Legion of the Unliving
The Legion of the Unliving are a supervillain team that feature in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
The Legion of the Unliving were a team of supervillains formed on Earth that had taken a number of incarnations over the years.
Following a clash with the Avengers, Kang the Conqueror and his alternate future counterpart, Rama-Tut, were left hurtling through the timestream. Kang was rescued by Immortus, the ruler of Limbo and self-styled master of time, who also imprisoned Rama-Tut. Immortus decided to help Kang attack the Avengers, and Kang then told Immortus he had already done so using non-powered historical figures, failed, and that the event had been wiped from time. Kang suggested using a similar strategy, but explained that it would be best to summon and control superhumans. Moreover, Kang summoned superhumans who were believed dead in the present time, in order to increase the Avengers' fear. Kang first summoned the Frankenstein Monster from 1898. He next summoned Wonder Man, who would serve as both a powerful physical foe and a psychological weapon against the Vision. In order to threaten the Vision physically, Kang also summoned the original Human Torch. Seeking to capture Mantis, Kang brought forth the kung-fu master Midnight to match her skills. In order to provide a random element, Kang selected the Flying Dutchman's Ghost. Finally, Kang summoned Baron Heinrich Zemo, whom Immortus had allied with in his previous battle with the Avengers. Immortus then suggested to Kang that he trap the Avengers in the Labyrinths of Limbo to further disorient the team. Kang agreed, beamed the Avengers to random locations in the maze, and then promptly trapped Immortus alongside Rama-Tut. (Avengers v1 #131) The Legion immediately began having problems, though; the Frankenstein Monster was not truly dead, only composed of dead body parts, and it wandered off. Kang also sent Midnight to find Mantis. After a skirmish with Thor, the Monster simply stumbled off with the thunder god following. The rest of the Legion, with Kang, encountered the Vision, who also left by passing through the walls of the maze when he discovered the villians were apparently immune to his solar beam. Kang sent the Flying Dutchman's Ghost to follow the Vision. Meanwhile, Midnight encountered Mantis, who knocked him to the floor and fled with M'nai in pursuit, sensing the villain's "dead" nature. Iron Man and Hawkeye found one another, and were in turn found by Kang, Zemo, the Torch, and Wonder Man. As they clashed, Iron Man sent Hawkeye to find the others. Unfortunately, this allowed Kang to blast Iron Man while the Torch slipped up behind him. Using his flame to its fullest, the mind-controlled Torch fused Iron Man's life-sustaining armor, leaving the Avenger dead on the ground. (Avengers v1 #132)
Still elsewhere, the Flying Dutchman's Ghost found Mantis and the Vision, and destroyed himself in a near-fatal assault on the synthezoid. Mantis attempted to help the Vision, and was attacked again by Midnight, who, like all the others, had slipped Kang's control and now intended to kill his enemy. Despite M'nai's use of weaponry this time, Mantis was able to render him unconscious with a hold. While she battled the kung-fu fighter, though, the Frankenstein Monster carried the Vision to the Human Torch. The Torch had also broken Kang's control. Similarly, Zemo finally began asserting himself against Kang, who cowed the Nazi with threats. Even worse, Thor discovered Iron Man's body, and swore vengeance against Kang. The Torch and the Monster, meanwhile, drove off Wonder Man and set about attempting to repair the Vision. The Torch was stunned to discover that the android had parts matching his own. Kang, realizing that things were turning against him, finally sent Zemo off to guard Immortus and Rama-Tut. Kang was immediately assaulted by Thor, and saved by Wonder Man's return. Hawkeye stumbled across the throne room, and despite Zemo's Adhesive X assault, managed to get off an impossible bowshot and free Immortus. Immortus then devolved Zemo into protoplasm and freed Hawkeye. Finally, Thor and a damaged-but-walking Vision found and battled Kang and Wonder Man. Kang, unable to fend off Thor, fled into the timestream. The Vision, using his ability to become diamond-hard, did beat Wonder Man into unconsciousness. At this point, Immortus arrived. Explaining that time stands still in Limbo, he simply revived Iron Man with a gesture, and then restored the Vision. Finally, Immortus sent all the Legion members except the Torch back, restored and without memory of the battle, to the moments of their deaths though Hawkeye had to convince him to restore Zemo. Immortus then allowed the Torch and the Vision to remain and learn their mutual origin. (Giant-Size Avengers v1 #3)
Within Limbo, he summoned the shades of people thought by the Avengers and created a new incarnation of the Legion of the Unliving. (Avengers West Coast v2 #61)
The Grim Reaper believed that the Avengers were responsible for murdering him and he sought revenge against them. This saw him make a pact with the demon Lloigoroth and used his power to summon the souls of dead supervillains to re-inhabit their bodies to form a new Legion of the Unliving. (Avengers v1 #353)
During an attack on Castle Dracula, the Avengers assisted the Romanians in the surroundings of the castle, who were threatened by fleeing vampires. The Shadow Colonel turned himself over to the Avengers and was taken to the Avengers Mountain. In addition to goading the Avengers' newest recruit, the vampire-hunter Blade, the Shadow Colonel only surrendered himself over so that Sarge could infiltrate the base and take possession of the Ghost Rider with a demonic recitation. (Avengers v8 #14) With the Ghost Rider in their ranks, the Shadow Colonel and Sarge had him scold them away on his Hell Charger. (Avengers v8 #15) In the meantime, Dracula had used the attack on his castle as a pretext to seek political asylum in Russia, presenting himself with a weak and feeble appearance. (Avengers v8 #14) He offered all his knowledge in exchange for a piece of land where he could purportedly spend his final days in peace. (Avengers v8 #16) The Legion of the Unliving continued their crusade in Madripoor, where they were intercepted by the Avengers. (Avengers v8 #15) The vampires managed to escape while the heroes were occupied confronting and ultimately freeing the Ghost Rider from Sarge's influence. (Avengers v8 #16) The Legion of the Unliving fled to Russia, where they turned all the prisoners of the Sol-Iletsk Federal Penal Colony No. 9 into vampires to build up the ranks of the new kingdom. The Avengers came to stop the vampire outbreak, and Blade wounded Xarus during battle, severing his right leg and right arm before eventually decapitating him. The Legion of the Unliving escaped with Xarus' body and head, since he had remained responsive after being decapitated. Sarge was left behind, having been defeated by the Avengers' own canine ally, Thori. The Legion met with Dracula in Chernobyl, which was the territory the Russian government had granted him, and where he intended to set up his new domain. (Avengers v8 #17)
Overview
Members
- Baron Heinrich Zemo :
- Flying Dutchman's Ghost :
- Frankenstein's Monster :
- Human Torch :
- Midnight Sun :
- Wonder Man:
- Black Knight :
- Grim Reaper :
- Swordsman :
- Iron Man 2020 :
- Oort : a masked armoured being called Oort the Living Comet who was from the future of the 50th century where he was a foe of Quicksilver with the villain able to match his speed and fire comet bursts. (Avengers West Coast v2 #61)
- Amenhotep :
- Inferno :
- Shadow Colonel :
- Sarge :
- Carpathian :
- Baroness Blood :
- Boy-Thing :
- Rat Bomber :
- Snowsnake :
Notes
- The Legion of the Unliving were created by Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema where they made their first appearance in Avengers v1 #131 (January, 1975).
Appearances
- Avengers v1: (1975)
- Avengers West Coast v2:
- Avengers v8:
External Links
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