The Ultraforce is a fictional superhero group that appears in American comic books published by Malibu , and later Marvel . The purpose of the group was to protect the public and keep other "Ultras" (superheroes) from becoming unruly.
98-512: The group consists of various Ultras in Malibu's Ultraverse , including the super-strong Prime ; Hardcase , one of the first public Ultras and the most famous; Prototype , Ultra-Tech's armored spokesperson; Topaz , warrior queen of Gwendor; the undead Ghoul , the last surviving member of the Exiles ; and the mysterious Contrary , who organized the team and provided their technology. In 1995, Ultraforce
196-514: A crossover story called "Black September" featuring the members of Ultraforce and Marvel's Avengers , which ended with the cancellation of all of the series in the Ultraverse line. Seven of the series – Prime , Mantra , Night Man , Ultraforce , Rune , Siren , The New Exiles – were "rebooted" with issues numbered "#∞", followed by volume 2, in which popular Marvel characters were briefly featured to attract Marvel's regular readers. This version of
294-521: A different reality. Proctor meanwhile began his final gambit: using the life energies of Sersi and Ute to collapse the various realities into one another. The Avengers, joined by Thena and Sprite, rushed to the scene, only to be confronted by the Gatherers. While his fellow Avengers fought the various Gatherers, the Black Knight approached Proctor himself, only to be defeated by his Ebony Blade . Sersi and
392-611: A diversion, they attacked her together, allowing the Black Knight to get close enough to separate the Gems once more. In the resulting explosion, the Avengers were returned to the Marvel Universe Earth, while Ultraforce and the Black Knight returned to the Ultraverse. Sersi wandered in limbo until the Black Knight returned to her. In time, Sersi and the Black Knight found a way to return to Earth-616, but not before traveling back in time to
490-500: A multitude of events such as Black September , Phoenix Resurrection , Ultraforce/Spider-Man , and Ultraverse Unlimited . Marvel ended the Ultraverse line in 1997. The only survivor of the Exiles, Ghoul , raised himself from his tomb and was harassed by the press and the public. The Ultra Hardcase rescued him and suggested to the press that only the Ultras could regulate other Ultras, not
588-768: A quest in Egypt. Hybrid was killed and Topaz and Mantra make peace Later, when Black Knight was searching for clues about Loki 's presence in New York, he found his lover Sersi , but she was possessed by the Ego Infinity gem and attacked him and Topaz. Then, the Ultraforce battled the Asgardian God Loki that was searching for the Infinity Gems in the Ultraverse. Loki sends the heroes in different directions with illusions. They found
686-574: A river and turned into stone. Sersi was framed for these murders. The Avengers believed her capable of the crimes, and Sersi was surprised by this accusation. When the police attempted to arrest her, Sersi destroyed the Avengers Mansion and fled to the Brooklyn Bridge . In her maddened state, she used the Gann Josin link to call the Black Knight to her side, and the two of them prepared to fight
784-476: A secret academy for young ultras and a special airship with transportation abilities. She was alleged Wetware Mary , a nurse who exposed various infant children to a wetware virus, transforming them into Ultras in their puberty. Years later, Contrary tracked down several of these children for her Academy of the New Elite and was opposed by the runaways teens called Freex . When Ultraforce was formed, Contrary united
882-530: A war between the Ultraverse and Earth 616. Afterwards, Amber Hunt and Ghoul investigated the Exiles' graves and found the Progeny, an alien menace from the future. In an investigation about the ultra Foxfire, Ultraforce met Timothy Halloran, the Mastodon, who was committing murders in the sewers of New York. Mastodon was taken to medical care. Foxfire was an unknown carrier of the Progeny virus. The Ultraforce investigated
980-783: Is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . The character is depicted as a member of the Eternals , a race of superhumans . She was also a member of the Avengers and God Squad . Sersi first appeared in the 1976–1978 comic book series The Eternals . Gemma Chan portrays Sersi in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Eternals (2021). Sersi first appeared in Jack Kirby 's The Eternals #3 (September 1976) as Sersy . Although The Eternals
1078-666: Is a logistical nightmare because of the way the initial deal was structured, it's not the reason why we have chosen not to go near these characters, there is a bigger one, but I really don't feel like it's my place to make that dirty laundry public. Senior Vice President of Publishing Tom Brevoort has stated in the past that the reason Marvel cannot discuss the Ultraverse properties is because of non-disclosure agreements in place with certain parties, which has been speculated to pertain to Scott Mitchell Rosenberg 's contractual position as "ongoing producer deal for all Malibu Comics properties". In February 2021, when Simon Spurrier, writer of
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#17328693269371176-428: Is a logistical nightmare because of the way the initial deal was structured, it's not the reason why we have chosen not to go near these characters, there is a bigger one, but I really don't feel like it's my place to make that dirty laundry public. When Simon Spurrier , writer of the 2021 Black Knight series, was asked if the series was going to take place in the Ultraverse, he said: "None percent, I'm afraid." There
1274-466: Is hurt, Hardcase can heal quickly, though the process is sped up if he drinks seawater. His senses are enhanced, allowing him to hear and see over long distances. Prototype is the name of two fictitious superheroes of the Ultraverse line of comics. Both characters used an advanced exo-armor developed by the Ultratech corporation and were employees of that company. The original Prototype was Bob Campbell, who
1372-507: The Atlas Comics (Marvel's predecessor company) publication Venus #9 ("Beauty for Everyone! A Dream is Born!" by artist Werner Roth , May 1950). In 1990, Sersi joined the Avengers team, after her fellow Eternal Gilgamesh left the team following an injury. Sersi left the team in 1994. After Malibu Comics was acquired by Marvel, Sersi and the Black Knight were incorporated into
1470-576: The Night Man and the Strangers . The TV show had a poor reception from critics. Ultraverse The Ultraverse is a defunct comic book imprint published by the American company Malibu Comics which is currently owned by Marvel Comics . The Ultraverse is a shared universe in which a variety of characters – known within the comics as Ultras – acquired super-human abilities. The Ultraverse line
1568-525: The Ultraverse , in the Black September event, Jimmy Ruiz was erased out of existence and Bob Campbell was the only Prototype that had existed (his arm had never been torn off, either). He became part of the new Ultraforce and after a time, his leader. He led the Ultraforce heroes against the villain, Demonseed. Contrary is a mysterious woman who discovered the technology of the ancient Fire People, building
1666-419: The 2021 Black Knight series, was asked about the possibility of the series taking place in the Ultraverse, he said: "None percent, I'm afraid". After several years of not even mentioning the Ultraverse in the comics, a past storyline featuring the character Rune was referenced directly in the 2023 Marvel Unlimited publication Who Is Adam Warlock . Sersi Sersi ( / ˈ s ɜːr s i / )
1764-561: The Avengers came to Sersi for help. She travelled into the Negative Zone with the Avengers to find the Eternals, where she was seemingly killed by Blastaar , but returned to life. Captain America, the chairman of the Avengers, decided to ask Sersi to join the Avengers due to her previous assistance, which she accepted. In her first mission with the team, she helped them defeat Nebula . Sersi
1862-512: The Avengers dead, she also turned to the Heroes for Hire . Foiling Ghaur's plot, Sersi and the Black Knight decided that they both needed some time apart after all they had been through. Sersi returned to Olympia, where she remained (apart from aiding the Avengers in their battle against Morgana Le Fey ) until she joined the New Breed , a group of Eternals posing as a human super team aiming to control
1960-514: The Avengers if it meant interfering with Quicksilver's attempts to reconcile with Crystal. The two Avengers entered the dimensional rift, traveling to another universe. The portal brought the duo to the Ultraverse , the home of the ultras (a universe created by Malibu Comics ). They were separated in the rift: Sersi ended up in Equatorial Africa , while Dane Whitman found himself in Miami . In
2058-481: The Avengers, while Loki had chosen Ultraforce. Members of each team were pitted against members of the other. The Avengers, for their part, were told it was to stop Loki, and to save the Black Knight, while the members of Ultraforce were told that the Avengers were part of an invading force. The various battles ended in stalemates, and Loki claimed victory. The Grandmaster, under the Ego Gem's will, revealed Sersi to Loki. She
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#17328693269372156-505: The Black Knight and Topaz released Specimen 13, one of several beings being kept in the secret basement and who was also Cromwell's brother. The specimen overpowered the heroes but was convinced by his brother to return to his chamber. After this, the Ultraforce joined the New Exiles, who were fighting an alien robot called Maxis. The Ultraforce collapsed a building upon Maxis, stopping him temporarily. Immediately afterward, an entire armada of
2254-486: The Black Knight caused a reality-changed event that transformed the Ultraverse, erasing Hardcase and Contrary from existence and from the memories of their former teammates, and replacing Prototype (Jimmy Ruiz) with his predecessor in the Prototype armor, Bob Campbell. After the event known as " Black September " (when Marvel Comics purchased Malibu), the Ultraforce was re-created as a new team. Marvel's Black Knight became
2352-613: The Black Knight, proposed that the Knight be made her Gann Josin (a concept the Eternals use to describe an intimate joining of two minds as soulmates in their own personal Uni-Mind ). Before the matter could be further discussed, Ikaris used his powers as the Prime Eternal to create the link between Sersi and The Black Knight. The Eternals then departed. The Black Knight was not happy with the result, for he had decided that he loved Crystal and not Sersi. The Avengers had little time to discuss
2450-425: The Black Knight. The Avengers began a fight against a villain called Proctor , who was reuniting Avengers from different realities, forming a team called The Gatherers. Sersi's aggression caused tensions between her and her teammates. A romantic triangle formed between Sersi, the Black Knight, and the newest Avenger, Crystal . These tensions came to a climax when the Avengers traveled to the planet Polemachus. When
2548-550: The Brooklyn Bridge, and various other locations, as well as opening a dimensional rift to another reality. Sersi, fearing that the manipulations of Proctor were irreversible, decided to enter this door between worlds, so that she may be able to live free of his madness. With his own mind clear the Black Knight decided to join Sersi in her exile. He felt responsible for the suffering Sersi had endured, and he knew that he couldn't remain in
2646-543: The Deviants. Sersi moved to New York, where she planned parties for a living. She could not remember her origin as an Eternal, nor her powers. She was hired by Druig , deputy Prime Minister of Vorozheika, to publicize a small former Soviet republic by organizing a party at the Vorozheikan embassy. After the party was saved from a group of gunmen by Mark Curry and Iron Man , Iron Man questioned Sersi about registering , as she
2744-458: The Eternals Thena and Sprite. Based on the description Jarvis gave them of the man in Sersi's dream, the Avengers concluded that Proctor was responsible for the crimes. They also were approached by Ute in astral form, who warned them that Proctor should be defeated to prevent all of reality from collapsing. Dane Whitman discovered by computer analysis that Proctor was a version of himself from
2842-573: The Eternals sent the Delphan Brothers to bring her to Olympia so that all the Eternals could form the Uni-Mind to debate their future. However, Sersi had decided not to attend, as she would continue doing what she wanted regardless of the outcome. Unbeknown to the Delphan Brothers, the Wasp and Starfox of the Avengers , much to Sersi's delight, had crashed the party. They came to Olympia as well, where it
2940-410: The Eternals' leader, Zuras, feared her, and Sprite claimed that she was the most powerful of all the Eternals. Sersi is the only living Fifth Level adept at matter transmutation (on a 1-5 scale). She has the ability to alter molecular and atomic structures of all matter including living organisms. However, she has expressed difficulty in rearranging sub-atomic matter. Sersi has many other versions in
3038-569: The Eternals' mental disciplines. Sersi fought Sybil Dorn and became an ally to Thane Ector. Some months after this, Sersi became more aggressive; she was one of the Avengers involved in the attempted murder of the Kree Leader, the Supreme Intelligence, during the Avengers involvement in the Kree- Shi'ar War. During this time, Sersi began a relationship with fellow Avenger Dane Whitman ,
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3136-472: The Eternals' origin brought to the fore in this new Comic miniseries). Sersi is actually much closer to half a million years old (rather than five thousand years old) and has had the Eternal Makkari as an on-again, off-again lover for hundreds of thousands of years. By the end of the series, she decides that she wants to resume her normal life, wishing to be neither an Eternal nor an Avenger. Retired from
3234-459: The Tulkan aliens arrived at the scene. They said that they were tracking a monster called Demonseed who was causing various damage to their worlds. The Tulkan had tracked the monster to Earth and wanted revenge. The Ultraforce and the New Exiles fought the elite of the armada, defeating them after a brutal battle. With problems in their ships, the Tulkan leader accepted defeat and fled. In the aftermath of
3332-545: The US government and president Bill Clinton. The members tried to recruit aid from the Freex, The Strangers , the Nightman, and Mantra , but were rejected. After manipulations of Contrary, Prime left the team temporarily. Attalon raised a new island and fought Ultraforce in the surface. In the fight, Prime returned and Atalon detonated a nuclear missile in the isle. In the battle with Attalon,
3430-510: The Ultraforce to reunite with its 'brothers', forced Sersi to send them after the six other Gems. The Black Knight and Ultraforce failed to wrest the Gems from Loki 's control. Sersi used her remaining free will to return them to their base. Now completely under the Ego Gem's control, Sersi became aware of the Grandmaster's presence in the Ultraverse. This Elder of the Universe had journeyed to
3528-429: The Ultraforce, overpowering them, Ripfire was killed in the last attacks of the creature, but Hardcase sacrificed himself to send Demonseed back to the limbo, where he fought it for all eternity. Despite the grave losses, the Ultraforce looked into the future to continue its mission. 50 years into the future, Prime, Ironclad, and others were having a happy time after various battles. The names listed are those used while
3626-562: The Ultraforce. Pixx (Penny Burka) is a character created by Gerard Jones and Jeff Parker. Her first appearance was in Giant Size Freex #1(1995). Penny was a normal teen until her powers surfaced, causing her to uncontrollably project hallucinatory images to those around her. Her parents contacted the Academy of the New Elite, managed by Contrary. Under her tutelage, Pixx discovered that her powers also extended to enormous technical prowess. She
