N^TH COMMAND

Membership: Henry Akai (N^th Commander, became Timestream in an alternate world); Albert DeVoor (Director of the N^th Project); Abner Doolittle (Scientist); Dr. T.W. Erwin (Scientist); Godwulf (N^th Commander); Iron Butterfly (N^th Commander); Thomas Lightner (Scientist); Bennett Pittman (Head of complex on Earth-78411); Zinneman (Security operative at Metro Bank); Unidentified (N^th Commando who would later become the Angler)

Purpose: "To gain a world energy monopoly by eradicating any effective private or governmental competition." The N^th Command pursued that purpose through the creation and use of N^th Projectors.

Affiliations: Brand Corporation (parent company); Roxxon Energy Corporation (parent company of Brand Corporation);
Metro Bank on Broadway (served as a front for the N^th Command);
N^th Commandoes (exploration and/or military employees);
Scavenger Units (search and retrieval units comprised of N^th Project employees);
Superhuman operatives: Deathlok the Demolisher, Deathlok robot, Grapplers (Letha, Poundcakes, Screaming Mimi, Titania), Hyperion, Thundra

Enemies: Captain America; Chief Tonah and his tribe; Project: PEGASUS & Project: PEGASUS Security: Giant-Man (Bill Foster), Quasar, the Thing

Base of Operations: Secret headquarters below New York City, USA.

First Appearance: Marvel Two-in-One I#53 (July, 1979)

History: 

(Quasar I#51(fb)) - The N^th Command employed operatives known as N^th Commandoes, some of whom used portable N^th Projectors to explore other dimensions. One such N^th Commando encountered an alien being known as a Geometer, and was transformed by it into the Angler.

(Marvel Two-in-One I#57(fb)) - Thomas Lightner was hired by the N^th Command to destroy Project: PEGASUS from within, with the intent of gaining the N^th Command a monopoly on all energy research.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#3: Deathlok / Deathlok II#32 (fb)) - Deathlok was placed under the supervision of Earth-616's Harlan Ryker at Brand Corporation, an agent of Roxxon's Department M (for "Mutagenics"). Based on Deathlok's systems, Ryker built an entirely robotic simulacrum of Deathlok.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#3: Deathlok) - Ryker's robot was turned over to Roxxon's N^th Command for testing.

(Marvel Two-in-One I#53) - Under orders from the N^th Command, Thomas Lightner deactivated security at Project: PEGASUS, allowing Deathlok robot to break in. Lightner referred to this as "Operation Berserker".

(Marvel Two-in-One I#54) - The Deathlok robot succeeded in building a portion of an N^th Projector before being discovered and subsequently destroyed by Project: PEGASUS security. In an effort to cover his ongoing actions, Lightner freed Nuklo with the hopes that Nuklo would keep PEGASUS' security busy.

(Captain America I#286 (fb) - BTS / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#3: Deathlok) - Ryker continued to work on the original Deathlok, restoring to fully functional status and reprogramming him to serve them.

(Marvel Two-in-One#56) - Thundra and the Grapplers were recruited by the N^th Command to smuggle equipment into Project: PEGASUS. Though they were subsequently caught by security, they succeeded in their mission, and Lightner now had everything he needed to build an N^th Projector. Lightner referred to this contingency plan as "Operation Expurgate".

(Marvel Two-in-One I#57) - Lightner's malicious intent was discovered by Project: PEGASUS staff, but too late. However, before Lightner carried through with the N^th Command's plan to use the N^th Projector to place Project: PEGASUS into another dimension, he decided to use the Projector for his own purposes, to restore the powers he once had as Blacksun.

(Marvel Two-in-One I#58) - Lightner, now transformed into the N^th Man, was defeated at Project: PEGASUS by the combined efforts of the Thing, Quasar, Giant-Man, Thundra, and the Aquarian. It was revealed that Roxxon was the corporation behind the N^th Command, and that this was only one of many N^th Projectors.

(Quasar I#51(fb) & Alpha Flight II#12(fb) - BTS) - Lightner's N^th Projector was initially thought destroyed, but later found and confiscated by Project: PEGASUS.

(Squadron Supreme I#7(fb)) - Hyperion (Squadron Sinister) was rescued from imprisonment by the N^th Command and then employed by them to retrieve Thundra. He was promised that if he did so the N^th Command could return Hyperion to his own home world, which he had previously believed was destroyed.

(Marvel Two-in-One I#67) - Hyperion brought Thundra to meet with the N^th Command. They showed her a portable N^th Projector, and offered to use it to return her to the home-world she had thought to be destroyed. After seeing how the device was operated, Thundra stole it and fled. Upon learning that it had a self-destruct device which had been activated, she used it on herself, returning herself to her home-world (and Hyperion, who attempted to follow, to the interdimensional void), but not before telling the Thing the approximate location, though not the name, of the N^th Command's headquarters.

