Count Nefaria
Encyclopedia
Count Nefaria is a fiction
al character
that appears in comic book
s published by Marvel Comics
. The character first appears in Avengers
#13 (February, 1965) and was created by Stan Lee
and Don Heck
.
. The recently formed superhero team the Avengers
, however, thwart many of his plans and force a direct conflict, so Nefaria lures them to his castle on the pretence of a charity event, and places them in suspended animation, using images which threaten to take control of America. After he releases them, the Avengers become suspicious of him and go to his Castle, however nearly all of them are paralyzed by Nefaria's gas. Captain America gets into the castle without touching the ground, other Avengers, or walls, and freed the Teen Brigade
, who gave the antidote to the Avengers. Captain America was also paralyzed, and with his hands and feet attached to ropes he was suspended between floor and ceiling, where Nefaria mocked him, saying he would be a hero for capturing him. However Iron Man then burst through the wall. Neferia was defeated and deported. In retaliation, Nefaria then unsuccessfully attempts to destroy Iron Man
, and then suffers yet another defeat when stopped by the mutant
X-Men
. Nefaria reappears several years later and attempts to take control of the United States base NORAD
, but is stopped by the X-Men once again. Nefaria attempts to escape in a plane which is attacked by the X-Man Thunderbird
. The plane then explodes, killing Thunderbird and injuring Nefaria.
Now virtually destitute and discredited, Nefaria hires the supervillains the Living Laser
, Power Man, and Whirlwind
to form the second Lethal Legion
. The group rob several banks, and unwittingly finance an experiment Nefaria has created in a bid to become superhuman. Employing the former scientific adviser to Baron Heinrich Zemo, Nefaria devises a means of temporarily amplifying the abilities of the Lethal Legion, and then sends them into combat against the Avengers. The effect, however, is temporary and once defeated their combined abilities are drained by Nefaria, who possesses them magnified a hundredfold. After a long and protracted battle, Nefaria is finally defeated.
Nefaria is then kept in isolation and under observation by the Avengers, and it is discovered that the process to empower him makes Nefaria immortal but vulnerable as his body reconfigures itself. Whitney Frost, also known as Madame Masque
and the daughter of Nefaria, attempts to find a cure for what she believes to be his deteriorating condition. She hires the Ani-Men
to attack Avengers Mansion
and free her father. While battling Iron Man, Nefaria's life-support system is severed and his weakened form is crushed by a stored Jupiter Landing Vehicle. Nefaria briefly reappears some time later as a corpse reanimated by the villain the Grim Reaper
. The Reaper directs Nefaria to attack the Avengers, but loses control soon afterwards and Nefaria dies once again.
Nefaria eventually reappears, but in an ion
ic humanoid form, and constantly requires ionic energy to sustain his existence. He battles Iron Man and later Captain America
and Ka-Zar
in the Savage Land
as he attempts to find sources of energy. Nefaria then plans to detonate an ionic bomb, which will transform millions of people into an ionic state which he can then control, perceiving it as the best way to guarantee that he receives the respect that he feels he deserves. Nefaria gains control of the ionic heroes Wonder Man
and Atlas who he intends to use to kill the Avengers, but he is stopped by the combined efforts of the Avengers, fellow superhero team the Thunderbolts
and Madame Masque, Masque using a weapon she had developed to disrupt Nefaria's own ionic energy. He is next seen as an inmate of The Raft
, a prison for supervillains, and escapes when Electro stages a mass breakout.
Following the Siege
storyline, Madame Masque sought out her father to help the Hood
after Loki
took back the Norn Stones. The New Avengers capture John King (Hood's cousin) and use him to track the Hood and Madame Masque. After a battle with Count Nefaria, they capture the villains and bring all four of them to Maria Hill to place them under arrest.
Nefaria returns within the pages of Moon Knight, having established himself as the new Kingpin of Los Angeles
.
