Champion of the Universe
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| Champion of the Universe | |
 The Champion |
|
| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7 (1982). |
| Created by | Tom DeFalco and Ron Wilson |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Tryco Slatterus |
| Team affiliations | Elders of the Universe |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength, endurance, agility and reflexes Invulnerability Master of countless fighting styles and martial arts forms |
The Champion (Tryco Slatterus) is a fictional character, appearing in Marvel Comics universe. He is not necessarily a villain but has played the role in the past through his impetuous and arrogant actions. He first appeared in Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
The Champion is one of the alien Elders of the Universe. He is an immortal who claims to have been born billions of years ago, in the Ancrindo Nebula, in the direction of the Magellanic Clouds. He keeps himself busy by fighting powerful warriors throughout the universe, and has even fought a number of assorted Earth superheroes, including The Thing, The Incredible Hulk, Colossus, Thor, and Wonder Man. Although he wishes to prove himself the greatest warrior in the universe, he usually does so fairly. For example, in his first appearance, he fought the Thing and defeated him with ease, but the Thing would not surrender; when forced to choose between killing his defeated opponent or yielding, the Champion yielded.[1]
The Champion attempted to kill the Silver Surfer to prevent him from interfering with a Skrull plot to use Nova to force Galactus to destroy the Kree Empire. The Champion was overpowered by the Silver Surfer, suffering his first known defeat in combat.[2] The Champion was next among the ten Elders who sought to restart the universe by killing Galactus. He attempted to kill Mantis, who was rescued by the Silver Surfer.[3] The Champion then battled Galactus and the Silver Surfer, but was converted to energy and consumed by Galactus.[4] The Champion and the other Elders devoured by Galactus caused Galactus "cosmic indigestion" from within, which allowed them to escape. The Champion came into possession of the Power Gem (one of the Infinity Gems). He witnessed a battle between Galactus and the In-Betweener, and aided the Silver Surfer, Nova, and the other Elders in helping Galactus defeat the In-Betweener. The Champion then fled to escape the wrath of Galactus.[5] Thanos eventually tracked the Champion down to the planet Tamarata, and tricked the Champion into causing a seismic disruption that destroyed Tamarata, forcing him to forfeit his Infinity Gem for transport to another planet. However, instead of helping the Champion after receiving the Gem, Thanos caused the Champion to fall to another world.[6]
Much later, once more in possession of the Power Gem, the Champion had settled on the planet Skardon, whose native Skard exist in a "might makes right" culture; all disputes, including matters of law, are settled in a trial by combat, with the winner of the fight thus becoming the winner of the dispute. By defeating Skardon's most powerful fighters in the natives' boxing-ring-esque arena, the Champion became the ruler of the planet. He then deliberately let the living conditions deteriorate on Skardon, and let it be known that he would continue to do so until a "worthy challenger" defeated and dethroned him. Adam Warlock responded to this challenge, and defeated the Champion with a 'karmic blast' from another Infinity Gem, the Soul Gem, but made the mistake of doing so outside the ring and without engaging in hand-to-hand combat; thus, it was not a "legal" defeat in the eyes of the Skard, and the Champion maintained his position as ruler. Adam Warlock and his former Infinity Watch allies Gamora and Pip the Troll then recruited cosmically powerful beings from across the universe, intending to dethrone the Champion in the ring according to Skardon law, but the Champion managed to defeat all comers, including Drax the Destroyer, Gladiator, Beta Ray Bill, the Silver Surfer, and Adam Warlock himself.
The Champion was ultimately unseated by the She-Hulk, who was sent to Skardon as a representative of the universal judiciary body known as the Magistrati, at Pip's request. After initially fighting the Champion to her near-defeat, She-Hulk used her experience as a lawyer as well as her physical power to her advantage, asking for and receiving an "appeal" to the trial by combat, set for three months later. Upon discovering that Skardon law prohibits the use of weaponry or other foreign objects in the arena of legal dispute, she requested that the Champion face her in a rematch without using the Power Gem. With the Champion limited to his own power, without an omnipotent external power-source, and the She-Hulk having trained to increase both her strength and combat skills in the time between her first trial and the appeal, the Champion was swiftly dealt his first known defeat inside the ring. He also forfeited the use of the Power Gem, having made a bet with the She-Hulk in which he agreed to never use the Gem again if she defeated him. After falling to the She-Hulk, the Champion took the new name of "The Fallen One" in disgrace. He also attempted to take revenge through a proxy, passing the Power Gem to the heroine's arch-enemy Titania (who also failed to defeat the She-Hulk). Upon learning that the Champion can return the Power Gem that contains the "Power Primordial" to himself at anytime, Titania buried him underneath a giant piece of rock mass in the hopes that he would die or at least be trapped (since he would not be able to lift it without the power gem). His current whereabouts are unknown.
