Esme Cuckoo

**Esme Cuckoo** was born due to Dr. John Sublime and the Weapon Plus program attempting to develop a powerful weapon capable of killing all mutants on Earth by combining telepathic abilities. The project was designated as Weapon XIV, and the Stepford Cuckoos were incubated and artificially aged. Although only a few eggs were harvested from Emma Frost, thousands of girls were cloned; many of the clones remained dormant, but five of the clones were sent to infiltrate the Xavier Institute as students to hone their talents for Sublime's purpose.

## Relatives

* Winston Frost - maternal grandfather
* Hazel Frost - maternal grandfather
* Emma Frost - mother
* Sophie Cuckoo - quintuplet sister
* Phoebe Cuckoo - quintuplet sister
* Irma Cuckoo - quintuplet sister
* Celeste Cuckoo - quintuplet sister
* Christian Frost - maternal uncle
* Adrienne Frost - maternal aunt
* Cordelia Frost - maternal aunt

## Powers

**Telepathic Hive Mind:** The Stepford Cuckoos possess a linked hive mind, which allows them to share thoughts and maintain a continuous telepathic connection. The link is strongest when the girls are in close physical proximity. Their collective mind also allows for increased telepathic strength and shared intellect. The girls' powers are greater than the sum of their parts. A stronger personality can take lead of the hive mind, but the girls still maintain their independence.

* ***Mental Triangulation:*** Due to their hive mind, the Cuckoos have the perspective of five directions and are able to triangulate on individuals' minds.

**Telepathy:** Esme can read minds and project her thoughts to others. Though she possesses her own telepathy, her telepathic abilities are greater when she is joined with her sisters. The girls have stated that together they can block even very talented telepaths from reading their minds.

* ***Telepathic Illusion:*** Esme can create realistic psychic illusions and cause people to experience events which are not actually occurring.
* ***Mind Alteration:*** Esme can alter the minds of others by force of will. This can be restoring memories or transferring knowledge.
* ***Telepathic Tracking:*** Esme's psychic senses allow her to detect and track other sentient beings by their unique psychic emanations or thought patterns. This ability is highly sensitive to proximity but can be enhanced with the use of Cerebra.
* ***Astral Projection:*** Esme is capable of sending an astral projection, astral travel, and communicating with others astrally through her own will or through contact with the thoughts and memories of others.
* ***Mental Paralysis:*** Esme can affect certain areas of the brain to induce temporary mental or physical paralysis.
* ***Mental Amnesia:*** She can erase any awareness of particular memories or cause total amnesia. She can also restore memories.

**Organic Diamond Form:** Like her biological mother, Esme has the ability to transform herself into a flexible, translucent, organic diamond-like substance while retaining mobility. In this form, her skin is as hard as real diamond. Food and water are also not needed in this state for an undetermined amount of time. Her diamond form does not require a conscious hold and, thus, will remain until it is voluntarily triggered back. However, maintaining this form for an extended period of time reduces her emotional capability. Unlike her mother, Esme's diamond form is completely flawless. Nothing can enter or escape from her core.

* ***Telepathic Immunity:*** While enclosed in diamond skin, Esme is immune to telepathy but also cannot access her own telepathic powers.
* ***Superhuman Stamina:*** Her diamond form grants her the ability to sustain peak exertion for up to a day.
* ***Superhuman Durability:*** Her diamond form augments her skin, bone, and muscle to become stronger and harder than human tissue. She is completely impervious to injury in her diamond form.
* ***Compartmental Diamond Transformation:*** Unlike her mother, Esme can selectively transform parts of her body into diamond. Once, to trap the Phoenix Force fragments, Esme and her sisters transformed their hearts into a flawless diamond prison.

### Former Powers

**Phoenix Force Tap:** Esme was once an avatar of the Phoenix Force and later contained shards of the Phoenix Force inside her diamond heart until the Phoenix retreated from them.

* ***Flight:*** While possessing the full Phoenix, Esme had the power of self-propelled flight.
* ***Pyrokinesis:*** While possessing the full Phoenix, Esme could mentally create fire.
* ***Enhanced Telepathy:*** Esme has stated that the Phoenix Force fragment trapped in her diamond heart increased her telepathy. After the Phoenix departed, the girls mourned their return to average telepath status.

**Nanotech Bones:** Sublime and the Weapon Plus program placed nanotech into the bones of the sisters before sending them to the Xavier Institute to ensure that the girls would return to the World to activate the true purpose of Weapon XIV. The nanotech was disabled by Kitty Pryde phasing through them.

## Weaknesses

**Diamond Form Limitations:** While in her diamond form, Esme is unable to access her own telepathic powers or feel emotions.