Bogatyri (comics)

Bogatyri
The Bogatyri from Avengers West Coast #87, artist Dave Ross
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Avengers West Coast #87 (October 1992)
Created by	Roy Thomas (writer) Dann Thomas (writer) Dave Ross (artist)
In-story information
Base(s)	Russian Federation
Member(s)	Doctor Volkh Mikula Svyatogor Zvezda Dennista

The Bogatyri are a fictional team of Russian superheroes published by Marvel Comics. They first appeared in Avengers West Coast #87 (October 1992), and were created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas and Dave Ross. "Bogatyri" is derived from the plural form of Bogatyr, an Old Slavic word that means "Valiant Champion".

Fictional team history

Villains

The Bogatyri first appear as a team of hardline pre-Glasnost communists who mount a surprise attack on a D. E. W. Listening Station (Distant Early Warning) located in Bathurst Inlet, Northwest Territories Canada. The facility is operated and protected by a joint United States and Canadian military force, all of whom are slaughtered by the Bogatyri and their support crew. The stated goal of their leader, Doctor Volkh, is to secure the incomplete Quick-Freeze Crystal, a warehoused experimental weapon, the product of a military weapons development program which lost its funding. The Quick-Freeze Crystal can generate intense cold and ice, enough to blanket the entire Northern United States and begin a new 'Cold War'. U.S. Agent, a member of Avengers West Coast, soon arrives at Bathurst Inlet. The Agent is acting under orders from the Commission on Superhuman Activities to re-secure the facility, after a brief struggle Mikula uses his telekinesis to throw U.S. Agent into the inlet. At the same time Wolverine is confronted and captured by Zvezda Dennista (Morning Star) and Svyatogor when he unwittingly crosses into their patrol perimeter. The Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man arrive in time to rescue U.S. Agent from a watery death.^[1]

After a series of encounters U. S. Agent, Wonder Man and Wolverine, assisted by United States and Canadian forces are able to distract the Bogatyri long enough for Scarlet Witch to destroy the Quick-Freeze Crystal, an event which also destroys the facility. The four Bogatyri make their escape during the confusion but their support staff including Comrade Miasnikov is captured by United States and Canadian soldiers.^[2]

Heroes

In time the Bogatyri reconcile with the new government, become the protectors of the Russian Federation. Zvezda Dennista was unable to get past her anti-Western sympathies, and so she resigned from the team and became a mercenary. She later shows up on Demonica the island stronghold of Doctor Demonicus where she serves alongside Demonicus' other enforcers Ulysses Klaw and the Pacific Overlords. When she discovers that Demonicus is under the thrall of a Rakshasa, she and Klaw join forces with the Avengers to defeat Demonicus and the Pacific Overlords. Her current whereabouts and sympathies are unknown.^[3]

Membership

Avengers West Coast #88,
art by Dave Ross

Doctor Volkh

Doctor Vladimir Orekhov is a Mutate who was one of the first Russians to become a cosmonaut. As a result of his time spent as a cosmonaut, he gained the ability to stretch his body in a manner similar to Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four. Vladimir named himself "Volkh" after a shapeshifter in an old East Slavic bylina called The Volkh Vseslavevich (The retinue sleeps, but Volkh does not sleep he disguises himself as a grey wolf).^[4] According to the origin story he told Wolverine, his abilities can be directly attributed to cosmic ray exposure. Volkh's independent development of technology similar to that used in the Quick-Freeze Crystal enabled him to easily modify the device.^[5][6]

Mikula

Main article: Mikula Golubev

Mikula Golubev is a Mutant with powers of telepathy and telekinesis. He wears a special harness on his shoulders, designed by Doctor Volkh; the harness boosts and focuses his psionic abilities. His parents named him for a Bogatyr from East Slavic folklore named "Mikula Selianinovich".^[7]

Svyatogor

Sasha Pokryshkin is a cyborg whose lungs and limbs were damaged by radiation from a nuclear power plant accident. Sasha was rebuilt with special cybernetic prostheses that covered his damaged face, and replaced his lost limbs and organs. His new cybernetic right arm has a built in gun with upgradeable attachments. Sasha named himself "Svyatogor," after one of the more famous Bogatyr.

Zvezda Dennista

Marya Meshkov is a Mutate who calls herself Morning Star (Zvezda Dennista, in Russian). Marya is a geologist who unearthed fragments of the mysterious meteor which arrived during the Tunguska event. The event destroyed much of Tunguska Siberia in 1908. The meteor fragment endowed her with abilities similar to those possessed by the Human Torch, she can fly and generate focused maser beams.^[8] (Note: She is not to be confused with Morning Star, a Moon Knight villain.)

References

1. ^ Avengers West Coast #87
2. ^ Avengers West Coast #88
3. ^ Avengers West Coast #93-95.
4. ^ Indo-European Texts: Russian
5. ^ http://www.marvel.com/universe/Volkh Marvel Universe.com: Volkh
6. ^ Bogatyri (West Coast Avengers foes)
7. ^ http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/mikula.html Mikula Selianinovich from Encyclopedia Mythica
8. ^ Morningstar (Bogatyri, West-Coast Avengers character)

External links

• Bogatyri at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Marvel Universe.com: Doctor Volkh
• Doctor Volkh at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Morning Star at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Svyatogor at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe