THE MATRIARCH

Real Name:    Unknown   

Identity/Class: Extra-terrestrial (Sirusite)/Technology User

Occupation:  Temporal Leader of the Universal Church of Truth; former prostitute and/or madam

Affiliations:  Universal Church of Truth

Enemies:  Adam Warlock, The Magus, (alternate timeline) Kang the Conqueror

Known Relatives:  None

Aliases:  "Slink"

Base of Operations: Sirus X aka "Homeworld"

First Appearance:  Strange Tales I#178 (February, 1975)

Powers:  The Matriarch had no superhuman powers.  However, she was a brilliant leader, organizer, and strategist.  She may have had considerable er . . . carnal skills due to her previous occupation as a lady of the night. 

 

History: Nothing is known about the Matriarch's life before the Magus found her in a brothel in Homeworld's lower levels.  Pip the Troll repeatedly referred to her as "Slink," possibly a street name from her life before she became the Matriarch.

(Warlock#9 (fb) ) The Magus elevates the soon-to-be Matriarch from one of Homeworld's brothels to the position of Matriarch, even though he "remembered" that she would attempt to betray him from his memories as Warlock.

(Strange Tales I#178) Adam Warlocks learns of the Universal Church of Truth, the Magus, and the Matriarch from a woman who sacrifices her life to tell him about their threat.

 

(Strange Tales I#179)  The Matriarch learns that Adam Warlock had been captured by the starship Great Divide.  She orders Captain Autolycus to arrange Warlock's murder.

(Strange Tales I#180)  The Matriarch reconsiders her decision to have Warlock killed, realizing that if Warlock died, the Magus and the church would never exist, and she'd be back at Homeworld's Moulin Rouge.  Instead, she decided to capture him and make him her slave.  The Matriarch lured Warlock to her palace with hints that she knew about his Soul Gem and the origin of the Magus.  When Warlock arrived, The Matriarch revealed that the Magus was Warlock's future self.  While Warlock was reeling from this revelation, she dropped him through a convenient trap door where he was placed on trial before Judge Kray-Tor.  Warlock saved himself by stealing Kray-Tor's soul, but was rendered unconscious by the shock of the judge's memories.  The Matriarch then had Adam tossed into another pit, where her technicians attempted to brainwash him.  However, despite the Matriarch's input into the brainwashing process, Warlock shorted out the brainwashing equipment by submitting to the Madness Monster inside his psyche. 

 

(Warlock#9)  The Magus has the Matriarch arrested and reveals to her that he knew of her plan to enslave Warlock and himself.  The Magus tells her she will be remembered as a martyr as he has her dropped through, you guessed it, another trap door. 

(Warlock#10)  Warlock, Gamora and Pip escape the Magus' Black Knights by fleeing into the tunnels beneath the Palace.  Warlock finds the dying Matriarch, who expresses regret that the two of them did not challenge the Magus together.  They look at each other longingly, then the Matriarch died in Warlock's arms. 

(Warlock#11) Warlock and Pip are returned to Homeworld after erasing the Magus from existence.  However, the church still exists.  Warlock sees something that catches his eye and as he turns to look, he sees the Matriarch strolling down the street, again in her regal robes.

(Avengers Forever#9 (fb) )  In an alternate timeline, the Matriarch surrenders to the marauding Kang the Conqueror. 

Comments:  Created by Jim Starlin. 

I've always thought the Matriarch could be interesting if her character were fleshed out a little more.  I'd like to see the Matriarch and the Church portrayed as major galactic powers, perhaps approaching the Shi'ar and Skrulls.  It'd also be fun to see if she ever ran into Starfox, Pro-boscis, or Heater Delight in her days as "Slink."

Profile by Chuck D

Clarifications:
The Matriarch of the UCT has no known connection to:

 

The Sirusite race (of the Matriarch) were the natives of Sirus X, the tenth planet from their star in the Al'Ma'an star system. They should be differentiated from:

The Universal Church of Truth had a future counterpart @ 3000 AD in the timeline of the Earth-Guardians. However, since all futures are either alternate or potential, that organization is still regarded as distinct from the one of the prime reality of the modern era.

First Posted: 02/10/2002
Last updated: 03/25/2003

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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