AMADEUS CHO

 

AMADEUS CHO

Real Name: Amadeus Cho

First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy (Vol. 2) #15, November 2005 (As Amadeus Cho); Totally Awesome Hulk (Vol. 1) #1, December 2015 (As Hulk); Champions (Vol. 2) #22, July 2018 (As Brawn)

Powers: Amadeus Cho is a hypermind, possessing a reoccurring form of superhuman intelligence that manifests from time to time in humanity. His mind is capable of simultaneously performing infinite calculations, allowing him to observe and assimilate virtually all available data in his environment. This form of "light-speed mathematics" allows Amadeus to instantly compute highly complex equations for things like triangulation and trajectory. For instance, Amadeus was once inside a ship while the villain Artume stood out of sight on top of it, while Hercules and his allies charged at her. A quick glance out the window allowed Amadeus to plot Hercules' line-of-sight to Artume, letting him calculate exactly where to shoot upwards through the ship to hit the villain. He can also compute vectors for any projectile, letting him throw objects or otherwise set them into motion for a series of coordinated bounces and ricochets, like Cap's shield or Daredevil's club, and also enabling him to dodge bullets, shrapnel and other assaults by predicting their flight path.

For more advanced pattern recognition, Amadeus can also observe and catalogue behaviorisms and reactions in others, predicting how they will react in different situations to certain stimuli. This enables him to anticipate the actions of other people (he can do so to a substantially greater degree the more familiar he is with them), and even influence their behavior by knowingly introducing stimuli that he knows will guide them towards performing certain actions. Cho's intelligence has allowed him to absorb and store vast amounts of information in his young life, giving him encyclopediac knowledge on multiple subjects and skill sets.

The ultimate expression of Amadeus's hypermind, however, is his ability to read and measure the quantum probability acting upon the universe. By recognizing the outcomes of any given situation, Cho can choose from the potential quantum states available and engineer the outcome most favorable to him. Although quantum mechanics would technically define this as the observation and manipulation of reality, Amadeus cannot influence probability or events simply by willing it -- his hypermind only allows him to calculate the infinite of possible actions he could take at any given time, read the outcome of each of his actions, and then actually carry out the most favorable action in reality. For some reason, Amadeus Cho's hypermind is dependent on saturated fats and sugar to function. Excess calculation can drain his intelligence, giving him normal mental abilities until he manages to "recharge" by eating more junk food.

Amadeus was known for using different forms of technology to supplement his intelligence and activities. He carried a specially-modified GameBoy able to hack into virtually any nearby system, allowing him to monitor security systems, access encrypted information, or remotely seize control of various forms of computers or technology. He employed modified versions of BannerTech and LeaderTech teleportation and personal force field equipment. Amadeus also carried a version of Hercules's Adamantine mace capable of absorbing energy from attacks striking his force field and rechanneling the energy as blasts from the mace's head. For a time, Amadeus incorporated some of his technology into a Calvin Klein business suit. The on-board A.I., "Calvin", was capable of performing environmental scans to identify and analyze threats, detect energy surges, provide encyclopediac information, etc. It also controlled his force field, minimal self-levitation, and other features.

After absorbing gamma radiation from Bruce Banner, Amadeus became capable of achieving his own Hulk form. In this state he seemingly possesses Class 100 strength as well as superhuman endurance, long-distance leaping ability, regenerative powers, and is nearly invulnerable to physical harm. Like previous Hulks, he gains increased strength and physical power from his rage. The gamma radiation heightens his natural personality and emotions, which in Amadeus's case means increased egotism, cockiness, and libido in either form, but especially as the Hulk. Typically, Amadeus and the Hulk share the same mind and personality between forms. However, a second aspect of Amadeus's mind exists, "his Hulk", which he metaphorically keeps locked up and under control.

SUPER-ADAPTOID

 

SUPER-ADAPTOID

Real Name: Unknown

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense (Vol. 1) #82, October 1966

Powers: The Super-Adaptoid is an android constructed by scientists from the Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) using S.H.I.E.L.D. Life Model Decoy technology as a base. Created specifically as a weapon against A.I.M.'s superhuman adversaries, the Super-Adaptoid was artificialy endowed with the capacity to duplicate the abilities or superhuman powers of other beings that pass within ten feet of the scanning instruments in its eyes. The android's body is composed of "unstable molecules", artificial compounds discovered by Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, which can take on a diverse number of properties. A.I.M. developed more complex unstable molecules than Richards did and were able to incorporate self-programming psionically-triggered molecules capable of vast reorganization..

The photo-electric circuits in its eyes enable the robot to scan people and fully recorded them into its databanks. The scanning process is invisible to the naked eye and takes only a few seconds. After completion, the Adaptoid can recall its stored characteristics at any later date. It can fully reconfigure its shape to match the target of its focus, duplicate any and all superhuman abilities and fighting skills, and even manifest weapons and devices directly from its pseudo-flesh. When adapting a single individual, the Adaptoid can mimic that person perfectly, down to the fingerprints and retina patterns. When manifesting multiple active files at once, however, the Adaptoid tends to take on a green hue while shaping itself into a composite of the various appearances of its opponents. The Super-Adaptoid can maintain at least nine different recorded ability sets on active status, and has the power to combine them: for instance, he can hit as hard as Thor and Hercules combined. However, it has been proven that he will overload and short circuit if he tries to employ more than two power sets simultaneously. Even outside of its adapting power, the Super-Adaptoid is phenomenally resistant to harm. The android can have a large hole blasted through its chest, or be reduced to a liquid state by powerful acid, and can still restore its unstable molecules to a normal humanoid state. Finally, the Adaptoid apparently has the odd and never truly utilized ability to transform others into Adaptoids. By projecting electric rays from his hands, he can reconstruct a willing being into an artificial entity made of unstable molecules just as he is, and render them completely under his control.

