vladimiroff-serge-148611-pf13-full-rotate SERGE VLADIMIROFF

Real Name: Sergei "Serge" Vladimiroff (see comments)

Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-148611) human;
    citizen of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

Occupation: KGB (Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti/Committee for State Security) agent

Group Membership: KGB, Siberian Project (Dr. Timor Besedin, Gregirova, Gennadi Shepalev, Petrov Szymanski, Anya Zotov)

Affiliations: Dr. Kuyanev, Mindwolf (Michael Petrov), Red Sun Military Task Force (Coojeechiscue/Nadehzda, Dehman Doosha/"Johnny Do," Shivowtnoeh/Irina Mityushova, Sillatochca (Leonid Vishnevetsky), Rodstvow;

Enemies: Agent Epstein, Eugenia Mironenko, Grigori Mironenko, Emmett Proudhawk, Psi-Force (Thomas Boyd, Michael Crawley, Anastasia Inyushin, Tyrone Jessup, Kathy Ling, Wayne Tucker; indirectly Lindsey Falmon), Psi-Hawk, Sillatochca;

Known Relatives: Nonevladimiroff-serge-148611-pf28-face

Aliases: "Baldy," "Chrome-dome" (from Kathy Ling)

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    formerly the Siberian Project, Yamal Peninsula, Siberia, U.S.S.R.;
    occasionally a mansion in San Francisco's "Russian Hill"

First Appearance: Psi-Force#1 (November, 1986)

Powers/Abilities: Serge Vladimiroff had no superhuman powers.

    As an agent of the KGB, he had the backing of the Soviet government and military, and he was frequently supported by armed agents.

    Fear of the KGB by many Soviet citizens allowed him to intimidate and impose his will on others.

    He had no known combat skills, preferring to use others for this and to use intimidation to manipulate others.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'10")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 200 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown (sometimes shown as blue)
Hair: Black (male pattern baldness)

History:
(Psi-Force#1 (fb) - BTS) - Vladimiroff was apparently old friends with Michael Petrov.

(Psi-Force#1 (fb)) - When Anastasia Inyushin -- who had a high ESP (Extra-Sensory Perception) score and who had been sent to live with her aunt and uncle in the USA -- returned to the USSR after her aunt and uncle's deaths, she was intercepted by Serge Vladimiroff and his associates, who told her that her parents had died but assured her that "we" would take care of her. Stasi appreciated that he was KGB.vladimiroff-serge-148611-pf1-intakestasi

(Psi-Force#1 (fb) - BTS) - Vladimiroff took Stasi to the Siberian Project where she was examined and tested regularly.

(Psi-Force Annual#1 (fb) - BTS) <July 22, 1986> - The White Event -- a release of Star Brand energy that blanketed the Earth and granted two (IIRC?) out of every million people paranormal powers -- occurred.

(Psi-Force Annual#1 - BTS) <July 23, 1986> - Stasi developed healing powers.

(Psi-Force#28 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Serge Vladimiroff recommended that the Siberian Project be transformed from a research center into a paranormal studies institute. He wished to keep the paranormals isolated away from civilization, allowing him to work without constant committee interference.

(Psi-Force#1 (fb)) - Stasi became the center of attention at the Siberian Project.

(Psi-Force#1 (fb) - BTS) - Vladimiroff told Stasi that the state had big plans for her.

(Psi-Force#1 (fb) - BTS) - Emmett Proudhawk, a CIA agent and fellow paranormal, broke into the Siberian Project and convinced Stasi to flee with him.

(Psi-Force#1 (fb) - BTS) - Vladimiroff and his men pursued Proudhawk and Stasi.

(Psi-Force#1) <August 6, 1986> - Vladimiroff and his men confronted Proudhawk and Stasi at the dock in Mendocino, California, and Serge announced that Stasi was the property of the USSR. He further told Proudhawk that he had stolen her, and he "requested" her return. Barely giving Proudhawk a chance to respond, he considered him to have refused and had his men open fire, although he instructed them not to hit the girl  He further advised Proudhawk that there was no place left to run, as the U.S. government had disavowed his actions and the police had an all-points bulletin out on him, and that he should give up.

    Proudhawk used his mind-control abilities to convince Vladimiroff and some of the others to follow his will, but at least one of the men was unaffected, and he got through to Vladimiroff and the others, enabling them to throw off Proudhawk (who was exhausted from the journey and various injuries)'s control. Vladimiroff ordered his men to kill "the Indian," and they fired, pinning Proudhawk and Stasi behind some rocks.

    Observing via projecting his consciousness remotely, Tyrone Jessup alerted Kathy Ling -- both paranormals gathered by Proudhawk -- who used her telekinetic powers to shatter the dock below Vladimiroff and his men's feet, allowing Proudhawk and Stasi to escape back to Proudhawk's boat, which then returned them to San Francisco.

    From a mansion in San Francisco's "Russian Hill," Vladimiroff reported to an ambassador via a phone conversation, stating that the incident at the docks was regrettable and would not be repeated. He then met with his old associate Michael Petrov, whom central had given the codename "Mindwolf" and placed in charge of recovering Inyushin. After Vladimiroff assured him that there were no listening devices in the room, Petrov related that he had changed in the last few weeks and noted the priority of eliminating Proudhawk and any other powered individuals that Proudhawk may have gathered.

    Fearing that she was endangering Proudhawk and the others he had gathered -- Jessup and Ling, plus Michael Crawley and Wayne Tucker -- Stasi called Vladimiroff and arranged to meet him.

    Proudhawk had led the other four teens to Stasi just before Vladimiroff, Petrov, and the others arrived. After Petrov slew Proudhawk, Crawley used his powers to detonate the machine guns of the Soviets, including Vladimiroff, incapacitating him. The five youths subsequently united their powers to form the manifestation of Psi-Hawk, which fried Mindwolf's brain.
vladimiroff-serge-148611-pf13-upper
    Vladimiroff presumably returned to the USSR shortly thereafter.

(Psi-Force#13 (fb) - BTS) <Six months before the main story> - Seeking to regain possession of Stasi, Vladimiroff had Eugenia Mironenko injected with an unspecified disease so that he could manipulate her husband, Grigori, into seeking Stasi to treat her. He also had Grigori transferred to and appointed as the head of the Russian consulate in the San Francisco area, near where the Sanctuary house in which Stasi and her friends lived.

(Psi-Force#13) - After Eugenia lapsed into a coma, Vladimiroff met with him and told him of Stasi whose healing powers might help Eugenia. Grigori recognized Stasi's name and wondered if it could be the girl from the family of whom he was an old friend, and he also recognized Vladimiroff as KGB.

(Psi-Force#13 (fb) - BTS) - Vladimiroff had Eugenia transferred to the Russian consulate.

(Psi-Force#13 - BTS) - Grigori told Stasi that he needed her help as Eugenia was dying, and after she agreed to help, he brought her to the Russian consulate.

(Psi-Force#13) - Although Dr. Kuyanev protested Eugenia's transfer, Vladimiroff told him he had very valid reasons for doing so and instructed him to stay with her until her husband returned with the "specialist." Vladimiroff watched via a monitor screen as Grigori brought Stasi into Eugenia's room. Stasi found that Eugenia's infection was very advanced, and she collapsed while using her healing powers; however, she apparently recognized the infection. Dr. Kuyanev announced that Stasi's efforts had not helped and that Eugenia would be dead by morning.

    When his agents reported that Stasi's friends had entered the subway system and were headed to the consulate, Vladimiroff ordered their plane to be prepared for departure within the hour.

(Psi-Force#13 - BTS) - Stasi awakened four hours later, and Grigori informed her that Eugenia had passed away while she slept, and he asked her to tell him about the illness and what she knew of Vladimiroff.

(Psi-Force#13) -  When Stasi's friends stormed the consulate, Vladimiroff insisted that Grigori safeguard the consulate personnel and all vital information. Vladimiroff and one of his men subsequently forced Stasi into a car, but Kathy Ling tore off its tires.

(Psi-Force#13 - BTS) - Grigori discovered evidence that Vladimiroff had injected Eugenia with the disease as part of his efforts to recapture Stasi.

(Psi-Force#13) - Although Vladimiroff told arriving state agent Epstein that Stasi was on Russian property and refused to let her go, Grigori, as head of the consulate, overruled him and released Stasi. Vladimiroff warned Grigori that he would pay dearly for interfering with a KGB operation, but Grigori noted that he already had.

