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What The D'ast? The Korvac Saga
By Byron Brewer
THE KORVAC SAGA
With the possible exception of the mad Titan Thanos, few opponents have given the Avengers a run for their money as Korvac. If memory serves, during his saga in Avengers Vol. 1, No. 167-177, he managed to kill the Collector (an Elder of the Universe) and the entire Avengers roster!
That, my friends, is saying something.
You do not hear much about Korvac in discussions among Marvel Cosmic fan boys, and yet his story brought together possibly the greatest number of Avengers to combat a single foe ever. Throw in Starhawk, the original Guardians of the Galaxy and Ms. Marvel and you have quite a piece of work.
And although he has popped up here and there, Korvac essentially met a final fate in the climax of that saga – and actually came off looking like a cosmic hero, at least if Moondragon is to be believed.
Although introduced as almost a throwaway character by Steve Gerber in Giant-Size Defenders #3 (the scribe didn’t like the villain; he thought the name sounded more like a vacuum cleaner, lol), it was former Marvel big-wig Jim Shooter who brought the character – a computer technician in the alternative universe of Earth-691 who was punished by the Badoon, having his upper body grafted to a machine – to the 616 universe again. Upon arrival, Korvac encounters the world ship of Galactus and somehow becomes imbued with the Power Cosmic. Essentially a god now, the cosmic cyborg recreates himself into the “perfect” humanoid form and heads to Earth to reform it into a utopia.
Meanwhile, the Collector has had his famous precognition of the coming of two entities (Korvac and Thanos) who might pose a danger to both himself and his fellow Elders of the Universe. In an act both selfless and selfish, the Collector makes a living weapon of his own daughter, Carina. Although she does meet Korvac, the two fall in love and she begins to sympathize with him/ The Collector is defeated by the Avengers after a failed attempt by him to collect and protect the heroes from Korvac; very well told, as Avenger after Avenger vanishes! Korvac, upon discovering the Collector’s plot, disintegrates his lover’s father.
Korvac, in his perfect human guise of “Michael,” is eventually tracked by the Avengers to a residential neighborhood in Forest Hills Gardens, in Queens, New York. The entire Avengers roster, aided by Ms. Marvel and the Guardians of the Galaxy, confronts Korvac and Carina who are posing as a middle class couple. Korvac's deception is revealed when Starhawk states he cannot see Michael. (Earlier, in a secret battle, Korvac had disintegrated Starhawk and then recreated him, removing from the hero the ability to perceive Korvac in any way.) Realizing that he has been discovered and that cosmic entities such as Odin and the Watcher were now aware of his existence, Korvac is forced to battle the assemblers and their allies.
In an unbelievable battle, Korvac slays wave after wave of heroes. He is finally caught off guard and weakened by Captain America and Wonder Man. Although able to kill the heroes, Korvac is weakened further by the combined efforts of Starhawk, Iron Man, the Vision and Thor.
The battle’s end comes when Korvac senses that Carina now doubts him. Korvac commits suicide through an act of will. An angered Carina then unexpectedly attacks the surviving heroes, and is finally slain by Thor. The entire battle is watched by part-time Avenger Moondragon, who comes to a realization that Korvac only wanted to help mankind; after all, his dying act was to restore the Avengers and Guardians to life.
“The Korvac Saga” was a great romp into the Avengers’ past, as members from all eras came together (via the Collector) to participate in this cosmic drama. Many today criticize Shooter’s works, but this was entertainment of high caliber and in the classic Avengers manner.
