Centurius
Encyclopedia
Noah Black, also called Centurius, and later Doc Century, is a fictional supervillain
appearing in publications by Marvel Comics
. He first appeared in Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
#2 (July 1968), and was created by writer and artist Jim Steranko
with inker Frank Giacoia
.
geneticist
who receives a Nobel Prize
in the 1930s. He attends a conference on genetics in the 1930s along with other noted geneticists in the Marvel Universe such as Herbert Wyndham
, Arnim Zola
, and Wladyslav Shinsky
.
Sometime after winning the Prize, Black goes mad, takes the name "Centurius", and seeing himself as the self-proclaimed savior of Earth, retreats to remote Valhalla Island to conduct genetic experiments. On the island he is successful in evolving numerous monstrous creatures. During the transport of his newly created life forms to an orbiting space ark, secret agents Nick Fury
and Jimmy Woo
by chance discover Centurius' island when they are forced to crash land their aircraft. The pair of agents initially attempt to convince Centurius to return to civilization with them, but when the geneticist's plot to destroy all life on Earth is revealed, Fury and his companion attack. In a ploy to defeat the agents, Centurius attempts to transform himself into a "superior being" using a device called the "Evolutionizer", but instead of evolving he "de-evolves" into a handful of protoplasmic slime.
Later, Centurius somehow "re-evolves" into human form and as a member of the group known as the Conspiracy
, he clashes with the heroic monster hunter Ulysses Bloodstone
when the Conspiracy tries to gain untold power by gathering and reuniting the lost fragments of the Bloodgem, a mystic jewel from another dimension. However, The Conspiracy's efforts ultimately fail when their essences are absorbed by an enormous crystalline creature created from the Bloodgem. Ulysses Bloodstone succeeds in shattering the Bloodgem creature which apparently kills Centurius and the other members of the Conspiracy. Years later, Captain America
discovers the skeletal remains of Centurius while exploring the Conspiracy's abandoned underground base.
Much later, Centurius is found to not be dead after all and is a prisoner at the Raft
, a prison for super powered criminals. He is able to escape the prison with numerous other inmates. Centurius, along with many of the other escaped inmates, eventually becomes a member of The Hood
's crime syndicate. During an attack on the New Avengers headquarters by the crime syndicate, Centurius is incapacitated by the sorcerer Doctor Strange
and taken into custody by S.H.I.E.L.D.
In Secret Invasion
, he is among the many supervillains who rejoined the Hood's crime syndicate and attacked an invading Skrull
force. He joins with the Hood's gang in an attack on the New Avengers, who were expecting the Dark Avengers
instead. He is later seen conferring with the Hood regarding the zombie virus
. Centurius advises the Hood not to pursue the virus, but the Hood is compelled by Dormammu to procure the virus anyway.
Centurius was later selected by Luke Cage
to be a part of the "beta team" of the Thunderbolts
, alongside Boomerang
, Shocker
, Gunna
and Mister Hyde
. During the return of Baron Heinrich Zemo, he change his codename for Doc Century.
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
appearing in publications by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. He first appeared in Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
#2 (July 1968), and was created by writer and artist Jim Steranko
Jim Steranko
James F. Steranko is an American graphic artist, comic book writer-artist-historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator....
with inker Frank Giacoia
Frank Giacoia
Frank Giacoia was an American comic book artist known primarily as an inker. He sometimes worked under the name Frank Ray, and to a lesser extent Phil Zupa, and the single moniker Espoia .-Early life and career:Frank Giacoia studied at Manhattan's School of...
.
Fictional character biography
Doctor Noah Black is a prize winning African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
geneticist
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
who receives a Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
in the 1930s. He attends a conference on genetics in the 1930s along with other noted geneticists in the Marvel Universe such as Herbert Wyndham
High Evolutionary
The High Evolutionary is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The High Evolutionary was first mentioned in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #133 , and first appears in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #134 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
, Arnim Zola
Arnim Zola
Arnim Zola is a fictional character a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a master of biochemistry, and frequent foe of Captain America and the Avengers.-Publication history:...
, and Wladyslav Shinsky
Enclave (comics)
The Enclave is a fictional subversive organization of dictatorially-minded scientists featured in comics published by Marvel Comics. The characters are a part of the Marvel Universe.-Fictional organization history:...
.
