STRANGER's ARK/SHIPSTRANGER's ARK/SHIP
Classification: Extraterrestrial planetoid
Location: Mobile throughout the universe
Creator: The Stranger
Visitors: Avengers (Captain America/Steve Rogers, Iron Man/Tony Stark, Sersi, Spider-Man/Peter Parker, Starfox/Eros, Thor Odinson, Vision/Victor Shade), Gunthar, Nebula the Luphomoid,
First Appearance: Avengers I#317 (May, 1990)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: An immense spacecraft (see comments),
it served to transport the Stranger when he does not wish to use his
own energies for travel or perhaps if he requires some of his equipment
for other purposes.
Amongst its internal defenses was the robot Blockade.
It has an extensive medical-science section that the Stranger can use to contain and/or mentally probe others, and it can also serve to rapidly restore the Stranger from massive injuries (such as what he suffered under the Infinity Union-powered Nebula as well as from absorbing the Infinity Union's power himself).
It has extensive computer banks and can presumably performed advanced diagnostics, scans, calculations, etc.
It can presumably access
hyperspace, space warps, or some other faster-than-light means of
travel to rapidly transport across not only intergalactic distances but
"from the other side of the universe."
.
.
History:
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#11: Stranger entry - BTS/ Avengers I#317 (fb) - BTS)
- While the Stranger traveled the universe gathering specimens, the
Luphomoid Nebula and her agent Gunthar pierced the security on the
Stranger's homeworld, and they located and stole the Infinity Union.
(Avengers I#318 (fb)) - Both Gunthar and
Nebula intently studied the Infinity Union.
Serendipitously, they
discovered the frequency upon which the Union transmitted its energies.
Via a complex operation, Gunthar inserted a bio-receiver into Nebula's
brain/mind.
(Avengers I#314-315 - BTS / Avengers I#318 (fb) - BTS) - Via the
Universal Compressor, Nebula briefly destroyed but then restored the
universe. The massive energies used were absorbed and stored by the
Infinity Union.
(Avengers I#317 (fb) - BTS) - The Stranger sensed these universe-wide
spasms, and he traveled to Nebula's proximity in one of his starships.
(Avengers I#316 - BTS) - Despite Gunthar's recommendations, Nebula
activated the Infinity Union. She was ultimately captured by the
Avengers.
(Avengers I#318 (fb) - BTS) - Gunthar
rigged a failsafe into the Infinity Union that if anyone but Nebula
tampered with the Infinity Union, it would transfer its stored energies
into Nebula.
(Avengers I#316 - BTS) - Detecting the Infinity Union's
activation, the Stranger arrived on Nebula's ship, tearing into the
room in which the Avengers held Nebula, Gunthar, and a pair of Nebula's
agents.
(Avengers I#317 - BTS) - The Stranger claimed Nebula and then burst out of
the hole in Nebula's ship and returned to his own.
As the Avengers arrived in the Stranger's ship, his
robot agent Blockade confronted them, and the Stranger astrally
projected to them, advising them to heed Blockade's warnings.
When the
Avengers refused to depart without knowing what the Stranger had planned for
Nebula, he revealed how and what she had stolen from him.
Frustrated as Nebula remained too affected by
Starfox's powers and as he remained unable to sense the device's location on her
ship, the Stranger increased the level of his psychic probing, greatly
paining the the Avengers. 
.
.
(Avengers I#317) - Captain America
resolved that they should destroy the device to make sure neither
Nebula or the Stranger obtained the device.
Spider-Man subsequently
located the device and snagged it with a web.
(Avengers I#317 / Avengers I#318 (fb) - BTS) - Spider-Man's tampering
set off Gunthar's failsafe, releasing the stored energy in explosive
fashion
(Avengers I#318) - Vastly empowered by the Infinity Union, Nebula disintegrated the Stranger, only to
restore him a few seconds later and then repeat the process (to some degree in order to impress the
Avengers).
The Stranger revived while Nebula was toying with
the Avengers, and he confronted Gunthar and demanded to know how he had
accomplished this feat.
Fearing Nebula more than the Stranger, Gunthar
gave the desired explanation, after which the Stranger transported
Gunthar back to Nebula's ship.
With Gunthar's presumptive aid, the Stranger located
the Infinity Union, while he angonizingly re-routed its energies into
himself, Sersi -- per the Stranger's guidance -- took advantage of
Nebula's weakness to remove the implant without otherwise harming
Nebula.
(Avengers I#318 ) -
Bringing the Stranger back to his ship, the Avengers took him to its
advanced medical facilities, the restorative systems of which revived
the Stranger in minutes.
(Avengers I#318) - Reviving, the Stranger thanked the
Avengers for their quick ministrations, as he was barely able to
survive the Infinity Union's energies.
As he acknowledged the Avengers' advice that the Union should be destroyed and agreed to personally see the task done, Gunthar suddenly transported himself and Nebula back to her ship.
As they escaped at warp velocity, the Stranger noted that the
damages she had done to his own ark had left it unable to pursue her.
Presumably his recent injuries prevented him from converting to energy
and pursuing her himself.
At Captain America's request, the Stranger
transported the Avengers back to Avengers Headquarters.
Comments: Created by John Byrne, Fabian Nicieza, Paul Ryan, and Tom Palmer.
The Stranger's ship was immense, dwarfing
Nebula's ship, which in turn dwarfed the Avengers' spacecraft. However,
it's actual size is unrevealed.
Spider-Man jokingly noted that it was roughly the size of Argentina, but would seem likely to be hyperbole.
However, in #317, the narrator describes the ship as
"continent-sized." If that is accurate, I would guess we are talking
more like Australia than Asia...
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Stranger's ship should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads):
Avengers I#317, pg. 7, panel 1 (exterior);
pg. 16, panel 1 (equiment used to scan Nebula);
#318, pg. 1 (exterior);
pg. 2, panel 1-2 (interior, with Nebula on screens);
pg. 20, panel 1 (medical facility)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
First posted: 09/16/2024
Last updated: 09/16/2024
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