Thursday, October 31, 2013

Malekith

Real Name
Malekith

Occupation 
Former Erl King of Svartalfheim's Dark Elves

Citizenship 
Svartalfheim
 
Place of Birth
Svartalfheim

Known Relatives
None
 
Group Affiliation
Drow (Svartalfheim's Dark Elves)

Education 
Unrevealed

Height
 

6'9"

Weight
185 lbs.

Eyes
Blue

Hair
Blonde-white

Powers
Ability to manipulate magical forces for a variety of effects, including teleportation, energy projection, physical malleability, flight (by transforming into mist) and the ability to change the shape and appearance of other beings or objects. Illusion casting.

Abilities
Though he generally avoids is, Malekith is a moderately skilled hand-to-hand combatant. He is also a talented and powerful sorcerer.

Other Info
Malekith the Accursed ruled the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim (one of the Nine Worlds of Asgard). Malekith mastered sorcery, making him a formidable foe of Asgard. Malekith's greatest weapon was the Casket of Ancient Winters (an artifact that contained mystical forces that could reproduce the overwhelming frigidity of one of the Nine Worlds: Niffleheim, the Realm of Ice. (To learn about the race, places, and/or artifact above, just click on their highlighted names.)

To prevent Malekith from releasing the contents of the Casket, a mortal man named Eric Willis stole the the artifact; thus, becoming the guardian of the Casket. However, now, without the Casket's power, Malekith was unable to protect himself from the wrath of Ruler of Asgard: Odin. Therefore, Odin banished Malekith to another dimension where he remained for centuries. (To learn about Odin, click on his highlighted name above.)

At one point, Malekith was freed by the fire demon Surtur, ruler of one of the Nine Worlds: Muspelheim, the Realm of Eternal Fire. Surtur became Malekith's master, and the Dark Elf's first orders were to regain the Casket of Ancient Winters. (Surtur wanted to use the artifact on Earth to usher in the Invasion forces of Muspelheim.) Soon after, Malekith also received orders to form an alliance with God of Mischief: Loki. (To learn about the above highlighted characters, just click on their names above. Note: Beware of the revealing outfit worn by Loki in his woman-form on his bio page.)

Soon after the alliance between Malekith and Loki, the Dark Elf used a special magical food provided to him by Hela to control the humans of Earth. While continuing his quest on Earth, he encountered Eric Willis (the magic from the Casket had preserved Eric so he was still the same age as when he stole it). In Malekith's efforts to obtain the Casket of Ancient Winters, he ended up killing Eric Willis; however, he didn't have the Casket anymore. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the character and/or place. Note: Beware of the revealing outfit worn by Hela on her bio page.)

Afterward, Malekith kidnapped the Asgardian Lorelei in order to gain control of the God of Thunder: Thor. Eventually, Lorelei was freed, but Thor was forced to battle Algrim the Strong. During the battle, Malekith attempted to destroy both of them by plunging the two into a pit of molten magma. (To learn about the above highlighted characters, just click on their names above. Note: Beware of the revealing outfit worn Lorelei's on her bio page.) 

Later, Malekith discovered that the Dark Elf Jagrfelm was the one in possession of the Casket of Ancient Winters now. Therefore, Malekith and his Wild Hunt (a pack of demonic hounds) attacked Jagrfelm. Malekith and his hounds were too much for Jagrfelm and the Dark Elf was killed when Malekith blasted him in a weakened state with an energy bolt. Malekith once again became the owner of the Casket of Ancient Winters. (To learn about Jagrfelm, click on the highlighted name above.)

At one point, however, Malekith was defeated by Thor. But, not before the Dark Elf destroyed the Casket of Ancient Winters; thus, releasing magical frigid force over all the Earth. Malekith was then taken prisoner to Asgard by Thor. 

Soon after, Malekith disguised Loki as himself to take his place in the dungeon, while he disguised himself as Balder Odinson, who was about to be crowned ruler of Asgard. However, Kurse (the being formerly known as Algrim) saw through Malekith's disguise when he reached Asgard and came after the Dark Elf. The attacked resulted in Malekith's seeming death. (To learn about the above highlighted characters, just click on their names.)

More recently, Malekith was seen again alive and well. This time, disguised as Balder again, he tricked Hercules into dressing up as Thor and attacking Alflyse, the Dark Elf Queen of the Eastern. However, Malekith's scheme was humorously unraveled (partially due to the appearance of Thor disguised as Hercules), and was struck down and defeated by Zeus. (Click the highlighted names above to learn about the different characters. Note: Beware of the very revealing outfit worn by Alflyse on her bio page.)

The current whereabouts of Malekith are unknown.

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

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Rick Jones

Real Name
Richard Milhouse Jones

Occupation
Musician, adventurer, author; former talk show host
 
Citizenship 

U.S.A.

Place of Birth
Scarsdale, Arizona 

Known Relatives
Marlo Chandler Jones (wife), Polly (aunt), Mrs. Chandler (mother-in-law), Kieth Chandler, Ray Chandler, three unidentified others (brothers-in-law), unidentified father (deceased), Jackie Schorr (alleged mother; unconfirmed) 

Group Affiliation 
Avengers (honorary member); formerly partner of the Hulk, Captain America, and Captain Mar-vell; Loners (financier); former leader of Teen Brigade; ally of Rom

Education 
High school dropout

Height
 

5'9"; (A-Bomb) 6'8"

Weight
165 lbs; (A-Bomb) 980 lbs.

