Grandmaster (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Grandmaster is a fictional character
in the Marvel Comics
universe
. who first appeared in The Avengers
#69. He is one of the ageless Elders of the Universe
and has mastered most civilization
s' game
s of skill and chance.
. He once possessed the Mind Gem, one of the six Infinity Gems
, but he lost it to Thanos
. He is a cosmic game player whose preferred game is pitting two opposing teams against each other. He has used the Squadron Sinister
, Daredevil
, the Defenders
, the East and West Coast Avengers
, Malibu Comics
's Ultraforce
, and DC Comics
' Justice League of America.
In his first appearance, the Grandmaster played a game against Kang the Conqueror
for the power to resurrect Ravonna or destroy Kang's planet, using the Avengers
and Squadron Sinister
as pawns. However, Kang's efforts failed due to the intervention of the Black Knight
meaning that the Avengers did not technically win their fight, causing Kang to sacrifice the power to resurrect Ravonna for the power to kill the Avengers, with this attempt failing again when the Grandmaster's gift literally gave Kang the power to kill only the Avengers rather than the currently-unaffiliated Black Knight. He next used the Defenders
as pawns in a game against the Prime Mover
.
The Grandmaster later challenged Death
to a game of strategy, with the power to resurrect his fellow Elder the Collector
as prize. A large collection of Earth heroes were used as pawns by both sides of the game; the Grandmaster promised that, if he won, he would never again use Earth's heroes as his pawns. The Grandmaster won, only to learn the resurrection power could only be used if someone else died in the resurrectee's place. Nonetheless, the Grandmaster felt the game would be incomplete unless the power was used, noting "Never, in a thousand games on a thousand worlds, have I quit the table ere the game was through!" Death suggested he use the heroes' lives instead, but, unwilling to break his promise to never again manipulate them, he instead sacrificed his own life to resurrect the Collector.
The Grandmaster returned from beyond his grave to plague the East and West Coast Avengers during one of their annual games of baseball, reasoning that, since he was dead, he was free from his vow to leave Earth's heroes in peace. After he and the Collector tricked the teams into battling each other, the Grandmaster succeeded in his true plan: to capture Lady Death and usurp her powers. He forced the Avengers to participate in a competition with the Legion of the Unliving
in order to stop a series of powerful bombs, the fate being all of creation. Captain America
and Hawkeye
were the only two heroes to survive; the rest of the Avengers were slain, only to instantly join the Legion. As the Grandmaster was preparing to force the pair to fight the Legion again, Hawkeye convinced him to lay it all on the line with one last game of pure chance. Hawkeye held one arrow in each fist, the tips hidden in his hands. Grandmaster would win if he chose the one with Hawkeye's last arrowhead. The one he picked was headless (Hawkeye admits to Captain America that he had cheated: he quickly snapped off the arrowhead as the Grandmaster chose the correct arrow), and his distraction allowed Lady Death to escape her bonds and banish the Grandmaster from her realm — in other words, making them effectively immortal
. As a reward, she returned the deceased Avengers to life. This incident is what lead Death to ban the Elders from dying, confirmed by the Grandmaster in the issue's final panels, just before he expresses interest in the Avengers' renewed baseball game.
He and a group of other Elders then conspired to kill Galactus
and restart the universe; they felt that being banned from Death's realm would make them the sole survivors to continue their obsessions in a whole new universe. The Grandmaster battled Galactus and the Silver Surfer
, and was devoured by Galactus. Along with the other Elders devoured by Galactus, he caused Galactus "cosmic indigestion" from within, and escaped from Galactus. However, he was then teleported to parts unknown by Galactus.
Since then he showed up in various other stories playing games including against Korvac
, Kang the Conqueror
, and the Quasar
series. In 2004 the Grandmaster organized the meeting of the Avengers
and the Justice League
in an attempt to save the Marvel Universe
from the DC Comics
villain Krona
, when Krona came to the Marvel Universe seeking answers about the origin of creation. In an attempt to save his universe, Grandmaster challeneged Krona to a game for the identity of a being in the Marvel Universe who had lived through the Big Bang by pitting the Avengers and the JLA against each other in a 'scavenger hunt' for twelve items of power- with Krona choosing the Avengers as his team-, only for Krona to turn on the Grandmaster when he lost. Although Krona's anti-energy powers were able to easily defeat both the Grandmaster and Galactus, the Grandmaster was able to use the items gathered to merge the two universes and trap Krona in their 'junction point' long enough for the two teams to defeat him, the Grandmaster being restored to life when reality was returned to normal.