MARIA HILL

 

MARIA HILL

Real Name: Maria Hill

First Appearance: New Avengers (Vol. 1) #4, March 2005

Powers: Maria Hill is a baseline human with no superhuman powers. She is, however, a trained S.H.I.E.L.D. operative proficient in interrogation, unarmed combat, marksmanship, and the handling and processing of massive amounts of information. She is skilled at directing several operations and operatives at once. She sometimes uses S.H.I.E.L.D. devices in combat.

As the former director and deputy director of S.H.I.E.L.D., she had contact with various government agencies and unlimited resources.

DEVIL-SLAYER

 

DEVIL-SLAYER

Real Name: Eric Simon Payne

First Appearance: Marvel Spotlight (Vol. 1) #33, April 1977

Powers: Originally a baseline human with no superhuman powers, Eric Simon Payne had his latent psychic potential unlocked by a cult of demon worshipers. As a result, he has various limited telepathic and telekinetic skills. He can cast illusions in order to render himself invisible or disguise his appearance and garb, and assimilate a language simply by being in the presence of someone who speaks it. With concentration, he can infiltrate the thoughts of others to retrieve information, and project his own thoughts into their heads. His telekinetic powers are limited to lifting and manipulating matter weighing less than what he can physically lift himself, roughly 300 lbs. Similarly, the amount of psychic force he can direct at an object is limited by the amount of physical force he can produce when throwing or striking an object. Thus he cannot lift a car with his mind nor project enough telekinetic force to knock over a tree. He mostly uses his telekinesis as a minor aid in combat, sending small objects hurtling about, tripping up his opponents, retrieving his weapons if they are dropped, and so on.

The Devil-Slayer wields a Shadow-Cloak, which opens up into an extra-dimensional crossroads, letting him use it for transportation and procurement. By wrapping the cloak around himself, Payne is able to teleport by entering that crossroads and then relocating to a new point before returning to our dimension. Like Nightcrawler, distance and time work differently in the Shadow-Cloak dimension, allowing Devil-Slayer to travel miles away in this world in a matter of moments by moving only a few feet in his crossroads in a matter of seconds. Unlike Nightcrawler, though, Devil-Slayer is fully aware of his time in the crossroads, and the teleportation "bounce" through his dimensional hub doesn't happen automatically. Still, this also works to his advantage since he can "spy" into our dimension before reopening his cloak to return to it, allowing him to teleport to places he has not physically seen before. He is able to accommodate up to around five people at once when teleporting, but presumably could transport hundreds if they traveled into his cape's dimension one at a time. The Shadow-Cloak also gives Devil-Slayer access to a near infinite supply of weapons. Its cross-dimensional nature allows Payne to reach into the folds of his cape and pull out any number of items from different countries, dimensions, and possibly time periods as well. He keeps a personal cache of weapons inside his cloak's dimension (including various swords, spears, staves, axes, guns, etc), but can also call up different or more exotic weapons as well. He has summoned everything from computer-guided wrist rocket launchers to mystical glaive staffs which render the wielder invincible.

A former United States Marine, he is a highly trained combatant, marksman, and assassin.

WRECKING CREW

 

WRECKING CREW

Roster: (l to r): Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite), Piledriver (Brian Philip Calusky), Bulldozer (Henry Camp), and Thunderball (Eliot Franklin)

First Appearance: The Mighty Thor (Vol. 1) #148, January 1968 (Wrecker); Defenders (Vol. 1) #17, January 1974 (remaining members and team debut)

History/Powers: Years ago, Dirk Garthwaite, a small-time burglar wielding a crowbar, broke into a hotel room and overpowered its occupant, the Asgardian trickster god Loki, who had just requested mystical enhancements from Karnilla the Norn Queen. Accidentally receiving these enhancements, Dirk became the costumed Wrecker. After a battle with Thor caused his mystic power to be transferred into his trademark crowbar, Garthwaite was sent to Ryker's Island prison where he befriended fellow inmates Henry Camp, Brian Calusky, and physicist Dr. Eliot Franklin. Escaping from prison during an electrical storm, the foursome ventured to find Garthwaite's crowbar. Upon finding it, he had his three partners hold onto the crowbar with him during the lightning storm, and the resultant bolt of lightning split the Wrecker's superhuman strength between the four of them, creating Bulldozer, Piledriver, and Thunderball. Together, they formed the super-villain team known as the Wrecking Crew.

