PHOBIUS

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Sub-Species of humanity (Deviant or Inhuman)

Occupation: Interrogator, servant of Maelstrom

Group Membership: Maelstrom's Minions

Affiliations: Deathurge, Maelstrom, Weird Sisters

Enemies: Avengers, Eternals of Earth, Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch/Noble Kale), Inhumans, Karkas, Moondragon, Quasar, Ransak the Reject, Donald and Deborah Ritter, Sersi, Stingray, Yrdisis

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Phineas, impersonated the Invisible Woman

Base of Operations: Mobile with Maelstrom

First Appearance: Marvel Two-In-One I#71 (January, 1981)

Powers/Abilities: Phobius possesses the ability to stimulate fear in others, and can use this power to nullify the emotion-control powers of others, such as Starfox. He also wields a whip which crackles with energy. Phobius formerly possessed a near-immortality thanks to Maelstrom transferring his mind into a new clone body whenever he died, but Phobius' last known clone was accidentally destroyed.

Height: 5'9"
Weight: 122 lbs.
Eyes: Green
Hair: Black

History: (Marvel Two-In-One I#71) - Phobius was dispatched with the other minions to Hydro-Base by Maelstrom to obtain a sample of the Anti-terrigen Compound from Mr. Fantastic. As Mr. Fantastic was administering it to the Hydro-Men, Phobius made one of the Hydro-Men afraid so that Helio could slip in during the confusion and steal the cannister. He and the other minions made for the ocean, and Phobius made the Thing, Stingray, Karnak, and Gorgon afraid of water so that they would not follow him, but the Thing hurled a metal ball at Phobius instead, knocking him out. However, Phobius succeeded in sending the cannister into the ocean, back to Maelstrom's laboratory.

(Marvel Two-In-One I#72) - Phobius was held on Hydro-Base by Mr. Fantastic, but was slain by Deathurge, sent by Maelstrom to eliminate him for his failure. Later, Maelstrom activated a clone of Phobius to oppose the Thing, Gorgon and Karnak when they invaded his laboratory. Phobius was seemingly killed when Gorgon destroyed the laboratory, but his spare bodies survived.

(Avengers I#250) - Phobius was awakened in a new body with the other minions, and Maelstrom charged them to assist him in his next scheme, to halt the Earth's rotation.

(Avengers I#250 (fb)) - When Maelstrom's base was discovered by the Avenger Captain Marvel, Phobius used his power to make her afraid, chasing her away.

(Avengers I#250) - Captain Marvel led the other Avengers back to Maelstrom's base, and Starfox used his emotion powers to control Helio. Phobius used his powers to release Helio from Starfox's control, but was then defeated by Tigra. After Maelstrom was seemingly slain by the Avengers by feeding him more power than he could contain, Phobius discovered that his spare clone had been destroyed in the battle, and he was forced to surrender to the Avengers with the other minions.

(Quasar#21) - In the guise of "Phineas," manservant of Malcolm Stromberg (Maelstrom), Phobius welcomed Quasar and his friends when they visited Stromberg's mansion, unaware of their host's true identity. Phobius used his powers on Moondragon to keep her from using her telepathic powers, making her too afraid to even warn her friends. Moondragon tried to kill Phobius by hurling a knife at him, but Maelstrom prevented the knife from reaching him.

(Quasar#22) - As Maelstrom departed with Quasar's quantum bands to seek out his master Eon, he directed Phobius to beat Quasar to death. Phobius took a whip and visited Quasar, telling him he would beat him 39 times, and that Quasar would keep count for him. However, every time Phobius struck Quasar, Quasar would say "one," until Phobius beat him furiously in frustration, and ultimately slashed him across the mouth. Satisfied that he had beat Quasar at least 39 times, Phobius left him to die.

(Quasar#23) - When Ghost Rider invaded the mansion to investigate Quasar's death, Phobius confronted him, only to be overwhelmed by his penance stare.

(Quasar#25) - Phobius joined the other minions in attacking Sersi and Moondragon, but with a wave of her hand, Sersi turned Phobius into a rat.

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#10) - After Maelstrom seemingly died battling Quasar, Phobius aided the other minions and Maelstrom's lovers, the Weird Sisters, in gathering Deviants in order to absorb their kinetic energies in an attempt to revive Maelstrom. Disguised as the Invisible Woman, Phobius aided the minions in capturing Karkas and Ransak from Olympia, battling the Eternals in the process. They managed to escape, and placed the Deviants into the device which would absorb their energies.

Phobius then joined the minions and Weird Sisters in capturing Donald and Deborah Ritter, even though they had to fight their way past the Fantastic Four and the Eternals. Although they succeeded in reviving Maelstrom, Maelstrom chose to reject the energies in order to spare the life of his son, Ransak, and Phobius was defeated by Thena, who overcame his powers because of her determination to save her children.

(New Warriors V#7 (fb) - BTS) - Gronk, Helio and Phobius somehow ended up in outer space.

(New Warriors V#7) - The trio returned to Earth and their Celestial energy signatures were noticed by Jake Waffles, Speedball and Water Snake in the New Warriors' HQ in Mount Wundagore. They stopped monitoring the signatures when Justice called them away. After arriving on Earth Phobius vowed they would now prepare for their master's return.

(New Warriors V#8) - The three minions floated near the New Warriors' HQ at Mount Wundagore and observed it.

Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, Ron Wilson and Gene Day.

My guess is that Phobius is an Inhuman, since his powers are unusual for a Deviant. The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#6 identified all of the minions as humans, but later editions left their genetic origins unrevealed.

The master mentioned in New Warriors obviously was meant to be Maelstrom. It became a dangling polt when the series was cancelled with #12.

New Warriors update by Markus Raymond.

Profile by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Phobius should not be confused with:

• Phobia, demon of the Realm of Madness, @ Nightmare#1
• Phobia, of Earth-Guardians, Inhuman, @ Guardians of the Galaxy#39
• Phobos, Olympian god, son of Ares and Nox, @ Dr. Strange III#32
• Professor Piotr Phobos, Russian criminal, tutor of the Soviet Super Soldiers, @ Incredible Hulk II#258
• Phobos Units, robots used by Baron Karza, @ Micronauts I#4
• Phoebus, an Olympian, @ Avengers I#100

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