Unicorn (comics)
Encyclopedia
Unicorn is the codename of multiple supervillain
s in the Marvel Comics
universe
. The first Unicorn (Milos Masaryk) debuted in Tales of Suspense
vol. 1 #56 (August 1964) and was created by Stan Lee
and Jack Kirby
.
after being tricked by Iron Man
. Wearing technology designed by the Dynamo, Masaryk gives himself the alias the "Unicorn" and battles Iron Man after Iron Man catches him spying on Stark Industries. Although Iron Man crashes the Unicorn's plane, the villain manages to escape.
The Unicorn was among the villains affected by Doctor Doom
's high-frequency emotion charger. As a result, the Unicorn went to the Baxter Building
to attack the Fantastic Four
at the wedding of Reed Richards
and Susan Storm
. He once fought Iron Man and was defeated with one punch. He teamed with Beetle, Electro, Mandarin
, and the Melter
against Cyclops
and Iceman
, but the resultant combination of their power blasts knocked them all out, and they were sent back to the immediate past by Reed Richards
with no memory of attack.
The Unicorn later allies himself with Count Nefaria
for financial reasons, and participates in Nefaria's attack on Washington, D.C., during which he trapped it in a forcefield he could prevent the flow of air through, being sent to capture Cyclops, which he does with help from the Eel
defeating Iceman, but he is stopped by the X-Men
. He then undergoes experimental conditioning to augment his powers. With increased strength, he battles Iron Man once more after attempting to extort money from the U.S. Congress, but he is again defeated. The process leaves the Unicorn with "accelerated cellular deterioration", and he is taunted with a cure by the Red Ghost
in exchange for help against Iron Man. However, once it becomes evident that the Red Ghost has lied, the Unicorn aids Iron Man and later escapes. He gives up on the Red Ghost after he failed to find a cure.
The master villain, the Mandarin
, makes a similar promise to the Unicorn and deploys him against Iron Man. On two more separate occasions, Unicorn's battle with Iron Man ends in Unicorn's defeat. In the first instance, the Mandarin's consciousness becomes entrapped in the Unicorn's body, but the Mandarin's mind is later freed from the Unicorn's body. Using the alias "The Other", the Titanium Man
uses the Unicorn against Iron Man who is finally able to capture Masaryk. In a dramatic turn, the very moment of his capture sees Masaryk slip into a life-threatening coma
. Iron Man takes Masaryk to the Avengers Mansion
where teammate Yellowjacket
wakes Masaryk and cures him of his debilitating disease. The process has the result of driving Masaryk insane, and a disorientated Unicorn inadvertently activates the hidden robot Arsenal
. The Unicorn is stunned by the robot — which Iron Man drives off — and then placed in stasis
pending a cure for his mental illness.
Months later, Masaryk is freed when a fire breaks out at Stark Enterprises. He resumes the identity of the Unicorn and finds and attacks Iron Man once again. Still insane, the Unicorn refuses to believe that "The Other" was a lie, and decides to walk back to the Soviet Union
via the ocean to find him. A severely weakened Iron Man is powerless to stop him and can only watch as the Unicorn apparently drowns in the Atlantic Ocean
.
The Unicorn is later revived by the entity the Beyonder
to fight with a new version of the Lethal Legion
. The Unicorn is given a true third eye on a stalk with energy projection capabilities in lieu of a suit.
. His third eye is then amputated and he is incarcerated.
During the Civil War event, the second Unicorn is approached by Baron Zemo
and forced to either join Zemo's team of Thunderbolts
or go to jail. He chooses to join and fights on the team's behalf.
He is next seen in Hulk: Winter Guard along with Iron Maiden
, Titanium Man
, Volga and Snow Leopards as Remont 6.
. Blomfield claimed to be an old foe of Iron Man’s, but it is unknown if he really is, or was just riding on the reputation of the original Unicorn. His accent suggests he is either Australia
n or British
.
He wears headgear equipped with an energy projector that tunes to various frequency and power levels. This allows him to project concussive energy blasts (electron or neutron beams), lasers, and microwave energy. It also allows him to project a force field
and to levitate objects magnetically. He also wears a rocket belt equipped with twin, high-efficiency electric micro turbines that allow him to fly; the belt also contains the power supply for his helmet which consists of an array of nuclear-powered thermo-electric cells. The Unicorn also wears body armor of unknown composition. His equipment was designed by Professor Anton Vanko.
The Unicorn is a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, having received training in armed and unarmed combat by the KGB
. He is highly proficient in the use of firearms. He is highly fluent in both English and Russian, and has received KGB training in intelligence techniques.
version of the Unicorn briefly appears as a participant in the abandoned Russian supersoldier
program. This version is one of many convicts found by the Ultimates
in the Tunguska
base who were altered using biotechnology
torn from the Ultimate Vision, and driven mad by years of isolation. He appears to have the power to project electricity from his horn, to levitate, and enhanced durability. He is killed by Nick Fury
.
