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Triathlon (comics)
Encyclopedia
Delroy Garrett, Jr. is a fictional
superhero
published by Marvel Comics
. He is the second character to use the name 3-D Man
.
vol. 3 #8 (September 1998), and was created by Kurt Busiek
and George Pérez
.
track
medalist whose career was derailed when it was found he used steroid
s. Dejected, Delroy joined the Triune Understanding
to restore his faith. Triune leader Jonathan Tremont imbued Delroy with the powers stolen from the former superhero, the 3-D Man
. Delroy had no idea of the source of his new powers thinking that the teachings of the Triune had simply unlocked his superhuman potential. Delroy became the costumed superhero, Triathlon, and became the Triune's celebrity spokesman.
. Soon after, Garrett also helped the Avengers battle Lord Templar and Pagan at the dedication ceremony of a new Triune Understanding building. The battle ended with Lord Templar and Pagan escaping. Jonathan Tremont publicly blamed the Avengers for the destruction, and then covertly set up a smear campaign against the team to suggest they were religiously intolerant and racist. Tremont then had the mercenary Taskmaster
frame a number of Avengers for the destruction of an important Triune building. Tremont then publicly "forgave" the Avengers which the team grudgingly went along with to avoid further bad publicity. It was during Tremont's media event at Avenger's Mansion
that the building was attacked by a terrorist. Triathlon aided the Avengers in defeating the terrorist. In the aftermath, Duane Freeman, the Avengers' government liaison
suggested that the team add Triathlon as a member to quell the bad publicity that the team had recently engendered. With some animosity on both sides, Triathlon was made a member of the Avengers when their new line-up was announced to the public.
At first, Triathlon, although a capable member, constantly complained and argued with his teammates, thinking that they were intolerant and included him on the team only because of the public image. But soon, with the help of teammate Warbird
, who told him that he could either go around with a chip on his shoulder and never fit in or actually try to work with his teammates as people and take the chance they'd be imperfect, Delroy saw that his teammates were good people and became an eager and willing team member, even refusing to attend Triune functions if it conflicted with his schedule as an Avenger.
Later, during Kang
's war on earth, a being of immense power entered the solar system. This was the "triple evil" which Tremont had supposedly founded the Triune Understanding to defeat. Powering up the Triune's spaceship, Tremont and the Avengers traveled to face the being. During the battle, Tremont's true reasoning became clear: he sought the power of the "triple evil" for his own. In the past, he had stolen the triangle power of 3-D Man, and resurrected his two dead brothers as Lord Templar and Pagan. He then formed the Triune Understanding to enable him to find the other triangle fragments of power. The "triple evil" contained the final power he sought. During the battle, Tremont killed his brothers and his followers by drawing all their power and life energy into himself, intending to take the power of the Triple Evil and use it to become a god to those on Earth, but he ultimately lost control of the immense power. Triathlon, though, was able to channel the power and defeated the "triple evil", realising that the power could only be controlled by one who strived for others rather than for themselves. With Traithlon now in control of the pyramid, the Avengers then returned to Earth and ultimately defeated Kang and the Scarlet Centurion
in their bid to take over the planet. Following Kang's defeat, Triathlon dissolved the pyramid's remaining energies to prevent it being any further threat, subsequently sacrificing the last of his power to restore the 3-D Man and his brother to their independent forms. When the Avengers later reorganized under a United Nations
charter, Triathlon left the team along with some other members.
's "Secret Avengers," declaring his stance against the Superhuman Registration Act
. He was named among the missing in the wake of the final battle of the Civil War
.
Following the passage of the Superhuman Registration Act, Garrett was recruited in the Fifty State Initiative
. Serving as a squad instructor, he assisted in the training of new recruits while training to become a team leader for one of the 50 states. Garrett took on a new alias, that of 3-D Man, and when his Initiative training was complete he was assigned to Hawaii
.