Eyes
Brown; (A-Bomb)Yellow

Hair
Brown; (A-Bomb) None

Powers
Under special circumstances, Rick has been able to tap into the Destiny Force (a mysterious and near-infinite power source inherent in all of humanity). Rick has used this ability to materialize figures from his imagination and from other time eras, to paralyze thousands of Kree and Skrull warriors simultaneously, to overwhelm an Atlantean army, to heal his own broken body, to amplify his physical abilities, and to levitate. The limits of the Destiny Force's uses, if any, have not been revealed.

At a time when Rick was bonded with Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell) , he was able to release minor jolts of energy from the Nega-Bands. Through the bands, he possessed a telepathic link to Captain Marvel. At one point he trained himself to usurp control of Genis' body, and to afflict him with psychic pain.

As A-Bomb, Rick once again has superhuman strength and durability. His hide is similar to an armadillo's plated armor, giving A-Bomb bulletproof skin. Camouflage glands from cuttlefish experiments give him the ability to blend into his surroundings at will, making him virtually undetectable. He is also able to track both Hulk and Red Hulk by zeroing in on their gamma signature. 

Abilities 
Rick Jones is an accomplished gymnast and hand-to-hand combatant with skill in judo and karate, having been trained by Captain America. He is also a skilled songwriter, singer, guitarist, and harmonica player. 

Other Info
Richard "Rick" Jones was orphaned at a young age, and after being expelled from several orphanages for disciplinary reasons he was placed into a state institution called Tempest Town. However, after being treated unfairly at the institution, Jones ran away. He spent his early teenage years drifting from town to town throughout the Southwest doing menial work while trying to avoid the juvenile authorities.

One day, after getting his driver's license and buying a used car, Rick overheared a teenager dare a friend to ride out on the desert where it was rumored an atomic bomb was going to be tested. Jones offered to take him upon the challenge. However, when Rick drove his car out to the test site, he saw that his challenger didn't show up. When the bomb was soon about to detonate, Dr. Bruce Banner (the designer of the gamma bombs) realized that Rick was on the testing field and ran out to protect the boy. When the bomb went off, Dr. Banner threw the boy into a trench; however, he himself was bombarded with gamma radiation. This radiation triggered a mutagenic change in the doctor, causing him to turn into a raging Hulk. Feeling responsible for Dr. Banner's condition, and being the only person to know that the rampaging brute was actually Banner, Jones became the Hulk's close friend. (To learn about the Hulk, click on the highlighted name above.)

Eventually, Jones organized the Teen Brigade (a group of young amateur ham radio enthusiasts to help him monitor the Hulk's activities). Jones was present during the Hulk's first encounters with the army, as well as superhuman menaces as the Ringmaster, Tyrannus, Metal Master, the alien Toadmen, and even a run-in with the Fantastic Four. (To learn about the above highlighted teams and/or characters, just click on their highlighted names.)

Later on, after the Asgardian Loki took control of the Hulk, Rick sent out a radio call to superheroes to help his friend. This action was what eventually brought multiple superheroes together that would become the team known as the Avengers. (To learn about the race, team, and/or character above, just click on their highlighted names. Note: Beware of Loki in his woman-form--revealing outfit.)

At one point, Rick became Captain America's sidekick (he even wore Bucky Barnes old outfit). However, after some time, Rick started to resent being on the side-lines. (To learn about Captain America and/or Bucky Barnes, just click on their highlighted names above. Note: The third picture posted above is on Rick Jones as Captain America's side-kick.)

One day, Jones found a pair of alien bracelets (aka Nega-Bands). When Rick would strike the bands together he would exchange places with Captain Mar-vell--an imprisoned Kree warrior--between the Negative Zone. In fact, Rick was a key player in the Kree-Skrull War where the Supreme Intelligence used an "omniwave" machine that released Jones' latent Destiny Force. Jones used his Destiny Force to conjure up heroes from Earth's past to battle Ronan the Accuser and his Kree army, as well as to bring about a halt of galactic hostilities between the two races. (To learn about the war, characters, force, and/or race, click on the highlighted names above.)

After the death of Captain Mar-vell, Jones returned to the side of the Hulk. During an attempt to cure the Hulk, Rick was accidentally poisoned with radiation. While in the hospital, the Dire Wraiths began replacing the staff members. However, Rom (the Spaceknight), with Rick's assistance, stopped the Wraiths. Afterwards, Jones was cured by the Beyonder at the same time Rom left for Galador. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the races, group, and/or character.)

At one point, Rick began dating Marlo Chandler and soon fell in love. The two were later married with a great number of heroes in attendance. (To learn about Rick's wife, click on her name above.)
Later on, when the Hulk became War--one of Horseman of the Apocalpyse--Jones attempted to stop the green behemoth. In doing so, Jones was thrown against a pyramid and temporarily paralyzed. (To learn about Apocalypse's Horsemen, click on her name above.)

However, Rick was cured during the Destiny War (where Avengers from past, present, and future were united to prevent the Time Keepers from destroying a significant number of timelines where humanity was deemed a threat to all existence). At one point, Rick sacrificed himself to prevent the destruction of all reality (due to a destructive, expansive human race being created in multiple timelines from releasing his Destiny Force earlier during the Kree-Skrull War.). Rick was, however, saved when he merged with the son of Captain Mar-Vell: Genis-Vell; thus, creating a new Captain Marvel. Like before, when Rick would strike the bands together he would exchange places with Captain Marvel, but this time he changed places with Genis-Vell between the Microverse. (To learn about the above highlighted war, group, and/or character, just click on their names.)

