SHATTERSTAR

Real Name: Arides

Identity/Class: Kree, artifically mutated

Occupation: Agent of the Kree

Group Membership: Supreme Intelligence's Personal Service Corps

Affiliations: Agent of the Kree, ally of Maximus and the "Evil Inhumans" (Aireo, Falcona, Leonus, Makus, Nebulo, Stallior, Timberius)

Enemies: Inhumans Royal Family (Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Karnak, Triton, Crystal), Lockjaw, Falzon, Murius (deceased), Avengers (Deathcry, Giant-Man, Quicksilver, Thunderstrike, Vision), Fantastic Force (Devlor, Psi-Lord)

Known Relatives: Falzon (father, deceased), Murius (mother, deceased)

Aliases: The Shatterer of the Stars (probably an alternate translation of his codename)

Place of Birth: Planet Hala, Pama system, Andromeda galaxy

Base of Operations: Hala; later caves beneath the former Himalayan location of Attilan

Extent of Education: Unrevealed

First Appearance: Inhumans I#3 (February, 1976)

Powers: Originally, Arides was charged with photo-mesonic energy, which he could focus through his wristbands in the form of various beams of light. Each color of the spectrum had a different effect; his green beam was a stasis ray, his red beam was a heat ray, and his yellow beam was a powerful concussive ray. Additionally, his Kree nature granted him slightly superhuman strength on Earth. In this form, Arides also wore battle armor and a jet-pack, as well as devices on his wrists that allowed him to better focus his energies. Arides traveled in a small starship armed with energy cannons.

Since becoming a being fully composed of "photo-mesonic" energy, Arides is immune to many physical attacks, but is more vulnerable to energy bolts. In this form, Arides only seems able to project heat, light, and concussive force. He could also fly at the speed of light and survive without eating or breathing. He is somewhat dependent on his headband (and presumably his wristbands as well) to maintain physical coherence. Like the Living Laser, it is assumed that Shatterstar possesses minor telepathic abilities enabling him to perceive reality and communicate with others. In both forms, he carried a device allowing him to trace Terrigenated Inhumans.

Height: 5'9"
Weight: (solid form) 195 lbs.
Eyes: Amber
Hair: Black

History: (Inhumans I#4 (fb) ) - Falzon, a Kree scientist, and his wife Murius, had a child, Arides. Because of the child's heredity, he was taken at infancy by the Overseers to be trained in the Supreme Intelligence's Personal Service Corps. Falzon later developed a method to create a Kree super-soldier. Intrigued, the military leaders of the Kree decided that Arides would be the test subject. Arides was bombarded with photo-mesons for twenty years, granting him various energy powers, which he spectacularly demonstrated for the military. Falzon and Murius, horrified by the results, planned to take Arides and flee the Kree homeworld of Hala. However, Arides opposed the plan, secretly reported the two, and as reward was assigned to recapture them when they left without him. Falzon surrendered, but Murius continued fleeing, prompting Shatterstar to kill her with a burst of energy. Despite extensive mental reconditioning, Falzon never forgot the image of his son killing his own mother.

(Inhumans I#3-5)-As part of a multi-stage plan to capture the Inhumans for military use, the Kree sent Shatterstar to Earth over Falzon's heated objections. Falzon followed Shatterstar, but as they arrived in New York City Arides shot Falzon's ship down. Falzon barely had time to warn the Inhumans' Royal Family, who were in new York City seeking the Fantastic Four, that Arides was after them before the Kree agent fired an energy bolt at the group. Shatterstar announced that he had been sent to capture the Inhumans, who quickly attacked him in response. However, one by one they discovered that Arides' powers made him a match for them. Finally, Black Bolt attacked and pinned Arides' wrist-weapons. Unfortunately, Falzon was unable to warn Black Bolt about the resultant energy buildup in time to prevent an explosion that stunned the Inhuman monarch.

Shatterstar decided that his orders to capture the Inhumans alive did not apply to either Black Bolt or Falzon, and prepared to kill both. Before he could, Lockjaw teleported in and used his ability to project force shields to further confound Arides. The Inhumans launched a combined assault on Shatterstar who flew into the air and dueled with Black Bolt and arriving U.S. Air Force pilots. Shatterstar blasted Black Bolt to the ground and resumed attacking the other Inhumans, but Black Bolt used the opportunity to board Shatterstar's ship along with Triton. Shatterstar had captured Falzon and the other Inhumans and was about to slay them when Black Bolt used the ship's weaponry to blast the Kree agent into unconsciousness.