3724-545: The Ultraverse imprint, the comic was set within a shared universe of super-powered beings conceptualized by creators of Malibu comics. Image Comics , a line of creator-owned comics some of which made record-breaking sales figures, had a publishing deal with Malibu that had ended shortly before. The book lasted 26 issues and included a Hardcase Premiere edition published in July 1993. Hardcase also appeared in other books, and crossovers like Break-thru , Godwheel and Black September . He
3822-582: The Ultraverse in an attempt to obtain the Mind Gem. Realizing the opportunity, the Ego Gem forced the Grandmaster to carry out its bidding. The Grandmaster approached Loki, and proposed a game. If he won, the Grandmaster would be given the Mind Gem. If Loki won, he would be told the location of the Ego Gem. The game was called Worlds and Warriors, a simplified version of an Earth card game. Instead of cards, however, actual heroes would be used. The Grandmaster had chosen
3920-510: The Ultraverse lasted until the end of 1996, with a one-shot ( Ultraverse Future Shock #1) published in February 1997 to wrap up unresolved plot lines. Marvel ended the Ultraverse line in 1997. In 2003, Steve Englehart was commissioned by Marvel to relaunch the Ultraverse with the most recognizable characters, but editorial decided finally not to resurrect the imprint. In June 2005, when asked by Newsarama whether Marvel had any plans to revive
4018-494: The Ultraverse made physical contact with Loki, elements from two wildly different continua, the structure snapped. In her panic, Nemesis teleported to the Ultra's Earth, and intended to continue creating there, even if it meant the destruction of the already present world. The six other Gems resisted her, as Nemesis lacked the controlling influence that was needed to unite them. The Avengers and Ultraforce joined forces to stop her. Creating
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4116-399: The Ultraverse, Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada replied that: Let's just say that I wanted to bring these characters back in a very big way, but the way that the deal was initially structured, it's next to impossible to go back and publish these books. There are rumors out there that it has to do with a certain percentage of sales that has to be doled out to the creative teams. While this
4214-399: The Ultraverse, Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada replied that: Let's just say that I wanted to bring these characters back in a very big way, but the way that the deal was initially structured, it's next to impossible to go back and publish these books. There are rumors out there that it has to do with a certain percentage of sales that has to be doled out to the creative teams. While this
4312-703: The Ultraverse, Sersi was possessed by the spirit of one of the Infinity Gems , the Ego gem. The Ego gem had been separated from the other gems many times, and now intended to be reunited with them by using Sersi (the gems had also been transported to the Ultraverse by the Ultra supervillain Rune ). Sersi's will proved too strong for the Gem, and her bond with the Black Knight caused her to seek him out. The Ego Gem gave her one day to make peace with her past. The Black Knight meanwhile had found
4410-644: The Ultraverse, transporting Queen Topaz stranded in a strange world; one in which Males were not separate from women like Gwendor. Topaz was outraged by the new reality, but Pixx of the Ultraforce calmed her by showing her an image of the "true power behind men". Hillary Clinton (then First lady of the USA). Pixx explained that Earth males have fragile egos and that it was easier for women to let males think they were in charge. Topaz, still disturbed for what she considered an unnatural order, consented to join UltraForce, even though it
4508-519: The Watcher looked on from the vortex that contained them as Proctor began to 'gather' the Black Knight's essence into himself, preparing to merge with him. Quicksilver , Crystal's estranged husband, stopped him. Approaching Proctor, a freed Sersi used the villain's Ebony Blade to kill him. After this, Ute (in his dying breaths) used his powers to undo the damage that had been done to the Avengers Mansion,
4606-521: The appearance of a child at this time, she was already thousands of years old. A few thousand years later, Sersi was based in ancient Greece , where she met the poet Homer , who would later write one of the earliest works in Western literature, The Odyssey . Sersi was based upon the mythological figure Circe , who lived on Aeaea , an island in the Aegean Sea , and turned Odysseus ' men into pigs. Under
4704-474: The battle against some 'angels' created by Metabio Corporation and that was freed accidentally by the ultra Siren , who joined the team too. The 'angels' did not have an effect on Ghoul, because he had a decaying body, so he could defeat them. Topaz fought the sorceress Mantra for the possession of the sword of Fangs that used to belong to Topaz's people, but were interrupted by the villain Hybrid who sent Ultraforce in
4802-489: The cause of her mental problems. At one point, Sersi confided in the Avengers' butler Jarvis that she had been having dreams about a strange man dressed in black, who was assaulting young men she had befriended. Jarvis probed her further, and Sersi used her powers to pull the image of Proctor from her mind. Neither Jarvis nor Sersi had ever seen Proctor and didn't recognize him. Around this time, two police officers questioned Sersi personally. Later, they were found dredged from
