ARIES

Real Name: Grover Raymond

Identity/Class: Human, technology user

Occupation: Criminal mastermind

Group Membership: Zodiac Cartel

Affiliations: Lucifer, Rafe Michel, Mr. Morgan, Ultra-Robots

Enemies: Avengers (Black Panther, Captain America, Iron Man, Mantis, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Vision), Falcon, Redwing

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Lucifer, "beardless one" (Michel's name for him when they were both Lucifer)

Base of Operations: Chicago, Illinois

First Appearance: Avengers I#120 (February, 1974)

Powers/Abilities: Aries wore a ram's horns upon his head, and would ram his opponents in battle. He often carried a Star-Blazer, a pistol which could fire energy blasts.

While possessed by Lucifer, Aries' body was charged with ionic energy, granting him superhuman strength which enabled him to lift 5 tons.

History: (Avengers I#120 (fb) - BTS) - Grover Raymond was recruited into the Zodiac Cartel by Taurus to replace Marcus Lassiter, the previous Aries, but he often found himself at odds with Taurus.

(Avengers I#120) - Aries participated in Zodiac's plot to kill everyone born under the sign of Gemini, because they felt Geminis were untrustworthy. When the Avengers began to become aware of their actions, Aries joined the rest of the cartel in attacking Avengers Mansion and defeating the Avengers. They left behind a recording explaining their plans.

As Zodiac prepared their Star-Blaster weapon to slay all the Geminis, Aries quarreled with Gemini, who noted that he and Scorpio (Jacques LaPoint) were only rookies in the organization. Taurus put an end to the argument, and warned Aries to mind his place. When the Avengers attacked the Star-Blaster, Aries stood by Taurus as he threatened to use their Star-Blaster against Mantis.

(Avengers I#121) - The Scarlet Witch ruined the Star-Blaster with one of her hexes, and the teams resumed fighting. Aries, desperate, threw Mantis off the building, but the Vision saved her. Zodiac used the opportunity to escape the Avengers.

Later, Aries held a meeting with Libra, Leo, Pisces, Sagittarius, Cancer, Aquarius and Scorpio in which he accused Taurus of being a faulty leader. With the exception of Libra, the attending members agreed to support Aries in his bid to takeover Zodiac, and they arranged a meeting with Zodiac's financier, Cornelius Van Lunt. At their meeting with Van Lunt, the renegades were attacked by the Avengers. Van Lunt fled, only to reveal to the assembled Avengers and turncoats that he was Taurus, and that the warehouse they had met in was a rocket craft, and shot them all into orbit.

(Avengers I#122) - Despite their grave situation, Aries continued to attack the Avengers with the other Zodiac members, until the Vision convinced them that they would have to work together to avoid death. After Thor guided them back to Earth, they prepared to battle Zodiac, but Taurus cannily observed to the traitors that the Avengers would only jail them, whether they helped them or not. Aries responded by attacking Thor, but the Vision struck him down immediately for his treachery.

(Avengers I#123 - BTS) - The Avengers turned Aries over to the authorities along with the other Zodiac members, except for Libra.

(Ghost Rider II#7 (fb)) - Aries was sent to prison with the rest of the Zodiac, except for Taurus, who managed to avoid a sentence.

(Captain America I#177) - While in prison, Aries was visited by Lucifer, who had possessed the body of Rafe Michel, a criminal. Unable to contain his power within a single body, Lucifer offered to divide his power with Michel and Aries. Aries agreed, and gained some of Lucifer's strength, as well as his costume. They were attacked shortly afterwards by the Falcon, but were able to hold their own despite the division of strength, and escaped to Mr. Morgan, who asked for their assistance in killing the Falcon.

(Captain America I#178) - The two Lucifers attacked the Falcon, but were defeated. Determined to triumph over the Falcon, the Aries-Lucifer led the other to Lucifer's base, where they revived the Ultra-Robots of Lucifer's which were still undamaged. They pitted the Ultra-Robots against the Falcon, but the Falcon was aided by an uncostumed Captain America, who bested the two Lucifers and destroyed the Ultra-Robots. Still unable to contain Lucifer's energies, both host bodies died, sending Lucifer back to the Nameless Dimension.

(Iron Man Annual 1999 - BTS) - After Michel's corpse was disturbed by Count Nefaria, Iron Man waited at Aries' gravesite to see if Nefaria would come for his ionic energies, but instead faced his lackeys Nitro and the Death Squad.

Comments: Created by Steve Englehart, Bob Brown and Don Heck.

As an Aries, Grover Raymond was born between March 21st and April 19th.

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Aries should not be confused with:

• Arides, Shatterstar, Kree warrior, @ Inhumans I#3
• Ariel, ancestor of the Fallen Angel Ariel, inspired character in Shakespeare's Tempest, @ Fallen Angels #7
• Ariel, of Zephyrland, musician, @ Sub-Mariner I#64
• Ariel, alias used by Kitty Pryde, @ Uncanny X-Men #171
• Ariel, member of the Fallen Angels, @ Fallen Angels #2
• Ariel, woman from the future, sister of Bartow, @ Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends: "Spidey Meets the Girl from Tomorrow"
• Arielle of the Ultraverse, adopted daughter of Necromantra, @ Lord Pumpkin #0
• Aries, Marcus Lassiter, of the Zodiac cartel, @ Avengers I#72
• Aries, unnamed successor to Grover Raymond, @ Iron Man I#184
• Aries, an LMD, member of the LMD Zodiac, @ Defenders I#49
• Aries, of Ecliptic's Zodiac, @ Alpha Flight II#12

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.!

Back to Characters