-The Wrecker possesses superhuman strength and a high degree of imperviousness to harm as a result of the magical power bestowed upon him by Karnilla the Norn Queen. The enchantment augmented his entire body, strengthening his bone, muscle, and flesh. The Wrecker possesses superhuman strength that enables him to lift (press) about 50 tons. Previously, when sharing his superhuman power with the other three members of the Wrecking Crew, the Wrecker could lift (press) about 10 tons. The Wrecker is capable of withstanding the impact of a .45 caliber bullet without it penetrating his skin.

 

The Wrecker has established a mental link with his enchanted crowbar. In the past when the Wrecker has lost his superhuman powers, the power has transferred itself into the crowbar. By making physical contact with the crowbar, the Wrecker can transfer the power back into himself. Also, by touching the crowbar, the Wrecker can magically transform whatever he is wearing into his costume. By concentrating on the crowbar, the Wrecker can use it to take mental possession of whoever touches it and cause an enchanted aura that can repel bullets to surround that person.

After first gaining his superhuman powers, the Wrecker was able to teleport individuals to Asgard from Earth and to create waves of force about him that could deflect bullets. It is not known whether the Wrecker is still capable of these feats.

The Wrecker wields a four-foot long cast iron crowbar which has become virtually indestructible through extensive contact with the Wrecker's enchanted skin. Wielded by the superhumanly strong Wrecker, the crowbar becomes a weapon of vast destructive potential. The Wrecker has used the crowbar to demolish entire buildings in minutes and to hold off the thunder god Thor in battle. The Wrecker has used the crowbar offensively as both a throwing weapon and a bat.

-Brian Philip Calusky was raised as a farmhand, but eventually turned to a life of crime. The Wrecker’s enchantment augmented his entire body, strengthening his bone, muscle, and flesh. Piledriver possesses superhuman strength that enables him to lift (press) about 10 tons. Piledriver has superhuman durability and is capable of withstanding the impact of a .45 caliber bullet without it penetrating his skin. He often uses large hands and feet as pistons, battering opponents or sending shockwaves through the ground.

 

-Henry Camp was a master sergeant in the United States Army who turned to a life of crime after a dishonorable discharge. The Wrecker’s enchantment augmented his entire body, strengthening his bone, muscle, and flesh. Bulldozer possesses superhuman strength that enables him to lift (press) about 50 tons. Bulldozer has superhuman durability and is capable of withstanding the impact of a .45 caliber bullet without it penetrating his skin. For his costume, Bulldozer has a specially-made armored helmet, neck and shoulder apparatus that gives him added protection and invulnerability when ramming an opponent. The helmet partially affects his peripheral field-of-vision.

-Dr. Eliot Franklin was a physicist who was nicknamed "the Black Bruce Banner" for his expertise in the gamma radiation research pioneered by Dr. Banner. Inventing a baseball-sized compact gamma bomb 10 times as powerful as Banner's original device, he was sent to prison after attempting to steal back his invention from an unscrupulous businessman who patented the device in his own name. The Wrecker’s enchantment augmented his entire body, strengthening his bone, muscle, and flesh. Thunderball possesses superhuman strength that enables him to lift (press) about 10 tons, though she has been temporarily boosted to Class 40. Thunderball has superhuman durability and is capable of withstanding the impact of a .45 caliber bullet without it penetrating his skin. Though originally empowered by Asgardian mystical energy imparted to him by the Wrecker's crowbar, Franklin's been frequently stripped of that energy, regaining his powers by absorbing either the same energy or replacing it with other forms of absorbed energy.

Thunderball was wearing the a chain-gang ball & chain when he was granted his powers, and the wrecking ball thus became his enchanted talisman much like the crowbar. The ball was virtually indestructible and could be hurled at a target, then return to his grasp much like Thor's hammer. Like the crowbar, it also served as a focus for the magic -- if his power began to weaken for some reason, Thunderball could revitalize his strength by coming into proximity with the ball or bar again. Dr. Eliot Franklin holds a Ph.D. in physics. He is a gifted physicist, as well as an expert tactician and planner.

-The Crew lost their power on many occasions, often with either Thor or Loki stealing their power away from them, or gathering it back into the Wrecker alone. On one extended period of powerlessness, Thunderball was recruited by the Secret Empire and designed his own powered-exoskeleton to fight in. It mechanical gave him at least Class 10 strength and protected him from physical injury. It could also produce high-voltage electricity, either on contact or channeled through the wire-guided wrecking ball which extended out from his right gauntlet to great lengths.

In recent years, the Wrecking Crew have been modified slightly so that they must draw upon outside sources of power in order to maintain their abilities -- thus, their strength and durability levels vary depending on how charged they are. They have proven capable of absorbing various forms of electromagnetic energy (both as ambient releases or from power blasts) and Asgardian magic to metabolize for their strength. Once they even managed to drain the mystically-enriched life essence of Hogun the Grim to power themselves.

TIME BUBBLE

 

 

First Appearance: The Mighty Thor (Vol. 1) #372, October 1986 (first mentioned); Avengers (Vol. 1) #296, October 1988 (first seen)

History and Functions: In an alternate future timeline, the world devourer Galactus nearly died on Earth-8810, and Tiamut the Black Celestial (aka the Dreaming Celestial, who had long ago been expelled for the cosmic Celestials' ranks for unspecified crimes) restored him, but altered his makeup, such that his hunger had become ravenous and his appetite increased geometrically. The Black Celestial's intent was that Galactus would eventually consume the entire universe, including the other Celestials. Meanwhile, Tiamut summoned an army of Deviants to construct probability machinery that would ensure that they would still exist when all else had become void; Tiamut would then become the nucleus and founder of a new reality. As Galactus grew in size, he eventually utilized a machine which generated a black hole, drawing more and more mass into itself, which in turn caused both it and him to grow in size, and his hunger increased as well. Eventually, around 20 years after the modern era, the force generated by this massive black hole began to warp time around it.

