Libra (comics)
Encyclopedia
Libra is a Marvel Comics
character
, a former supervillain
in the Marvel Comics Universe, most notably a member of the Zodiac Cartel
.
#72 (January 1970), and was created by Roy Thomas
and Sal Buscema
.
The character subsequently appears in:
Libra appeared as part of the "Zodiac" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
#20.
soldier Gustav Brandt served with the French
forces during the Vietnam War
. While in Saigon, he met and fell in love with a Vietnamese
woman named Lua, and eventually had a daughter with her. However, Lua's brother, Khruul, was enraged with the interracial coupling of his sister and a European
man. He and his men attacked Gustav and his family with flamethrowers. Lua was killed in the ensuing battle, and Gustav lost his eyesight. He and his daughter took shelter in Pama
, where he was trained by the priests, but was forbidden to communicate with his daughter.
Joining the Zodiac Cartel
, Gustav adopted the codename Libra, and served as a terrorist. The Zodiac was infiltrated by Nick Fury, posing as Scorpio; the Zodiac fought the Avengers
and escaped. Led by Taurus, the Zodiac later attempted to kill all Manhattan residents born under the sign of Gemini as a show of power, but were thwarted by the Avengers. Taurus's faction attempted to kill the Zodiac dissident faction, but all twelve leaders were captured by the Avengers. Battling the Avengers
on several occasions, he eventually discovered that Mantis
was the daughter he had left in Pama, and turned himself in to the authorities. He then vanished mysteriously, later turning up in Ho Chi Minh City
, where the Swordsman
revealed to everyone Mantis' transformation into the Celestial Madonna. Libra then witnessed the marriage of Mantis and the Swordsman, and returned to prison shortly after. He did not stay in prison long, though, as he escaped and committed illegal acts alongside the Zodiac once more. A new android version of the Zodiac later appeared, led by Scorpio in a new android body, massacred the human Zodiac, and took over their criminal operations.
After the Zodiac's death at the hands of a Life Model Decoy
, Libra served alongside the Avengers briefly as they battled Kang and Immortus
, his ability to sense the 'balance' of the universe helping Rick Jones
use the Destiny Force to summon seven Avengers from different points in the team's history who would be crucial to their victory in the current crisis, each Avenger selected at this particular moment in time thanks to Libra's subconscious awareness of the universal balance and the necessity of their predicted actions. He is presumably residing in The Between, a mystical world.
. The androids Libra and Sagittarius employed costumed criminals posing as the Defenders to create chaos in New York City. Quicksilver
employed the android Zodiac to attack the West Coast Avengers
, but the Avengers defeated the Zodiac.
Led by Scorpio in a new android body, the android Zodiac massacred the human Zodiac, and took over their criminal operations. They battled the West Coast Avengers, but were rendered inert when they were transported to the dimension of the Brotherhood of the Ankh.
The Android Libra can fly and become intangible. In its second form, Libra can still fly but demonstrated no other powers.
Ecliptic's Libra wielded a staff and an energy-charged sword. It is unknown if she possesses other abilities, but she possesses the Zodiac teleportation device.
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...
character
Character (arts)
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...
, a former supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
in the Marvel Comics Universe, most notably a member of the Zodiac Cartel
Zodiac (comics)
Zodiac is the name of four groups of fictional characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. The first version appears in Avengers #72 and was created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema. The second version first appear in Defenders #49 and were created by David Kraft and Keith Giffen...
.
Publication history
The original Libra 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...
#72 (January 1970), and was created by Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and Sal Buscema
Sal Buscema
Silvio "Sal" Buscema is an American comic book artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk...
.
The character subsequently appears in:
- Avengers #80-82 (September-November 1970),
- Daredevil #69 (October 1970),
- Iron Man #33-36 (January-April 1971),
- Daredevil #73 (February 1971),
- Avengers #120-125 (February-July 1974), #130-134 (December 1974-April 1975),
- Giant-Size Avengers #3 (February 1975),
- Avengers #135 (May 1975),
- Giant-Size Avengers #4 (June 1975),
- Iron Man #184-185 (July-August 1984),
- West Coast Avengers #26 (November 1987),
- Avengers ForeverAvengers ForeverAvengers Forever is a twelve-issue comic book limited series published from December 1998 to November 1999 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern and drawn by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino.-Publication history:...
#1-12 (December 1998-February 2000).
Libra appeared as part of the "Zodiac" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#20.
