AVALON
Real Name: Avalon
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Rhunian) android race (Caretakers)
Occupation: Caretaker, leader and defender of his people, "knight of the Inner Realm"
Group Membership: Caretakers
Affiliations: Balder, Bolaa, Jukka, Tana Nile, Sif, Silas Grant, Thor, Tryx
Enemies: Dracus, Exterminators, Kragonn, Protector, Protectors (experimental type)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Black Stars
First Appearance: Thor I#219 (January, 1974)
Powers/Abilities: Avalon stood about 3 to 4 times taller than Thor and drew strength from his mechanical surroundings; as such, his strength was variable yet considerable, but was limited to him staying in his work area of the space scoop. As with other Caretakers, he had limited flight capability. He was over 100 years old but not elderly for his race.
History:
(Thor I#219 (fb) - BTS) - Dracus helped create the race of Caretakers to tend to and repair the huge roving scoops that funneled space debris back to Rhun to be used as fuel. Avalon was a knight of these people and sent to test the approaching strangers for their strength and potential to aid them.
(Thor I#219) - Avalon was at the end of the scoop that snaked toward Thor's space-faring viking ship, hoping that these aliens would be the ones who would help liberate them from their oppression. Avalon reached out to Thor's ship and was surprised when the wood crumbled in his grasp. Mistaking this for an attack, the warriors aboard the ship (Balder, Bolaa, Jukka, Sif, Thor, and Tryx) dropped to the scoop's deck and fought Avalon until their metal-skinned opponent shrugged them all off after drawing strength from the scoop's surface. He declared that there was no further need for conflict and welcomed them as friends, inviting them within the confines of the scoop. All of them followed, including the Rigellian Tana Nile and Silas Grant--also from the ship, and Avalon introduced them to his people's plight. Coming from similar backgrounds, Bolaa, Jukka and Tryx insisted that they help. Thor accompanied Avalon back to the surface of the scoop, where they soon encountered the aggressive android, the Protector, which rammed Avalon down but was destroyed by Thor. However, the tentacled scoop was reeled in, letting Thor and Avalon see the surface of Rhun and its enormous denizens for the first time.
(Thor I#220) - Thor, gnat-sized in comparison to the Rhunians, attacked the leader Kragonn with his hammer and was swatted away. Avalon stopped his fall but saw the situation as hopeless. The tiny group was gathered into a small cannister and given to the Caretakers' creator, Dracus, for him to learn more of the rebellion. Dracus deposited four deadly Exterminators into the cannister but these were readily eliminated by the Asgardians. Avalon revealed that he knew nothing of his masters save that they were slaves of the five planets. Faced with a lethal radiation bombardment from Dracus ordered by Kragonn, the Caretakers led by Avalon flew up to tackle their oppressors, but were in turn attacked by experimental-type android Protectors and a deadly fight followed with much loss of android life. The fighting stopped when Bolaa, Jukka and Tryx overpowered Dracus and revealed to Kragonn the truth: that the destruction and mining of alien worlds was no longer required as only one of the five planets of the Black Stars required sustenance. Kragonn chose to liberate Avalon and his people, and the Caretakers roared free into space in a tiny rocket ship.
Comments: Created by Gerry Conway (script), John Buscema (pencils) and Mike Esposito (inks).
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Avalon has no known connections to:
Crafted by Dracus, the Caretakers were created to be slaves and take care of the giant scoops that gathered planetary debris to fuel the Black Stars; they were confined to the devices they tended and repaired, and knew of brethren assigned to other devices, although they were all forbidden to leave their assigned domain. Also dubbed Sub-worlders, the Caretakers were beings of inorganic living metal who drew power and strength from their surroundings. They were capable of breeding and aging, with aged and children amongst their numbers. They had never encountered organic aliens in almost 10,000 years until they met Thor and his crew. They had personal hopes and dreams, with Avalon the defender and hopeful liberator of his people. They eventually rebelled against their oppressors, Dracus and Kragonn, when all were threatened with death, and were attacked by Exterminators and experimental Protectors with much loss of life. They were eventually granted freedom by Kragonn.
--Thor I#219 (Thor I#220
images:
(without ads)
Thor I#219, p5, pan1 (main image)
Thor I#220, p1 (head shot)
Thor I#219, p11, pan3 (Caretakers)
Appearances:
Thor I#219-220 (January-February, 1974) - Gerry Conway (script), John
Buscema (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
First Posted: 04/06/2010
Last updated: 04/28/2013
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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