(Psi-Force#17 (fb)) <8 months before the main story> - The Siberian Project's subject Rodstvow awakened from his coma and, over time, he used his powers to progressively slay a number of staff members.

(Psi-Force#17 (fb) - BTS) - The Siberian Project rapidly escalated from a scientific research testing center for paranormals to military training ground.

(Psi-Force#17) <October 19, 1987> - At the Siberian Project, Vladimiroff watched -- alongside Dr. Timor Besedin, Gennardi Shepalev, and Anya Zotov -- a video recording of Gregirova interview with Rodstvow that culminated with Rodstvow incinerating Gregirova's flesh, leaving behind a clothed skeleton. Vladimiroff had them rewind it back to review the death again, but he otherwise remained silent when Besedin started ranting about the "barbaric freak of nature." Telepathically hearing this, Rodstvow slew Besedin as well. Shepalev asked Vladimiroff what they should do about Rodstvow, and Vladimiroff replied, "We turn him loose."

(Psi-Force#17 (fb) - BTS) - Vladimiroff requested an audience with Rodstvow, which was ignored.

(Psi-Force#17 (fb) - BTS) <November 11, 1987> - Rodstvow informed Shepalev in the middle of the night that he would speak with Vladimiroff.

(Psi-Force#17) - After Shepalev work up Vladimiroff and informed him of this, Vladimiroff quickly put on his robe and glasses and raced down to Rodstvow's chambers. He ordered Shepalev to stay outside, and Shepalev was more than happy to comply.

    At Rodstvow's invitation, Vladimiroff entered his chambers, and as he nervously started to express urgent state matters requiring Rodstvow's attention n the USA, Rodstvow interrupted, knowing he referred to the Psi-Force teens. Vladimiroff tried to tell him that he wanted Stasi Inyushin to help Rodstvow with his "skin condition," a reference that made Rodstvow laugh. Rodstvow then called Vladimiroff a duplicitous piece of flesh and told him that he knew that Vladimiroff really wanted the Psi-Hawk. Rodstvow assured Vladimiroff that he would kill the children for him and then departed as Vladimiroff tried to insisted that he only wanted them captured.

(Psi-Force#17 - BTS) <November, 25, 1987> - Arriving above the Sanctuary youth hostile in San Francisco after exhausting himself in the transport, Rodstov elected to blow up Sanctuary as the most expedient means to kill the Psi-Force teens.

(Psi-Force#20 (fb) - BTS) - Although multiple members were severely injured, the Psi-Force members survived Rodstvow's assault.vladimiroff-serge-148611-pf27-face

(Psi-Force#23) <April 4, 1988> - Vladimiroff returned to the Siberian Project where he met with Shepalev, noting that that he had been directed to oversee the rehabilitation of the Crasniye Solleetsi (see comments) following their "rather grueling assistance in the Afghan Affair." Shepalev assured Vladimiroff that his supervisors had nothing to worry about and that their operatives were suffering from nothing more than physical exhaustion. Vladimiroff then asked about the boy (the autistic "Dehman Doosha"), and Shepalev admitted that he had proved rather difficult to control, but that their psychiatric department had assured him that they were taking the necessary steps to rectify is rather unstable nature.

    Entering the monitor room where, Vladimiroff greeted comrade Zotov, noting his surprise that she had not been transferred to a gulag by now. Zotov greeted Serge in turn, sarcastically noting that he was just what she needed: Another man whose sense of humor was second only to his romantic escapades. Vladimiroff teased her that she lived for his visits, and she admitted that at least the bathrooms were cleaned when they knew he was coming. She then gave him individual reports on the abilities and progress of Coojeechiscue, Sillatochca, Shivowtnoeh, and Dehman Doosha.

    Vladimiroff then asked about Rodstvow, and Shepalev admitted that they did not know where he was, as after extensive use of his powers he would recuperate on his own; they believed this to be in a private cabin in the Chersky Mountains but they feared to ask him.

