Redstone (comics)

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caption = Redstone fighting Hyperion
character_name = Redstone
publisher = Marvel Comics
debut = (I)Squadron Supreme # 9 (May 1986)
(II) Supreme Power #12
creators = (I)Mark Gruenwald
(II)J. Michael Straczynski
Gary Frank
alter_ego = (both) Michael Redstone
species = homeworld = Earth
alliances = (I)Squadron Supreme, Redeemers
(II)General Richard Alexander, Chinese government
aliases =
supports=
powers = (I)super-strength
(II)super strength, invulnerability, and Flash-Vision

Redstone is the name of two characters from Marvel Comics.

Various incarnations of Redstone

The first Redstone is a superhero who is a native to the alternate universe of the original Squadron Supreme. Unlike most of the characters created for the original "Squadron Supreme" series, Redstone, a later creation, has no DC Comics counterpart.

The second Redstone is a super-powered serial killer from the reality of the "Supreme Power" series. Though he shares the same name as the first, his powers in this universe are derived from elements of Hyperion's alien DNA and mimic most - but not all - of his alien abilities.

Squadron Supreme

An Apache named Redstone was a part of "Nighthawk's Redeemers" in the Squadron Supreme of Earth-712. Like the Greek god Antaeus, he drew his power from the Earth, and lost much of his super-strength when not in contact with the ground. Redstone died on the way to confront the Nth Man in "Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe" after leaving Earth.

Supreme Power

The first supervillain to appear in the "Supreme Power" universe, Redstone is what the US government has dubbed a "Power." In essence, he is on par with the likes of Hyperion and Power Princess, but he does not yet exhibit the degree of control over his powers Hyperion possesses, though it can be inferred that this is Redstone's personal choice.

Michael Redstone was an imprisoned renegade soldier and serial killer who murdered six women (five prostitutes and one "Sergeant Alicia James".) The murder of the female sergeant, who outranked him, was said to demonstrate "a psychology that loathes women who have any amount of power over him." A secret government group had been grafting a retro-virus based on Hyperion's DNA to military convicts who volunteered as human guinea pigs. Redstone had been one such volunteer.

After getting his powers (super strength, invulnerability, and "Flash vision"; notably, he does not gain Hyperion's ability to fly), he and an unknown number of other test subjects escaped. Redstone resumed killing prostitutes, again mostly black women, but this time in greater numbers, attracting Nighthawk's attention. Due to the detective work of Nighthawk and the assistance of Hyperion and Blur, Redstone was apprehended again. The team used a substance that blocked Redstone's nose and mouth, showing Redstone that he still needs oxygen to survive.

Dr. Spectrum arrived at the scene after the fighting, to take Redstone into custody and to a prison originally made for Hyperion. General Richard Alexander makes a deal with Redstone, and has him dropped into an unknown country whose government is being what the United States considers "difficult". Redstone's mission is simple: kill as many people he can, in order to cause mass panic and governmental instability.

Since then, he has seemingly escaped government control and was last seen hiring out his services to the Chinese government, whose intent is to counterbalance the superhuman weapons threat presented by the Squadron Supreme; subsequently, he tracked down Hyperion himself, and confronted him in Los Angeles. In the latest issue of Squadron Supreme, Redstone and Hyperion fight resulting in the deaths of many innocent bystanders. Hyperion attempts to suffocate Redstone by flying him into orbit, but Redstone has prepared a nuclear weapon stolen from a submarine that had sunk in the Norwegian Sea. The bomb will explode if it does not receive a signal from him every 5 minutes. Redstone insists Hyperion let himself be beaten to death or the device will be triggered. Hyperion is blinded by Redstone's flash vision and Redstone's rampage takes the lives of many citizens. Zarda arrives to save Hyperion but he insists she dispose of the bomb (which she does, possibly at the cost of her own life). Finally Blur forcibly recruits Nighthawk to aid in the battle and the three heroes confront Redstone. The story is to be continued.

External links

* [http://www.classicmarvel.com/cast/redstone.htm]