4900-401: The character was associated with Ultraforce. "First appearance" is the place where the character first appeared in the Ultraverse . It is not necessarily the first appearance of the character in print, nor the story depicting how the character joined the team. All information is listed in publication order first, then alphabetical. Hardcase is a superhero who debuted in the comic book series of
4998-597: The era of the Crusades , where they fought the villain Exodus . The two were separated once more on their return to their correct timeline. The Black Knight found himself in New York, but as the Avengers were dead in the wake of Onslaught , he joined the Heroes for Hire (both fictional group and 1997 limited series title). Sersi found herself in Lemuria. Upon learning of yet another plot by Ghaur, she escaped to get aid. On finding
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#17328693269375096-443: The government. Prime saw the interview on TV and decided to search for members of a new team to be called "Ultraforce". He convinced Prototype of the necessity of the team, but begin to fight him for the "leadership". The fight between the two young ultras alerted Contrary , who brought Hardcase and Ghoul to her airship and show them the impact that the fight was having on the general public. When Prime and Prototype were fighting in
5194-708: The human race. She is the daughter of the Eternals Helios and Perse and was probably born in Olympia, Greece , sometime after the Great Cataclysm that destroyed the continents of Atlantis and Lemuria during an extended ice age known as the Hyborean Age . At a young age, Sersi differed from her fellow Eternals in her desire to live among humans. Sersi first met Captain America , who had travelled back in time, during her time in ancient Mesopotamia . Although Sersi still had
5292-476: The infinity gems and with the help of Sersi, returned to Earth. After this, the Ultraforce heroes were fooled by Loki in fighting the Avengers in a competition between Loki and the Grandmaster for the Infinity Gems. Loki won the competition and received all the gems, but he soon lost the gems to the entity Nemesis when the seven gems reunited. Both teams (Avengers and Ultraforce) fought Nemesis in an altered reality that combined both universes. The slaying of Nemesis by
5390-465: The invasion, and with the help of Maxis, the Black Knight returned to his home dimension with the exiles Siena Blaze and Reaper via an interdimensional portal. Prototype (Bob Campbell) becomes the new leader and accepted new members from the Exiles: Hellblade, Ripfire, Amber Hunt , Ironclad , and the robot Maxis, who was now deprived of his original mission. When Ghoul arrived at the scene, he
5488-502: The land, The villain Atalon, king of the fire people, brought them underground. Hardcase went to rescue them. Meanwhile, one of the three queens of Gwendor, Topaz, arrived on Earth from the Godwheel. Contrary promised her to return to her people. Prime and Prototype tried to fight Atalon but were defeated by him. Hardcase arrives just in time save them. After this, the team was formed and backed by
5586-534: The leader of the new group, which consisted of him, Prototype (Bob Campbell), Prime, Topaz, and Ghoul. The new team fought the fanatics of the Fold that worshiped a man called Pascal and were murdering ultras. However, they found that Pascal was dead and that the Fold was using him to enforce their beliefs. The team was given a new base by the U.S. government in Headless Cross, Arkansas. A mysterious man called Cromwell
5684-404: The local Ultraforce , the mightiest heroes of the Ultraverse, which included Hardcase , Prime , and Topaz . Learning of Loki's control of the Infinity Gems, the Knight attempted to contact the Avengers, but was foiled when Sersi showed up. Sersi intermediately fought with Topaz , an amazonian queen of Gwendor. Black Knight intervened and ended the battle. The Ego Gem, realizing that it could use
5782-602: The magician defeat an impostor who had usurped his position. Sersi also fought alongside Thor in the Viking Siege of Paris , although he was not aware of this. She has been a dancer, actress, stage magician, hedonist and adventurer. In The Eternals #3-5, published in 1976, Sersi battled Deviants in New York City, after which anthropologist Dr. Samuel Holden introduced her to the world at large at New York's City College, along with other Eternals. Sersi became fascinated with
5880-621: The mid-1990s, Malibu canceled lower-selling series. The company was purchased by Marvel Comics in November 1994. Marvel reportedly made the purchase to acquire Malibu's then-groundbreaking in-house coloring studio, with some speculation that it was to prevent DC Comics from buying it to increase their market share. Within the Marvel Comics multiverse , the Ultraverse was designated as Earth-93060. Crossovers between Malibu and Marvel began, such as Rune/Silver Surfer . In 1995, Marvel published
5978-473: The mountains of Greece to get answers from the Eternals. As a member of the Eternals, Sersi has their standard abilities, though she has focused her power into transmutational abilities and passed it off as illusion or magic over the centuries. Sersi's psionic ability to rearrange the molecular structure of objects is far greater than that of any other Eternal. The limits on Sersi's molecular rearrangement powers are as yet unrevealed, but she once stated that even
