DAMOCLES BASE

Classification: Extra-temporal orbiting space headquarters of Kang the Conqueror.

Creator: Kang

User/Possessors: Kang, Scarlet Centurion

First Appearance:
Avengers III#38 (March, 2001);
(Fully seen) Avengers III#41 (June, 2001)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: Damocles Base was an orbiting headquarters in Earth's Atmosphere and was shaped like a sword. It was capable of many feats, many of which were never seen. It had many laser guns as defense systems, as well as nearly impenetrable shields that could resist almost anything. It could release gargantuan blasts of energy with unbelievable destructive power, and could also drop special bombs that would wipe out whole cities.
    It could project an energy form of a user at hundreds of times their normal size. The hologram would be controlled by the user and could move about great distances all the while allowing the user to see through the form's eyes and hear through its ears. It could also channel it's great destructive power through the form, allowing it to destroy whatever it pleased.
    It could override detection systems and radar, as well as block radio waves from reaching certain areas. It had vast databases on many things and held near-infinite information. It had many escape pods and could travel through time. It could teleport people and had a powerful tractor beam. It was powered by a single power core deep within it, which if destroyed, would destroy the whole ship.

History: Damocles Base was constructed at an unknown time under the order of Kang to serve as his time-spanning space headquarters. 

(Avengers III#38) - Aboard Damocles Base, Kang and Scarlet Centurion were observing Captain America and studying his battle technique and planning their strategy from space.

(Avengers III#41) - Kang and the Scarlet Centurion stood on Damocles Base looking down on Earth while they floated over it. While there, Kang told the Centurion of strategy.

After Scarlet Centurion went down from the base to tell the U.N. of Kang's coming, he was taken down by the Avengers. Kang came himself, and had Damocles Base fire an energy blast at the U.N. building, and reduced it to rubble with a single blast, but had force shields save all the delegates.

(Avengers III#42) - While Kang lectured delegates, the military found Damocles base and fired missiles at it. The missiles did not even scratch the base or even weaken its shields. Kang revealed that he allowed them to find Damocles Base. During the entire incident, Kang had Damocles Base block all radio waves in the area. After he made his point, he ordered Damocles Base to allow radio waves in and had it teleport himself and the Centurion away.

(Avengers III#43) - Kang and Centurion stood on Damocles Base as they observed the Avengers fighting against Atlantean armies, Deviant Armies, and the Presence. While on the base, Kang told Centurion more of how a good commander handles other factors on the battlefield. 

(Avengers III#44) - The recruits from Earth for the army of Kang showed up at Damocles Base and stood before Kang. While Kang inspected them, Whirlwind demanded a high position in the army. Kang had Damocles Base teleport Whirlwind back to Earth.

(Thunderbolts I#57)- Kang observed from Damocles Base as Graviton lifted several cities and many of Earth's heroes into orbit with his powers. Although Kang was impressed by Graviton's audacity, he was confidant that he would only make it easier for his own armies to conquer Earth.

(Avengers III#46) - Kang's shock troops were sent down to Earth in pods from Damocles Base for an attack on Europe. Meanwhile, Tony Stark and the military were working fruitlessly to crack through the base's shield. Photon flew to Damocles Base and while she failed to analyze its force field, she did manage to absorb some of it, and brought it back for Tony Stark to examine. Kang noticed, and had the base send down a message saying that any attack on his person would have dire consequences.

From Damocles Base, Scarlet Centurion monitored the war in Europe. When he saw it was going well, he had the many monitors in the base show him pictures of Warbird, who he had become infatuated with. 

(Avengers III#47) - Scarlet Centurion called for transport from Damocles Base after he got stuck on Earth in an attempt to assist Warbird.

(Avenger III#48) - Captain America, Photon, Jack of Hearts, and Scarlet Witch launched an assault on Damocles Base in space. They tried to break its shields again and again, but to no avail. Inside the base, Scarlet Centurion blocked the detection systems of the Master of the World's base in order to assist Warbird further. Meanwhile, information from Tony Stark, as well as their energy powers, allowed the Avengers to temporarily shut down the shields. However, before the Avengers could take advantage of this, Damocles Base caught them all in a tractor beam. In response to this, the military sent up Sentinels to attack the base. Kang activated a failsafe he put in the Sentinels and took control of them. He had Damocles Base project his image at many times its normal size over the downed Avengers. Using the ship's power, he destroyed the Avenger's ship, and then began to march on Washington D.C. in retaliation.

(Avengers III#49) - When the Sentinels met resistance, Kang ordered Damocles Base to fire upon the defensive wall surrounding Washington. As his assault continued, he also channeled the power of Damocles base through his hologram to destroy large portions of Washington. Finally, he ordered Damocles Base to drop a huge bomb that destroyed the entire city.

(Avengers III#52) - Kang and Centurion retreated to Damocles Base after the Avengers gathered resistance against them on multiple fronts. He used the base to find the area of the Avenger's cloaked base. He then had Damocles base fire at the area. However, a giant pyramid floating through space, that was being controlled by other Avengers from a different adventure attacked Kang. Kang had the ship project a ridiculously large image of him over the pyramid. Before Kang could act however, he was confronted with an equally large image of Captain America.

(Avengers III#53) - Damocles Base fought a battle on several fronts. It received and returned fire from the Avenger's base on Earth, received and returned fire from the pyramid, and faced the onslaught of about a dozen superheroes with energy powers. Damocles base was put on full defense, and with the multiple assaults, as well as new information on the shields from Tony Stark, the heroes managed to shut the shields down. Immediately, the heroes assaulted the now defenseless Damocles Base. They made their way through the hull and inside of the ship. While the heroes battled the forces inside the base, Warbird found its power core and destroyed it. Damocles Base then had explosions running up and down it, and was ultimately destroyed, falling to Earth.

(Avenger III#54) - Damocles base fell to Earth. Some pieces of debris fell over the ocean, some were intercepted by superheroes, but the bulk of it crashed into Gaithersburg, Maryland, although most people had ample time to evacuate.

Comments: Created by Kurt Busiek and Alan Davis. 

According to Greek legend, Damocles was courtier to Dionysius the Elder, tyrant of Syracuse, who according to legend was forced to sit at a banquet table under a sword suspended by a single hair to demonstrate the precariousness of a king's fortunes.

Clarifications: Damocles Base should not be confused with:

PROFILE BY STUNNER

image: (without ads)
Avengers III#48, p11, pan5 (Damocles Base)

Appearances:
Avengers III#38 (March, 2001) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Alan Davis (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers III#41 (June, 2001) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Alan Davis (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers III#42-44 (July-August, 2001) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Alan Davis (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Thunderbolts I#57 (December, 2001) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Patrick Zircher (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers III#47 (December, 2001) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Manuel Garcia (pencils), Bob Layton (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers III#48-49 (January-February, 2002) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Kieron Dwyer (pencils), Rick Remender (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers III#52 (May, 2002) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Ivan Reis (pencils), Randy Emberlin (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers III#53-54 (June-July, 2002) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Kieron Dwyer (pencils), Rick Remender (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Last Updated: 01/07/14

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