Shadow King
Encyclopedia
The Shadow King, also known as Amahl Farouk, is a fiction
al character
that appears in comic book
s published by Marvel Comics
. The Shadow King exists as an entity of pure psychic energy that feeds on the hatred of humanity. It manifests itself on the physical plane by possessing the bodies of human beings.
and illustrator/co-writer John Byrne, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men
#117 (January 1979) as a telepathic mutant
named Amahl Farouk.
Amahl Farouk returns years later in The New Mutants #34 (December 1985), revealed to be possessing Karma
since issue #6. Later appearing throughout Uncanny X-Men, the character does not first refer to himself by the name of Shadow King until issue #266 (August 1990).
X-Treme X-Men and X-Men: True Friends developed the Shadow King into actually being an entity of the astral plane that has existed since the dawn of humanity, an ethereal demon preferring to enslave the bodies of powerful telepaths and psi-sensitives and utilize their capabilities to enslave others to its whims. As a side effect of its greed, hedonism, and utter lack of self control, the Shadow King's longterm telepathic hosts are often left morbidly obese.
For many years the Shadow King's primary human manifestation was a man named Amahl Farouk. It was as Farouk that he originally confronted Professor X, inspiring Xavier to form the X-Men
.
. They were planning to dethrone King Edward of England and replace him with a fascist ruler in favor of the Führer. During a mystical ceremony Farouk was conducting, he accidentally brought back the current host of the Phoenix Force, Rachel Summers
, and her teammate Shadowcat. Von Strucker was not happy and began to doubt Farouk's abilities. The Shadow King quickly possessed Rachel Summers and as Shadowcat escaped she allied herself with Alasdhair Kinross. Farouk kidnapped the heir to the throne, Lilibet, and fled to Edinburgh. Shadowcat tried to reach Rachel telepathically, only to find Farouk in control. Kitty surprised Farouk when she said his name "Shadow King" allowing her to escape. Farouk took control of Kinross and tried to kill them both but Kitty used her phasing powers to disrupt Kinross's nervous system, knocking him out.
Farouk was going to sacrifice Kinross to some demons in return for a spell that would annihilate the bloodline of the English monarchy, but was interrupted by Kitty and his crystal knife was shattered. The demons entered Farouk's body but they were too powerful for him. He began dispersing the energy and ended up killing all of the Nazi soldiers, making von Strucker upset enough to accuse Farouk of treason and tried to shoot him. Farouk transformed into his monstrous Shadow King form. The Shadow King tried to use his power to force Kitty and Kinross to fight each other but they were saved by a young Logan
. Phoenix unleashed all of her power on Farouk but was quickly subdued and possessed. Lilibet escaped and fled to Holyrood House. Farouk possessed the servants of the house and sent them and Phoenix after her. Logan ambushed Farouk, von Strucker, and Geist but Farouk had Rachel and the servants attack him. Farouk then possessed Kitty and Lilibet and began to taunt them.
Kitty started to speak of the future and the fall of Hitler leading to Lilibet attacking Farouk and injuring him long enough for Kitty to use her powers to disrupt his nervous system, stunning them both. This allowed Rachel the time to regain control of herself. Farouk recovered and tried to retake his prisoners but Phoenix battled Farouk on the astral plane
and was going to kill him when Kitty struck the two of them with the Sword of Scones causing them to return to their respective bodies. Farouk's body was supposedly destroyed by an energy blast from the sword.
. Watkins offered him full support of the V-Battalion if Farouk was able to obtain information about the Everlasting. With a quick mind scan he came up with the name Marduk and gave it to Watkins.
Farouk eventually became a crime lord in Egypt
, controlling the Cairo Thieves Quarter. This is where a young Charles Xavier
was pickpocketed
by a child named Ororo Munroe. After Xavier stopped her and retrieved his wallet he was hit with a bolt of psionic energy. When Xavier recovered he found that the source of the attack came from a nearby tavern where he met Farouk. Xavier walked into the tavern and sat at a separate table from Farouk and they had a mental conversation with one another. Farouk told Xavier that he could sense another powerful telepath close by and that the attack was a warning for him to stay clear of his area.
Farouk tried to persuade Xavier to join him in his criminal activities but Xavier refused. Xavier believed that people with such gifts should use their abilities to better the world. The two went into astral form and battled on the astral plane where Xavier defeated Farouk with a powerful psionic attack. This left Farouk's body physically dead. Farouk having been Xavier's first encounter with an evil mutant is what led to his formation of the X-Men. Farouk's body may have died but he moved his astral form to another plane. Now afraid of Xavier, he waited for a better opportunity to fight him safely.
, a member of Xavier's New Mutants
with the psychic ability to possess other beings. In one of the team's earliest missions, Karma was seemingly killed during an explosion at the Viper's
hideout. However, really the Shadow King had used Karma's own powers against her to possess her body.
As Karma, Shadow King rebuilt his worldwide empire, all while indulging Karma's every gluttonous urge to grow grotesquely obese. He used Karma to take control of a group of mutants called the Gladiators by using a holographic image to appear as their leader Alexander Flynn.
The Shadow King used the Gladiators to abduct Magma
and Sunspot
, forcing them to fight each other until their teammates Cannonball
, Shadowcat, Dazzler, and Magik
attempted to rescue them. In their battle to escape the Gladiators' clutches, Cannonball and Shadowcat recognized their obese antagonist as Karma – not realizing she was under the control of the Shadow King.
The team followed Karma to Madripoor
, where they fell under Karma's mind-control (as augmented by Shadow King). The remaining New Mutants and Storm fought their teammates in Cairo, where Karma took control of both Storm and Mirage. Magik realized Karma was possessed by the Shadow King, and was able to release her teammates from Karma's control and Karma from the Shadow King's possession.
