Enclave (Marvel)

Latest revision as of 09:16, 17 March 2024

The Enclave is an organization that features in Marvel Comics.

History

The Enclave were a a group of human scientists that operated on Earth in the modern age. (Fantastic Four v1 #66) Their origins were traced to an event earlier group known as the Scientist Guild whose existence went back centuries to even Arthurian times. Long ago, their forebears were responsible for delving into the occult with them using their powers to create the Eternity Mask that was weaved from the living cosmos itself. The relic gave the bearer incredible power that matched their foe and had used it to empower people across the years. Among these included the Thunderer during World War II. By 1958, the Guild's experiments proved largely unsuccessful as they failed to use the mask on themselves. Dr. Hamilton believed that it was because they wished to rule the world but Dr. Zota believed that they were saving it. However. Dr. Shinski reasoned that the only way to control the planet was by creating a race of perfect beings. They then decided to end the existence of the Scientists Guild and reformed themselves as the Enclave. (Marvel Comics v1 #1000)

The four heads then came to fake their deaths in a plane crash leading to the world believing they had died when in actuality they hid at their new headquarters to begin their experiments. Rendezvoused with the others on a small island in the North Atlantic Ocean, they came upon the ruins of a technologically advanced stronghold that was discovered by a friend of Hamilton's who was an archaeologist named Daniel Damian. The four Enclave scientists used the scrap metal in the ruins to create their own Citadel of Science, which they nicknamed the Beehive. After about a decade of work, the Beehive was fully operational, and it became one of the foremost scientific research facilities on Earth. (Fantastic Four v1 #66) Working together, and using the abandoned technological devices they found there, the Enclave scientists created a number of scientific breakthroughs, including anti-gravity transmitters, molecular bond-severing blades, and a teleportation machine with a 2,000 mile range. The first project upon which they pinned their hopes of effecting their goals, however, was in the field of genetics. Their plan was to create a vastly powerful new race of human beings under their control with which to subjugate the rest of humanity. For almost a decade, the four scientists labored, bioengineering human DNA molecules to create life, irradiating it with various energies to imbue it with power, and chemically accelerating its growth. When their prototype reached maturity, it escaped its incubation chamber before they could set it free. Due to its rapid maturation, they were unable to place within the creature's mind the proper safeguards enabling them to control it. The creature, referred to only as "Him," manifested its various energy-manipulating powers, causing its creators to flee before they could even learn what it looked like. Using the teleportation machine, Hamilton kidnapped noted sculptor Alicia Masters and brought her to the Beehive to sculpt Him's likeness. After he persuaded her to do as they asked, Hamilton was conscience-stricken and insisted he accompany her into the chamber where Him was. In the meantime, Alicia Masters' friends, the Fantastic Four, realized she was missing and managed to locate the Beehive. Just before the Fantastic Four rescued Masters and escaped through the Enclave's teleportation machine, Hamilton was seemingly killed in a rockslide caused by one of Him's energy discharges. Zoto warned Him that the energy necessary for flight would cause the total destruction of the Beehive. Believing them to be evil, Him flew off in defiance of the warning. Him later became known as Adam Warlock. (Fantastic Four v1 #67)

Having survived in a nearly comatose state, Maximus revived and contacted the Enclave once more, this time offering to help them attack Attilan's new location, in the Blue Area of the Moon. Maximus possessed the body of Black Bolt and permitted Morlak and Zota with Shinski being too infirm to make the trip as they went about to infiltrate the Inhumans' land. Using the Alpha Primitives as worker drones, they launched a series of meteoroid attacks on Earth, designed to get Earth to retaliate against the Inhumans. The Avengers assisted in foiling the plot and exposing Maximus, who fled, unwittingly leading the Avengers and Inhumans right to Morlak and Zota, who were captured and imprisoned. (Avengers Annual v1 #12) Over a period of months, Shinski acquired the resources to build a makeshift Transfer Grid, which he used to free Zota, and then Morlak. Shinski then showed them his next breakthrough. (Avengers v1 #262) Attempting to fly in secret out of JFK airport, the Enclave was discovered by the FBI, including Derek Freeman, and when they tried to escape, they skidded their plane right into the bay, dumping Shinski's project into the bottom of the bay. Investigation of the plane wreck led the Avengers to find what appeared to be yet another cocoon, but this turned out to be just coincidence, as it was actually the dormant Jean Grey, who had no connection to the Enclave. From a hospital bed, Shinski claimed that the tank they were carrying only contained certain chemical compounds, which would be rendered inert by the waters of the bay. (Avengers v1 #263)

From the group known as A.I.M., the Enclave obtained both financial backing and an agent, Frank, to help assist them in their endeavors. In exchange, they were to capture Kismet and turn her over to A.I.M. Shinski had a stroke and was confined to a bed and required intravenous therapy after suffering heart and lung damage. In a new base in the American Midwest, they rebuilt their Transfer Grid. Morlak and Zota used the Grid to travel to Project: P.E.G.A.S.U.S. and abduct a cocoon containing the healing form of Kismet. After removing Kismet from the cocoon, they placed it around Shinski, curing him of his ailments. While Shinski was overjoyed at seeing his only 'daughter', Morlak and Zota planned to extract some of Kismet's DNA and inject themselves with it, in hopes of turning themselves into metahumans. Frank, however, assaulted Morlak and Zota, preventing them from betraying AIM as they had intended to do once gaining their powers. Kismet stopped Frank from killing Shinski, but Frank revealed himself to be an Adaptoid, and took on her powers as Paragon, a replica of her original form. As the two fought, Shinski infected and destroyed Paragon with a genetic virus, designed as a fail-safe should Kismet attack them. Kismet then made more cocoons to heal all three Enclave members, and decided to stay with them and nurture her 'parents'. (Quasar v1 #57) Kismet refused an offer to join Quasar in space, preferring to instead stay with the Enclave. (Quasar v1 #60)

Some time after the defeat of Paragon, the three Enclave members were each transformed into powerful metahumans, as they had hoped. However, their advanced minds turned them away from their former plans of world conquest, though their desire to cure the ills of humanity remained while their opinions on how to go about this differed, they also found that they could not leave each other's immediate presence, or suffer power loss and great pain. Testing their powers over the next few days, the trio proved themselves by stopping a dangerous tornado, saving dying patients, bringing rain to a drought region, curing deadly jungle diseases, disposing of nuclear waste, revitalizing rain forests, etc. However, they were unaware of the long-term effects of their actions, and several places suffered even worse fates from their over-compensations. Kismet tried to stop them, but their actions caused a volcano to erupt. With her aid, they averted the disaster, and they accepted her advice to learn more about their powers by investigating their source. She accompanied them out into space. Kismet and the Enclave encountered the powerful being Khatylis in the midst of a battle with the Silver Surfer. Unwittingly attacking Khatylis, the three Enclavers were quickly destroyed by him. Kismet assaulted Khatylis, causing an interdimensional rift that nearly destroyed them all, but Khatylis healed the rift and restored the Enclave, Kismet, and the Surfer. Again they were all reminded of the damage they could cause by using their powers irresponsibly. (Cosmic Powers Unlimited v1 #2)

Dr. Theodore Goodrich created a new incarnation of the Enclave where he sought to succeed where they failed in creating a new generation of enhanced humans. This saw him looking to study the creation of new Inhumans that emerged following the Terrigen Mists spread around the world after Thanos's attack on the planet. They came to find a test subject for their experiments in newly awakened Terrigen-Changeling Randall Jessup. (Indestructible Hulk v1 #19) Jessup was taken back to the Beehive for study but the Hulk went in pursuit as Randall was one of Bruce Banner's team of scientists. The attack resulted in Jessup's own transformation into his Inhuman form with the two monsters then destroying the unstable power source of the facility which threatened to explode and destroy a large part of the Earth. In desperation. Dr. Goodrich and his assistant Dr. Webb looked to use a captured Terrigen cocoon in an effort to upgrade themselves to salvage their research but the entity within killed the pair and dragged their bodies into its confines. Afterwards, the Beehive was seemingly destroyed in the resultant chaos that occurred with the threat of the new Enclave ending. (Indestructible Hulk v1 #20)

A year ago, Zota had completed work on Adam IV that was an artificial being set to serve the Enclave. The cybernetic amalgamation was designed to be superior to humans with him possessing a nearly unlimited intellect. However, Adam IV turned on his creators and took the name Korvac where he embarked on his own plans for the world. As a result, he departed the Enclave as he began to operate secretly on Earth. (Iron Man v6 #2)

Overview

A teleportation device known as a transfer grid was used to gain entry to their base of operations. A space warper was used that as an armband which allowed the wearer to travel instantly to any area on Earth. (Fantastic Four v1 #66)

The headquarters of the Enclave was the Beehive that was an incredibly complex structure that was located in a remote location on Earth. Its existence was unknown to the world at large and it was inaccessible via normal means. Their base of operations was known as the Citadel of Science that was to be a home for scientists who had retreated from the world in order to engage in experiments. (Fantastic Four v1 #66)

Members

• Maris Morlak : a male scientist who claimed to be a master of nuclear physics. (Fantastic Four v1 #66)
• Carlo Zota : a male whose expertise was in electronics. (Fantastic Four v1 #66)
• Wladyslav Shinsky : a male scientist who was the dean of biology and genetics research. (Fantastic Four v1 #66)
• Jerome Hamilton : a male scientist whose specialty was medicine. (Fantastic Four v1 #66)

Note

• The Enclave was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby where they made their first appearance in Fantastic Four v1 #66 (September, 1967).
• In 2005, Greg Pak commented on his Warlock series that: In 'Fantastic Four' #66, a group of mad scientists known as the Enclave created a 'perfect' human being as the first step in their plan to conquer the human race and usher in a utopian dictatorship. The entity they created destroyed their facilities and escaped, ultimately becoming the hero we all know and love as Adam Warlock. In the new Warlock series, the Enclave is trying again, deep in the jungles of the war-torn South American country Costa Perdita -- and this time they don't plan to lose control of their creation.

In other media

Video games

• In The Incredible Hulk, the Enclave served as antagonists in the video-game tie-in for the movie. They were a secret organization that conducted various experiments with their technology being tested in the Manhattan area. This group operated publicly in the guise of a front company known as the Paragon Corporation to hide their activities. The Enclave were created by four scientists with each having their own specialty as well as being in charge of a faction that had their own army. These factions were; Ceres, Minerva, Vulcan and Jupiter. Among their creations were genetically mutated warriors known as Barbaria that were created by genetic splicing on their own soldiers that created enhanced but unstable warriors.

Appearances

• Fantastic Four v1: (1967)
• Warlock v5:
• Indestructible Hulk v1:
• Marvel Comics v1:
• Iron Man v6:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Comicvine Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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