(Marvel Two-in-One I#73) - Following on Thundra's information, the Thing and Quasar found the N^th Command's headquarters and attacked, but were zapped by an N^th Projector and sent to a prehistoric world. This prehistoric world was serving as an oil production center for the N^th Command--they had set up a huge processing facility and were transporting the oil back to Earth. With the aid of the local natives, Quasar and the Thing destroyed the facility, and then returned to New York via the N^th Adapters, flooding the N^th Command in unprocessed oil in the process.

(Captain America I#287 (fb)) - N^th Command scientists combined the remaining organic portions of Deathlok with a rebuilt Deathlok robot.

(Captain America I#288) - With the aid of Captain America and a time-traveling clone of himself, Deathlok regained self-awareness and escaped from where the N^th Command was holding him at an abandoned Brand Corporation factory.

(Captain America I#289) - The N^th Command, headed again by Albert DeVoor, had outfitted a large number of operatives with N^th Projectors. These N^th Commandoes were ordered to use their N^th Projectors to simultaneously attack and remove all of New York's superheroes to other, very fatal, dimensions. This was referred to as Operation Purge. The attack was foiled when Captain America learned of the existence of the plan from Godwulf, a person from Deathlok's alternate future, in which the attack had succeeded and in which Godwulf had been one of the N^th Commandoes. Using information from Godwulf, Captain America gained access to the N^th Command's headquarters, and destroyed the core of the N^th Emanator which powered all the N^th Projectors. The N^th Commandoes carried through the attacks, but with their N^th Projectors not working, the attacks failed.

(Defenders I#129) - Professor Power's Secret Empire assimilated members of the N^th Command into their organization, intending to have a new N^th Project on its feet within the year.

(Marvel Fanfare II#1) - Operation Purge technology began to be recreated in the now-closed Brand Corporation's facility in Queens. A time-travelling Deathlok (who believed the Red Skull to be behind the project) destroyed the facility and the equipment, despite the interference of Captain America, the Falcon, and Justice Peace.

Comments:

The N^th Command and the N^th Projector were created by Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio.
Albert DeVoor was created by Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Chic Stone.
Dr. T.W. Erwin was created by Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Tom Palmer.
The portable N^th Projector, the Scavenger Unit and its skimmer, and the N^th Command uniforms were created by Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio, Ron Wilson, and Gene Day.
Bennett Pittman, the N^th Adapters, and Chief Tonah were created by Ralph Macchio, Ron Wilson, and Chic Stone.

Lightner's portable N^th Projector was initially thought destroyed (Alpha Flight II#12(fb)), but was later found and remained at Project: PEGASUS until used by Quasar against the Angler (Quasar#51). It was converted into crystal by the Geometer in that fight, but apparently restored when the Geometer restored his other victims (Quasar#52). It was subsequently acquired by the Canadian Prometheus Division (Alpha Flight II#12(fb)), and then stolen from them by Zodiac (Alpha Flight II#12).
A prototype portable N^th Projector was subsequently found among the possessions of Imus Champion, and used to deliver Magdalene and the Swordsman to another dimension, and to return the Squadron Supreme home. When last seen that N^th Projector was moved to Project: PEGASUS (Avengers / Squadron Supreme '98). The writer of that issue, Kurt Busiek, reports that it is his intent that Champion acquired the N^th Projector from Zodiac, though that has not been confirmed in print. If true, there's a very nice symmetry--the very same N^th Projector which created the N^th Man who ultimately banished the Squadron from their universe ended up being the very same N^th Projector which restored them to their homes, and both events even occurred at the same location.

The Fantastic Four held on to the N^th Command's N^th Projectors; the Angler attempted to steal one from them but was stopped by Quasar and the Human Torch (Quasar I#3).

The events of Captain America I#289 serve as the point at which Earth-7484 diverges from our own world. Timestream's existence results of another diversion from near that point on Earth-7484, but it should be noted that the Timestream analog (Henry Akai) of Earth-616 has not yet been seen.

In The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#7 ("Dinosaur World," inside back cover), the prehistoric world visited by the N^th Command is identified as the same Dinosaur World that was the home of Devil Dinosaur--Earth-78411.

In the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#11, Sidewinder's entry reports that his teleportative abilities come from modified N^th Projector circuitry built into his cloak(s).

In the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#9, the Roxxon entry notes that the dimensional transporter that Roxxon President Hugh Jones uses in Avengers I#141 & #144 is N^th Projector-based technology.

The original Operation Purge, the first attempt to use N^th Projectors to eliminate all superhumans, is very clearly stated to occur in 1983. This date is topical.

The quote in the N^th Command's "Purpose" (above) is from Marvel Two-in-One#58, p31, pan8.

