CONQUISTADOR

Real Name: Miguel Provenza

Identity/Class: Human mutant

Occupation: Racketeer

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Used small gang of agents

Enemies: El Aguila and the people of San Elainya

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Madrid, Spain, as well as several smaller villages, such as San Elaiyna

Appearances: Marvel Comics Presents I#9/4 (December, 1988)

Powers: Provenza possessed a bio-aura connecting him to the Earth. This enabled him to control plants, rocks, soil, etc. In addition, he could draw on the power of the Earth to increase in size, strength, durability, etc. He did apparently have a weakness to electricity, or at least bio-electricity. He used his power to maintain a tall, muscular, handsome form.

History: (Marvel Comics Presents I#9/4 (fb) - BTS) - Miguel Provenza was a mutant, whose powers surfaced at an unknown age and unknown circumstances. However, he used his abilities to establish a small empire for himself in several villages. He recruited local criminals to serve as his agents, while he enjoyed the spoils in his mansion in Madrid

(Marvel Comics Presents I#9/4) - One of the villages, San Elaiyna, was the home of a woman named Migdalia, who was the cousin of Alejandro Montoya, the superhero named el Aguila. Thinking Alejandro was only a wealthy businessman who could use his money and influence to free them from the rule of the Conquistador, Migdalia requested his assistance. Nonetheless, Montoya traveled to the village, defeated three of the Conquistador's agents, and sent them to warn him to leave San Elaiyna alone.

Provenza, taking offense to the insulting nature of Aguila's warning, traveled to San Elaiyna and confronted him himself. Aguila was initially caught off guard by the powerful mutant, especially since his cousin had failed to mention that Provenza had any superhuman abilities. El Aguila recovered and channeled a bio-electric blast through a windmill into Provenza, both defeating him and severing his link with the Earth, returning him to true form.

The People of San Elaiyna were freed of his influence. It is uncertain whether Provenza was sent to prison, or whether his powers will return.

(New Avengers I#16-19 - BTS) - The Conquistador lost his powers on M-Day and the energies removed from him were combined with a number of other mutant energies to empower the powerful being Michael.

Comments: Created by Scott Lobdell and Larry Alexander.

The Marvel Index to the Avengers notes in the entry for New Avengers I#18, that the non-mutant Furio Conquistador is erroneously depicted instead of the mutant Conquistador, Miguel Provenza, who was actually meant to be among the depowered mutants, whose energies were absorbed into the Collective.

Clarifications:
Provenza has no known connection to

• the Conquistador, who encountered Hank McCoy at the start of his mutant career @ X-Men I#50/2
• Humus Sapien, another character with a link to Earth @ F.O.O.M.#3, Thunderbolts I#33

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Marvel Comics Presents I#9, p30, pan3 (main image)