Dr. Kavita Rao

Real Name
Kavita Rao

Occupation
Benetech Researcher/Doctor

Citizenship
Indian

Place of Birth
India

Known Relatives
Unknown

Group Affiliation
X-Men; X-Club; formerly Benetech

Education
Unrevealed

Height
5' 9"

Weight
133 lbs.

Eyes
Brown

Hair
Black

Powers
None

Abilities
Genius-level intellect, Master geneticist.

Other Info
Dr. Rao is a world-renowned geneticist from India. Thanks to her intelligence and help from her sponsor, Benetech, she formulated a serum (later called "Hope") that could possibly wipe the mutant X-gene; therefore, "curing" mutantkind into everyday human beings. Dr. Rao explained that she regarded the mutant gene as a "corruption" of healthy tissue, and justified her research by looking at mutants who committed suicide or hurt others because of their powers, such as a female mutant with a butterfly-like appearance known as Tildie (a child whose nightmares can manifest into monsters).

After the announcement of the "cure," hundreds of mutants immediately signed up for the procedure. The X-Men debated the merits of the "cure" and the significance of labeling the mutant condition as a "disease." However, at the chance of shedding his "beastly" appearance and avoiding any further secondary mutations held significant appeal for Beast and he too considered taking the serum. Although, Wolverine objected by saying that an X-Man taking the serum would be the equivalent of admitting that there was something to "cure" in the first place. (To learn about the team and/or characters above, just click on their highlighted names.)

It was later revealed that Dr. Rao had been working for the alien Ord of the Breakworld who also had in his custody Colossus (who was, at that time, thought to be dead, but had been resurrected by Ord's technology). Eventually, the X-Men defeated Ord and destroyed Benetech. Dr. Roa and Ord were then delivered into the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Dr. Rao's work was also destroyed by Wolverine, which left Beast with the last sample of "Hope." (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the characters and/or team.)

After the events of M-Day (where most mutants on Earth lost their powers and abilities), Dr. Rao is recruited by Beast to join the X-Club (a team of scientists whose primary goal is to find a way of reversing the effects of M-Day). With her old research into "curing" the mutant gene now irrelevant after so many mutants lost their powers, she agreed to aid Beast in his quest. She even allowed Beast to see all of the samples she had collected when she worked on the "cure." Unfortunately, all the samples were destroyed. (To learn about the M-Day event, click on the highlighted name above. Note: Beware of the revealing and/or form-fitting outfits worn by some on the M-Day bio page.)

Later, thanks to the New Mutants, the X-Club discovered that Bastion has erected towers in certain points around San Francisco in order to exterminate mutantkind. Cyclops sends the X-Club to investigate. Upon arriving on one of his oil platforms, where one of these towers is located, they come across a timer which goes off. At this time, Dr. Rao's life flashes before her eyes and when the timer hits zero they end up transported to a dystopian future where they meet a now human Hank McCoy, who warns them to keep Dr. Rao safe at all costs. Hank reveals that Hope Summers powers eventually grew out of control and he needs Dr. Rao to recreate her Hope serum to stop her from creating the future they see before them. After some convincing, Dr. Rao revealed that she kept an encrypted copy of the formula on her Mala bracelet and the team goes to Utopia to take out Hope. (To learn about the team, characters, and/or place, just click on their highlighted names. Note: Beware of the revealing and form-fitting outfit of Emma Frost on Cyclops' bio page.)

Upon arriving on Utopia, it is revealed that the dystopian future that the X-Club saw was a lie created by Graydon Creed using holographic hard-light technology. Dr. Rao also reveals that she knew of the deception all along and did not recreate the Hope serum, but instead she created an unstable pyrovirus which caused the oil platform to explode. The X-Club was able to get out in time only to see the dome envelope Utopia and the citizens of San Francisco. Later they work with the Avengers and Fantastic Four in trying to bring the dome down. (Just click on the highlighted names above to learn about the character and/or teams.)

There is nothing there, but the Marvel.com bio of Dr. Kavita Rao is, http://marvel.com/universe/Kavita_Rao.

Riptide

Real Name
Janos Quested

Occupation
Assassin

Citizenship
Unknown

Place of Birth
Unknown

Known Relatives
None

Group Affiliation
Marauders

Education
Unrevealed

Height
5' 10"

Weight
158 lbs.

Eyes
Purple

Hair
Purple

Powers
Riptide is a mutant with the ability to spin his body at an incredibly fast rate. He also has the ability to generate calcium growth from his bones that protrude through his skin, often taking the form of shurikens and spikes. When he spins, Riptide can release these growths at will from his skin, the additional velocity that comes from his spinning making them lethal missiles that can even punch through steel.

Abilities
None

Other Info
Riptide was a member of the Marauders, a team of villains brought together by the mutant thief Gambit at the request of Mister Sinister. (To learn about the above highlighted team and/or characters, just click on their names above. Note: Beware of the revealing and form-fitting outfit worn by one on the Marauders' bio page.)

After Sinister dispatched the Marauders into the sewers under New York City to kill the Morlocks, Riptide was responsible for severely injuring X-Men members Nightcrawler and Colossus. Having seen the results of Riptide's actions (Riptide's mutant power to launch barrages of sharp projectiles had enabled him to kill more Morlocks at any given single moment than any other Marauder), Colossus had been pushed close to his emotional breaking point. Colossus was also further enraged and grieved when Harpoon maimed his former girlfriend, Shadowcat. Therefore, Colossus lunged at Harpoon to get vengeance; however, Riptide got in his way (believing that his power would destroy Colossus). In addition, Riptide boasted to Colossus that hurricane force winds could punch a piece of straw through a solid oak and that his spinning caused his blades to fly even faster than that. Following this, Riptide threw many blades at Colossus which penetrated his armored skin; however, Colossus managed to reach Riptide anyway, and broke his neck. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the teams and/or characters. Note: Beware of the revealing outfits worn by some on Shadowcat's bio page.)

However, Mr. Sinister was prepared. He was able to clone the Marauders (thanks to samples of their DNA) and Riptide technically was returned to life. But, Riptide was killed again during the demonic invasion of New York known as the Inferno. (To learn about the Inferno event, just click on the highlighted name above.)

At a later date, another band of cloned Marauders (including Riptide) attacked the mutant known as Threnody, but they were defeated by X-man (Nate Grey). (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the characters.)

Later, after the events of M-Day, Riptide was one of the mutants who retained his powers. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about M-Day. Note: Beware of the revealing and/or form-fitting outfits worn by some on the M-Day bio page.)

After awhile, Riptide assisted Mister Sinister in his attempts to eliminate mutants with knowledge of the future. This lead Riptide to kill a mutant named Quiet Bill who could open warps in space or between dimensions.

More recently, during the "Messiah Complex," Riptide is part of the final battle on Muir Isle. On the island, he battles Wolfsbane, knocking her out and giving her superficial wounds before he is rendered unconscious by Professor X. (To learn about the place and/or characters above, just click on their highlighted names.)

There is not much there, but here is the link to the Marvel.com bio of Riptide, http://marvel.com/universe/Riptide.

In the film X-Men: First Class, Riptide's powers differ slightly from the comics. In the film he is able to create whirlwinds that can take the form of tornadoes, hurricanes, and combine with water to create water spots. In the comics, however, Riptide can just spin his body at an accelerated rate in order to give off the effect that his own body is the whirlwind. Also, in the film, there is no evidence that he can grow calcium objects that can be used as projectiles in battle.

Frigga

Real Name
Frigga

Occupation
Queen of Asgard, goddess of marriage

Citizenship
Asgardian

Place of Birth
Asgard

Known Relatives
Odin (husband, deceased); Balder, Hermod, Tyr (sons); Thor (adoptive son); Loki (foster son)

Group Affiliation
Gods of Asgard

Education
Unrevealed

Height
5'11"

Weight
370 lbs.

Eyes
Blue

Hair
White

Powers
Frigga possesses the conventional superhuman attributes of an Asgardian goddess. Though relatively old, she can lift about 20 tons, has superhuman speed, endurance, and is capable of performing at peak condition for at least 24 hours before tiring. She also has superhuman reflexes and a durability to impact and extreme temperatures. These abilities are accompanied with a regenerative healing factor at a rate of slashes and punctures healing in a few hours and broken bones setting and healing within a day. This power is limited, however, being incapable to regenerate missing limbs or organs without a magical aide. Frigga is also capable of changing her appearance, transforming matter and a numerous amount of different energies. She also possesses certain abilities to wield magic which have not yet been defined, including the spells to shield Balder largely from harm, and the ability to transport herself between dimensions, such as Earth and Asgard.

Abilities
None

Other Info
Frigga is the daughter of ancient Vanir gods who joined with the Aesir to become Asgardians. (To learn about the Vanir, click on their highlighted name above.)

Frigga first met Odin at a feast, where she competed with other women for his attention for a night. Soon afterward, the two were married. Then later, Frigga was asked to raise her husband’s son Thor, even though he was not her natural son. In addition, Frigga bore three children with Odin: Balder, Hermod, and Tyr. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the different characters.)

Later, Frigga learned of an ancient Asgardian prophecy that foretold the death of her son Balder. The prophecy said that his death would initiate an apocalyptic event called Ragnarok which would herald the death of all Asgardians. Therefore, to prevent his premature murder, Frigga cast spells to protect Balder making him invulnerable to injury while in Asgard from anything except mistletoe. However, Odin feared that if Balder were known to be his son it would make him a target and hasten Ragnarok; therefore, Balder was brought up unaware of his royal lineage. (To learn about the event of Ragnarok and/or Asgard, click on the highlighted name above.)

Around 1000 AD, the multi-pantheon Council of the Godheads saw a threat to humanity from the cosmic Celestials (who would one day decide if the human race was worthy of existence). While the male gods planned to wage war against the Celestials, the Earth goddess Gaea gathered Frigga and goddesses of other pantheons to locate humans across a span of a thousand years and release the latent genetic potential within them. These superhumans (called the Young Gods) were intended to show the Celestials the greatness humanity could achieve. The Young Gods were kept in suspended animation, watched over by Frigga and others. Then when the Celestials finally returned to judge humanity, Frigga relinquished the Young Gods to Gaea and returned to Asgard. In turn, Gaea offered the Young Gods to the Celestials, satisfying them of Earth’s value. (To learn about the above highlighted groups and/or character, just click on their name. Note: Beware of the revealing outfit worn by one on the Young Gods' bio page.)

Later, during a war against the fire demon Surtur, Frigga fled from Asgard with the Asgardian children under her protection. She later returned to Asgard after Surtur’s defeat to find that Odin had fallen in battle. However, Frigga and Odin were later reunited when Thor rescued Odin from the Ennead death god Seth. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about Surtur and/or Seth.)

At one point, Odin attempted to thwart the events of Ragnarok by casting the Asgardians into mortal forms with no memories of their true lives. While Odin became the drunken derelict Wad, Frigga was cast as his wife Freda Barker. However, later, all of these “Lost Gods” were eventually restored to godhood with their memories. (To learn about the Lost Gods, click on the highlighted name above.)

Sometime later, when Loki slew Balder with a mistletoe arrow, the prophecies of Ragnarok were fulfilled, leading to Asgard's ultimate destruction and Frigga being killed in the process. However, Thor survived the attack and later enabled those Asgardians who fell during Ragnarok to return to life.

Currently, whether Frigga’s life has been restored or not is still unknown.

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

Bucky Barnes

Real Name
James Buchanan Barnes

Occupation
Adventurer; formerly S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, Soviet assassin, freelance assassin, sidekick to Captain America, army mascot

Citizenship
U.S.A.

Place of Birth
Shelbyville, Indiana

Known Relatives
George M. Barnes (father, deceased); Winnifred C. Barnes (mother, deceased); Ida (aunt, presumed deceased); Rebecca P. Barnes Proctor (sister); Proctor (first name unrevealed, brother-in-law); unidentified niece and nephew; Scott Proctor (grandnephew); Kimberly Proctor (grandniece)

Group Affiliation
Avengers; formerly Kid Commandos, Liberty Legion, Invaders (wartime), Young Allies; former partner of Captain America

Education
High school dropout

Height
5'9"

Weight
260 lbs.

Eyes
Brown

Hair
Brown

Powers
When becoming Winter Soldier, Bucky was given a bionic left arm, which grants him a degree of superhuman strength, enhanced reaction time, sensory array, electrical discharge, and Bucky can even control his bionic arm from a distance (in case it were separated from his body) due to a cybernetic implant. As his career progressed as Captain America, Nick Fury found it necessary to upgrade his arm to be fully synthetic in order to look and feel real.

Abilities
He is an Olympic-class athlete and exceptional acrobat highly skilled in both unarmed and armed hand-to-hand combat and extremely accurate marksman. He is fluent in four languages including German and Russian.

Other Info
Born in 1925, James Buchanan Barnes lost both his parents early in his life; his mother had died when he was a child and his father had died in an accident while in basic training at Camp Lehigh shortly before Christmas in 1937. He was separated from his younger sister Rebecca, who was sent to boarding school while he persuaded officials into letting him remain at camp Lehigh as a ward of the state due to sharing his father's love of the armed forces. Barnes was eventually considered the camp mascot and given the nickname "Bucky."