impostor. The Skrull Magnitude (who has the powers of Banshee
, Havok, Polaris
, and Sunfire) attacks and severely wounds Star Sign and Paydirt, but Delroy kills the Skrull with a sword magically summoned by Devil-Slayer. Devil Slayer uses his Shadow Cloak to teleport Delroy to Camp Hammond, where he announced to everyone assembled that the Initiative has been infiltrated by Skrulls. The Crusader, fearing that he will be exposed as a Skrull, uses the Freedom Ring, and suddenly 3-D Man sees every non-Skrull surrounding him as a Skrull. Crusader persuades 3-D Man to take a Quinjet and get help, but only because it would take him out of range of his ring's influence. Mid-flight, the Quinjet is affected by the virus the Skrulls used to infect all Starktech systems, and 3-D Man crashes somewhere in New Mexico. There, he meets and joins the Skrull Kill Krew
after they vanquish the Skrull posing as She-Thing. He assists them when his goggles identify Blacksmith of the Desert Stars
as a Skrull and kills him. Delroy Garret's goggles also identify Equinox
as a Skrull who is killed by Cloud 9. While in Philadelphia, the Revolutionary
is revealed as a Skrull and defeated by Gravity and Hope. When they come across a fight between Thor Girl
and Ultra Girl
, Delroy's goggles identify Thor Girl as a Skrull. With help from Gravity
, Delroy uses Thor Girl's own hammer to kill the Skrull imposter. When it came to a crowd uprising dealing with Skrulls in the form of civilians, Delroy's goggles were broken by a thrown rock giving his allies a hard time finding out which civilians are Skrulls. During the struggle, Delroy discovers that he can see who is a Skrull without his goggles. This turns the tides against those Skrulls disguised as crowd members. When it came to the fight at Camp Hammond, Delroy's Skrull-detecting abilities detect Crusader as a Skrull after Crusader kills Criti Noll, so Delroy shoots and apparently kills Crusader.
Delroy leaves the Initiative, noting the hostility of Red Nine
, Annex
, Geiger
, Batwing, and Prodigy
over the shooting of Crusader, and joins Ryder
to hunt for any Skrulls still hiding out on Earth.
The goggles given to Delroy by the original 3-D Man help Delroy to focus his ability to identify Skrulls in disguise, although the power to do so lies within him.
Delroy is now able to access that power without the help of the glasses. When doing so one eye turns red and the other turns green. He is now also able to see, when focusing, a person's true form (detecting illusions, possessions etc.).
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...
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 —...
published 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 is the second character to use the name 3-D Man
3-D Man
-Publication history:Although his adventures take place in the 1950s, the character was created by Roy Thomas in the 1970s in the anthology series Marvel Premiere...
.
Publication history
Triathlon first appeared in 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...
vol. 3 #8 (September 1998), and was created by Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
and George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
.
Origin
Delroy Garrett is an OlympicOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
medalist whose career was derailed when it was found he used steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
s. Dejected, Delroy joined 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:...
to restore his faith. Triune leader Jonathan Tremont imbued Delroy with the powers stolen from the former superhero, the 3-D Man
3-D Man
-Publication history:Although his adventures take place in the 1950s, the character was created by Roy Thomas in the 1970s in the anthology series Marvel Premiere...
. Delroy had no idea of the source of his new powers thinking that the teachings of the Triune had simply unlocked his superhuman potential. Delroy became the costumed superhero, Triathlon, and became the Triune's celebrity spokesman.
Avengers
Garrett's first involvement with the Avengers came while he was using the identity of Triathlon, he assisted them in defeating arms dealer Moses MagnumMoses Magnum
Moses Magnum is a fictional character, an arms dealer, terrorist, and supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Moses Magnum first appeared in Giant-Size Spider-Man #4 , and was created by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru....
. Soon after, Garrett also helped the Avengers battle Lord Templar and Pagan at the dedication ceremony of a new Triune Understanding building. The battle ended with Lord Templar and Pagan escaping. Jonathan Tremont publicly blamed the Avengers for the destruction, and then covertly set up a smear campaign against the team to suggest they were religiously intolerant and racist. Tremont then had the mercenary Taskmaster
Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain but is often portrayed as an antihero. The Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers vol.1 #195 and was created by David Michelinie and George Pérez...
frame a number of Avengers for the destruction of an important Triune building. Tremont then publicly "forgave" the Avengers which the team grudgingly went along with to avoid further bad publicity. It was during Tremont's media event at Avenger's Mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
that the building was attacked by a terrorist. Triathlon aided the Avengers in defeating the terrorist. In the aftermath, Duane Freeman, the Avengers' government liaison
Liaison officer
A liaison officer or LNO is a person that liaises between two organizations to communicate and coordinate their activities. Generally, they are used to achieve the best utilization of resources or employment of services of one organization by another. In the military, liaison officers may...
suggested that the team add Triathlon as a member to quell the bad publicity that the team had recently engendered. With some animosity on both sides, Triathlon was made a member of the Avengers when their new line-up was announced to the public.
At first, Triathlon, although a capable member, constantly complained and argued with his teammates, thinking that they were intolerant and included him on the team only because of the public image. But soon, with the help of teammate Warbird
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is the name of a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and designed by artist Gene Colan, the non-powered Carol Danvers debuted as a member of the United States Air Force in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 and as Ms. Marvel—a...