The Grandmaster later recreated his Squadron Sinister, with new incarnations of members Doctor Spectrum
and Hyperion
, to contend against Baron Zemo's Thunderbolts
. He has been using this Squadron to destroy several sources of extra-dimensional energy, known collectively as the "Universal Wellspring", apparently to prevent Zemo from controlling them. In Thunderbolts #106, the Grandmaster was dispersed by Zemo in a battle for the final Wellspring. Later in Thunderbolts 108 he was restored and battled Zemo for control of Earth, however using all the power of Earth that had been loaned to him by Earth's superhumans, Zemo was able to take his powers away. Zemo then shot the Grandmaster in the head seemingly killing him.
The Grandmaster returns, promising the Hulk the revival of his long-lost love, Jarella
(though this has been thought in the past to be beyond his powers), if he participates in a battle to the death with a team of his choice. The Hulk chooses Doctor Strange
, Namor, and the Silver Surfer
(the Defenders); however, the Grandmaster takes them from different points in time (specifically, moments when their greatest loves were lost to them), and sets them against a team gathered by the Collector
, which is composed of the Red Hulk, Baron Mordo
, Tiger Shark, and Terrax
. Upon the conclusion of this battle the Grandmaster is apparently slain by the Red Hulk, and the Collector quits, simply leaving Hulk with Jarella's body.
, and is one of the most powerful Elders of the Universe. However his power is considerably below that of Galactus
and the In-Betweener
. It has been implied that the Grandmaster can, and in some cases has, used highly advanced technology to augment his abilities and perform feats that might be normally beyond him. While the extent of this is unknown it is known that the Grandmaster has access and mastery of technology far beyond human comprehension.
The Grandmaster possesses a cosmic life force which renders him virtually immortal, including immunity to aging, disease, poison, and imperviousness to conventional injury through regeneration of any damage. He can survive and travel in space unaided and without food, drink, or air. He can utilize his cosmic life force for a variety of effects, including levitation, the projection of blasts of cosmic energy, teleportation across space and time and alternate dimensions, adjusting his height, control time to interact with beings moving at superhuman speed, or transformation and rearrangement of matter on a planetary scale. Perhaps his most fearsome ability is his power over life and death. The Grandmaster can "will" the death of another being. It is unknown if he can will the death of another virtual immortal being. He can also "resurrect" another being no matter how badly injured or heal a person on the verge of death. He cannot resurrect another virtually immortal being powered by "cosmic life force" like himself or anyone who has died past a certain time point. Lastly, he can temporarily bestow these powers upon another being. Currently, due to his machinations against Death
, he and the other Elders cannot die.
He has a highly developed superhuman intellect, with vast knowledge and comprehension of games and game theory far beyond present-day Earth, as well as encyclopedic knowledge of thousands of exotic games played throughout the universe.. He can calculate diverse low information probabilities within a tenth of a second and remember countless rules and data. He also possesses certain extra-sensory abilities of mental perception beyond those currently known which enable him to sense things about his surroundings not detectable by normal senses, and maintains a psychic link with the highly advanced computers of his base world, which extend and enhance his mental abilities.
The Grandmaster has access to various exotic extraterrestrial devices as needed, including starships.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the 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...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. who first appeared in The Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
#69. He is one of the ageless Elders of the Universe
Elders of the Universe
The Elders of the Universe are a group of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Collector was the first Elder to appear, and featured in Avengers #28...
and has mastered most civilization
Civilization
Civilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally...
s' game
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
s of skill and chance.
Fictional character biography
Although his exact origin is unknown, he is one of the oldest living beings in the universe, coming from one of the first intelligent races to evolve after the Big BangBig 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...
. He once possessed the Mind Gem, one of the six Infinity Gems
Infinity Gems
Infinity Gems, sometimes referred to as the Soul Gems, are six immensely powerful gems featured in the fictional Marvel Universe. Whoever holds all six gems in the Infinity Gauntlet gains omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and God-like power, and has absolute dominion over the universe...
, but he lost it to Thanos
Thanos
Thanos is a fictional character that appears in comic books and other media published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin....
. He is a cosmic game player whose preferred game is pitting two opposing teams against each other. He has used the Squadron Sinister
Squadron Sinister
The Squadron Sinister is a fictional supervillain team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Sinister first appeared in the final panel of The Avengers #69 The Squadron Sinister is a fictional supervillain team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
, Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
, the Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
, the East and West Coast Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. The company's headquarters was in Calabasas, California. Malibu imprints included Aircel Comics and Eternity Comics...