Falzon and the Inhumans decided to return to Attilan with the unconscious Shatterstar, and Falzon related the villain's origin as they traveled. The Inhumans soon arrived, only to find Attilan taken over by Maximus and the Evil Inhumans. Shatterstar revived as well, and with the city held hostage the Royal Family was forced to surrender. Maximus and his cronies began loading the Inhumans onto ships to be taken to Hala, while Falzon again attempted to reach his son. Tired of being lectured, Arides slapped Falzon aside and blasted his father, badly wounding him.

Medusa stepped in, demanding medical attention for Falzon, but then Maximus and Arides threatened to kill Quicksilver and Crystal if the Royal Family did not formally surrender. Lockjaw then appeared, freeing the Royals and taking them to a safe location nearby. Triton decided that Arides was the only real threat, and set off to neutralize him. Triton goaded the Kree into chasing him into the Inhumans' Corridor of Memories, and into firing at him when he was in front of the Mirror of Eternity (yes, really). Shatterstar was apparently obliterated by his own blast.

(Inhumans I#6) - Flashback to Arides' apparent death.

 

 

(Avengers I#383) - Months later, Arides emerged in the caves underneath Attlian's old Himalayan location. Finding Attilan gone and only a few Alpha Primitives remaining, Arides decided that his original mission to forcibly recruit the Inhumans still held, and set off to find them. He arrived near Avengers Mansion, and interrupted an attempted reconciliation between Crystal and Quicksilver by abducting her. Arides was stunned to find another Inhuman spontaneously appearing on his scanner. Tracing the presence to the headquarters of the Fantastic Force, he learned that the shifting presence was due to the unique transformational abilities of Devlor. He quickly zapped the Force and left for his Himalayan base.

While there, he was perplexed to discover only static on all official Kree communication channels. Crystal attempted to tell Arides about the Kree's subjugation by the Sh'iar, but Arides refused to believe her. Instead, he began torturing Devlor for information. Before Arides could interrogate his captives further, the Avengers and the Fantastic Force burst in. As they battled, the Sh'iar Deathcry struck Arides from behind with an energy blaster and convinced him that the Sh'iar did indeed rule the Kree now. Moreover, the Vision told Arides that he was now an energy being, and no longer alive in the usual sense. Disoriented by the revelations, Arides fled towards Hala to learn more.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments: Created by Doug Moench and George Perez.

    Talk about a dangler! What happened when an insane Kree energy being reached Hala and found the Kree a subject race? For that matter, what's he up to now that all the Kree are Ruul? Let's hope Peter David decides to use Arides over in Captain Marvel. (If you agree, please E-Mail Peter David at mail@marvel.com under the subject Captain Marvel, and request this!)

    Photons are units of light, and mesons are a class of subatomic particles composed of an even number of opposite-spinning quarks. Presumably "photo-mesons" are mesons found in photons, or something like that. Is there a physicist in the house? Yes, there is. caliban are resident astrophysics student says, "Omar's absolutely right, photons are units of light, also carriers of the electromagnetic force, and mesons are bosonic hadrons.  What that means is that they have integer spin (boson) and are made of quarks (hadron). There are photons that mediate forces between mesons, since they experience electromagnetic force just like anything, but there's no reason why they woudl be any more special than any other photon.  Also, the mesons will quickly decay into other things, one of which can be photons.  Of course, it being comic book science, I could imagine that these photons that have come from meson decay may have some special property.  At least if you bathe in them for twenty years!"

    Shatterstar was called "Arides" exclusively in the Avengers story, probably to avoid confusion with the guy in X-Force.

Profile by Omar Karindu.

Clarifications:
Shatterstar is not to be confused with:

images: (without ads)

Other appearances:
Inhumans I#4-6 (April, 1976) - Doug Moench (writer), George Perez (#4) & Gil Kane (#5-6) (pencils), Vince Colletta (#4-5) & Frank Chiaramonte (#6) (inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Avengers I#383 (February, 1995) - Tom Brevoort & Mike Kantzrovich (writers), Mike Gustovich (artist), Ralph Macchio (editor)

First Posted: 12/09/2001
Last updated: 12/28/2004

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters