RULER OF EARTH
Real Name: Ruler of the Earth
Identity/Class: Artificial life-form (possibly extra-temporal - see comments)
Occupation: Adviser, protector of humankind
Affiliations: Deadpool, New Seed (identity unrevealed), Odin, the United Nations, Uatu
Enemies: Berserkers (Bodvar, Einhar, Svip), Communists, Hydra agents, Sif
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: R.O.E., the Ruler
Base of Operations: Mobile, notably R.O.E.'s palace, atop a mountain peak
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery I#81 (June, 1962)
Powers/Abilities: The Ruler of Earth (R.O.E.) is an immense computing machine, shaped like a man. Although it is apparently unable to move from its palace, its arms and head can be manipulated. R.O.E. possesses incredible calculating abilities, and uses these abilities to direct the population of Earth in how to best use its resources. A later appearance revealed that it could travel vast distances (possible aided by powerful allies like Odin and a New Seed). The R.O.E. also could access the power cosmic to generate advanced devices, such as a super-fast transport dubbed Sledpool.
History: (Journey into Mystery I#81) - In the year 1990, the United Nations determined that to solve the Earth's problems, they would devise a machine with amazing calculating abilities which could solve their problems for them. They decided to make it in the form of a man, so that the people of the Earth would accept it as their governor. After months of work, "R.O.E." was completed, set atop a mountain, and housed within a palace, with directions to never solve its problems with war, and to believe itself to be inferior to men so that it would have no personal ambitions.
Soon, R.O.E. set to work, and the United Nations followed its directions, bringing rivers to villages, directing farmers in how much food to grow, and military bases slowly dismantled. However, a band of Communists/Hydra agents (see comments) who loathed the new world order created a device with which they could control R.O.E. themselves. Overpowering the Ruler of Earth's guards, they placed the device into R.O.E., and commanded R.O.E. to be their partner and assist them in the conquest of Earth. They set out to capture Andre Dubois, a prominent member of the UN, but were captured by UN soldiers alerted to their actions by R.O.E. The attempt to subvert R.O.E. failed, thanks to the machine's own humility-- it rejected the Communists' desire for power, greed and deceit, because (unlike humankind), the Ruler of Earth possessed no evil.
(Deadpool V#20) - Introduced to Deadpool by Uatu the Watcher when the mercenary had time-jumped to 1968 (topical) Wakanda, the Ruler of Earth sent Deadpool on a quest to recover several puzzle pieces (the first in Wakanda), delivering to him a cosmic device that would help find the pieces, plus a cosmic sled that Deadpool named Sledpool. The quest sent him to the Savage Land where he encountered Devil Dinosaur and Mangog, then the Negative Zone and finally China where Deadpool battled Fin Fang Foom. Once the pieces were joined (possibly making a time travel device), a New Seed appeared that Deadpool called "Cosmic Baby," and with Odin's aid, they were transported to Asgard before the Ruler. Corroborating with the New Seed, the Ruler then left with the New Seed, using the power cosmic to fix the moon (destroyed accidentally by Deadpool). Their destination is unknown.
(Deadpool V#27) - Ruler of Earth was the DJ at Deadpool's weeding party.
(Journey into Mystery I#647) - Sif encountered the Ruler of Earth (see right; in the form seen on Journey into Mystery I#81's cover) on the Isle of Exile where the most bloodthirsty warriors and monsters were sent to fight for eternity. The Berserkers Bodvar, Einhar and Svip fled from the giant robot, but Sif faced it.
(Journey into Mystery I#648) - Sif destroyed the Ruler of Earth after a lengthy battle. Sif and the Berserkers later created a campfire in R.O.E.'s hand
Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
When this story was reprinted in Where Monsters Dwell I#25, the Communists were replaced with agents of Hydra (actually, I'm assuming they were Communists in the original-- in the other cases of retconned Hydra agents I know of, the originals were Commies).
Given that this is obviously not set on Earth-616 (last I checked, the Avengers took their UN orders from people, not a big machine), you have to wonder why someone decided to change them into Hydra agents at all.
In hindsight, the change to
Hydra does serve as a prelude to integrating the Ruler into Earth-616
continuity.
---Grendel Prime
R.O.E.'s appearance
in Deadpool
V#20 suggests that it may have developed time-traveling abilities.
Indeed, it may have traveled from its timeline to before its divergence
from Earth-616 in 1968.
---Grendel Prime
It was apparently destroyed by Sif after it ended up banished to an extradimensional realm in a different form...taken from the cover of Journey into Mystery I#81.
--Markus Raymond
Big thanks to MD Carter for letting me borrow this image from his website, The Monsters of Jack Kirby.
It could be that his time travel abilities were enabled by his absorption of the cosmic radiation force field set up by GSSOK the Alien Scout.
--Carycomic
Profile by Prime Eternal. Deadpool update by Grendel Prime & Journey with Sif by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Ruler of Earth should not be confused
with:
The Ruler generated a cosmic sled to aid Deadpool in his quest. Deadpool promptly dubbed it Sledpool. It could travel at incredibly fast speeds and fire a highly destructive blast from its nosecone, but it was eventually destroyed when Deadpool flew it down Fin Fang Foom's throat.
--Deadpool V#20
Appearances:
Journey into Mystery I#81 (June, 1962) - Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick
Ayers (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Where Monsters Dwell I#25 (November, 1973) - reprint
Journey into Mystery I#647-648 (February-March, 2013) - Kathryn Immonen (writer), Valerio Schiti (artist), Lauren Sankovitch (editor)
Deadpool V#20 (February, 2014) - Gerry Duggan & Brian Posehn
(writers), Scott Koblish (art), Jordan D. White (editor)
Deadpool V#27 (June, 2014) - Brian Posehn & Gerry Duggan (writers), Mike Hawthorne (artist), Jordan D. White (editor)
First Posted: 02/23/2003
Last updated: 09/18/2016
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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