Noh-Varr
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Noh-Varr | |
|---|---|
 Noh-Varr (center) on the cover to Marvel Boy #1 Art by J.G. Jones |
|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Marvel Boy #1 (August 2000) |
| Created by | Grant Morrison (writer) J.G. Jones (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Noh-Varr |
| Species | Kree |
| Team affiliations | Plex Kree Empire 18th Kree Diplomatic Gestalt Dark Avengers |
| Notable aliases | Marvel Boy, Captain Marvel |
| Abilities | Enhanced reflexes, strength, speed, and stamina; knowledge of advanced Kree technology and weaponry |
Noh-Varr is a fictional character created by Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones and appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appears in Marvel Boy #1 (August 2000). He appeared in the Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways and the New Avengers: Illuminati limited series. After his appearance in Secret Invasion, he joins the Dark Avengers as Captain Marvel.
Contents |
[edit] Publication history
Marvel Boy was a six-issue limited series published from August 2000 to March 2001, as part of the experimental Marvel Knights line. The series was written by Grant Morrison, illustrated by J.G. Jones (with Sean Parsons) and colored by Matt Milla of Avalon Studios. In a 2000 interview, Morrison described his stylistic intentions for the book:
| “ | Not only am I working with one of the best comics artists ever [Jones], the colouring gauntlet has been thrown down once again with the most incredible video game lighting and atmospherics. The whole thing really becomes something new with issue 3, however, which I'm unusually proud of. ... [T]hat was the issue I really began to utilise J.G. Jones' preposterous genius to its best effects and decided to rethink the prevailing vogue for cinematic/money shot panel structures and page layouts. Marvel Boy's visual style becomes more like MTV and adverts; from #3 on its filled with all kinds of new techniques; rapid cuts, strobed lenticular panels, distressed layouts, 64 panel grids, whatever. We've only started to experiment but already MARVEL BOY looks like nothing else around. Some of the stuff J. G. is doing is like an update of the whole Steranko Pop Art approach to the comics page. Instead of Orson Welles, op art and spy movies, J.G.'s using digital editing effects, percussive rhythms, cutting the action closer and harder, illuminated by the frantic glow of the image-crazed hallucination of 21st century media culture and all that. Comics don't need to be like films. They don't need to look like storyboards. ... I wanted to go back and explore some of the possibilities of comics as music.[1] | ” |
The character has appeared since in a number of series. He took a big part in the finale of the Secret Invasion, which leads into his new role as Captain Marvel in the Dark Avengers title. The writer Brian Michael Bendis has said "what he represents is Norman can put an alien on the team, whose one of the Anti-Skrulls. It's like, 'You hate Skrulls? Well this guy kills Skrulls for a living! He came to our planet to kill Skrulls!'."[2]
[edit] Fictional character biography
Noh-Varr serves as an ensign aboard the 18th Kree Diplomatic Gestalt interstellar schooner the Marvel, which traverses millions of alternate dimensions on its way home. The ship is drawn toward the Marvel Universe and shot down by the forces of Dr. Midas, a multi-trillionare obsessed with gaining powers through the absorption of cosmic rays. Midas blasts the Marvel out of the sky in an attempt to acquire the ship's cosmic ray-powered engines. His friends and comrades killed, Noh-Varr emerges as the only survivor.
Noh-Varr then encounters the sentient corporation known as Hexus. Accidentally released from a containment cell when the Marvel crashed, Hexus begins to take over world-wide commerce in an attempt to subjugate the human population and ultimately control Earth. Noh-Varr invades the control center of Hexus and ultimately destroys the "social parasite" by releasing all of its trade secrets to its competitors.
Noh-Varr finds himself pursued by Dr. Midas and his minions, and upon striking an alliance with Midas' daughter Oubliette, Noh-Varr defeats the megalomaniac. After the battle, agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. capture Noh-Varr and incarcerate him in a seemingly inescapable prison known as the Cube. While in custody, Noh-Varr declares war on Earth and the human race.
[edit] New Avengers: Illuminati
Noh-Varr at one stage gets the attention of the Illuminati. Its members: Professor X, Mr. Fantastic, Black Bolt, Iron Man, Dr. Strange and Namor are worried about the fact Noh-Varr has declared war on the entire planet and try to change his mind. They visit him at the Cube and tell him to earn his way out of prison instead of fighting.
