Korvac: Bio, Origin & History

Real Name: Michael Korvac

First Appearance: Giant-Size Defenders #3 (January, 1975)

Powers: Korvac is a being capable of energy manipulation. On top of that he is also a master strategist, a brilliant scientist, and most impressively is able to wield the Power Cosmic.

Affiliation: Minions of Menace, Brotherhood of Badoons

Did You Know? No surprise here but Korvac was created by the master of 1970 space epics, Jim Starlin.

A Little History

The origin of Korvac is a little bizarre so bare with me. 

Created by Jim Starlin and Steve Gerber, Korvac made his first appearance inside the pages of Giant-Size Defenders #3 back in January of 1975.

Michael Korvac is not of the regular Marvel Earth-616 universe. Instead, he hails from the alternate universe of Earth-691. Korvac is like many other characters in the sense that he has been born over and over again with each birth making him as powerful or more powerful than the last. 

As an adult, Korvac was responsible for some pretty incredible computer work. In fact, he was one of, if not the best that his employer had. Unfortunately, his skills went unappreciated. 

On one such unappreciated day, the Brotherhood of the Badoon invaded and successfully conquered his Earth. Rather than succumb to their rule, Korvac offered up his assistance to the invaders…and they accepted. He was put in charge of computer systems that were responsible for regulating entire planets. This would’ve been ok had the Badoon not worked him to the point of exhaustion. 

After collapsing at work, the Badoon took it upon themselves to amputate Korvac from the waist down. Rather than letting him bleed out, they fitted him with a cybernetic computerized attachment. They did this in hopes that it would make him more efficient. If this sounds like it wouldn’t work, you’re right. It didn’t. Instead of becoming more efficient, Korvac became vengeful and used his new power, intelligence, and abilities to attack and attempt to overthrow the Badoon. This might have worked had he not been abducted during his attempted coup d’état.

His abductors, the Grandmaster and Prime Mover, took Korvac and placed him in the modern time of Earth-616. 

And why?

Simple. 

The two had created a Contest of Champions that pitted Earth’s Mightiest Characters against one another. 

The end of the Contest saw Korvac and his team defeated by Dr. Strange and his team of Defenders. Even though Korvac lost, he claimed that this was by design. Instead of giving all of his energy to the battle, Korvac secretly watched and observed the Grandmaster as a way to expel from him all of the information he held about the Galaxy. 

After the Contest was complete, Korvac returned to his time period and took over an asteroid that would become his base. After he fitted the asteroid with high tech devices he began assimilating both servants and resources. The servants, Grott, Dumog, Tork, Teju, and Brahl, would go on to form his Minions of Menace.

At this time, Korvac had also hoped to cause the Sun to go Nova thereby allowing him to tap into its power. What he didn’t realize was that both Thor of Earth-616 and his world’s Guardians of the Galaxy were there to stop him. Defeated by the two, Korvac left his asteroid and returned to the modern–day Earth-616.

Upon landing in Earth-616, Korvac realized that he was in the area of Galactus. Although most would be afraid of landing in the vicinity of Galactus, Korvac embraced it. While in the presence of the world-devouring being, Korvac tapped into the computer system, learned everything he could, and practically transformed himself into a God. This meant that in addition to now possessing intelligence and understanding that very few had, he was also able to recreate his amputated body. 

As much as a new body was important to him, Korvac really demanded an understanding of the Universe…which he got. With it, his focus shifted from power and revenge to creating a peaceful Universe in which inhabitants could live. Of course, at the helm of this Universe would be Korvac. 

And that’s it. The origin of Korvac.

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