Later on, during the events of the World War Hulk, Rick reunited with the Hulk and supported him about the Illuminati's atrocities against him; however, he also reasoned with his friend that vengeance was not the answer. Afterward, when the the Hulk defeated Sentry, Miek tried to stab him; however, Rick protected Hulk and was the one that got stabbed. Therefore, he was later rushed into the hospital. However, he was actually taken to secret A.I.M. facility, disguised as an abandoned S.H.I.E.L.D. base under the command of Leader and M.O.D.O.K.. The Intelligencia used the Abomination's blood and changed Rick to become their weapon. When Jones woke up, he escaped from a secret base in Alaska that had been destroyed in a "Hulk-like" manner. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the event, teams, and/or characters.)

Soon after, Rick found himself in at the same site where the Hulk was being held captive. He was then suddenly attacked by the Red Hulk. In self-defense, Rick inexplicably turned into an Abomination-like creature, calling himself "A-Bomb." After the Red Hulk was defeated, A-Bomb reverted back to his normal human form. Rick then was about to tell Dr. Banner that he knew who the Red-Hulk was, but was shot in the back and dragged off by Doc Samson. It was later revealed the Doc Samson did this because Rick was suffering from multiple personality syndrome. After Red Hulk drained the gamma energy from Hulk, A-Bomb had enough intelligence to get Bruce Banner to safety. (To learn about the above highlighted characters, just click on their names.)

More recently, Rick Jones has fully healed and is able to revert between A-Bomb and his normal form.

To learn a little bit more about Rick Jones, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Jones,_Rick. (Note: Beware of the low-cut dress worn by Rick's wife at their wedding.)

In the film The Incredible Hulk, Rick's name is briefly shown on a list of Bruce Banner's known associates during the film's opening credits. (Note: This scene is shown in the second picture posted above.)

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Fin Fang Foom

Real Name
Unrevealed

Occupation
Chef; Former would-be World Conqueror, Starship Navigator

Citizenship

Kakarantharaian (Makluan)

Place of Birth
Kakaranthara (aka Maklu-IV)

Known Relatives
None 

Group Affiliation

Fin Fang Four, Dragon Lords of Kakaranthara

Education 
Unrevealed

Height
 

32' (44' including tail)

Weight
20 tons

Eyes
Red

Hair 
None

Powers

Fin Fang Foom possesses various superhuman attributes common among his race. (It isn't known, however, if the level of Foom's various powers is average or above average for a Kakarantharaian.) These powers include super strength and the power to spew combustible acid mist from his mouth. Foom is also extremely durable and can regenerate at a rapid rate. By entering into long periods of hibernation, Foom has managed to survive for centuries. Foom can utilize telepathy to limited degrees, typically for communication. And he can shape-shift.

Abilities
Due to his massive wings, Foom can fly at supersonic speeds. He is highly experienced with and in the use of the advanced technology of his home planet. He is an accomplished and proven spacecraft navigator and has proven himself to be an excellent hand-to-hand combatant. He has mastered the fighting style of his people, which happens to be identical to a number of Asian martial arts. He also possesses a gifted intellect, and is a great chef.

Other Info
Fin Fang Foom is an alien dragon from Kakaranathara (aka Maklu-IV). The Kakarantharaians were a peaceful race, but Fin Fang Foom (roughly translated as "He whose limbs shatter mountains and whose back scrapes the sun") and a group of dissenters escaped, setting out to conquer other worlds. Fin Fang Foom was the navigator of the ship they took exploring. Foom used ten powerful rings to pilot and guide their ship though the cosmos. At some point, the group arrived in ancient China. (The valley the ship was located would come to be known as the Valley of the Dragons.) Upon landing, Foom and his fellow Makluans were confronted by a group of natives, and a member of thier crew was slain. The rest, not ready to start their conquest, used their natural shape-shifting powers to take human forms and blended into this new world, waiting for the right time to attack--except for Fin Fang Foom. Wishing to keep a "back-up" plan, Foom went into hiding in case the rest of the crew failed or were killed. Foom was placed in a well-hidden tomb and was given a potent herb that put him into a long slumber. (To learn about the artifacts highlighted above, just click on their name.)

As his other would-be-conquerors slipped into domestic lives, Foom slept for the next few centuries. He was somehow awakened in the 8th Century; however, he returned to sleep through a second application of the herb. This awakening resulted in Fin Fang Foom entering into Chinese legend, and a group of humans were placed as guards outside his tomb, passing the job on to their descendants. The surrounding region became known as the "Valley of the Sleeping Dragon."

The "Sleeping Dragon" rested for centuries until 1961. A young man named Chen Liuchow had found some manuscripts describing the legend of Fin Fang Foom. When Liuchow's homeland was being terrorized by the communist Chinese, he wanted to find his own way to stop the invaders. Therefore, Chen investigated to see if the legends were true about the dragon. He ended up finding the slumbering beast and Liuchow awakened him. After this, Chen taunted Foom enough to lead him straight into the communist camps--destroying them all. With his plan accomplished, Liuchow somehow was able to lure Fin Fang Foom back into his tomb and used the herb to place the creature to sleep once more. (To learn about Dr. Liuchow, click on his highlighted name above.)

Later on, the powerful Elder of the Universe, the Collector, found the sleeping creature and captured him for his collection of giant monsters in his subterranean "zoo" in Canada. (The "zoo" held such esteemed inmates as GoomGargantus, Grogg, Groot, Grottu, and Rommbu, among others.) At one point, while the Collecter was away, the Mole Man, invaded the Collector's lair and set the monsters free. While many monsters rampaged through New York City after this debacle, Fin Fang Foom headed elsewhere. However, all of the monsters (including Foom) were eventually rounded up by the Fantastic Four and were exiled to Monster Isle. (To learn about the highlighted characters, team, and/or place, just click on their names above.)