During World War II, Bucky soon began to receive select assignments as a special military operative, having received hand-to-hand combat training with British Commandos. He met and befriended a young and somewhat naive private Steven Rogers, who had recently become the government operative, Captain America. Bucky was assigned to accompany Rogers, but was initially unaware of the true nature of his work. However, one night, Barnes happened to walk into Rogers' tent just as he was changing to his masked identity. Sworn to secrecy, Barnes joined Captain America on his first mission against the Red Skull, freeing many Nazi prisoners. After this, for several months, Barnes underwent an intensive training program under Captain America's tutelage. He officially became Cap's sidekick and the two went on many missions together. (To learn about Cap and/or the Red Skull, click on their highlighted name above.)

When America entered WWII after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 1941, Captain America and Bucky abandoned their military identities for most of the war to devote their full energies to serving as costumed freedom fighters. They soon found themselves allied with the Sub-Mariner, the original Human Torch, and his young mutant partner Toro, in a team that Winston Churchill dubbed the Invaders. Bucky served Captain America and the Invaders capably and faithfully, leaving the team only temporarily to organize and lead his own team of teenage soldiers, the Kid Commandos. Once, to rescue the Invaders from the Red Skull, Bucky assembled a team of costumed super-humans who operated on the home front, a group that would remain together until the end of the war and was known as the Liberty Legion. Bucky also worked with another group of teenagers known as the Young Allies. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the characters and/or teams.)

Toward the end of the war in late 1945, on a final mission against Baron Zemo, Bucky and Cap hopped on an experimental drone plane in an attempt to disarm a bomb. The bomb detonated, dropping Cap in the North Atlantic (where he would later be found and thawed out in the future by the Avengers). On the other hand, American forces never found Bucky's body, and he was presumed dead. However, unbeknownst to the Americans, Bucky was found and revived by Russian General Vasily Karpov. (To learn about the above highlighted characters and/or team, just click on their name.)

When Bucky awoke, he had no memory of his identity, which gave Karpov an opportunity to reprogram Bucky as a Soviet assassin called the "Winter Soldier." In addition, during the explosion on the plane, Bucky lost his left arm. Therefore, Bucky was outfitted with bionic left arm to assist him in his future duties. The Winter Soldier was sent all across the globe, committing political assassinations with huge effects on the Cold War. However, his memory implantation caused mental instability, and he was kept in stasis between missions to prevent rebellion. (Bucky as the Winter Soldier is shown in the third and forth picture posted above.)

It was during this period that Bucky met Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow), whom he helped train in combat while she was undergoing espionage training. Soon afterward, the two fell in love. Barnes would often sneak out into her sleeping quarters just so he could see her. However, this relationship did not last, and the two separated as friends. (To learn about the Black Widow, click on her highlighted name above. Note: Beware of the extremely form-fitting outfits on Black Widow's bio page.)

Later, Winter Soldier was given the mission to aid in his wartime ally James Howlett's (aka future Wolverine) escape from the Weapon X laboratory. However, part of his mission was to also kill Howlett's then pregnant wife Itsu, and the Winter Soldier came through on both parts of his mission. (To learn about Wolverine and/or the Weapon X program, click on their highlighted names above.)

Desiring the Red Skull's Cosmic Cube for himself, former Soviet general Aleksander Lukin hired the Winter Soldier to assassinate the Red Skull. After this was done and the Cube was taken, Lukin wanted to mess with Cap's mind; therefore, he commanded the Winter Soldier to kill Jack Monroe and launch a major terrorist attack on the city of Philadelphia, fueling the Cosmic Cube's power in the process. However, when the Winter Soldier kidnapped S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter, she told Captain America (upon her rescue) that she believed her captor to be Bucky. Later, Nick Fury confirmed to Cap that the Winter Soldier was indeed his former partner. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the characters, object, and/or team.)

Afterward, when Lukin ordered the Winter Soldier to bury the Cosmic Cube in an underground bunker, Captain America (with help from the Falcon and Iron Man) tracked him down and defeated him. After the battle, Cap used the Cosmic Cube to restore Bucky's memories. Overcome with remorse, Barnes then used the Cube to disappear and went underground to search for Lukin. Everyone, but Captain America, believed Bucky had died. (To learn about Falcon and/or Iron Man, click on their highlighted names above.)

Over sometime, Barnes eventually encountered the Young Avengers' Hawkeye and Vision and learned how his and Cap's adventures had inspired contemporary heroes. Later, Bucky also reconciled with his former Invaders teammate Namor, assisted Wolverine with incapacitating his son Daken (who had earlier been presumed dead), and comforted a cynical Patriot (Elijan Bradley). (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the team and/or characters. Note: Beware of Hawkeye's revealing outfits on the Young Avengers' and her bio page.)

