Ultramarine Corps
Encyclopedia
The International Ultramarine Corps, formerly the Ultramarine Corps, is a fictional team of superheroes published by DC Comics
. They first appeared in DC One Million
#2 (November 1998), and were created by Grant Morrison
and Howard Porter
.
as a government-sponsored group of superhumans to rival the more independent Justice League
. Led by General Wade Eiling
, the original members of the team were Flow, 4-D, Pulse 8 and Warmaker One. During a fight with the JLA, the UMC realised that Eiling was dangerously insane and that they were on the wrong side; they then sided with the League against their leader.
Having developed a mistrust of governments, the Corps subsequently declared themselves independent of any and all nations and built a free-floating city in which to dwell, which they named Superbia and set in the air above the ruins of Montevideo
. They put out a call to other disaffected superheroes to join them in their city, and received a number of responses from around the globe, although the total population and demographics of Superbia are unknown.
With the Justice League mysteriously absent, the Corps responded to an attack by Gorilla Grodd
on Kinshasa
, the capitol of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. Unknown to them, this was actually a preliminary incursion by the dimension-hopping Sheeda
and the Corps found themselves totally outclassed. Superbia was knocked out of the sky, causing many casualties to both the onboard population and the population of the city it fell upon, and a number of the Corps were killed by Grodd and the Sheeda, led by the Nebula Man
. Squire, a junior member of the Corps, alerted Batman
and a rescue was attempted, which itself looked doomed to failure until the rest of the newly-returned League (themselves rescued by Squire from the pocket universe
of Qwewq
) arrived to help.
Disgraced, the Corps was on the verge of disbanding when Superman
suggested that they enter the pocket universe and act as its defenders. It was eventually revealed they failed to save it (instead placing the seed of weakness in it). Though their return was not shown, members Knight II , Squire III, Vixen and Tasmanian Devil have recently reappeared.
The group was last seen in the pages of Final Crisis, showing up in a cameo in issue #4, with Superbia being one of the "Watchtowers" where the heroes were holding off the forces of Darkseid. Superbia is last seen falling from the sky after an aerial attack disables it. The status of the group after this incident is unknown.
with a single blow.
and the like. His more recent appearance, as The Master shows him using his powers to literally rewrite reality using something called a "Quantum
Keyboard". It is unknown whether this is a further development of his pre-existing powers, a whole new power, or merely a new way of describing his old powers.
. Cyril is the second Knight, and served under the original Knight (his father, the Earl of Wordenshire) as his Squire. Cyril has a rather coarse attitude, and engages in friendly but politically incorrect
banter with the Irish Jack O'Lantern.
. Beryl is an expert in communications and communication technology, to the extent that she can even read information patterns by touch. She is brave and strong-willed, and cares deeply for Cyril.
casket. Goraiko speaks only in haiku
and mathematical equations. The girl has a little doll in the casket that appears to be the inspiration for Goraiko's shape, but it is unknown if it is necessary for the manifestation of the being. Goraiko is a founding member of the Japanese equivalent of the JLA, a team called Big Science Action
.
and veteran heroine who has been part of many teams, including the Justice League and the Suicide Squad
. She later left the Corps and rejoined the JLA, and is currently an active member of the Justice League International
.
. He apparently wears the mythical Golden Fleece
, which contains the souls and abilities of many Greek heroes, and as a result, he is able to use many of those abilities, such as the strength of Heracles
. There is one drawback; the presence of so many minds within his own often confuses him, making him seem as if he has a split personality. During his most recent appearance, he was described as the "disgraced 'schizophrenic Superman' of Greece", implying that this personality disorder had led to some sort of public embarrassment.
n Zulu hero known as Impala
.
protector of Australia
, and a renowned hero with the ability to turn into a supernaturally large and intelligent lycanthropic Tasmanian Devil
/Human
hybrid, a "were-devil". After leaving the Corps and rejoining the Global Guardians, he was killed by the villain Prometheus
, but was later resurrected.
: A teenage hero born from a Danish lighthouse keeper and an Atlantean
woman.
, all written by Grant Morrison
:
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...
. They first appeared in DC One Million
DC One Million
"DC One Million" was a crossover storyline that ran through a self titled, weekly limited series and through special issues of almost all "DCU" titles published by DC Comics in November 1998...
#2 (November 1998), and were created by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
and Howard Porter
Howard Porter
Howard Porter is an American comic book artist from southern Connecticut.-Biography:Porter graduated from Paier College of Art in Connecticut where he majored in illustration. One of his teachers there was Frank McLaughlin...
.
History
The Corps was created by the U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a government-sponsored group of superhumans to rival the more independent 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....
. Led by General Wade Eiling
General Wade Eiling
General Wade Eiling, sometimes known as The General, is a fictional character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Captain Atom #1 , and was created by Cary Bates and Pat Broderick.-Captain Atom:...
, the original members of the team were Flow, 4-D, Pulse 8 and Warmaker One. During a fight with the JLA, the UMC realised that Eiling was dangerously insane and that they were on the wrong side; they then sided with the League against their leader.
