Pete Wisdom is a Marvel comics character created by Warren Ellis who first appeared in Excalibur. He's a British mutant with the power to generate "hot knives" from his fingertips. He's a former secret agent, former X-Force member, and current New Excalibur member.

I still remember reading the first issue Pete appeared in (Excalibur #86). Right away, I could tell he was different. As the issues rolled by, Pete became a highly entertaining character simply because he was the anti-thesis of what the Marvel universe had come to stand for. He was cynical, rude, lazy, and wouldn't be caught dead in spandex. He was a chain-smoking alcoholic who regularly made amusing jabs at the more traditional X-heroes (his impression of Professor X, while he was injured to the point of needing a wheelchair, is still one of the funniest moments in Marvel comics history). Yes, Pete had a sense of humor, despite having a dark and bloody past. He was sarcastic, always ready to speak his mind to whoever happend to appear (resulting in some great moments whenever Pete was faced with a powerful, serious enemy).

Deep down, Pete was a good guy. He cared about those he had come to call friends, and faught hard alongside them to protect the innocent. Perhaps he was trying to make ammends for his violent past? Regardless, he stayed with Excalibur long enough to cement his place in the hearts of many readers.

Pete is perhaps most well known for his relationship with Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat). Although their definite ages at this time were never told, it is said that Pete is ten years older than Kitty. Despite this the two of them formed a romance that was extremely fun to read yet short-lived. I personally would love to see them get back together, as long as it is written well (despite the fact that I secretly like the idea of Pete/Moira XD).

Although Pete has been shuffled around from X-title to X-title and from writer to writer, certain character traits are generally present. These include his cynical attitude and bizarre sense of humor. He's now appearing in New Excalibur, and also has his own series in the "MAX" line simply titled "Wisdom".