's Ultraforce
Ultraforce (comics)
The Ultraforce is a fictional superhero group that appears in comic books published by Malibu, and later Marvel, as well as an animated series produced by DIC. Their purpose was to protect the public and keep other Ultras from getting out of line...
, and 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...
' Justice League of America.
In his first appearance, the Grandmaster played a game against Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #8 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
for the power to resurrect Ravonna or destroy Kang's planet, using the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
and Squadron Sinister
Squadron Sinister
The Squadron Sinister is a fictional supervillain team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Sinister first appeared in the final panel of The Avengers #69 The Squadron Sinister is a fictional supervillain team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
as pawns. However, Kang's efforts failed due to the intervention of the Black Knight
Black Knight (Dane Whitman)
Dane Whitman is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, the company's third person to bear the name Black Knight. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, he first appeared in The Avengers #47 Dane Whitman is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics...
meaning that the Avengers did not technically win their fight, causing Kang to sacrifice the power to resurrect Ravonna for the power to kill the Avengers, with this attempt failing again when the Grandmaster's gift literally gave Kang the power to kill only the Avengers rather than the currently-unaffiliated Black Knight. He next used the Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
as pawns in a game against the Prime Mover
Prime Mover (comics)
Prime Mover is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.The Prime Mover is a robot employed by Doctor Doom; Doom may or may not have created the robot...
.
The Grandmaster later challenged Death
Death (Marvel Comics)
Death is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain Marvel #27 Death is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain Marvel #27 Death is a fictional...
to a game of strategy, with the power to resurrect his fellow Elder the Collector
Collector (comics)
The Collector is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Fictional character biography:Taneleer Tivan is one of the Elders of the Universe and is close to his fellow Elder En Dwi Gast . He apparently came to self-awareness billions of years ago, on the planet Cygnus X-1...
as prize. A large collection of Earth heroes were used as pawns by both sides of the game; the Grandmaster promised that, if he won, he would never again use Earth's heroes as his pawns. The Grandmaster won, only to learn the resurrection power could only be used if someone else died in the resurrectee's place. Nonetheless, the Grandmaster felt the game would be incomplete unless the power was used, noting "Never, in a thousand games on a thousand worlds, have I quit the table ere the game was through!" Death suggested he use the heroes' lives instead, but, unwilling to break his promise to never again manipulate them, he instead sacrificed his own life to resurrect the Collector.
The Grandmaster returned from beyond his grave to plague the East and West Coast Avengers during one of their annual games of baseball, reasoning that, since he was dead, he was free from his vow to leave Earth's heroes in peace. After he and the Collector tricked the teams into battling each other, the Grandmaster succeeded in his true plan: to capture Lady Death and usurp her powers. He forced the Avengers to participate in a competition with the Legion of the Unliving
Legion of the Unliving
The Legion of the Unliving is the name of five groups of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The five versions first appear in Avengers #131 ; Avengers Annual #16 ; Avengers West Coast #61 ; Avengers #353 and Avengers vol. 3, #10 respectively...
in order to stop a series of powerful bombs, the fate being all of creation. 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...
and Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
were the only two heroes to survive; the rest of the Avengers were slain, only to instantly join the Legion. As the Grandmaster was preparing to force the pair to fight the Legion again, Hawkeye convinced him to lay it all on the line with one last game of pure chance. Hawkeye held one arrow in each fist, the tips hidden in his hands. Grandmaster would win if he chose the one with Hawkeye's last arrowhead. The one he picked was headless (Hawkeye admits to Captain America that he had cheated: he quickly snapped off the arrowhead as the Grandmaster chose the correct arrow), and his distraction allowed Lady Death to escape her bonds and banish the Grandmaster from her realm — in other words, making them effectively immortal
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
. As a reward, she returned the deceased Avengers to life. This incident is what lead Death to ban the Elders from dying, confirmed by the Grandmaster in the issue's final panels, just before he expresses interest in the Avengers' renewed baseball game.
He and a group of other Elders then conspired to kill Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
and restart the universe; they felt that being banned from Death's realm would make them the sole survivors to continue their obsessions in a whole new universe. The Grandmaster battled Galactus and the Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
, and was devoured by Galactus. Along with the other Elders devoured by Galactus, he caused Galactus "cosmic indigestion" from within, and escaped from Galactus. However, he was then teleported to parts unknown by Galactus.