Soon after, Foom decided to leave the island (no security measures were put into place to contain him) and head toward the bottom of the world, Antarctica, to find isolation. Again changed into his humanoid form, Foom found a base there that just so happened to be where Bruce Banner was located. After an incident at the base, Doctor Banner transformed into the Hulk. Fin Fang Foom witnessed the green behemoth and believed him to be a potential ally. However, after transforming himself into his own dragon form, the two creatures ended up exchanging blows. Unable to make much way and getting bored, Hulk ended up throwing Fin Fang Foom out of the atmosphere--Foom ended up on the moon. (To learn about the Hulk, click on the highlighted name above.)

At some point, Foom returned to his old Chinese tomb in the Valley of the Dragons and once again fell asleep. Shortly afterwards, however, Fin Fang Foom faced duel threats: firstly from the villainous madman Dr. Vault wishing to mentally control the dragon to attack and defeat It, The Living Colossus; and secondly the extraterrestrial Stonians, an invading alien force, that were attempting to take over the Earth. Resisting Dr. Vault's control, Foom actually ended up teaming with It, The Living Colossus against the Stonians. However, after that battle was finished, Vault successfully gained control of the dragon and sent him to battle against It, The Living Colossus. Fin Fang Foom was able to overpower his stony opponent by using his martial arts. Eventually though, Foom was able to shake Dr. Vault's influence and went after him instead. Afterward, Foom parted ways with It, The Living Colossus on friendly terms, and the dragon returned to his lair once more. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the characters and/or race.)

After several years in quiet slumber, Fin Fang Foom awakened again. This time, a cult calling itself "Beyond Reason Spiritual Fellowship" used him as a vessel for their demonic lord, Aan Taanu. Chan Liuchow (now a middle-age doctor) aided a group of supernatural beings known as Legion of Night against both the possessed-Foom and the cult. When Aan Taanu was driven from this reality, Foom was confused by his sudden awakening in the middle of New York City. He then escaped back to his lair in China. (To learn about the Legion of Night, click on their highlighted name above. Note: Beware of the extremely revealing outfit worn by one on the Legion of Night's bio page--block image if possible.)

At some point, the villainous Mandarin was directed to the Valley of the Sleeping Dragon by the Makluan starship captain Axonn-Karr (in his human form as Chen Hsuin). Once there, the Mandarin ransacked the starship for artifacts, including his now-signature 10 rings of power. In addition, the Mandarin awakened Fin Fang Foom to use him to threaten the Chinese government. In response, the Chinese called in Iron Man to confront them, but he was quickly defeated. Soon after, another Iron Man (James Rhodes) arrived to help; however, by this point, the rest of Makluans had decided to shed their human shells and revealed themselves to the world. Foom and nearly a dozen of his cohorts terrorized the Chinese before the two Iron Men along with the Mandarin--who realized the aliens were merely using him--combined their powers and energies into a small nuclear blast that seemed to have wiped out all the dragons. (Click the highlighted names above to learn about the characters, item, and/or race.)

Though his body was destroyed, Fin Fang Foom's spirit endured by bonding itself to a small dragon statue. This statue was later stolen from a shop by a teenager named Billy Yuan. Foom's spirit then possessed the body of young boy and used Yuan as his vessel. Soon, the dragon began to change Billy's form into one more closely resembling his own. At one point, Foom battled Iron Man again, and actually called upon thousands of lizards residing in the sewers to merge with his body; thus, restoring him to his full size and power. However, even fully reborn, Foom was overpowered by the Avengers. Afterward, Iron Man was forced to place Fin Fang Foom into custody of Sunset Bain of Baintronics. But, due to various legal decisions, Foom was again relocated to Monster Isle. (Click on the names above to learn about the highlighted character and/or company. Note: Beware of the low-cut dress worn by Sunset Bain on her bio page.)

At one point, it appeared that Thor had actually killed Fin Fang Foom on Monster Isle after the dragon fought a league of heroes from another dimension trying to obtain the Ultimate Nullifier and then went on to battle the God of Thunder. However, it was later reported that the creature's skeleton that Thor took custody of after the battle was actually that of the Midgard Serpent who used Foom's likeness (but with orange scales) to conceal its true identity from Thor. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the characters and/or item.)

After some time, Fin Fang Foom decided to change his ways: he reformed both physically and mentally and began following Buddhism. In addition, he agreed to a program established by Reed Richards to rehabilitate monsters and bring them into society. Along with several other creatures (Googam, Gorgilla, and the robot Elektro), the once mighty dragon was reduced to human size and hypnotically striped of his powers. Once this was done, Foom was hired as head chef of a Chinese restaurant at the Baxter Building. (To learn about the characters and/or place highlighted above, just click on their names.)

Recently, Fin Fang Foom and his fellow "reformed" monsters made headlines when they teamed up to defeat the Microverse's size-changing warlord, Tim Boo Ba. For a time the four were celebrated as heroes. Whether or not Fin Fang Foom has truly reformed remains to be seen; however, for now, he is under the watchful eye of the Fantastic Four. (To learn about Tim Boo Ba, click on this name above.)

To learn a little bit more about Fin Fang Foom, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Fin_Fang_Foom.

