved tracing bank records so he wants her help in tracking down the Inner Circle through their records. Evangeline is very much aware of the Inner Circle. When she questions how they managed to gain a USB's worth of information on the group, Marcos replies that a friend acquired it for them, leaving her to wonder if that friend is still alive.

Evangeline speaks to an associate of hers, who managed to trace some of the Inner Circle's transactions. There are weapons purchases, facilities, assets diversified and hidden in every way imaginable. Evangeline explains that Reeva Payge is preparing for war, someone who Marcos, John and Caitlin are all unfamiliar with. She's one of the most powerful mutants still standing after 7/15. There were rumors that she had taken over the Inner Circle. This now confirms that they were true. John wants Evangeline's help to stop her, but Evangeline explains that the Inner Circle's resources are too great, not to mention that they have Polaris and a descendant of the Von Struckers, Andy Strucker. The Underground doesn't have the power to go to war with the Inner Circle. John wants to get other Mutant Underground stations from places such as New York, Chicago and L.A. for the fight, but Evangeline refuses given his failure in Atlanta, which by the way, led to half of the Underground being taken apart by Sentinel Services. She refuses to allow John to destroy the rest of what they built, and then kicks the three of them out her office.

John reenters Evangeline's office. He didn't come all that way to give up. Evangeline informs him that they can't win. She apologizes for being so harsh but it's the truth. John recalls Evangeline finding his in Tucson three years ago and how she told him that he needed a cause. John has people dying and they need something to believe in after what happened in Atlanta. While Evangeline can't tear apart the Underground just for John's search of the Inner Circle, she does however know of a mutant separatist who goes by the name of Erg. He lives in the tunnels under D.C. and nothing happens in town that he doesn't know about. John thanks her for this information, but Evangeline explains that giving him hope is the worst possible thing she could do. Reeva is ruthless, and his friends are never coming home. She'll kill them first. And if they stay with her, chances are the Underground will have to kill them. Evangeline's sorry for that night in Tucson. She gave John a cause but she didn't know that cause was doomed.

In *meMento*, Evangeline was prepared for a war with the Inner Circle and the Human World and asked the Mutant Underground to enlist as many mutants for help including Erg of the Morlocks. It is unknown what happened to her, when Reeva's new crew attacked.

## Personality

Evangeline is a tough but passionate woman who strongly believes in dream of the X-Men. She apparently suffered sever depression in her past after her mutant powers manifested and ruined her promising future as a lawyer. She came close to committing suicide until the X-Men found her and gave her a new purpose.

As a founder of the Mutant Underground, she is willing to break the law if it means the safety of mutants and shows no hatred towards humans, willing to continue working with human allies even after her partner Erg began to distrust them.

## Physical Appearance

Evangeline has brown eyes, dark brown hair and a light complexion. Due to her outward human appearance, she is perfectly capable of blending in without being identified as a mutant.

## Abilities and Skills

* **Transformation:** In the comics, Evangeline can shape-shift into a red, dragon-like creature. However, within the series, she has only displayed the ability to transform certain parts of her body into resembling that of a dragon, with red scales, black talons and yellow reptile-like eyes. It is possible she also possesses the ability to breathe fire as smoke has been shown coming out of her nostrils and Polaris even mentioned that she would "dragon fire" her face for leaving the Underground.

## Appearances

* *coMplications* (mentioned)
* *outMatched* (mentioned)
* *meMento*
* *hoMe*

## Trivia

* She made her first appearance in the 2001 comic series titled *"X-Treme X-Men vol 1 #21"*.
* Evangeline Whedon was the X-Men’s lawyer. In the comics, her dragon form was triggered by contact with blood.
* Evangeline Whedon's appearance in *The Gifted* marks her live-action debut.

## Gallery

* Season 1 Screencaps
* Season 2 Screencaps