Since then he showed up in various other stories playing games including against Korvac
Korvac
Michael Korvac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Giant-Size Defenders #3 Michael Korvac (often called Korvac or The Enemy) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
, Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #8 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
, and the Quasar
Quasar (comics)
Quasar is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the . He is one of Marvel's cosmic heroes, a character whose adventures frequently take him into outer space or other dimensions...
series. In 2004 the Grandmaster organized the meeting of the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
and the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
in an attempt to save the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
from the 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...
villain Krona
Krona (comics)
Krona is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Green Lantern #40 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane.-Fictional character biography:...
, when Krona came to the Marvel Universe seeking answers about the origin of creation. In an attempt to save his universe, Grandmaster challeneged Krona to a game for the identity of a being in the Marvel Universe who had lived through the Big Bang by pitting the Avengers and the JLA against each other in a 'scavenger hunt' for twelve items of power- with Krona choosing the Avengers as his team-, only for Krona to turn on the Grandmaster when he lost. Although Krona's anti-energy powers were able to easily defeat both the Grandmaster and Galactus, the Grandmaster was able to use the items gathered to merge the two universes and trap Krona in their 'junction point' long enough for the two teams to defeat him, the Grandmaster being restored to life when reality was returned to normal.
The Grandmaster later recreated his Squadron Sinister, with new incarnations of members Doctor Spectrum
Doctor Spectrum
Doctor Spectrum is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. There have been five versions of the character to date - three supervillains from the mainstream Marvel Universe belonging to the team Squadron Sinister and two heroes from different...
and Hyperion
Hyperion (comics)
Hyperion is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The first character debuted in The Avengers #69 Hyperion is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The first character debuted in...
, to contend against Baron Zemo's 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:...
. He has been using this Squadron to destroy several sources of extra-dimensional energy, known collectively as the "Universal Wellspring", apparently to prevent Zemo from controlling them. In Thunderbolts #106, the Grandmaster was dispersed by Zemo in a battle for the final Wellspring. Later in Thunderbolts 108 he was restored and battled Zemo for control of Earth, however using all the power of Earth that had been loaned to him by Earth's superhumans, Zemo was able to take his powers away. Zemo then shot the Grandmaster in the head seemingly killing him.
The Grandmaster returns, promising the Hulk the revival of his long-lost love, Jarella
Jarella
Jarella is a fictional character from Marvel Comics. Along with Betty Ross Banner and Caiera, she was one of the Hulk's great loves. The character was introduced in The Incredible Hulk #140...
(though this has been thought in the past to be beyond his powers), if he participates in a battle to the death with a team of his choice. The Hulk chooses 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 ....
, Namor, and the Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
(the Defenders); however, the Grandmaster takes them from different points in time (specifically, moments when their greatest loves were lost to them), and sets them against a team gathered by the Collector
Collector (comics)
The Collector is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Fictional character biography:Taneleer Tivan is one of the Elders of the Universe and is close to his fellow Elder En Dwi Gast . He apparently came to self-awareness billions of years ago, on the planet Cygnus X-1...
, which is composed of the Red Hulk, Baron Mordo
Baron Mordo
Baron Karl Amadeus Mordo is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by Marvel Comics and appearing as an enemy of Doctor Strange...
, Tiger Shark, and Terrax
Terrax
Terrax the Tamer is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #211 and was created by Marv Wolfman and John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:...
. Upon the conclusion of this battle the Grandmaster is apparently slain by the Red Hulk, and the Collector quits, simply leaving Hulk with Jarella's body.
Powers and abilities
The Grandmaster has been described as manipulating the so-called "power primordial", radiation left over from the Big BangBig 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...
, and is one of the most powerful Elders of the Universe. However his power is considerably below that of Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
and the In-Betweener
In-Betweener
The In-Betweener is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Warlock #10 The In-Betweener is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Warlock #10 The...
. It has been implied that the Grandmaster can, and in some cases has, used highly advanced technology to augment his abilities and perform feats that might be normally beyond him. While the extent of this is unknown it is known that the Grandmaster has access and mastery of technology far beyond human comprehension.
