PHAEDER

Real Name: Phaeder

Identity/Class: Inhuman;
    former citizen of Attilan

Occupation: Geneticist

Group Membership: Formerly the Inhumans Genetic Council

Affiliations: Dr. Hydro, High Evolutionary (Herbert Wyndham), Maelstrom, Dr. Wladyslav Shinski, Miles Warren (aka Jackal), Arnim Zola

Enemies: Agon

Known Relatives: Maelstrom (son), Morga (wife, deceased), Ransak (Reject, grandson);
    unidentified ancestors/members of "House of Phaeder"

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Various underground laboratories around the world;
    formerly Attilan;
    born in Attilan, Atlantic Ocean

First Appearance: Marvel Two-In-One#72 (February, 1981)

Powers: Phaeder possessed slightly enhanced longevity (he was presumably at least close to 200 years old at his time of death), strength and durability (in his prime). He was extremely gifted at genetic engineering, including the creation of clones.

    He was also key in the development of the mind-transferring process used by Arnim Zola, the Red Skull, and others, though his eventual age was such (and perhaps the process was somewhat flawed), that he could no longer survive the process.

Height: 6'5" (in prime)
Weight: 225 lbs. (at death); 300 lbs. (in prime)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Gray (at death); black (in prime)

History: (Marvel Two-In-One#72 (fb)) - Conflict arose within the Inhumans Genetic Council's royal Houses of Phaeder and Inhumans' ruler Agon.

(Marvel Two-In-One#72 (fb) / FF: Fifty Fantastic Years: Phaeder entry) - During the 19th century's latter half, the brilliant Inhuman geneticist Phaeder was conducting genetic experiments involving cloning. Agon accused Phaeder of treason for experimenting with cloning, forbidden by their ancestors. Arguing their ancestors were "anti-scientific" in outlawing any form of research, Phaeder vied with Agon for leadership of the Genetics Council but lost and was ejected from the council. Fashioning a clone of himself and killing it, Phaeder thus faked his death and fled, continuing his experiments undisturbed and plotting against the House of Agon.

(Marvel Two-In-One#72 (fb) / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#6: Maelstom entry) - Phaeder eventually encountered a colony of Deviants - a genetically unstable human sub-species created by the cosmic Celestials - and his scientific expertise soon earned him placement in the Deviants' capital city in undersea Lemuria-East, working with Deviant geneticists breeding mutates in hopes of stabilizing their race's genetic destiny. Phaeder eventually mated with Deviant royal handmaiden Morga, attractive by Inhuman standards but ugly by Deviants', and had a child, later known as Maelstrom.
    Raised in Deviant society, at age 20, the child joined Phaeder in working in the Deviants' Breeding Pits. When Phaeder lost the Deviants' ruling body's favor, Morga was slain, and Phaeder's son was thrown into the slave pens. Phaeder eventually rescued his son, fled Lemuria with him and traversed the world incognito, establishing multiple bases and pioneering advancements in genetic engineering, including transferring one's mind into a cloned body. Phaeder and his son occasionally transferred their minds into cloned bodies to continue their existence, but Phaeder gradually became too weak to continue the process. At some point, Phaeder's son mated with the Deviant Medula, abandoning her soon after, unaware she was pregnant with the son who would become Ransak.

(X-Factor Annual#3/3) -  In 1928, Phaeder mysteriously (and incognito) appeared to Herbert Wyndham (later High Evolutionary) during the International Conference on Genetics in Geneva, Switzerland, imparting papers detailing how to crack the genetic code.

(Silver Surfer Annual#1/4) - Two years later at Mount Wundagore, Transia, the disguised Phaeder contacted Wyndham again, and delivered to him an army of Subterraneans to serve as slaves in building his Citadel of Science. Ultimately, with Phaeder's aid, Wyndham became the High Evolutionary.

(Captain America I#209 (fb) - BTS) - The Swiss scientist Arnim Zola discovered a cast-iron box in his castle containing the secrets of genetic engineering.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#6: Maelstom entry / FF: Fifty Fantastic Years: Phaeder entry) - Phaeder and his son later provided information to Swiss geneticist Arnim Zola, deciphering and/or adding to his Deviants genetics papers.