, who told him that he could either go around with a chip on his shoulder and never fit in or actually try to work with his teammates as people and take the chance they'd be imperfect, Delroy saw that his teammates were good people and became an eager and willing team member, even refusing to attend Triune functions if it conflicted with his schedule as an Avenger.
Later, during Kang
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...
's war on earth, a being of immense power entered the solar system. This was the "triple evil" which Tremont had supposedly founded the Triune Understanding to defeat. Powering up the Triune's spaceship, Tremont and the Avengers traveled to face the being. During the battle, Tremont's true reasoning became clear: he sought the power of the "triple evil" for his own. In the past, he had stolen the triangle power of 3-D Man, and resurrected his two dead brothers as Lord Templar and Pagan. He then formed the Triune Understanding to enable him to find the other triangle fragments of power. The "triple evil" contained the final power he sought. During the battle, Tremont killed his brothers and his followers by drawing all their power and life energy into himself, intending to take the power of the Triple Evil and use it to become a god to those on Earth, but he ultimately lost control of the immense power. Triathlon, though, was able to channel the power and defeated the "triple evil", realising that the power could only be controlled by one who strived for others rather than for themselves. With Traithlon now in control of the pyramid, the Avengers then returned to Earth and ultimately defeated Kang and the Scarlet Centurion
Scarlet Centurion
Scarlet Centurion, in comics, may refer to a number of Marvel Comics characters who have used the alias:* Nathaniel Richards, the father of Reed Richards * Marcus Kang, son of Kang the Conqueror...
in their bid to take over the planet. Following Kang's defeat, Triathlon dissolved the pyramid's remaining energies to prevent it being any further threat, subsequently sacrificing the last of his power to restore the 3-D Man and his brother to their independent forms. When the Avengers later reorganized under a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
charter, Triathlon left the team along with some other members.
The Initiative
Garrett recently re-emerged as a member of Captain AmericaCaptain 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...
's "Secret Avengers," declaring his stance against the Superhuman Registration Act
Registration Acts (comics)
The Registration Acts—the Mutant Registration Act and Superhuman Registration Act —are fictional legislative bills that have been plot points used in various comic books published by Marvel Comics which, when passed into law, enforce the mandatory registration of superpowered individuals with...
. He was named among the missing in the wake of the final battle of the Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
.
Following the passage of the Superhuman Registration Act, Garrett was recruited in the Fifty State Initiative
Fifty State Initiative
The Fifty State Initiative, often referred to as simply The Initiative, is a fictional governmental plan that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to The Avengers...
. Serving as a squad instructor, he assisted in the training of new recruits while training to become a team leader for one of the 50 states. Garrett took on a new alias, that of 3-D Man, and when his Initiative training was complete he was assigned to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Secret Invasion
Delroy arrives in Hawaii and is greeted by Point Men team members Star Sign and Paydirt. He encounters Devil-Slayer on the way to the base, who states that he has sensed portents of doom all day. When he meets the final team member Magnitude, the goggles Delroy obtained from the original 3-D Man allow him to identify Magnitude as a SkrullSkrull
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....
impostor. The Skrull Magnitude (who has the powers of Banshee
Banshee (comics)
Banshee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who operates as a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, Banshee first appeared in X-Men #28 ....
, Havok, Polaris
Polaris (comics)
Polaris is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books. Created by Arnold Drake, Don Heck, Werner Roth and Jim Steranko, Polaris first appeared in The X-Men #49...
, and Sunfire) attacks and severely wounds Star Sign and Paydirt, but Delroy kills the Skrull with a sword magically summoned by Devil-Slayer. Devil Slayer uses his Shadow Cloak to teleport Delroy to Camp Hammond, where he announced to everyone assembled that the Initiative has been infiltrated by Skrulls. The Crusader, fearing that he will be exposed as a Skrull, uses the Freedom Ring, and suddenly 3-D Man sees every non-Skrull surrounding him as a Skrull. Crusader persuades 3-D Man to take a Quinjet and get help, but only because it would take him out of range of his ring's influence. Mid-flight, the Quinjet is affected by the virus the Skrulls used to infect all Starktech systems, and 3-D Man crashes somewhere in New Mexico. There, he meets and joins the Skrull Kill Krew
Skrull Kill Krew
The Skrull Kill Krew are a fictional group from Marvel Comics who first appeared in their own limited series published in 1995. They were created by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar and Steve Yeowell.The group are humans modified by eating Skrull-infected beef...