Investigating the time warp, the infinitely bureaucratic cross-dimensional temporal regulatory agency known as the Time Variance Authority (TVA) unwittingly exacerbated it, creating a 15-year bubble of time around it. This bubble eventually extended across all timelines, limiting time travel in either direction past that point. Within the Time Bubble, the black hole's massive gravitation virtually halted time, such that only beings of massive power or possessing time-manipulation abilities could function. The Council of Cross-Time Kangs (an organization of beings who had usurped the identity of various incarnations of Kang the Conqueror throughout the multiverse) learned of the existence of the Time Bubble, and recognized it as containing a weapon of some sort. Infiltrating the Council, Kang-Nebula (Ravonna, the future Terminatrix) learned of the Bubble. Along with Kang-Nebula, a trio of Kangs (including a divergent counterpart of the prime Kang) attempted to use the Avengers to penetrate the Time Bubble, and they were lost forever while the Avengers escaped.

The Fantastic Four's Reed Richards later discovered the Time Bubble and, using his Radical Dodecahedron, Reed powered their timesled Rosebud II, with which the FF (assisted by Iron Man/Tony Stark and Thor) entered the zone around the Bubble, generating hundreds of divergences in the process (or perhaps just showing hundreds of divergent timelines converging on a single point). The aforementioned Kang trio latched onto Rosebud and were drawn into the Bubble. They were destroyed with the aid of the TVA-sent freelance peacekeeping agent Death's Head, who vanished from the Time Bubble when a blast from one of the Kangs damaged his craft's probability generator. As they headed for the nexus of the Bubble, they observed the mammoth form of Galactus and recognized his involvement.

The Fantastic Four tried to destroy the device generating the black hole via the weapons cache of the entire Shi'ar empire, aided by Gladiator (Kallark), but Tiamut revived and teleported the weapons directly into the black hole, destroying it in one fell swoop. Journeying to the Earth of that reality, Reed duped the computer of the Black Celestial into revealing his origins. Gladiator then crashed the remaining floating weapons depot into the Black Celestials' base, destroying it and apparently himself. However, the Invisible Woman (Sue Storm Richards) and the Human Torch (Johnny Storm), assaulted by Kang-Nebula, were trapped there and seemingly destroyed in the explosion, but Kang-Nebula had activated Sue's force field to save them all.

Meanwhile, thinking that Sue and Johnny had perished in the explosion, Reed vengefully taunted the Black Celestial with his plans to travel back in time and inform his brethren in the Celestials of his plans, so that they might stop him before he ever brought them to fruition. Teleporting back and forth with the space of that universe and within the time period of the bubble, Reed allowed the Tiamut to grow ever closer to them, until they led it to the point of no return from Galactus' event horizon/black hole. At the last second, Reed signaled Thor to form a magical warp to teleport them a safe distance away, while the Black Celestial was pulled into and destroyed by the black hole. For a brief instant, Galactus' raging appetite (and thus his sanity) were appeased, but this soon passed, and the consumption occurred at an even more accelerated rate from the vast influx of mass and power of the Celestial.

Learning of Sue and Johnny's survival, Reed led the group to Taa II, Galactus' worldship, where he located the Ultimate Nullifier. Kang-Nebula had been possessing Sue, and she attempted to usurp the Nullifier, but she fell for a trap set by Iron Man under Reed's direction, as Reed had suspected her involvement. Stunned by the electrical shock, Kang-Nebula was forced out of Sue and lost into the atmosphere of the Bubble. Returning to Galactus, the combined full energies of Thor, Iron Man, and the Torch's nova flame briefly restored Galactus' sanity, and he recognized the Nullifier as Reed gave it to him. Wishing to end his torment, Galactus activated the Nullifier, and a sphere of nothing consumed him and then the entire universe, effectively destroying the Time Bubble.

The Fantastic Four and their allies narrowly escaped the destruction; Thor and Iron Man fell off the timesled and back to Earth-616), while the Fantastic Four instead arrived in the divergent reality of Earth-9061, in which the Earth is ruled by a robotic Josef Stalin. All individuals who were seemingly destroyed by the Bubble eventually returned to existence.

DANCING WATER

 

DANCING WATER

Real Name: Petrakis (first name unrevealed)

First Appearance: Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 1) #1, December 2012

Powers: Dancing Water is an aquamorph comprised of living water. In such a state. she is able to flow in as liquid, project pressurized streams, and teleport herself and others by passing instantly between any surface of water.