An image of Fin Fang Foom (based on the character's depiction in the Viva Las Vegas comic series but created specially for the film by artist Adi Granov) makes a brief appearance as a movie poster in the background in the film Iron Man when Tony Stark flies through the streets. (The scene from the movie is shown as the top part of the second picture posted above. The concept are for the poster in the scene is shown as the bottom part of the second picture posted above.)

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Graviton

Real Name
Franklin Hall

Occupation

Criminal, former physicist 

Citizenship

Canada

Place of Birth
 
Banff, Alberta, Canada 


Known Relatives

None 

Group Affiliation

A.I.M.; (formerly) Graviton's Forces, Spider-Framer, leader of the Sky Raiders, leader of a group consisting of Halflife, Quantum, and Zzzax

Education
Ph.D. in physics 

Height
6'1"

Weight 
200 lbs. 

Eyes 
Blue-Grey 

Hair 
Black with streaks of grey 

Powers 
Frank Hall has the superhuman ability to control gravitation. His power is so great as to nearly be immeasurable. He can increase and decrease gravity to a nearly unlimited number of objects at the same time, even while distracted. He has proven to control the gravity around objects of any mass, even particles of energy and objects slightly out of phase with reality. With his powers, he can fly. In addition, he can also form gravitic force bolts and force fields. 

Abilities
Dr. Hall is a skilled physicist. 

Other Info 
Franklin Hall was born far Alberta, Canada. He excelled at school his entire life, especially showing promise in the sciences. As an adult, Franklin became a lead scientist--considered by many to be the most brilliant--at a small private physics research institute called Research City in the Canadian Rockies. During an experiment on particle acceleration, Dr. Hall attempted to align a particular set of graviton matrices to induce a teleportation effect; however, Franklin overloaded the power which caused an explosion. As a result of explosion, Dr. Hall's molecules intermingled with the sub-nuclear graviton particles that were being generated in a nearby series of companion particle accelerators. Recovering from the accident, Hall discovered that he could mentally control gravity. 

At first, Franklin hid this powers from the world, thinking that others would see him as a freak. So, he did his best to mask his immense superhuman ability. However, it wasn't long until Hall's will broke and he began using his gravitational abilities for his gain. Much to his joy, people began to fear him. Therefore, being a man of drive and resource, Dr. Hall quickly fashioned himself an elaborate costume and took on the name "Graviton."

Soon after, Graviton took over his old research facility and used his powers to life it thousands of feet into the air. Soon, the Avengers showed up in an attempt to rescue the research center. However, the Avengers quickly fell to Graviton's extreme powers and he imprisoned them, except for Black Panther. He escaped and summoned Iron Man and Thor to do battle with Graviton. During the battle, the two heroes tricked Graviton into believing that his love interest had killed herself upon discovering his evil ways. Graviton's rage from hearing this information resulted in the entire complex collapsing in on itself into a giant ball--which Thor hurled into the Hudson River. Graviton survived, but was temporarily turned into a 60-foot giant with black-hole powers. This resulted in Graviton battling both the Thing and Black Bolt. Fortunately, he was able to separate his organic atoms from the land mass he had merged with and he returned to his normal size. (To learn about the team and/or characters above, just click on their name above.)

Later on, Graviton attempted to find a female companion by taking a New York department store hostage and levitating it high about the towers of the city. However, Thor came to battle Graviton, and during the battle Graviton was cast into a dimensional void. For months he drifted in a state of suspended animation until a sudden influx of energy restored Graviton's consciousness which allowed him to return back to Earth.

Graviton then began setting up a base of operations in Los Angeles. It was from here that he attempted to unite all of the criminal mobs under his leadership; however, this time he was thwarted by the newly-formed West Coast Avengers. Afterward, Graviton was taken into police custody under heavy sedation; thus, prevent him from using his powers. However, soon after, Graviton found a way to escape custody. (To learn about the West Coast Avengers, click on the highlighted name above.)

Afterward, Graviton recruited Halflife, Quantum, and Zzzax to from a team based on the four "Fundamental Forces." Although with this team, Graviton temporarily defeated the West Coast Avengers, he was eventually thwarted when the Avenger Tigra turned the villains against each other. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn more about team and/or characters. Note: Beware of the very revealing outfits wore by Tigra on her bio page.)

At one point, the Kingpin hired Graviton to defeat Spider-Man--which he did. However, Spider-Man returned (now cosmic-powered by Captain Universe) and defeated Gravition. (To learn more about the characters above, just click on their highlighted names. Note: Beware of the revealing and/or form-fitting outfits worn by some on Captain Universe's bio page.)

Later on, seeking revenge on the Avengers, Graviton again battled the team. However, during the battle, the Vision merged his intangible android body with Graviton. From there, Vision increased his density, causing Graviton's density to collapse in on itself. The result shunted Graviton from reality and into another dimension. In this dimension, the natives (P'Tah) hailed him as one of a gods. Graviton used this to his advantage, but soon the P'Tah's limited intelligence left him frustrated and eventually Graviton constructed a beacon so that someone might find and rescue him. (Click on the names above to learn about the highlighted character and/or race.)

Months later, Graviton's signal was noticed by the robotic Techno (who was working with Baron Zemo at the time). Under Zemo's direction, Techno reconfigured a robotic version of the Hulk, and sent the robot against the Thunderbolts. The resulting battle allowed the robot to siphon and store enough energy to breach the dimensional barriers and release Graviton. Upon his release, Graviton lashed out at the Thunderbolts and the Lightning Rods (aka future Great Lakes Avengers) who were on the scene. He was about to kill them all when the Thunderbolt Moonstone convinced Graviton that his power and ambition meant nothing if he had no purpose. Losing face, Graviton left the scene to think about this fact. (To learn about the characters and/or teams above, just click on their names. Note: Beware of the skin-tight outfit on Moonstone's bio page.)

