Phobos (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
Phobos is the name of two fictional comic book characters appearing in books published by Marvel Comics
characters. The first appeared in Dr. Strange
, Sorcerer Supreme #32 (August 1991) in a story written by Roy Thomas
and Jean-Marc Lofficier
.
The second and current Phobos first appeared in the 2006 Ares: God of War mini-series (written by Michael Avon Oeming
; art by Travel Foreman
). He is the son of Ares
and a member of the Secret Warriors
.
Due to the nature of gods in the Marvel Universe, in addition to the retcon
surrounding the current Phobos (see below) the relationship between the two has not been explicitly explained.
and Jean-Marc Lofficier
. He reappeared in "The Great Fear" storyline in DS:SS #39 (March 1992).
and Nox (posing as Venus) but were killed by Thor
and Hercules
in their first appearance. Later the Fear Lords release so much fear that Nox is able to bring her sons back, creating them from the Darkforce
but they were eventually defeated again. Phobos meets his final fate when Amatsu-Mikaboshi
assaults Olympus and kills him.
limited series in 2006 written by Michael Avon Oeming
. Here, he is manipulated by Amatsu-Mikaboshi
into becoming a warrior until his father, Ares, saves him many years later, a young adult with god-like powers. This ending is ignored for future storyline purposes.
The character returns, retcon
ned by Brian Michael Bendis
and reduced to a ten year old boy with no specialized training in Mighty Avengers #1, then reappears in the Secret Invasion
crossover , in Mighty Avengers and the Secret Invasion limited series. Once Dark Reign
started, he began appearing regularly in Secret Warriors.
. Mikaboshi, in an attempt to destroy the Marvel pantheons, trains and manipulates Alex for at least five Olympian years - which vary substantially from human years in that years can pass to the gods while simultaneously only a few days or months passing for humans - under the guise of a mother-figure who eventually turns him into a deadly swordsman. He is saved from the evil deity when the combination of Zeus and Ares's influences broke his brainwashing. Their salvation apparently eliminates his skills.
Brian Michael Bendis then ret-conned these events in Mighty Avengers. When Alex / Phobos is first approached by fellow Secret Warrior Daisy, he is once again a young boy, untrained, and aware that his father is the god Ares (Mighty Avengers #13). (The general story of Mikaboshi destroying the Marvel pantheons and Zeus' sacrifice remains canon however). It's at this point that Daisy reveals to Alex that he is Phobos. After this, he begins to gain fear like powers, having inherited the original's abilities. However, in Mighty Avengers #13 he scared off couple of boys and after that he lied to Daisy that he doesn't have any powers, but she doesn't believe him. After talk with her he says 'that explains so much' because he realises then that he's new Phobos, and was born mortal, but after drinking Mikaboshi's blood he became god and now he has fear powers and Daisy told him who he really is (new god of fear). In that issue Ares tells him that he's an Avenger right now and he cannot worry about his grades.
During the Secret Invasion storyline, Alex is recruited by Nick Fury
for his team of Secret Warriors
. Post-invasion, he remains a member of the team and has shown evidence of additional pre-cognitive powers. However, his father has noticed his absence upon receiving a truancy notice. In the aftermath of Utopia
, Ares followed Alex and Daisy to one of Fury's base, where he discovers his son's affiliation with the former S.H.I.E.L.D.
director. Fury tells Ares that his son has potential. Ares ultimately accepts his son's decision, meaning that he doesn't need to hide his allegiance anymore. Phobos later pilots a Fury Life Model Decoy
to assist Black Widow and Songbird
but they are captured by the Thunderbolts. As soon as Norman Osborn
shoots the LMD in the head, Phobos reveals himself, inflicting Osborn with the fear that he will lose his mind soon enough.. During Siege
, Phobos tried to tag along with the other secret warriors to help the Asgardians, but Nick Fury wouldn't let him, because he knew his father would die and he didn't want him to witness it. When the fiasco was over, Thor
confronted Phobos telling him that Ares was dead and he offered to take him to see his next of kin in Mount Olympus. However, he declined his offer. Thor offered that if he ever changed his mind, he would take him there. Although he had mixed feelings with his dad, he still felt sad that he died.
Phobos is now in Elysium after having been stabbed and killed by Gorgon
wielding the sword Godkiller. His last appearance had his father proud of his actions as they were reunited in the afterlife.