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#17328693269376076-472: The murder of Senator Robert Shrine, which involved ultras who were killed too. In the quest, they fought the Rawborgs and Dog . After the murderous attack of some of his teammates against Dog , the Black Knight expelled Topaz , Ghoul, Lament and Wreckage from the team. Topaz did not want to leave and confronted the Knight. She, Lament and Prime were acting very aggressively and attacked the Knight and Cromwell. It
6174-422: The name of Circe, Sersi also imprisoned the imps in Pandora's box in ancient times. Unlike the majority of her fellow Eternals who stay in hidden cities, Sersi revels in her humanity. Except for the Forgotten One , she has lived amongst humans more than any other Eternal. This includes various places of historical importance like Nero 's Rome and Camelot , the court of King Arthur , where she helped Merlin
6272-421: The other Avengers. When Sersi threatened Crystal, the Black Knight reacted and temporarily broke the Gann Josin bond. Shocked by this, Sersi destroyed the Brooklyn Bridge. Confused by her state of mind, Sersi was finally approached by Proctor, who revealed the full extent of his plan. Capturing her, Proctor returned to his base of operations in New York and revealed that he was behind her madness and seizures, and
6370-430: The purchase of Malibu Comics by Marvel , Ultraforce began a crossover with the Avengers in the Black September event with Avengers/Ultraforce . After the event, the Ultraforce book was reformed and ran for 16 issues (September 1995–December 1996), from issue ∞ to issue 15. A one-shot ( Ultraverse Future Shock #1) was published in February 1997 to wrap up unresolved plot lines. The Ultra's team were also depicted in
6468-473: The same name, written by James Hudnall for Malibu Comics’ Ultraverse imprint, one of the first series to launch the imprint. Hardcase was Tom Hawke, a Hollywood actor who became one of the first publicly known Ultras (the blanket term for superhumans in the Ultraverse) formed the first superhero team in his universe, The Squad. Hardcase made his first appearance in Hardcase #1, dated June 1993, written by James Hudnall and illustrated by Jim Callahan. As part of
6566-414: The short-lived Ultraverse imprint along with other Marvel characters. During the 2006 relaunch of the Eternals, the character was redesigned by Neil Gaiman . Sersi and the other Eternals returned in Jason Aaron 's Avengers . They were then all killed in a story arc involving the Dark Celestials in issue #4. Sersi is a fourth- generation member of the Eternals , an evolutionary offshoot of
6664-451: The situation because they needed to assault Proctor's Andean citadel. Then they fought against the Kree suicide squad, In the Genoshan conflict, Sersi fought Exodus . The Avengers also ventured into Deviant Lemuria in a battle against the mad priest Ghaur , an old enemy of Sersi. The relations between the teammates continued to worsen, and Sersi remained in her unstable state. The Avengers called on former member Hank Pym to discover
6762-431: The soft-spoken Doctor and began a relationship with him. Sersi turned out to be a staunch ally to the Eternals in their struggles with the Deviants . Sersi met and became an ally of Thor . She then participated in a battle between the Olympian gods and Eternals. Despite her loyalty to the Eternals, Sersi valued her independence, and she often refused to come to the Eternals' gatherings. During one such instance, Domo of
6860-426: The various members and convinced Hardcase to be the leader. She expressed interest in the adventures of the Black Knight , when he arrived in the Ultraverse, from Earth-616. When Marvel relaunched the Ultraverse , in the Black September (comics) event, Contrary was erased from existence, and her whereabouts are unknown Topaz is a character created by Mike W. Barr , appearing first in Giant-Size Mantra #1. She
6958-483: The various series, making extensive use of crossovers , in which a story that began in one series would be continued in the next-shipping issue of another series. Various promotions for special editions or limited-print stories also encouraged readers to sample issues of the entire line. The Ultraverse line came to dominate Malibu's catalog, and an animated series featuring one of the line's teams, Ultraforce , aired from 1994 to 1995. As American comics sales declined in
7056-486: The villainous priest Anskar murdered a young girl called Astra, Sersi killed him in retribution. When the Avengers returned to Earth, Sersi fled to Warrior Falls in Wakanda , trying to escape her guilt and fear. The Black Knight found her and convinced her to return to Avengers Headquarters. Sersi said that she feared she was going insane. Upon her return to Avengers Headquarters, Sersi suddenly attacked her fellow Avengers. She
7154-535: The world of superheroics, Sersi later appears as the head of a party planning website. She declines the Wasp's request to become an Avenger once again, but does use her powers to help the team track down Yon-Rogg . When the Final Host arrived on Earth, Sersi and all the other Eternals killed themselves after realizing the true purpose for which they were created. Her body was seen when Iron Man and Doctor Strange traveled to