Later, Graviton returned commanding a large mass of floating land and declaring himself ruler of a new nation: Sky Island. His subjects, Sky Raiders, began to loot and pillage San Francisco. Once again, he was opposed by the Thunderbolts and Archangel, but he defeated them all. However, they were all freed by the Thunderbolt Jolt (who borrowed technology derived from Machine Man) whose flight capabilities were powered by "canceling out the gravity equation." Now unaffected by Graviton's power, the Thunderbolts escaped and continued to battle. Ultimately, Graviton's gravitational force rushed inward, collapsing inward on himself once again, and he was shunted to another dimension--just like before. (Click on the names above to learn about the highlighted team and/or characters. Note: Beware of the form-fitting outfit on Jolt's bio page.)

Eventually, Graviton was rescued from this dimension by M'Reel--a representative of the P'Tah. The two returned to Earth. M'Reel encouraged Graviton to begin discovering his true purpose which resulted in the recruiting of Moonstone for help (he was still spurred by her accusations of thinking too small). Moonstone helped Graviton further refine his god-like power and fueled his ego (she thought that by doing so, she would be able to manipulate him for her benefit). However, Graviton embarked on an ambitious plan to capture every major world city, hold the world's heroes captive, and literally reshape the planet in his own image. 

Later on, still fueled by revenge, Graviton confronted the headquarters of the Thunderbolts. There were many casualties in the battle; however, through a mixture of surprise tactics and negotiation, the team managed to fight Graviton to a standstill due to sustaining fatal injuries. Soon after, it was discovered that M'Reel was surreptitiously using Graviton's ambient energies, funneling them in order to open a portal to the P'Tah's dimension. M'Reel succeeded in opening the portal, revealing this to be his motives in helping Graviton. It took Graviton's dying effort to cause the portal to implode, sending himself and the P'Tah back in the dimension. At the same time, Graviton attempted to save the Thunderbolts from a similar fate, using his powers to send them to the planet known as Counter-Earth. Unable to survive his injuries and the dimensional fold, Graviton was presumed dead. (Click on the highlighted name above to learn the Counter-Earth.)


At one point, Graviton was seen among villains who were attempting to escape the Raft after Electro engineered a mass breakout trying to free Sauron. As they were trying to escape, the villains were confronted by many heroes who would eventually become the New Avengers. Graviton, however, easily fought them off until Iron Man got the drop on him by flying in at an extreme speed and firing a new heat beam from his chestplate. He nearly killed Graviton, and might have if Captain America had not order Iron Man to stand down. (To learn about the above highlighted place, characters, and/or team, just click on their names.)

More recently, A.I.M. offered Graviton the position of "Minister of Science" in their new High Council, after the organization became public. When the Secret Avengers attempted to assassinate A.I.M.'s Scientist Supreme (Andrew Forson), Graviton attacked them, but was quickly stopped by an assault from sentient Iron Patriot armors led by the Hulk.

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

Dr. Franklin Hall appeared in the TV series Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. played by Ian Hart.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Polaris

Real Name
Lorna Dane (legal name since adoption, given name unrevealed) 

Occupation
Adventurer, former U.S. government operative, former graduate student in geophysics 
 
Citizenship 
U.S.A. (presumed)

Place of Birth 
Unrevealed

Known Relatives
Magnus (Magneto, father), Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver, half-brother), Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch, half-sister), Zala Dane (Zaladane, supposed sister, deceased), unidentified aunt & uncle (adoptive parents)

Group Affiliation
X-Factor Investigations; formerly Starjammers, X-Men, Acolytes, Genoshan Cabinet, Twelve, X-Factor, Marauders, Defenders

Education 

Masters degree in geophysics, some doctoral research completed 

Height 
5'7"

Weight 

115 lbs.
 

Eyes 
Dark green
 

Hair 
Light green
 

Powers 
Polaris is a mutant with the ability to manipulate magnetism. Although she has the potential to exercise all of the powers that Magneto has, as yet she has only used powers involving the manipulation of magnetic, electrical, and gravitic fields. Moreover, she cannot summon as great an amount of energy as Magneto can. The exact limits on the amount weight that she can magnetically lift at present have not been measured, but they are considerably below those of Magneto. Since she has preferred not to use her powers in combat situations, she has not worked nearly as hard to develop them as Magneto has. As with Magneto, it is unknown whether Polaris's powers are purely psionic or whether they derive from her physically. Polaris has been observed levitating metallic objects and creating force fields in which she can suspend persons or objects in the air and in which she can protect them from attacks from outside the fields. She can also overload or short-circuit electrical systems. By concentrating, Polaris can perceive the world around herself solely as patterns of magnetic and electrical energy. She can perceive the natural magnetic auras surrounding living beings, as well. For a time, Polaris possessed superhuman strength and durability, as well as the ability to temporarily increase her height and mass by drawing on negative energy around her.

Abilities
Lorna possesses expertise in geophysics.

Other Info 
Lorna Dane was orphaned only weeks after her birth when her parents supposedly died in a plane crash. She was adopted by the Danes, a couple who claimed to be her aunt and uncle. Lorna was born with green hair, which she always kept dyed brown so that she would not be seen as "different." Lorna's foster parents hid the truth about her parents, fearing it would cause her more stress and trauma.

