| Hyperion | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Zhib-Ran: The Avengers #69 (October 1969) Mark Milton: The Avengers #85 (February 1971) Squadron Supreme's Mark Milton: Supreme Power #1 (October 2003) (Marcus Milton): Avengers vol. 5 #1 (December 2012) |
| Created by | Roy Thomas (writer) Sal Buscema (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Zhib-Ran Mark Milton Marcus Milton |
| Species | Eternal |
| Team affiliations | (Zhib-Ran) Squadron Sinister (Mark Milton) Squadron Supreme Thunderbolts (Marcus Milton) Avengers Squadron Supreme |
| Abilities | (All)
(Earth-712)
|
| Marvel Comics alternate universes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel stories take place primarily in a mainstream continuity called theMarvel Universe. Some stories are set in various parallel, or alternate, realities, called theMarvel Multiverse. | |||
| The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 designates the mainstream continuity as "Earth-616", and assigns other Earth numbers to each specific alternate reality. | |||
In this article the following characters, or teams, and realities are referred to: | |||
| Character/team | Universe | ||
| Zhib-Ran | Interdimensional Space | ||
| Mark Milton | Earth-712 | ||
| Mark Milton | Earth-31916 | ||
| Hyperion | Earth-13034 | ||
Hyperion is a superhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics, of which there are several notable versions. Created by writerRoy Thomas and artistSal Buscema, the original Hyperion made his debut inThe Avengers #69 (October 1969).[1] The alternate versions are each from a different dimension of theMarvel Multiverse, and consist of both heroes and villains. Thomas says that the character was intended as apastiche ofDC's iconic heroSuperman.[2][3]
The first Hyperion, Zhib-Ran, was a member ofSquadron Sinister, a team that theGrandmaster created to fight against a team ofAvengers gathered by the time travellingKang. Two years after the character's first appearance, a heroic version appeared as one of the founding members of the alternate-realitySquadron Supreme. This incarnation of the character was a major character in the 1985 seriesSquadron Supreme, which fleshed out the characterization of Hyperion and the other Squadron Supreme members. In 2003, Marvel Comics launchedSupreme Power, a new take on the Squadron Supreme universe, where Hyperion is raised by the United States government to be a super-powered operative. Yet another alternate Hyperion joined theAvengers and later the Squadron Supreme fromEarth-616.
Thomas spoke in depth on the character's creation stating, "The first of the 4 members of the Squadron Sinister I designed for THE AVENGERS, to be an evil counterpart ofSuperman, kind of a parody/homage. I took the name from the Greeksun god, by way of the Shakespearean quote fromHamlet: "...that was to this, Hyperion to a satyr." I made sure that every costume line on Hyperion was different from those on Superman... boots, belt, length of sleeves, face mask, etc. And I gave him a cape that only attached to one shoulder, after the look of a 1940s character called Dyna-Man in a Harry Chesler comic."[4]
The first iteration of Hyperion, created byRoy Thomas andSal Buscema, debuted inThe Avengers #69 as a member of theSquadron Sinister.[5]
Two years later, Thomas and penciller John Buscema created analternate, heroic version of the Squadron Sinister called the Squadron Supreme, once again in the titleThe Avengers,[6] using characters with the same names as those of the Squadron Sinister (this caused confusion in Marvel's production department, as the covers ofThe Avengers #85 and #141 claimed the issues featured appearances by the Squadron Sinister when it was in fact the Squadron Supreme that appeared in both issues). In the 12-issueSquadron Supreme limited series (Sept. 1985-Aug. 1986)Mark Gruenwald picked up from where Earth-712 was last seen inThe Defenders #114 and revealed this Hyperion's origins.
The character is re-imagined for Marvel'sMAX imprint titleSupreme Power, where he is an alien who has been raised by the government.[7] This iteration received a spinoff miniseries,Supreme Power: Hyperion, which showed a dystopian possible future.
Another Hyperion joins theAvengers inJonathan Hickman'sThe Avengers vol. 5 #1 (Dec. 2012). Hickman described the decision to use a new Hyperion, rather than an existing one:
This is yet another parallel universe Hyperion. This is not King Hyperion, or Supreme Power Hyperion, this is not Gruenwald's Hyperion. This is Hyperion without all that baggage. This is Hyperion with a fresh slate, for a very specific purpose. He comes out of what the big story is behind the whole Avengers three-year plan that I have. He's very important, very pivotal, and I think people are really going to dig where we go with that. He's not going to be our poor analogue for Superman.[8]
Apastiche of Hyperion, "Hyperius", appears in DC Comics'Final Crisis andThe Multiversity, part of a group of recursive homages to other companies' pastiches of DC characters.[9]
Hyperion (Zhib-Ran) and the Squadron Sinister are assembled by theGrandmaster to battle the champions ofKang the Conqueror. TheAvengers defeat the Squadron and the Grandmaster, withThor trapping Hyperion in a glass sphere.[10] The Squadron reappears inDefenders, where its members are reunited byNebulon.[11]
Hyperion later battles Thor once again and encounters his Earth-712 counterpart.[12] He becomes involved withThundra, but the relationship ends when she returns to her own dimension.[13] The Earth-712Master Menace transports Hyperion to his universe and informs him that he is a clone created by the Grandmaster. The Squadron Sinister Hyperion impersonates the Squadron Supreme Hyperion, who later kills him.[14] The Grandmaster briefly resurrects Hyperion as part of theLegion of the Unliving to combat the Avengers.[15]
Hyperion, also known asMark Milton, is a founding member of his reality'sSquadron Supreme and the last knownEternal on his Earth.[16] Following the societal instability caused byOvermind's takeover of Earth, Hyperion and the Squadron assume control of theUnited States government.[17][18]
Hyperion becomes trapped in an inter-dimensional zone and is impersonated by the Squadron Sinister Hyperion (Zhib-Ran). Hyperion defeats Zhib-Ran, but is blinded in the fight.[14] After a battle to the death withNighthawk and the Redeemers, Hyperion relents and relinquishes power.[19]
Hyperion and the members of the Squadron Supreme are exiled toEarth-616.[20] The team encounters the heroQuasar and take up residence atProject Pegasus, whereMakkari restores his sight.[21] The Squadron members later return to their universe, where they overthrow a corrupt government that replaced them in their absence.[22][23][24]
During the "Civil War II" event, Hyperion is killed when Earth-712 is destroyed in an Incursion, a collision with another universe.[25]
This Hyperion was sent to Earth in a spacecraft and captured shortly after by government agents who raised him in an isolated environment. When Hyperion is an adult, his existence is made public after a reporter nearly discovers his identity.[26] After Hyperion discovers that he has been lied to his entire life, he becomes disillusioned with the government and rebels against them.[27]
Along with the rest of his team, save Nighthawk, Hyperion is killed by theCabal during an Incursion.[28]
This Hyperion was sent to Earth as a baby, the only survivor of a race ofEternals from a dying world. He was raised by a man named "Father", who named him Marcus Milton and taught him the morals of society. As an adult, Milton becomes the superhero Hyperion and joins the Squadron Supreme. After his universe is destroyed in an Incursion, Hyperion is rescued byA.I.M. scientists and transported to Earth-616. Hyperion is held captive by A.I.M. until he is freed by the Avengers and joins their ranks.[29]
A variation of Hyperion appears as a member of the Squadron Supreme of America.[30] This version is asimulacrum created byMephisto who was programmed to possess the strength of an Eternal. In his personal time, he works as a history teacher at Buscema High School inKensington, Maryland.[31]
Hyperion is a member of the race of superhumans known as theEternals.[32] As a result, he has superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, reflexes, and flight. All versions of Hyperion possess these superhuman attributes, and, in a few cases, powerful breath able to generate force winds and freezing cold. Each also has greatly enhanced sensory perceptions which extends to being able to perceive the entireelectromagnetic spectrum.[33][34] Their "atomic vision" allows them to fire beams of heat from their eyes.[35]
The Earth-712 incarnation of Hyperion can use cosmic energy to augment his life force, granting him longevity and regenerative abilities. The powers of Hyperion and his alternative versions are drained when exposed to argonite radiation.[36]
King Hyperion, an evil alternate universe variant of Hyperion from Earth-4023, is a member of the reality-hopping teamWeapon X.[48]Luke Cage later recruits Hyperion into theThunderbolts, who he betrays.[49]
An alternate universe variant of Hyperion from Earth-21195 appears in theSecret Wars tie-inSquadron Sinister. This version is a conqueror on Battleworld. Nighthawk secretly works against Hyperion and later kills him after weakening him with argonite.[50]
| Members | |
|---|---|
| Supporting characters |
|
| Enemies | |
| Storylines |
|
| Members |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deviants | |||||
| Supporting cast | |||||
| Villains | |||||
| Locations | |||||
| Storylines | |||||
| Other media | |||||
| Affiliated teams | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locations | |||||||||||
| In other media |
| ||||||||||
