Geo-Force

Superherobox


caption=Geo-Force by Alan Davis
character_name=Geo-Force
real_name=Brion Markov
publisher=DC Comics
debut="The Brave and the Bold" # 200 (July 1983)
creators=Mike W. Barr
Jim Aparo
homeworld=
species=
alliances=Justice League Outsiders
aliases=
powers=Superhuman strength, endurance and durability
Flight
Lava Blasts
Gravity manipulation,
Earth manipulation|

Geo-Force is the superhero alias of Brion Markov, a fictional character from DC Comics. Markov is Prince of Markovia and the half-brother of Terra. Geo-Force is one of the founding members of the superhero group The Outsiders. He first appeared in "The Brave and the Bold" # 200 (July 1983). The character was created by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo.

Fictional character biography

Batman and the Outsiders

Dr. Helga Jace uses a device to give Prince Brion Markov superpowers with which he could stop an insurrection mounted by the evil Baron Bedlam. At this time, five other superheroes converge in Markovia for various reasons of their own. Veteran heroes Batman, Metamorpho, and Black Lightning join forces with Geo-Force and two other new heroes, Katana, and Halo. After stopping the insurrection, the heroes decide to stay together as The Outsiders, with Batman (who has resigned from the JLA) as team leader.

As a member of the Outsiders, Brion got along with his teammates though occasionally butted heads with Batman and his teammates due to his short-tempered personality. When he was not active as a super-hero, Brion attended college in the US and began dating fellow classmate Denise Howard

In one of their earliest missions, the Outsiders team up with the Teen Titans, who were led at the time by Batman's sidekick, Robin. It was during this adventure that it was revealed that Geo-Force was the brother of Tara Markov, also known as Terra of the Titans. Tara was the product of an affair King Markov (Brion's father) had with an unnamed American woman. Fearing scandal, the king sent Tara to be raised in the United States. Unbeknownst to Geo-Force and her fellow Titans, Terra is secretly a spy working for Deathstroke. Brion was happy to be reunited with his half-sister, though Terra was less happy due to fears that Brion would say the wrong thing and possibly expose the fictional backstory she told the Titans about herself and how she gained her powers.

Several weeks later, Terra would betray the Titans as Deathstroke delivered the Titans The HIVE, who had employed the two to bring them the Titans. In the climatic battle between the Titans and Deathstroke and Terra, Terra's sociopathic personality broke down as she tried to kill both the Titans and Deathstroke, when Deathstroke's son Joseph intervened on behalf of the Titans to stop his father. In the end, Terra accidentally killed herself when she tried to bury the Titans alive in a massive rock storm. At first, the Titans did not tell Geo-Force of her betrayal, letting him think that she died a hero. At a later date, however, Batman reveals the truth to Geo-Force, which left him even more heartbroken than before. In his depression, Geo-Force could not bring himself to continue wearing his "earthtone" costume, as it reminded him of Tara, who wore a similar uniform. His teammates presented him with a new green and gold costume to lift his spirits. It works well, and Geo-Force has worn those colors ever since. The colors have dual importance to Geo-Force as both the colors of his native Markovia's flag, and symbolically representing the Earth, from which his powers are derived (green), while reminding him how precious his gifts truly are (gold).

The Outsiders

After the Outsiders split with Batman, they are privately funded by Markovia. During this time, Geo-Force is the unofficial new leader of the team. However, this information eventually comes out and Major Disaster destroys their base.

Around this time, the sovereignty of Markovia again comes under threat. Investigating the mysterious new Prime Minister, Geo-Force leads a team of Outsiders and Infinity Inc. members back to his homeland. Having grown up in the main castle, it is easy for Geo-Force to lead the team in. He soon discovers that the Psycho-Pirate, in the disguise of long term Outsiders enemy, Baron Bedlam, is attempting to conquer the country.

Brion meanwhile would have a one-night stand with Looker, when the two were stranded on a desert island. The move would strain the relationship between Brion and his girlfriend Denise as well as Looker's relationship with her husband.

The United States government withdraws any foreign aid from Markovia until that nation releases the true names of the Outsiders. Before King Gregor, Brion's older brother, could make a decision, he is murdered. Brion becomes king, but he is forced to abdicate and is imprisoned when his sister-in-law, Iona (Gregor's wife), reveals she is pregnant. His teammate Looker reveals to Brion that the murderer of his brother is Dr. Jace. She has betrayed the team for the Manhunters, because she admires their dedication to knowledge. In the end Jace would die along with a mind-controlled Metamorpho. This, along with a second battle with the descendants of teammate Looker, which resulted in Looker being temporarily stripped of her powers and Halo being injured, causes the Outsiders to disband and Brion to retire as Geo-Force.

In the early 1990s however, "The Outsiders would be revived with former Outsiders Geo-Force, Katana, Halo and Looker are joined by new heroes Faust, Technocrat and Wylde. The latter two were on hand to sell a new battlesuit to Markovia. Queen Iona has teamed up with Roderick, a vampire, in order to kill Geo-Force, though the first attempt made it seem as if Technocrat was under attack. Using a vampire's inability to be recorded, Roderick frames Geo-Force for Iona's on-air murder, forcing the team on the run.

