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Adversary (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Adversary is a fictional character
, a demonic supervillain
in the Marvel Comics
universe
.
#187-188 (November-December 1984), and was created by Chris Claremont
and John Romita, Jr.
The character subsequently appears in Uncanny X-Men #220-227 (August 1987-March 1988), Wolverine #86 (October 1994), and X-Factor #118-121 (January-April 1996).
The Adversary received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89
#1.
member Forge
several decades ago and has since come back to antagonize the X-Men and threaten the entire world.
During the Vietnam War
, the Native American
mutant
known as Forge
saw his company slain by the North Vietnam
ese. Forge tapped into his long-suppressed shamanic
heritage to summon the Adversary to destroy the attackers, but then regained his senses and banished the demon. Nevertheless, the Adversary had a foothold on the Earth thanks to Forge's actions.
Years later, Forge's mentor Nazé was killed and his form and memories stolen by a Dire Wraith
, an alien
parasite
. The Nazé impostor summoned the Adversary, only to be destroyed by the demon. The Adversary was then able to escape the dimension to which he was bound, capturing Forge and his ally, Storm of the X-Men
, and imprisoning them in the otherworldly stronghold of the goddess Roma
, whom he subdued.
The Adversary then travelled to Dallas, Texas
and battled the combined forces of the X-Men and Freedom Force
during the "Fall of the Mutants
" crossover
. Ultimately, the only way to permanently banish the Adversary was for nine souls to willingly sacrifice themselves in a magical spell
. The X-Men agreed, and Forge cast the spell. The X-Men died, but Roma secretly returned them to life.
The Adversary later returned to Earth, having been born physically on Earth as the son of the mutant Haven
, but was again banished by Forge, who was at the time affiliated with X-Factor
.
He can enter and leave different planes of existence and dimensions at will and has reality-warping powers. He can also summon demons and other supernatural creatures to do his bidding.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a demonic supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
.
Publication history
The Adversary first appeared in Uncanny X-MenUncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#187-188 (November-December 1984), and was created by Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
and John Romita, Jr.
John Romita, Jr.
John Salvatore Romita, Jr. is an American comic book artist best known for his extensive work for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the 2000s...
The character subsequently appears in Uncanny X-Men #220-227 (August 1987-March 1988), Wolverine #86 (October 1994), and X-Factor #118-121 (January-April 1996).
The Adversary received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#1.
Fictional character biography
The Adversary is a demon who was initially summoned by the X-MenX-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
member Forge
Forge (comics)
Forge is a fictional character in the , a superhero associated with The X-Men.A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique which led him to...
several decades ago and has since come back to antagonize the X-Men and threaten the entire world.
During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
known as Forge
Forge (comics)
Forge is a fictional character in the , a superhero associated with The X-Men.A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique which led him to...
saw his company slain by the North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
ese. Forge tapped into his long-suppressed shamanic
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
heritage to summon the Adversary to destroy the attackers, but then regained his senses and banished the demon. Nevertheless, the Adversary had a foothold on the Earth thanks to Forge's actions.
Years later, Forge's mentor Nazé was killed and his form and memories stolen by a Dire Wraith
Dire Wraith
The Dire Wraiths are a fictional extraterrestrial species published by Marvel Comics. The Dire Wraiths first appeared in Rom #1 , and were created by Bill Mantlo and Al Milgrom. The Dire Wraiths are the main opponents of Rom the Spaceknight....
, an alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
parasite
Parasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
. The Nazé impostor summoned the Adversary, only to be destroyed by the demon. The Adversary was then able to escape the dimension to which he was bound, capturing Forge and his ally, Storm of the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
, and imprisoning them in the otherworldly stronghold of the goddess Roma
Roma (comics)
Roma is a fictional character featured in numerous Marvel Comics titles. She is the daughter of Merlyn. Roma is the Omniversal Guardian, charged with the safety of the Omniverse...
, whom he subdued.
The Adversary then travelled to Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and battled the combined forces of the X-Men and Freedom Force
Freedom Force (comics)
Freedom Force is the name of two teams within Marvel Comics' universe.The original was a supervillain team, though they occasionally acted in a heroic capacity as well. It was a government-sponsored team originally composed mainly of Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants...
during the "Fall of the Mutants
Fall of the Mutants
"The Fall of the Mutants" was a comic book crossover event by Marvel Comics spanning January to March 1988. It spanned three issues each of The Uncanny X-Men , X-Factor , and The New Mutants ; unlike most crossovers however, the various titles' storylines did not intertwine, but were instead linked...
" crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
. Ultimately, the only way to permanently banish the Adversary was for nine souls to willingly sacrifice themselves in a magical spell
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
. The X-Men agreed, and Forge cast the spell. The X-Men died, but Roma secretly returned them to life.
The Adversary later returned to Earth, having been born physically on Earth as the son of the mutant Haven
Haven (comics)
Haven is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe. Her first appearance was in X-Factor #96.-Fictional character biography:...
, but was again banished by Forge, who was at the time affiliated with X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
.
Powers and abilities
The Adversary is a powerful demon of the highest order and possesses vast supernatural powers. He is essentially invincible to anything but the most powerful magic and iron. He has superhuman strength and endurance which, being magical in nature, are potentially incalculably high.He can enter and leave different planes of existence and dimensions at will and has reality-warping powers. He can also summon demons and other supernatural creatures to do his bidding.