Gustav Brandt
GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
soldier Gustav Brandt served with the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
forces during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. While in Saigon, he met and fell in love with a Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
woman named Lua, and eventually had a daughter with her. However, Lua's brother, Khruul, was enraged with the interracial coupling of his sister and a European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
man. He and his men attacked Gustav and his family with flamethrowers. Lua was killed in the ensuing battle, and Gustav lost his eyesight. He and his daughter took shelter in Pama
Pama
Pama is a town located in the province of Kompienga in Burkina Faso. It is the capital of Kompienga Province....
, where he was trained by the priests, but was forbidden to communicate with his daughter.
Joining the Zodiac Cartel
Zodiac (comics)
Zodiac is the name of four groups of fictional characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. The first version appears in Avengers #72 and was created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema. The second version first appear in Defenders #49 and were created by David Kraft and Keith Giffen...
, Gustav adopted the codename Libra, and served as a terrorist. The Zodiac was infiltrated by Nick Fury, posing as Scorpio; the Zodiac fought the Avengers
Avengers (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...
and escaped. Led by Taurus, the Zodiac later attempted to kill all Manhattan residents born under the sign of Gemini as a show of power, but were thwarted by the Avengers. Taurus's faction attempted to kill the Zodiac dissident faction, but all twelve leaders were captured by the Avengers. Battling the Avengers
Avengers (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...
on several occasions, he eventually discovered that Mantis
Mantis (Marvel Comics)
Mantis is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Universe, and former member of the Avengers.-Publication history:Mantis first appeared in Avengers #112 , drawn by Don Heck...
was the daughter he had left in Pama, and turned himself in to the authorities. He then vanished mysteriously, later turning up in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
, where the Swordsman
Swordsman (comics)
Swordsman is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. His first appearance was in Avengers Vol.1 #19 and was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck. The Swordsman was introduced as an enemy of Hawkeye and the Avengers...
revealed to everyone Mantis' transformation into the Celestial Madonna. Libra then witnessed the marriage of Mantis and the Swordsman, and returned to prison shortly after. He did not stay in prison long, though, as he escaped and committed illegal acts alongside the Zodiac once more. A new android version of the Zodiac later appeared, led by Scorpio in a new android body, massacred the human Zodiac, and took over their criminal operations.
After the Zodiac's death at the hands of a Life Model Decoy
Life Model Decoy
A Life Model Decoy is fictional android appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is designed to function as an exact body double for VIPs...
, Libra served alongside the Avengers briefly as they battled Kang and Immortus
Immortus
Immortus is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He is the future self of Kang the Conqueror, and first appeared in Avengers #10, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
, his ability to sense the 'balance' of the universe helping Rick Jones
Rick Jones (comics)
Richard Milhouse "Rick" Jones is a fictional comic book character in the .-Publication history:Rick Jones first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1, as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk...
use the Destiny Force to summon seven Avengers from different points in the team's history who would be crucial to their victory in the current crisis, each Avenger selected at this particular moment in time thanks to Libra's subconscious awareness of the universal balance and the necessity of their predicted actions. He is presumably residing in The Between, a mystical world.
Android Zodiac
Scorpio (Jake Fury) constructed the android Zodiac members, although his plan was thwarted by the DefendersDefenders (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...
. The androids Libra and Sagittarius employed costumed criminals posing as the Defenders to create chaos in New York City. Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
employed the android Zodiac to attack the West Coast Avengers
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
, but the Avengers defeated the Zodiac.
Led by Scorpio in a new android body, the android Zodiac massacred the human Zodiac, and took over their criminal operations. They battled the West Coast Avengers, but were rendered inert when they were transported to the dimension of the Brotherhood of the Ankh.
Powers and abilities
Libra is physically blind, but possesses psychic senses, and is also a skilled martial artist. He has the ability to shift into the Place Between Places, a mystical dimension that is untraceable to most life-forms.The Android Libra can fly and become intangible. In its second form, Libra can still fly but demonstrated no other powers.
Ecliptic's Libra wielded a staff and an energy-charged sword. It is unknown if she possesses other abilities, but she possesses the Zodiac teleportation device.
Television
- Libra (alongside the other Zodiac members) appears in The Avengers: United They StandThe Avengers: United They StandThe Avengers: United They Stand is an animated series based on the Marvel Comics superhero team The Avengers. It consists of 13 episodes, which originally premiered on October 30, 1999, and was produced by Avi Arad and distributed by 20th Century Fox Television...
. In this show, Libra is a female alien who wields a weighing scale-like weapon.