Having developed a mistrust of governments, the Corps subsequently declared themselves independent of any and all nations and built a free-floating city in which to dwell, which they named Superbia and set in the air above the ruins of Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
. They put out a call to other disaffected superheroes to join them in their city, and received a number of responses from around the globe, although the total population and demographics of Superbia are unknown.
With the Justice League mysteriously absent, the Corps responded to an attack by Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd is a supervillain appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of The Flash. He debuted in Flash v.1 #106 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino....
on Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
, the capitol of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. Unknown to them, this was actually a preliminary incursion by the dimension-hopping Sheeda
Sheeda
The Sheeda are a fictional race published by DC Comics. They first appear in Seven Soldiers #0 , and were created by Grant Morrison and J.H. Williams III. Their first DC Universe appearance was in Morrison's introductory run on the JLA: Classified series in 2004.- History :The Sheeda are a...
and the Corps found themselves totally outclassed. Superbia was knocked out of the sky, causing many casualties to both the onboard population and the population of the city it fell upon, and a number of the Corps were killed by Grodd and the Sheeda, led by the Nebula Man
Nebula Man
Nebula Man is a fictional character in DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America #100-101 .Originally a villain responsible for the disappearance of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, he has since reappeared as Neh-Buh-Loh, a primary antagonist in the 2005-2006 mega-series Seven...
. Squire, a junior member of the Corps, alerted Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and a rescue was attempted, which itself looked doomed to failure until the rest of the newly-returned League (themselves rescued by Squire from the pocket universe
Pocket universe
-In science:A pocket universe is a concept in inflationary theory, proposed by Alan Guth. It defines a realm like the one that contains the observable universe as only one of many inflationary zones.-In fiction:...
of Qwewq
Nebula Man
Nebula Man is a fictional character in DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America #100-101 .Originally a villain responsible for the disappearance of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, he has since reappeared as Neh-Buh-Loh, a primary antagonist in the 2005-2006 mega-series Seven...
) arrived to help.
Disgraced, the Corps was on the verge of disbanding when Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
suggested that they enter the pocket universe and act as its defenders. It was eventually revealed they failed to save it (instead placing the seed of weakness in it). Though their return was not shown, members Knight II , Squire III, Vixen and Tasmanian Devil have recently reappeared.
The group was last seen in the pages of Final Crisis, showing up in a cameo in issue #4, with Superbia being one of the "Watchtowers" where the heroes were holding off the forces of Darkseid. Superbia is last seen falling from the sky after an aerial attack disables it. The status of the group after this incident is unknown.
Warmaker One
Warmaker One is Lieutenant Colonel Scott Sawyer, and has a body composed of a type of energy which phases out of normal reality, and as such is contained in a high-tech suit of power armor. His armor is equipped with rockets and the ability to "broadcast" sounds and other sensory information, enabling him to overload Superman's super-senses.Flow
Flow is Major Dan Stone, a creature of living water. As time wore on, Flow became more monstrous and less humanoid in appearance and changed his name to Glob.4-D
4-D is an african-american woman named Captain Lea Corben, she was given the power to change her dimensions, so that she could become four-, three-, two-, or one-dimensional at will, making her hard to capture and confine. In her own words, she also stated that she had the ability to draw power "from other dimensions and bring it into the Third Dimension" and use it to supercharge the blows she could deal out; she promptly then proved this in battle by knocking out Wonder WomanWonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
with a single blow.
Pulse 8
Pulse 8 is Captain John Wether, Pulse 8 was originally in control of the fundamental forces of the universe, such as gravity, electromagnetismElectromagnetism
Electromagnetism is one of the four fundamental interactions in nature. The other three are the strong interaction, the weak interaction and gravitation...
and the like. His more recent appearance, as The Master shows him using his powers to literally rewrite reality using something called a "Quantum
Quantum
In physics, a quantum is the minimum amount of any physical entity involved in an interaction. Behind this, one finds the fundamental notion that a physical property may be "quantized," referred to as "the hypothesis of quantization". This means that the magnitude can take on only certain discrete...
Keyboard". It is unknown whether this is a further development of his pre-existing powers, a whole new power, or merely a new way of describing his old powers.
The Knight
The Knight is Cyril Sheldrake, an English costumed hero who takes after his inspiration BatmanBatman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
. Cyril is the second Knight, and served under the original Knight (his father, the Earl of Wordenshire) as his Squire. Cyril has a rather coarse attitude, and engages in friendly but politically incorrect
Politically incorrect
The phrase "politically incorrect" may refer to:* Someone or something which does not meet a standard of political correctness* Politically Incorrect, a late-night U.S. political talk show* Politically Incorrect, a German political blog...
banter with the Irish Jack O'Lantern.
Squire
Squire is Beryl Hutchinson, a superheroine similar to that of Batman's sidekick RobinRobin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
. Beryl is an expert in communications and communication technology, to the extent that she can even read information patterns by touch. She is brave and strong-willed, and cares deeply for Cyril.
