Alpha Centurion
Encyclopedia
Alpha Centurion is the name of two fictional superhero
es published by DC Comics
. Created by Karl Kesel
, the character first appeared in Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #3 (September 1994). The current incarnation of the character debuted in Adventures of Superman
#527 (September, 1995).
storyline, Superman
was transported to an alternate timeline where he stumbled upon a Metropolis
whose hero was the Alpha Centurion, a man named Marcus Aelius from Ancient Rome
who had been abducted by an alien race
called the Virimiru only to return centuries later. The Alpha Centurion went on to fight Extant and Parallax
alongside the heroes of the DC Universe
in a battle to save time itself. Having to restart existence with a new Big Bang
, all alternate realities ceased to exist and this Alpha Centurion was no more.
At some point, the character is slated to return (see new rendering above) to the Superman books as an antagonist to Superman.
"folded his togas" to use her words. Marcus was very attracted to her, but she did not reciprocate (although he did turn up for her wedding). With Lex Luthor in hiding and the Contessa Erica del Portenza in charge of Lexcorp, AC was put in charge of Team Luthor, which he remodeled after himself. When Superman was put on trial in front of an alien tribunal, the Centurion, upon realizing he still was not suited to be the only hero in Metropolis, recruited Superboy, Supergirl
, the Eradicator
, and Steel
to rescue him. He had a brief falling out with the others, since they mistakenly believed for a time that he was the Cyborg Superman
in disguise. After arriving back on Earth, he was publicly embarrassed by Lex Luthor
and quit Team Luthor before leaving Metropolis. He was last seen in Washington D.C.
Aelius' origin would be expanded upon where we learn the Virmiru would come to a world and exchange a champion of the world with one of their race with the ultimate goal of conquering that world. This measure would be taken where the residents of a planet would observe the act as a sign of friendship while the alien that remains gains trust and ascertains weaknesses. After the champion is returned, the planet would become ripe for conquest and the Virmiru would be able to sweep across without much effort. For Aelius, he celebrated a victory he lead for the Roman legion under Emperor Hadrian when the Virmiru would appear. They proposed their offer and a global contest was held until Aelius emerged as Earth's greatest warrior. He would go to the Virmiru homeworld where he trained beside many other alien races in many fields including using the power suit employed by their hosts. All the while, the Virmiru Foris Ab Talimen remained on Earth for 2,000 years awaiting the return of Aelius (though, only ten years would pass for the champion). When his training was completed, the Virmiru gave Aelius the space ship Pax Romana he would use to return to his planet. After some time acting as a superhero in Washington, the Virmiru Interstellar Affairs Councilor Bellator contacted Aelius and told him Foris had gone rogue. When confronted, Foris told Alpha Centurion the truth about his race and the pair went to battle Bellator. Though perishing in the battle, Bellator admitted the Virmiru's objectives and revealed the invasion forthcoming.
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. Created by Karl Kesel
Karl Kesel
Karl Kesel is an American comics writer and inker whose works have primarily been under contract for DC Comics...
, the character first appeared in Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #3 (September 1994). The current incarnation of the character debuted in Adventures of Superman
Superman (comic book)
Superman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character Superman began as one of several anthology features in the National Periodical Publications comic book Action Comics #1 in June 1938...
#527 (September, 1995).
Alpha Centurion A
During the Zero HourZero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
storyline, Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
was transported to an alternate timeline where he stumbled upon a Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
whose hero was the Alpha Centurion, a man named Marcus Aelius from Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
who had been abducted by an alien race
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
called the Virimiru only to return centuries later. The Alpha Centurion went on to fight Extant and Parallax
Parallax (comics)
Parallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern vol...
alongside the heroes of the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
in a battle to save time itself. Having to restart existence with a new Big Bang
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
, all alternate realities ceased to exist and this Alpha Centurion was no more.
At some point, the character is slated to return (see new rendering above) to the Superman books as an antagonist to Superman.
Alpha Centurion B
Some time later, the Alpha Centurion of our timeline showed up. He too was Marcus Aelius and, like his counterpart had done before him, began operating out of Metropolis. There was initially some tension between Superman and him because in the alternate timeline, Lois LaneLois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
"folded his togas" to use her words. Marcus was very attracted to her, but she did not reciprocate (although he did turn up for her wedding). With Lex Luthor in hiding and the Contessa Erica del Portenza in charge of Lexcorp, AC was put in charge of Team Luthor, which he remodeled after himself. When Superman was put on trial in front of an alien tribunal, the Centurion, upon realizing he still was not suited to be the only hero in Metropolis, recruited Superboy, Supergirl
Supergirl
Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
, the Eradicator
Eradicator (comics)
The Eradicator is a fictional comic book superhero character having a recurring role in Superman stories published by DC Comics. Originally created as a weapon by an ancient alien race, he is over 200,000 years old and is considered an artifact of Krypton...
, and Steel
Steel (John Henry Irons)
Steel , also known as the Man of Steel, is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Universe. First appearing in The Adventures of Superman #500 , he is the third character known as Steel and was created by Louise Simonson and artist Jon Bogdanove...
to rescue him. He had a brief falling out with the others, since they mistakenly believed for a time that he was the Cyborg Superman
Hank Henshaw
Hank Henshaw is a fictional supervillain featured in the DC Comics universe. While originally featured primarily as an enemy of Superman, recent years have repositioned him as one of the main enemies of the Green Lantern Corps...
in disguise. After arriving back on Earth, he was publicly embarrassed by Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
and quit Team Luthor before leaving Metropolis. He was last seen in Washington D.C.
Aelius' origin would be expanded upon where we learn the Virmiru would come to a world and exchange a champion of the world with one of their race with the ultimate goal of conquering that world. This measure would be taken where the residents of a planet would observe the act as a sign of friendship while the alien that remains gains trust and ascertains weaknesses. After the champion is returned, the planet would become ripe for conquest and the Virmiru would be able to sweep across without much effort. For Aelius, he celebrated a victory he lead for the Roman legion under Emperor Hadrian when the Virmiru would appear. They proposed their offer and a global contest was held until Aelius emerged as Earth's greatest warrior. He would go to the Virmiru homeworld where he trained beside many other alien races in many fields including using the power suit employed by their hosts. All the while, the Virmiru Foris Ab Talimen remained on Earth for 2,000 years awaiting the return of Aelius (though, only ten years would pass for the champion). When his training was completed, the Virmiru gave Aelius the space ship Pax Romana he would use to return to his planet. After some time acting as a superhero in Washington, the Virmiru Interstellar Affairs Councilor Bellator contacted Aelius and told him Foris had gone rogue. When confronted, Foris told Alpha Centurion the truth about his race and the pair went to battle Bellator. Though perishing in the battle, Bellator admitted the Virmiru's objectives and revealed the invasion forthcoming.
Powers and abilities
- Marcus was a normal human who had been taken by aliens into space. He was granted access to incredible knowledge and advanced technology.
- In addition to his spacecraft the Pax Romana, Marcus' advanced suit of alien armor allows him to fly, grants him superhuman strength and speed, and allows him to generate an energyEnergyIn physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
blade, similar to a lightsaberLightsaberA lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
, and an energy shieldShieldA shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
.