Geo-Force and the Outsiders go on the run for some time, hiding out mostly in America. They eventually clear their names and destroy Roderick and his vampric legions. At the end of the second "Outsiders" series, Brion married his long-time girlfriend, Denise Howard.

During this time, another Terra has appeared as part of a group known as the Team Titans, who appear to have come from the future. This new Terra claims to have been a normal girl who was given Terra's appearance and powers as a result of a DNA virus. Geo-Force's first attempt to talk to her meets with failure when he accidentally gets swept up in a rock column she has created during a loud party. He finds her again at the Titans headquarters. After a brief fight with her friends, he manages to sit down with her. The new Terra convinces him she is not his sister. Unfortunately, rogue Markovian scientists attack with the intention of forcibly duplicating Terra's powers. Geo-Force and the other Titans rescue her.Further revelations implied that this Terra was in fact from their time, when the original Terra's grave is dug up and her corpse is missing from her coffin.

Brion invites Terra to live in Markovia, which she accepts, as her group of Titans was disbanding. In Markovia, scientists conduct a DNA test in hope of discovering if Terra was in fact Geo-Force's sister. Terra herself was in fear of the results, afraid that she might in fact be a villainous traitor. When the test results came back positive, Brion lied to Terra telling her that the results were negative, in order to spare her further stress due to the inconclusive results.

Around this time, as part of the Day of Judgement incident, a portal to hell threatens to swallow the country of Markovia. A small team of Outsiders, including the newer Terra, Katana, and the original Halo are on hand to help combat it.

Geo-Force briefly appears in "52" #35, assisting Metropolis citizens injured in a mass-murder incident caused by Lex Luthor. He later was a part of the army of heroes gathered by the Justice Society at the end of "52" to battle Black Adam, who in his global killing spree after the death of his wife and brother-in-law, had murdered Terra II. Before the battle, Geo-Force told Changling not to blame himself for Terra II's death.

Justice League of America

While sailing in his yacht off the coast of Greece, Geo-Force suddenly found himself losing control over his powers, which had suddenly changed to include his sister's earth manipulation powers. This sudden increase in power, which caused Geo-Force to black out, was ultimately caused by the villainous Deathstroke the Terminator through as of yet unrevealed means.

Geo-Force sought help from the newly reformed Justice League of America, becoming an unofficial member of the group. This would ultimately be revealed to be Deathstroke's overall plan, as he ultimately confronted Geo-Force in order to blackmail him into becoming a spy, just like Terra, in exchange for Deathstroke promising one day to remove the added powers he forced upon Geo-Force. Unfortunately for Deathstroke however, Geo-Force informed Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman of Deathstroke's scheme and agreed to become a double-agent: spying on Deathstroke for the League while spying on the League for Deathstroke.

Unfortunately, the scheme fell apart when Lex Luthor organized a new incarnation of the Injustice League and captured the Justice League. While a prisoner, Geo-Force was brutally tortured alongside Red Tornado, at the hands of Gorilla Grodd. While recovering from his injuries, Geo-Force is "traded" to Batman's latest incarnation of "The Outsiders" much to Geo-Force's dismay and ultimately, acceptance.

In "DC Universe Last Will and Testament," Geo-Force confronts Deathstroke in a battle. After contemplating murder he is persuaded otherwise by Black Lightning and Rocky Davis of the Challengers of the Unknown. He loses a lot of blood to Deathstroke in their fight, however he set their confrontation at the same alley/building complex where Deathstroke's second son Jericho was kidnapped to. Slashing his own throat in the same manner his son was cut lets Deathstroke's guard down, allowing Brion to impale Slade with his own sword.

Powers and abilities

As implied by his codename, all of Brion's powers are in some way related to the planet Earth. He can manipulate the Earth's gravitational field to make an object heavier ("plus-gravity") or lighter ("null-gravity"). He can also project scorching "lava blasts" in imitation of terrestrial volcanoes. By using his null-gravity power on himself coupled with lava blasts for propulsion, Geo-Force can fly at great speeds for short periods of time (his teammate Black Lightning once remarked that Geo-Force weakens after flying 1,000 miles). Geo-Force has also demonstrated the ability to manipulate the Earth itself, in a manner similar to Terra.

Geo-Force also possesses impressive superhuman strength and durability. When he was shot in the back by the clone of Baron Bedlam, the bullets staggered him, but they did not puncture his skin. Recently his durability was greatly diminished.

Geo-Force gained his powers due in part to his heritage as a prince of Markovia, and the effects of the device designed for manifesting said powers. Only one with royal Markov blood can retain these powers permanently. The source of Geo-Force's powers is the Earth itself. During his first adventure, Geo-Force was apparently killed, and he was buried by soldiers. The Earth nurtured Geo-Force, healing his wounds and essentially 'recharging' him. Geo-Force is at his strongest when he is firmly planted on the ground; his powers and health will deteriorate if he is taken off of the Earth for a long period of time. In such instances, Geo-Force will die unless he returns to Earth in time.

Resources

* [http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=geoforce DCU Guide: Geo-Force]
* [http://www.mykey3000.com/cosmicteams/outsiders/index.html Cosmic Teams: Geo-Force]

External links

* [http://www.karridian.net/dcatlas.html Atlas of the DC Universe]