Goraiko
Goraiko is a large, superhumanly strong, superhumanly dense Japanese superhero apparently made out of the psychic energy of a young Japanese girl who resides in some sort of sensory deprivationSensory deprivation
Sensory deprivation or perceptual isolation is the deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses. Simple devices such as blindfolds or hoods and earmuffs can cut off sight and hearing respectively, while more complex devices can also cut off the sense of smell, touch,...
casket. Goraiko speaks only in haiku
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
and mathematical equations. The girl has a little doll in the casket that appears to be the inspiration for Goraiko's shape, but it is unknown if it is necessary for the manifestation of the being. Goraiko is a founding member of the Japanese equivalent of the JLA, a team called Big Science Action
Big Science Action
Big Science Action is a team of fictional superheroes, comic book characters published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Final Crisis Sketchbook #1 , and were created by Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones.-Publication history:...
.
Jack O'Lantern
Jack O'Lantern is Liam McHugh, an Irish patriot who derives some measure of mystical ability from an enchanted jack o'lantern. He is also extraordinarily agile and, although the Knight makes fun of his slim build, stronger than he looks.Vixen
Vixen is Mari Jiwe McCabe, an African supermodelSupermodel
The term supermodel refers to a highly-paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became prominent in the popular culture of the 1980s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and labels...
and veteran heroine who has been part of many teams, including the Justice League and the Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
. She later left the Corps and rejoined the JLA, and is currently an active member of the Justice League International
Justice League International
Justice League International is a DC Comics superhero team written by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire, created in 1987.-Publication history:...
.
Olympian
Olympian is Aristides Demetrios, the national hero of GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. He apparently wears the mythical Golden Fleece
Golden Fleece
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram, which can be procured in Colchis. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus...
, which contains the souls and abilities of many Greek heroes, and as a result, he is able to use many of those abilities, such as the strength of Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
. There is one drawback; the presence of so many minds within his own often confuses him, making him seem as if he has a split personality. During his most recent appearance, he was described as the "disgraced 'schizophrenic Superman' of Greece", implying that this personality disorder had led to some sort of public embarrassment.
Kid Impala
Kid Impala is the teenaged successor to M'Bulaze the original South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n Zulu hero known as Impala
Impala (DC Comics)
Impala is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Super Friends #7 , and was created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Ramona Fradon....
.
Tasmanian Devil
Tasmanian Devil is Hugh Dawkins, the veteran metahumanMetahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
protector of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and a renowned hero with the ability to turn into a supernaturally large and intelligent lycanthropic Tasmanian Devil
Tasmanian Devil
The Tasmanian devil is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae, now found in the wild only on the Australian island state of Tasmania. The size of a small dog, it became the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world following the extinction of the thylacine in 1936...
/Human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
hybrid, a "were-devil". After leaving the Corps and rejoining the Global Guardians, he was killed by the villain Prometheus
Prometheus (comics)
Prometheus is the name of three fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.The first Prometheus debuted in New Teen Titans vol. 2, #24 and was created by Marv Wolfman and Eduardo Barreto . The second version debuted in New Year's Evil: Prometheus Prometheus is the name...
, but was later resurrected.
Little Mermaid
Ulla Paske of DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
: A teenage hero born from a Danish lighthouse keeper and an Atlantean
Atlantis (DC Comics)
Atlantis is a fictional location in the DC Comics Universe. The very first DC Universe version of Atlantis debuted in Action Comics #18 , and was created by...
woman.
Fleur-de-Lis
A crimefighting hero from France. Her secret identity is Noelle Avril.Notable appearances
- DC One MillionDC One Million"DC One Million" was a crossover storyline that ran through a self titled, weekly limited series and through special issues of almost all "DCU" titles published by DC Comics in November 1998...
#2, November 1998 - JLA #24-26, December 1998 to February 1999
- JLA: Classified #1-3, January 2005 to March 2005
- Frankenstein #4 2007
Collected editions
Their appearances have been collected in a number of trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
, all written by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
:
- DC One MillionDC One Million"DC One Million" was a crossover storyline that ran through a self titled, weekly limited series and through special issues of almost all "DCU" titles published by DC Comics in November 1998...
(with Val SemeiksVal SemeiksValdis "Val" Semeiks is an American comic book artist who has mostly worked for DC Comics and Marvel Comics.-Biography:Val Semeiks was born in the USA on February 5, 1955 to Latvian parents....
, DC, 4-issue mini-series, 1998, tpb, 2004 ISBN 1-4012-0320-5) - JLA: Justice for All (with Howard PorterHoward PorterHoward Porter is an American comic book artist from southern Connecticut.-Biography:Porter graduated from Paier College of Art in Connecticut where he majored in illustration. One of his teachers there was Frank McLaughlin...
& John Dell, tpb collects JLA #24-33, 1999, ISBN 1-56389-511-0) - JLA: Ultramarine Corps (with Ed McGuiness & Dexter VinesDexter VinesDexter Vines is an American comic book artist and inker, known for his collaborations with pencilers such as Steve McNiven and Ed McGuiness, the latter of whom he is credited with as "eDex" team.-Career:...
, tpb collects JLA Classified #1-3, DC, 3-issue story arc, 2004, 144 pages, October 2007, ISBN 1-4012-1564-5)