SAMÉDÀR
Real Name: Samédàr
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Shi'ar)
Occupation: Former admiral of the Shi'ar spacefleet
Group Membership: Shi'ar Imperium; former leader of the Shi'ar space fleet
Affiliations: Brood, Deathbird, Fang, Hussar, Quasar (later Neutron), Sea Spine, Sidri, Sp'yxx, Trypthe, Warstar, Webwing
Enemies: Araki, Earth, Gladiator (Kallark), Imperial Guard, Lilandra, K'rk N'Kzaii, N'rill'irēē, Oracle, Starbolt, Starjammers, X-Men
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Admiral Lord Samédàr, Lord Samédàr,
Base of Operations: Currently unrevealed;
formerly mobile throughout the universe in a Shi'ar fleet
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men#154 (February, 1982)
Powers/Abilities: As one of the Shi'ar, Samédàr possesses enhanced strength and endurance. He had advanced military experience and was presumably a skilled warrior.
History:
(Uncanny X-Men#156) - Deathbird paid Samédàr to join with her in a plot to
destroy Lilandra, the Starjammers, and Earth.
(Uncanny X-Men#154 (fb)) - A meeting of the Shi'ar Grand Council was raided by a terrorist commando force. Most of the ministers were slaughtered in the attack, and some were executed even after they'd surrendered. Majestrix Lilandra was kidnapped. The Starjammers were implicated and the trail left by the terrorists led straight to Earth. A fast battle force, led by Chancellor Araki and Lord Samédàr, Admiral of the Fleet, set out to rescue Lilanda and soon arrived in local Earth space. The fleet prepared to go to any lengths to liberate Lilandra or to avenge her, including reducing Earth to a cinder.
(Uncanny X-Men#155 (fb) - BTS) - Araki provided Samédàr tapes on their past encounters with Earth and the X-Men, though Samédàr apparently ignored them.
(Uncanny X-Men#154 - BTS) - Shi'ar forces pursued the Starjammer Corsair to Earth as he sought to inform the X-Men of the threat to their planet and to acquire their help. Narrowly escaping a Shi'ar dreadnought, Corsair crashed at Professor Xavier's estate and was rescued by Cyclops and Storm. The Shi'ar sent Sidrian hunters to capture or slay them, but the X-Men defeated the Sidri and Corsair slew them.
(Uncanny X-Men#155) - The Shi'ar transported Corsair, Cyclops,
and Storm, as well as Colossus, Nightcrawler, Professor X, Kitty Pryde, and
Wolverine to their dreadnought. Araki revealed Lilandra's kidnapping, and he
announced his intent to use Xavier's rapport with Lilandra to help locate her
then to send a force of the Imperial Guard and combat troopers to effect her
release. Fearing this course would lead to Lilandra's death and much collateral
damage on Earth, Xavier invoked his right as Shivarn'n Halanau (Imperial consort) of Lilandra
to forbid this. Samédàr considered humanity to the barbarians and their lives and
planet to be beneath their concern, but Araki agreed to delay the invasion of
Earth for 24 hours, allowing Xavier and his X-Men to try to free Lilandra
without harm; however, Araki required two of Xavier's students as hostages as a
show of good faith. After discussion with Cyclops and Storm, Xavier chose Kitty
and Nightcrawler to stay aboard the dreadnought, and Xavier telepathically
shared all of his knowledge of the Shi'ar with Kitty.
Back on Earth, the X-Men sought help from the Avengers and
Fantastic Four, receiving only Tigra from the former. In trying to reach
Lilandra telepathically, Xavier was struck by a psionic ambush, though he did
learn she was in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Deathbird and the Brood ambushed Storm
and Corsair as they walked the streets, but the X-Men and Tigra soon arrived to
aid them. Ultimately, Deathbird captured Xavier and nearly slew Colossus, taking
the former with her as she and her allies escaped in a starship.
(Uncanny X-Men#156) - The Starjammers (Ch'od, Hepzibah, Raza)
picked up Corsair and the remaining X-Men and then took Colossus to emergency
surgery. Samédàr taunted Kitty and Nightcrawler with an update, showing them the
near-fatal attack on Colossus and then mockingly telling them he had no further
information on the teammates' fate. Samédàr then reported to Deathbird that
Earth would be destroyed on schedule, promising that he would deal with anyone
who tried to interfere. He further congratulated Deathbird on her victory over
the X-Men but warned her that they had joined the Starjammers and would be
pursuing her. Deathbird criticized Samédàr for not stopping the X-Men, but said
she would take care of him and reminded him that the destruction of Earth was
his responsibility.
The Starjammers caught up to Deathbird's ship, only to be
grabbed by the giant Acanti-ship used by the Brood. Despite this, the X-Men and
Starjammers fought their way past the Brood, rescued Lilandra, and escaped.
However, the Starjammer had been damaged and would take 24 hours to effect
repairs and return to Earth...and there was only six hours left in Araki's
deadline.
(Uncanny X-Men#157) - Samédàr slew Araki and took command of the operation.
(Uncanny X-Men#157) - The X-Men expedited repairs on the
Starjammer, but when Xavier tried to reach across space and telepathically
contact Kitty or Nightcrawler, he was struck down and rendered comatose by an
alien presence within him (a Brood embryo). The crux of his message got through
to its targets, however, but not only could they not reach Araki but they then
heard the Shi'ar fleet being called to battle stations. Shi'ar guards were sent
to slay the captive X-Men, but they defeated their attackers and escaped their
cells, only to find Araki had been murdered. Correctly suspecting Samédàr, they
plotted to gain aid from the Imperial Guard, who were loyal to Lilandra.
Samédàr ordered the Shi'ar to target Earth's major population
centers with their missiles, dismissing questions of Araki's plans and absence
and ordering the captain to obey his commands. Using a Shi'ar costume device and
the implosions of Nightcrawler's teleportation, Kitty impersonated Phoenix and
delivered a warning that Earth was under her protection and that they should
attack Earth at their peril. Nightcrawler then teleported the Imperial Guardsman
Oracle away and let her read their minds to learn of Xavier's message. Oracle
then summoned Gladiator, Starbolt, and N'rill'irēē
to her side and shared the information with them. However, Warstar and a group
of Guardsmen and Borderers loyal to Samédàr and Deathbird-- including Fang,
Hussar, Quasar (later Neutron), and Webwing -- then broke in and announced that
a new order was about to embrace the Shi'ar and that those who had no place in
it would be eliminated. The two sides battled, but then Samédàr used a Brood
weapon to incapacitate everyone in the room.
Wishing his defeated foes, including the Shi'ar Captain K'rk
who had opposed him -- to witness his final victory, Samédàr then ordered his
ships' weaponeers to fire, and a bolt of anti-matter plasma erupted forth, aimed
at San Francisco and intended to devastate North America. However, the
Starjammer then flew in, flying far faster than the speed of light as it skidded
out of warp space, and intercepted the beam, defusing it with its shields.
Lilandra transmitted a message to the Shi'ar revealing that
she was unharmed and insisting that no harm be done to Earth. Gladiator informed
her that the attack had been initiated by Samédàr, who was in league with
Deathbird and had murdered Araki. Lilandra ordered the arrest of Samédàr and the
release of the loyal Imperial Guard. She put K'rk in command of the Shi'ar fleet
and instructed him to withdraw beyond Earth's moon pending her imminent arrival.
Comments: Created by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum, Bob Wiacek, and Josef Rubinstein.
Uncanny X-Men#154 was my first exposure to the X-Men, when I was a wee lad of 11 years. I liked it pretty well, but I didn't like Cyclops or Wolverine, b/c I didn't think they had any actual powers. I though Cyclops' visor fired the beam, and I thought Wolverine's claws were part of his gloves.
Claremont's old stuff is REALLY, REALLY good.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
No KNOWN connections to
images: (without ads)
Uncanny X-Men#157, cover (full body)
p12, panel 2 (face)
Appearances:
Uncanny X-Men#154 (February, 1982) - by Chris Claremont (plotter, scripter),
Dave Cockrum (penciler), Bob Wiacek & Josef Rubinstein (inker), Louise Jones
(editor)
Uncanny X-Men#155-157 (March-May, 1982) - by Chris Claremont (plotter,
scripter), Dave Cockrum (penciler), Bob Wiacek & Josef Rubinstein (inker),
Louise Jones (editor)
First Posted: 09/16/2006
Last updated: 11/13/2013
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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