When the Superhuman Registration Act was passed, S.H.I.E.L.D's Nick Fury recruited Bucky for covert operations, so as to protect Captain America from government forces. However, following Captain America's assassination, Barnes resolved to kill Iron Man. When Bucky was able to confront Iron Man, he disabled his armor and fought him to a standstill. However, it was then that he learned of his Cap's final requests of Stark: to rescue Barnes from his descent into violence and insanity, and to pass the Captain America identity to a successor. Stark felt the best way to honor both his friend's requests was for Barnes to become Captain America. Barnes agreed and became the new Captain America. (To learn about the Superhuman Registration Act, just click on the highlighted name above. Note: Bucky as the new Captain America is shown in the fifth picture posted.)

Now residing in Steve Rogers' S.H.I.E.L.D. safe house, Bucky outfitted himself with an alternate version of Cap's costume built by Tony Stark and carried his indestructible shield along with other weapons. Although he was reformed, there were still a few officials from both America and other foreign nations who had not all forgotten Bucky's past as the Winter Soldier.

Later, it was discovered that Rogers had actually survived his assassination. When Rogers returned, however, he officially and respectfully handed the Captain America mantle over to Bucky--giving Bucky his blessing. Barnes then continued on as Captain America with the Avengers while Rogers accepted a federal role as an administrator managing super-heroes.

More recently, when Sin led an attack on Washington, D.C., Bucky was there to oppose her. However, her power proved too great and he was mortally wounded. (To learn about the Red Skull's daughter, click on the highlighted name above. Note: Beware of the revealing outfit on Sin's bio page.)

To learn more about Bucky Barnes, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Captain_America_%28James_Barnes%29.

Azazel

Real Name
Azazel

Occupation
Would-be-conqueror; former ruler

Citizenship
Inapplicable

Place of Birth
Isla des Demonas, Caribbean Sea

Known Relatives
Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler, son), Nils Styger (Abyss, son), Kiwi Black (son), numerous other offspring (deceased)

Group Affiliation
Neyaphem (leader)

Education
Unrevealed

Height
6'

Weight
149 lbs.

Eyes
Red iris with black sclera

Hair
Gray (formerly black)

Powers
Azazel can teleport by opening a portal into another dimension, traveling through it, and returning via another portal back to his originating dimension. Unlike his son Nightcrawler, he does not suffer from the limits of needing to see or know where he is going. While in this other dimension, Azazel can manipulate its energies to open small viewing portals to Earth or generate bolts and streams of paralyzing energy, as well as destructive energy which causes a form of disintegration. In addition, Azazel can disguise himself by appearing human. (This is shown in the forth picture posted.) Azazel shares a mental bond with his offspring via which he can control their minds to a limited degree. Azazel also seems to be immortal as he has lived since biblical times. However, Azazel does have a weakness--the blood of "angels" is caustic to him and other Neyaphem.

Abilities

Azazel has a vast knowledge of dark magic, and his long lifespan has also allowed him to study swordsmanship to such a degree that he has become a near unparalleled master with bladed weapons. Also, unlike his son Nightcrawler, Azazel has five fingers and toes. However, they do both have a prehensile tail, pointed ears, fang-like canine teeth, and Azazel's body is coated with red-colored fur.

Other Info
A mutant from biblical times, Azazel is the ruler of the Neyaphem (a race of demonic looking mutants) and claims that the Earth and everything on it belongs to him. In his time, he enslaved and killed humans in order to impose his rule and dominion. However, another group of mutants, the Cheyarafim (or "angels"), saved humanity from persecution and death by Azazel, banishing him and the other Neyaphem to the Brimstone dimension. (To learn about the Neyaphem, click on their highlighted name above.)

Only able to leave this dimension for short amounts of time, Azazel ended up fathering dozens of children throughout the Earth in order to have an offspring with the power to free him permanently from his prison. Nightcrawler was one of his children as a result of his time spent with a young Mystique. While Mystique had actually fallen in love with Azazel, he seemed only to be interested in impregnating her; however, in truth, Azazel found himself actually loving Mystique, making her the only woman he ever truly loved. Shortly after his "mission" was complete Azazel left Mystique because the Cheyarafim had learned of his current location in Germany; thus, they would attempt to kill Azazel, Mystique, and their unborn child. Knowing that Mystique would be safe (having her resources and being the woman she was), Azazel left her to protect her and their child. Mystique, however, would never know of Azazel's true intentions and hated him for leaving her. (Click on the highlighted names above learn about Nightcrawler and his mother. Note: Beware of the revealing outfits worn by Mystique on her bio page.)

