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Justice (comics)
Encyclopedia
Vance Astrovik, also known as Justice and formerly known as Marvel Boy, is a fictional
mutant
superhero
in the Marvel Comics
universe
. He possesses the superhuman
power of telekinesis. Astrovik has been affiliated with the New Warriors
and The Avengers
. He first appeared in Giant-Size Defenders #5 (July, 1975) and was created by Don Heck
and Gerry Conway
The Vance Astrovik character in an alternate timeline
became a founding member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, calling himself Vance Astro
. Marvel has treated this as a separate character from the alternate Earth-691, and the two have even met on occasion.
, who was his girlfriend then later fiancee.
In 1994, he had his own four issue limited series, Justice: Four Balance and appeared in the I (heart) Marvel: Masked Intentions oneshot in 2006.
He was a major character in Avengers: The Initiative
, early in the series.
, New York
. He was visited as a teenager by an alternate, time travel
ing version of his future self, Major Vance Astro
of the Guardians of the Galaxy, an astronaut
who had volunteered for an experimental space flight and consequently been lost in space in cryogenic suspension
for a thousand years. The elder Vance Astro convinced his younger self to not become an astronaut, and in the process, sparked the premature emergence of the younger Vance's telekinetic powers. Due to the vagaries of time travel in the Marvel Universe
, this did not create a paradox
, but instead made the Guardians' future world into a parallel timeline, to which they later returned. Although Major Vance Astro had not had a chance to fully develop his psionic power in his time in NASA
, the younger Astrovik now had the opportunity to hone his power. Astrovik soon became the costumed crime-fighter Marvel Boy.
in the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation
, a circuit for superhuman competitors. While wrestling as "Manglin' John Mahoney", he befriended Ben Grimm, a.k.a. the Thing
, who at the time was himself estranged from his "family", the Fantastic Four
. Eventually, Vance was convinced to return home, with assurances from his parents that the abuse would stop.
, but was rejected personally by Captain America
. He eagerly jumped at the chance to help found a team of minor teenage superheroes, the New Warriors
, led by the new hero Night Thrasher
. He had many intense times during this early period, such as a fight against the White Queen
and her Hellions
and undergoing unwilling dentistry (i.e., torture) by the immortal villain Gideon
. At the same time, Vance developed friendships with the other Warriors, and a romantic relationship with teammate Firestar
, and his powers increased both in strength and skill. However, his costumed activities renewed Arnold Astrovik's prejudice towards Vance's powers; both Vance and his mother suffered from Arnold's abusive behavior, and Vance's instinctively protecting himself with his powers only made things worse, with tragic consequences.
and further injured by Gideon), but struck his wife when she tried to intervene. In one burst of his ever-growing superpowers and pent-up emotion, Vance lashed out at his abusive father and unintentionally killed him. Vance turned himself in and went to trial, charged with first degree murder and negligent homicide, and defended by attorney Foggy Nelson
. The Thing was a character witness for Vance and helped establish the history of abuse that he suffered, as did Vance's mother, Norma; other testimony established the good he had done as a costumed hero and his increasing competence with his powers. However, the prosecting attorney pursued the latter angle, using testimony from Firestar and cross-examination of Norma Astrovik to establish that Vance could have used his powers to stop his father without lethal force. Finally, in her closing argument, the prosecutor drew a gun on Vance and fired a (unknown to Vance) blank round. Instinctively, Vance not only disarmed her, but reacted so precisely that he contained the actual smoke from the gun, driving home the prosecution's case; Vance was acquitted of murder, but was convicted of negligent homicide. As a result of the trial, Vance's secret identity became public knowledge.
Vance was sentenced to serve his time at the superhuman restraint facility known as the Vault
. He was shown enjoying the occasional free walkabout on the long road-trip to the Vault, joking and playing around with the officers. When his friends Firestar, Namorita, and Nova showed up to free him, Vance protested, declaring he wished to serve his time. During his stay in the Vault, he was granted "training periods" with the Guardsmen
on duty, determined to hone his abilities to prevent another incident like his father's death. When a riot broke out over the perception of poor living conditions, Vance helped calm the riot by convincing the warden to allow the plant-based villain Terraformer, once part of the Force of Nature
, access to a plant. Despite the warden's fears Terraformer would use it in an escape attempt, the villain simply enjoys it being with him. This serves to calm the ire of the other prisoners and it is agreed that, on a case by case basis, their living conditions would be examined to accommodate superhuman prisoners' unique needs.
to spy on the activities in the so-called "Younghunt."