(Marvel Two-In-One#72 (fb) / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#6: Maelstom entry) - Soon after the Inhumans relocated their island, Attilan,  from the Atlantic Ocean to the Himalayas mid-20th century, Phaeder and his son established a scientific sanctuary within the island's undersea remains. Obtaining Terrigen molecules in millennia-old vaults allowed creation of various mutates and granted the son the kinetic energy-siphoning powers for which he renamed himself Maelstrom; Phaeder, however, was already too feeble to take the Terrigen-extract. The two labored for decades, garnering knowledge and power to eventually subjugate both the Inhumans and Deviants, while Phaeder became increasingly infirm.
    They occasionally assisted potential human allies in hopes of reaping their research's benefits, including the Enclave's Wladyslav Shinsky, whose Citadel of Science they helped construct; Miles Warren (aka Jackal); and Herman Frayne (aka Dr. Hydro), to whom they granted a Terrigen-derived compound that transformed people into  amphibians (aka Hydro-Men/Hydrobase Amphibians).

(Defenders I#15 (fb) - BTS / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#6 - BTS) - From equipment discovered in Phaeder's former Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico base, Magneto (Max Eisenhardt) created Alpha the Ultimate Mutant.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#7:: Maelstom's Minions entry / FF: Fifty Fantastic Years: Phaeder entry) - Phaeder and Maelstrom also created servants from Terrigen-mutated Inhumans, Deviants and abducted humans.  

(Marvel Two-In-One#72) - When the Inhumans (now led by Agon's son Black Bolt/Blackagar  Boltagon), assisted by scientist Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic), developed an Anti-Terrigen compound to cure the Hydro-Men, Maelstrom's Minions stole the compound, with which Maelstrom intended to de-power Attilan's Inhumans. Maelstrom related his plot to the bedridden and barely conscious Phaeder, but seconds after Maelstrom reported his failure and de-powerment by the Anti-Terrigen before being slain by his dutiful agent Deathurge, Phaeder died in his sleep.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#6 - BTS) - Both Maelstrom and Phaeder's life essences were instantly transferred to clone bodies upon death via a process developed by Zola, but the feeble Phaeder perished in the process.

Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald and Ron Wilson.

    Accounts that Maelstrom fathered a son with Deviant handmaiden Noma while he first lived in Lemuria are believed false. This information came from the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe entry on Maelstrom, which was removed altogether in the Deluxe Edition. It wasn't revealed until nearly 15 years later that Maelstrom had a son by a Deviant woman named Medula...so we may never know what the significance of Noma was meant to be.

    Arnim Zola's connection to Maelstrom and Phaeder comes from Avengers Annual#13, where it was observed that his creations decomposed in the same manner as Maelstrom's had in Marvel Two-In-One#72. Arnim Zola's connection was further confirmed in the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#6: Maelstrom entry. 

    Arnim Zola, Wladyslav Shinski and Magneto's connection comes from the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#6: Maelstrom entry.
    It also claimed the Jackal was one of those they benefited, but later stories made him a protégé of the High Evolutionary. Perhaps Phaeder indeed shared information with Miles Warren, or perhaps Warren just learned Phaeder's information from the High Evolutionary.

    The identity of the benefactor in Silver Surfer Annual#1 and X-Factor Annual#3 was not revealed in those stories, but given that Mark Gruenwald authored those stories, he likely intended it to be either Maelstrom or Phaeder. Since they lived in underground labs, it also stands to reason they would know of the Subterraneans.
    The benefactor was confirmed as Phaeder in FF: Fifty Fantastic Years: Phaeder entry.

    The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#6 identified all of Maelstrom's Minions as humans, but later editions left their genetic origins unrevealed.

    On page 2 of Fantastic Four Index#5, it notes that the Citadel of Science of the Enclave was formed by the four Enclave members with the aid of Phaeder and Maelstrom.
--Per Degaton

    In Quicksilver#9, the first meeting between Phaeder and Wyndham (High Evolutionary) was retold, but the location was changed from Geneva, Switzerland to Alexandria, Egypt. The retelling was probably false because Wyndham wasn't in good shape at the time.
--Markus Raymond

by Prime Eternal; revised by Snood

Clarifications: No known connections to:

• Phae-Dorr, a Kree, former leader of the Kree Science Council, @ Inhumans I#3
• Phaedra, Seeker 3000 telepath @ Marvel Premiere#41
• Phaedra, ruler of Haven @ Death's Head II#1