ZODIAC
Membership: Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, The Ecliptic, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Taurus, Virgo
Affiliations: (former) Department H
Enemies: Alpha Flight, Department H, Weapon X
Base of Operations: Castle (location unknown)
First Appearance: Alpha Flight II#1 (August, 1997)
History: A new team of superhumans based on astrological signs, some, if not all, the product of genetic engineering, the Zodiac was recruited by the mysterious Scorpio, and followed the agenda set by his advisor, the Ecliptic.
(Alpha Flight II#1) - Department H hired the Zodiac to face their new Alpha Flight team as a test, leading Alpha Flight to believe that the Zodiac were allied with Quebec separatist terrorists, who were threatening to launch a series of chemical weapons attacks on Canada until their demands were met. In truth, the ‘terrorists’ were hostages held by the Zodiac, forced to act the part, and make demands in front of a camera. Department H’s General Clarke claimed that the terrorists had used chemical weapons to wipe out the population of Port Radium, although the truth of this was never verified. (General Clarke also said that the previous Zodiac were all incarcerated in the US and Japan, although this remains unconfirmed and unlikely.)
As the Zodiac waited for Alpha Flight’s arrival at Nascent Observatory in Dorion, Quebec, Taurus’ boredom angered Scorpio, after the former made advances towards Virgo. Pisces broke up their fight, informing Scorpio that his advisor, the Ecliptic, had summoned him. She informed him that an upheaval in the heavens meant that he had to strike now and threatened to leave him if he did not follow her advice. The Zodiac forced their hostages to make another broadcast, threatening to strike on Vancouver if their demands were not met in three hours.
After General Clarke "located" the Zodiac, Alpha Flight arrived at the observatory just in time to stop Scorpio from killing the hostages. The Zodiac was prepared for Alpha Flight, who learned from the hostages that Scorpio had been told by the government that they were coming. Alpha Flight battled the Zodiac, with both teams trying to avoid a rampage from Alpha Flight's Sasquatch. Meanwhile another Alpha member Manbot located the controls for the chemical weapons and deactivated them (if, indeed, they were ever real). Alpha's Murmer compelled Virgo to teleport to Paris, while Radius, yet another Alphan, pushed Taurus into his fellow teammate Flex. Flexes' blades cut Taurus, and he mistakenly believed he had killed the bull-man. In retaliation, Scorpio struck down veteran Alpha Flighter Madison Jeffries with his key, and the Zodiac teleported away, taking him as their captive.
Scorpio later visited a mystery man within Department H, who offered to make more use of them in the future, but Scorpio felt his team had been used, as losing one of their own was never part of the plan. The Zodiac had their own agenda, and now possessed the means and money to accomplish it. He teleported away, saying, "You, Alpha Flight and the rest of the world are officially our enemies. Blood enemies."
(Alpha Flight II#5) - Virgo, lost in Paris, was run over by a car. The elderly French couple in the car found her semi-conscious, calling for Scorpio.
(Alpha Flight II#7) - The Ecliptic informed Scorpio of Virgo’s location, and he announced his intent to retrieve her and complete the Zodiac, so they could rule the Earth.
(Alpha Flight I I#10 )- Taurus arrived in Paris to retrieve Virgo, as her teleportation device was not working. Virgo asked why Scorpio had not come himself, and Taurus explained that he was busy birthing the last of the twelve. They teleported away, after killing the French couple.
(Alpha Flight II#12 )- Alpha Flight returned from the extra-dimensional Microverse to find the Zodiac had infiltrated Department H, destroying Dr. Haddock’s lab and overwhelming the Epsilon Guards in the process. The Zodiac quickly opened fire on Alpha Flight, injuring Murmur, before they could escape into lower levels of the Department H building, taking Dr. Haddock with them, despite Scorpio’s orders for the Zodiac to kill her. Aries, Leo, and Capricorn fled a battle with Sasquatch to rejoin the rest of the team, as Scorpio found what they had been looking for: a metal box, hidden in the lab, just where the Ecliptic told him it would be. Scorpio informed a confused Zodiac how it would give them the power to reshape the world in their image.
Scorpio split the Zodiac into groups to hunt down and deal with Alpha Flight. Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini chased after Guardian and Puck. Virgo and Taurus briefly attacked Vindicator and Sunfire and then teleported away, sticking to Scorpio’s "strike and retreat" plan. Aries, Leo and, Capricorn broke into Department H’s Prometheus Lab and broke a "bacterial super-organism" free, riding safetly upon its force shackle as it traveled the corridors of Department H, stripping everything living in its path to the bone. Radius confronted the three man-animals, and they thrashed him until Sasquatch caught up with them. They teleported to avoid his attacks, and they were called back to battle by Scorpio. Once Capricorn deactivated the force-shackle, they unleashed the "bacterial super-organism" which killed Sasquatch before Radius was able to destroy it.
Guardian and Puck led their pursuers, now joined by Virgo, Taurus, and Sagittarius, into ‘Combat Centrale’, Alpha Flight’s training room, hoping to not only use the weapons there against them but to also make the Zodiac unable to teleport. Recognizing the power of one of the Geminis', Puck unmasked him, revealing him to be Madison Jeffries. Being brainwashed by the Zodiac, Jeffries used his powers to break out of ‘Combat Centrale’, allowing the Zodiac to teleport away.
Unknown to Alpha Flight, other members of the Zodiac sabotaged Department H’s nuclear reactor, and General Clarke died trying to repair it. The Zodiac regrouped outside at their plane, but Guardian, Puck, Radius, Sunfire, Manbot, and Flex confronted them. During the battle, Flex opened the metal box the Zodiac stole, revealing its contents--the Nth Projector, a powerful device capable of opening inter-dimensional portals. Manbot recounted how the device, when last used, had created a rift in the fabric of space, and Scorpio claimed it would cause another "though there may be nothing left to record the event when it’s used again!" Leo revealed to Alpha Flight the danger at the reactor, and Scorpio offered them a choice: stop the Zodiac or save Vindicator. Alpha Flight allowed the Zodiac to escape.
(Alpha Flight II#13 [BTS]) - After examining DNA samples, Department H scientists admired the state of the art genetic engineering work done to the Zodiac.
(Weapon-X II#1) - The Director of Weapon-X, wanting to make use of Madison Jeffries in his plans, managed to track the Zodiac down to their castle base and sent the Weapon-X team in to capture him. They took the Zodiac by surprise, and Kane shot Scorpio in the face, taking him out of the fight, possibly even killing him. Weapon-X held off the rest of the Zodiac until Sauron captured Jeffries. The mutant Mesmero then compelled the Zodiac to sleep. As the others left, Sauron fed off the Zodiac, draining their life energy. Weapon-X then blew up their castle, leaving the Zodiac for dead inside.
Comments: Scorpio, Taurus, Virgo, Pisces and Sagittarius created by Steve Seagle & Scott Clark. Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, Leo, Libra, Gemini created by Steve Seagle & Duncan Rouleau.
The Zodiac are yet another example of the sad fate that meets many long-forgotten characters and storylines, and despite being formidable foes in Alpha Flight, came across as rank amateurs against Weapon-X (Pisces is incapacitated by Washout’s water attack?!? Wait. That’s *not* water. Eww.).
Madison Jeffries is hardly obscure, and as such, only his Zodiac/Gemini appearances are listed.
We really do need more man-crab characters. Or any other kind of man-crustaceans, really.
All Zodiacs have an entry in OHotMU 2006 A-Z#12.
Assuming the Zodiacs have allegiance/alignment with their Zodiac signs:
Profile edited/updated by Kyle Sims
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Zodiac should not be confused with:
Aquarius should not be confused with:
Aries should not be confused with:
Cancer should not be confused with:
Capricorn should not be confused with:
Gemini should not be confused with:
Leo should not be confused with:
Libra should not be confused with:
Pisces should not be confused with:
Sagittarius should not be confused with:
Scorpio should not be confused with:
Taurus should not be confused with:
Virgo should not be confused with:
The remaining 11 members of the newest Zodiac are likely all present in Avengers II#60, but have yet to be fully revealed.
Ecliptic should not be confused with:
Scorpio was the mysterious leader of the Zodiac. Scorpio was once a hero, until he met the Ecliptic and trusted her enough to become Scorpio, form the Zodiac, and follow a new plan. Scorpio loved Virgo and was very protective of her. He also feared his Zodiac would leave him if they knew the full details of his plans. Scorpio was apparently killed by Garrison Kane (but would have died in the destruction of Zodiac's base in any event).
Scorpio had a barbed tail, most likely just part of his costume, although he never made any use of it. Any other powers or abilities Scorpio possessed remained unrevealed. Scorpio possessed a teleportation device, standard issue amongst the Zodiac members, and wielded a weapon similar in appearance to the Zodiac Key/Scorpio Key/Cosmic Key, which displayed the ability to fire energy blasts.
--Alpha Flight II#1 (Alpha Flight II#1, 7, 12, Weapon-X II#1
Scorpio’s identity was never revealed nor was any connection between his key and the previous Keys (although given that the Scorpio Key was appearing in the Iron Fist miniseries at the same time, it wasn’t that one, at least).
Note: Based on his astrological sign, Scorpio would have some connection to Set;
see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Set from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot
Aquarius was a later addition to the Zodiac. A man of few words, he tended to remain in the background despite his power. He was killed with the rest of Zodiac by Weapon X.
