CURATOR
Real Name: Dr. Roy Powell
Identity/Class: Human cyborg mutate
Occupation: Body disposer, scientist (a mad one)
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Frankenstein's Monster robot, Salomé, other unidentified clients
Enemies: Forgiven (Ghost Blade, Inka, Nighteyes, Quickshot, Visigoth), X-Men (Angel/Warren Worthington III, Beast/Henry McCoy, Cyclops/Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Iceman/Robert Drake, Jubilee/Jubilation Lee, Professor X/Charles Xavier, Rogue/Anna Marie LeBeau, Wolverine/James Howlett)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile on a cargo ship;
formerly City Museum in New York City, New York
First Appearance: (Dr. Powell) X-Men I#40/1 (January, 1968); (as Curator) X-Men: Unforgiven#1 (May, 2023)
Powers/Abilities: Due to his own experiments the Curator's body was composed of alien technology and a collection of appropriated organs and limbs that turned him into a deadly being. Alterations to his body included the replacement of his skin with a highly durable and transparent substance of unknown composition that made his inner organs visible. His arms were apparently skinless though his upper arms were partially encased in metal. His weapons included a retractable bone blade in his left forearm, the ability to fire silver nitrate from his fingertips and firing powerful energy blasts from his palms that even enabled him to slow down a lethal fall. His mouth was filled with a complete set of pointed teeth and a tentacle-like tongue that could shock or paralyze others with a mere lick. His spine was apparently completely replaced with alien metal and could be extended from his upper body to the full length of his spine to turn the head and spine into a snake-like appendage that could turn in any direction. He could also psychically command his creations made of organic tissue he had reanimated with telekinetically transferred neuro-impulses.
Doctor Powell's field of expertise is unknown, but it probably had something to do with genetics. His complete disregard for other living beings and lack of restraint to use foreign technology to alter his own body made him an extremely dangerous being.
Height: Unrevealed (5'11"; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed (200 lbs.; by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Gray; formerly Brown
History:
(X-Men I#40/1 (fb)) - Dr. Powell led a polar expedition financed by the City Museum of New York. They discovered the Frankenstein's Monster robot near the Arctic Circle encased in solid ice and decided to bring it back to New York. Powell was impressed by the creature's immense size and was sure that their discovery would be more than enough to warrant the museum's investment into the expedition.
(X-Men I#40/1) - Back in New York City at the City Museum Dr. Powell was found in the room with the monster sealed within a plastiglass case. He was reminded that the government did not want any experiments performed on the monster until later, but Powell didn't care because he was the one that found the monster and believed this gave him every right to examine it first. Powell told his colleague to stand back while he lowered the temperature inside the casing. His colleague was afraid that it could be dangerous for the monster, but Powell was sure that it wasn't alive. Powell then further lowered the temperature.
Powell's experiment revived the monster, which broke free from the plastiglass case and caused massive destruction in the lab. Powell looked on and exclaimed ecstatically that the monster was alive while realizing at the same time how dangerous the monster could be to others if it escaped.
(X-Men I#40/1 - BTS) - The X-Men arrived, but failed to stop the monster's escape from the lab. They eventually managed to destroy the monster robot.
SECRET WARS III HAPPENED
(X-Men: Unforgiven#1 (fb) - BTS) - Powell kept tabs on the X-Men after the destruction of the monster robot and believed that they were trying to stop humanity from further evolution.
Using alien technology (presumably parts of the destroyed Frankenstein's monster robot) Powell turned himself into a monster. He then got his hands on a cargo ship and started a body disposal business as the Curator. He became known among monsters like vampires as an expert in getting rid of corpses as long as they didn't ask him what he did with the corpses. He secretly used the corpses to further alter himself and to create monstrous servants under his control.
(X-Men: Unforgiven#1 (fb) - BTS) - Salomé became one of his clients and she warned him that things in the supernatural community would soon be shaken up.
During a storm the Curator lost some of his cargo, but with a few payments the issue was taken care of.
(Spider-Man: Unforgiven#1 - BTS) - The lost cargo was found in unmarked crates near Colony Beach off the coast of Kennebunkport, Maine. The exsanguinated body parts caught the attention of the nation of Krakoa because they apparently belonged to mutants.
(X-Men: Unforgiven#1 - BTS) - The X-Men sought out the vampires known as the Forgiven for help. Inka of the Forgiven told them that the found body parts looked like the work of the Curator, a being that could be hired to get rid of corpses with the right words and an authentic vampire Sect Sigil. Nighteyes criticized Inka heavily for knowing about this body disposal service because she believed Inka needed it as a way out in case she slipped and killed someone. In the end the X-Men and the Forgiven decided to work together and Inka set up a meeting with the Curator in the waters near Squamish, British Columbia.
(X-Men: Unforgiven#1) - The Curator arrived with his cargo ship and welcomed Inka and Wolverine (dressed like a fisherman) aboard his ship for a face-to-face meeting. Inka presented her Siren Sigil to the Curator after which Wolverine confronted the Curator about his recent bad luck with cargo. The Curator told them what had happened and assured them that everything had been taken care of. The Curator made sure on his laptop that he had received his payment from Inka, but when she tried using her mesmerizing powers on him, he revealed his true monstrous self and attacked her and Wolverine while calling his creations to him for help. Jean Grey, who had telepathically stayed in contact with Wolverine, felt the static caused by the Curator calling his creations and recognized his voice as that of Dr. Roy Powell. While Wolverine was attacked by the Curator's creations, Inka used all her abilities against the Curator, but he had a counter against all of them. He informed Inka that Salomé was one of his last clients and that she had warned him about vampires that were after her. The Curator shot silver nitrate from his fingertips to force Inka back to her physical form after she became mist and then was going to stab her in the chest, but Rogue saved her. The rest of the X-Men and Forgiven entered the battle to destroy the Curator's creations. Rogue dropped the Curator when he licked her cheek, which somehow paralyzed her temporarily. Plunging down from the sky he used energy blasts from his hands against Wolverine and Jubilee, but Jean Grey blocked his attack. He gutted Nighteyes with his bone blade and then went after Ghost Blade and threatened to release his true vaporous Tryk form and draw other Tryks to them. Jean Grey's telepathic attempt to get the Curator off Ghost Blade was interrupted by Nighteyes, who bit through the Curator's skull, ripped it open and then slew him by taking a bite out of his brain.
Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, Don Heck & George Tuska.
Though he ended up calling himself the Curator he was not the curator at the museum in X-Men I#40.
Powell's first name is an obvious nod to his creator Roy Thomas. It was first revealed in X-Men: Unforgiven#1.
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Curator (Dr. Roy Powell) has no known connection to:
images (without ads)
X-Men: Unforgiven#1, p19, pan4 (main)
X-Men I#40, p5, pan2 (head shot)
X-Men: Unforgiven#1, p15, pan3 (monstrous head shot)
(long neck)
(energy blasts)
X-Men: Unforgiven#1, p16 (Curator plus extra parts)
Appearances:
X-Men I#40 (January, 1968) - Roy Thomas (writer), Don Heck (pencils), George Tuska (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Spider-Man: Unforgiven#1 (May, 2023) - Tim Seeley (writer), Sid Kotian (artist), Annalise Dissa (editor)
X-Men: Unforgiven#1 (May, 2023) - Tim Seeley (writer), Sid Kotian (artist), Annalise Dissa (editor)
First Posted: 08/08/2023
Last updated: 08/08/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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