Banshee

The banshee (/ˈbænʃiː/ BAN-shee), from Irish: bean sí, pronounced [bʲæn ˈʃiː] ("woman of the barrows") is a female spirit in Irish mythology. Traditionally a kind of siren of death she tends to act or call locally. The Banshee is always fearfully expected, and imagined as an ugly, hysterical fairy or shrieking hag who appears in the dead of night, calling in frenzy to take the soon to die from their family and home.

Similar beings are found in Scottish, Welsh and Norse mythology.

Description

The banshee is often described as wearing white or grey, usually with long, pale hair brushed with a silver comb. This comb detail is also related to the centuries-old traditional romantic Irish story that, if you ever see a comb lying on the ground in Ireland, you must never pick it up, or the banshee (or mermaids – stories vary), having placed it there to lure unsuspecting humans, will spirit such gullible humans away. Other stories portray the banshee as dressed in green, red, or black with a grey cloak. A possible explanation for her origin is in the screech of the barn owl (Tyto alba). She acts as a nocturnal hunter, and is known for her chilling screech and has been long associated with agricultural activities in Ireland, attracting to the rodent activity around grain stores and barns.

Banshee (comics)

Banshee is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, the character first appeared in X-Men #28 (January 1967).

An Irish mutant, Banshee possesses a "sonic scream", capable of harming enemies’ auditory systems and causing physical vibrations. He is named after the banshee, a legendary ghost from Irish mythology, said to possess a powerful cry.

A former Interpol agent and NYPD police officer, Banshee was always a decade older than most of the X-Men and had only a relatively short tenure as a full-time X-Man. He was a mentor of the 1990s-era junior team Generation X. Caleb Landry Jones played the role of Banshee in 2011's X-Men: First Class.

Publication history

Banshee was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, and first appeared in X-Men #28 (January 1967). When the character first appeared, he acted as an adversary to the X-Men under coercion, but soon befriended the team and eventually appeared as a member of the X-Men in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975). The character was forced to leave the team when his superpowers were damaged in battle in Uncanny X-Men #119 (March 1979), and remained an occasional supporting character for the team for several years. Banshee eventually healed fully, and rejoined the team in Uncanny X-Men #254 (Dec 1989) for a short stint, later becoming a central figure in the title Generation X, which lasted from 1994 to 2001. Banshee was killed in issue #5 of the 2006 X-Men: Deadly Genesis limited series.

Banshee (roller coaster)

Banshee is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), Banshee opened on April 18, 2014. The roller coaster features 4,124 feet (1,257 m) of track making it the longest inverted roller coaster. Banshee is also the first inverted coaster built in the United States since the Patriot debuted at Worlds of Fun in 2006.

History

Banshee was built at the former location of the Son of Beast, a wooden roller coaster plagued with issues and demolished in 2012, and the Thunder Alley go-kart attraction that was removed the same year. In the queue line there is a memorial for the Son of Beast. Following their removal, it was not immediately clear what would replace the attractions. Construction on a new attraction began, however, on April 22, 2013. A trademark for the name "Banshee" was filed on April 24, 2013. Owner Cedar Fair had previously considered using the name for a roller coaster at Cedar Point, but it was later changed to Mantis.