7252-503: The young ultra Pixx sacrificed herself to disable the nuclear arsenal of the villain and was killed by the increasing radiation. In the end, Attalon was defeated and after a negotiation with Contrary, he left the surface world to its own devices. In the next months, the Ultra Ghoul investigated the strange death of the singer Mosh. Marvel's superhero Black Knight arrived in the Ultraverse and met with Prototype and Prime. He participated in
7350-458: Was a former Avenger. Sersi was perplexed by this, and Iron Man was confounded when he finds that there are no longer any records of Sersi in the Avengers database. She tests her powers out and accidentally turns a cat into a dragon. If the Eternal known as Sprite is to be believed, the Eternals' memories of their history and lives are actually a complex illusion created by him (a possible retcon of
7448-510: Was a powerful addition to the Avengers roster, although her flirtation still managed to embarrass Captain America. Sersi served with the team for quite a long time . Then, during an attack on the Earth by the Brethren, Sersi was captured and formed a Uni-Mind with the Brethren leader, Thane Ector. Such a union, between two different species, is forbidden by the Eternals, as it may lead to the breakdown of
7546-479: Was a short-lived Ultraforce animated television series that ran for 13 episodes. It was based on the first version of the Ultraforce comic book, and was produced by DIC Productions, L.P. and Bohbot Entertainment . There was also an Ultraforce action figure line produced by Galoob . The cartoon featured the roster of Prime , Hardcase , Prototype, Topaz, Ghoul, Contrary and Pixx. It also included appearances of
7644-441: Was a warrior Queen from the extra-dimensional matriarchal realm of Gwendor, located in the Godwheel. Topaz was the title of the queen, and her real name was never revealed. She meets the sorceress Mantra , when she arrived in her kingdom. She fought the sorceress for the possession of the old Gwendor's Claw, an ancient relic. A crashed alien spacecraft created a series of random pan-dimensional gateways, briefly connecting Gwendor to
7742-461: Was able to separate him from the Gems before he could act. At this time, the Ego Gem released Sersi from its power. Reuniting with the six other Gems, they were rendered entirely sentient, anthropomorphizing into a cosmic being calling itself Nemesis. Nemesis wanted to create a new world, and joined elements from both the Avengers' and Ultraforce's worlds to create an amalgam universe. There were too many conflicting elements though, and when Topaz of
7840-533: Was accepted back into the team as well. Back at their base, the Ultraforce met Hardcase , but did not recognize him. Hardcase explained to them he was not erased by the Black September, but was shunted instead into a limbo, where he created the creature Demonseed as a companion in the loneliness. However, Demonseed rebelled against his creator and escaped to the past via a portal, where he destroyed innumerable alien civilizations. Demonseed finally appeared and fought
7938-469: Was adapted into an animated television series that ran for 13 episodes. The series was produced by DIC . The team debuted in Ultraforce #1 (August 1994). In a similar fashion to the Avengers and Justice League , Ultraforce was an assemblage of ultras (superheroes) who each had an existing series of their own. The first Ultraforce series ran for 11 issues, from #0–10. The first 7 issues were written by Gerard Jones and drawn by George Perez . After
8036-560: Was employed by a criminal organization, the commission. With the help of Wreckage, the Ultraforce defeated Bonehammer. The team-up with the X-Men occurred when the Phoenix Force arrived in the Ultraverse and possessed Prime . Both teams drove the Phoenix away, but it found a new host: Amber Hunt. They also team up with Spider-Man against the extraterrestrials The Shifters who attempted to provoke
8134-574: Was happy to aid "Cap" (she often flirted with him, to his embarrassment) but required a favor from him in return — a dinner invitation. Sersi battled Ghaur alongside the Eternals, Thor, and the West Coast Avengers . Sersi also aided the Avengers in their struggle against the Deviants and the Elder God Set. When her fellow Eternal, the Forgotten One, was injured while serving as an Avenger,
8232-607: Was in the front in the battle against the Tulkans and Demonseed. Ghoul (real name Jonathan Martin) is a character created by Steve Gerber , R.R. Phipps, Dave Olbrich, Chris Ulm, and Tom Mason, appearing first in Exiles Vol.1 #1. Jonathan Martin was one of the young people affected by the Theta Virus, which provided superhuman powers but also killed its host without assistance. He became a zombie-like being, neither truly alive nor dead. He
8330-545: Was included in the first volume of the Ultraforce team book as part of the lineup. After the Black September event, Hardcase was apparently removed from existence, but he returned in Ultraforce Vol.2 #13 and took part of the final arc of the book. Incredibly strong, Hardcase is able to throw a car over 50 yards with little effort. His leg muscles allow him to leap nearly a mile. Nearly invulnerable to damage and changes in temperature, only extreme temperatures affect him. When he
8428-407: Was introduced as a government liaison for the team, and the wife of Bob Campbell, Felicia Campbell, supported the team as a medic. In the next months, new members arrived in the team included the mysterious Lament and the vigilante Wreckage , who apparently had committed various murders that were investigated by Ultraforce. They discovered that the murders were committed by the ultra Bonnehammer, who