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...
s 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...
. The first Unicorn (Milos Masaryk) debuted in Tales of Suspense
Tales of Suspense
Tales of Suspense is the name of an American comic book series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such artists as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Don Heck, then featured...
vol. 1 #56 (August 1964) 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 Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
.
Milos Masaryk
Milos Masaryk was a Soviet intelligence agent assigned to track down the original Crimson Dynamo, who defects to AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after being tricked by 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,...
. Wearing technology designed by the Dynamo, Masaryk gives himself the alias the "Unicorn" and battles Iron Man after Iron Man catches him spying on Stark Industries. Although Iron Man crashes the Unicorn's plane, the villain manages to escape.
The Unicorn was among the villains affected by Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
's high-frequency emotion charger. As a result, the Unicorn went to the Baxter Building
Baxter Building
The Baxter Building is a fictitious 35-story office building in Manhattan whose five upper floors house the Fantastic Four's headquarters in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
to attack 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...
at the wedding of Reed Richards
Mister 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 ....
and Susan Storm
Invisible Woman
Susan "Sue" Storm Richards is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics...
. He once fought Iron Man and was defeated with one punch. He teamed with Beetle, Electro, Mandarin
Mandarin (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:...
, and the Melter
Melter
The Melter is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Tales of Suspense #47 and was created by Stan Lee and Sam Rosen.-Publication history:...
against Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
and Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
, but the resultant combination of their power blasts knocked them all out, and they were sent back to the immediate past by Reed Richards
Mister 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 ....
with no memory of attack.
The Unicorn later allies himself with Count Nefaria
Count Nefaria
Count Nefaria is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #13 and was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.- Fictional character biography :...
for financial reasons, and participates in Nefaria's attack on Washington, D.C., during which he trapped it in a forcefield he could prevent the flow of air through, being sent to capture Cyclops, which he does with help from the Eel
Eel (comics)
The Eel is an alias used by two fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first character to take up the identity was Leopold Stryke who first appeared in Strange Tales #112, while his successor, Edward Lavell, first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #92 .-Publication...
defeating Iceman, but he is stopped by 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...
. He then undergoes experimental conditioning to augment his powers. With increased strength, he battles Iron Man once more after attempting to extort money from the U.S. Congress, but he is again defeated. The process leaves the Unicorn with "accelerated cellular deterioration", and he is taunted with a cure by the Red Ghost
Red Ghost
The Red Ghost and his Super-Apes are a group of Marvel Comics supervillains, who started their career fighting the Fantastic Four, before confronting other Marvel heroes like Iron Man and Spider-Man...
in exchange for help against Iron Man. However, once it becomes evident that the Red Ghost has lied, the Unicorn aids Iron Man and later escapes. He gives up on the Red Ghost after he failed to find a cure.
The master villain, the Mandarin
Mandarin (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:...
, makes a similar promise to the Unicorn and deploys him against Iron Man. On two more separate occasions, Unicorn's battle with Iron Man ends in Unicorn's defeat. In the first instance, the Mandarin's consciousness becomes entrapped in the Unicorn's body, but the Mandarin's mind is later freed from the Unicorn's body. Using the alias "The Other", the Titanium Man
Titanium Man
The 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...
uses the Unicorn against Iron Man who is finally able to capture Masaryk. In a dramatic turn, the very moment of his capture sees Masaryk slip into a life-threatening coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
. Iron Man takes Masaryk to the 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:...
where teammate Yellowjacket
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...
wakes Masaryk and cures him of his debilitating disease. The process has the result of driving Masaryk insane, and a disorientated Unicorn inadvertently activates the hidden robot Arsenal
Arsenal (Marvel Comics)
Arsenal is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Iron Man #114 and was created by Bill Mantlo and Keith Giffen.-Publication history:...
. The Unicorn is stunned by the robot — which Iron Man drives off — and then placed in stasis
Stasis (fiction)
Stasis , or hypersleep, is a science fiction concept akin to suspended animation. Whereas suspended animation usually refers to a greatly reduced state of life processes, stasis implies a complete cessation of these processes, which can be easily restarted or restart spontaneously when stasis is...
pending a cure for his mental illness.
Months later, Masaryk is freed when a fire breaks out at Stark Enterprises. He resumes the identity of the Unicorn and finds and attacks Iron Man once again. Still insane, the Unicorn refuses to believe that "The Other" was a lie, and decides to walk back to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
via the ocean to find him. A severely weakened Iron Man is powerless to stop him and can only watch as the Unicorn apparently drowns in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
The Unicorn is later revived by the entity the Beyonder
Beyonder
The Beyonder is a fictional character in . Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, the immensely powerful Beyonder first appeared in Secret Wars vol. 1 #1 as an unseen force. He reappears in Secret Wars II #1 , which was created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom.-Publication history:The Beyonder was a...
to fight with a new version of the 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 Unicorn is given a true third eye on a stalk with energy projection capabilities in lieu of a suit.