Later, after all of Azazel's children's powers were mature, he began using his mental link with them to bring them all to one place, the place of his banishment. (Some of the more notable children include Nightcrawler, Abyss, and Kiwi Black.) Once they all arrived, Azazel was able to get his children to begin a ritual to open a portal to the Brimstone dimension. However, before they could finish, the X-Men arrived and a fight ensued. Unfortunately, the fight ended with the X-Men being trapped in Azazel's dimension. Soon after though, a coordinated effort from Polaris on Earth and Abyss in the Brimstone dimension, everyone was able to escape the dimension except Azazel. (To learn about the X-Men and/or the highlighted characters above, just click on their names. Note: Beware of the form fitting outfit on Polaris' bio page.)

Currently, Azazel's status is unknown. In addition, it is unknown if the events of "M-Day" had any impact on him. (Click on the highlighted name above to learn about M-Day. Note: Beware of revealing and/or form-fitting outfits on M-Day's bio page.)

To learn a tiny bit more about Azazel, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Azazel_%28mutant%29.

Battle Royal 11 Results

Talk about and interesting poll! More than half of the votes came in the last 24 hours, which switched up who our winner was in Battle Royal 11!

And the winner is (drum roll please)...CAPTAIN AMERICA!

Cap took home half the votes with 6 votes. Coming in second was Darwin with 4 votes. And Sif and Odin picked up a vote a piece!

It was kind of fun to check up on the polls here and there and see Captain slowing taking the lead (even though I didn't vote for him).

Thank you for all of your votes! :-)

Laufey

Real Name
Laufey

Occupation
King of the Frost Giants

Citizenship
Jotunheim

Place of Birth
Jotunheim

Known Relatives
Loki (son)

Group Affiliation
Frost Giants

Education
Unknown

Height
Unknown

Weight
Unknown

Eyes
Unknown

Hair
Black

Powers
Frost Giants possess superhuman strength and resistance to physical injury. (The flesh and bone of the Giants of Jotunheim are about three times denser than similar human tissue, contributing to their superhuman strength and weight.) Also most Frost Giants can freeze someone just by touching them but they can't freeze one of their own. However, like all Frost Giants, Laufey possesses a weakness to heat. Frost Giants are extremely long-lived, but their life spans are not as long as those of the Asgardian gods, who have been able to extend their lives through consumption of the enchanted apples of Idunn.

AbilitiesUnlike most Frost Giants, Laufey was a skilled fighter. Also, his sheer size and strength only made him a formidable opponents even for the Asgardian gods.

Other Info
Laufey's origin is surrounded in mystery. Being a Frost Giant he is a descanted of Ymir, the first Frost Giant. (To learn about the Frost Giants and/or Ymir, click on their highlighted names above.)

As King of the Frost Giants, Laufey was seen wielding many weapons, including a giant war club, a sword, and a large axe.

At one point Odin, King of Asgard, marched his forces into Jotunheim to battle Laufey and the Frost Giants. When Odin faced down Laufey, he destroyed the Frost Giant's war club. Laufey was able to brandish a sword, and he tried to use his knowledge of the land to stop Odin with a concealed fire pit; however, he was unsuccessful. Soon after, a sprawling battle between the Odin and Laufey ensued. The battle ended with Odin using Mjolnir to crush Laufey's skull. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the character, places, and/or weapon.)

After the battle, Odin discovered a small Asgardian god-sized baby amongst the wreckage. The baby was Laufey's son, Loki. (Laufey had actually kept the baby hidden, due to his shame over his son's diminutive size.) Odin remembered his father Bor’s dying words to adopt the son of a father killed by his hands; therefore, Odin adopted Loki into his own family. (To learn about Loki and/or Bor, click on the highlighted names above. Note: Beware of the revealing outfit worn by Loki in his "woman-form.")

However, Neither Laufey or Odin knew that the battle was actually part of a plan. After the fateful battle and Odin 's claiming of Loki as his son, Laufey was left wounded, but alive. By plan, a version of Loki from the future actually traveled back in time and killed his injured father as revenge for all the beatings Laufey had given him.

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

Interesting Note: Jack Kirby's original design for Laufey shows him a large giant, bigger than Odin with Green and Brown body armor. (This is shown in the third picture posted above.) And Laufey remained that way for many years, until Olivier Coipel redesigned him to resemble a new design of Frost Giants, now with Blue Skin and wearing less armor.