8526-518: Was launched by Malibu Comics during the "comics boom" of the early 1990s, when a number of new and existing publishers introduced new universes featuring superheroes, debuting in June 1993 with ongoing series Prime , Hardcase and The Strangers . The project included writers Mike W. Barr , Steve Englehart , Steve Gerber , James D. Hudnall , Gerard Jones , James Robinson , Len Strazewski , and Larry Niven . It emphasized tight continuity between
8624-477: Was led by a man, Hardcase . After the Black knight arrived in the ultraverse, Topaz begin to discuss with him his mandates. When Sersi arrived at the encounter of the Knight, apparently mad, Topaz begins a battle with the Eternal, until Sersi was calmed. After Black September, Topaz remained in the Ultraverse and get used to it. There were hints of mutual attraction between her and Black Knight, that went nowhere. Topaz
8722-450: Was part of the original lineup of Ultraforce, but she sacrificed herself in the battle against Attalon. Pre-Black September Post-Black September In 2003, Steve Englehart was commissioned by Marvel to relaunch the Ultraverse with the most recognizable characters, including Hardcase and Prime , but the editorial decided finally not to resurrect the imprint. In June 2005, when asked by Newsarama whether Marvel had any plans to revive
8820-656: Was published by Marvel Comics, it was not treated as part of the Marvel Universe , but rather as a stand-alone series. In the 1980s, she made guest appearances in the series The Avengers and Captain America . Later, Marvel Comics continuity was retconned so that Sersi was the Greek mythological enchantress Circe , as introduced in Strange Tales #109 by Stan Lee , Robert Bernstein , and Kirby (June 1963). A different version of Circe had also previously appeared in
8918-464: Was recruited in the Exiles by Dr. Rachel Deming, who united a group of Theta Virus victims with superpowers. The entire group was killed (after various mistakes) by an explosion caused by Amber Hunt. Before his "death", Ghoul killed the villain Malcolm Kord and his minions. Ghoul survived, being buried for a while, and rose from his grave with an altered appearance, meeting Hardcase and became a member of
9016-466: Was replaced after an accident by a young man named Jimmy Ruiz. Bob Campbell served as the first spokesperson for the Ultratech corporation. He used the Prototype armor developed by the company but he was injured in a demonstration and lost an arm after fighting the villain Arena. After the accident, the young man Jimmy Ruiz was contracted by Ultratech to serve as the new spokesperson. He was given steroids and
9114-516: Was responsible for the murders of the young men and police officers. With her full memory returned, Sersi broke free from Proctor's control long enough to stumble upon the villain's trophy room. There laid Ute, a defeated Watcher (whom Proctor used to traverse the multiverse) as well as innumerable Sersis of other worlds that Proctor had already killed. With Sersi confused, the Gatherer Rik was able to contain her once again. The Avengers were rescued by
9212-418: Was revealed that Prime, Lament, and Topaz were infected by the Progeny virus and fought his counterparts from 50 years in the future that came to cure them. The Progeny virus would have infected all the Ultras in Earth. After they cured the virus and took Foxfire with them, the Ultraforce from the future erased the memory of this event from their counterparts of the past. Searching in the base about what happened,
9310-559: Was revealed that Starfox was the son of A'lars , who was also the Mentor of Titan , brother to Zuras. When the majority of Eternals decided to leave Earth for space, Sersi chose to remain. At least 13 years later, the Avenger Captain America needed someone with illusion-casting or shape-changing abilities for help with a case he was working on. He found Sersi's address on the Avengers' database and decided to ask her for help. Sersi
9408-604: Was stopped only by the intervention of the Vision (who was secretly the Anti-Vision, a member of the Gatherers). The real Vision was being held prisoner in Proctor's Andean mountain base. By this time, Sersi's fellow Eternals had become aware of her unstable nature. Three of them ( Ikaris , Arex, and Sprite ) came to return her to Olympia (the Eternal's capital). The Eternals feared Sersi
9506-545: Was suffering from the Mahd W'yry disease, a breakdown of the mind due to the Eternals' extended lives. Sersi rejected their fears as archaic and refused to accompany them back to Olympia. The Avengers didn't want to let the Eternals take one of their members against her will. They also learned that if Sersi was found to be suffering from the Mahd W'yry , the Eternals planned to 'cleanse' her by molecular disintegration, which would kill her. Sprite, who had learned of Sersi's relations with
9604-480: Was surgically implanted with special cybernetics to allow him to control a new Prototype armor. In his first appearance at a shareholders' meeting, Jimmy was attacked by a supervillain. The fight ended with the killing of the villain. Jimmy with Bob, after uncovering Ultra-Tech's corruption, opted to overthrow the company and become independent heroes, fighting the Japanese organization, Techuza . When Marvel relaunched
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