OCCULUS

Real Name: Occulus

Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Inniverse) mutant/mutate

Occupation: Ruler of his planet;
    former ward of the Gem Guild

Group Membership: Leader of the Gem Guild

Affiliations: Dangor, Mad Thinker, Puppet Master, Threska (see comments);
    commanded a squadron of soldiers;
    formerly Landa;
 

Enemies: Fantastic Four (Ant-Man (Lang), Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Mr. Fantastic, Thing), Hercules,  Landa, Rebel Underground of the Inniverse, Franklin Richards, She-Hulk, Spider-Man (Ben Reilly), Wildblood

Known Relatives: Landa (former wife), Wildblood (brother)

Aliases: Occulus the Unforgiving, Occulus the Omnipotent, the Unforgiving One, Doc Occulus

Base of Operations: The Vault, Negative Zone
    formerly Castle Occulus, on an unnamed planet in the Inniverse;
    formerly the headquarters of the Gem Guild

First Appearance: (mentioned) Fantastic Four I#362 (March, 1992);
    (seen) Fantastic Four I#363 (April, 1992)

Powers/Abilities: Occulus possessed the ability to tap into the gems of the Inniverse, which granted him a variety of energy powers. The more gems he possessed, the greater his power. He can form force fields, project energy blasts (heat, light, and concussive force) from his gem eye, levitate, and detect various forms of energy. He had enhanced human strength and stamina.

    With his powers enhanced, he could form energy platforms, fly at subsonic speeds, fire more powerful energy blasts, and had Class 25 strength and durability.

    His intellect is above normal, and he was a master of the martial arts of the his planet. He is an experienced administrator, strategist, and tactician. However, his quest for power sometimes blinded him to reason. He wears a body armor of unspecified construction.

Height: 6'4"        Weight: 290 lbs.        Eye: Black        Hair: Black       

Other distinguishing features:  Occulus' right eye has been replaced by a yellow gemstone. His skin is light red.

History:
(Fantastic Four I#364 (fb)) - The youths who would later become known as Occulus and the Wildblood were orphans. As was the standard, both were tested by the Gem Guild to see if they had the gift of manipulating the energy of the power gems which adorned the skies of the Inniverse. Occulus was found to have the talent and was spirited away by the Guild, but his brother proved of no value. Pampered by the Guild and instructed by the evil Dangor himself, the talented brother grew in knowledge and power. Eventually, he plucked out his own right eye in a quest for Gem supremacy. None were certain whether his action was motivated by an overwhelming sense of responsibility to his world or the result of madness. However, now taking the name Occulus, he was never the same.

(Fantastic Four I#363 (fb) - BTS) - Occulus became the supreme ruler of the Gem Guild and of his whole world. He married Landa and was served by Dangor, as his advisor. Still he continued his quest for power, and he sought the death of his brother, now known as the Wildblood, who opposed the Gem Guild.

(Fantastic Four I#362 - BTS) - Occulus sent a squadron of soldiers to capture the Wildblood. They detected a portal to Earth-616, created by Reed Richards, through which the Wildblood had passed. They passed through the portal, defeated Ben, Reed, and Sue, and abducted the Wildblood, as well as Sue and Franklin Richards, taking them all back into the Inniverse.

(Fantastic Four I#363) - While Ben, Johnny, and Reed stormed the Inniverse, fighting Occulus' soldiers in the process. Meanwhile, the captives were brought before Occulus, who chastised (i.e. slew) the captain of the guards for praising his troop's accomplishments. When Franklin Richards' powers proved to be connected to that of the gems, Occulus thought to slay him, but was convinced that they might instead exploit his power for their own use. Sue Richards tried to free Franklin, even managing to cut off his air supply, but she was distracted when Dangor threatened to slay Franklin, and Occulus knocked her out. Occulus then used Dangor's machine to tap into Franklin's power.

(Fantastic Four I#364) - His powers vastly amplified, Occulus took to the skies to slaughter the Rebel Underground. Occulus proved his power to easily overpower the soldiers and the male members of the FF, but allowed them to escape to live in fear of him. Returning to his palace, he ignored the advice of both Landa and Dangor, instead deciding that everyone on his world should love and honor him--or suffer the fearful consequences! Meanwhile, he allowed the others to free Sue and Franklin, but then confronted and attacked them. He easily drove back Ben and Wildblood, but Reed used an Enervator--designed to sap the gem power--to weaken him. However, Reed hesitated before finishing him off, and Occulus recovered and destroyed the weapon.

(Fantastic Four I#365) - Occulus continued to use his powers to toy with the others. However, following Reed's instructions, the Underground had constructed a giant Gem Screen with a charge opposite to that of Occulus'. When activated, the screen--with its energies channeled by Sue's force field--caused a massive backlash against Occulus' energies, and the Unforgiving One was banished into space.

(Fantastic Four I#400)- Occulus was among the enemies of the Fantastic Four drawn from different eras to oppose members of the Fantastic Four and Fantastic Force on behalf of Aron the Rogue Watcher, who was attempting to transform the milky way galaxy into his own pocket universe. Occulus destroyed a device which Ant-Man was working on in an attempt to halt Aron, forcing Ant-Man to physically assault Aron's devices.

(Spider-Man/Human Torch#5 (fb)) - At one point, Occulus stole the adamantium arms of Dr. Octopus, becoming "Doc Occulus." He fought the Human Torch and Spider-Man (Ben Reilly).

(Fantastic Four: Foes#1) - Occulus attended a gathering of enemies of the Fantastic Four held by the Puppet Master, who suggested that they combine their forces. Occulus left with the others, without even acknowledging the Puppet Master's scheme, unaware that the Mad Thinker had obtained a DNA sample from him, as per his primary intentions.

(Fantastic Four: Foes#5 (fb) - BTS) -  The Fantastic Four captured Occulus and transferred him to the newly constructed Vault in the Negative Zone.

(Fantastic Four: Foes#5) - Occulus and the rest of the inmates were released from their cells by the Negative Zone sorceress Threska.

(Fantastic Four: Foes#6) - Occulus and most of the other inmates fought the Fantastic Four, and they either voluntarily returned to their cells or were recaptured by force.

Comments: Created by Tom DeFalco, Paul Ryan, and Danny Buladi.