CONTEMPLATOR imposter

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Deviant Skrull mutate (presumably, See Comments)

Occupation: Conspirator, power-seeker, would-be ruler of Kree Empire

Group Membership: Skrull Empire

Affiliations: Elders of the Universe (Astronomer, Champion, Collector, Ego, Gardener, Grandmaster, Obliterator, Possessor, Runner, Trader), Clumsy Foulup, Reptyl (all former)

Enemies: Contemplator, the Cotati, Clumsy Foulup (deceased), the Kree Empire, Quasar, Reptyl, Silver Surfer

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Contemplator

Base of Operations: Mobile throughout the known universe

First Appearance: Silver Surfer III#4 (October, 1987)

Powers: Like all Skrulls, the imposter was a shape changer, able to assume the form of any being or object within his mass or volume range.  In addition., the imposter possessed mental powers, including telepathy, mentally manipulating others, levitation, and astral projection.  He somehow survived having everything but his head eaten and later managed to regenerate his entire body.   The means by which the unnamed Skrull gained these abilities was not disclosed.  He appeared to have lost his mental powers after his defeat by the Cotati.  He briefly used one of the Quantum Bands.

History: BTS - The Contemplator imposter somehow acquired his mental powers and physical recuperative ability.

(Silver Surfer III#4) - The Contemplator imposter answered a summons from other Elders of the Universe and took part in a plot to assassinate Galactus.  

( Silver Surfer III#7-9) - At the conclusion of the battle to slay Galactus, several Elders were sucked into a black hole, and several others were converted into energy and consumed by Galactus.  

(Silver Surfer III#10)  - However, the Contemplator imposter escaped both of these fates, prompting Galactus to send the Silver Surfer and Nova to find him.  

( Silver Surfer III#12) - The imposter allied himself with the reptilian space pirate known as Reptyl, whom he had kidnap Nova.  

( Silver Surfer III#21 [fb]) - Through astral projection, the imposter contacted the Elder of the Universe known as Obliterator, who had become stranded on an alien world.  The imposter promised to send the Elder a shuttlecraft, so he could escape the alien world.  In exchange Obliterator would come to the imposter and aid him.

( Silver Surfer III#12) - When Nova was freed, and Reptyl was forced to flee, the mammal-hating pirate took out his frustrations on his ally, ripping out the imposter's throat and then eating his body.  The imposter was mauled before he could send a ship to the Obliterator. 

( Silver Surfer III#13, BTS) - Reptyl dumped the Contemplator imposter's head out into space.

( Silver Surfer III#13) - On the trail of Reptyl's ship Nova and the Silver Surfer encountered the imposter's head floating in space.  Flying away, they left the head where it was ejected.  

( Silver Surfer III#20) - However, the imposter survived and planned vengeance on Reptyl, who had allied himself with the Skrulls in a recent flare-up of the intergalactic Kree-Skrull war.  His disembodied head traveled to the planet where Reptyl kept his weapons depot, and he promised Reptyl's agent, Clumsy Foulup, power and rewards in exchange for helping him against Reptyl. 

( Silver Surfer III#25-27) - The imposter directed Foulup to meet with the Kree emperor of the time, Nenora (who was herself actually a Skrull), and reveal Reptyl and the Skrulls' plans.  

( Silver Surfer III#29) - This allowed the Kree to ambush the Skrull fleet, decimating a large portion of it in the process.  At the same time, while Reptyl was surprised by the sudden defeat, Foulup stabbed Reptyl from behind, seemingly killing him.

(Silver Surfer III#30) - The imposter then directed Foulup to the Kree throne world, Hala, where he was declared a hero for his role in the battle.  Simultaneously, the imposter plotted to impersonate the Kree leader, the living computer known as the Supreme Intelligence, in order to secure his plan to rule the cosmos.  Later, Nenora was revealed as a Skrull by the Skrull empress S'Byll.  

( Silver Surfer III#31) - With the Supreme Intelligence incapacitated after losing the Mind Infinity Gem which allowed it to unify the Blue and White Kree minds that it was composed of, the Kree were left without a ruler.  The imposter manipulated the projection of the Supreme Intelligence to return it to power with himself as its controller.  However, Foulup betrayed the imposter, enlisted the aid of the Cotati to throw off the imposter's control of the projection, and have the Intelligence name himself as the new ruler of the Kree.  The imposter attacked the Cotati but was overcome and seemingly destroyed by their superior mental might.

