Zodiac (comics)

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imagesize=
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team_name=Zodiac
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Avengers" #72 (Jan 1970)
creators=Roy Thomas
Sal Buscema
base=
members=Taurus (founder and leader)
Aquarius
Aries
Cancer
Capricorn
Gemini
Leo
Libra
Pisces
Sagittarius
Scorpio
Virgo
memberlist=
subcat=Marvel Comics
hero=
villain=y
sortkey=PAGENAME| Zodiac is the name of several fictional villainous organizations that have appeared in Marvel Comics stories. There have been a variety of Zodiac teams, each differing in their motivations and structure, however there is always at least one supervillain in them who has adopted his or her individual star sign as their personal codename and motif. The group has often executed crimes based on the twelve signs of the zodiac.

Zodiac I

The first-known group debuted in the Avengers #72, [cover dated January 1970] . It was a criminal organization founded by Taurus, a corrupt businessman named Cornelius Van Lundt who sought personal power and dominance of the masses, using astrology to guide his and the Zodiac's machinations.cite book | last = Sanderson | first = Peter | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City | publisher = Pocket Books | date = 2007 | location = New York City | pages = 6 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 1-14653-141-6] Leadership of the Zodiac would fluctuate between the members, based on the "dominance" of their calendar sign. Various Zodiac members would often attempt plots of their own, independent of the main body of the Zodiac, notables including Aries, Capricorn, and Scorpio.

Zodiac II

Scorpio, who had engaged his brother Nick Fury in a series of criminal efforts years before the debut of the Zodiac, left the original Zodiac and constructed his own team with Life Model Decoy (realistic androids) technology stolen from S.H.I.E.L.D. Scorpio eventually killed himself after the collapse of his schemes. His weapon (an item known as the "Zodiac Key", empowered by a group of extra-dimensional mystics called The Brotherhood) transferred his intellect into a Life Model Decoy duplicate, granting him a second life. This "reborn" Scorpio would construct various android incarnations of the Zodiac. Zodiac-themed villains would come into conflict with various superheroes, among them Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Iron Man, S.H.I.E.L.D., She-Hulk, and most notably, The Avengers.

Fury's android cartel eventually infiltrated and destroyed Van Lundt's original Zodiac; only a few members are known to have survived. Fury/Scorpio claimed that the Brotherhood had long-controlled the Zodiac and intended him to serve as its master. Fury and his machines were later deactivated and the key retaken by the mystics.

Zodiac III

Since then, many different cartels have manifested, each with its own general trappings and motivations, all employing at least a single costumed enforcer, and all motivated by emulation of the zodiac calendar. One Zodiac, made up of soldiers in Romanic dress, occupied New York shortly before Onslaught's devastation of the city. This Zodiac was led by a single agent, Libra. Later, a fully costumed cartel became active in Canada. They were opposed by the then-current incarnation of Alpha Flight, and then slaughtered by the mutant task force Weapon X.

Zodiac IV

Shortly before the disbanding of the original Avengers charter, a new Scorpio, armed with a copy of Fury's key, battled the team. Scorpio reported to a shadowy group of men in a boardroom-style headquarters, these men were identified as the "actual" Zodiac, Scorpio serving as a colorful facade/agent. In the 2007 "New Warriors" series, issue #4, the new Zodiac team was fighting the Initiative heroes, the vigilante New Warriors team came to help them in the fight. Only ten of the twelve Zodiac members were present and those that were not present were Capricorn and either Aquarius or Gemini as neither of them were mentioned by name and the character in question was female who weren't seen using her powers. During the fight Longstrike of the New Warriors was killed, in front of her teammates, by Cancer in this same issue.

There also was Zodiac team mentioned in Young Avengers #12 (2006) including four members Cancer, Taurus and twins calling themselves Gemini. They attacked the U.N. building taking hostages but was stopped by the Young Avengers. Any of this was not shown and members were only mentioned by short description given by Speed. This description states that Cancer was a male and Taurus was giant bull as the latest groups Cancer is female and their Taurus has human appearance proving that this group is not part of the latest incarnation.

Other media

The Zodiac appears in the series (2000), with Taurus as their leader. In this show, they are aliens based on the zodiac constellations.

References

External links

*http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/zodiaccartel.htm