Having lost his host, Shadow King transferred to Cypher's
body, but Karma entered the Astral Plane and defeated him – seemingly destroying his astral form.
and waking up with amnesia. Forge
used deep meditation to enter the astral plane. He found out that Storm was still alive, but at the loss of his cybernetic arm. Farouk tried to claim the child, but when he was questioned about his motives he killed a man and framed Storm for the murder. On Muir Island
the telepath Legion
was using Cerebro
to look for Storm and the other X-Men when Farouk attacked him and possessed him to use his powers to psychically increase the amount of hatred in the world and feed on the malignant energy. He also controlled Moira MacTaggert
and Valerie Cooper. He then sent Valerie Cooper
to kill Mystique
. During this time the Shadow King, as David, killed the mutant Destiny
, apparently only to avoid her from revealing his presence.
Storm avoided police protection and became an art thief. She stole pieces of art from those who had already stolen them and returned them to their rightful owners. Farouk set a bait for Storm and captured her. Because of her age she had no use of her mutant powers but when Farouk tried to possess her mind, it put a lot of pressure on to her that was so strong she unknowingly hit Farouk with a lightning bolt. Farouk soon found her with Gambit
. The two worked together to fight him, and they escaped though with Farouk's hounds after them. Mystique defeated Valerie Cooper and impersonated her, even appearing on TV reporting Mystique's death.
Meanwhile, a part of Carol Danvers separated from Rogue
, after she had emerged from the Siege Perilous in the X-Men's former hideout in Australia, and traveled to Muir Island
where she was forced to fight Legion and Moira MacTaggert. She defeated them but was immediately possessed by Farouk. Farouk had her go to the Savage Land
to find Rogue, only to be defeated upon her arrival by Magneto
.
Polaris
and Siryn went to Muir Island soon afterward, and both of them were captured and mind-controlled. Farouk had ambitious schemes and was afraid of other telepaths identifying him too soon. He needed a nexus between the astral and the psionic planes, to generate a disturbance affecting other telepaths. Polaris's powers had been recently altered by Zaladane
, attracting Farouk's interest. Thus, Farouk chose Polaris to become that nexus. Jean Grey
then tried to access the astral plane with Cerebro. Farouk easily overrid Cerebro's defenses and then noticed that Grey had lost her telepathic powers; without them, Jean was helpless and so he tried to turn her into the Shadow Queen.
Psylocke
entered the astral plane to help her and threatened Farouk with her psi-blade. Farouk mocked at Psylocke - her blade would hardly hurt him. Psylocke then used the blade on Grey, returning her to the physical world. However, both of them were so shocked that they could not remember the details of the encounter. Farouk's identity was not compromised. After encounters with Proteus
, X-Factor, and the New Warriors
, his identity was only discovered when Professor X probed Colossus's mind after he tried to kill him.
The X-Men uncovered Farouk's control over the Muir Island and sent a task force to remove his influence, including Storm, Forge
, Gambit
, Banshee
, Wolverine
and Jubilee
. Farouk sent his slaves to defend the Island, and they defeated the invaders. Xavier understood that Farouk needed both a human host and a nexus to continue his exploits so he planned to cut both of the links. Mystique
eventually reveals herself and shot Jacob Reisz in the head, destroying his brain and cutting the Shadow King link. Due to the sudden shock and removal of Farouk's host, Legion
became unstable. X-Factor then discovered that Farouk's nexus was Polaris, but in that time, Farouk took possession of Legion. He ordered the slaves to cover themselves underground because he was going to use Legion's power to destroy the surface of Muir Island. Jean Grey's telekinesis protected X-Factor and X-Men.
Xavier then used Jean Grey as a psi-anchor to fight Farouk in the astral plane. However, he was defeated. Archangel, Colossus
, Cyclops
and Storm joined Grey
in the astral plane to help Xavier, unaware of Legion's physical body nearby. They provided Xavier with more willpower and energy, but Legion was in a good position to destroy their bodies as a result Xavier's spine is shattered, returning him to his former paraplegic state. Forge then uses Psylocke's psi-blade on Polaris, breaking Farouk's nexus. Farouk's energy dissipated, overcoming the X-Men. Xavier and Grey try to absorb whatever they could and shield the others. Xavier even offers Farouk a chance to redeem himself, but he opts for the void and as a result, David is left in a coma.
n tribe that had worshiped Storm as a goddess. After taunting Storm by attacking one of her relatives, Psylocke took Storm to the astral plane to fight the Shadow King. The Shadow King reveals to Psylocke that while he was defeated by Charles Xavier, he was not killed as everyone thought, since he can live feeding only on one dark thought in one man's heart. He only needed time and a chance. Psylocke injured the Shadow King with her psi-blade. The damage was transferred to every being under the control of the Shadow King at the speed of thought. This caused a chain reaction magnifying the assault a trillion times, which destroyed Psylocke's astral being. The wave of psi-energy was so intense and pure that it broke the psi-plane itself, damaging the collective subconscious of every being on Earth, the basis of the psi-plane. Most humans felt things such as déjà vu, nightmares, migraines or nosebleeds. However, those born with psionic, telepathic or intuitive abilities were overloaded and, in a sense, maimed. Jean Grey
, Nate Grey
, Cable
, Emma Frost
, Chamber
and Bianca LaNiege were devastated. "Maddie"
Pryor, Nate Grey's psionic construct made from Madelyne Pryor's psionic remnants, was completely obliterated. Dr. Strange
and Spider-Man
were also affected.
With the psi-plane damaged and the Shadow King controlling the astral plane, chaos manifested in the world. Psylocke was re-constructed as a creature of shadows due to her exposure to the Crimson Dawn
. Her new shadow-astral form was both incredibly powerful and undetectable by the Shadow King. Psylocke pretended to be tempted by Farouk's offer of becoming the Shadow Queen; however, she only wanted to distract him while Storm was freeing the other X-Men. Farouk saw through the trick and Psylocke sent the X-Men to the physical word. She herself remained behind, weakened.
