ADVISOR
ADVISOR
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Unrevealed
Occupation: Fomentor of chaos and strife;
former chancellor of Imaya
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Servant of unspecified masters;
formerly the government of San Revilla, Eda Arul and the
government of Imaya, Hawkeye (Clint Barton),
Hazzerd,
Shadows,
Striker,
Sundance,
Troubleshooter, USAgent
Enemies: Vincent Cetewayo, Hawkeye (Clint Barton), USAgent, War Machine (Jim Rhodes)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Currently unrevealed
formerly Cuidad Revilla, San Revilla, Central America;
formerly Imaya, Africa
First Appearance: War Machine#1 (April, 1994)
Powers/Abilities: The Advisor manipulates government officials towards violent ends, claiming to feed on destruction. He will back one person as long as that person serves his ends, but when that person (or regime) is no longer of use he will then manipulate things to ensure that the turnover to the next government is as violent as possible. He is opposed to messages of peace and the sanctity of life. He has allies within many governments, including the U.S.
Though he prefers to manipulate things from the sidelines, the Advisor has a number of powers, and perhaps many others as yet unseen. He can light a candle by pointing at it, render himself impervious to machine gunfire, become intangible, teleport, transmit messages into secure electronic systems, and project a giant image of himself.
History:
(War Machine#4 (fb) - BTS) - The Advisor was assigned to help the insane Eda
Arul into power.
(War Machine#1 (fb) - BTS) <15 years before the main story> - The Advisor served as chancellor to the African nation Imaya's President Letumba. He betrayed Letumba to install the prison guard Eda Arul as his successor, knowing this would generate greater strife.
(War Machine#2 (fb) - BTS) - The Advisor was active in Johannesburg.
(War Machine#2 (fb) - BTS) - The Advisor was active in Cambodia.
(War Machine#2 (fb) - BTS) - The Advisor was active in Zaire.
(War Machine#2 (fb) - BTS) - The Advisor was active in Iraq.
(War Machine#2 (fb) - BTS) - The Advisor was active in Waco, Texas.
(War Machine#1) - The Advisor backed President Eda Arul in his plot to slay the human rights activist Vincent Cetewayo, whom Arul viewed as a traitor to their nation. Arul wanted to send troops to the USA to take him by force, but the Advisor instead led him to arrange taking over Cetewayo's plane and bringing him to Imaya in a less public fashion. This proved successful, leading War Machine to defy SHIELD orders and fly to Imaya to rescue him. War Machine's invasion of Imayan airspace attracted the attention of Cable and Deathlok (Michael Collins), who flew there to stop War Machine from causing an international incident and to free Cetewayo respectively. As War Machine tore through Arul's air troops, the Advisor tired to calm Arul by assuring him of his troops' loyalty, and then he ordered the special ground forces be sent in. Arul was furious that the Advisor was superseding his authority; the Advisor apologized, and then Arul ordered the same action himself.
(War Machine#2) - The Advisor was present as Arul tormented
Cetewayo who recognized him from past conflicts. The Advisor revealed that Arul
was more insane than ever, then mocked Cetewayo for asking him why "in God's
name" he helped Imaya stay in power. The Advisor further elaborated on his past
experiences around the world.
As War Machine and Deathlok closed on the capitol building,
the Advisor recommended Imaya move to a more secure location. The Advisor met
with the two invaders, showed them that Cetewayo was missing (having been taken
away by Cable), and then allowed SHIELD troops -- led by Bathsheva Joseph -- to
confront them for violating international law.
(War Machine#3) - The Advisor sent a message notifying War Machine and Deathlok of Cetewayo's location and the worked together to rout Arul's troops that sought to annihilate the rebels shielding Cetewayo. Pleased with the excitement this caused, the Advisor then appeared before Cetewayo and held him at gunpoint. The Advisor revealed that while the collapse of Arul's regime had been imminent but that a violent transition of power suited his needs better.
(War Machine#4) - Sheva Joseph stood down and allowed War Machine to lead the forces of Cimbuka to oust Arul from office. When Arul tried to slay Joseph for her perceived treachery, War Machine shot him dead.
(War Machine#4) - The Advisor explained to Cetewayo that the message of peace he spread was an anathema and a threat to the world that his masters helped create. He further explained that by killing Cetewayo amidst this revolution and the placement of Cimbuka as president who distract from Cetewayo's death. Acknowledging how Cetewayo's thinking fascinated him because he could never understand it and that he would regret his death, the Advisor then raised his weapon and aimed it at Cetewayo.
(War Machine#4) - War Machine arrived minutes later to find the Advisor standing over Cetewayo's dead body. The Advisor freely admitted killing him and then stood there unharmed as War Machine unleashed a hail of bullets at him. As he vanished, the Advisor stated that Cetewayo had challenged the natural order of things and lost; he further denounced War Machine as unworthy of any further explanation.
(Force
Works#12/2 (fb) - BTS) - Now in the Central American nation of San Revilla, the
Advisor worked out of the government capital, Ciudad Revilla. He summoned the
freelance mercenaries Hazzerd and Troubleshooter to smoke out and sanction
and the rebel parahuman unit known as the Shadows (led by Hawkeye, Striker,
Sundance). He further made arrangements for a US government ally to send USAgent
to aid Hazzerd and Troubleshooter.
(Force Works#12/2) - The Advisor introduced the San Revillian generals to Hazzerd, Troubleshooter, and USAgent
(War Machine#15/2) - War Machine (who had come to San Revilla
to take down the Shadows after they had caused the death of one of his ally's
sister-in-law) learned that Hawkeye had been working with the Shadows and
receiving bad information from Ciudad Revilla that had been leading to increased
casualties. War Machine broke into the capitol building and encountered the
Advisor, who admitted to fanning the flames of violence and ensuring maximum
carnage. He revealed his goal to be the complete self-immolation of a country.
