Brute (Reed Richards)
Encyclopedia
Brute is a fictional character
featured in Marvel Comics
publications, most notably Fantastic Four
.
of Counter-Earth first appeared in Marvel Premiere
#2 (May 1972), and was created by Roy Thomas
and Gil Kane
.
The character subsequently appears as The Brute in Warlock #7 (August 1973), Fantastic Four #175-179 (October 1976-February 1977), #181-183 (April-June 1977), Fantastic Four Unlimited #3 (September 1993), Paradise X: Heralds #1-2 (December 2001-January 2002), and Fantastic Four #47 (November 2001), and #49 (January 2002).
The Brute received an entry in the Marvel Legacy: The 1970's Handbook #1 (2006), and the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z HC vol. #2 (2008).
, leader of the Fantastic Four
) from a world created by the High Evolutionary
called Counter-Earth. He was exposed to cosmic rays that gave him the ability to transform into a savage purple-skinned behemoth called the Brute. When he becomes the Brute, he possesses superhuman
strength.
The Brute made his way to Earth-616
, where he trapped Mister Fantastic in the Negative Zone and replaced him. He infiltrated the Fantastic Four by posing as Mister Fantastic during a time when the other Reed had lost his stretching powers. He managed to trap the Human Torch and the Thing shortly thereafter, but was found out by the Invisible Woman, who rescued her teammates and left the Brute trapped in their place. The Brute was later a member of the Frightful Four
.
At one point he proved able to absorb geothermal energy from the Earth's core, increasing his own power. In such from, he could also fire energy blasts.
. In this continuum, a Counter-Earth version of Reed and his friends were exposed to cosmic rays like their Earth counterparts. Reed became a creature known as The Brute, Sue ended up in a coma and Johnny was dead. Only Ben was unaffected. Using his good standing with The High Evolutionary as Reed Richards (who tries to maintain his secret identity by putting up a snobby front), The Brute secretly aids the Counter-Earth rebels against them. Ben Grimm helps out by gathering data held by The High Evolutionary.
Fictional character
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...
featured in 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...
publications, most notably Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
.
Publication history
The Reed RichardsMister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
of Counter-Earth first appeared in Marvel Premiere
Marvel Premiere
Marvel Premiere is an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics. It ran for 61 issues from April 1972 to August 1981....
#2 (May 1972), and was created by Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and Gil Kane
Gil Kane
Eli Katz who worked under the name Gil Kane and in one instance Scott Edward, was a comic book artist whose career spanned the 1940s to 1990s and every major comics company and character.Kane co-created the modern-day versions of the superheroes Green Lantern and the Atom for DC Comics, and...
.
The character subsequently appears as The Brute in Warlock #7 (August 1973), Fantastic Four #175-179 (October 1976-February 1977), #181-183 (April-June 1977), Fantastic Four Unlimited #3 (September 1993), Paradise X: Heralds #1-2 (December 2001-January 2002), and Fantastic Four #47 (November 2001), and #49 (January 2002).
The Brute received an entry in the Marvel Legacy: The 1970's Handbook #1 (2006), and the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z HC vol. #2 (2008).
Fictional character biography
Brute is a version of Reed Richards (Mister FantasticMister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
, leader of the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
) from a world created by the High Evolutionary
High Evolutionary
The High Evolutionary is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The High Evolutionary was first mentioned in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #133 , and first appears in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #134 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
called Counter-Earth. He was exposed to cosmic rays that gave him the ability to transform into a savage purple-skinned behemoth called the Brute. When he becomes the Brute, he possesses superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
strength.
The Brute made his way to Earth-616
Earth-616
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 or Earth 616 is the name used to identify the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.-Origin of Earth-616:...
, where he trapped Mister Fantastic in the Negative Zone and replaced him. He infiltrated the Fantastic Four by posing as Mister Fantastic during a time when the other Reed had lost his stretching powers. He managed to trap the Human Torch and the Thing shortly thereafter, but was found out by the Invisible Woman, who rescued her teammates and left the Brute trapped in their place. The Brute was later a member of the Frightful Four
Frightful Four
The Frightful Four are a group of fictional characters in Marvel Comics who serve as the antithesis to the Fantastic Four.-Publication history:...
.
Powers and abilities
Reed can transform at will into the Brute, who possesses an 8-9' tall form with significant superhuman strength and durability. In addition, he retains the brilliant genius and much of the knowledge of Reed Richards.At one point he proved able to absorb geothermal energy from the Earth's core, increasing his own power. In such from, he could also fire energy blasts.
Other version
The Brute makes an appearance in the tie-in comic, Spider-Man UnlimitedSpider-Man Unlimited
Spider-Man Unlimited was a short-lived animated series featuring the Marvel comic book superhero Spider-Man. The series was released in 1999, but, although it had fair ratings, was overshadowed by Pokémon, and was canceled after airing only a few episodes. Fox later resumed airing the show, airing...
. In this continuum, a Counter-Earth version of Reed and his friends were exposed to cosmic rays like their Earth counterparts. Reed became a creature known as The Brute, Sue ended up in a coma and Johnny was dead. Only Ben was unaffected. Using his good standing with The High Evolutionary as Reed Richards (who tries to maintain his secret identity by putting up a snobby front), The Brute secretly aids the Counter-Earth rebels against them. Ben Grimm helps out by gathering data held by The High Evolutionary.