Name

Current Alias

Ex Nihilo built Adam to be the perfect human...a fabricated product ofa life-creating system. Even better thanthe real thing. The lastWhite Event changed Adam into something more--aNightmask capable of navigatingthe dreamspace of human potential. But the cost of this power is temporal regression--a gradual return to his prefabricated, primordial state. This is believed to be a flaw--some accidental glitch in one of the universal systems that made him what he is. But that's a simple, microscopic way of looking at a much broader dilemma. Don't you understand? Here at theend times, they'reall broken systems.

"Adam" was the first humanoid being created byEx Nihilo in his effort to create life anew on Earth. But as soon as he emerged from his cocoon, his ability to speak inBuilder Machine Code made Nihilo and his sisterAbyss think something was wrong. He was later taken into custody of theAvengers in order to study him and try to decode his language. Tony Stark managed to decode his name into "Blackveil."^[13]

After a therapy session with the newCaptain Universe,Shang-Chi was told the presence of it was because the universe was dying. Captain Universe and "Blackveil" met, and as she managed to translate his language correctly, she discovered his name was Nightmask and he was announcing that theWhite Event was coming to Earth. In that moment, a blaze of lightning from outer space hit the Earth.^[14]

Starbrand[]

Nightmask led the Avengers in finding theStarbrand host,Kevin Connor, who was located at the ruins of a college, and aided them in destroying his empowerment.^[15]

After a brief battle with the Avengers, Kevin Connor was taken by Nightmask to Mars, in order to seek help from Ex Nihilo. In the meantime, he explained to Starbrand what caused his powers and what his purpose was.^[16]

Nightmask teleported Connor and himself to Croatia, one of the places modified by Ex Nihilo, where strange creatures started forming a brain-like structure. The "brain" tried to absorb Nightmask, but he was rescued by Starbrand, who accidentally killed the organism in the process, "killing" the Earth's potential consciousness. The Avengers arrived on the scene and attempted to stop them. They fought back until Starbrand surrendered. As they were out of options, the heroes decided it would be better for Starbrand to be off the Earth and placed him in Tony Stark'sDyson Sphere which was under construction around the Sun, in the company of Nightmask.^[17]

WhenCaptain Universe sensed a new threat coming to Earth, her own children, theBuilders, she advised the Avengers to recruit Nightmask and Starbrand into the team, which they did.^[18]

Time Runs Out[]

After the Avengers fell into S.H.I.E.L.D. authority, Starbrand and Nightmask left the team to investigate the decay of the universe. For some reason, Nightmask began to rejuvenate. They returned to Earth when they received a message fromSunspot, inviting them to joinhis own Avengers team as there had been new progress on the research related toIncursions.^[19]

UsingA.I.M.'s resources, Sunspot managed to put into operation a machine capable of transporting individuals across theMultiverse, in hopes of finding the source of the decay of the Multiverse, and a group of them, the "Multiversal Avengers," embarked in said mission. Nightmask was among this heroes.^[20]

In their journey, the Multiversal Avengers arrived to the base of theBlack Priests, whom they believed to be enemies, as they would destroy alternate Earths. After discovering their true motivation, that of saving the Multiverse, the Multiversal Avengers allied with the Black Priests, and were informed of the true enemies they had to face, theIvory Kings andRabum Alal. While the Black Priests tried to find Rabum Alal, the Multiversal Avengers would set out to find the Ivory Kings (also known as the Beyonders).^[21]

The Avengers traveled across numerous universes, navigating the map left by theMapmakers. The use of his powers caused Nightmask to rejuvenate, and the final jump across universes caused him to revert into non-existence.^[8]

All New All Different[]

When the universe came back to life, so did Nightmask and the rest of its inhabitants, with no memory of their temporary demise. After defeatingBlizzard inChina, he was offered membership by Sunspot in his New Avengers, but he declined and, instead, he started attendingEmpire State University along with Kevin Connor.^[1]

On the first day of college, they were attacked by mind-controlledNitro,Graviton, andBlizzard twice,^[22] and the second time almost cost Kevin's life, because he was fighting the three of them on his own. Meanwhile, Adam was tracking the source of their control and found out the responsible were theEternity's childrenExplosion,Gravitation, andEntropy. After taking away their control over the Earth criminals, he returned to Earth and both he and Kevin attended their first college party.^[9]

The next day, Kevin and Adam met withKolobus, afterLibra brought them together. Then, Kolobus helped them prevent theKreeStarbrand from killing Kevin and destroying Earth, although, in the end, it was revealed that there was a fail-safe in the Starbrand power that caused them to become attracted to one another and kiss. Because of this, they called off the fight and Va-Sohn agreed not to attack any more worlds, as Kevin would be there to "make things cosmically awkward".^[23]

Some time later, as trillions ofChitauri were approaching theEarth, heavy-hitter superheroes prepared to hold the line whileIron Man andIronheart fixed thePlanetary Defense Shield. Meanwhile, it was revealed the Shield's malfunctions were actually purposefully caused byCaptain America, with superficial damage of Hydra's attack covering that up. Rogers activated the Shield,^[24] leaving Starbrand, Nightmask, and the rest of the heroes in Earth's orbit exiled on the other side.^[25]

The Defense Shield was eventually brought down by the new QuasarAvril Kincaid, though it resulted in her being temporarily comatose.^[26][27]

Loss of a friend[]

One day, Starbrand was fightingGhost RiderRobbie Reyes, when Robbie awakened hisPenance Stare and accidentally killed Starbrand after subjecting him to it.^[12]

Nightmask is a genetically perfect human being artificially created fromEx Nihilo's machine with the purpose of being the first of a new race ofhumans. Yet somehow, he was altered with aspects not programmed into his genetic code. This change may somehow be related to the universal transcendent advent called theWhite Event, bestowing upon him strange new powers.

Techno-Communication: Nightmask has the ability to control and radically alter machines.^[15]

Energy Halos: Nightmask's powers often manifest themselves as light-blue energized patterns gravitating around and off of his skin and clothing. These halos are the source of many abilities, such as:

• Portals: Nightmask possesses vast matter/energy transportation abilities, being able to create portals in and out of theSuperflow, an extra-dimensional dream-scape which is a shortcut between any two points in space. This also enables him to communicate and see people through space.^[9]

• Energy Blast: Through his halos, Nightmask can disperse and direct concussive force blasts from his person.^[2]

• Clothes Changing: Nightmask is able to change is clothes at will.^[1]

• Holographic Projection: Nightmask can also use his Halos to access databases.^[1]

Genius Intelligence:^[2]

• His name was originally just Adam.^[13] "Blackveil" is a mistranslation of "Nightmask" fromTony Stark.^[14] However, he later adopts the name "Adam Blackveil" in order to blend in.^[1]
• Although Adam seems to have ascended beforeKevin Connor,^[13] it is directly stated in narration that Adam was ascended by the "Last White Event," the sameWhite Event as Kevin.^[8]

• Like many beings related to theBuilders, he speaks inBuilder Machine Code.^[13]
• While attending university, Adam majored in poetry.^[33]
• Adam is bisexual and polyamorous.^[32]

• Fantasy
• Sci-fi
• Marvel