Graviton (comics)

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caption=Graviton confronts the Thunderbolts on the cover of "Thunderbolts" #17 ((Aug. 1998). Art by Mark Bagley.
character_name=Graviton
alter_ego=Franklin Hall
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Avengers" #158 (April 1977)
creators= Jim Shooter
Sal Buscema
alliances=
aliases=Master of the Fundamental Force Legion Accursed Graviton's Forces Hood's Army
powers=Gravity manipulation
Genius level intellect|

Graviton is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in "Avengers" #158 (April 1977) and was created by Jim Shooter and Sal Buscema.

Fictional character biography

Franklin Hall is a physicist involved in an experiment in a private research facility in the Canadian Rockies. A mistake in Hall's calculations causes graviton particles to merge with his own molecules, and Hall later discovers that he can mentally control gravity. Hall at first tries to hide his newfound ability, but becomes tempted by the potential power, and donning a costume adopts the alias "Graviton."

When Graviton takes over the research facility and forbids all communications with the outside world, a fellow scientist sends a distress signal to the superhero team the Avengers. A furious Graviton then lifts the facility several thousands of feet into the sky and threatens to kill the scientist. The Avengers then arrive and attack, but with the exception of the Black Panther are all defeated when trapped in a gravity field. The Panther escapes and summons the Thunder God Thor, who battles Graviton to a standstill until Graviton is tricked into thinking a fellow scientist he cares for has committed suicide. Graviton then panics and causes the entire facility to collapse on him, forming a giant stone sphere that is dropped into a river by the Avengers. ["Avengers" #158 - 159 (April 1977)]

Graviton later reappears, although is suffering from amnesia and is flickering in out of existence. Somehow guided to the female scientist he has feelings for, Graviton attempts to abduct her but is stopped by Fantastic Four member the Thing and the Inhuman Black Bolt. During the battle, Graviton describes himself as becoming a "living black hole" and morphs into a 50 foot humanoid. Graviton is then attacked until he loses concentration, and then apparently implodes and is considered dead. ["Marvel Two-In-One" Annual #4 (1979)] Graviton is eventually able to reform his body, and decides to seeka bride. Elevating a Bloomingdale's store into the sky, he takes several women hostage until tricked by Thor. Thor then maroons a defeated Graviton in an alternate dimension. ["Thor" #324 (Oct. 1982)]

Graviton is able to return when an anomaly opens a portal to Earth. Arriving in Los Angeles, Graviton attempts to unite all criminal elements under his leadership, but is defeated by the West Coast Avengers. ["West Coast Avengers" #2 - 4 (Oct. - Dec. 1984) ] Graviton was among the villains recruited by Mister Bitterhorn into Mephisto's Legion Accursed. They were used in part of a plot to kill the Beyonder with Mephisto's Beyondersbane weapon, but were delayed by the Thing until the weapon melted down. [Secret Wars II #7 (January 1986)] Graviton then recruits the supervillains Halflife, Quantum, and Zzzax as allies, but they are once again defeated by the West Coast Avengers. ["West Coast Avengers" Vol. 2, #12 - 13 (Sep. - Oct 1986)] Graviton then defeats Spider-Man, ["Amazing Spider-Man" #326 (Dec. 1989)] and after a skirmish with the Fantastic Four, ["Fantastic Four" #322 (Jan. 1989)] is defeated in turn by a cosmic-powered Spider-Man. ["Amazing Spider-Man" #329 (Feb. 1990); "Web of Spider-Man" #64 - 65 (May - June 1990)]

Graviton then attacks the Avengers again, but is defeated when they overload his powers, banishing him to yet another alternate dimension. ["Avengers Unplugged" #2 (Dec. 1995)] He then sends out a distress signal, which is noticed by the villains Techno and Baron Zemo. Graviton is eventually freed and attacks the teams the Thunderbolts and Great Lakes Avengers, but is persuaded by Thunderbolt Moonstone to rethink his priorities. ["Thunderbolts" #17 (Aug. 1998)] Desiring still more power, Graviton recruited a team of criminals and looted the city of San Francisco, until eventually defeated by the Thunderbolts with the use of technology from Machine Man), whose flight capabilities cancel gravity. ["Thunderbolts" #27 - 30 (June - Sept. 1999)]

Banished once again to the same alternate dimension, Graviton becomes insane from the constant defeats and exile from Earth, and returns with the goal of total world conquest. Seeking revenge on the Thunderbolts, Graviton storms their headquarters to discover they have disbanded and been replaced by the group the Redeemers. Graviton kills almost the entire team before being defeated by a reformed Thunderbolts. Graviton apparently dies stopping an alien invasion and saves the team. ["Thunderbolts" #53 - 58 (Aug. 2001 - Jan. 2002)]

Graviton manages to re-enter Earth's dimension one final time, and after battling the Avenger Iron Man ends his own life. ["Iron Man" #21 - 23 (2007)]

Powers and abilities

Franklin Hall was a normal human until empowered by an explosion that intermingled his molecules with graviton particles generated by a nearby particle generator. As Graviton, he possesses complete control over gravity, allowing him to generate gravitational fields for both offence (extertion of gravity on objects) and defence (protective fields) and enable flight. Hall also has a PhD in Physics with expertise in advanced physics.

Other media

Video games

Graviton appears in the Game Boy game, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2".

References

External links

* [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Graviton Graviton] at Marvel.com
* [http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/g/graviton.htm Graviton's] at MarvelDirectory.com