Prester John (comics)
Encyclopedia
Prester John is a fictional character
appearing in the Marvel Comics
universe
, based loosely on the mythical Christian king Prester John
.
Prester John first appeared in Fantastic Four
Vol.1 #54 (September 1966). He has mostly appeared as a villain, opposing Thor
and Deadpool
as well as the Fantastic Four.
, a mystic object of power which was bestowed upon him in the extra-dimensional land of Avalon, and which can project vast amounts of energy. He has been a priest, a king, an adventurer, a traveler, and explorer.
Prester John was preserved from the 12th century until modern times in the Chair of Survival by the alchemists of Avalon. When he awoke, he met the Human Torch
and Wyatt Wingfoot
, and witnessed the seeming destruction of the Evil Eye. Prester John later became temporarily possessed by an alien power-stone, and battled the Thing
and Iron Man
.
Prester John later time-traveled by unknown means back to the 12th century. There, he recovered the Evil Eye, which had been reassembled in the present and brought back to the past by the Defenders
. He then remained in the 12th century. It was later revealed how he was thrown back to the 12th century by Kang
. There, he battled the time-traveling Thor
(Eric Masterson).
Prester John is allied with the would-be messiah
Cable
, serving as the "Head of Multi-Religious Studies" for the island nation Providence
.
Prester John has sometimes carried the Evil Eye
, a magical power object able to project bolts of concussive force, to disintegrate matter, and to create and destroy force fields. He has also used the Chair of Survival, a device that places Prester John in suspended animation. Prester John once briefly possessed superhuman strength and durability conferred upon him while he was possessed by an alien power-stone, the Stone of Power. Once freed from its influence, his abilities returned to normal.
Fictional character
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...
appearing in the Marvel Comics
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...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, based loosely on the mythical Christian king Prester John
Prester John
The legends of Prester John were popular in Europe from the 12th through the 17th centuries, and told of a Christian patriarch and king said to rule over a Christian nation lost amidst the Muslims and pagans in the Orient. Written accounts of this kingdom are variegated collections of medieval...
.
Prester John first appeared in Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
Vol.1 #54 (September 1966). He has mostly appeared as a villain, opposing Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
and Deadpool
Deadpool (comics)
Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...
as well as the Fantastic Four.
Fictional character biography
Prester John is a centuries-old explorer who was born in an unnamed kingdom in Eastern Asia, which he once ruled. He was also once was an ally of King Richard the Lionhearted and served in his court. He is the possessor of the Evil EyeEvil Eye of Avalon
The Evil Eye of Avalon is a fictional potent mystical magical artifact in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
, a mystic object of power which was bestowed upon him in the extra-dimensional land of Avalon, and which can project vast amounts of energy. He has been a priest, a king, an adventurer, a traveler, and explorer.
Prester John was preserved from the 12th century until modern times in the Chair of Survival by the alchemists of Avalon. When he awoke, he met the Human Torch
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
and Wyatt Wingfoot
Wyatt Wingfoot
Wyatt Wingfoot is a fictional, comic-book supporting character in the Marvel Comics universe, who first appeared in Fantastic Four #50 . While having no superpowers, he has spent much time in the company of the Fantastic Four due to his friendship with Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, and his...
, and witnessed the seeming destruction of the Evil Eye. Prester John later became temporarily possessed by an alien power-stone, and battled the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
and Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
.
Prester John later time-traveled by unknown means back to the 12th century. There, he recovered the Evil Eye, which had been reassembled in the present and brought back to the past by the Defenders
Defenders (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...
. He then remained in the 12th century. It was later revealed how he was thrown back to the 12th century by Kang
Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #8 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
. There, he battled the time-traveling Thor
Thunderstrike (Eric Masterson)
Eric Masterson is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a superhero that has appeared as Thor and later Thunderstrike. The character was introduced as a supporting character in the Thor title, but continued in several other comic books, including the self-titled series Thunderstrike...
(Eric Masterson).
Prester John is allied with the would-be messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
Cable
Cable (comics)
Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
, serving as the "Head of Multi-Religious Studies" for the island nation Providence
Providence (comics)
Providence is a fictional island featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Providence, located in the South Pacific Ocean, southwest of Hawaii at 20°N 165°W, is an artificial island made of parts from Cable’s old space station Graymalkin...
.
Powers and abilities
Prester John is an athletic man with a gifted intellect, but no superhuman powers. He is an excellent swordsman, and is proficient with most known weapons of 12th century Europe and Asia. He has many years of experience as a priest, a king, a warrior, and an explorer. He wears a special suit of medieval body armor. He is usually armed with a sword and a staff.Prester John has sometimes carried the Evil Eye
Evil Eye of Avalon
The Evil Eye of Avalon is a fictional potent mystical magical artifact in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
, a magical power object able to project bolts of concussive force, to disintegrate matter, and to create and destroy force fields. He has also used the Chair of Survival, a device that places Prester John in suspended animation. Prester John once briefly possessed superhuman strength and durability conferred upon him while he was possessed by an alien power-stone, the Stone of Power. Once freed from its influence, his abilities returned to normal.
External links
- The Wanderer - Marvel Universe Wiki