Korvac

Origin

In the 31st Century, Michael Korvac had been a highly skilled computer technician. The home reality of this alternate future is designated Earth-691. Korvac offered his services in the year 3007 to the Badoon when they invaded Earth’s solar system. Korvac’s abilities were recognized by the alien conquerors and he supervised analytical computer systems regulating entire planets. The Badoon made Korvac work until he was exhausted and he collapsed one day while on the job. After he collapsed, the Badoon amputated Korvac’s extremities below the waist and grafted his lower torso to a computerized, hovering special systems module. The Badoon sent Korvac back to work as a cyborg as punishment for the failure in his duties.

Creation

Korvac was created by Steve Gerber and Jim Starlin in his first appearance in Giant-Size Defenders #3 (1/1975). Gerber and Starlin co-plotted the storyline with Len Wein for this issue. Gerber wrote the story with Starlin drawing the pencils on the layouts of the art.

Dan Adkins, Don Newton and Jim Mooney finished the inks of the art. Like some of the other characters in this story, Korvac was meant to be used only in this issue.

Korvac next appeared though in Thor Annual vol 1 #6 (1977) written by Roger Stern. This issue was a prelude to the Korvac Saga written by Jim Shooter.

Major Story Arcs

Korvac Saga

Korvac sought revenge on his Badoon superiors and killed them with his cybernetic powers and abilities. Korvac then downloaded data from the Badoon's computer systems as part of a plan to overthrow the Badoon. Before Korvac could continue his plans, the Grandmaster had taken Korvac as a pawn in one of his cosmic games. Korvac claimed he allowed himself to be defeated by his opponents, the Defenders, as a way to subtly scan and copy the Grandmaster’s knowledge and power without alerting him. Korvac gained more power and abilities from his scan and analysis of the Grandmaster. Korvac escaped from the Grandmaster and returned to his own time period. Korvac then made plans to conquer the universe by making the sun go nova and siphoning the power of the exploding sun for himself.

Korvac created a high-tech base of operations on a desolate planetoid and gathered together an elite group of alien henchmen which he called the Minions of Menace. Korvac was stopped by Thor, who came from the 20th Century, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. After his defeat, Korvac escaped across time and space into the 20th Century in Thor‘s home reality designated Earth-616. When Korvac arrived in this era, his sensors detected an enormous energy source which was Galactus' ship. He boarded the ship and plugged himself into the ship’s system to download data. Korvac downloaded data and technology so cosmically advanced that he became a nearly omnipotent god-like entity. He reshaped his body into the perfect human body using his godly powers.

Korvac had an expanded consciousness from his god-like powers that changed his attitude and view of reality. He assumed a benevolent attitude with the ambition to reshape the universe into one free of chaos. He established a home base on Earth and lived with a model named Carina who was in reality the Collector’s daughter sent to spy on Korvac. The Guardians of the Galaxy followed Korvac’s trail to the 20th Century and joined forces with the Avengers in the search for Korvac. One of the Guardians, Starhawk, sensed Korvac and goes to find him without the other Guardians or Avengers. Starhawk fought Korvac by himself on the Astral Plane. Korvac defeated Starhawk and disintegrated him. Korvac recreated Starhawk, not wanting his disappearance to arouse suspicion, but removed Starhawk’s ability to perceive Korvac himself in any way.

The Collector began capturing the Avengers to save them from Korvac. The Collector saw that Korvac’s ambition of universal sovereignty would cause great conflict and ultimately destroy the universe. The Avengers escaped from the Collector and began to question him. Korvac killed the Collector to stop him from telling the Avengers any information. He disintegrated him with a long distance power blast. The Avengers were able to pinpoint the source of the power blast to a house in Forest Hills, in Queens, New York. Korvac’s deception is uncovered due to Starhawk’s inability to perceive the person talking to the Avengers. Korvac then fought the Avengers and the Guardians because he thought they might rally the cosmic powers of the universe against him.

After killing most of the Avengers, Korvac was surrounded by the combined power of Starhawk, Iron Man, the Vision and Thor. Korvac looked to Carina for moral support but sensed her hesitation and doubts. Without the support of Carina, Korvac committed suicide by allowing himself to die in the battle. An angry and grief-stricken Carnia attacked and killed the surviving Avengers except for Thor. Carina couldn’t live without Korvac and forced Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, to fire a powerful blast that killed her. Before he died, Korvac restored a spark of life in the Avengers and the Guardians to give Thor a chance to save their lives in his alter-ego of Dr Don Blake. Moondragon, a surviving Avenger, explained to Thor that she had a telepathic rapport with Korvac and he believed him not to be evil.

Korvac Quest

Before ending his life, Korvac released his cosmic power invisibly to be passed to his ancestors in other times and realities, thus beginning the Korvac Quest. The Guardians of the Galaxy would search for the power throughout time. It's first appearance was in the 20th century in a young girl named Jaboa Murphy. The Guardians teamed up with the Fantastic Four and defeated her, but the energy escaped.

They next traced Korvac's energy to the 26th century where the Guardians teamed up with Dargo and defeated the power hungry Varley. The power eluded them again. There the Guardians found the power being used by a man named Marshach, who used the power for good to create a paradise for his people. When the Guardians tried to take the power from him, he initially resisted and the Protector of the Universe, the Silver Surfer, stood with him. He eventually decided to release the power, but it once again escaped the Guardians.

The final stop of Korvac's energy was to his own father, Jordan Korvac, who sensed the coming of the Guardians and attacked them. At the time, his wife, Myra, was pregnant with Michael. As he fought with the Guardians, Michael was born and siphoned the power from his father, coldly killing him in the process. Before he could unleash his might on the Guardians, the Ancient One (Doctor Strange) and the Sorcerer Supreme Krugarr trapped Korvac's infant body and took it to the time when Korvac stole Galactus' power. Galactus took the power back in to himself and left the infant Korvac to the Guardians.

At first, they wished to kill him before he could become the monster they all knew, but in the end returned him to his mother, unable to kill a helpless infant. This of course left history to repeat itself once again, as his mother would tell the young Michael that the Guardians were the ones responsible for killing his father.

The System Bytes

In the 31st century, Brahl and the Minions of Menace (now calling themselves the Intimidators) had possession of a computer chip that contained the 'sum total' of Korvac before he ever left for the 20th century. They managed to avoid detection on Main Frame's World and drained Main Frame's energy to rebuild Korvac. This energy drain also resulted in Main Frame being infected by a computer virus. The Galactic Guardians arrived to stop the Intimidators but it was too late - Korvac had been rebuilt.

It appeared that Korvac was part Korvac, part Main Frame and part Michael the Enemy and the virus made him completely insane. The Galactic Guardians fought him to try and save Main Frame, who might forever be absorbed in to the abomination. The lack of control over the planet released Phoenix IX who was being contained there. This version of Korvac proved no match for the Phoenix Force and was transported to another dimension.

Powers

In Korvac's ultimate form he was able to lift well over 100 tons. After he had absorbed the energies of Galactus' ship, it made him on a power level with cosmic beings such as Galactus, Odin, Zeus, the Elders of the Universe and other cosmic beings. He could use his powers in a variety of ways such as traveling through time, astral projection, telepathy, resuscitation, and lastly long range energy bombardment. He was also capable of absorbing power from any source including sentient beings. Its been said Korvac had the potential for infinite power.

Alternate Universes

Captain America and the Korvac Saga

Korvac gained his powers and traveled back in time in a way similar to his 616 counterpart. However, this Korvac was simply evil. He gave special armor to a variety of supervillains, then allowed himself to be captured when Captain America investigated. This caught the attention of the Guardians of the Galaxy from his time, and they appeared to capture him.

However, he used their time travel portal to return to his time. Captain America and the Guardians followed. Eventually he led them to Galactus' ship, where they battled. They were going to use the Ultimate Nullifier against him, but he got it and tried to use it himself. He didn't know how to use it correctly and destroyed himself.

Media

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

Korvac appeared in the second season of AEMH in episode six titled "Michael Korvac". Unlike his comic book counterpart, Korvac is in the 21st century and not the 31st. Korvac was captured by the Kree and experimented on with cosmic radiation, when he escaped he tried to find his girlfriend, Corrina. However, unknown to him, the cosmic radiation that gave him his super powers made him mad with power and he has destroyed many sentient life forms on different planets. The Guardians of the Galaxy followed his trail back to Earth, and in the end it took the Avengers and the Guardians to stop him. Finally, Korvac realized he was a monster and faded out of in-existence.