Sir Marcus Grantby-Fox

Real Name: Sir Marcus Grantby-Fox

Identity/Class: Normal human, UK citizen

Occupation: Managing Director of Empire Chemical Enterprises (ECE)

Affiliations: Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.), British Government, Carlton Club, Childs, ECE, Peter Henry Gyrich

Enemies: Captain America, Sarah Wilde, Super Soldiers (Dalton (Dauntless), Gog (Owen Llewelyn), Hauer (Invincible)), U.S. Agent

Known Relatives: none

Aliases: none

Base of Operations: ECE headquarters, Canary Wharf, London

First Appearance: Super Soldiers#1 (April 1993)

Powers/Abilities: While he had no superhuman powers, he had the resources of ECE at his command. He had an implant placed in Childs head that induced pain. Sir Marcus's voice was the only one that could activate the implant. He was a superb business man.

History: (Super Soldiers#1(fb)/2(fb)) - Sir Marcus Grantby-Fox worked for the british ministry of defence. First he was part of a think-tank, and then he became a government minister. He began to believe that the nation state was on the way out, and that real power would lie with corporate power. While running the Super Soldier project, with ECE as the prime contractors, he was offered a place on the board. Certain properties of the ministry were privatised and sold to ECE, and soon Sir Marcus was in control of the organisation. Sir Marcus also used early test subjects from the super soldier program as a Corporate Commando unit, also known as the Super Squadies, and the Super Soldier known as Childs became his bodyguard.

(Super Soldiers#1-5) - Sir Marcus was contacted upon Hauers escape from his cryogenic tube. Using his contact, Peter Henry Gyrich, he called in U.S Agent to help subdue the renegade Super Soldier. In the meantime, Hauer had contacted Doctor Khan, one of the scientists from the Super Soldier project. Sir Marcus sent Childs to Khans home in Bradford to deal with the situation, calling in a team of S.A.S. soldiers. the mission was unsuccessful.

Shortly after, they traced Hauer to Thailand. U.S Agent set out after him, and Sir Marcus supplied him with back up in the form of Childs and the Super Squadies. Sir Marcus ordered Childs to hold back unless Hauer defeated the U.S. Agent. He then monitored their progress via satellite. Childs disobeyed him, releasing the Squadies to early. When Sir Marcus realised the operation was backfiring on him , he disciplined Childs with the implant in his head, and ordered him back to London for protection.

 

Hauer and his team soon infiltrated ECE headquarters, and Sir Marcus ordered Childs into action. Childs was killed by Hauer, who barged into Sir Marcus's office ready to kill him. Sir Marcus tried to make Hauer realise that with his resources and connections, he wouldn't be punished for his crimes, and even offered him a job, but to no avail. Fortunately for Sir Marcus, Captain America arrived and talked Hauer down out of his red mood. Sir Marcus deactivated the defences and handed him self in. A D-notice (a banning order that the British government can impose for reasons of national security) was placed on the Super Soldier project, and no prosecutions were brought against Sir Marcus, who was freed shortly after.

Comments: Created by Lee Stevens and Andrew Currie for Marvel Uk.

Sir Marcus wanted to: "Aquire all the attributes of a nation for a multinational corporation. But unlike a nation it won't be tied down by geography people or culture. It will be free to shift it's assets to wherever the best business opportunities are."

He believed in: "a world of complete freedom for everybody, where people of strength and intelligence are not held back and rise to the top. A world where everybody will be an asset and trade according to their value, with the one sacred guiding principle... that of the free market."

Well it made a change from the standard super villain rant (note no exclamation marks are used! at all!!) and made him a bit more interesting!

Another interesting point is his Knighthood (hence the "Sir" before his name). Of course, in modern times, Knighthood is no longer just granted to military figures, but people from all walks of life as recognition for an outstanding contribution to the nation. Knighthood cannot be gained simply by buying it, and no longer involves any military obligations. Modern day knights can be actors, industrialists, musicians, scientists, teachers or any other figure head of their profession. Normally Knighthood's are granted by the Queen, though occasionally member of her Royal Family may do so on her behalf. The Knighthood may be a public or private event. The candidates name is read aloud, and they proceed to kneel on the knighting-stool. The Queen places a sword blade first on the knights right shoulder, and then on the left. Popular belief would have it the words "Arise, Sir Knight" are used, but in fact the knight merely stands so that the Queen may give him the insignia of the order to which he has been appointed. Modern knights include the musicians Bob Geldof, Cliff Richard, Elton John and the actor Michael Caine.

Profile by: Changeling

CLARIFICATIONS:

Sir Marcus Grantby-Fox has no known connections to:

Empire Chemical Enterprises (ECE)

ECE is a giant multinational corporation that fell under sir Marcus's control. Before he ran it, the company specialised in chemicals, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Sir Marcus further diversified the company, and invested in banks, farms, mining, electronics, consumer durables, weapons, nuclear power, privatised utilities and much else besides. Many of its properties and technologies once belonged to the ministry of defence, such as the Biological Warfare Research Centre, in Orgley, England, where Hauer was stored in cryogenic suspension, and the bulk of the British Super Soldiers program was developed. The ECE headquarters was at Canary Wharf, London, and was protected by scores of guards, and twenty floors of defence systems provided by A.I.M.

 

Last updated: 02/19/03

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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