Count Nefaria

Origin

Luchino Nefaria was a wealthy aristocrat who craved more power and joined the Maggia criminal organisation. This brought him into conflict with the Avengers. In an attempt to get rid of them, Count Nefaria framed them for treason against America using holograms, but this ultimately failed. He then decided to take out the Avengers members individually, focusing on Iron Man for a while. After trying to destroy Iron Man with a machine which could control Iron Man's dreams, Nefaria tried discrediting Tony Stark's reputation with the help of Tony's cousin Morgan. This also failed. Around this time, Nefaria reunited with his long-lost adult daughter Whitney Frost, who had been raised in America by Byron Frost to protect her from Nefaria's enemies. Whitney reluctantly became Nefaria's second-in-command of the Maggia. Nefaria also stopped his attacks on Iron Man around this time, but Whitney would go on to face Iron Man as Madame Masque.

Nefaria would also go on to face the X-Men when he attempted to hold the city of Washington hostage using a team of super villains, but was stopped by the mutants. After this, Nefaria wasn't seen for years until he took over the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) with the help of the Ani-Men in an attempt to hold the world hostage using America's nuclear missiles. Nefaria's scheme was stopped by a recent new team of X-Men, although in the process Thunderbird was killed whilst trying to stop Nefaria escaping.

Creation

Count Luchino Nefaria is a Marvel comics character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Nefaria first appears in The Avengers #13

Major Story Arcs

Nefaria Powered Up

Nefaria next appeared forming a new Lethal Legion consisting of Whirlwind, Living Laser, and Power Man. With the help of a scientist named Kenneth Sturdy, Nefaria was able to boost their powers a hundredfold before taking them for himself. Regardless, Nefaria ended up defeated by the Avengers. The power boost had an unexpected side effect on Nefaria, and he started aging rapidly. Nefaria managed to escape custody with the help of Whitney Frost and the Ani-Men, but seemingly died in a fight with Iron Man when he tried to return him to jail. Nefaria was able to survive thanks to his ionic-powered physiology, but found out that he had to drain the ionic energy of other ionic-powered beings in order to survive, becoming something of an energy vampire.

In order to sate his energy needs, Nefaria began stalking ionic-powered beings, killing most of them and imprisoning others, but was found and stopped by Iron Man. Nefaria also tried experimenting on the Savage Land's inhabitants to create an ionic race to feed on, but he was discovered by Captain America and Sharon Carter and defeated.

Nefaria later discovered that he could control ionic powered beings mentally, and so used Atlas and Wonder Man as puppets whilst trying to join all of the Maggia families underneath him and get Whitney to join him once more. This was part of a larger scheme to mutate all of humanity with ionic energy and thus rule the world. Nefaria's scheme was thwarted by the Avengers, the Thunderbolts, and Whitney, which seemed to result in Nefaria blowing to atoms. He once more survived, and was imprisoned in the Raft super-prison until he escaped during Electro's massive prison break-out.

Dark Reign

Nefaria later appeared in the New Avengers Finale. Whitney and her new boyfriend Parker Robbins approached him following Norman Osborn's Siege, worried that the Avengers would track them down. As the former Hood currently had no powers, Nefaria offered to give him the same powers as his own in return for all of Parker's cash (noting that were he not a friend of Whitney's, he would have just killed him). Unfortunately, with the help of Parker's cousin John King, the New Avengers tracked Parker down. Whilst the New Avengers stopped the Hood and Whitney, Wolverine took down Nefaria.

Kingpin of L.A.

Nefaria returns in Moon Knight's 2011 series. He was revealed to be the main villain of the series. He hires Mr. Hyde to deliver one of the Ultron's bodies to him. Snapdragon also works for him, controling the streets. She hires Night Shift to kill Moon Knight and Echo for Nefaria. However, they failed and angry Nefaria killed them and warned Snapdragon that she should "Aim higher".

Powers and Abilities

Originally, Count Nefaria had no powers, and was simply a good planner with a vast fortune to help him with his schemes, which usually involved him gaining more money or power. However, since his powering up by the scientist Kenneth Sturdy, Nefaria gained nearly immeasurable superhuman strength and durability, superhuman speed, the ability to fly, and laser beams which could be fired from his eyes. He has also been seen on at least one occasion creating ionic energy constructs, such as an energy lasso. Nefaria has also discovered that he can control other ionic powered beings. Nefaria also apparently has a great degree of regenerative powers, as he was able to survive apparently being blown to atoms.

A side effect from Nefaria's powering up is that he ages more rapidly than normal people. To combat this, Nefaria can absorb ionic energy from other ionic-powered beings, restoring his youth.

Physical Characteristics

• Height: 6'2"
• Weight: 230 lbs
• Hair: Black
• Eyes: Blue

Other Media

Count Nefaria, who has apparently become a vampire, is a frequent "guest" on the popular X-Men podcast The Uncanny X-Cast. Co-host Brian Perillo consistently insults The Count and refuses to acknowledge his value to the show, much to the chagrin of Count Nefaria and co-host Rob Briscoe.

Count Nefaria also appears in the animated episodes of The Marvel Super Heroes