Farouk then extended his influence to all the population on Earth. This stretched his power too thin, leaving his nexus point, which is a pink orb and is the equivalent of his soul and mind, vulnerable. Psylocke then stabbed his nexus point, and decided to trap it inside herself. The Shadow King screams in pain as he began losing his grip on all the minds he took, the people of the real world regain their sanity and senses. Enraged for his moment of glory endding so fast the Shadow King begins to crush Psylocke with his whips, she tells him that he is one mind controlled by greed and one mind cannot poison millions without leaving himself open.
The Shadow King begins to be dissolved in the shadow, as he tells her that she cannot contain him. She tells him that she is only containing his soul and that the rest of him will disappear into nothing after being cut from its source. Shadow King reminds her that she cannot hold him forever. She is one mind as well and it will keep the total focus of her powers to stop him. As his face disappears from existence, he tells her that the instant she uses her telepathy again the barrier will be weakened and he will be free. Psylocke admits that it is probably true but she accepts this sacrifice, resisting even when Farouk tried to tempting her from the inside.
. With Psylocke's death, the Shadow King is released from his prison. Looking for a host, Farouk decided to use Donald Pierce
, the leader of the Reavers
. He then turned his aim to Rogue
, because she could absorb the powers and minds of others. If he could have her, he could access to all the people she ever absorbed, specifically the mutant known as Gateway
hoping to gain her current ability to enter dreamtime. Pierce then sent the Reavers to attack the X-Men in Sydney, Australia, and he himself assaulted Rogue. He disturbed her powers trying to control her but she fled when his attack backfired.
However, Rogue managed to overcome her fear, using her past and her weakness to become a stronger person. She decided to use "light" to defeat the Shadow King and attacked him directly. Using the remnants of what she absorbed from Psylocke and Sage, Rogue absorbed the Shadow King in her own body, becoming the new host.
during the House of M
, the Shadow King is released from his prison but found himself in another universe, "Earth-6141", where he eventually takes control over Professor Xavier and his team of X-Men, dubbing them the "Dark X-Men
". Later after the world is shifted back to normal, the Shadow King and his mind-controlled X-Men team travels back to Earth-616
. The Shadow King attempts to kill Captain Britain
with the controlled New Excalibur but is defeated once again by Psylocke, who was brought back to life by her brother Jamie Braddock
. The Dark X-Men try to free their Xavier from his prison and are assisted by Lionheart
, whom the Shadow King attempts to control. However, Lionheart has a device that prevents this and places a collar on the Dark Xavier that seals the Shadow King in that body, releasing the Shadow-X from his control. Lionheart then killed Dark Xavier by stabing him in the chest revealing that the inhibitor was also intended to make "Shadow King"'s death finally permanent.
, where he killed a Wakandan priest and framed the former New X-Men member Gentle for the murder. He then takes control of Black Panther
in order to confront his longtime enemy and T'Challa's wife, Storm. Shadow King intended to break Storm psychologically, forcing her into a position where she had to choose: Will she stand with the X-Men or with her husband? Shadow King forces Cyclops
to attack Emma Frost
and the rest of the X-Men in California while he forces the Black Panther to wreak havoc in Africa. On one hand, her husband. On the other, her teammates. While Storm raced to save the lives of the Black Panther and the X-Men, she recognized a third option: take down the one responsible for making her choose in the first place. Storm defeats the Black Panther and flies with Gentle to San Francisco. Storm single-handedly takes down Gentle and the rest of the active X-Men, all under the control of the Shadow King. She strikes Cyclops (Shadow King's then host) with a bolt of lightning, stopping his heart and forcing the Shadow King to possess Storm. However Storm had actually lured Shadow King into a trap, as when entering Storm's mind, the Shadow King finds Bast, the Panther God waiting for him. Storm reveals that she allowed the Panther God of Wakanda to hide within her mind in order to take vengeance on the Shadow King for violating T'Challa's mind which happens when Bast essentially eats him.
Ultimately, Farouk's plan to separate Storm from her relationships inadvertently strengthened them.
The Shadow King once again taunted Psylocke revealing that her mind does not hold any secrets to him anymore as he quickly releases the Archangel persona out of his psychic prison in Warren's memory, an act he refers to be a revenge against Psylocke, however Archangel cuts the Shadow King's "head" off and erases Betsy's memory so she could not remember and kills the man who was under the influence of the Shadow King. The Shadow King later delivered to a reporter, photographs of Warren killing the military, forcing the squad to appreend their teammate and seek help from Dark Beast
.
Also as an astral form he can only be harmed psychically or by certain magic weapons; he has demonstrated the ability to live beyond the death of his physical body.
storyline, the Shadow King story is essentially the same as in the Main Reality. He also assumes the guise of crime lord Amahl Farouk, and encounters Charles Xavier, and the two engage in a psychic battle on the astral plane, that kills Farouk's physical body forcing Farouk's mind to shift to the astral plane. With the death of Charles Xavier, the Shadow King somehow become an agent of Apocalypse
, seen manifested as a cloudy face inside of a bottle in Apocalypse's sanctum.
He was used by Apocalypse to hunt down all telepaths that refuse to join Apocalypse as well as to teach those who accepted the offer and had psionics powers.
The Shadow King is the first to sense the presence of Nate Grey, forcing Apocalypse to send Domino and her Bounty Hunters to track the powerful mutant and capture or kill him.
He was also responsible for the destruction of the secret heaven located in the Savage Land
known as Avalon, but was eventually defeated by Nightcrawler
, Mystique
, Switchback
, and his former student Damask.
Defeated but not killed, the Shadow King is last seen reporting to Apocalypse the downfall of the Southwest Kingdom by the Eurasian High Council's radioactive bombs. After the fall of Apocalypse, the Shadow King's current whereabouts remains unknown.
.
dimension, Shadow King merges with Professor Xavier to form an evil being.
series, Shadow King appears as Storm's lover and the leader of the group of thieves that she and Lady Deathstrike belongs to. Storm sends him into a coma after unintentionally electrocuting him when she used her powers to summon lightning for the first time. As a result, his mind is sent to another dimension where he encounters the Brood
and becomes the Shadow King.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al 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...
that appears in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s published by 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...
