HORDE

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial mutant

Occupation: Thief, extortionist

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: X-Men, many other alien beings

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile through the universe

First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men Annual#11 (1987)

Powers/Abilities: Horde's powers were several and exceptional. His monstrous invulnerability protected him from physical attacks (Class 75), energy attacks, telepathic attacks and he was immune to probabilty-related powers (such as Longshot's "luck"). He had telekinetic powers at molecular level, able to recreate objects and heal wounds with a simple tought. He could teleport himself and many other persons with ease over galactic distances and probably could travel through space without any means of transport. In general, the entire extent of his powers was more than unearthly, for he destroyed more than 20 planets.
    Horde wore a green crystal on the brow, a stone that granted him part of his powers and/or greatly enhanced the powers he already had and/or protected him from aging, wounds and other kinds of injuries, physical or psychic. The crystal was a small part of the Crystal of the Final Vision. However, if the crystal was removed from his brow, all past injuries would strike the possessor at once.

Height: 14'
Weight: 2500 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Orange

History:

(Uncanny X-Men Annual#11 (fb) - BTS) - Horde was an alien and a mutant. His special abilities distingushed him from the rest of his race and he decided to use them to become a conqueror.

   He became ruthless and cruel, his powers were so great that in his research for absolute power he destroyed twenty worlds that had tried to stop him. During his conquering wanderings through space he acquired a shard of the Crystal of the Final Vision that prolonged his life.

    Horde's final goal was the Crystal of the Final Vision, protected by the Citadel of Light and Shadow. The traps at the Citadel were so cunning that even Horde feared its power. Several powerful alien races had tried before to win the prize at the end of the Citadel. Many of them were killed, many were trapped and many failed the final test of the Crystal. The Citadel could determine anybody's strongest and deepest desires, and Horde needed someone who weakened or deactivated these traps. Many times Horde enslaved and forced other beings of power to enter the Citadel and they failed.

(Uncanny X-Men Annual#11) - Horde arrived on Earth where he discovered that beings like him existed: mutants, who could do the job for him. He studied the X-Men. When he learnt everything he needed he attacked them in their house in Westchester. With incredible ease he defeated Storm, Captain Britain, Meggan, Rogue, Wolverine, Havok, Dazzler and Longshot. Psylocke, stunned from the exceptional show of power, understood that they were all outpowered and surrendered.
    Horde transported the X-Men through space before the Citadel of Light and Shadow. He let them attack him again, using their full powers, just to show them that they could do nothing to harm him. He then blackmailed them. He ordered them to find the Crystal of the Final Vision, if they refused, he would destroy Earth, just like he did before with other worlds. The X-Men accepted, hoping to find a means to stop Horde, during their search for the Crystal, or using the Crystal itself.
    The Citadel defended the Crystal. Many X-Men were captured and their desires fulfilled, but not for Longshot, who had no egoistical desires. He was absorbed by the Citadel, becoming part of it, which helped the remaining X-Men because the Citadel was weakened by Longhsot. Then Horde made his move and ran into the Citadel. Confident of his own power he did not hide his thoughts allowing Psylocke to read his intentions to reach the Crystal before the X-Men.

(Uncanny X-Men Annual#11) - Only Wolverine was between the Crystal and Horde. Horde sunk his hand into Wolverine's chest to fetch his heart, and in that instant, a single drop of Wolverine's blood touched the Crystal. Its enormous power rebuilt Wolverine's body, cell, by cell, organ by organ, a new Wolverine empowered by the Crystal, a power so great that he could remold the entire universe. With a simple gesture Wolverine took the gem from Horde's brow. Without its power, the years, all the cruelties, all his crimins caught up with Horde and he crumbled into dust.

Comments: Created by Chris Claremont (writer), Alan Davis (pencils) and Paul Neary (inks).

Wolverine resisted the temptation of absolute power and granted to the human species the possibility to evolve further. Others seeking the crystal like the Kree and the Skrull had failed the test and were genetically frozen never to evolve further.

Horde has a profile in Wolverine Weapon X Files.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Horde has no known connections to:

• Horde, locusts of the universe @ Eternals III#6
• Horde, composite being composed of Stoneridge beings @ World War Hulk Aftersmash: Warbound#2
• any other character with a similar name

Citadel of Light and Shadow

    The Citadel was the well-protected holding place of the Crystal of the Ultimate Vision.
    Its external walls were made of an almost indestructible metal and its inside was made of a very resistent crystal which could be intangible or solid, depending on the purposes of the Citadel. The Citadel was not run by human beings, nonetheless it appealed to most human desires, fears and feelings of the beings who entered the Citadel. The basic purpose of the Citadel was keep visitors away from the Crystal of the Ultimate Vision. The Citadel put the visitors under heavy trials to determine if they were worthy to touch the crystal. If the visitors were weak they fell into one of the traps. Many traps were the realization of the strongest or hidden desires. Only the most resolute among the visitors succeeded in reaching the inner and deepest rooms of the Citadel. The ones captured by the Citadel died there.
    The Citadel contained thousands of floors and rooms and corridors. The Crystal of the Ultimate Vision was very deeply hidden beneath the surface, so that the visitors had to pass across many rooms and be tempted by many desires. The Crystal was a great, faceted stone, about 1 meter tall, and gave absolute power to the being touching it. The winner could destroy or recreate the universe at will. But this only was the last and greatest temptation of the Citadel. Infact, if the visitor touched the Crystal and tried to use its power to remold the universe at will, it would fail the final trial and his entire race would be punished. The races would be genetically frozen, denied of any further evolution. The failing one would become one of the Citadel's eternal guardians, one of the giant statues standing outside the Citadel, serving the Citadel in the few moments when the Citadel had to be rebuilt and restored. If the wielder of the Crystal's power would refuse its power and destroy the Crystal, his race could evolve further and advance in the scheme of the universe.

    Many beings visited the Citadel before the X-Men. Some of them were probably forced by Horde. The last beings who had tried to conquer the Crystal were Kree and Skrull, but they both failed.

    The Citadel was destroyed by Wolverine. The temptation of the absolute power was too strong for Wolverine so he destroyed the Crystal with adamantium claws. Few moments after the whole Citadel crumbled but all the X-Men were saved and transported back to Westchester with the last remnants of Wolverine's power. The giant statues outside the citadel animated and used their powers to restore the Citadel, waiting for other races to confront the Ultimate Vision.

--Uncanny X-Men Annual#11

images: (without ads)
Uncanny X-Men Annual#11, p8, pan1 (Horde, main image)
Uncanny X-Men Annual#11, cover (Hover, head shot)
Uncanny X-Men Annual#11, p13, pan1 (Citadel, guardians)
.Uncanny X-Men Annual#11, p34, pan7 (Crystal of the Ultimate Vision)

Appearances:
Uncanny X-Men Annual#11 (1987) - Chris Claremont (writer), Alan Davis (pencils), Paul Neary (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)

Last updated: 05/24/11

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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