| Kingmaker | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | New X-Men: Hellions #1 (July, 2005) |
| Created by | Nunzio DeFilippis Christina Weir (writers), Clayton Henry (pencils) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Wallace |
| Species | Human (Presumed) |
| Team affiliations | Hellfire Club |
| Abilities | Unknown; has access to high-tech personal equipment and a network of powerful associates. |
The Kingmaker (Wallace) is a Marvel Comics supervillain, and an adversary of the X-Men.
The Kingmaker is a powerful, but largely unknown villain within the Marvel Universe. Though it isn't apparent whether or not the Kingmaker has any superhuman powers of his own, his personal fortune and resources have allied him with various figures of the supervillain underworld. In essence, the Kingmaker is a high stakes loan shark, but one who deals in favours rather than money. His standard agreement involves delivering any one wish to an applicant in exchange for a favour to be named later. His network of favours have given him vast financial reserves, business agreements with powerful individuals, and a personal trove of high-tech weaponry for his personal defence. He may even have some magical strength to draw upon. He has a history with Emma Frost, as a result of her rejection of his bid for membership in the Hellfire Club.
When New X-Men member Hellion was denied his family inheritance, he investigated their financial history, eventually discovering their involvement with the Kingmaker. Conducting a peculiar ritual, Hellion and his team-mates were contacted by the Kingmaker, who offered them his standard contract. In exchange for their deepest wishes, the kids were tasked with stealing a device for their benefactor. Unbeknownst to the Hellions, the device was a biological weapon that the Kingmaker was retrieving for none other than Doctor Octopus. The kids managed to retrieve the device, but after a briefing with Nick Fury, the Hellions turned on the Kingmaker. After several losing battles, the Hellions finally managed to defeat the villain, who was then arrested. He was later released by Emma Frost, who convinced him to leave her students alone under threat of using her mental powers to get him sent back to jail. The Kingmaker hasn't been seen since.
It is unknown how the Kingmaker's operation has been affected by M-Day, as he was known to have used both psychic mutants and anti-mutant journalists in his criminal activities.