SILVERCLAW

 

SILVERCLAW

Real Name: Maria de Guadalupe Santiago

First Appearance: Avengers (Vol. 3) #8, September 1998

Powers: Silverclaw is a demi-goddess, born of a mortal man and Peliali, Goddess of the Volcano. She can mentally alter her skin so that it takes on a silvery appearance. In this state, she has heightened levels of strength, speed, agility, and reflexes. It also serves as her default form for assuming the physical aspects of various animals. Silverclaw can morph into a silvery version of any creature native to the South American jungles. Sometimes, she transforms completely into that creature, other times the change takes her about halfway between human and animal. Among the forms she has taken are a jaguar, anaconda, cockatoo, spider monkey, puma, sloth, and crocodile. She also has a mystical link to the lands and peoples of her native Costa Verde.

RAKKUS

 

RAKKUS

Real Name: David Anthony Rice

First Appearance: Avengers (Vol. 1) #380, November 1994

Powers: Rakkus is a mutant with the ability to metamorph himself into a generic virus strand, infecting others and taking possession of their bodies. He can also re-write his host's DNA, giving it various powers and mutations. His only shown host was turned into a huge green monster, with monstrous teeth, claws and a razor-sharp tail. In this form, Rakkus also had enhanced strength, endurance, reflexes, durability, and fire projection powers.

RAPTOR

 

RAPTOR

Real Name: Gary Wilton, Jr.

First Appearance: Avengers West Coast Annual (Vol. 2) #8, September 1993

Powers: Gary Wilton, Jr. is the son of chemical researchers Gary and Maxine Wilton. Alerted that the chemicals they were exposed to may have dangerously affected the health and appearance of their unborn son, they isolated a deficiency correcting chemical and then concocted a series of injections into Maxine that were supposed to undo any damage to the fetus. Through forced labor, Gary, Jr. was eventually born, apparently normal. He developed a timid personality as he grew, due to his mother's over-protectiveness and his stepfather's bullying. At the age of 18, he witnessed a gang beating and, while fleeing his assailants, underwent a transformation. Due to his pre-natal treatments, Gary had a chemically-altered metabolism. In times of fear, he undergoes a body-wide avian-mutagenic transformation complete with a bird-like alter-ego named the Raptor.

As Raptor, he has a humanoid-avian physiology. He possesses superhuman class 10 strength, speed, agility, endurance, reflexes, recuperative powers and durability. He is capable of winged flight due to large pair of wings separate from his arms and on his back, similar to those of the Angel/Archangel (Warren Worthington, III). His avian anatomy is entirely adapted to flying. He is covered with orange feathers, he has a hollow skeletal structure, virtually no body fat and possesses superhumanly proportionate muscle mass. He has keen eyesight and his eyes are specially adapted to withstand high-speed winds which would hurt the average human eye. He possesses a special membrane in his respiratory system enabling him to extract oxygen from the air at high velocities or altitudes. Raptor flies by flapping his wings, as a bird does, which are superhumanly strong enough to produce the thrust to move through the air and fly. He uses a swimming motion to get the lift needed to fly. His top flight speed has been charted at flying at 600 miles in a few hours. He also possesses razor sharp talons at the ends of each of his digits (hands and feet), as well as a sharp beak. He can speak easily, but will also squawk when excited or startled.

Wilton's transformations into Raptor are triggered by experiencing extreme emotion, usually fear. Raptor is an alternate personality based on the amygdala portion of the brain which is responsible for processing fear and organizing in predatory hunting. When calm, stunned, or rendered unconscious, he will revert to his human form. When Raptor is the dominant personality, he has full access to Gary's memories, even ones from in-utero. Gary, however, has only vague impressions of Raptor's actions and thoughts.

SCANNER II

 

SCANNER II

Real Name: Sarah Ryall

First Appearance: Avengers (Vol. 1) #357, December 1992

Powers: Scanner is a mutant with an array of psionic and bioelectrical powers. She is able to sense the unique presence of mutant and human bio-rhythms, detecting them from at least a few hundred feet away. Scanner can also sense astral forms, seeing and hearing these psychic projections which are normally undetectable. She can release bio-electric feedback into an astral form on contact, forcing the person's consciousness to return to its physical body and often rendering them unconscious.

Initially, she was able to project her own astral form and traverse great distances, but later began to rely on her primary ability: the power to assume an electro-transitional state, effectively becoming a living hologram. In this energy form, Scanner is able to travel at light speed across the planet's surface, is intangible, and normally undetectable to human senses. She communicates with others psionically in this state, and can become transparently visible to others if she wishes to.

BLOODWRAITH

 

BLOODWRAITH

Real Name: Sean Dolan

First Appearance: Black Knight (Vol. 2) #2, July 1990 (As Sean Dolan); Avengers Annual (Vol. 1) #22, March 1993 (As Bloodwraith)

Powers: Sean Dolan, a former squire of the Black Knight, became a new embodiment of the Ebony Blade's blood curse when he pulled the enchanted sword from its meteorite sheath. He, the sword, and his steed Valinor are now mystically bonded to one another. Sean can maintain his regular personality normally, but is transformed into the violent Bloodwraith when the sword senses evil in its vicinity, and compels him to draw it from its scabbard. The sword has an intense craving for souls, and this manifests through Sean as the Bloodwraith's desire to shed the blood of the guilty. Inflicting a mortal blow on a foe enables Bloodwraith to absorb their soul into his blade, but even a minor cut allows the blade to draw upon a fraction of the victim's soul, sending a temporary bone-chilling weakness through them. The souls of the guilty feed the inherent evil of the blade's curse and are addictive for Dolan, making Bloodwraith even more violent and eager to claim victims. The souls of the innocent, however, will temporarily satiate the sword's appetite, allowing Sean's inherent goodness to reassert control over his second self's actions. Thus, the Bloodwraith's identity is a living balance between good and evil, with the quality of each soul he takes tipping the scales one way or another.

