MATANI TIVAN
Real Name: Matani Tivan
Identity/Class: Extra-terrestrial (Cygnus X-1)
Occupation: Former Elder of the Universe
Affiliations: Elders of the Universe
Enemies: None
Known Relatives:
Carina Tivan Walters Korvac (daughter, deceased), Michael Korvac (son-in-law, deceased), Taneleer Tivan, (The Collector, husband)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Formerly the planet Cygnus X-1 and the Collector’s Starship
First Appearance: Avengers I#174 (August, 1978)
Powers/Abilities: Matani had the potential for eternal life, as all of the Elders do, but she lost her will to live and died of apathy. She presumably possessed energy and mental powers similar to those of her husband, such as physical invincibility and precognition.
History: (Silver Surfer III #3 (fb, BTS))- Five Billion years ago, Matani Tivan was born on the planet Cygnus X-1, she grew to adulthood and married Taneleer Tivan, the being destined to become the Elder Of The Universe known as The Collector. Taneleer and Matani somehow survived the death of their race, and began traveling throughout the universe. At some point, Matani gave birth to a daughter, Carina.
(Avengers I#174 (fb))- Although his "brother", the Grandmaster was content to play games, Taneleer was happy with Matani and Carnia-- until he foresaw the coming of Thanos in a vision, and began collecting to preserve life from destruction.
(Silver Surfer III#3 (fb, BTS))- After Carina grew up and left her parents, Matani fell into a state of deep apathy, after having lived for approximately two billion years, she gave up on life, and died. At a later point Carina’s new lover, the megalomaniac Michael Korvac, killed the Collector. During the original Contest of Champions, The Collector was resurrected due to his fellow Elder, the Grandmaster’s, wager with Mistress Death.
(Silver Surfer III#3)- Due to the Grandmaster’s wager with Mistress Death, Matani Tivan was also resurrected, and she appeared to her husband aboard his ship, as he was examining his collection. Taneleer was ecstatic to see his wife "He lost his wife, Matani, more than three billion years ago! He’s missed her all that time!" Taneleer asked Matani how she felt "That doesn’t matter" She replied. "I-I don’t understand--!", "That doesn’t matter either..." The Collector reminded Matani that she died of apathy, but that she could live as long as any of the Elders, that they live because they have the will to live. "But I don’t care, Taneleer...I was so weary after two billion years! I have slept so very long since then...but I have no more desire to remain awake now than I did then!" She then collapsed in her husband’s arms. "No Matani! This isn’t the way it was supposed to be!" "I suppose not..." with that she died again, as her grieving husband stood holding his wife’s body once again... The Collector later spoke with the Champion, Tryco Slatterus, who told him to rest, but Taneleer replied "Rest? No rest for me...for rest would give me time to grieve! And I collected all the grief I needed, three billion years ago."
Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo, Jim Shooter, David Wenzel, and Pablo Marcos.
I list Matani as an Elder Of The Universe because she lasted two billion years before finally succumbing to apathy, well outlasting the rest of her species. It was fascinating to see such depth to an Elder Of The Universe, whose whole lives are devoted to one cause, one passion, in the Collector’s case, collecting rare specimens, in the case of the Runner, running and exploration, etc., but they do have pasts, even those among them who’ve forgotten their beginnings, and have pains only one who has lived for billions of years can imagine, this brief tableau really shined a light on that neglected feature of their existence. The scene where the panels fade into darkness as the Collector mournfully holds his wife’s body is extremely touching. Ironically, Taneleer can never be reunited again with his beloved Matani: in Silver Surfer III#4 The Grandmaster revealed that, as part of his wager with Death, Mistress Death had banned all of the Elders Of The Universe from her realm. Even Thanos, Galactus and the In-Betweener were unable to destroy them.
As for Matani’s daughter, Michael Korvac killed Carina Tivan in The Fantastic Four Annual #24, during the Korvac Saga. He sensed "weakness" in her and implanted a subconscious impulse in the Avenger Thor, causing him to strike Carina dead with a blast from his hammer, much to Thor’s horror and confusion.
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CLARIFICATIONS: Last updated:
12/30/03
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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