. The Shadow King exists as an entity of pure psychic energy that feeds on the hatred of humanity. It manifests itself on the physical plane by possessing the bodies of human beings.
Publication history
Created by writer Chris ClaremontChris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
and illustrator/co-writer John Byrne, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#117 (January 1979) as a telepathic mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
named Amahl Farouk.
Amahl Farouk returns years later in The New Mutants #34 (December 1985), revealed to be possessing Karma
Karma (comics)
Karma is a fictional superheroine from Marvel Comics created by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.Karma is a mutant endowed with the ability to seize control of another's mind, though she has sometimes been depicted with other more extensive psionic abilities...
since issue #6. Later appearing throughout Uncanny X-Men, the character does not first refer to himself by the name of Shadow King until issue #266 (August 1990).
X-Treme X-Men and X-Men: True Friends developed the Shadow King into actually being an entity of the astral plane that has existed since the dawn of humanity, an ethereal demon preferring to enslave the bodies of powerful telepaths and psi-sensitives and utilize their capabilities to enslave others to its whims. As a side effect of its greed, hedonism, and utter lack of self control, the Shadow King's longterm telepathic hosts are often left morbidly obese.
Fictional character biography
The Shadow King's origins are hard to determine, partially due to several retcons of his character that are contradictory both in detail and chronology.For many years the Shadow King's primary human manifestation was a man named Amahl Farouk. It was as Farouk that he originally confronted Professor X, inspiring Xavier to form the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
.
As Amahl Farouk in the 1930s
In 1931, he went by the name of Amahl Farouk, working for two of Hitler's special agents named Wolfgang von Strucker and GeistGeist (Marvel Comics)
Geist was a supervillain first appearing in Wolverine #17. He was a cyborg, but had no superpowers. He was encased in a metal shell simply to survive, because he was so old.-Fictional character biography:...
. They were planning to dethrone King Edward of England and replace him with a fascist ruler in favor of the Führer. During a mystical ceremony Farouk was conducting, he accidentally brought back the current host of the Phoenix Force, Rachel Summers
Rachel Summers
Rachel Anne Summers is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne for Marvel Comics....
, and her teammate Shadowcat. Von Strucker was not happy and began to doubt Farouk's abilities. The Shadow King quickly possessed Rachel Summers and as Shadowcat escaped she allied herself with Alasdhair Kinross. Farouk kidnapped the heir to the throne, Lilibet, and fled to Edinburgh. Shadowcat tried to reach Rachel telepathically, only to find Farouk in control. Kitty surprised Farouk when she said his name "Shadow King" allowing her to escape. Farouk took control of Kinross and tried to kill them both but Kitty used her phasing powers to disrupt Kinross's nervous system, knocking him out.
Farouk was going to sacrifice Kinross to some demons in return for a spell that would annihilate the bloodline of the English monarchy, but was interrupted by Kitty and his crystal knife was shattered. The demons entered Farouk's body but they were too powerful for him. He began dispersing the energy and ended up killing all of the Nazi soldiers, making von Strucker upset enough to accuse Farouk of treason and tried to shoot him. Farouk transformed into his monstrous Shadow King form. The Shadow King tried to use his power to force Kitty and Kinross to fight each other but they were saved by a young Logan
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
. Phoenix unleashed all of her power on Farouk but was quickly subdued and possessed. Lilibet escaped and fled to Holyrood House. Farouk possessed the servants of the house and sent them and Phoenix after her. Logan ambushed Farouk, von Strucker, and Geist but Farouk had Rachel and the servants attack him. Farouk then possessed Kitty and Lilibet and began to taunt them.
Kitty started to speak of the future and the fall of Hitler leading to Lilibet attacking Farouk and injuring him long enough for Kitty to use her powers to disrupt his nervous system, stunning them both. This allowed Rachel the time to regain control of herself. Farouk recovered and tried to retake his prisoners but Phoenix battled Farouk on the astral plane
Astral plane
The astral plane, also called the astral world, is a plane of existence postulated by classical , medieval, oriental and esoteric philosophies and mystery religions...
and was going to kill him when Kitty struck the two of them with the Sword of Scones causing them to return to their respective bodies. Farouk's body was supposedly destroyed by an energy blast from the sword.
Confrontation with Charles Xavier
In 1971, the Shadow King was somehow able to duplicate the body of Farouk and return where he met with James Watkins Jr. leader of the V-BattalionV-Battalion
The V-Battalion is the name of two incarnations of a fictional secret organization composed of Golden Age superheroes and their descendents in stories from Marvel Comics...
. Watkins offered him full support of the V-Battalion if Farouk was able to obtain information about the Everlasting. With a quick mind scan he came up with the name Marduk and gave it to Watkins.
Farouk eventually became a crime lord in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, controlling the Cairo Thieves Quarter. This is where a young Charles Xavier
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
was pickpocketed
Pickpocketing
Pickpocketing is a form of larceny that involves the stealing of money or other valuables from the person of a victim without their noticing the theft at the time. It requires considerable dexterity and a knack for misdirection...
by a child named Ororo Munroe. After Xavier stopped her and retrieved his wallet he was hit with a bolt of psionic energy. When Xavier recovered he found that the source of the attack came from a nearby tavern where he met Farouk. Xavier walked into the tavern and sat at a separate table from Farouk and they had a mental conversation with one another. Farouk told Xavier that he could sense another powerful telepath close by and that the attack was a warning for him to stay clear of his area.
Farouk tried to persuade Xavier to join him in his criminal activities but Xavier refused. Xavier believed that people with such gifts should use their abilities to better the world. The two went into astral form and battled on the astral plane where Xavier defeated Farouk with a powerful psionic attack. This left Farouk's body physically dead. Farouk having been Xavier's first encounter with an evil mutant is what led to his formation of the X-Men. Farouk's body may have died but he moved his astral form to another plane. Now afraid of Xavier, he waited for a better opportunity to fight him safely.
The New Mutants
The Shadow King became aware of a young mutant named KarmaKarma (comics)
Karma is a fictional superheroine from Marvel Comics created by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.Karma is a mutant endowed with the ability to seize control of another's mind, though she has sometimes been depicted with other more extensive psionic abilities...
, a member of Xavier's New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
with the psychic ability to possess other beings. In one of the team's earliest missions, Karma was seemingly killed during an explosion at the Viper's
Viper (comics)
Viper is the name of three fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe. All three are villains.-Viper :The first known Viper was created by Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber, Sal Buscema and John Verpoorten and first appeared in Captain America #157 .-Fictional character biography:Jordan...
hideout. However, really the Shadow King had used Karma's own powers against her to possess her body.
As Karma, Shadow King rebuilt his worldwide empire, all while indulging Karma's every gluttonous urge to grow grotesquely obese. He used Karma to take control of a group of mutants called the Gladiators by using a holographic image to appear as their leader Alexander Flynn.
The Shadow King used the Gladiators to abduct Magma
Magma (comics)
Magma is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics series New Mutants, also associated with various X-Men-related comics. She was created by author Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, and debuted in New Mutants #8...
and Sunspot
Sunspot (comics)
Sunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force....
, forcing them to fight each other until their teammates Cannonball
Cannonball (comics)
Cannonball is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants ....
, Shadowcat, Dazzler, and Magik
Magik (comics)
Magik is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is the younger sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus.-Publication history:...
attempted to rescue them. In their battle to escape the Gladiators' clutches, Cannonball and Shadowcat recognized their obese antagonist as Karma – not realizing she was under the control of the Shadow King.
The team followed Karma to Madripoor
Madripoor
The Principality of Madripoor is a fictional island located in Southeast Asia in the Marvel Comics universe. Based on illustrations, it is in the southern portion of the Strait of Malacca, southwest of Singapore.-Publication history:...
, where they fell under Karma's mind-control (as augmented by Shadow King). The remaining New Mutants and Storm fought their teammates in Cairo, where Karma took control of both Storm and Mirage. Magik realized Karma was possessed by the Shadow King, and was able to release her teammates from Karma's control and Karma from the Shadow King's possession.
Having lost his host, Shadow King transferred to Cypher's
Cypher (comics)
Cypher is a fictional mutant character, a superhero from Marvel Comics. He first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #13 .-Fictional character biography:Doug Ramsey was born to Philip and Sheila Ramsey...
body, but Karma entered the Astral Plane and defeated him – seemingly destroying his astral form.
The Muir Island Saga
The Shadow King would not resurface until many years later in the body of a deceased FBI agent, Jacob Reisz, at a time when Storm had been reduced back to a child by the NannyNanny (comics)
Nanny is the name of two different fictional characters in X-Men and related titles in the Marvel Comics Universe.The more well known Nanny is a mutant.-Publication history:...
and waking up with amnesia. Forge
Forge (comics)
Forge is a fictional character in the , a superhero associated with The X-Men.A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique which led him to...
used deep meditation to enter the astral plane. He found out that Storm was still alive, but at the loss of his cybernetic arm. Farouk tried to claim the child, but when he was questioned about his motives he killed a man and framed Storm for the murder. On Muir Island
Muir Island
Muir Island is a small, fictional island off the northern coast of Scotland in the Marvel Comics universe. It plays a prominent role in the X-Men comics and its related series.-History:...
the telepath Legion
Legion (Marvel Comics)
Legion is a Marvel Comics character, created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bill Sienkiewicz.David is the mutant son of Charles Xavier and Israeli Holocaust survivor Gabrielle Haller...
was using Cerebro
Cerebro
In the Marvel Comics universe, Cerebro is a device that the X-Men use to detect humans, specifically mutants. It was created by Xavier and Magneto, and was later enhanced by Dr. Hank McCoy...
to look for Storm and the other X-Men when Farouk attacked him and possessed him to use his powers to psychically increase the amount of hatred in the world and feed on the malignant energy. He also controlled Moira MacTaggert
Moira MacTaggert
Dr. Moira Kinross MacTaggert is a fictional character appearing in X-Men stories in the Marvel Comics universe. She works as a geneticist and is an expert in mutant affairs. Olivia Williams played a minor role of Dr. Moira MacTaggert in X-Men: The Last Stand...
and Valerie Cooper. He then sent Valerie Cooper
Valerie Cooper
Valerie "Val" Cooper is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe who currently works for the Office of National Emergency. She is most notable for her work as the liaison for mutant affairs in the United States government.-Publication history:...
to kill Mystique
Mystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
. During this time the Shadow King, as David, killed the mutant Destiny
Destiny (Irene Adler)
Destiny is a Marvel Comics fictional character, known as an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141...
, apparently only to avoid her from revealing his presence.
Storm avoided police protection and became an art thief. She stole pieces of art from those who had already stolen them and returned them to their rightful owners. Farouk set a bait for Storm and captured her. Because of her age she had no use of her mutant powers but when Farouk tried to possess her mind, it put a lot of pressure on to her that was so strong she unknowingly hit Farouk with a lightning bolt. Farouk soon found her with Gambit
Gambit (comics)
Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
. The two worked together to fight him, and they escaped though with Farouk's hounds after them. Mystique defeated Valerie Cooper and impersonated her, even appearing on TV reporting Mystique's death.
Meanwhile, a part of Carol Danvers separated from Rogue
Rogue (comics)
Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...
, after she had emerged from the Siege Perilous in the X-Men's former hideout in Australia, and traveled to Muir Island
Muir Island
Muir Island is a small, fictional island off the northern coast of Scotland in the Marvel Comics universe. It plays a prominent role in the X-Men comics and its related series.-History:...
where she was forced to fight Legion and Moira MacTaggert. She defeated them but was immediately possessed by Farouk. Farouk had her go to the Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
to find Rogue, only to be defeated upon her arrival by Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
.
