Terminus (Marvel)

Terminus is an extraterrestrial comic supervillain that features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Terminus is a destroyer, who was first encountered by the superheroes Mister Fantastic and She-Hulk when the two were investigating the purpose behind a powerful beam from outer space. The beam proved to be from Terminus, who used his "power lance" to carve, in enormous letters one-half mile wide, a message stretching across the United States that read: "I claim this world--Terminus." Upon his arrival from outer space, Terminus began an enormous cracking process that devastated the land and all life on it until Mister Fantastic improvised a device that used the Earth's motion through space to drive the alien hundreds of miles into the planet.<ref>Fantastic Four #269-270</ref>

Terminus reappeared months later in the South Atlantic Ocean, destroying a ship that was transporting his power lance (which She-Hulk had caused him to drop in his initial battle prior to his propulsion into the planet). Summoned to investigate, the Avengers tracked Terminus to Antarctica and the Savage Land therein, to which he was drawn by the advanced technology maintaining the tropical environment there. Though Terminus destroyed the Savage Land in his cracking process, he was defeated by the Avengers when Hercules tore his armor apart, revealing Terminus's bloated body and stunted appendages. Hercules left Terminus to die in the encroaching Antarctic snow, while the Savage Land was later restored to its former condition by the High Evolutionary.<ref>Avengers #256-257 (June-July 1985)</ref>

Despite this defeat, Terminus later reappeared. He has alternatively been depicted as a giant bloated alien inside an immense suit of power armor, or as a hive-like entity composed of a great number of man-sized aliens. At one time, Garokk the Petrified Man inhabited the Terminus armor and was compelled to operate it.<ref>Uncanny X-Men Annual #12 (1988)</ref>

One incarnation of Terminus used Moloids, the Mole Man's mindless servants, to construct a body for himself. This incarnation of Terminus was ultimately defeated by the Silver Surfer with the help of the Fantastic Four, and the Moloids were set free.Template:Issue

During the Acts of Vengeance crossover, Quasar and Spider-Man (with the powers of Captain Universe) push Terminus into outer space.<ref>Quasar #7 (February 1990)</ref>

The Terminus Factor

Terminus reappeared again in a cross-over story arc appearing in several Avengers-related titles. In this story arc it was revealed that Terminus had seeded the core of the earth with spores that were released onto the surface by a manned probe sent into a volcano. Iron Man became infected by the spores when he had to rescue the probe and was driven into a berzerk rage by them. Captain America was able to save him by drawing him into a protracted battle in the cold mountain range. (The spores at that time required heat to stay viable.)Template:Issue

Although Iron Man and other human infectees were freed, at least one grizzly bear became infected. It began seeking out metal which it began consuming as the spores turned the animal into a techno-organic monster. During this time it came across Machine-man and attempted to consume him. The creature was defeated with the help of Iron Man, but again the spores survived.Template:Issue

As more of the "Termini" began appearing, Thor and Hercules found themselves fighting a small army of the creatures that were demonstrating more than animal-level intelligence. Leaving Hercules to fight the beasts, Thor took to space to find Terminus in an attempt to stop the creatures at their source. Before leaving, however, he removed one of the enchantments from his hammer, Mjolnir; specifically, the enchantment that made the hammer return to its owner when thrown. Thor found, battled, and apparently lost to Terminus who then absorbed Mjolnir into himself and headed towards Earth.Template:Issue

Meanwhile, the damage Hercules was inflicting upon the Terminoids caused the creatures to begin consuming each other. The result was the creation of a Terminus-like monster that was now fully sentient. The West Coast Avengers, accompanied by the newly reactivated Human Torch engaged the New Terminus, only to find that it seemed much stronger than the original Terminus (they were unaware that some of the Terminus' they had fought in the past were fakes). The situation became more complicated when Terminus descended to Earth and challenged his offspring to mortal combat. The West Coast Avengers attempted to separate the two giants by use of illusions, but their ruse was short lived and the two monsters finally clashed. The original Terminus eventually defeated his "child" and then consumed him. This resulted in Terminus transforming into a larger, four-armed "ultimate" form. The West Coast Avengers were unable to immediately follow as Terminus set off towards St. Louis.Template:Issue

As the two main branches of the Avengers marshaled themselves, Hawkeye called upon Mockingbird and the Great Lakes Avengers to delay Terminus for as long as possible. Although the GLA looked at this as an opportunity to prove themselves worthy of a full membership into the Avengers the encounter was a debacle for the team as Terminus swatted their plane from the sky, briefly killed team member Mr. Immortal and generally ignored them. When the assembled Avengers task force finally arrived, Mockingbird became incensed at Hawkeye's comment that they were just a delaying action.Template:Issue