One day, Samuel "Starr" Saxon constructed an android duplicate of Magneto, and a small army of androids with strange powers called the Demi-Men. Saxon's second-in-command, Mesmero, and  his androids captured Lorna and subjected her to a "mutant energy stimulator" device, which altered her genetic structure so as to allow her to exercise her latent powers. Lorna and Magneto were convinced that they were father and daughter, due to the similar natures of their powers. However, it was Iceman of the X-Men who provided evidence that convinced Lorna that her true parents had died in a plane crash years earlier. After this, Lorna turned against Magneto (who she found out was just an android duplicate) and helped the X-Men in defeating the villains. Afterward, Lorna joined up with the X-Men. (To learn about the above highlighted characters and/or teams, just click on their names. Note: Beware of the revealing outfit worn by others on Mesmero's bio page.)

While at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Lorna was tutored by Professor Charles Xavier in the use of her powers. For a while, Lorna became romantically inclined towards her teammate Iceman; however, she eventually fell in love with another teammate: Havok. While with the X-Men, Lorna helped repel an invasion by the alien Z'Nox. Also, when the team met Ka-Zar in the Savage Land, this is when Lorna made her first code name of "Magnetrix," but she quickly decided that was a bad idea. This did not keep Havok from continuing to use that name as a way to annoy and flirt with her though. Then when Lorna first encountered the real Magneto in the Savage Land, she was surprised that he did not know who she was. It was later when the X-Men fought the island Krakoa, it appeared that Lorna displayed for the first time her major power potential as she disrupted the Earth's magnetic field, flinging Krakoa into deep space. After this battle, both Lorna and Havok decided to abandon their lives as costumed adventurers, and decided to pursue their mutal interest in geophysics, attending graduate school in Nevada. (To learn about the above highlighted places, characters, and/or race, just click on their names.)

Later on, Lorna and Havok were kidnapped by Davan Shakari of the Shi'ar, also known as Erik the Red. It was actually he who gave Lorna the codename "Polaris." Shakari subjected both of them to a powerful forms of mind control and turned the two against the X-Men, and even had the attempt to assassinate Professor X. Fortunately, Polaris and Havok were defeated by the X-Men and eventually Professor X was able to free them from Shakari's control. (To learn about the character and/or race above, just click on their highlighted names.)

Afterwards, Polaris and Havok settled in New Mexico and completed their advanced degrees. Occasionally the two would reluctantly assist their old team; however, they led a happy civilian life for a number of years.

One day, the pair’s idyllic lifestyle was interrupted when they found themselves hunted by the team of superhuman assassins known as the Marauders. Polaris was possessed by the psionic entity known as Malice, who forced Lorna to attack Havok and the X-Men as the Marauders' leader. Malice later discovered that she and Lorna were permanently bonded due to interference from their individual energy matrices. Eventually, Malice's hold on Lorna weakened and she was able to contact the X-Men for help. However, they arrived too late to save Lorna from being kidnapped by Zaladane, a priestess of Savage Land's Sun People. Zaladane claimed to be Lorna's sister, and used a device to transfer Lorna's powers to herself, purging Lorna of Malice's presence in the process. Strangely, as a result, Lorna developed alternate powers, including superhuman strength and nigh-invulnerability, and also grew considerably in height and mass. (Just click on the highlighted names above to learn about the team and/or characters. Also, Polaris in her Malice form is shown as the first picture posted above.)

Having nowhere else to go, Lorna headed for the mutant research station on Muir Island off the coast of Scotland. On her way there, she discovered that her new mutation also affected those around her, amplifying negative emotions such as anger and hate. Once arriving to Muir Island, Moira MacTaggert examined Lorna and was at a loss to explain Lorna's new mutation; however, she did confirm that the only way Zaladane could have taken her powers away was if she were a biological sibling. Lorna's new powers drew the attention of the psionic being known as the Shadow King, who used Lorna as a gateway to allow him access to Earth from the astral plane. Lorna was freed of his influence with the help of X-Factor and the X-Men. After they defeated the Shadow King, Lorna's magnetic powers returned. (To learn about the above highlighted place, characters, and/or team, just click on their names.)

Afterward, Polaris was recruited into a newly formed X-Factor team by Val Cooper. It was here that Polaris was reunited with Havok. The two tried to maintain their relationship; however, they broke up and reconciled multiple times. Polaris became a mainstay of the team, and also became the government's secret weapon against a possible attack by Magneto. (To learn about Val Cooper, just click on her name above. Also, Polaris in her X-Factor outfit is shown in the third picture posted above.)

Later, X-Factor was forced by the government to employ the renowned mutant criminals Mystique and Sabretooth. As a result, Lorna began to question her place on the team, and her fears were eventually justified after Sabretooth broke free and ran amok. In addition, she saw Havok be seemingly killed in the explosion of a faulty time machine constructed by the mutant from the future, Greystone. Lorna left X-Factor to grieve and the group disbanded.  (To learn about the above highlighted characters, just click on their names. Note: Beware of the revealing outfits worn by Mystique on her bio page..)

Months later, Lorna encountered the Nightcrawler in a church. She confided in him that she was sure Havok was still alive and that she felt as if she were being followed. Indeed, a group Skrulls, who were working with Apocalypse, had been following her, and they broke into her apartment to retrieve the headgear from Alex’s original costume. Lorna also learned that she was one of the Twelve (a team of mutants destined to usher in a new golden age for mutant kind). Alongside the X-Men, she travelled to Egypt to battle Apocalypse. During the encounter though, Magneto--another member of the Twelve--found that he could use Polaris to tap into the Earth's magnetic field and was able to command it with incredible force. (To learn about the above highlighted characters, race, and/or team just click on their names.)