after they vanquish the Skrull posing as She-Thing. He assists them when his goggles identify Blacksmith of the Desert Stars
Desert Stars
Desert Stars is a fictional superhero team in the Marvel Comics universe. The group of heroes are the official Arizona Fifty State Initiative team and were created by Christos Gage and Stefano Caselli.-Fictional history:...
as a Skrull and kills him. Delroy Garret's goggles also identify Equinox
Equinox (comics)
Equinox is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in publications from Marvel Comics.-Publication history:...
as a Skrull who is killed by Cloud 9. While in Philadelphia, the Revolutionary
Revolutionary (comics)
The Revolutionary is a fictional superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Avengers: The Initiative Annual #1 , and was created by Dan Slott, Christos Gage and Patrick Scherberger.-Fictional character biography:...
is revealed as a Skrull and defeated by Gravity and Hope. When they come across a fight between Thor Girl
Thor Girl
Thor Girl is a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Dan Jurgens and artist John Romita, Jr., she first appeared in Thor vol...
and Ultra Girl
Ultra Girl
Ultra Girl , also known as Ultra-Girl, is a fictional superhero published by Marvel Comics...
, Delroy's goggles identify Thor Girl as a Skrull. With help from Gravity
Gravity (comics)
Gravity is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Gravity #1 and was created by Sean McKeever and Mike Norton.-Publication history:...
, Delroy uses Thor Girl's own hammer to kill the Skrull imposter. When it came to a crowd uprising dealing with Skrulls in the form of civilians, Delroy's goggles were broken by a thrown rock giving his allies a hard time finding out which civilians are Skrulls. During the struggle, Delroy discovers that he can see who is a Skrull without his goggles. This turns the tides against those Skrulls disguised as crowd members. When it came to the fight at Camp Hammond, Delroy's Skrull-detecting abilities detect Crusader as a Skrull after Crusader kills Criti Noll, so Delroy shoots and apparently kills Crusader.
Delroy leaves the Initiative, noting the hostility of Red Nine
Red Nine
Red Nine is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #264 .-Publication history:...
, Annex
Annex (comics)
Annex is a fictional character of the Marvel Universe, associated with Spider-Man. His first appearance was in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #27. Annex' powers were the result of prosthetics through computer technology. After losing a leg, he volunteered for this program...
, Geiger
Geiger (comics)
Geiger is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. She first appeared in Doc Samson #1 , created by Dan Slott.-Fictional character biography:...
, Batwing, and Prodigy
Prodigy (comics)
Prodigy, in comics, may refer to:*Prodigy , a character featured prominently in various X-Men titles*Prodigy , a character who first appeared in Slingers*Spider-Man has gone by the name Prodigy...
over the shooting of Crusader, and joins Ryder
Ryder (comics)
Ryder is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He was the leader and founder of the Skrull Kill Krew.-Fictional character biography:...
to hunt for any Skrulls still hiding out on Earth.
Powers and abilities
Delroy Garrett is imbued with the abilities of the original 3-D Man. He has three times the physical abilities of a man in peak physical condition. He can also heal injuries in a third of the time that would take a peak human to heal. His perceptions (sight, hearing, smell) have been enhanced as well. He can also run at superhuman speed.The goggles given to Delroy by the original 3-D Man help Delroy to focus his ability to identify Skrulls in disguise, although the power to do so lies within him.
Delroy is now able to access that power without the help of the glasses. When doing so one eye turns red and the other turns green. He is now also able to see, when focusing, a person's true form (detecting illusions, possessions etc.).
List of titles
- Avengers (vol. 3) #8-9, 15, 26-46, 48, 50, 52-56, 59
- Avengers Annual 2001
- Avengers: The Initiative #14-ongoing
- Black Panther (vol. 2)Black Panther (comics)The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
#23 - Captain America (vol. 3)Captain 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...
#46-48 - Civil WarCivil War (comics)Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
#4 - DeadpoolDeadpool (comics)Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...
#44 - Fantastic Four (vol. 3)Fantastic FourThe 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...
#39 - Incredible Hulk Annual 2000
- Iron Fist/Wolverine: The Return to K'un Lun #2
- Magneto: Dark SeductionMagneto (comics)Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
#2-4 - Maximum Security #1-3
- The OrderDefenders (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...
#3, 5 - ThunderboltsThunderbolts (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:...
#43-44, 57 - Agents of AtlasAgents of AtlasAgents of Atlas is a fictional superhero team in comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is composed of characters originally appearing in unrelated stories published in the 1950s by Marvel's predecessor company, Atlas Comics....
#1-5
External links
- Triathlon at Marvel.com
- Triathlon at the Marvel Wiki
- Triathlon at Marvel Directory
- The religion of Triathlon