The connection between man, sword, and steed allows Bloodwraith to summon Valinor mentally over a distance, retrieve his sword back to his grasp from anywhere within his line-of-sight, and teleport himself and Valinor into the sword's vicinity if they are ever separated by a great distance. He was once able to transport from New York to Sarajevo instantly to retrieve the blade once Deadpool teleported away with it. The blade itself is virtually indestructible, able to slice through near any substance. It is also capable of disrupting sources of magic on contact, cutting through mystical barriers or deflecting spells cast at it. It can absorb flame and energy harmlessly into the blade's metal as well. Bloodwraith was later overcome completely by the sword's curse when he traveled to the nation of Slorenia, which at the time, had been massacred to the last man by Ultron. The blade reacted to the residual spiritual energy of the thousands dead there, and caused the sword and Bloodwraith to grow into a giant more than 10 stories tall. His new form was now energy-based, powered by soul magic with immeasurable strength and completely immaterial to scientific forces.

LIVING LIGHTNING

 

LIVING LIGHTNING

Real Name: Miguel Santos

First Appearance: Avengers West Coast (Vol. 2) #63, October 1990

Powers: Miguel Santos' father, Carlos, was a member of the Legion of the Living Lightning who fought the Hulk. Exploring the abandoned Lightning base, Miguel plugged himself into the Lightning Machine, and absorbed/gained electrical powers. Initially, his body generated a powerful electrical aura that he could manipulate. He could fire lightning bolts from his hands, levitate and fly through the air, and used his aura as a defensive screen to incinerate gas or projectiles. After being caught in an explosion, though, Miguel died and his mass was scattered throughout the atmosphere.

The Living Lightning was revived by Doctor Demonicus, restored to a living human form where he had previously been discorporated electro-plasma. He was given a special costume that allowed Miguel to shift between human and lightning states at will. The costume was also designed so that Demonicus could reverse the binding effect on Miguel's body if he ever betrayed the doctor, scattering his plasma to the four corners of the Earth. The Lightning betrayed Demonicus anyway, and the Avengers later altered his costume for him. The stabilizing circuitry that kept him in human form was reduced to a set of belt pods instead of an entire costume. He was also given special dampening patches that he could wear while sleeping, allowing Miguel to stay in human form through the night without having to wear the belt. Presently, Miguel may now have enough control over his powers that he doesn't need the belt's circuitry any longer.

After his resurrection, Miguel's powers were much more advanced. Even in his human state, Miguel could generate lightning bolts to shock his opponents, or manipulate electrical energy. For instance, he could electrify coins or other metal substances, or remotely change the station on a radio. He could also absorb electricity from outside sources into his body. Miguel's powers dramatically increased when he turned off the power pods on his belt and returned to his Living Lightning state. In this form he was pure energy, capable of surviving in the vacuum of space, traveling at the speed of light, and unaffected by purely physical forms of attack. Only attacks that disrupted energy or drained him of power were really effective. He could generate and absorb a much greater amount of electricity in his lightning state as well.

SQUIRREL GIRL

 

SQUIRREL GIRL

Real Name: Doreen Allene Green

First Appearance: Marvel Super Heroes Special (Vol. 1) #8, December 1990

Powers: Squirrel Girl's altered genome gives her various squirrel-like powers. She possesses heightened agility, reaction time, and leaping ability, and her jaw muscles are superhumanly strong. She has sizable buck teeth, which are strong enough to chew through wood. She has retractable knuckle spikes which pop out in a short point from the backside of her hands, and razor sharp finger claws which can be used offensively or to grip walls in order to scale vertical surfaces. She also has a bushy, prehensile squirrel tail roughly 3-4 feet in length. Squirrel Girl is capable of mentally communicating with and directing the activity of squirrels. She also has markings around her eyes, but whether these are natural due to her mutation, or cosmetically applied to enhance her humanoid-squirrel appearance is unknown.

PORTAL

 

PORTAL

Real Name: Charles Little Sky

First Appearance: Avengers (Vol. 1) #304, June 1989 (as Little Sky); Darkhawk (Vol. 1) #5, July 1991 (as Portal)

Powers: Portal is a mutant born with the power to open rifts in space passing through extra-dimensional realms. His portals allow instantaneous travel between different vibrationally-attuned planes of reality. Opening a portal without preparation will give him access to another dimension completely at random. He seems to possess an innate ability to pinpoint dimensions he has previously visited. This ability allows him to record the space/time coordinates of a dimension while he is present in it, so that he could return to it again in the future if he chooses. Originally, he couldn't automatically return to Earth because he hadn't consciously "marked" it before leaving. Portal is capable of using his powers for teleportation, traveling instantly across about a few miles within a single dimension. Attempting to transport himself more than a few miles in one jump, however, will destabilize the portal and send him off into another dimension, even if he is currently anchored in one.