After Apocalypse was defeated, Polaris left with Magneto to the island nation of Genosha in order to supply him with power, help maintain his rule, and to learn more about the nature of her powers from Magneto. Then when Magneto launched a full-scale assault on Carrion Cove, the last city opposing his rule, Polaris decided to attempt to stop him; however, she was defeated and left the country only to later return covertly to help others oppose Magneto's tyrannical rule. After Wolverine nearly crippled Magneto, Polaris stayed to help him recover and maintain order. At this time, Lorna began running genetic tests on Magneto and herself, while investigating the plane crash that killed her parents. She was surprised to find out that all the metal on her parents' plane had been magnetized and that she was Magneto's genetic daughter. (To learn about the above highlighted characters, just click on their names.)

Later on, Polaris returned to the Xavier Institute where she learned that Havok had been discovered alive, but comatose. When he awoke, Polaris surprised everyone when she asked Havok to marry her. Alex accepted, and then the two of them left the Mansion to reconnect as they planned their wedding. Unfortunately, on their wedding day, Havok left Polaris at the altar. This drove Lorna insane, manufacturing a Magneto helmet out of flatware, and she attempted to kill Havok, but was stopped by Alex's teammate the Juggernaut. She was returned to the X-Mansion under restraints and agreed to let Professor X into her mind to unravel the cause of her recent personality shift. (To learn about the Juggernaut, click on his highlighted name above.)

Following the events of "M-Day," Lorna was among the world's mutants who had lost their powers. Though she attempted to keep her depowered state a secret from her teammates, eventually the truth was revealed and she left the team. (To learn about the above highlighted event, just click on its name.)

Soon afterwards, Apocalypse had Polaris captured and he transformed her into his new Horseman "Pestilence." She appeared to have been given the ability to ingest and synthesize new plagues, controlling the virulence and particular genetic markers. Pestilence was a critical part of Apocalypse's plan, which was to infect all humanity with a deadly disease and only offer a cure to 10% of them, to bring the numbers of humans and mutants back into balance. When the X-Men crashed Apocalypse's plans, he moved things forward and ordered Pestilence to leave the fight to spread her plague. However, Iceman knocked her out before she could escape. Upon realizing her identity, the X-Men took her into custody after Havok gave her emergency CPR. Polaris was brought back to the X-Mansion for treatment, where it appeared that Beast and Emma Frost were able to clean out all the diseases, and reverse Apocalypse's brainwashing.  (To learn about the above highlighted characters, just click on their names. Also, Polaris as Apocolypse's Horsman, Pestilence, is shown in the fourth picture posted above. Note: Beware of the really revealing outfits on Emma Frost's bio page.)

Much later, Polaris, Havok, and Marvel Girl (Rachel Summers) joined the ranks of the Starjammers. to end Vulcan's rule as Emperor of the Shi'ar Empire. However, a new arrival, the Scy'ar Tal added new pressure. The Starjammers and Vulcan's forces temporarily united to deal with the impending threat, one so great it managed to destroy an entire planet in Shi'ar space. However, after the battle, Vulcan them and flung Havok into a star. Unbeknownst to Vulcan, Havok's ability allowed him to absorb some of the star, giving him a massive temporary power boost. Meanwhile, Polaris led the rest of the Starjammers, first against the Scy'ar Tal, and then against the Shi'ar Warbirds ten-times the size of the Starjammers. When they lost contact with Havok, Polaris unleashed and began destroying whole Shi'ar Warbirds. Vulcan sent his entire Imperial Guard for Polaris and the Starjammers and even though they put up a fight, the numbers overpowered Polaris and the two remaining Starjammers, Raza and Ch'od. Polaris and the others were tortured in a prison under water on an oceanous planet. However, Havok was able to liberate his teammates from captivity. After this, Polaris once again joined the Starjammers on their mission to rescue Lilandra. They promptly commandeered a Shi'ar Ironclad which they then used to join the main Shi'ar fleet until their cover was blown when they rescued Rocket Raccoon and his Guardians of the Galaxy. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the different characters, race, and/or teams.)

More recently, Polaris joined X-Factor Investigations. Due to the death of their leader, Polaris and Havok agreed to take over the leadership of the team. At one point, Polaris was building a shrine to commemorate the death of her parents, when she handed an old photo of them to Longshot. Touching the photo gave Longshot a vision of what happened to them. Polaris tried to force him to tell her and eventually forced Monet to use her telepathic abilities and show her what Longshot saw. In the vision, Polaris saw her father taking her mother up in an airplane and confronting her with the fact that he knew Lorna wasn't his daughter. The argument became heated and it woke Lorna from her sleep. Lorna begged her parents to stop fighting, but after being yelled at by her parents, her powers manifested and in a tantrum she released a magnetic pulse that tore the plane apart and killed her parents. The release of such a magnetic pulse drew Magneto to her. He declared that she wasn't ready for a life with him yet and that she needed to grow up in a normal environment. Magneto asked his associate, Mastermind, to use his illusionary powers to wipe the memory of the event from Lorna's mind until she was ready to join Magneto. After being shown the vision, and now knowing that she had killed her parents, Polaris became very unstable; however, over time she has learned to cope with what happened. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn more about the team and/or characters. Also, Polaris in her latest green outfit is shown in the fifth picture posted above. Note: Beware of the revealing outfits worn by some on Monet and Mastermind's bio pages.)

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

In the film X2, "Dane, Lorna" appears on a list on William Stryker's computer files. (Her name is listed on the top of the list on the second picture posted above.)