The Grandmaster possesses a cosmic life force which renders him virtually immortal, including immunity to aging, disease, poison, and imperviousness to conventional injury through regeneration of any damage. He can survive and travel in space unaided and without food, drink, or air. He can utilize his cosmic life force for a variety of effects, including levitation, the projection of blasts of cosmic energy, teleportation across space and time and alternate dimensions, adjusting his height, control time to interact with beings moving at superhuman speed, or transformation and rearrangement of matter on a planetary scale. Perhaps his most fearsome ability is his power over life and death. The Grandmaster can "will" the death of another being. It is unknown if he can will the death of another virtual immortal being. He can also "resurrect" another being no matter how badly injured or heal a person on the verge of death. He cannot resurrect another virtually immortal being powered by "cosmic life force" like himself or anyone who has died past a certain time point. Lastly, he can temporarily bestow these powers upon another being. Currently, due to his machinations against Death
Death (Marvel Comics)
Death is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain Marvel #27 Death is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain Marvel #27 Death is a fictional...
, he and the other Elders cannot die.
He has a highly developed superhuman intellect, with vast knowledge and comprehension of games and game theory far beyond present-day Earth, as well as encyclopedic knowledge of thousands of exotic games played throughout the universe.. He can calculate diverse low information probabilities within a tenth of a second and remember countless rules and data. He also possesses certain extra-sensory abilities of mental perception beyond those currently known which enable him to sense things about his surroundings not detectable by normal senses, and maintains a psychic link with the highly advanced computers of his base world, which extend and enhance his mental abilities.
The Grandmaster has access to various exotic extraterrestrial devices as needed, including starships.
Television
- The Grandmaster appears in the Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes episode "Contest of Champions." He pits the Fantastic Four against Super-SkrullSuper-SkrullThe Super-Skrull is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #18 The Super-Skrull (Kl'rt) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The...
, Ronan the AccuserRonan the AccuserRonan the Accuser is a fictional character that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. A member of the alien race the Kree, he exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe. Ronan first appeared in Fantastic Four #65 , and was created by Stan...
, Impossible ManImpossible ManThe Impossible Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #11 The Impossible Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four...
, and AnnihilusAnnihilusAnnihilus is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. In 2009, Annihilus was ranked as IGN's 94th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.-Publication history:...
in a tournament. - The Grandmaster appears in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
episode "Whom Continuity Would Destroy" voiced by John O'HurleyJohn O'HurleyJohn George O'Hurley is an American actor, voice actor, and television personality. He is known for the role of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and was the host of the game show Family Feud from 2006 to 2010.-Early life:...
. He and Thanos pit Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, and Hulk against the Squadron Supremen's Nighthawk, Power Princess, and Hyperion for the Mind Infinity Gem.
Film
- The Grandmaster briefly appears in the animated movie Planet HulkPlanet Hulk (film)Planet Hulk is a 2010 direct-to-video animated film created by Marvel Animation and released by Lionsgate Home Entertainment. It is based on the "Planet Hulk" storyline by Greg Pak and Carlo Pagulayan.-Plot:...
. He is seen in the colosseum watching the Hulk and his friends fight.
Video games
- The Grandmaster appears in the Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity GauntletMarvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity GauntletMarvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet is a continuation of the video game Marvel Super Hero Squad and it was released on November 16, 2010. Similar to the first game, it features cartoonish Super-deformed versions of the Marvel Comics characters, as seen in the Marvel Super Hero Squad toy...
video game voiced by John O'HurleyJohn O'HurleyJohn George O'Hurley is an American actor, voice actor, and television personality. He is known for the role of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and was the host of the game show Family Feud from 2006 to 2010.-Early life:...
. Wolverine and Iron Man end up competing on Grandmaster's game show in order to get the Soul Infinity Gem. - The Grandmaster appears as the main villain in Marvel Super Heroes 3D: The Grandmaster Challenge, where he organizes a game involving Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, WolverineWolverine (comics)Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
, Captain AmericaCaptain AmericaCaptain 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...
, ThorThor (Marvel Comics)Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
, Iron ManIron ManIron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
and their enemies Doctor DoomDoctor DoomVictor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
, LizardLizard (comics)The Lizard is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe and enemy of Spider-Man. The Lizard first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #6 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko...
, JuggernautJuggernaut (comics)The Juggernaut is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #12 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
, Red SkullRed SkullThe Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
and some SentinelsSentinel (comics)Sentinels are a fictional variety of mutant-hunting robots, appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. They are usually portrayed as antagonists to the X-Men. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 .According to Marvel canon, Sentinels are programmed to locate...
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External links
- Grandmaster at Marvel.com
- Marvel Directory: Grandmaster