(Psi-Force#27 (fb) - BTS) - After destroying the Psi-Hawk, Rodstvow teleported back to the Project grounds, bringing with him the four surviving teenagers whose parabilities had formed the Psi-Hawk mind gestalt: Thomas Boyd, Lindsey Falmon, Kathy Ling, and Wayne Tucker (Crawley had left the group, Jessup had remotely animated Psi-Hawk with his electromagnetic projection ("astral self"), and Inyushin had perished saving her teammates from enemies; while Boyd and Falmon had more recently joined the group).
    Boyd, Falmon, Ling and Tucker were comatose from the psychic damage they had suffered, and they were hospitalized

(Psi-Force#27) - Vladimiroff attended a Siberian Project meeting attended by Gennardi Shepalev, Petrov Szymanski, Anya Zotov, and Red Sun's Nadehzda (Coojeechiscue) and Leonid Vishnevetsky (Sillatochca). After Shepalev and Szymanski discussed the danger of the young Dehman Doosha to the project, Leonid brought up his family, but Vladimiroff interrupted, telling him that his family was being well-cared for, better than they deserved, considering "your abysmal performance in the Afghan affair." Angrily insisting that he was a mechanic and not a killer, Leonid exploded Vladimiroff's pencil (causing some lacerations, at least, to his right hand), before finishing that Vladimiroff's attitude and actions were rapidly making him change his mind on the matter. Nadehzda contained Leonid with a cube of force, containing his power and reminding him that -- for better or for worse -- Vladimiroff was her superior.

(Psi-Force#27 - BTS) - Learning that a lobotomy was planned for Dehman Doosha, Boyd interrupted the procedure, freed the boy, and reported to the Project leaders that he would be taking care of the boy (whom he named "Johnny").

(Psi-Force#27) - Vladimiroff was furious as Zotov confirmed that they could not override Boyd's control of the communications center. To force the Project's compliance, Boyd threatened to erase every file in their system, but he also offered to let them kill him if he failed to make progress with Johnny. Vladimiroff and Shepalev accepted the deal, and Vladimiroff subsequently advised the others that if Boyd succeeded, they would have a pyrokinetic solider of limited intelligence and that, if he failed, they would have resources with which to blackmail him into submission, namely the other Psi-Force youths.

(Psi-Force#28 (fb) - BTS) <September 25, 1988> - In his diary, Serge discussed the compromise with Boyd, the efforts to control the "paranormal plague" brought on by the White Event, the paranormals at the Siberian Project (notably those from Psi-Force and Johnny Do/Dehman Doosha). He considered that if these children could be properly manipulated, the rewards would be innumerable, but questioned which buttons should be pushed. He further considered that he needed to find out quickly because he was not the only one there hoping to control these beings, and that he never felt that his desires matched those of his peers.

(Psi-Force#28) <October 3, 1988> - Vladimiroff watched from the observation booth -- critiquing Red Sun and confirming his assessment of Ling's limitations -- as Kathy Ling overpowered the rest of Red Sun but collapsed in fear when confronted by Shivowtnoeh, remarking this as fascinating. vladimiroff-serge-148611-pf28-full-overling

    Later, after Ling had used her telekinetic powers to force her way to visit her seemingly comatose teammate Wayne Tucker, Vladimiroff confronted her, asking if she was there to incite more violence. As she peacefully exited the room, Shivowtnoeh was present to intimidate her, and Vladimiroff warned her that for every action there was an equal reaction.

    That evening, Vladimiroff considered that, at this point, he wished to see the Red Army hockey club play one more time before he orchestrated the end of the world.

    At 12:30 AM, Vladimiroff received a buzz at his door from an unidentified staff member, noting that Ling insisted she speak with him. He opened the door and advised Ling that what she had to say had better be good, because he did like being disturbed by "petulant American brats with personality disorders" for no reason. Noting that she had been speaking to her teammate Wayne Tucker (telepathically), Ling accused Vladimiroff of lying to her about Boyd and other things. Telekinetically lifting Vladimiroff into the air by the neck while telekinetically swatting away the other staff member, Ling told him that she knew he had been playing head games to manipulate her, but that he was not scared of her anymore and that he should get off her back or she would break his.
    Struggling to regain his breath, Vladimiroff nonetheless warned Ling that she had made a big mistake.

(Psi-Force#28 (fb) - BTS) - Unable to sleep after the encounter with Ling, Vladimiroff plotted revenge, arranging a private encounter between Ling and Shivowtnoeh.