Aquarius fired blasts of an unknown energy from his hands and possessed the standard Zodiac teleportation device.
--Alpha Flight II#2 (Alpha Flight II#12, Weapon-X II#1
Note: Based on his astrological sign, Aquarius would have some connection to Oshtur;
see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Oshtur from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot
Aries was a later addition to the Zodiac. He led Leo and Capricorn when the Zodiac split into groups to hunt down Alpha Flight, showing more intelligence than the other Zodiac man-animals, enough so to not want to reveal their plans to their enemies. He was killed with the rest of Zodiac by Weapon X.
He possessed superhuman strength, had horns, wielded a gun, and used the Zodiac's teleportation device.
--Alpha Flight II#12 (Alpha Flight II#12, Weapon-X II#1
Note: Based on his astrological sign, Aries would have some connection to Chthon;
see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Oshtur from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot.
Cancer was a later addition to the Zodiac. Another background member of the team, Cancer said nothing and stayed mostly behind the scenes. He was killed with the rest of the Zodiac by Weapon X.
Cancer possessed superhuman strength, wore armor, used claws, and carried a Zodiac teleportation device.
--Alpha Flight II#12 (Alpha Flight II#12, Weapon-X II#1
In his original appearance, it was hard to tell if Cancer was a man in
a crab suit, or a real man-crab. Weapon-X II#1 confirmed him to be a man
in a crab costume. (although depicted him with hands rather than claws, walking
like a knuckle-dragging oaf)
Note: Based on his astrological sign, Cancer would have some connection to Set;
see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Set from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot
Capricorn was another Zodiac man-animal, as violent as the others, and didn’t take kindly to being mocked. Capricorn suffered from a bleating speech impediment. He accompanied Aries and Leo in their theft of Department H's super-organism. He was later killed with the rest of Zodiac by Weapon X.
Capricorn possessed superhuman strength, used horns, wielded a gun, and used a teleportation device. (Capricorn also wielded a staff on the cover of#12, but nowhere else)
--Alpha Flight II#12 (Alpha Flight II#12, Weapon-X II#1
Note: Based on his astrological sign, Capricorn has some connection to Gaea;
see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Gaea from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot
Leo was a later addition to the Zodiac. As mean, nasty, and brutal as the other Zodiac man-animals, Leo was also a boastful braggart, openly talking of the group’s plans. He accompanied Capricorn and Aries in the theft of Department H's super-organism. He was later killed with the rest of the Zodiac by Weapon X.
Leo possessed superhuman strength, besides using claws and fangs. He wielded a gun and a Zodiac teleportation device.
--Alpha Flight II#12 (Alpha Flight II#12, Weapon-X II#1
Note: Based on his astrological sign, Leo would have some connection to Chthon;
see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Oshtur from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot.
Libra was a later addition to the Zodiac. Libra never said anything other than "Balance". She wore a blindfold, but it is not known if she was actually blind, nor if she could see through some superhuman power. Despite her poor conversation skills, Libra led Aquarius and Gemini in their attack on Alpha Flight. She was later killed with the rest of the Zodiac by Weapon X.
It is not known if she possessed any superhuman abilities. Libra carried a staff and an energy-charged sword. It is unknown if the energy was part of her own power or the sword’s. Like the other Zodiac members, she also had her own teleportation device.
--Alpha Flight II#12 (Alpha Flight II#12, Weapon-X II#1
Libra was blue-skinned in her first appearance but not in her second.
Note: Based on her astrological sign, Librawould have some connection to Oshtur;
see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Oshtur from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot
Pisces was one of the first members of the Zodiac. Pisces was confident and a calming influence on some of the more headstrong Zodiac members. Her calling Guardian ‘mammal’ suggests she was something other than human. Pisces was the lover of Sagittarius. She was killed with the rest of the Zodiac by Weapon X.
Pisces possessed the ability to transform her body to water, initially appearing only in her water-form. She displayed the abilities to completely surround an opponent in her water-form, drowning them, and to fire blasts of water. Pisces also appears to have the power to alter her appearance in her human form (since she appears as a blonde white woman in#12, yet red with green hair on the cover, and has black hair in Weapon-X. Or maybe she’s just a dye-job and that cover’s a mess-up). She also wielded the Zodiac's teleportation device.
--Alpha Flight II#1 (Alpha Flight II#1, 12, Weapon-X II#1
Note: Based on his astrological sign, Pisces would have some connection to Set;
see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Set from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot
Sagittarius was one of the original members of the group. Sagittarius was a bow-wielding centaur with a sadistic love of violence and killing but was also the lover of Pisces. He was killed with the rest of the Zodiac by Weapon X.
Sagittarius carried a bow. His arrows had little trouble piercing armored opponents. As with the other Zodiac members, he also had a teleportation device, and he sometimes carried a gun.