When the Sphinx, a previous Warriors foe, dispersed members of the team throughout history, Vance encountered his father as an adolescent. He discovered that Arnold, his father, was a homosexual who was bullied into accepting a heterosexual lifestyle by his own abusive father. Understanding that his father was as much a victim as he was, Vance attempted to change history by threatening his grandfather, but stopped when he realized that he was, in his own way, perpetuating the cycle of violence handed down from father to son. Though history remained unchanged, this new knowledge allowed Vance to make a measure of peace with the memory of his father.
Justice spent some time in a leadership role with the New Warriors and talked about marriage with Firestar. This hit a snag when she learned her microwave powers might render her infertile.
After the threat of LeFay was ended and the two proved themselves by defeating Whirlwind
on their own, they managed to become Avengers. Although he was thrilled to be living his life-long dream of being an Avenger, Vance made some small rookie mistakes at first, stemming from a case of hero worship. However, he proved himself when he came up with a way to defeat the current plans of the current form (or forms) of the villain Ultron
, despite a broken leg. Vance and Angelica then spent some time undercover investigating the Triune Understanding
, a cult-like movement with seemingly good intentions but a villainous leadership.
After the House of M
ended, Justice and Firestar were unaffected by the global depowerment of mutants
and thus retained their powers. Vance's wish for more in their relationship, opposed to Firestar's wish for less (being ages 22 and 19 respectively) ended their engagement, and their relationship.
learned that people were hunting down former New Warriors members because of perceived blame for the deaths caused by Nitro
in Stamford, Connecticut
while fighting an incarnation of the team. They both sought out the legal services of Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk
) in protecting the allies of the New Warriors, as their identities were already publicly exposed. They eventually discovered that former New Warriors member Carlton LaFroyge, (Hindsight
), was responsible for the persecution and exposure of their teammates, operating a website that was slowly outing the identities of the twenty or so remaining Warriors.
Both Rage and Justice refused to go along with the proposed super-human registration act. This is further evidenced when they join Captain America's Secret Avengers during the Civil War as a result of the death of Bill Foster
.
to head the youth outreach arm of The Initiative
superhero training program, based at Camp Hammond. He is clearly unaware of some of the shadier aspects of the program, and is growing increasingly irritated by the Initiative "Drill Sergeant" Gauntlet
's constant demeaning and disparaging remarks about the deceased New Warriors. During the investigation of former New Warriors members due to an attack upon Gauntlet, it was revealed to readers that Justice is currently secretly seeing Ultra Girl
, a trainee with the Initiative and former New Warriors associate.
Justice's personal investigation into the fate of Initiative recruit MVP
opened his eyes to the morally ambiguous activities of the Initiative, instituted by Camp Hammond director Henry Peter Gyrich
. As a result, Justice apparently deserted
from the Initiative to continue his investigation, and recruited Ultra Girl, Rage and other former New Warriors Debrii
and Slapstick
to his cause. After a clone of MVP goes rogue and leaves the Initiative with major casualties, Justice and these former New Warriors, along with the two surviving Scarlet Spiders, officially inform Iron Man of their intention to quit the Initiative and act as Counter Force
, a form of independent oversight for the program; as the group are all registered superhumans, Iron Man is unable to act against Justice's team unless they commit an illegal act. However, Ultra Girl decides to return to the Initiative, apparently ending her relationship with Justice.
, Justice and Counter Force encounter Night Thrasher
(Donyell Taylor) at the old New Warriors, looking for a DNA sample to prove whether or not the Night Thrasher that died at Stamford was a Skrull imposter. Counter Force initially believe that Donyell is a Skrull, due to his reluctance to reveal his identity, and comes into conflict with Donyell's New Warriors. When Donyell finally reveals his identity, the two teams join together to storm the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier where the deceased New Warriors bodies were being held, and recover them. The corpse of Night Thrasher is proven to be of human composition, and the two teams bury the bodies outside the old base.