Besides his mutant powers, Portal wore a Darkhawk armor taken off of a former wearer who tried to kill him. It and other bits of scavenged armor protected him from harm and enabled him to operate in the vacuum of space. His primary weapon was a massive cannon capable of firing energy harpoons. He carried a secondary blaster tethered to his waist by a power cord, which could fire energy bolts or a fast-hardening layer of slime that covered his target and immobilized them. Portal also carried sleep gas capsules, a laser knife, a vibra-pod that emits shattering pulsations, a Veluvian lariat, degrav pods to levitate objects by neutralizing gravity, a "powerjack" that generates an electromagnetic discharge when striking a target, high-tensile strength Berldundian wire, and a Klengari throwing disc called "The Wheel" which split into smaller fragments at close proximity to its target, surrounding them and unleashing a destructive barrage of energy from all sides.

THUNDERSTRIKE

 

THUNDERSTRIKE

Real Name: Eric Kevin Masterson

First Appearance: The Mighty Thor (Vol. 1) #391, May 1988 (as Masterson); The Mighty Thor (Vol. 1) #408, October 1989 (merged with Thor); The Mighty Thor (Vol. 1) #432, May 1991 (as Thor II); Thunderstrike (Vol. 1) #1, June, 1993 (as Thunderstrike)

Powers: Eric Masterson was a friend of Thor's who was mortally wounded by his foe Mongoose. Thor plead for Odin to save Masterson's life, and the All-Father did so by combining Thor's godly life essence with Eric's, effectively merging them into a single being. Each man was now fully cognizant of the other's entire life, having full access to each other's memories and feelings, and even carrying the same pattern of thought between transformations. However, only one could remain corporeal at a time. Eric Masterson could trade places with Thor by striking the wooden Mjolnir cane on the ground, and Thor could perform the reverse. As decreed by Odin, Masterson was capable of transforming himself and his wooden cane into Thor and Mjolnir (and the reverse) simply by striking the cane/hammer once on a surface. The enchantment, however, held that if Mjolnir left Thor's grasp or was removed from his person for more than 60 seconds, both would revert back to their mortal states until they were reunited.

After Thor was temporarily banished from this plane of existence, Mjolnir was left in Eric's possession and he gained the power to transform himself physically into a Asgardian powerhouse body virtually identical to Thor's, through the same cane/Mjolnir stamping process. His Asgardian body was composed of carbon matter many times denser and heavier than even a normal Asgardian native. He possessed Class 100 strength, superhuman endurance, and resistance to physical injury, toxins, and disease. He was mystically rejuvenated with each transformation, with any wounds he suffered as Eric or Thor vanishing completely whenever he switched appearances. He had access to all of Thor's and Mjolnir's regular powers until the real Thor returned and claimed his hammer. Eric was given a new weapon, a mace named "Thunderstrike", a name which he also adapted as his code name.

Thunderstrike's powers were slightly different from Thor's: He could not summon or control the weather elements and was no longer as strong as Thor in his Asgardian state, with his strength level reduced to Class 50. His Thuderstrike mace was made of mystic uru metal, and given enchantments by Odin: By stamping the mace, Thunderstike could revert to his mortal human form, dressed in whatever clothes he wore in that form while the mace transformed into a wooden cane (the 60 second rule was still applicable to Masterson). By stamping the cane, Masterson transforms into his superhuman form, bearded and garbed in his Thunderstrike costume while the cane becomes a mace. By throwing the mace and gripping its strap, Thunderstike could fly, create dimensional transportation fields, and hurl the mace like a boomerang. Thunderstrike could also project mystical thunder blasts of devastating force from its face, blasts which could also be used as blinding energy flares. The mace also magically enabled him to survive the adverse conditions of outer space, including its lack of oxygen.

Eric Masterson has a graduate degree in architecture and is a highly skilled architect.

MASTER PANDEMONIUM

 

MASTER PANDEMONIUM

Real Name: Martin Preston

First Appearance: Avengers West Coast (Vol. 2) #4, January 1986

Powers: Martin Preston was a rich and successful Hollywood actor who lost his right arm in a drunken car accident. The demon lord Mephisto was alerted to Preston’s screams of agony and offered to restore Preston’s arm in exchange for his soul. In agreement, Mephisto summoned a lesser demon, wrenched off its arm, and magically attached it to Preston’s shoulder stump. Preston lost consciousness during the process and was insensate when Mephisto severed his uninsured left arm and replaced it with a demon’s arm as well. As Master Pandemonium, his body is a living "abode for demons".

Pandemonium could summon any and all of these demons at will, causing them to detach from his body, carrying out his will while leaving him missing arms or legs until the demons rejoined with him. While his limbs were in place, Master Pandemonium possessed the same supernatural strength (Class 10) as his demonic counterparts did when separated from him.

His missing soul was manifested as a hole on his stomach in the shape of an inverted pentagram. Someone's fist or any other physical attack would pass right through this hole, and it could also be used as a gateway to summon an endless horde of demons called the Rakasha, in addition to Pandemonium's main four demonic servants. He can also levitate, project concussive blasts or streams of mystical flame from his mouth, and absorb heat and flame to make him virtually immune to such attacks. With the Amulet of Azmodeus, he was also capable of summoning a bird-like demon of the same name as his familiar, and of teleporting himself and others.