--Alpha Flight II#1 (Alpha Flight II#1, 12, Weapon-X II#1
In Alpha Flight II#12, Sagittarius was frequently incorrectly depicted with Capricorn’s goat-torso and head.
Note: Based on his astrological sign, Sagittarius would have some connection to Chthon;
see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Oshtur from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot.
Taurus was one of the first members of the Zodiac. A huge man-bull, broken out of Ryker’s Island by Scorpio, Taurus was a loud, violent thug, easily bored and quick to anger. Taurus earned Scorpio’s wrath by wanting "some fun" with Virgo, but he was nonetheless dispatched to retrieve her from France. Taurus developed a bitter hatred of Flex after being wounded by him. Taurus was killed with the rest of the Zodiac by Weapon X.
He possessed superhuman strength and horns, and wielded the Zodiac's teleportation device.
--Alpha Flight II#1 (Alpha Flight II#1, 10, 12, Weapon-X II#1
Virgo was one of the first members of the Zodiac. Virgo was quiet, "pure", and loyal to Scorpio, who was in love with her. Virgo came to like Paris during her time stranded there without her teleportation device, but it is unknown if it was she or Taurus who killed her ‘rescuers’. She was killed with the rest of the Zodiac by Weapon X.
Virgo displayed no powers, instead using guns and bows. She also served as the Zodiac’s co-pilot along with Scorpio.
--Alpha Flight II#1 (Alpha Flight II#1, 5, 10, 12, Weapon-X II#1
Virgo was mis-drawn as Vindicator for a panel or two of #12.
Note: Based on her astrological sign, Virgo has some connection to Gaea;
see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Gaea from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot
Gemini was actually two men, later additions to the Zodiac team. One of the two Geminis was former Alpha Flight member Madison Jeffries, brainwashed into working with the Zodiac, in denial over his former identity, and teamed him with a ‘twin’, as "Gemini of flesh, and Gemini of steel." The two Geminis spoke as one when together. Although Weapon-X "liberated" Jeffries from the Zodiac, his "twin" was not present when the others were defeated.
Jeffries is a mutant with the power to control, animate, and re-shape metal and machinery. The powers of his "twin" are unknown.
--Alpha Flight II#1 (Alpha Flight II#12, Weapon-X II#1 (Jeffries only)
The nature of the second Gemini was never revealed, but it has been speculated that it was the "Gemini of steel", a robotic duplicate created by Jeffries’ power, or, alternatively, Jeffries was "Gemini of his steel" due to his power, and his thought-dead brother Lionel Jeffries (Scramble) was "Gemini of flesh". Once unmasked, Jeffries’ uniform was frequently miscolored in#12, making him look half-naked. *shudder*
Note: Based on his astrological sign, Gemini would have some connection to Oshtur;
see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Oshtur from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot
Ecliptic was instrumental in the formation of the Zodiac. Based in an unknown location, the Ecliptic was Scorpio’s advisor, ever since she "revealed his true self" to him and guided him, threatening to abandon him if he turned away from their plan. She was not present with the Zodiac when they were slain by Weapon X.
The Ecliptic possessed clairvoyant powers, although the scope of her knowledge of the future is undetermined. She made use of a crystal ball, candles, and crystals as foci for her powers.
--Alpha Flight II#1 (Alpha Flight II#1, 7
Zodiac's jet was used to assist in transportation during their invasion
of Department H.
--Alpha Flight II#12
Zodiac's castle served as their base of operations, from an unknown location. It was invaded and destroyed by the Weapon X team, killing the entire Zodiac team simultaneously. It is not known if Ecliptic used the castle as her base of operations as well.
--Weapon X II#1
Appearances:
Alpha Flight II#1 (August, 1997) - Steve Seagle (writer), Scott Clark (pencils), Chris Carlson (inks), Jaye Gardner (editor)
Alpha Flight II#5 (December, 1997) - Steve Seagle (writer), Brian
Denham & Scott Clark (pencils), Chris Carlson (inks), Jaye Gardner
(editor)
Alpha Flight II#7 (February, 1998) - Stee Seagle (writer), Scott Clark (pencils), Chris Carlson (inks), Jaye Gardner (editor)
Alpha Flight II#10 (May, 1998) - Steve Seagle (writer), Anthony Winn (pencils), Aaron Sowd (inks)
Alpha Flight II#12 (July, 1998) - Steve Seagle (writer), Duncan Rouleau
(pencils), Troy Hubbs, Robert Hunter & Aaron Sowd (inks)
Weapon X II#1 (November, 2002) - Frank Tieri (writer), Georges Jeanty (pencils), Dexter Vines (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
First Posted: 02/09/2003
Last updated: 12/27/2013
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright
info
All other 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.!