(Psi-Force#28) <October 4, 1988> - The next morning, Vladimiroff surprised Ling at a planned training session, and Shivowtnoeh leapt down and slashed her back. However, backed by telepathic guidance from Tucker, Ling fought back with her telekinetic powers, putting Shivowtnoeh on the defensive and forcing Vladimiroff to flee to the safety of the observation room. vladimiroff-serge-148611-pf28-fractures

    Having felt that he had taken Ling's measure, Vladimiroff was surprised at her fighting back so fiercely, and he soon realized that Shivowtnoeh might lose or die and that he was in trouble. After Ling took down Shivowtnoeh, she shattered the five inch-thick glass of the observation room and pulled Vladimiroff back down to her.

    Vladimiroff begged Ling not to kill him, offering her anything, but she apparently fractured his jaw (or perhaps his larynx (although that could have led to respiratory obstruction and death (not that Ling would have known that), and the cartilage would be less likely to make a loud, snapping sound) and fourteen bones in his hands (I would think all five digits on each hand and then both the distal radius and ulna by his wrists, but maybe she broke some digits more than once (there are three bones/phalanges in each finger and two in each thumb) or perhaps she broke some of his eight carpal (wrist bones) and/or his five metacarpal bones (in the hand, between the digits and wrist)).

    Ling then told him that she figured that by the time he could heal enough to talk or write that she and her teammates would be gone.

    After allowing Vladimiroff to drop to the ground, Ling advised him not to play power games unless you have the the power to back them up..."oh, and by the way...I can smell your fear from here. It smells real sweet. It smells like victory."

    Presumably hospitalized but at least initially very limited in his ability to communicate, Vladimiroff was not seen again...

Comments: Created by Steve Perry, Mark Texeira, and Kyle Baker.

    See the New Universe primer. There was no sliding timescale in the New Universe, so KGB references are not topical, nor was Soviet-Afghan warring.

    He was Serge in Psi-Force#1 and in most references. Serge (by himself) and Sergei (by Grigori) in #13. Anya Zotov also called him Sergei in #23. I thought Serge was just a short form of Sergei, but that is not necessarily the case.

    I vaguely remember that it was discussed somewhere that Eugenia had been infected with HIV/AIDs, but I can't confirm that.

    I felt that it was at least hinted that Anya Zotov and Serge Vladimiroff had had a previous romantic affair, but Anya was pretty sarcastic, so she could have just been insulting his romantic escapades without actual carnal knowledge of him.

    "Crasniye" means "red", but the "solleetsi" word doesn't exist. It seems to be a misspelling of "solntsa" - "suns".--Mike Castle

Me (Snood) again...in Psi-Force I#27 and subsequent issues, the group name is confirmed to be Red Sun, although the above Russian spelling is repeated.

    I would really love it if the likes of Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, Fabian Nicieza, or Saladin Ahmed would do a story that stayed true to continuity and followed the New Universe forward in real time over the last 30+ years.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Serge Vladimiroff should be distinguished from:


images: (without ads)
Psi-Force#1, pg. 9, panel 6 (taking in Antasia Inyushin);
    #13, pg. 2, panel 3 (full, but head turned to side):
       pg. 16, panel 4 (shoulders & head);
    #23, pg. 6, panel 2 (full, but head obliqued);
    #27, pg. 9, panel 3 (face);
    #28 cover (face);
       last page of first story, panels 4-9 (jaw and hands shattered)

Appearances:
Psi-Force#1 (November, 1986) - Steve Perry (writer), Mark Texeira (penciler), Kyle Baker (inker), Bob Budiansky (editor)
Psi-Force#13 (November, 1987) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Javier Saltares (penciler), Al Williamson (inker), Bob Budiansky & Howard Mackie (editors)
Psi-Force#17 (March, 1988) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Ron Lim (penciler), Romeo Tanghal (inker), Bob Budiansky & Howard Mackie (editors)
Psi-Force#23 (September, 1988) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Mike Witherby (inker), David Wohl (assistant editor), Howard Mackie (editor)
Psi-Force#27-28 (January-February, 1989) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Alan Kupperberg (penciler), Chris Ivy (inker), David Wohl (assistant editor), Howard Mackie (editor)

First started 01/08/2023
First posted: 08/09/2024
Last updated: 08/08/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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