, a deranged clone of Thor, attacks Camp Hammond, Counter Force (Now calling themselves "The New Warriors", and boasting Night Thrasher as a member) arrive to help. During the fight, Ragnarok kills one of the Scarlet Spiders, and nearly kills Vance, who is saved by Ultra Girl. After the battle, Vance retrieves the corpse of the original MVP, seeking to give him a proper burial. However, their actions in exposing the duplicity to the public, allowed H.A.M.M.E.R. director, Norman Osborn
to shut down Camp Hammond and reorganize the Initiative, placing villains on Initiative teams. The New Warriors rescue Gauntlet and Tigra from the Hood's gang and formed the Avengers Resistance.
by creating an incident similar to Stamford. Justice declares that while most of the Initiative is busy with the Siege, the Resistance will take down Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. in order to expose Osborn once and for all.
who possesses a unique kind of telekinesis, enabling him to generate a psychokinetic nimbus of energy and direct it to grasp his body or other objects and lift them into the air, apply pressure to matter so that it moves in any direction, or make the nimbus into a solid force field. By using his powers to lift himself, he can levitate and fly at high speed. He can also channel his powers into concussive psionic force blasts. Justice is quite adept at using his powers. He has shown the ability to hold a large number of people in individual telekinetic energy "tendrils" and detect when a person is lying through said tendril, like a lie detector would. Initially, Justice's telekinesis was limited in its scope and using them at the peak level of his power would cause him headaches and nosebleeds. However, after the conclusion of Forever Yesterday, his powers increased dramatically and he was no longer hindered by the physical symptoms he had once suffered from.
Justice's powers differ significantly from his alternate-future counterpart, Vance Astro, due to Astro's powers not developing until well into adulthood. Where Justice's telekinesis can perform anything from heavy lifting to fine manipulation, Astro's ability, classified under the broader term of psychokinesis
, is mainly limited to a blunt force attack.
introduced three action figures in November 2006 in the Supernova line — a Marvel Boy figurine, a Justice HeroClix
figurine, and a Vance Astrovik HeroClix figurine. Justice was featured in Marvel Universe Trading Cards — Series 1 (1990, card #85), Series 2 (1991, card #156), Series 3 (1992, card #174), and Series 5 (1994, card #166). Justice was also included in a number of t-shirts, posters, and art prints featuring New Warriors.
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...
mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
superhero
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 —...
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...
. He possesses the superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
power of telekinesis. Astrovik has been affiliated with the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
and 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...
. He first appeared in Giant-Size Defenders #5 (July, 1975) and was created by Don Heck
Don Heck
Don Heck was an American comic book artist best known for co-creating the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, and for his long run penciling the Marvel superhero-team series The Avengers during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books.-Early life and career:Born in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New...
and Gerry Conway
Gerry Conway
Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...
The Vance Astrovik character in an alternate timeline
Alternate history (fiction)
Alternate history or alternative history is a genre of fiction consisting of stories that are set in worlds in which history has diverged from the actual history of the world. It can be variously seen as a sub-genre of literary fiction, science fiction, and historical fiction; different alternate...
became a founding member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, calling himself Vance Astro
Vance Astro
Vance Astro, born Vance Astrovik and going by the nickname Major Victory, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero from the Earth-691 timeline of the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
. Marvel has treated this as a separate character from the alternate Earth-691, and the two have even met on occasion.
Publication history
More than a decade after his creation, Vance appeared first as a mainstay in the New Warriors and later in the third volume of the Avengers titles. He usually appeared with FirestarFirestar
Firestar is a fictional mutant superhero in the . Debuting in 1981 on the NBC animated television series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, she has the ability to generate and manipulate microwave radiation, which allows her to generate intense heat and flames, and to fly...
, who was his girlfriend then later fiancee.
In 1994, he had his own four issue limited series, Justice: Four Balance and appeared in the I (heart) Marvel: Masked Intentions oneshot in 2006.
He was a major character in Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
, early in the series.
Fictional character biography
Vance Astrovik was born in SaugertiesSaugerties (town), New York
Saugerties is a town in Ulster County, New York, USA. The population was 19,482 at the 2000 census. The Town of Saugerties contains the Village of Saugerties. The town is in the northeast corner of Ulster County....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He was visited as a teenager by an alternate, time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
ing version of his future self, Major Vance Astro
Vance Astro
Vance Astro, born Vance Astrovik and going by the nickname Major Victory, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero from the Earth-691 timeline of the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
of the Guardians of the Galaxy, an astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
who had volunteered for an experimental space flight and consequently been lost in space in cryogenic suspension
Cryonics
Cryonics is the low-temperature preservation of humans and animals who can no longer be sustained by contemporary medicine, with the hope that healing and resuscitation may be possible in the future. Cryopreservation of people or large animals is not reversible with current technology...
for a thousand years. The elder Vance Astro convinced his younger self to not become an astronaut, and in the process, sparked the premature emergence of the younger Vance's telekinetic powers. Due to the vagaries of time travel in 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...
, this did not create a paradox
Paradox
Similar to Circular reasoning, A paradox is a seemingly true statement or group of statements that lead to a contradiction or a situation which seems to defy logic or intuition...
, but instead made the Guardians' future world into a parallel timeline, to which they later returned. Although Major Vance Astro had not had a chance to fully develop his psionic power in his time in NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, the younger Astrovik now had the opportunity to hone his power. Astrovik soon became the costumed crime-fighter Marvel Boy.
Early adventures
After his powers developed, Vance's father, Arnold, began to physically abuse him for being "different". Running away from home, Vance wound up supporting himself as a professional wrestlerProfessional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
in the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation
Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation
The Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation is a fictional organization in the Marvel Comics Universe. It is an association for professional wrestlers who possess superhuman strength, endurance and resistance to injury.- Overview :...
, a circuit for superhuman competitors. While wrestling as "Manglin' John Mahoney", he befriended Ben Grimm, a.k.a. the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
, who at the time was himself estranged from his "family", the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
. Eventually, Vance was convinced to return home, with assurances from his parents that the abuse would stop.
New Warriors
Marvel Boy applied for membership in the AvengersAvengers (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...
, but was rejected personally by 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...
. He eagerly jumped at the chance to help found a team of minor teenage superheroes, the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
, led by the new hero Night Thrasher
Night Thrasher
Night Thrasher is a fictional character, a superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Thor #411 , and was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz.-Publication history:...
. He had many intense times during this early period, such as a fight against the White Queen
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
and her Hellions
Hellions (comics)
There have been several groups of fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe who have been known as the Hellions. These groups were rivals of various teams of younger mutant heroes in the X-Men franchise....
and undergoing unwilling dentistry (i.e., torture) by the immortal villain Gideon
Gideon (comics)
Gideon is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza...
. At the same time, Vance developed friendships with the other Warriors, and a romantic relationship with teammate Firestar
Firestar
Firestar is a fictional mutant superhero in the . Debuting in 1981 on the NBC animated television series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, she has the ability to generate and manipulate microwave radiation, which allows her to generate intense heat and flames, and to fly...
, and his powers increased both in strength and skill. However, his costumed activities renewed Arnold Astrovik's prejudice towards Vance's powers; both Vance and his mother suffered from Arnold's abusive behavior, and Vance's instinctively protecting himself with his powers only made things worse, with tragic consequences.
Murder Trial
One night, Arnold Astrovik not only attacked a disadvantaged Vance (injured in a fight with TerraxTerrax
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:...
and further injured by Gideon), but struck his wife when she tried to intervene. In one burst of his ever-growing superpowers and pent-up emotion, Vance lashed out at his abusive father and unintentionally killed him. Vance turned himself in and went to trial, charged with first degree murder and negligent homicide, and defended by attorney Foggy Nelson
Foggy Nelson
Franklin P. "Foggy" Nelson is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, part of the supporting cast of Daredevil ; Foggy is Matt's best friend. The character was created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett....
. The Thing was a character witness for Vance and helped establish the history of abuse that he suffered, as did Vance's mother, Norma; other testimony established the good he had done as a costumed hero and his increasing competence with his powers. However, the prosecting attorney pursued the latter angle, using testimony from Firestar and cross-examination of Norma Astrovik to establish that Vance could have used his powers to stop his father without lethal force. Finally, in her closing argument, the prosecutor drew a gun on Vance and fired a (unknown to Vance) blank round. Instinctively, Vance not only disarmed her, but reacted so precisely that he contained the actual smoke from the gun, driving home the prosecution's case; Vance was acquitted of murder, but was convicted of negligent homicide. As a result of the trial, Vance's secret identity became public knowledge.
Vance was sentenced to serve his time at the superhuman restraint facility known as the Vault
Vault (comics)
The Vault is the widely used nickname of a fictional defunct prison facility for technological-based superhuman criminals in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. The prison's full official name is the United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals.It first...