He named the taste of apocalypse as his meat and drink, intending to perfect the
recipe in San Revilla and then to use it anywhere in the world he wished. He
further cast doubt as to whether he was actually human at all, stating that he
was far more than War Machine could ever know and that his strength increased
with every futile death, with each torched forest, and with every man that fell
to corruption.
War Machine's repulsor blasts passed harmlessly through him,
and the Advisor then vanished, mocking War Machine that force alone could never
stop him. War Machine flew out to convince Hawkeye of his mistakes but as he
began to do so, Hazzerd, Troubleshooter, and the USAgent arrived and attacked
them both.
(Iron Man#317/2) - After much fighting, War Machine convinced Hawkeye and USAgent to help him take out the overly violent Hazzerd, Striker, Sundance, and Troubleshooter, bringing an end to the incessant conflict. Enraged, the Advisor appeared before the heroes as a monstrous image, cursing them for their interference and warning them to sleep with one eye open because he would be waiting for them in the darkness. As the Advisor reverted to his standard form, War Machine told him that he only had power while there were fools to do his bidding...and mankind was wising up fast. They left the Advisor behind.
(Dark Reign Files) - Quasimodo researched the Advisor for Norman Osborn.
Comments: Created by Scott Benson, Len Kaminski, Gabriel Gecko, and Pam Eklund.
In War Machine#4, the Advisor described his
masters as "just people, people with certain...advantages."
In War Machine#15/2, he hints that he is not human, but rather some force
feeding on violence, and destruction. He seems somewhat similar to
Hate-Monger/Animus, though he is more politically and nationally oriented, while
Hate-Monger was more geared towards racial, religious strife, etc.
The back-up feature story was titled "Brothers in Arms: Vicious Circle."
I THINK the Advisor most likely arranged for the US government to send Hawkeye to train the Shadows so that he could generate violence on both sides of the battle, but I couldn't find this clearly stated. At minimum, he was exacerbating the conflict.
Political notes courtesy of Per Degaton:
Johnannesburg
Johannesburg is in South Africa, so he probably had
something to do with the conflict between Nelson Mandela, the African National
Congress, Marxists, and the government in power, running from the 1970's to
about the early 1990's. South Africa was frequently in conflict with other
African countries that turned Communist, and raised the ire of Arab-influenced
societies.
Many of the western democracies refused to help South Africa due to
apartheid, but Israel and South Africa became bosom buddies, which many find
counterintuitive. See the book the Unnatural Alliance. Gerald Bull (the basis
for the Doctor Brattle over in the Rose Kugel entry) worked for South Africa,
creating howitzers with better range and stopping power, until Jimmy Carter was
sworn in. Bull was then arrested.
South Africa did oddly enough treat the Japanese as fully equal.
Anyone know of any references to South African on Earth-616? I know the
Black Panther's "The Man Who Loved Sunrise" had something to do with it (see
Pretorius entry), as did Voortrekker. Rudyarda was a South
Africa analog in the Fantastic Four in the early 1970's.
Cambodia
Probably had something to do with the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot, also
referenced in numerous stories by Fabian Nicieza, such as the Angkor storyline
in Wonder Man and in New Warriors. The Khmer Rouge was in power in the 1970's,
and maintained guerilla raids into about the 1990's. Ronald Reagan recognized
Pol Pot as the true ruler of Cambodia throughout, to spite Vietnam and the
Soviet Union. Pol Pot died in 1998 or so.
Zaire
Zaire, under the control of Mobutu, clashed with the
Roman Catholic Church in the 1970's, as well as Angolan rebels in this period
and probably into the 1980's.
Iraq
Conflicts involving Saddam Hussein, as he fought a
struggle with Iran in the 1980's, and engaged in two conflicts with the US, both
involving a President Bush. Suburban Ninja She-Devils#1 shows that a sorceress
active in the Thurian era actually persuaded Hussein in the 1991 Gulf conflict,
while Thunderbolts#75 shows that Hussein had Pym particles. A new ruler of Iraq
appeared in a recent Elektra mini-series involving a key related to either
Scorpio or Zodiac, and also Saddam Hussein was referenced in X-Force or X-Statix.
Waco, Texas
David Koresh, the Branch Davidians and the FBI standoff, on April 19, 1993. Also referred to in the prose novel Liberty's Torch featuring Captain America and the Falcon.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
No KNOWN connections to:
images: (without ads)
War Machine#15/2, p13, panel 3 (full body)
panel 5 (face)
Iron Man#317/2, p13, panel 2 (giant image)
Appearances:
War Machine#1-4 (April, 1994) - by Scott Benson & Len Kaminski (writers),
Gabriel Gecko (penciler), Pam Eklund (inker), Nel Yomtov (editor)
Force Works#12/2 (June, 1995) - by Dan Abnett (writer), Fred Haynes (pencils),
Johnny Greene (inks), Nel Yomtov (editor)
War Machine#15/2 (June, 1995) - by Dan Abnett (writer), Carlos Franco (pencils),
Sam DeLaRosa (inks), Nel Yomtov (editor)
Iron Man#317/2 (June, 1995) - by Dan Abnett (writer), Fred Haynes (pencils),
Johnny Greene (inks), Nel Yomtov (editor)
Dark Reign Files (February, 2009) - Michael Hoskin & various others (writer), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
First Posted: 09/03/2006
Last updated: 09/03/2006
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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.!