The N^th Emanator and N^th Commandoes were created by J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Zeck, and John Beatty.

The N^th Command did not offer to return the Squadron Sinister Hyperion to his home world. They offered to return him to an alternate, parallel dimension version of Yttrium that had not been destroyed. Of course, as The Official Handbook notes, the Grandmaster created Hyperion and gave him false memories of Yttrium, which never existed. So the N^th Command should not have been able to find any alternate Yttriums either. (Sadly, What If I#23 had an alternate Earth Hulk pass through an alternate dimensional Yttrium!)
--John McDonagh
In point of fact, they did offered to return him to his original home, and Hyperion believed them. Whether or not they could have delivered on that promise is another matter, but they did in fact offer it. Given an infinite number of alternate universes, it is very conceivable that they could have found a Yttrium so close what Hyperion believes that he wouldn't notice a difference.
--SQUEAK
Following up, it should now be noted that as of New Thunderbolts#15, it has been established that there was indeed a real Hyperion and a real Yttrium upon which the Squadron Sinister Hyperion was based.
--SQUEAK

Miskatonic University came from the 1922 serialised story "Herbert West: Re-Animator" by H.P. Lovecraft, and he used it multiple times thereafter.
--Loki

Profile by SQUEAK

Clarifications:

Deathlok

Albert DeVoor has no known connection to

• anyone or anything else with a similar name.

T.W. Erwin has no known connection to

• Clytemnestra Erwin @ Iron Man I#171
• Morley Erwin @ Iron Man I#169
• or to anyone or anything else with a similar name.

Bennett Pittman has no known connection to

• anyone or anything else with a similar name.

Chief Tonah has no known connection to

• Tonaja - Inhuman teen, lover of Dewoz, part of delegation to Earth. female, green skin + wings @ Inhumans III#1
• Tongah - fall people @ Astonishing Tales I#3
• anyone or anything else with a similar name, or any other "Chief"s.

N^th Projectors have no known connection to

• D-Ray -invented by Master Menace @ Squadron Supreme#7
• Dimensionizer -used by residents of Dimension Z @ Tales to Astonish I#49
• Holoflex device -invented by Professor Frankheimer @ Marvel Two-in-One#97
• Nth Man, aka the Ultimate Ninja, John Doe, from the alternate Earth-Nth Man, @ Marvel Comics Presents I#25
• Trans-Dimension Device -used by residents of the Dimension of Doom @ Tales of Suspense I#33
• or to any other dimensional transport devices not mentioned here.

Albert DeVoor claims to have been a scientist developing theories of alternate worlds when, on the verge of failure, he was approached by Arkon, who was attempting to foment a war between three worlds: ours, the Fifth Dimension, and Earth A. Acting as an agent for Interlocking Technologies, Unlimited (I.T.), DeVoor purchased controlling interest in the Fantastic Four's technology, and also purchased technologies in the other two dimensions. When the Fantastic Four foiled the plot, I.T. presumably went out of business. When next seen, DeVoor had become the director of the N^th Project. He was briefly transported to Earth-8009 in the company of Abner Doolittle and Dr. Erwin, but was subsequently retrieved. He was later placed in charge of Operation Purge, the attempt to purge Earth of all super-heroes through use of an N^th Emanator.

Some time later DeVoor used Interlocking Technologies to start a vacation business with his Earth A counterpart. They sent Earth A residents with superpowered counterparts on Earth B (Earth-616) through an Atomic Resequencer to Earth-616 to give them the powers of their Earth-616 counterparts. DeVoor greeted the empowered Earth A residents on Earth-616 and gave them all the info they needed to know about their counterpart to prevent any problems. The plot was discovered and DeVoor got into legal trouble for participating in Secret Identity theft. DeVoor and his clients received help from Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Book. All captured clients were eventually sent back to Earth A by DeVoor and Mr. Fantastic, who couldn't understand why he let DeVoor keep the technology in the first place.

--Fantastic Four I#160 (Fantastic Four I#160, 162-163, Marvel Two-in-OneI#67, Captain America I#289, She-Hulk II#21

Bennett Pittman was a troubleshooter on Roxxon's floating oil rigs before being given the opportunity to preside over the Roxxon's extra-dimensional oil drilling and processing facility. After the facility was destroyed, Pittman was captured and arrested.

--Marvel Two-in-One I#73

Chief Tonah

The N^th Command's first extra-dimensional base was an oil processing facility on a prehistoric world (Earth78411/Dinosaur World) which had both dinosaurs and primitive men living side-by-side. The natives were made to serve for "years" by means of vague promises and threats, but did not hesitate to rise up in revolt at the side of Quasar and the Thing. Chief Tonah was the native tribe's leader.