. He was shown enjoying the occasional free walkabout on the long road-trip to the Vault, joking and playing around with the officers. When his friends Firestar, Namorita, and Nova showed up to free him, Vance protested, declaring he wished to serve his time. During his stay in the Vault, he was granted "training periods" with the Guardsmen
Guardsman (comics)
Guardsman was the name of a superhero in the Marvel Universe, but was later applied to a small squad of agents. He/they wear suits of power armor while working security at the Vault; the suits were designed by Tony Stark, better known as the superhero Iron Man....
on duty, determined to hone his abilities to prevent another incident like his father's death. When a riot broke out over the perception of poor living conditions, Vance helped calm the riot by convincing the warden to allow the plant-based villain Terraformer, once part of the Force of Nature
Force of Nature (comics)
The Force of Nature is a group of super villains in the Marvel Comics Universe who each have elemental themed powers: earth, fire, water, and wind...
, access to a plant. Despite the warden's fears Terraformer would use it in an escape attempt, the villain simply enjoys it being with him. This serves to calm the ire of the other prisoners and it is agreed that, on a case by case basis, their living conditions would be examined to accommodate superhuman prisoners' unique needs.
Justice
After his time in the Vault, he adopted the codename Justice. He briefly went undercover working with Shinobi ShawShinobi Shaw
Shinobi Shaw, also known as a Black King of the Hellfire Club, is a fictional character in the Universe of Marvel Comics. He is a comic book supervillain, a foe of the X-Men and their affiliated teams. His first appearance was in X-Factor #67 .-Fictional character biography:Shinobi is thought to...
to spy on the activities in the so-called "Younghunt."
When the Sphinx, a previous Warriors foe, dispersed members of the team throughout history, Vance encountered his father as an adolescent. He discovered that Arnold, his father, was a homosexual who was bullied into accepting a heterosexual lifestyle by his own abusive father. Understanding that his father was as much a victim as he was, Vance attempted to change history by threatening his grandfather, but stopped when he realized that he was, in his own way, perpetuating the cycle of violence handed down from father to son. Though history remained unchanged, this new knowledge allowed Vance to make a measure of peace with the memory of his father.
Justice spent some time in a leadership role with the New Warriors and talked about marriage with Firestar. This hit a snag when she learned her microwave powers might render her infertile.
The Avengers
A mystical incident had caused all those who were once Avengers to be targeted by creatures and monsters. Vance and Angelica accompanied their friend Rage, who had been an Avenger, to a meeting at Avengers Mansion. They willingly helped out in various ways before Morgan LeFay attacked, altering reality. Vance and Angelica were caught up in the literal mystical maelstrom and were turned into super-powered enforcers under the command of LeFay. However, several Avengers managed to break free of the control, based on their deep belief in the team itself. Vance found himself coming to his senses despite never being an Avenger, a fact that surprised the remaining heroes; thus, he joined the resistance.After the threat of LeFay was ended and the two proved themselves by defeating Whirlwind
Whirlwind (comics)
Whirlwind is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales To Astonish #50 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
on their own, they managed to become Avengers. Although he was thrilled to be living his life-long dream of being an Avenger, Vance made some small rookie mistakes at first, stemming from a case of hero worship. However, he proved himself when he came up with a way to defeat the current plans of the current form (or forms) of the villain Ultron
Ultron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
, despite a broken leg. Vance and Angelica then spent some time undercover investigating the Triune Understanding
Triune Understanding
Triune Understanding is a fictitious religious cult created by Kurt Busiek for volume three of the Marvel Comics Avengers series, based on The Church of Scientology.-History:...
, a cult-like movement with seemingly good intentions but a villainous leadership.
After the House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
ended, Justice and Firestar were unaffected by the global depowerment of mutants
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
and thus retained their powers. Vance's wish for more in their relationship, opposed to Firestar's wish for less (being ages 22 and 19 respectively) ended their engagement, and their relationship.
Civil War
Justice and former teammate RageRage (comics)
Rage is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is African American. Rage was created by Larry Hama and Paul Ryan in The Avengers vol. 1 #326...
learned that people were hunting down former New Warriors members because of perceived blame for the deaths caused by Nitro
Nitro (comics)
Nitro is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Captain Marvel #34 and was created by Jim Starlin....
in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
while fighting an incarnation of the team. They both sought out the legal services of Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
) in protecting the allies of the New Warriors, as their identities were already publicly exposed. They eventually discovered that former New Warriors member Carlton LaFroyge, (Hindsight
Hindsight Lad
Hindsight , formerly Hindsight Lad, is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe that appeared primarily in the New Warriors series...
), was responsible for the persecution and exposure of their teammates, operating a website that was slowly outing the identities of the twenty or so remaining Warriors.
Both Rage and Justice refused to go along with the proposed super-human registration act. This is further evidenced when they join Captain America's Secret Avengers during the Civil War as a result of the death of Bill Foster
Bill Foster (comics)
Dr. Bill Foster, also known as Black Goliath, the second Giant-Man, and the fourth Goliath, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:...
.
The Initiative
After the Civil War, Justice was recruited by Iron ManIron Man
Iron 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,...
to head the youth outreach arm of The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
superhero training program, based at Camp Hammond. He is clearly unaware of some of the shadier aspects of the program, and is growing increasingly irritated by the Initiative "Drill Sergeant" Gauntlet
Gauntlet (comics)
The Gauntlet , is a comic book superhero in the . Created by Dan Slott, he first appeared in She-Hulk #100.-Publication history:...
's constant demeaning and disparaging remarks about the deceased New Warriors. During the investigation of former New Warriors members due to an attack upon Gauntlet, it was revealed to readers that Justice is currently secretly seeing Ultra Girl
Ultra Girl
Ultra Girl , also known as Ultra-Girl, is a fictional superhero published by Marvel Comics...
, a trainee with the Initiative and former New Warriors associate.
Justice's personal investigation into the fate of Initiative recruit MVP
Michael Van Patrick
Michael "Mike" Ian Van Patrick is a fictional comic book character created by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. Although the character himself is deceased, and in fact died in the issue he first appeared in, the character is said to have been cloned after his death, with his clones continuing to play...
opened his eyes to the morally ambiguous activities of the Initiative, instituted by Camp Hammond director Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers Vol. 1 #165 and was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
. As a result, Justice apparently deserted
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
from the Initiative to continue his investigation, and recruited Ultra Girl, Rage and other former New Warriors Debrii
Debrii
Debrii is a fictional character, a superhero from Marvel Comics. She debuted in New Warriors Vol. 3 Issue 4. She was created by artist Skottie Young with the help of writer Zeb Wells. Little is known about her at this time...
and Slapstick
Slapstick (comics)
Slapstick is a Marvel Comics superhero created in the early nineties. He debuted in Slapstick #1, November , created by Len Kaminski and James Fry...
to his cause. After a clone of MVP goes rogue and leaves the Initiative with major casualties, Justice and these former New Warriors, along with the two surviving Scarlet Spiders, officially inform Iron Man of their intention to quit the Initiative and act as Counter Force
Counter Force (Marvel Comics)
This second team of New Warriors is a superhero team in the Marvel Comics continuity composed mostly of former members of the original team of New Warriors.-Fictional history:...
, a form of independent oversight for the program; as the group are all registered superhumans, Iron Man is unable to act against Justice's team unless they commit an illegal act. However, Ultra Girl decides to return to the Initiative, apparently ending her relationship with Justice.
Secret Invasion
During the Skrull invasionSecret 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....
, Justice and Counter Force encounter Night Thrasher
Night Thrasher
Night Thrasher is a fictional character, a superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Thor #411 , and was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz.-Publication history:...
(Donyell Taylor) at the old New Warriors, looking for a DNA sample to prove whether or not the Night Thrasher that died at Stamford was a Skrull imposter. Counter Force initially believe that Donyell is a Skrull, due to his reluctance to reveal his identity, and comes into conflict with Donyell's New Warriors. When Donyell finally reveals his identity, the two teams join together to storm the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier where the deceased New Warriors bodies were being held, and recover them. The corpse of Night Thrasher is proven to be of human composition, and the two teams bury the bodies outside the old base.
Dark Reign
When RagnarokRagnarok (comics)
Ragnarok is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Civil War #3 , and was created by Mark Millar and Steve Mcniven.-Fictional character biography:...