Meanwhile in space, Thor, who had been left for dead by Terminus drifted into a small asteroid field with sufficient gravity to have a thin atmosphere. Taking heart that he could enact his stratagem, Thor began to speak an incantation in Asgardian.Template:Issue

Back on Earth Terminus generally ignored the Avengers and protected himself behind a force-field as he used his lance to begin draining Earth of its energy. Quasar lead the team in an effort to push Terminus out into space as he and Spider-man had before, but Terminus stalemated them. Just before Terminus could begin a counter-offensive, Thor finished his incantation which re-established the retuning enchantment upon his hammer. Since Mjolnir was part of Terminus now, Terminus found himself, and the heroes nearest to him sucked into space towards Thor. Once in space the Avengers were able to separate Terminus from his lance, and this time Quasar used his quantum jump ability to send it too far away from Terminus to reclaim it. As a result, it was discovered that Terminus was much more dependent on his lance than his previous forms; he was forced to use himself as an energy source, and his body imploded, collapsing in upon itself. As he condensed into a black hole, Mjolnir returned to Thor, and the Avengers returned to Earth.<ref>Avengers Annual #19 (1990)</ref>

JLA/Avengers

Terminus appeared (in his original form) in the JLA/Avengers crossover event. In it Terminus attacked the DC Universe's Earth. It faced the Justice League of America and showed he was able to hurt some of the more powerful members, to their surprise. Terminus had the upper hand until Batman realized the power he contained was in the staff he held. Once Batman realized this, he was able to trick Terminus by making him think they were trying to take the staff, but in truth the Justice League was simply buying time for Green Lantern Kyle Rayner to use his power ring to analyze the staff and learn how to redirect the blasts back at Terminus himself, which knocked him out. <ref>JLA/Avengers #1</ref>

Overview

Powers and abilities

Terminus is a living being composed of organic metal who is descended from genetically engineered "termini-molecules". Over subsequent ages, the "termini-microbes" evolved into larger, more complex beings, many of which finally merged into the creature known as Terminus. Apparently, Terminus's original ancestral Termini-microbes were genetically programmed to devastate all inhabited worlds spared by the Celestials, and Terminus inherited this programming. Terminus's body contained human-sized insect-like "antibodies" and metallic "leeches" that attacked anything invading Terminus's body. While based in Earth's Subterranea, Terminus genetically engineered new Termini-microbes, which rapidly evolved through various stages known as Termini; these can be destroyed by intense cold. The "second stage" Termini gestate inside Earth animals, take the form of organic metal versions of those animals, and would increase their size by consuming metal; these can be destroyed by intense heat. The "third stage" Termini were roughly humanoid in shape and ten feet in height. These Termini merged into a single "fourth stage" being that resembled Terminus, but with a tail instead of a lance. The original Terminus consumed this second being, which gestated inside the original Terminus and then absorbed the latter's body mass within itself. The resulting creature, the "Stage-5 Terminus," resembled the first Terminus but was twice as tall and massive and possessed four arms.

Terminus is 150 feet in height and therefore has vast superhuman strength, stamina, and durability, but had below normal agility due to his size. Terminus had the ability to absorb and discharge vast amounts of energy through his lance, and can mentally summon his lance to him when separated from him even over vast distances. Terminus's lance is apparently composed of the same organic metal as his body, can regenerate itself when damaged, and is 240 feet in length. The lance can discharge vast amounts of atomic energy, enough to tear open the crust of a planet. This energy manifests itself both as concussive force and as intense heat. Terminus can use the lance to create an "atomic storm" that surrounds his body while he moves without harming it. Terminus uses the lance to drain energy and materials from outside sources. Apparently the energy the lance discharges comes from Terminus's own body. Terminus is capable of flight at warp speed through the use of his lance. Terminus is dependent on his lance for propulsion through the air or outer space and for draining the energy he requires for survival from outside sources.

Notes

• Terminus as created by John Byrne where he made his first appearance in Fantastic Four v1 #269 (August, 1984).

In other media

Television

• In Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes, Terminus appeared as an antagonist in the episode "Scavenger Hunt" where he was voiced by actor Lee Tockar. Though appearing as a giant extraterrestrial, in reality he was simply a small alien that operated a massive battlesuit. From space, he carved the words that he claimed Earth with an energy beam leading to a confrontation with the Fantastic Four.

Appearances

• Fantastic Four:
• Avengers:

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