[edit] Powers and abilities
The Champion controls an energy source referred to as the Power Primordial. This energy is apparently residual energy that is left over from the Big Bang itself. The Champion has channeled this energy force into the perfection of his physical form, but cannot channel it into force-blasts, unlike several other Elders.
The Champion possesses vast physical strength, the limits of which are unknown. His physical strength is only limited by the amount of cosmic force that his body can contain. While possessing the Infinity Gem of Power, he unconsciously used it to vastly increase his power with his rage. In this state he was tricked by Thanos to jump several thousand feet into the air, with the collision as he landed calculated to destabilize and destroy the planet they fought on, effectively stranding him in space. However, given the infinite external power-source it is basically completely irrelevant. Without it he was effortlessly beaten by the She-Hulk, when she had temporarily trained herself to what was stated as near Hulk-level strength.
His body does not tire from physical exertion, since his musculature generates no lactic acids and, as the Power Primordial sustains him, he is not limited by the need for food, drink, or sleep, and is virtually immune to aging, diseases and infections. He can exist unprotected in the vacuum of space indefinitely. He is extremely resistant against all forms of conventional injury, but his ribs have been broken by the Thing, and he has been beaten unconscious by She-Hulk and the Silver Surfer. Regardless Death has barred the Elders from entering its realm, literally making the Champion immortal. However, this does not make him immune to damage, as the Contemplator's body was wrecked beyond repair in spite of this, but kept alive as a head floating in space.
The Champion is a master hand to hand combatant in a wide range of thousands of different martial arts and fighting-styles taken from locations across the Universe, but tends to prefer boxing.
[edit] Characteristics
The Champion is a thoroughly ruthless and cold-blooded individual ever searching for the thrill of battle. When first introduced he was more than willing to annihilate the entire population on Earth unless a fighter would defeat him limited to boxing rules. However he relented when impressed by the Thing's ability to give him a challenge (breaking his ribs), and relentless spirit to never give up. The Champion has strong psychological inhibitions against killing opponents, and spared the Earth and declared the bout a draw rather than kill his opponent. When collaborating with the other Elders he schemed to destroy the Universe to be reborn as new versions of Galactus. In the miniseries "Thanos Quest" he killed off an entire planetary population of soldiers just for sport.[7] Later he assumed leadership of another planet and indifferently set the population to civil war, to provoke worthy challengers into seeking him out to put a stop to it.
The Power Primordial sustains the Elders through their very desire and will to continue in pursuing their various interests. The Champion's interests, of course, being fighting, training to fight, and seeking opponents to fight. If the Champion were to grow disinterested in his pursuits and chose not to continue them, he could potentially die as a result, although since Death decreed no Elder could ever enter its realm, this may no longer be true.
While being several billion years old, the Champion is not as intelligent as most other known Elders of the Universe, partially because most have chosen to develop their minds along with their physical bodies. Regardless, he has some familiarity with advanced alien technologies that surpass the understanding of most Earthlings, and has been shown as a crafty strategist when not blinded by rage.
[edit] References in Popular Culture
- Champion was once parodied in the "Dial 'M' For Monkey" segment of the cartoon Dexter's Laboratory. In an episode that spoofed the contest between the Champion and Earth's strongest superheroes from the Champion's first appearance in Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7, the villain Rasslor challenges and easily defeats Earth's superheroes in single combat, but gives up his plans to destroy Earth upon his victory when the hero Monkey refuses to give up even though he is hopelessly outmatched and severely beaten by Rasslor. In the end Rasslor claims he cannot destroy Monkey's will, and gives him the win and spares Earth, in the similar situation that Champion could not overcome Thing's will. The speech that he gives is lifted verbatim from the comic and gives a writing credit to the original author. Rasslor was voiced by professional wrestler "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
