THE VIRUS
Real Name: Corman, first name unknown
Identity/Class: Human Mutate/artificially created nano-virus
Occupation: Formerly AGK Security Chief (or a similar position)
Group Membership: None;
formerly AGK Corporation
Affiliations: CEO Kirkland
Enemies: Enigma (Tara Virango), Spider-Man
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: New York
First Appearance: Peter Parker: Spider-Man II#48 (November, 2002)
Powers/Abilities: Originally, Corman had no super human powers, but was willing to do anything to save himself no matter what harm may have come to others.
After being taken over by the Virus, he could burn through even relatively durable solid substances, such as metal or concrete. He may or may not have had the ability to induce the virus' affects on other people, or infect others with the virus.
History:
(Peter Parker: Spider-Man II#49 (fb) - BTS) - The Virus is a virtually
undetectable intelligent mental nano-virus developed by the AGK Corporation in
order to enhance latent mutant tendencies for application in military conflicts.
(Peter Parker: Spider-Man II#49 (fb)) - A few years ago, in the village of Malpura, Bangladesh, in a normal day as so many others, a pall of thick, black fog came down, coating people in a dark sticky substance that seared the eyes and lungs and clung to the skin like burning oil. 4,000 died, and the survivors were contaminated for life with some kind of virus. They accused AGK Incorporated of being responsible for a chemical leak, but AGK tried to cover it up. They denied the accusations, until a protest at the United Nations forced AGK to pay $9 million in compensation.
(Peter
Parker: Spider-Man II#48-49) - In the present day, Tara, supposedly a Buddhist Goddess,
sought vengeance for the villagers. She stole the Star of Persia, a jewel worth
$50 million from the vaults of AGK. Then, she lead Spider-Man to AGK's trail,
and he dug up info on the Malpura incident. Finally, she set up clues for Spidey
to follow her, and arranged a meeting with AGK CEO Kirkland and Security Chief
Corman.
In that meeting, she asked for another 50 million for the victims; Corman pulled a water gun on her filled with a watered down version of the virus. The weaker version of the virus would still be lethal to Tara, because she had already been exposed. Corman and Kirkland have an argument concerning Corman's methods. Corman reminded Kirkland that he had security videos that proved Kirkland was as deep in it as himself, and told the CEO to shut up and let him do his job. He revealed that the C.I.A. paid them 100 million dollars for an undetectable intelligent mental nano-virus to be released into a non-threatening environment. AGK tested it on Malpura's villagers.
Spidey showed up in the nick of time, as Corman was about to shoot Tara. A drop of the watered down virus burned Spidey's arm. The virus linked Peter and Tara's minds, along with the minds of everyone else who died in the village. Peter's spider-sense attuned to the consciousness of those who designed the virus, and it was revealed that the virus was an intelligent mental entity with a single mind designed to enhance latent human/mutant tendencies for application in military conflicts.
Corman fled into the research lab in the ensuing fight, and plunged against the virus' containers after Tara dodged his punch. The virus took over his mind, and Corman began to beg for help. He's was being burned and eaten alive by the virus. The entity that emerged calls itself The Virus, and it said to Spidey that they were a part of each other. It then burned through the floor and escaped, to whereabouts unknown.
Comments: Created by Paul Jenkins, Mark Buckingham, and Wayne Faucher
Henrique's comments: It is possible that Tara is just a mutant, who was present in Malpura at the time of the poisoning, seeing as she is infected with the virus herself.
Stunner's comments: The Creature that referred to itself as the Virus is probably the manifestation of the entire virus and all the minds linked by it. It probably is not Corman speaking through it, but rather it is in itself a completely separate entity simply using Corman's body for itself.
According to Will U, Tara (also referred to as Takara or
Tarini), is the Buddhist goddess of time and stars. She is the wife of Natha,
Mother of Guatma Buddah, and daughter of Avalokiteshvara. She is the deified
version of the mother of Buddha. Among her duties were ferrying men from
delusion to knowledge.
Thanks Will! I didn't even know that Buddhists worshipped a deity, much less
more than one.
As a theravadin buddhist, I would like to comment on your wondering about deities in Buddhism. Like so much else, it depends a lot on the specific school, but even allowing for that, there _are_ no gods in the traditional sense in Buddhism. There are worship deities, true, at least in some schools, and no doubt many people who consider themselves Buddhists treat them as deities in the conventional sense - as a matter of fact, I have met a few in the local Jodo Shinshu temple quite recently.
But for the most part buddhist practice, even when it involves Avalokteshivara/Cherenzi/Kannon, Amida Buddha or some aspect of Tara, uses whatever means are believed to work for developing ethical behavior and the best possible understanding of our own mental processes. The variety of mental dispositions (and religious inclinations) made for quite a number of "colors" of Buddhism, and not too few utter distortions here and there, but that does not make
the worship of Tara and the other hypothetical beings any less valid.
--Luis Olava Dantas
BY HENRIQUE FERREIRA, REFORMATTED BY STUNNER
CLARIFICATIONS: No connection to:
Appearances:
Peter Parker: Spider-Man II#48-49 (November-December, 2002) - Paul Jenkins (writer), Mark Buckingham (penciler), Wayne Faucher (inker), Axel Alonso (editor)
Last updated: 12/05/03
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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