[edit] Civil War
Noh-Varr is brainwashed and ordered to capture the Runaways by S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill.
After being released for his mission by the cruel warden of the Cube, Noh-Varr brutally subdues the Runaways and the Young Avengers. When the warden of the Cube feels the mission has finished successfully, he orders Noh-Varr's retrieval. As the Young Avengers and the Runaways assault The Cube, he engages them in battle. After a brief fight, Noh-Varr is defeated and the Vision reverses the Cube's mental control over him. He is seen taking control of the Cube, declaring it to be the capital city of the new Kree Empire.
[edit] Secret Invasion
When the alien virus the Skrulls upload release all the prisoners within the Cube, Noh-Varr announces that it is "time to go." Later, while escaping on a stolen S.H.I.E.L.D. minijet, he's stopped by a dying Khn'nr. At first mistaking him for the original Captain Marvel, Noh-Varr stops to listen to his final words, as Khn'nr appoints him as the new Protector of the Earth, spurring him to fill in the role once covered by Mar-Vell himself, and stop the Skrulls, perceived as liars and honorless beings. Noh-Varr is left shaken by the revelation, after witnessing the dying Khn'nr reverting to his alien Skrull appearance.[3] Finally deciding to take a side in the war, Noh-Varr uses the solar energies of Captain Marvel's Nega-Bands, causing a huge explosion in the middle of the battle in New York. Then he declares to the Skrull army that their invasion is over.[4]
[edit] Dark Avengers
Noh-Varr is told by Norman Osborn that he is a war hero and he wants him to be what who he truly is. He is recruited to Norman Osborn's Avengers team, and takes on the mantle of the new Captain Marvel.[5]
When the Church of Hala branch in Charleston, South Carolina commit mass suicide due to Noh-Varr taking Captain Marvel's name, Carol Danvers goes to investigate. While looking around, she find's Noh-Varr in an alley behind the church. After Carol tries to attack Nor-Varr twice and blames him for what the church has done in the original Captain Marvel's name. He explains that the Captain Marvel they founded this church for was a Skrull and he died in his arms, claiming his love for this world and her people and asked he protect this world from those who wish to harm it. Carol doesn't believe it and Noh-Varr flies away, telling her to believe what she will and to remember this meeting, because he never threw a punch.[6]
After their first mission Noh-Varr has shown an attraction to teammate Ms Marvel, which is noticed by fellow teammate Ares, much to his consternation. The team then decided to relax in the Avengers Tower once they have returned. In the evening, Noh-Varr is walking back to his room from a shower, when Karla invites him into her room. After sleeping with him, Karla turned on the television, telling him she wanted to see how Norman would explain why his "Avengers" are full of criminals. Noh-Varr is shocked at the news that the rest of his teammates are all criminals pretending to be heroes. He then goes missing.[7]
In Dark Reign: The List: Wolverine, it is revealed that Noh-Varr has been sent to capture the World facility. He goes to Wolverine and warns him of Osborn's plan and Wolverine suggests they team up.
Since abandoning the team, Noh-Varr has kept a low profile in order to elude the Dark Avengers and trying to determine what his role is while he is living on Earth. However, after encountering a young woman named Annie, who recognizes his face, but does not realize who he is. At the same time, Noh-Varr is found by the Sentry, who has come to take him back to Osborn. A battle ensues in the middle of Manhattan with Noh-Varr on the verge of losing when Annie intervenes and fires on the Sentry with one of Noh-Varr's Kree weapons, distracting him. Noh-Varr flees and finds himself in an abandoned building with one of many Kree communicators he had secretly built during his time on Earth, as attempts to contact the Kree Supreme Intelligence.
A holographic message left by the Supreme Intellgience tells Noh-Varr that the actions of the Skrulls during Secret Invasion have left Earth in more danger than ever before and that he is the planet's new protector. The Supreme Intelligence then grants him the power needed to carry out his mission in the form a set of Nega-Bands, more advanced than the ones worn by Captain Marvel. The bands also provide him with a new costume and prevents the Dark Avengers from detecting his presence. After finding Annie and thanking her for her help, he teleports away. Unbeknownst to Noh-Varr however, he was being observed by Captain America (Bucky) and Steve Rogers, who are trying to determine if he could be a potential ally against Osborn.[8]
[edit] Powers and abilities
Noh-Varr is a Kree (albeit from another universe) who has been enhanced with insect DNA. He has demonstrated enhanced reflexes, speed, strength, and endurance well beyond that capable of a normal human. He is able to re-route his neurological impulses so that he can avoid experiencing physical pain, and even suppress any stimulus he doesn't want to experience, making him a deadly opponent in battle. In Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways he performs a "White run", pushing everything unrelated to the fight from his mind, allowing him to defeat Xavin, Karolina Dean, Wiccan and Hulkling within seconds.
In addition, Noh-Varr is "triple jointed," allowing extreme feats of contortion and the ability to survive what would otherwise be crushing forces. Noh-Varr can also scale even the smoothest surfaces, including vertical walls, glass windows, and ceilings.
When needed, he can digest any organic substance without adverse effects. As a result, he can eat rotting or poisonous food as well as non-food stuffs (e.g., cardboard, paper, etc.). He uses this ability to recover from wounds or extreme stress.
Noh-Varr's saliva contains biologically active properties that infects the bodys of those it touches. This causes hallucinations and allows Noh-Varr a degree of mind-control. His thumb nail can grow into a deadly crystalline spike. Noh-Varr can insert this nail into an opponent and leave it to explode, killing both the target as well as causing extensive damage to the surrounding area.
Noh-Varr also has access to a wide variety of advanced Kree technology, including high-tech weaponry such as self-replicating grenades, plasma guns and a "pocket battlefield" that can simulate unique battle environments for combatants.
Noh-Varr later obtains Skrull replicas of the Kree Nega-Bands from Khn'nr at the end of Mighty Avengers #19. The Nega-Bands give him the powers of the original Captain Marvel which he uses in battle against the Skrull forces in Secret Invasion #7.
In Dark Avengers Annual #1, Noh-Varr makes contact with his people and is given a pair of Nega-Bands of his own along with a new costume.
[edit] Reception
Writing in 2006, journalist Tom Spurgeon praised the series:
| “ | What the series resembles most closely is the later, Kirby-dominated and slightly tossed-off seeming issues of Fantastic Four. Like Kirby, Morrison focuses on the weirdness of the superhero concept itself, leaving many of the out-there science fiction ideas, the bizarre combat technologies and hints of radical, identity-focused politics, to sizzle at the perimeter of the page.[9] | ” |
[edit] Bibliography
- Marvel Boy #1-6, (Marvel Comics, August 2000 - March 2001)
- Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways #2-4, (Marvel Comics, October - December 2006)
- New Avengers: Illuminati #4, (Marvel Comics, September 2007)
- Secret Invasion #1, 6-8 (Marvel Comics, April, September-November 2008)
- Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust? one-shot, (Marvel Comics, August 2008)
- Mighty Avengers #19, (Marvel Comics, December 2008)
- Dark Avengers #1-5 (Marvel Comics, January 2009 - May 2009)
- Ms. Marvel #35 (Marvel Comics, March 2009)
- All New Savage She-Hulk #3 (Marvel Comics, August 2009)
[edit] Collected editions
Trade paperback collections, include:
- Marvel Boy (softcover, 144 pages, 2001, ISBN 0-7851-0781-9, hardcover, 160 pages, 2008, ISBN 0-7851-3440-9)
[edit] Notes
- ^ Ellis, Warren, Come in Alone, Comic Book Resources, June 9, 2000
- ^ THE OSBORN SUPREMACY: Dark Avengers, Comic Book Resources, January 22, 2008
- ^ Secret Invasion #6
- ^ Secret Invasion #7
- ^ Dark Avengers #1
- ^ Ms. Marvel #35
- ^ Dark Avengers #5
- ^ Dark Avengers Annual #1
- ^ Marvel Boy review, The Comics Reporter, January 20, 2006
[edit] References
- Noh-Varr at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
- Marvel Boy (Noh-Varr) at the Comic Book DB
[edit] External links
- Marvel Boy (Noh-Varr) at the Marvel Universe
- Noh-Varr at the Marvel Database Project
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