The current version of Phobos (Alex) was at one time a highly trained swordsman and possessed strength and endurance similar to other Olympian gods in the Marvel universe, however this has since been ret-conned. Secret Warriors #10 re-establishes his training with a sword. He was denied use of it by his father Ares, who required him to be proficient in all forms of arms before returning his sword.
Currently he, like the previous Phobos, can instill fear in others. Additionally, he has shown evidence of pre-cognitive powers.
When utilizing his fear based powers, Alex's eyes glow. The color has shown to vary between white and red. Whether this is simply due to the artist's rendering or the level of power usage is unknown.
However, this mini-series takes place before Brian Michael Bendis retcon
ned the origin and abilities of Alex. Within the mini-series Alex had grown well into his late teens, had acquired a mastery of almost all forms of weaponry, and was well aware of his divine heritage. However, when Alex next appears in Mighty Avengers #13 he is barely 10, has no combat experience, and is aware that his father is the god Ares. It is also in Mighty Avengers #13 that Alex is first identified as Ares' son Phobos, and displays abilities similar to the original version of the character. Thus, it would appear that Bendis retconned the events of the mini-series and that Alex and Phobos are potentially the same character.
Adding to the confusion, based on the events in The Incredible Hercules #117 it seems that parts of the Ares: God of War mini-series are, in fact, still considered canon. Namely, Mikaboshi's plot and attempt to destroy the divine pantheons in the Marvel Universe. Since Alex's capture and development were central to Mikaboshi's plan, yet also directly contradict his later appearances in Mighty Avengers and Secret Warriors, the current status of both characters remains unclear.
According to the Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica, the original Phobos and the current Alex are two separate characters. More specifically, they are half-brothers. The Phobos profile indicates that the original Phobos (and his brother Deimos) were killed during Mikaboshi's invasion of Olympus, and that Alexander inherited the fear-based powers of his slain older half-brother following his return to Earth.
Dark Reign: New Nation #1 states the Ares: God of War limited series as the first appearance of Alex. However, this does not indicate if he is meant to be related to the previous Phobos, such as in a re-imagining or reincarnation.
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...
characters. The first appeared in Dr. Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, Sorcerer Supreme #32 (August 1991) in a story written 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 Jean-Marc Lofficier
Jean-Marc Lofficier
Jean-Marc Lofficier is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comic books and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier .-Biography:Jean-Marc Lofficier was born in Toulon, France in 1954...
.
The second and current Phobos first appeared in the 2006 Ares: God of War mini-series (written by Michael Avon Oeming
Michael Avon Oeming
Michael Avon Oeming is an American comic book creator, both as an artist and writer. He is known for using a stark art style to tell stories with sophisticated and mature subject matter.-Career:...
; art by Travel Foreman
Travel Foreman
-Biography:Travel Foreman gained attention with his work on Com.x’s Cla$$war, where he replaced original series artist Trevor Hairsine. He quickly moved on to work at Marvel Comics, illustrating the Supreme Power spin-off mini-series, Doctor Spectrum, and a Juggernaut story written by Lee Barnett...
). He is the son of Ares
Ares (Marvel Comics)
Ares is a fictional character, a deity in the Marvel Comics Universe based on the Greek god of the same name. He first appears in Thor #129 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
and a member of the Secret Warriors
Secret Warriors
The Secret Warriors is a Marvel series featuring Nick Fury and Team White, a fictional team of superpowered agents in the . Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, the characters were introduced in Mighty Avengers #13, and debuted as a team in Secret Invasion #3, both published in...
.
Due to the nature of gods in the Marvel Universe, in addition to the retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
surrounding the current Phobos (see below) the relationship between the two has not been explicitly explained.
Publication history
The original Phobos first appeared in the "A Gathering of Fear" storyline in Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #32 (August 1991) written by Roy ThomasRoy 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 Jean-Marc Lofficier
Jean-Marc Lofficier
Jean-Marc Lofficier is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comic books and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier .-Biography:Jean-Marc Lofficier was born in Toulon, France in 1954...
. He reappeared in "The Great Fear" storyline in DS:SS #39 (March 1992).
Fictional biography
Phobos and his brother Deimos are sons of AresAres (Marvel Comics)
Ares is a fictional character, a deity in the Marvel Comics Universe based on the Greek god of the same name. He first appears in Thor #129 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
and Nox (posing as Venus) but were killed by 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....
and Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
in their first appearance. Later the Fear Lords release so much fear that Nox is able to bring her sons back, creating them from the Darkforce
Darkforce
-Description:It is a powerful, extra-dimensional energy that can be manipulated in slightly different ways by a handful of beings that are attuned to it. There are slight yet inconclusive hints that it may be a corruptive influence of some kind and perhaps even sentient...
but they were eventually defeated again. Phobos meets his final fate when Amatsu-Mikaboshi
Amatsu-Mikaboshi (comics)
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a supervillain and demonic god of evil who is best known as an enemy of Hercules...
assaults Olympus and kills him.
Publication history
The current Phobos, Alexander, first appeared in the AresAres (comic book)
Ares is a 2006 Marvel Comics comic book limited series starring the character of the same name is written by Michael Avon Oeming and pencilled by Travel Foreman.-Plot summary:...
limited series in 2006 written by Michael Avon Oeming
Michael Avon Oeming
Michael Avon Oeming is an American comic book creator, both as an artist and writer. He is known for using a stark art style to tell stories with sophisticated and mature subject matter.-Career:...
. Here, he is manipulated by Amatsu-Mikaboshi
Amatsu-Mikaboshi (comics)
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a supervillain and demonic god of evil who is best known as an enemy of Hercules...
into becoming a warrior until his father, Ares, saves him many years later, a young adult with god-like powers. This ending is ignored for future storyline purposes.
The character returns, retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned by Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim for his self-published, Image Comics and Marvel Comics work, and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics, with his books selling consistently highly for over a...
and reduced to a ten year old boy with no specialized training in Mighty Avengers #1, then reappears in the Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
crossover , in Mighty Avengers and the Secret Invasion limited series. Once Dark Reign
Dark Reign (comics)
"Dark Reign" is a 2008–2009 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. It deals with the aftermath of the "Secret Invasion" storyline, which led to a shift of power in the Marvel Universe toward Norman Osborn. The title "Dark Reign" refers to Osborn's rise to national power and the...
started, he began appearing regularly in Secret Warriors.
Fictional character biography
The current Phobos is a young boy named Alexander Aaron. In the 2006 Ares: God or War mini-series, Alexander is taken from his father, Ares, by Zeus, and then kidnapped by the Japanese god Amatsu-MikaboshiAmatsu-Mikaboshi (comics)
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a supervillain and demonic god of evil who is best known as an enemy of Hercules...
. Mikaboshi, in an attempt to destroy the Marvel pantheons, trains and manipulates Alex for at least five Olympian years - which vary substantially from human years in that years can pass to the gods while simultaneously only a few days or months passing for humans - under the guise of a mother-figure who eventually turns him into a deadly swordsman. He is saved from the evil deity when the combination of Zeus and Ares's influences broke his brainwashing. Their salvation apparently eliminates his skills.
Brian Michael Bendis then ret-conned these events in Mighty Avengers. When Alex / Phobos is first approached by fellow Secret Warrior Daisy, he is once again a young boy, untrained, and aware that his father is the god Ares (Mighty Avengers #13). (The general story of Mikaboshi destroying the Marvel pantheons and Zeus' sacrifice remains canon however). It's at this point that Daisy reveals to Alex that he is Phobos. After this, he begins to gain fear like powers, having inherited the original's abilities. However, in Mighty Avengers #13 he scared off couple of boys and after that he lied to Daisy that he doesn't have any powers, but she doesn't believe him. After talk with her he says 'that explains so much' because he realises then that he's new Phobos, and was born mortal, but after drinking Mikaboshi's blood he became god and now he has fear powers and Daisy told him who he really is (new god of fear). In that issue Ares tells him that he's an Avenger right now and he cannot worry about his grades.
During the Secret Invasion storyline, Alex is recruited by Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
for his team of Secret Warriors
Secret Warriors
The Secret Warriors is a Marvel series featuring Nick Fury and Team White, a fictional team of superpowered agents in the . Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, the characters were introduced in Mighty Avengers #13, and debuted as a team in Secret Invasion #3, both published in...
. Post-invasion, he remains a member of the team and has shown evidence of additional pre-cognitive powers. However, his father has noticed his absence upon receiving a truancy notice. In the aftermath of Utopia
Utopia (comics)
"Utopia" is a 2009 comic book crossover story arc written by Matt Fraction and published by Marvel Comics, starring the X-Men and the Dark Avengers...
, Ares followed Alex and Daisy to one of Fury's base, where he discovers his son's affiliation with the former S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
director. Fury tells Ares that his son has potential. Ares ultimately accepts his son's decision, meaning that he doesn't need to hide his allegiance anymore. Phobos later pilots a Fury Life Model Decoy
Life Model Decoy
A Life Model Decoy is fictional android appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is designed to function as an exact body double for VIPs...
to assist Black Widow and Songbird
Songbird (comics)
Songbird , formerly known as Screaming Mimi, is a fictional character, a superheroine and former supervillainess in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Publication history:...
but they are captured by the Thunderbolts. As soon as Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
shoots the LMD in the head, Phobos reveals himself, inflicting Osborn with the fear that he will lose his mind soon enough.. During 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...
, Phobos tried to tag along with the other secret warriors to help the Asgardians, but Nick Fury wouldn't let him, because he knew his father would die and he didn't want him to witness it. When the fiasco was over, 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....
confronted Phobos telling him that Ares was dead and he offered to take him to see his next of kin in Mount Olympus. However, he declined his offer. Thor offered that if he ever changed his mind, he would take him there. Although he had mixed feelings with his dad, he still felt sad that he died.
Phobos is now in Elysium after having been stabbed and killed by Gorgon
Gorgon (Tomi Shishido)
The Gorgon is the name of a comic book character associated with the X-Men member Wolverine. He first appeared in Wolverine #20, and was created by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. The character was killed in Wolverine #31, only to be resurrected later in Secret Warriors #2...
wielding the sword Godkiller. His last appearance had his father proud of his actions as they were reunited in the afterlife.
Powers and abilities
Both versions of Phobos control the power of fear, a power that has been seen to cause victims to run for their lives as well as attack their partners. Certain characters have proven immune to this ability (i.e. Gorgon) - citing they lack fear as the reason.The current version of Phobos (Alex) was at one time a highly trained swordsman and possessed strength and endurance similar to other Olympian gods in the Marvel universe, however this has since been ret-conned. Secret Warriors #10 re-establishes his training with a sword. He was denied use of it by his father Ares, who required him to be proficient in all forms of arms before returning his sword.
Currently he, like the previous Phobos, can instill fear in others. Additionally, he has shown evidence of pre-cognitive powers.
When utilizing his fear based powers, Alex's eyes glow. The color has shown to vary between white and red. Whether this is simply due to the artist's rendering or the level of power usage is unknown.
Relationship between the two characters
Currently, it is unclear whether the original Phobos and the current Alex are actually two separate characters. Examining their respective first appearances it would appear that they are, as both have distinct personalities and ability sets. In fact, their father Ares even explicitly states that both are separate individuals within the 2006 Ares: God of War mini-series.However, this mini-series takes place before Brian Michael Bendis retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned the origin and abilities of Alex. Within the mini-series Alex had grown well into his late teens, had acquired a mastery of almost all forms of weaponry, and was well aware of his divine heritage. However, when Alex next appears in Mighty Avengers #13 he is barely 10, has no combat experience, and is aware that his father is the god Ares. It is also in Mighty Avengers #13 that Alex is first identified as Ares' son Phobos, and displays abilities similar to the original version of the character. Thus, it would appear that Bendis retconned the events of the mini-series and that Alex and Phobos are potentially the same character.
Adding to the confusion, based on the events in The Incredible Hercules #117 it seems that parts of the Ares: God of War mini-series are, in fact, still considered canon. Namely, Mikaboshi's plot and attempt to destroy the divine pantheons in the Marvel Universe. Since Alex's capture and development were central to Mikaboshi's plan, yet also directly contradict his later appearances in Mighty Avengers and Secret Warriors, the current status of both characters remains unclear.
According to the Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica, the original Phobos and the current Alex are two separate characters. More specifically, they are half-brothers. The Phobos profile indicates that the original Phobos (and his brother Deimos) were killed during Mikaboshi's invasion of Olympus, and that Alexander inherited the fear-based powers of his slain older half-brother following his return to Earth.
Dark Reign: New Nation #1 states the Ares: God of War limited series as the first appearance of Alex. However, this does not indicate if he is meant to be related to the previous Phobos, such as in a re-imagining or reincarnation.