Polaris
Polaris (comics)
Polaris is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books. Created by Arnold Drake, Don Heck, Werner Roth and Jim Steranko, Polaris first appeared in The X-Men #49...
and Siryn went to Muir Island soon afterward, and both of them were captured and mind-controlled. Farouk had ambitious schemes and was afraid of other telepaths identifying him too soon. He needed a nexus between the astral and the psionic planes, to generate a disturbance affecting other telepaths. Polaris's powers had been recently altered by Zaladane
Zaladane
Zaladane is a fictional character, a sorceress from Marvel Comics and the high priestess of the sun god Garokk, the Petrified Man...
, attracting Farouk's interest. Thus, Farouk chose Polaris to become that nexus. Jean Grey
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
then tried to access the astral plane with Cerebro. Farouk easily overrid Cerebro's defenses and then noticed that Grey had lost her telepathic powers; without them, Jean was helpless and so he tried to turn her into the Shadow Queen.
Psylocke
Psylocke
Psylocke is a fictional character depicted in comic books published by Marvel Comics, most notably those comics featuring the superhero team the X-Men. The character has also appeared in licensed adaptations. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe, she first appeared in the UK...
entered the astral plane to help her and threatened Farouk with her psi-blade. Farouk mocked at Psylocke - her blade would hardly hurt him. Psylocke then used the blade on Grey, returning her to the physical world. However, both of them were so shocked that they could not remember the details of the encounter. Farouk's identity was not compromised. After encounters with Proteus
Proteus (comics)
Kevin MacTaggert, best known as Proteus and also called Mutant X, is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men.Kevin was the mutant son of Scottish genetic researcher Moira MacTaggert and politician Joseph MacTaggert...
, X-Factor, and the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
, his identity was only discovered when Professor X probed Colossus's mind after he tried to kill him.
The X-Men uncovered Farouk's control over the Muir Island and sent a task force to remove his influence, including Storm, Forge
Forge (comics)
Forge is a fictional character in the , a superhero associated with The X-Men.A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique which led him to...
, Gambit
Gambit (comics)
Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
, Banshee
Banshee (comics)
Banshee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who operates as a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, Banshee first appeared in X-Men #28 ....
, Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
and Jubilee
Jubilee (comics)
Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate "fireworks" of explosive plasma. A teenage "mall rat," she was the X-Men's youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to...
. Farouk sent his slaves to defend the Island, and they defeated the invaders. Xavier understood that Farouk needed both a human host and a nexus to continue his exploits so he planned to cut both of the links. Mystique
Mystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
eventually reveals herself and shot Jacob Reisz in the head, destroying his brain and cutting the Shadow King link. Due to the sudden shock and removal of Farouk's host, Legion
Legion (Marvel Comics)
Legion is a Marvel Comics character, created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bill Sienkiewicz.David is the mutant son of Charles Xavier and Israeli Holocaust survivor Gabrielle Haller...
became unstable. X-Factor then discovered that Farouk's nexus was Polaris, but in that time, Farouk took possession of Legion. He ordered the slaves to cover themselves underground because he was going to use Legion's power to destroy the surface of Muir Island. Jean Grey's telekinesis protected X-Factor and X-Men.
Xavier then used Jean Grey as a psi-anchor to fight Farouk in the astral plane. However, he was defeated. Archangel, Colossus
Colossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
, Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
and Storm joined Grey
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
in the astral plane to help Xavier, unaware of Legion's physical body nearby. They provided Xavier with more willpower and energy, but Legion was in a good position to destroy their bodies as a result Xavier's spine is shattered, returning him to his former paraplegic state. Forge then uses Psylocke's psi-blade on Polaris, breaking Farouk's nexus. Farouk's energy dissipated, overcoming the X-Men. Xavier and Grey try to absorb whatever they could and shield the others. Xavier even offers Farouk a chance to redeem himself, but he opts for the void and as a result, David is left in a coma.
Psi-War
In the aftermath of the Onslaught incident, in which Charles Xavier lost his powers, Farouk found his chance to return to the physical world since the psionic plane had suddenly lost its guardian. Posing as Ananasi, the Shadow King takes over the AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n tribe that had worshiped Storm as a goddess. After taunting Storm by attacking one of her relatives, Psylocke took Storm to the astral plane to fight the Shadow King. The Shadow King reveals to Psylocke that while he was defeated by Charles Xavier, he was not killed as everyone thought, since he can live feeding only on one dark thought in one man's heart. He only needed time and a chance. Psylocke injured the Shadow King with her psi-blade. The damage was transferred to every being under the control of the Shadow King at the speed of thought. This caused a chain reaction magnifying the assault a trillion times, which destroyed Psylocke's astral being. The wave of psi-energy was so intense and pure that it broke the psi-plane itself, damaging the collective subconscious of every being on Earth, the basis of the psi-plane. Most humans felt things such as déjà vu, nightmares, migraines or nosebleeds. However, those born with psionic, telepathic or intuitive abilities were overloaded and, in a sense, maimed. Jean Grey
Jean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
, Nate Grey
Nate Grey
Nathaniel "Nate" Grey is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to the X-Men franchise...
, 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...
, Emma Frost
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
, Chamber
Chamber (comics)
Jonothon "Jono" Evan Starsmore, better known as Chamber or Decibel, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero associated with the X-Men and the New Warriors....
and Bianca LaNiege were devastated. "Maddie"
Madelyne Pryor
Madelyne Pryor is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. As the love interest and first wife of X-Men leader Cyclops , she became a long-standing member of the X-Men supporting cast, until a series of traumas — being abandoned by her husband, losing her infant son, and...
Pryor, Nate Grey's psionic construct made from Madelyne Pryor's psionic remnants, was completely obliterated. Dr. Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
and Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
were also affected.
With the psi-plane damaged and the Shadow King controlling the astral plane, chaos manifested in the world. Psylocke was re-constructed as a creature of shadows due to her exposure to the Crimson Dawn
Crimson Dawn
The Crimson Dawn is a fictional mystical substance which has appeared in the comic books published by Marvel Comics X-Men and part of the Marvel Universe. Its first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #330 in which the substance is presented as being a life-giving elixir.- Plot :After being fatally...
