Captain Universe
Captain Universe is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden, the character first appeared in Micronauts #8. Captain Universe is the guardian and protector of Eternity. Rather than a character with a single identity, it is a persona that has merged with several hosts during its publication history.
Publication history
Captain Universe first appeared in Micronauts #8 and was created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden.Captain Universe hosts have appeared in either special one-shots or short stories throughout the years, initially in the first series of the Micronauts in 1979.
Captain Universe was the starring feature in issues #9–11 of the tryout series Marvel Spotlight. The series' editor Al Milgrom recalled being taken away by the concept of a Captain Universe serial: "You could come up with three issues, three disparate individuals — each one very different from the other — and see how they use their powers. They wouldn't necessarily be superheroic types; they'd be regular people who fell into the powers for just one issue.... But Captain Universe never got his own title, so I'm guessing it didn't sell terribly well." The character appeared sporadically through the remainder of the 1980s in titles such as Marvel Fanfare and Contest of Champions.
His appearances became even scarcer in the 1990s, appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy, What If?, The Amazing Spider-Man, Marvel Comics Presents and Cosmic Powers Unlimited.
In 1994, Captain Universe appeared in a one-shot, coinciding with a promotion, with the claim that readers could have a comic about themselves made for a fee. The comics were generally stock stories, with minor details altered based on information provided by the purchaser. Jeff Christiansen, then a veterinary student and who would later become the force behind the resurgence of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe in the mid-2000s, was written and drawn as the official Captain Universe of the comic so that it could be considered an in-continuity comic. The one-shot was titled X-Men/Captain Universe: Sleeping Giants.
In 2005, after a four-year break from comic appearances, Captain Universe returned in the second series of Amazing Fantasy. Also in 2005, a series of one-shot specials were released featuring different characters from the Marvel Universe as the Uni-Power each imbues them with power of Captain Universe. These titles were Captain Universe/Hulk, Captain Universe/Daredevil, Captain Universe/X-23, Captain Universe/Invisible Woman and Captain Universe/Silver Surfer. The Uni-Power made a brief appearance in Nextwave, he also made a "cameo" as Cosmic Spider-Man for the variant cover of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #3 and played an important part in the Death's Head 3.0 saga chronicled in Amazing Fantasy.
Captain Universe made his return in Annihilation: Conquest: Star-Lord and then in Annihilation Conquest #3. Captain Universe later returns to stop the Juggernaut, in an attempt to fulfill his destiny, as seen in The Amazing Spider-Man #627–629.
Fictional character biography
The Uni-Power is an extra-dimensional force that possesses an individual in a time of crisis, transforming that person into Captain Universe. As Captain Universe, the transformed person typically retains his or her original personality and appearance, though with Captain Universe's costume and heroic traits superimposed over the original. The Uni-Power itself emanates from the Enigma Force, the exact nature of which, naturally, remains an enigma. It is believed, however, to be connected to the Microverse, home of the Micronauts. Although the Uni-Power typically empowers normal, non-super-powered humans, it has in the past empowered Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Commander Arcturus Rann of the Micronauts, a toddler, and a dog, among others. Its counterparts in various alternate timelines have also possessed Mar-Vell, Mr. Fantastic, a member of the alien Badoon race, a Doombot and Quasar. Because of its never-ending supply of energy it has been the target of many individuals, terrorist groups and peacekeeping agencies such as AIM, the Psycho-Man, Doctor Doom and even S.H.I.E.L.D.The first human Captain Universe was an astronaut named Captain Ray Coffin. He battled Baron Karza and sealed the Prometheus Pit between the Microverse and Earth. Years later, the Uni-Power would possess his son Steve Coffin to battle Mister E and his shadow slaves. It next possessed identical twins Ann Stafford and Clare Dodgson to capture Nemesis, and then possessed small-time cat burglar Monty Walsh to stop mafia don Guido Carboni. It then possessed Doctor Strange and Commander Arcturus Rann to reinforce the space-wall between the Microverse and the Macroverse. It then possessed Bruce Banner for the first time, to defuse a nuclear missile, and wound up battling Banner's own alter ego the Hulk. Captain Universe was then next among the heroes summoned by the Grandmaster for the Contest of Champions. The Captain Universe power next possessed Delayne Masters to defeat schoolyard bullies. It then possessed Evan Swann to stop the Quantum Mechanic from destroying the Earth.
When the Captain Universe power next appeared, it possessed Spider-Man to stop the Tri-Sentinel. The latently cosmic-powered Spider-Man battled the Trapster, Titania, Magneto, Brothers Grimm, Goliath, Hulk, TESS-One, Dragon Man, and the Tri-Sentinel itself. It next possessed a toddler called Eddie Price to battle Gart and Rath.