Second Unicorn
A second unnamed Unicorn with a developed tentacled eye within power-horn appears as a member of Remont 4 and goes on a rampage in St. Petersburg until captured by the third Titanium ManTitanium Man
The 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...
. His third eye is then amputated and he is incarcerated.
During the Civil War event, the second Unicorn is approached by Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo is the name of two fictional characters, both supervillains, in various Marvel Comics comic books, notably Captain America and the Avengers...
and forced to either join Zemo's team of 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:...
or go to jail. He chooses to join and fights on the team's behalf.
He is next seen in Hulk: Winter Guard along with Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden (comics)
Iron Maiden is a fictional Russian supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe, most notably an enemy of the Black Widow.-Fictional character biography:...
, Titanium Man
Titanium Man
The 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...
, Volga and Snow Leopards as Remont 6.
Aaidan Blomfield
A third Unicorn, whose real name is Aaidan Blomfield, wore the same Unicorn costume as his predecessors, only with an actual horn on the helmet is recruited into the supervillain group Stockpile by Morgan Stark to destroy Iron Man, but they are defeated by the combined efforts of Iron Man and War MachineWar Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
. Blomfield claimed to be an old foe of Iron Man’s, but it is unknown if he really is, or was just riding on the reputation of the original Unicorn. His accent suggests he is either Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n or British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
Powers and abilities
Originally, the Unicorn had no superhuman powers; his helmet was the source of his abilities. However, the Unicorn has undergone mutagenic radiation treatments which gave him superhuman strength and endurance. The Unicorn's soft tissues are dozens of times harder than those of an ordinary human, making him highly resistant to physical injury. The process which endowed the Unicorn with superhuman powers caused accelerated cellular deterioration, which eventually severely affected his sanity and physical health.He wears headgear equipped with an energy projector that tunes to various frequency and power levels. This allows him to project concussive energy blasts (electron or neutron beams), lasers, and microwave energy. It also allows him to project a force field
Force field
A force field, sometimes known as an energy shield, force shield, or deflector shield is a concept of a field tightly bounded and of significant magnitude so that objects affected by the particular force relating to the field are unable to pass through the central axis of the field and reach the...
and to levitate objects magnetically. He also wears a rocket belt equipped with twin, high-efficiency electric micro turbines that allow him to fly; the belt also contains the power supply for his helmet which consists of an array of nuclear-powered thermo-electric cells. The Unicorn also wears body armor of unknown composition. His equipment was designed by Professor Anton Vanko.
The Unicorn is a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, having received training in armed and unarmed combat by the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
. He is highly proficient in the use of firearms. He is highly fluent in both English and Russian, and has received KGB training in intelligence techniques.
Ultimate Unicorn
The Ultimate MarvelUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
version of the Unicorn briefly appears as a participant in the abandoned Russian supersoldier
Supersoldier
Supersoldier is a term often used to describe a soldier that operates beyond normal human limits or abilities. Supersoldiers are common in science fiction literature, films, TV programs, computer, conspiracy theories, and video games, but have also made appearances in other related genres, such as...
program. This version is one of many convicts found by the Ultimates
Ultimates
The Ultimates is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, and first appeared in The Ultimates #1 , as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint...
in the Tunguska
Tunguska
Tunguska may refer to:*Any of the Tunguska Rivers** Upper Tunguska, an old name of the lower flow of Angara River** Stony Tunguska River...
base who were altered using biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
torn from the Ultimate Vision, and driven mad by years of isolation. He appears to have the power to project electricity from his horn, to levitate, and enhanced durability. He is killed by Nick Fury
Ultimate Nick Fury
General Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. A reinterpretation of the character Nick Fury, one of the most notable differences between the two is that the mainstream Nick Fury is an Italian American colonel with graying brown hair, while this Nick Fury...
.
Television
- Unicorn 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 "Secrets and Lies" voiced by Michael Daingerfield. He and Killer ShrikeKiller ShrikeKiller Shrike is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. He first appeared in Rampaging Hulk #1 and was created by John Warner and John Buscema-Fictional character biography:...
are enforcers for 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...
. They kidnap Tony Stark, Pepper PottsPepper PottsVirginia "Pepper" Potts is a fictional character, a supporting character and a love interest of Iron Man in the Marvel Comics Universe...
, and Gene KhanMandarin (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:...
, in order to send a message to Khan's stepfather, Shin Zhang, and the rival Tong gang. However, Tony escapes their capture, and defeats Unicorn as Iron Man. At the end, Unicorn and Killer Shrike are held captive and tortured by Khan as the Mandarin. The Mandarin later returned Unicorn and Killer Shrike to the Maggia in the episode "Pepper, Interrupted". They again appeared in the episode "Don't Worry, Be Happy" in an attempt to rob the Tongs with Quantum Bombs they had acquired from Mr. Fix.