Immortus

Superherobox|

caption=
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Immortus
real_name=Nathaniel Richards "(not to be confused with Reed Richards' father, after whom he is named)"
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut=(as Rama-Tut) "Fantastic Four" #19 (October 1963)
(as Kang) "Avengers" I #8 (September 1964)
(as Immortus) "Avengers" I #10 (Nov 1964)
creators=Stan Lee
Jack Kirby
alliance_color=background:#c0c0ff
alliances=The Time Keepers
The Brotherhood of Badoon
Church Of Immortus
aliases=Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Victor Timely, Iron Lad, Kang the Conqueror, Whisperer, Scarlet Centurion
powers=Time manipulation
Energy blasts
Superhuman strength intelligence and endurance
Immortality|

Immortus (Nathaniel Richards) is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He is the future (and later, alternate) self of Kang the Conqueror, and first appeared in "Avengers" #10, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

Fictional character biography

At some point in his personal timeline, Kang became weary of battle, due to frustration and the loss of his son Marcus and consort Ravonna in several timelines. He was approached by the alien Time-Keepers — time travelers from the end of the universe, the last living creatures in existence — to become their agent, preserving timelines rather than conquering them in exchange for immortality. He accepted and reinvented himself again, this time as Immortus, the lord of the other-dimensional realm of Limbo.

He again came into conflict with the Avengers, but under different circumstances. In his first encounter with the Avengers as Immortus, he attempted the destruction of the Avengers through the use of mythological figures as combatants. ["Avengers" #10] He was partially responsible for the creation of the Vision, creating a temporal copy of the original Human Torch that the android Ultron used to create the Vision.

Later, he even allied with Kang the Conqueror in one of Kang's schemes against the Avengers. ["Avengers" #131] However, he was betrayed by Kang, and imprisoned while Kang utilized Immortus's advanced technology to create the first Legion of the Unliving. ["Avengers" #132] He was subsequently freed by the Avengers, and revealed to be the future persona of Pharoah Rama-Tut and Kang the Conqueror. He offered to aid the Vision in learning his past. ["Giant-Sized Avengers" #3]

Later, Immortus officiated at the double wedding of the Vision to the Scarlet Witch, and Mantis to the Swordsman. ["Giant-Sized Avengers" #4] He next traveled to the Old West with Thor and Moondragon in pursuit of Kang, ["Avengers" #141] and assisted the Avengers in the defeat of Kang. ["Avengers" #143] Some time later, he allied with the Space Phantom and Tempus, and removed the time travel enchantment from Thor's uru hammer. ["Thor" #281-282]

Much later, he was revealed to have a long-term plot for the manipulation of the Avengers. ["Avengers West Coast" #48] He deleted various time-line universes as part of this plan. ["Avengers West Coast" #53, 55, 59] His plot to use the Scarlet Witch to become the "absolute master of time" was revealed, and he sent the third Legion of the Unliving to destroy the Avengers. ["Avengers West Coast" #61] However, he was rendered catatonic for a time by the Time-Keepers as punishment for his attempt to overthrow their rule. ["Avengers West Coast" #62]

Immortus was also responsible for manipulating Iron Man to turn against the Avengers by driving him insane, which resulted in Iron Man's death until he was resurrected by Franklin Richards later.

Immortus also came into conflict with his younger self, who was unable to see the reasoning behind Immortus' actions. Kang's conflict with Immortus was dubbed the "Destiny War".

Immortus faked his death several times before ultimately turning on the Time-Keepers to assist the Avengers and, as punishment, was truly killed. However, he was resurrected minutes later as temporal energies from the Time-Keepers' attempts to turn Kang directly into Immortus and thus fulfill the time loop caused a backlash that created Kang and Immortus as separate beings, freeing Kang from what he saw as a destiny as a "doddering old scholar."

Powers and abilities

Immortus has no superhuman powers, but he possesses an above normal intellect, and has advanced and extensive knowledge of travel through and manipulation of time. It is known that he was tutored by the Time-Keepers.

Immortus also uses a wide variety of instrumentation for manipulation of and travel through time, most of which he designed.

Other versions

Earth X

Immortus appears in Earth X, as Pope of the Church of Immortus. The Church of Immortus' goals are to destroy Reed Richards' Human Torches, allowing mankind to keep their mutations. Upon completing this goal, the Church of Immortus would then leave the Earth to colonize the stars. Immortus is advised in his role by a mysterious man known as Mr. Church, who is Mephisto attempting to lead mankind into its own demise.

Initially, Immortus was able to travel into and out of Limbo at his own will, through use of a time machine. Mephisto would eventually use this to get past his inability to travel into Limbo directly, and would lock Immortus out of Limbo. Eventually, Immortus would be mutated into Kang by the Terrigen Mists, and destroys his time machine in a rage after Mephisto refers to him as Kang, cursing Mephisto for making him Kang again. In his final appearance in the series, he has come to grips with his being Kang, and vows to help Reed Richards undo the damage his Church of Immortus has caused.

In other media

Television

Immortus makes a brief (and often overlooked) appearance in the "X-Men" Animated Series (1992) episode "Beyond Good and Evil part 4". At the conclusion of the story, the time-stream "custodian" Bender reveals (though only to the viewer) himself to be Immortus once Bishop leaves.

References

External links

* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix3/immortuslimbo.htm "The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe"'s profile on Immortus]
*http://marvel.com/universe/Immortus