When the Guardians of the Galaxy traveled to the 20th century on a mission to destroy the Badoon, the Uni-Power possessed a Badoon worker named L'Matto to prevent the planned genocide. L'Matto's newfound knowledge was able to keep the Guardians from attacking but the Brother Royal then used the Badoon Captain Universe as his champion in a gladiatorial challenge which he had coerced the Guardians into accepting. L'Matto easily overpowered Charlie-27 and was about to kill him when Vance Astro and Dr. Strange arrived and joined in the battle, with Nikki and Talon pitching in as well. Despite this, it was not until Aleta arrived and attacked alongside Doctor Strange that L'Matto was finally defeated, enabling Strange to exorcise the Uni-Power which L'Matto had abused and return it to Earth.
Captain Universe later returned, and the Uni-Power possesses various heroes ; all in a mission to restore its power which has been severely weakened from a mysterious force emanating from the darkest corners of the Microverse. Using the copied powers of each hero, it took paraplegic war veteran Gabriel Vargas as its host to face the one responsible for its weakening.
At some unknown point, Captain Universe's latest host Gabriel Vargas is arrested by the Kree Government for accidentally attacking a group of Kree who were killing people who he thought were innocents but were actually sympathetic to the genocidal actions of the Annihilation Wave. For months, he was studied by the Kree who, despite their highly advanced technology, could not learn much about the Uni-Power other than that the suit given to all users is actually a molecular shell and not spandex as was previously believed. Eventually, Gabriel is released from prison and put into a highly aggressive session of training by the Kree Military as he and several other prisoners prepare for a mission that will halt the Phalanx's technophage virus from spreading further. Gabriel lost the Uni-Power after finding a cure for a Phalanx airborne virus and joined Star-Lord in battling the Phalanx. He was subsequently killed by the Phalanx select Blastaar during an attack on the Phalanx Babel Spire.
During "The Gauntlet" storyline, a new Captain Universe makes himself known when he arrives on Earth with plans to kill Juggernaut. Spider-Man learns that Captain Universe is a man named William Nguyen, whose life had been ruined in one of Juggernaut's rampages. When Nguyen insists on trying to kill Juggernaut instead of fixing the tectonic plates beneath New York City, the Uni-Power leaves him and enters the Juggernaut. The Juggernaut as Captain Universe repairs the damage to the tectonic plates that was caused by him during the same rampage that had ruined Nguyen's life. After the "healing" of the tectonic plates, the Uni-Power subsequently departs.
Three former hosts of the Uni-Power are all contacted by the Enigma Force once again when the Whirldemon King, a powerful entity once defeated by the time-traveling Prince Wayfinder of Ithaca and creator of the Enigma Force itself, escapes imprisonment. When X-23 sacrifices herself to save Valeria Richards from possession by the King the Uni-Power bonds with her a second time. While trapped in the Whirldemons' prison dimension, a connection is explicitly made between a starry apparition that enabled Laura to throw off the influence of a demon attempting to coerce her into serving it, when the star-shaped mark left on Laura's palm after that encounter is recognized by the Whirldemon King as associated with the Enigma Force. Laura then uses the Uni-Power to wound the Whirldemon King and seal him back in his prison dimension, before returning her to Earth. During these events the Enigma Force tells Laura that she has been designated the future heir to its power.
An African-American woman acting as the newest Captain Universe joins the Avengers in the fight against Ex Nihilo, his sister Abyss, and a Builder named Aleph on Mars. Captain Universe vaporizes Aleph when he does not agree to stop transforming or destroying planets. She is revealed to be Tamara Devoux, a woman who remained in a coma for ten years after a car crash. During a talk with Nightmask, she translates his language and announces that not only is the universe dying, but the White Event is coming.
During the "Spider-Geddon" storyline, the Spider-Men summoned the Enigma Force to aid them in their fight. The Enigma Force chose to make Miles Morales the new Captain Universe, which he used to help defeat them. Using the Sword Vigor from Leopardon, Miles was able to defeat Solus, Brix, Bora, and Daemos. The Enigma Force left him after the battle was won.
During the "King in Black" storyline, the Enigma Force is revealed by Jean Grey to be the "God of Light" of the Marvel Universe, with properties similar to those of symbiotes and counterpart of the malevolent, darkness-based deity Knull. Silver Surfer arrives to where the Enigma Force is and frees it from the symbiotes, leading to it choosing Eddie Brock as the new Captain Universe.