Random Note: In Norse mythology, Laufey is actually the mother of Loki--not his father.

Battle Royal 11

Imagine if twelve Marvel characters were to be in a huge battle where there could only be ONE victor. Putting the good and evil notion to the side...it's EVERYONE vs. EVERYONE--No alliances! Only ONE can be left standing!

Please choose who you think would win among the twelve Marvel characters in the poll.

Also, if you have time, please leave the reason why you think the character you chose would win in the "comment" section below. This way, we can all see your reasoning in choosing your winner.

Who will be the victor? Only YOU can decide!

The twelve characters that are involved in the Battle Royal 11 are the last twelve characters that have been highlighted on the Marvel Madness blog:

Darwin, Red Skull, Captain America, Volstagg, Hogun, Fandral, Angel Salvadore, Sif, Havok, Sebastian Shaw, Heimdall, and Odin. (If you have forgotten some of these characters' powers/abilities, go ahead and check out their bios right here on the Marvel Madness blog by clicking on the highlighted names above.)

Darwin

Real Name
Armando Muñoz

Occupation
Adventurer; former student

Citizenship
U.S.A.

Place of Birth
New York City, New York

Known Relatives
Mrs. Munoz (mother), Hector Munoz (father)

Group Affiliation
X-Factor Investigations; formerly X-Men

Education
Muir-MacTaggert Research & Development Institute, New York; Biltmore Academy for Advanced Education, New York; unidentified middle school

Height
6'4"

Weight
150 lbs.

Eyes
(originally) Brown; (currently) White (no visible iris)

Hair
None

Powers
Darwin's mutation is in a state of continual reaction, adapting to whatever his current situation demands. For example, if placed in total darkness his eyes automatically adapt to allow him to see; if underwater he grows functioning gills; if exposed to fire his body becomes fireproof; if falling, his bones soften & his body elasticizes to cushion his landing; or if exposed to the void of space, he stops requiring oxygen & the density of his skin & internal structure increase. His mutation's adaptivity seems limitless; however, he lacks conscious control, & his adaptations are purely instinctive. Thus far, Darwin's mutation has not displayed any capacity for generating energy beyond converting his physical form into same. It has also afforded him a genius-level intellect, & he has shown the capacity to learn new skills & languages with only limited exposure.

Abilities
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Other Info
Armando Munoz was born different from other children. By age four, he was bald, his arms were longer than normal, and his eyes seemed to change. His father rejected Armando and abandoned him and his mother around this time. Unfortunately, Armando's mother blamed him for his mutation. Despite this, Armando resolved to make his mother happy and love him again. A day came when he was asked to take an IQ test. Unknown to anyone at the time, Armando's desire to impress his mother subconsciously activated his mutant power and allowed him to test off the charts; therefore, he was quickly enrolled in a renowned boarding school, the Biltmore Academy. His mother gladly enrolled him in the Biltmore Academy boarding school, where Armando was bullied relentlessly for years due to his appearance.

Later, at age 15, during another attack by the school bullies, Armando's mutant ability manifested itself and he fought back, subconsciously hardening his hands and beating the bullies unconscious.

Sometime later, during a visit home, Armando saved his mother's life after her smoking caused a fire in the house; Armando carried his mother out of the house, unaffected by the flames to the astonishment of firefighters and paramedics. Afterward, tests were done at the hospital, and scientists were brought in to examine Armando. The senior scientist who tested Armando, published a paper about Armando's ability which "outed" him as a mutant and dubbed Armando, "Darwin, the Evolving Boy" (after Charles Darwin) because he seemed to adapt to every condition the scientists could think of.

Unfortunately, his mother continued to reject Armando, denying that she could ever give birth to such a thing. Still rejected by his mother, Darwin attempted suicide; however, his mutation saved him. The resident psychiatrist recommended Armando to a renowned geneticist known as Moira MacTaggert. MacTaggert took Darwin in and began training him in the use of his powers. (To learn about Moira MacTaggert, click on the highlighted name above.)

Later, Darwin and three of MacTaggert's other young students (Vulcan, Petra, and Sway) were recruited by Moira's colleague Professor Charles Xavier to join his X-Men and rescue the team's original members from the living island Krakoa. During the assault, Petra and Sway were killed by Krako; however, before they died, Darwin and Vulcan were swallowed in the earth by a combination of Sway and Petra's dying powers. After the X-Men hurled Krakoa into space (unaware of the Darwin and Vulcan's survival), Darwin instinctively converted himself into pure energy and bonded with Kid Vulcan, trying to keep them both alive. (To learn about the characters and/or team above, just click on their highlighted name. Note: Beware of the revealing outfit on Sway's bio page.)