The original Contemplator mentioned to Quasar that someone had been impersonating him. 

(Quasar#47-48) - Shortly thereafter, the imposter reappeared, physically reformed, but apparently bereft of his previous mental powers.  During the events of the Infinity War, Quasar was nullified by the Ultimate Nullifier, and his Quantum Bands were summoned by the form of the cosmic entity known as Origin for safekeeping until Quasar could reclaim them.  Origin at the time was in the form of an immense cosmic embryo under the guardianship of the Elder known as Caregiver.  The appearance of the power items caused several other Elders, including the Explorer, the Possessor, the Obliterator, and the Contemplator imposter to seek their possession.  The Elder known as the Judicator was deliberating on their dispensation when Quasar, having been reformed by the power of the Starbrand, located them.  Origin returned them to him, and he was donning them, when the imposter sneaked up, stole one of them, and attacked Quasar in an effort to gain the other.  Knowing that improper control over the bands could cause them to disintegrate the wearer, Quasar blasted off the arm of the imposter to save his life.  Subsequently, the Judicator questioned the imposter on his uncharacteristic actions, and Quasar revealed that he may actually not be the true Contemplator.  The Judicator used her powers to reveal the imposter to be a Skrull.  She then took him away to find the original and to try the imposter in accordance with cosmic law.

Comments: Created by Steve Englehart and Ron Lim.

I think this character may have been originally intended to be the original Contemplator, however, his radically different behavior and motivations generated a need for explanations.  Mark Gruenwald had the original mention that there had been someone impersonating him, and later showed the imposter to be a Skrull.  That or Englehart could have planned this but just never revealed it.  Who knows?

While the imposter's fate is unrevealed, it may be that the pacifistic Contemplator sought a lenient sentence against him.

Just a thought, it might have made more sense to have the imposter be one of the alien Xartan, aka the Carbon Copy Men, who could actually duplicate the powers of those they impersonate.  The same goes for Bartak, who impersonated the Silver Surfer.

Maybe, he really WAS a Xartan!  It would be the perfect camouflage, hiding out from Skrull Deviants by pretending to be one of them.  ([T]he Xartans could very well be Skrull Eternals...[h]ence, the traditional hatred of them by the Skrull Deviants.   Particularly, the one impersonating the real Contemplator!)     Yours truly:  Carycomix@aol.com   

Profile updated/edited by Kyle Sims

CLARIFICATIONS: the Contemplator imposter should not be confused with:

Appearances:
Silver Surfer III#4 (October, 1987) - Steve Englehart (writer), Marshall Rogers (pencils), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Michael Higgins (editor)
Silver Surfer III#7-10 (January-April, 1988) - Steve Englehart (writer), Marshall Rogers (pencils), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Michael Higgins (editor)
Silver Surfer III#12 (June, 1988) - Steve Englehart (writer), Marshall Rogers (pencils), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Michael Higgins (editor)
Silver Surfer III#13 (July, 1988) - Steve Englehart (writer), Joe Staton (pencils), Dave Cockrum (inks), Michael Higgins (editor)
Silver Surfer III#20 (February, 1989) - Steve Englehart (writer), Ron Lim (pencils), Joe Rubinstein & Tom Christopher (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Silver Surfer III#21 (March, 1989) - Marshall Rogers & Michael Higgins (writers), Marshall Rogers (pencils), Dave Cockrum (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Silver Surfer III#25-27 (July-September, 1989) - Steve Englehart (writer), Ron Lim (pencils), Tom Christopher (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Silver Surfer III#29-30 (November, 1989) - Steve Englehart (writer), Ron Lim (pencils), Tom Christopher (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Silver Surfer III#31 (December, 1989) - Steve Englehart (writer), Ron Lim (pencils), Tom Christopher & Keith Williams (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Quasar#47-48 (June-July, 1993) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Andy Smith (pencils), Ralph Cabrera (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)

Last updated: 02/01/14

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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