Tonah and most of the native tribesmen spoke both their own language and English (which they learned from the N^th Project workers). The native tribe was at a very primitive technology level (spears and clubs), but did harness and ride the dinosaurs.

--Marvel Two-In-One I#73

The N^th Projector was a device capable of transporting materials into other dimensions. N^th Projectors came in various sizes and strengths, depending on how much material is to be transported.

N^th Adapters were the largest known N^th Projectors. They served as a permanent conduit to transport oil from one dimension to another, and had an internal diameter of about six feet. Quasar theorized that N^th Adapters were fitted with failsafe devices, to prevent accidents resulting from transporting unexpected quantities of material.

Portable N^th Projectors were approximately three foot long, and heavy enough that they were generally transported on a handcart, though a person could carry one with minimal difficulty. These portable N^th Projectors could be fitted with homing devices and remote controlled self-destruct devices, to prevent their theft.

The N^th Projectors wielded by the N^th Commandoes were lighter and smaller, but required the existence of an N^th Emanator to operate--an immensely large power source. It is unknown what the range of a N^th Emanator was, but it was at least the distance from New York City to the X-Men's Mansion in Westchester in upstate New York. When the N^th Emanator was destroyed, the N^th Projectors all failed to function.

The smallest known N^th Projectors were incorporated into Sidewinder's cloak, allowing him exceedingly limited teleportation.

--Marvel Two-in-One I#54 (56-58,67,73, Captain America I#289, Quasar I#3, Quasar I#51-52, Alpha Flight II#12, Avengers/Squadron Supreme '98

The psi-null field generator was a device capable of blocking mental powers at a distance. The N^th Commandoes believed it would be capable of blocking Professor X's mental abilities, though its effectiveness remains to be determined.

--Captain America I#289

The Skimmer was a jet powered manned transporter. It flew at high rates of speed, and could hover as well. It could be equipped with a variety of weapons, including electrified titanium nets anchored with gravi-pods (whose weight could be adjusted from the skimmer), gravimetric beams (effectively tractor devices), blasters, gas grenades, and metal grappling coils. Each skimmer was manned by a four or five person "scavenger unit."

--Marvel Two-in-One I#67 (73

images:
Captain America Vol.1#289, p1, pan1 (N^th Commandoes)
Marvel Two-in-One I#73, cover (Dinosaur World)
Captain America I#289, p18, pan1 (Albert DeVoor)
Marvel Two-in-One I#73, p12, pan3 (Bennett Pittman)
Marvel Two-in-One I#73, p9, pan3 (Chief Tonah)
Avengers/Squadron Supreme '89, p46, pan5 (N^th Projector)
Captain America I#289, p12, pan1 (Psi-Null Field Generator)
Marvel Two-in-One I#73, p18, pan1 (Skimmer)

Appearances:
Marvel Two-In-One I#53-54 (July-August 1979, 1979) - Mark Gruenwald & Ralph Macchio (writers), John Byrne (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks), Roger Stern (editor)
Marvel Two-In-One I#56-58 (Octoebr-December, 1979) - Mark Gruenwald & Ralph Macchio (writers), George Perez (pencils), Gene Day (inks), Roger Stern (editor)
Marvel Two-In-One I#67 (September, 1980) - Mark Gruenwald & Ralph Macchio (writers), Ron Wilson (pencils), Gene Day and friends (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Marvel Two-In-One I#73 (March 1981) - Ralph Macchhio (writer), Ron Wilson (pencils), Chic Stone (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Quasar I#51-52 (October-November 1993) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), John Heebink (pencils), Ralph Cabrera, Jim Amash (#51) & Michael Oeming (#51) (inks), Ralph Cabrera (editor)
Alpha Flight II#12 (July 1998) - Steve Seagle (writer), Duncan Rouleau (pencils), Troy Hubbs, Robert Hunter, Aaron Sowd (inks)
Squadron Supreme I#7 (March 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Jackson Guice (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#287-289 (November 1983 - January 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Defenders I#129 (March, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Don Perlin (pencils), Kim DeMulder (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Marvel Fanfare II#1 (September 1996) - Jaimie Campos (writer), Robert Brown, Bruce Jones & Scott Kolins (pencils), Justin Bloomer, Scott Kolins & Mike Witherby (inks), James Felder (editor)
Fantastic Four I#160 (July, 1975) - Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Chic Stone (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Fantastic Four I#162-163 (September-October, 1975) - Roy Thomas (writer), Rich Buckler (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Avengers I#83 (December, 1970) - Roy Thomas (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Avengers / Squadron Supreme '98 - Kurt Busiek & Len Kaminski (writers), Carlos Pacheco (pencils), Matt Banning, Vince Russell, Bob Wiacek, Al Vey & Paul Neary (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)

First Posted: 06/27/2004
Last updated: 12/09/2004

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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