Sauron

Real Name 
Karl Lykos 
 
Occupation 
Psychiatrist

Citizenship
U.S.A. (presumed)
 
Place of Birth
Unrevealed

Known Relatives
Unnamed father, Dr. Anderssen (adoptive father), Tanya Anderssen (adoptive sister)
 
Group Affiliation
Savage Land Mutates; formerly Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Weapon X, Weapon Plus 

Education
M.D. and Ph.D in genetics and psychology

Height
5' 9" (as Lykos), 7' (as Sauron)

Weight
170 lbs (as Lykos), 200 lbs (as Sauron)

Eyes
Brown (as Lykos), Red (as Sauron)

Hair
Brown (as Lykos), None (as Sauron)

Powers 
As the result of mutation through infection with a genetic virus by mutant pteranodons, Lykos gained the ability to absorb the life forces of other living things into his body. When Lykos absorbs the energies of superhuman mutants, he transforms into Sauron, and gains a portion of that mutant's powers temporarily. Sauron has a wingspread of twelve feet, a lethal beak, and razor-sharp claws on his hands and feet. In Sauron form, Lykos has superhuman strength (able to lift approximately ten tons), durability, and is capable of flight. Lykos also has a powerful hypnotic ability that requires direct eye contact to complete. He frequently uses his hypnotic power to give his victims terrifying delusions that allies have become monsters. Due to manipulation by the Weapon X program, Sauron can expel the life force energy in concussive bursts from his hands. At some point, he also acquired an additional ability to breathe fire.

Abilities 
Kyle Lykos is a skilled psychiatrist.
 
Other Info 
As a young boy, Karl Lykos went with his father on an expedition to Tierra del Fuego near the Antarctic Circle. Along with them on the journey were a physician, Dr. Anderssen, and his daughter Tanya, who was about the same age as Karl. At one point, Tanya became lost. Eventually, Karl found her in a cave being attacked by gigantic pteranodons, a form of flying reptile from the age of dinosaurs. (In actuality, these pteranodons were from the Savage Land). Karl drove the pteranodons off with his walking stick, but not before he was severely bitten. Traumatized by their experience, neither Karl nor Tanya remembered the pteranodons, and Dr. Anderssen used his medical skills to save Karl's life. Grateful to Karl for saving Tanya's life, Dr. Anderssen allowed Karl to live with him and Tanya after Karl's father died.  (To learn about the Savage Land, click on the highlighted name above.)

In a way that has never been explained, the pteranodon bites infected him with a genetic virus that forced upon him the need to drain the life energy of others to survive. His first unintentional victim was his dog Jager, whom he drained of energy simply by touching him. Karl kept his condition a secret, even after he found himself forced to drain energy from other human beings. However, he killed none of them, merely leaving them temporarily weakened. 

As Karl grew older he fell in love with Tanya, but the stern Dr. Anderssen refused to let her marry Karl because of his lack of financial means. So Karl Lykos set off for medical school, vowing to become wealthy so he could marry Tanya. Eventually, Lykos became a hypnotherapist, and constructed a device to help drain his patients’ energies.

Later on, after a tragic event, the X-Men brought Havok to Dr. Lykos. After treating Havok's wounds, Lykos began using his device to drain life energy from him. However, this was the first time that Lykos had ever siphoned energy from a superhuman mutant. This resulted in a metamorphosis into a creature that resembled a half-humanoid pteranodon, who retained his human intelligence and ability to speak. However, the transformation distorted Lykos' personality, turning him evil. (He took on the name, Sauron after the character in the Lord of the Rings). He battled the X-Men, but soon began reverting back to Lykos and fled. (To learn about the above highlighted team and/or character, just click on their names.)

Soon afterwards, Lykos had an argument with Dr. Anderssen, who still refused to permit him to marry Tanya. Then Lykos drained the energy from the mutant Lorna Dane (aka future Polaris) and turned into Sauron again. Sauron then returned to the Anderssons' home to kill them; however, the Anderssens recognized Sauron's voice as that of Lykos just before the X-Men arrived and Sauron fled. (To learn about Polaris, click on the highlighted name above.)

Sauron flew all the way to his father's cabin in Tierra del Fuego, and then reverted to human form. Horrified at having tried to kill Tanya, Lykos decided to starve himself to death. But several days later, Tanya arrived, followed closely behind by the X-Men. Feeling the urge to drain Tanya's life energies, Lykos instead fled, only to fall over a precipice. Tanya and the X-Men assumed he had been killed.

However, Lykos somehow survived and made his way to the Savage Land where he once again fought the X-Men as Sauron. There he managed to remain in human form, draining energy from animals, until many months later the X-Men arrived. For a time, as Lykos, he proved an ally to both the X-Men and Ka-Zar. Ultimately reverting to his Sauron form, he usurped the leadership of the Savage Land Mutates and opposed Ka-Zar, Spider-Man, and the X-Men.  (Click on the names above to learn about the highlighted characters and/or team.)

Sauron continued to make repeated attempts to conquer the Savage Land and use its people for sustenance, but has been defeated every time. After one defeat by the X-Men, their member, the Beast, managed to create a medicine that would satiate Karl's hunger, and, with the threat of Sauron seemingly over, Karl resumed a normal life with Tanya. (To learn more about Beast, click on his name above.)

Years later, Lykos and Tanya were captured by the Toad who was seeking recruits for a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. The Toad used a device of his own design to force Lykos to drain the life energy of Tanya, transforming Lykos into Sauron. As Sauron, he joined the Brotherhood in opposing first X-Force and then X-Factor.  (To learn about the character and/or teams above, just click on their highlighted names.)

After the Brotherhood disbanded, Sauron returned to the Savage Land and, with the Mutates, opposed the X-Men's Wolverine, Rogue, and Jubilee. However, he was later able to capture Cyclops and Havok and drained their energies. This caused him to mutate even further. Soon after, Jean Grey engaged Sauron telepathically, allowing Lykos’ personality to force his alter ego’s psyche in making a suicide leap into the abyss of his own mind, thus reducing Sauron’s physical form to a pure, animal-like state. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the different characters. Note: Beware of the revealing/form-fitting outfits on Cyclops and Jean Grey's bio pages.)

Sauron’s suppressed persona eventually returned and he was subsequently recruited into the new Weapon X Project as a field agent. Sauron served the program for many months, until Agent Brent Jackson (who was hoping to form a group to stage a coup with the Director--leader of the Weapon X). After a sucessful coup, Sauron continued to serve the Weapon X program under Agent Jackson. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the program and/or characters above. Also, Sauron during his time with Weapon X is shown in the fifth picture posted above.)

However, after the Project was torn apart by internal feuding he was incarcerated in the maximum security superhuman prison the Raft. But, the Mutates engineered a breakout of the Raft’s other inmates as a cover for Sauron’s escape, and he returned to the Savage Land. (To learn about the Raft, click on the highlighted name above.)

Upon arrival, Sauron and the Mutates became involved with a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. faction illegally stockpiling Vibranium. Opposed by the New Avengers team, Lykos was eventually defeated and placed into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. (To learn about the above highlighted teams and/or object, just click on their names above.)

To learn a little bit more about Sauron, just click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Sauron. 

In the film X2, "Karl Lykos" appears as a folder on William Stryker's computer files. (His name is listed on the very top of the second picture posted above.)