, a deranged clone of Thor, attacks Camp Hammond, Counter Force (Now calling themselves "The New Warriors", and boasting Night Thrasher as a member) arrive to help. During the fight, Ragnarok kills one of the Scarlet Spiders, and nearly kills Vance, who is saved by Ultra Girl. After the battle, Vance retrieves the corpse of the original MVP, seeking to give him a proper burial. However, their actions in exposing the duplicity to the public, allowed H.A.M.M.E.R. director, Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
to shut down Camp Hammond and reorganize the Initiative, placing villains on Initiative teams. The New Warriors rescue Gauntlet and Tigra from the Hood's gang and formed the Avengers Resistance.
Siege
Things hit the tipping point for the Resistance, when Osborn orchestrates a siege on AsgardSiege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
by creating an incident similar to Stamford. Justice declares that while most of the Initiative is busy with the Siege, the Resistance will take down Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. in order to expose Osborn once and for all.
Heroic Age
Vance becomes one of the teaching staff of "Avengers Academy", alongside former Avengers teammates Hank Pym, Tigra, Quicksilver and former New Warriors teammate Speedball.Powers and abilities
Justice is a mutantMutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
who possesses a unique kind of telekinesis, enabling him to generate a psychokinetic nimbus of energy and direct it to grasp his body or other objects and lift them into the air, apply pressure to matter so that it moves in any direction, or make the nimbus into a solid force field. By using his powers to lift himself, he can levitate and fly at high speed. He can also channel his powers into concussive psionic force blasts. Justice is quite adept at using his powers. He has shown the ability to hold a large number of people in individual telekinetic energy "tendrils" and detect when a person is lying through said tendril, like a lie detector would. Initially, Justice's telekinesis was limited in its scope and using them at the peak level of his power would cause him headaches and nosebleeds. However, after the conclusion of Forever Yesterday, his powers increased dramatically and he was no longer hindered by the physical symptoms he had once suffered from.
Justice's powers differ significantly from his alternate-future counterpart, Vance Astro, due to Astro's powers not developing until well into adulthood. Where Justice's telekinesis can perform anything from heavy lifting to fine manipulation, Astro's ability, classified under the broader term of psychokinesis
Psychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
, is mainly limited to a blunt force attack.
Television
- On the Fantastic FourFantastic Four (1994 TV series)Fantastic Four is the third animated television series based on Marvel's comic book series of the same name. Airing began on September 24, 1994, until ending on February 24, 1996...
animated series, Justice makes a brief cameo at the beginning of the episode "Doomsday" flying alongside DarkhawkDarkhawkDarkhawk is a fictional comic book superhero who first appeared in his own self-titled series, Darkhawk #1...
as the Silver SurferSilver SurferThe 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"....
passes by both of them.
Video games
- Justice appear as a non-playable character in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 voiced by Sean DonnellanSean DonnellanSean Donnellan is a television host, voice actor, and comedian. He is known for being a host on How to Boil Water and Faux Pause and the announcer on Batman Beyond....
. He ends up under the control of the nanites and assists A-BombRick Jones (comics)Richard Milhouse "Rick" Jones is a fictional comic book character in the .-Publication history:Rick Jones first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1, as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk...
in fighting the heroes in Wakanda on the path to the Black Panther's palace. He mentions his past and his relationship with FirestarFirestarFirestar is a fictional mutant superhero in the . Debuting in 1981 on the NBC animated television series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, she has the ability to generate and manipulate microwave radiation, which allows her to generate intense heat and flames, and to fly...
.
Merchandise
Various items have been marketed featuring Vance Astrovik, both as Marvel Boy and Justice. WizkidsWizKids
WizKids, Inc. is an American New Jersey-based company that first made its mark in the game industry producing collectible miniatures wargames. WizKids was purchased by and is a subsidiary of National Entertainment Collectibles Association. The company was founded in 2000 by Jordan Weisman, a...
introduced three action figures in November 2006 in the Supernova line — a Marvel Boy figurine, a Justice HeroClix
HeroClix
HeroClix is a collectible miniatures game that uses the Clix system. Originally designed and produced by WizKids, it is now owned and marketed by NECA. Players construct teams of comic book heroes, villains, and other characters from popular video games such as Street Fighter, Gears of War, and Halo...
figurine, and a Vance Astrovik HeroClix figurine. Justice was featured in Marvel Universe Trading Cards — Series 1 (1990, card #85), Series 2 (1991, card #156), Series 3 (1992, card #174), and Series 5 (1994, card #166). Justice was also included in a number of t-shirts, posters, and art prints featuring New Warriors.