Sometime after winning the Prize, Black goes mad, takes the name "Centurius", and seeing himself as the self-proclaimed savior of Earth, retreats to remote Valhalla Island to conduct genetic experiments. On the island he is successful in evolving numerous monstrous creatures. During the transport of his newly created life forms to an orbiting space ark, secret agents Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
and Jimmy Woo
Jimmy Woo
Jimmy Woo is a fictional, Chinese-American secret agent in the Marvel Comics comic-book universe. Created by EC Comics great Al Feldstein and artist Joe Maneely, the character first appeared in Yellow Claw #1 Jimmy Woo is a fictional, Chinese-American secret agent in the Marvel Comics comic-book...
by chance discover Centurius' island when they are forced to crash land their aircraft. The pair of agents initially attempt to convince Centurius to return to civilization with them, but when the geneticist's plot to destroy all life on Earth is revealed, Fury and his companion attack. In a ploy to defeat the agents, Centurius attempts to transform himself into a "superior being" using a device called the "Evolutionizer", but instead of evolving he "de-evolves" into a handful of protoplasmic slime.
Later, Centurius somehow "re-evolves" into human form and as a member of the group known as the Conspiracy
Conspiracy (comics)
The Conspiracy is an alliance of five fictional super powered villains appearing in comic books published by American publisher, Marvel Comics.-Fictional history:...
, he clashes with the heroic monster hunter Ulysses Bloodstone
Ulysses Bloodstone
Ulysses Bloodstone is a fictional character, an immortal monster-hunter in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:John Warner has explained the development of Ulysses Bloodstone: "Len Wein and Marv Wolfman came up with the spark that would become Bloodstone—the premise of a man who fights...
when the Conspiracy tries to gain untold power by gathering and reuniting the lost fragments of the Bloodgem, a mystic jewel from another dimension. However, The Conspiracy's efforts ultimately fail when their essences are absorbed by an enormous crystalline creature created from the Bloodgem. Ulysses Bloodstone succeeds in shattering the Bloodgem creature which apparently kills Centurius and the other members of the Conspiracy. Years later, Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
discovers the skeletal remains of Centurius while exploring the Conspiracy's abandoned underground base.
Much later, Centurius is found to not be dead after all and is a prisoner at the Raft
The Raft (comics)
The Raft is a fictional island prison facility in New York City for psychopathic superhuman criminals appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
, a prison for super powered criminals. He is able to escape the prison with numerous other inmates. Centurius, along with many of the other escaped inmates, eventually becomes a member of The Hood
Hood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
's crime syndicate. During an attack on the New Avengers headquarters by the crime syndicate, Centurius is incapacitated by the sorcerer Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
and taken into custody by S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
In Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
, he is among the many supervillains who rejoined the Hood's crime syndicate and attacked an invading Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
force. He joins with the Hood's gang in an attack on the New Avengers, who were expecting the Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that have featured various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers...
instead. He is later seen conferring with the Hood regarding the zombie virus
Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories...
. Centurius advises the Hood not to pursue the virus, but the Hood is compelled by Dormammu to procure the virus anyway.
Centurius was later selected by Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
to be a part of the "beta team" of the Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
, alongside Boomerang
Boomerang (comics)
Boomerang is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe and first appeared in Tales to Astonish #81....
, Shocker
Shocker (comics)
The Shocker or just Shocker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #46 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr.-Fictional character biography:Herman Schultz was born in New York...
, Gunna
Troll (Marvel Comics)
Troll is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Thunderbolts #145 and was created by writer Jeff Parker and artist Kevin Walker...
and Mister Hyde
Mister Hyde (comics)
Mister Hyde is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. His first appearance was in Journey into Mystery #99, 1963.-Publication history:...
. During the return of Baron Heinrich Zemo, he change his codename for Doc Century.
Powers and abilities
- Noah Black is a normal human being, though an extraordinary genius with advanced knowledge of genetic engineering and other areas of science and technology. He holds a PhD in physics.
- Black was exposed to an "evolution ray" from his Evolutionizer device, which temporarily transformed him into a physically "superior being".
- Black apparently ages at an extremely slow rate because of his evolution ray.
- As Centurius he wears body armor of his own design but unknown composition which strongly resembles the armor worn by Herbert Edgar Wyndham the High EvolutionaryHigh EvolutionaryThe High Evolutionary is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The High Evolutionary was first mentioned in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #133 , and first appears in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #134 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
. - He uses "stun-discs" and ray guns which fire unknown energies.
- Noah Black has also designed and built advanced aircraft and spacecraft, and a "thermalic suppression beam".