(energy projection), Power Man (strength), and Whirlwind
(speed), amplified a hundredfold. Because of this, Nefaria is one of the physically strongest known humans in the Marvel Universe. He has toppled a 40-story building with little effort, withstood a blow from Wonder Man without flinching, fought an enraged Thor
to a standstill with no apparent damage from strikes of his hammer, even stopping it with his bare hand, and has withstood simultaneous attacks by multiple teams of Avengers at once and laughed it off.
The character then aged until his body evolved, and eventually shifted to an ionic form, able to create ionic constructs and manipulate other ionic beings. As such, Nefaria is now effectively immortal, and virtually indestructible. He also has the power of flight when before he could only leap great distances. Although it is possible to deplete Nefaria's ionic energy in combat by forcing him to expend energy faster than his body can replenish it, Giant-Man
has calculated that it would take three weeks of constant combat - without even giving Nefaria time to pause for breath - for even the combined forces of the Avengers and the Thunderbolts to deplete Nefaria's ionic energy reserves completely in that manner. However, Madame Masque has developed a weapon that disrupts Nefaria's ionic energy.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character
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...
that appears in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s published by 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...
. The character first appears in Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
#13 (February, 1965) and was created by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Don Heck
Don Heck
Don Heck was an American comic book artist best known for co-creating the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, and for his long run penciling the Marvel superhero-team series The Avengers during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books.-Early life and career:Born in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New...
.
Fictional character biography
Luchino Nefaria is a wealthy Italian aristocrat, who while a traditionalist also desires greater wealth and power, driving him to join the criminal organization the MaggiaMaggia (comics)
The Maggia is a fictional international crime syndicate that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The organization exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
. The recently formed superhero team the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, however, thwart many of his plans and force a direct conflict, so Nefaria lures them to his castle on the pretence of a charity event, and places them in suspended animation, using images which threaten to take control of America. After he releases them, the Avengers become suspicious of him and go to his Castle, however nearly all of them are paralyzed by Nefaria's gas. Captain America gets into the castle without touching the ground, other Avengers, or walls, and freed the Teen Brigade
Teen Brigade
The Teen Brigade is either of two distinct fictional teams in the Marvel Comics Universe. Both teams were recruited by Rick Jones from young amateur radio enthusiasts in order to obtain and divulge strategic information about safety hazards, most notably those involving the Incredible Hulk.The...
, who gave the antidote to the Avengers. Captain America was also paralyzed, and with his hands and feet attached to ropes he was suspended between floor and ceiling, where Nefaria mocked him, saying he would be a hero for capturing him. However Iron Man then burst through the wall. Neferia was defeated and deported. In retaliation, Nefaria then unsuccessfully attempts to destroy Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
, and then suffers yet another defeat when stopped by the 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...
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...
. Nefaria reappears several years later and attempts to take control of the United States base NORAD
North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for the two countries. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado...
, but is stopped by the X-Men once again. Nefaria attempts to escape in a plane which is attacked by the X-Man Thunderbird
Thunderbird (comics)
Thunderbird is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who was briefly a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 ....
. The plane then explodes, killing Thunderbird and injuring Nefaria.
Now virtually destitute and discredited, Nefaria hires the supervillains the Living Laser
Living Laser
The Living Laser is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #34 and was created by Stan Lee, Artie Simek and Don Heck.-Publication history:...
, Power Man, and Whirlwind
Whirlwind (comics)
Whirlwind is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales To Astonish #50 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
to form the second Lethal Legion
Lethal Legion
The Lethal Legion is the name of five teams of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first version of the Legion appears in The Avengers #78 ; the second version in Avengers #164 ; the third version in West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #1 ; the fourth Avengers...
. The group rob several banks, and unwittingly finance an experiment Nefaria has created in a bid to become superhuman. Employing the former scientific adviser to Baron Heinrich Zemo, Nefaria devises a means of temporarily amplifying the abilities of the Lethal Legion, and then sends them into combat against the Avengers. The effect, however, is temporary and once defeated their combined abilities are drained by Nefaria, who possesses them magnified a hundredfold. After a long and protracted battle, Nefaria is finally defeated.
Nefaria is then kept in isolation and under observation by the Avengers, and it is discovered that the process to empower him makes Nefaria immortal but vulnerable as his body reconfigures itself. Whitney Frost, also known as Madame Masque
Madame Masque
Madame Masque is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. She is an occasional love interest, and sometimes enemy of Iron Man within the Marvel Universe...
and the daughter of Nefaria, attempts to find a cure for what she believes to be his deteriorating condition. She hires the Ani-Men
Ani-Men
The Ani-Men is the name of several fictional teams within the Marvel Universe. Four of them are villain groups, while one of them was introduced as a team of agents serving the High Evolutionary.-Original Ani-Men:...
to attack Avengers Mansion
Avengers Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, Avengers Mansion has traditionally been the base of the Avengers. The enormous, city block-sized building is located at 890 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City.-Creative origin:...
and free her father. While battling Iron Man, Nefaria's life-support system is severed and his weakened form is crushed by a stored Jupiter Landing Vehicle. Nefaria briefly reappears some time later as a corpse reanimated by the villain the Grim Reaper
Grim Reaper (comics)
Grim Reaper is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in The Avengers #52 May , by Roy Thomas and John Buscema.-Fictional character biography:...
. The Reaper directs Nefaria to attack the Avengers, but loses control soon afterwards and Nefaria dies once again.
Nefaria eventually reappears, but in an ion
Ion
An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. The name was given by physicist Michael Faraday for the substances that allow a current to pass between electrodes in a...
ic humanoid form, and constantly requires ionic energy to sustain his existence. He battles Iron Man and later Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
and Ka-Zar
Ka-Zar
Ka-Zar is the name of two jungle-dwelling comics fictional characters published in the United States. The first appeared in pulp magazines of the 1930s, and was adapted for his second iteration, as a comic book character for Timely Comics, the 1930s and 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics...
in the Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
as he attempts to find sources of energy. Nefaria then plans to detonate an ionic bomb, which will transform millions of people into an ionic state which he can then control, perceiving it as the best way to guarantee that he receives the respect that he feels he deserves. Nefaria gains control of the ionic heroes Wonder Man
Wonder Man
Wonder Man is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Avengers #9 .-Publication history:Wonder Man debuted in the superhero-team title The Avengers #9 Wonder...
and Atlas who he intends to use to kill the Avengers, but he is stopped by the combined efforts of the Avengers, fellow superhero team the Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
and Madame Masque, Masque using a weapon she had developed to disrupt Nefaria's own ionic energy. He is next seen as an inmate of The Raft
The Raft (comics)
The Raft is a fictional island prison facility in New York City for psychopathic superhuman criminals appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
, a prison for supervillains, and escapes when Electro stages a mass breakout.
Following the Siege
Siege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
storyline, Madame Masque sought out her father to help the Hood
Hood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
after Loki
Loki (comics)
Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor. He is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology...
took back the Norn Stones. The New Avengers capture John King (Hood's cousin) and use him to track the Hood and Madame Masque. After a battle with Count Nefaria, they capture the villains and bring all four of them to Maria Hill to place them under arrest.
Nefaria returns within the pages of Moon Knight, having established himself as the new Kingpin of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Powers and abilities
Nefaria was a normal human until subjected to a process perfected by one of Baron Heinrich Zemo's scientists Dr. Kenneth Sturdy which granted him the combined powers of the villains the Living LaserLiving Laser
The Living Laser is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #34 and was created by Stan Lee, Artie Simek and Don Heck.-Publication history:...
(energy projection), Power Man (strength), and Whirlwind
Whirlwind (comics)
Whirlwind is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales To Astonish #50 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
(speed), amplified a hundredfold. Because of this, Nefaria is one of the physically strongest known humans in the Marvel Universe. He has toppled a 40-story building with little effort, withstood a blow from Wonder Man without flinching, fought an enraged Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
to a standstill with no apparent damage from strikes of his hammer, even stopping it with his bare hand, and has withstood simultaneous attacks by multiple teams of Avengers at once and laughed it off.
The character then aged until his body evolved, and eventually shifted to an ionic form, able to create ionic constructs and manipulate other ionic beings. As such, Nefaria is now effectively immortal, and virtually indestructible. He also has the power of flight when before he could only leap great distances. Although it is possible to deplete Nefaria's ionic energy in combat by forcing him to expend energy faster than his body can replenish it, Giant-Man
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
has calculated that it would take three weeks of constant combat - without even giving Nefaria time to pause for breath - for even the combined forces of the Avengers and the Thunderbolts to deplete Nefaria's ionic energy reserves completely in that manner. However, Madame Masque has developed a weapon that disrupts Nefaria's ionic energy.
Television
- Count Nefaria appears in the Iron Man segment of The Marvel Super Heroes.
- Count Nefaria appears in the Iron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored Adventures is a 3D CGI cartoon series based on the Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man. It debuted in the USA on the Nicktoons on April 24, 2009, and has already begun airing on Canadian network Teletoon. The series is story edited by showrunner Christopher Yost, who also worked on...
episode "Pepper, Interrupted", voiced by Russell Roberts. This version sports a cane that shoots electricity. He, Black Knight, and his Maggia have a negotiation with the MandarinMandarin (comics)The Mandarin is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain and the archenemy of Iron Man.In 2009, Mandarin was ranked as IGN's 81st Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.-Publication history:...
when some Maggia members catch Pepper snooping around the meeting area. When Iron Man arrives, a fight between the Tong and the Maggia breaks out. When Pepper tries to maneuver through the fight, Count Nefaria orders his men to catch her. Mandarin in his alias of Gene Kahn ends up saving Pepper as Count Nefaria ends up getting word that the police are approaching. Count Nefaria and Black Knight are arrested alongside the Maggia troops that didn't escape. In the episode "Armor Wars," Count Nefaria and his henchmen rob a bank when GuardsmenGuardsman (comics)Guardsman was the name of a superhero in the Marvel Universe, but was later applied to a small squad of agents. He/they wear suits of power armor while working security at the Vault; the suits were designed by Tony Stark, better known as the superhero Iron Man....
members ForceForce (comics)Force is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Prince Namor, the Savage Sub-Mariner #67 Force is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Prince Namor, the...
and ShockwaveShockwave (comics)Shockwave is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe whose first appearance was in Master of Kung Fu vol. 1 #42.-Fictional character biography:...
appeared. Count Nefaria knocks down Force and Shockwave, but was defeated by Iron Man. It was later revealed by Pepper to Tony upon going into the FBI Database that Force and Shockwave worked for the Maggia before being outfitted with the Guardsmen armor by Obadiah Stane which meant to Tony that Force and Shockwave had Count Nefaria fake a bank robbery all along. In the episode "The Hawk and the Spider," it is revealed that HawkeyeHawkeye (comics)Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
's brother Barney BartonBarney BartonBarney Barton is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Avengers vol.1 #64 and was created by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan. Barney is the older brother of Clint Barton, the superhero known as Hawkeye...
is in debt to Count Nefaria. In the same episode, Hawkeye and Black Widow planned to give the User Interface Chip they took from Iron Man (after he had swiped it from Stark International) until the User Interface Chip is taken from them by Justin HammerJustin HammerJustin Hammer is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. As a frequent adversary of the superhero Iron Man, Justin Hammer exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
in his Titanium ManTitanium ManThe Titanium Man is the name of two or more fictional characters, supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The original Titanium Man first appeared in Tales of Suspense #69 . He was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.-Titanium Man I:Boris Bullski was born in Makeyevka, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union...
armor. - Count Nefaria is mentioned in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series. A second season has been...
episode "Widow's Sting." He has been contacted by Black Widow at the behest of HYDRAHYDRAHYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
.
Miscellaneous
- A version of Count Nefaria is a frequent "guest" on the X-Men-centric podcast Uncanny X-Cast. This version of Count Nefaria is a vampire and speaks with a stereotypical vampireVampireVampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
accent, similar to Count von Count from Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
. One of the two hosts has a negative opinion of Count Nefaria, and usually tries to convince the other host to make the Count "leave."