. Her new shadow-astral form was both incredibly powerful and undetectable by the Shadow King. Psylocke pretended to be tempted by Farouk's offer of becoming the Shadow Queen; however, she only wanted to distract him while Storm was freeing the other X-Men. Farouk saw through the trick and Psylocke sent the X-Men to the physical word. She herself remained behind, weakened.
Farouk then extended his influence to all the population on Earth. This stretched his power too thin, leaving his nexus point, which is a pink orb and is the equivalent of his soul and mind, vulnerable. Psylocke then stabbed his nexus point, and decided to trap it inside herself. The Shadow King screams in pain as he began losing his grip on all the minds he took, the people of the real world regain their sanity and senses. Enraged for his moment of glory endding so fast the Shadow King begins to crush Psylocke with his whips, she tells him that he is one mind controlled by greed and one mind cannot poison millions without leaving himself open.
The Shadow King begins to be dissolved in the shadow, as he tells her that she cannot contain him. She tells him that she is only containing his soul and that the rest of him will disappear into nothing after being cut from its source. Shadow King reminds her that she cannot hold him forever. She is one mind as well and it will keep the total focus of her powers to stop him. As his face disappears from existence, he tells her that the instant she uses her telepathy again the barrier will be weakened and he will be free. Psylocke admits that it is probably true but she accepts this sacrifice, resisting even when Farouk tried to tempting her from the inside.
X-Treme X-Men
This prison was proven to be temporary however as soon enough Psylocke would be killed by a new villain known as VargasVargas (comics)
Vargas is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Universe and an enemy of the X-Treme X-Men who first appeared in X-Treme X-Men #1.- Fictional character biography:...
. With Psylocke's death, the Shadow King is released from his prison. Looking for a host, Farouk decided to use Donald Pierce
Donald Pierce
Donald Pierce is a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #132. He was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Donald Pierce is a cyborg.-Fictional character biography:...
, the leader of the Reavers
Reavers (comics)
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe the Reavers are a team of criminal cyborgs. The most significant team of Reavers were dedicated to the destruction of the mutant X-Men, and a number of them especially wanted to take revenge on one particular X-Man, Wolverine. The name was originally used by...
. He then turned his aim to Rogue
Rogue (comics)
Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...
, because she could absorb the powers and minds of others. If he could have her, he could access to all the people she ever absorbed, specifically the mutant known as Gateway
Gateway (comics)
Gateway is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe, an Australian mutant with the ability to teleport objects and people from one location to another. He is considered an unofficial member of the X-Men...
hoping to gain her current ability to enter dreamtime. Pierce then sent the Reavers to attack the X-Men in Sydney, Australia, and he himself assaulted Rogue. He disturbed her powers trying to control her but she fled when his attack backfired.
However, Rogue managed to overcome her fear, using her past and her weakness to become a stronger person. She decided to use "light" to defeat the Shadow King and attacked him directly. Using the remnants of what she absorbed from Psylocke and Sage, Rogue absorbed the Shadow King in her own body, becoming the new host.
New Excalibur
Due to the cosmic whim created by the Scarlet WitchScarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
during the House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
, the Shadow King is released from his prison but found himself in another universe, "Earth-6141", where he eventually takes control over Professor Xavier and his team of X-Men, dubbing them the "Dark X-Men
Shadow-X
Shadow-X is a Marvel Comics supervillain group that only appeared in New Excalibur. All of their costumes are the colors of black and red....
". Later after the world is shifted back to normal, the Shadow King and his mind-controlled X-Men team travels back to Earth-616
Earth-616
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 or Earth 616 is the name used to identify the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.-Origin of Earth-616:...
. The Shadow King attempts to kill Captain Britain
Captain Britain
Captain Britain , briefly known as Britannic, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe, he first appeared in Captain Britain Weekly, #1...
with the controlled New Excalibur but is defeated once again by Psylocke, who was brought back to life by her brother Jamie Braddock
Jamie Braddock
James "Jamie" Braddock Jr. is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. The elder brother of the twin superheroes Captain Britain and Psylocke, he is a mutant possessing the ability to manipulate reality in a variety of ways. Though his mutant powers are very powerful, he is...
. The Dark X-Men try to free their Xavier from his prison and are assisted by Lionheart
Lionheart (comics)
Lionheart , formerly called Captain Britain, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero. She first appeared in The Avengers vol.3, #77 .-Fictional character biography:...
, whom the Shadow King attempts to control. However, Lionheart has a device that prevents this and places a collar on the Dark Xavier that seals the Shadow King in that body, releasing the Shadow-X from his control. Lionheart then killed Dark Xavier by stabing him in the chest revealing that the inhibitor was also intended to make "Shadow King"'s death finally permanent.
X-Men: Worlds Apart
This death proved once again to be temporary however, as the Shadow King appeared once again, this time in WakandaWakanda (comics)
Wakanda is a fictional nation in the Marvel Universe. It is the most prominent of several fictional African nations in the Marvel Universe. Wakanda is located in Northeastern Africa, although its exact location has varied throughout the nation's publication history: some sources place Wakanda in...
, where he killed a Wakandan priest and framed the former New X-Men member Gentle for the murder. He then takes control of Black Panther
Black Panther (comics)
The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
in order to confront his longtime enemy and T'Challa's wife, Storm. Shadow King intended to break Storm psychologically, forcing her into a position where she had to choose: Will she stand with the X-Men or with her husband? Shadow King forces Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
to attack Emma Frost
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
and the rest of the X-Men in California while he forces the Black Panther to wreak havoc in Africa. On one hand, her husband. On the other, her teammates. While Storm raced to save the lives of the Black Panther and the X-Men, she recognized a third option: take down the one responsible for making her choose in the first place. Storm defeats the Black Panther and flies with Gentle to San Francisco. Storm single-handedly takes down Gentle and the rest of the active X-Men, all under the control of the Shadow King. She strikes Cyclops (Shadow King's then host) with a bolt of lightning, stopping his heart and forcing the Shadow King to possess Storm. However Storm had actually lured Shadow King into a trap, as when entering Storm's mind, the Shadow King finds Bast, the Panther God waiting for him. Storm reveals that she allowed the Panther God of Wakanda to hide within her mind in order to take vengeance on the Shadow King for violating T'Challa's mind which happens when Bast essentially eats him.
Ultimately, Farouk's plan to separate Storm from her relationships inadvertently strengthened them.
Recent activities
While consumed by the Panther God, a small part of the Shadow King still lives in all dark thoughts. He eventually recuperated and took over a nuclear facility, with the propose of using its nuclear missiles. He then aimed the missiles at both Utopia and New York apparently to kill all the remaining mutants. The X-Force soon heads to the military base after losing contact with Deadpool who was snooping around because of the weird physic emanations Betsy felt coming from it. After getting there, the team learned the base was being controlled by the Shadow King. As they tried to defeat the Shadow King, the team was mind controlled with the exception of Fantomex and Betsy.The Shadow King once again taunted Psylocke revealing that her mind does not hold any secrets to him anymore as he quickly releases the Archangel persona out of his psychic prison in Warren's memory, an act he refers to be a revenge against Psylocke, however Archangel cuts the Shadow King's "head" off and erases Betsy's memory so she could not remember and kills the man who was under the influence of the Shadow King. The Shadow King later delivered to a reporter, photographs of Warren killing the military, forcing the squad to appreend their teammate and seek help from Dark Beast
Dark Beast
Dark Beast , sometimes known as the Black Beast, is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an alternate reality evil version of the X-Men’s Beast...
.
Powers and abilities
The Shadow King is a telepath of a very high order. He was said to be second only to Professor X, but this has probably changed since other telepaths have since surfaced. He can possess other beings while on the astral plane and can control the entire astral plane (which only the most powerful telepaths can do).Also as an astral form he can only be harmed psychically or by certain magic weapons; he has demonstrated the ability to live beyond the death of his physical body.
Age of Apocalypse
In the Age of ApocalypseAge of Apocalypse
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 - 1996 comic book crossover storyline published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616, although it was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295, it had...
storyline, the Shadow King story is essentially the same as in the Main Reality. He also assumes the guise of crime lord Amahl Farouk, and encounters Charles Xavier, and the two engage in a psychic battle on the astral plane, that kills Farouk's physical body forcing Farouk's mind to shift to the astral plane. With the death of Charles Xavier, the Shadow King somehow become an agent of Apocalypse
Apocalypse (comics)
Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
, seen manifested as a cloudy face inside of a bottle in Apocalypse's sanctum.
He was used by Apocalypse to hunt down all telepaths that refuse to join Apocalypse as well as to teach those who accepted the offer and had psionics powers.
The Shadow King is the first to sense the presence of Nate Grey, forcing Apocalypse to send Domino and her Bounty Hunters to track the powerful mutant and capture or kill him.
He was also responsible for the destruction of the secret heaven located in the Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
known as Avalon, but was eventually defeated by Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler (comics)
Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
, Mystique
Mystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
, Switchback
Switchback (comics)
Switchback is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in Marvel Comics. Created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Ken Lashley, she first appeared in X-Calibre #1 ....
, and his former student Damask.
Defeated but not killed, the Shadow King is last seen reporting to Apocalypse the downfall of the Southwest Kingdom by the Eurasian High Council's radioactive bombs. After the fall of Apocalypse, the Shadow King's current whereabouts remains unknown.
Excalibur
In an alternate universe, the Shadow King has conquered the Hellfire ClubHellfire Club (comics)
The Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men...
.
Mutant X
In the Mutant XMutant X (comics)
Mutant X was a comic book published by Marvel Comics featuring Havok, a mutant and former member of the X-Men, who was transported into a parallel dimension. It was written by Howard Mackie....
dimension, Shadow King merges with Professor Xavier to form an evil being.
Ultimate Universe
In the Ultimate MarvelUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
series, Shadow King appears as Storm's lover and the leader of the group of thieves that she and Lady Deathstrike belongs to. Storm sends him into a coma after unintentionally electrocuting him when she used her powers to summon lightning for the first time. As a result, his mind is sent to another dimension where he encounters the Brood
Brood (comics)
The Brood are a race of insectoid, parasitic, extraterrestrial beings that appear in the comic books published by Marvel Comics, especially Uncanny X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, they first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #155 .The Brood possess wings, fanged teeth and...
and becomes the Shadow King.
Television
- Shadow King appears in two episodes of X-Men: The Animated SeriesX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
(1992–97), voiced by Maurice Dean WintMaurice Dean WintMaurice Dean Wint is a British-born, Canadian-based actor who has starred in several television shows and movies; the most notable ones include "Cube", "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", RoboCop: Prime Directives, Psi Factor and the TekWar movies and television series.Wint moved to Canada in 1969 with...
. Flashbacks reveal how he was the first evil mutant faced by a younger Charles Xavier, who banished his spirit to the astral plane. Farouk is depicted as an athletic, middle-aged bearded man instead of the bald, obese look from the comics. - Shadow King appears in the Wolverine and the X-Men episode "Overflow" voiced by Kevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
. A flashback showed how he took in Ororo to steal for him until Professor X fought and defeated him. He possesses Storm and makes her see Africa burning. Storm tries to put the fire out with her powers, not realizing it is she who is destroying Africa. The X-Men come to stop the Shadow King and Emma FrostEmma FrostEmma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
fights with him on the astral plane. Emma seemingly kills him by slicing him in half with a telepathic sword.
Video games
- Shadow King is one of the three primary villains in the video game X-Men LegendsX-Men LegendsX-Men Legends is an action role-playing video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. It was released on the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles in the fall of . Barking Lizards Technologies developed the N-Gage port of the game, which was released in early...
voiced by Dorian HarewoodDorian HarewoodW. Dorian Harewood is an American actor. He first garnered attention for his portrayal of Simon Haley in the ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.-Career:...
.
External links
- Shadow King at Marvel.com
- http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix3/shadowkingfarouk.htm
- Age of Apocalypse at Marvel.com