A few years later, the reality-altering "M-Day" event revived Kid Vulcan and Darwin's consciousness was also reawakened inside Vulcan; however, Darwin was helpless to prevent Vulcan's vengeful attacks on the X-Men. During Vulcan's battle with the X-Men, Marvel Girl (Rachel Summers) sensed that Darwin still resided within Gabriel, so she used her telepathic powers to draw him out, which injured Vulcan. The X-Men sew this as their chance to finally defeat Vulcan; however, he was still stronger than they thought and he managed to escape. However, now with Vulcan gone, Beast noticed that Darwin’s remains were not only alive, but were beginning to restore his body. (Click on the highlighted event and/or character,above to learn more about them. Note: Beware of the revealing and/or form-fitting outfits worn by some on the M-Day bio page.)

After recuperating at the Xavier's Institute, Darwin agreed to lead a team to stop Vulcan, who had left Earth bound to destroy the interstellar Shi'ar Empire of his birth. Rejoining the X-Men, Darwin helped commandeer a Shi'ar ship and they set off in pursuit of Vulcan; however, they were ambushed by Warskrulls. However, when Darwin witnessed Xavier's kidnapping, he secretly hitched a ride on the kidnapper's shuttle, which arrived at the Shi'ar High Council's Starways. In his attempt to rescue Professor X, Darwin was captured and imprisoned after seeing former Shi'ar Majestor D'Ken reclaim the throne. Confronted by Vulcan, Darwin learned of his plans to marry D'ken's sister Deathbird and to execute Xavier on their wedding day. In addition, Darwin reluctantly accepts Vulcan's offer to be his Best Man at the wedding; however, Darwin would attend the wedding in shackles. At the ceremony, at the site of the M'kraan Crystal dimensional nexus, Darwin witnessed an assault on the ceremony by the X-Men and their allies (deposed Shi'ar Majestrix Lilandra and the interstellar pirates, known as the Starjammers). While under this attack, Vulcan threw Xavier into the Crystal, but Darwin dove in after him (protected from the Crystal's mind-shattering effects by his mutation). Eventually, Darwin was able to rescue Xavier and retreat with him to the X-Men's ship, unaware that Lilandra had pre-programmed it to return them to Earth to ensure Xavier's safety. (To learn more about the highlighted place, race, characters, object, and/or team above, just click on their names. Note: Beware of a couple very revealing outfit on Deathbird's bio page. Also, beware of the form-fitting outfit on Lilandra's bio page.)

Later, Darwin was one of the X-Men who heeded the call for help when Hulk came to the Xavier Institute. Darwin opposed him alongside the X-Men, the New X-Men, and the X-Factor Investigations. While battling the Hulk, Darwin's power reacted by absorbing the gamma energy from the Hulk; however, Darwin found that the Hulk had more energy then he could siphon off. With this, his body involuntarily decided that the best way to defeat the Hulk was to stay away from him; therefore, he teleported himself out of the Hulk's path of destruction. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn more about the character and/or teams.)

At one point, Darwin's father hires X-Factor to help him find Darwin, supposedly because he feels bad for walking out on him and his mother when he was younger. After the investigation succeeds and Darwin is reunited with his father, he is betrayed and is sold out to by operatives of an organization known as the Karma Project, who are experimenting on living human beings. Fortunately, he is eventually saved by X-Factor, and agrees to join the team. (The fourth picture posted is of Darwin in X-Factor.)

After joining X-Factor, Darwin helped in many different missions, including helping to rescue the Invisible Woman from Doctor Doom, and battling Bolivar Trask and his MRD (Mutant Response Division). One time, when the X-Factor was in Vegas on a rescue mission, the team encountered Hela's Undead Niffleheim Warriors. With help from Thor, the team held their own, but the key to winning to battle was Darwin gaining Hela's powers and using them against her. Unfortunately, taking on Hela's death powers seemed to have had negative effects on Darwin, who chose to leave the team for sabbatical. (To learn about the different characters above, just click on their highlighted names. Note: Beware of the very revealing outfit on Hela's bio page. Also, Darwin after he absorbed Hela's power is shown in the fifth picture posted above.)

More recently, Darwin has begun a trek back to New York to warn his friends after he had a dream or vision that showed that his friends were in danger.

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