Martin Preston is a talented actor with knowledge of demon lore and certain rites of magic.

FIRESTAR

 

FIRESTAR

Real Name: Angelica Jones

First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #193, May 1985

Powers: Firestar is a mutant whose power continuously absorbs electromagnetic energy from her environment (as well as from the sun and other stars) into her body and converts them into microwaves, comparatively short waves of electromagnetic energy. She can then manipulate these microwaves for various effects.

When she is actively manipulating microwaves, a glowing fiery aura of energy surrounds her body and emits heat. Unless she consciously controls it, the active microwaves radiate outward from her body in all directions, usually as heat beams or downward as thermal updrafts for flight. She most often uses her power to generate heat. There is no known upper limit to the temperatures her heat beams can reach, though she has enough control of her power to produce low-intensity heat for smaller, less destructive purposes (such as reheating food or warming coffee in a cup). Her power can melt most metals within seconds, she has reduced multiple steel girders to slag almost instantly and melted bullets in mid-air before they could even strike her. To date, Adamantium is the sole metal that is sufficiently durable to withstand Firestar’s power. She can use her power to release heat, light, and radiation into her environment at various intensities. She can project microwave blasts which have a thermo-concussive effect, heating objects so that they melt, while the super-heated and pressurized air created by the microwaves' passing may knock the target back or down. She can reduce solid rock to a molten state, burn through brick or concrete barriers, and sear through thick stone walls fast enough to fly through them without pausing. By firing visible microwave bursts into the sky, she can create intensely bright flares.

By generating short, tightly-focused microwave bursts, she can scramble electronic systems without visibly damaging the hardware in question. Similarly, she can generate low-level microwave fields which disrupt communication wavelengths or impede surveillance equipment. Her large-scale microwave pulse once scrambled or melted all the electronics in and around a city square. Her microwave frequencies sometimes disrupted certain forms of telepathy by screening out neural control signals, making her resistant to some forms of mind control and allowing to free others’ minds from similar influence if they’re within her range.

Her microwaves can also disrupt other-dimensional energies, such as the Darkforce. Her flight capacity operates by channeling microwaves and super-heated air into a downward and/or backward thrust, enabling her to fly at high speeds with great maneuverability. Her power generates enough propulsive thrust to carry her body weight and an additional 500 pounds. She requires a spacesuit or similar protective gear to function in outer space, but is far more powerful in that environment as space grants her more direct access to greater amounts of electromagnetic energy; also, while in space, she can wield larger amounts of microwave energy without damaging her surrounding environment. She has proven capable of hurting cosmic beings such as Supernova or opening space warps through which travelers can cover vast distances instantly.

Firestar's mutation was apparently incompletely formed, resulting in her still being vulnerable to microwave radiation and its potential side effects like cancer or sterility. Hank Pym designed a full body sheathe of micro-circuitry to be worn under her costume. It absorbed the excess microwave energy that was affecting her cells and diverted it in a way that would catalyze her natural immunity to her own powers. She is now functionally immune to microwave radiation.

Angelica Jones has had combat training under Emma Frost, the Night Thrasher, Andrew Chord, Tai, and Captain America, with a particular emphasis on aerial combat given her flight powers. She has taken ballet classes and has some equestrian training.

ARACHNE

 

ARACHNE

Real Name: Julia Cornwall Carpenter

First Appearance: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #6, October 1984 (as Spider-Woman); Ms. Marvel (Vol. 2) #6, October 2006 (as Arachne); The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #637, July 2010 (as Madame Web)

Powers: Julia Carpenter was injected with an experimental serum derived from spiders. As a result, she gained many of the same powers as Spider-Man. As Spider-Woman II, her powers included superhuman strength, speed, agility, endurance, reflexes, and the inter-atomic bonding power responsible for their wall-crawling abilities. Julia is also capable of materializing psionic webbing, formed out of her own mental energy. These psi-webs are woven by her mind and can take the form of simple strands and lines or shaped into more elaborate web designs. They have an elastic physical quality, allowing them to bend and flex without breaking. She can use her webbing to swing on like a rope, to surround and bind an opponent, to block off hallways and paths, etc. The psi-webbing conducts her own inter-atomic bonding power, allowing her to make anything that touches the webs to cling to them. Because they are composed of energy, they can also interact with pure energy forms, such as lassoing the normally insubstantial electrical form of the Living Lightning. She can dissolve her psi-webs with a thought. Later on, a secondary exposure to her original serum boosted her strength and stamina.

Julia lost her powers for a time and was crippled after a fight with the third Spider-Woman (Charlotte Witter). After regaining her powers and mobility, she renamed herself "Arachne". She has learned how to use her psi-webs to increase her natural sensitivity as well as for physical grappling. Like a spider can sense vibrations from the center of their web, Arachne can sense thought patterns passing through the aether and psionically reverberating off of her webs. She cannot read minds, but she can sense the presence of other sentient beings within a given radius, and pinpoint their location with some degree of accuracy when they are in range. The "death" of Madame Web connected Julia to the Web of Life, giving her clairvoyance, precognition, and teleporting abilities.