AURIC
Real Name: Zhao Thang
Identity/Class: Human (Chinese) mutant
Occupation: Former adventurer, government
operative
Group Membership: None; formerly China Force (Dog, Horse, Monkey, She-Devil, Silver/Jhimon Zou), Gamma Flight (Nemesis/Jane Thorne, Silver/Jhimon Zou, Wildchild/Kyle Gibney, Witchfire/Ananym)
Affiliations: Alpha Flight (Aurora/Jeanne-Marie
Beaubier, Box/Madison Jeffries, Diamond Lil/Lilian Crawley,
Goblyn/Laura Dean, Northstar/Jean Paul Beaubier, Purple Girl/Kara Killgrave,
Shaman/Michael Twoyoungmen, Talisman/Elizabeth Twoyoungmen,
Vindicator/Heather Hudson), Doctor
Hedison, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Wolverine (James "Logan"
Howlett)
formerly Teng Yun-Shuan
Enemies: Asp (Cleo Nefertiti), Brass Bishop, Chess Set, Llan the Sorceror, Nekra (Nekra Sinclair), Owl (Leland Owlsley), Scorpion (Mac Gargan), Sphinx (Anath-Na Mut), Target Technologies' "Hero Killers"
Known Relatives: Jhimon Zhou (sister)
Aliases: Gold, Tang Zhao
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly Target
Technologies complex, Rutherford,New Jersey;
formerly a wharf in Sault,
St. Marie, Canada;
formerly Gamma Flight
headquarters, Winnipeg, Canada;
formerly Hong Kong;
formerly China
First Appearance: Alpha Flight I#76 (November,
1989)
Powers/Abilities: Auric was a mutant whose heat
manipulating powers manifested at a young age. He could generate optic
blasts of intense heat, ignite fire and fly. Reborn as a composite being
with his sister Silver and Dr. Hedison, he wielded part of the massive
superpowers of the Sphinx. In this new form, he was powerful enough to
take out half a dozen supervillains with effortless ease.
Height: 6'1" (by approximation)
Weight: 150 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
History:
(Marvel Graphic Novel: The Agent (fb) - BTS) - Chinese born Zhao Thang and his
sister Jhimon Zou were mutants whose powers manifested at a remarkably
early age. They were soon taken from their home by the authorities and
assigned to join the country's premiere superhero squad: China Force as
Gold and Silver.
(Marvel Graphic Novel: The Agent (fb) ) - Hong Kong officials correctly suspected Gold and the other members of China Force might be working to overthrow the government. China Force was working for Teng Yun-Shuan and his ally the Kingpin (Wilson Fisk), though they didn't carry out their plot. However, the Agent (Rick Mason), had been made aware of China Force and Auric's involvements thanks to an information package he received from a Hong Kong official.
(Alpha Flight I#76 (fb) - BTS) - Fed up with their life in communist
China, Auric and Silver decided to defect. Using Hong Kong's relative
freedom to reach Canada, they were quickly naturalized by the authorities
who wanted them to join their newest government funded superhero team:
Gamma Flight (Alpha Flight had been off
world for months at the time and were presumed dead.) In the
weeks that followed, Zhao, now known as Auric, Silver and their teammates
Nemesis, Wild Child and Witchfire went on several succesful missions and
quickly made a name for themselves.
(Alpha Flight I#76) - Gamma Flight was sent to a suburb of Montreal where a
mysterious force had killed dozens of inhabitants while freezing countless
others in their tracks (caused by a
small girl possessed by Llan the Sorceror and forced to serve as his
messsenger). Auric and Silver were told by Nemesis to take to the
air and patrol the area. They used their powers to put out a house that
had caught fire, only to be surprised the charred inhabitants came out and
attacked them, even flying to reach them. Cornered, the brother and sister
team had no choice but to attack their opponents with all their might.
That still proved insufficient, as the dead were about to overtake them.
Only the arrival of Alpha Flight saved them, with Box turning his arm into
a giant turbine that blew the undead away. Thanks to Alpha's resident
mystic Talisman, Llan's messenger was defeated. However, Nemesis announced
to the stunned Alpha Flight that Gamma Flight were now the only
superheroes allowed to operate within Canadian borders. If Alpha didn't
disband immediately, they would be arrested.
(Alpha Flight I#79) - When Alpha Flight members Vindicator and Diamond Lil ignored the government's orders that the team would disband (they were summoned by Shaman to fight Scorpion and Nekra), Gamma Flight was alerted. Auric and Silver looked on as their leader Nemesis declared it was time to bring them in.
(Alpha Flight I#80) - Auric, Silver and the other Gamma
Flighters arrived in Winnipeg to arrest Vindicator and Diamond Lil, who
were struggling to hold their own against Nekra, Scorpion and the other,
newly arrived American villains Owl and Asp (all
part of Llan the Sorceror's convoluted scheme). Auric and
Silver did their best to prevent the crazed villains from killing
innocent people while Vindicator correctly guessed at Llan's
involvement. After Sasquatch and Box showed up to help out the other
heroes, Heather told Witchfire to use her mystical powers to break the
connection between Llan and the villains. This eventually led to their
defeat. In the aftermath, Gamma Flight arrested the Alphans. (Alpha Flight I#84) - Gamma Flight was called in when Alpha Flight
escaped from prison, slaying several of Llan the Sorcerer's henchmen in
the process (they were disguised as
guards, leading the authorities to believe the heroes had become
killers). Gamma soon discovered Alpha's hiding place and
attacked, with Auric failing to hit Aurora and Northstar with his heat
rays, while Silver briefly managed to encase Sasquatch in ice.
Eventually, Gamma Flight was brought to its knees, with Auric proving no
match for Northstar's speed. It was then that Nemesis and the others
were finally willing to listen to reason: Alpha wasn't their enemy, the
unseen menace of Llan was. At that exact moment, the Sorceror opened the
dimensional portal hidden in the Eye of the World to bring his army of
demons to Earth. Auric, Silver and the other Alphans learned of this
through a mystical message sent by Talisman who had failed to stop Llan
at the Eye. (Alpha Flight I#86) - As Alpha and Gamma's last stand
against Llan's forces continued, Auric and Silver were among the last of
the heroes standing. They continued to fight while Dr. Strange involved
himself behind the scenes. Using his mystical might in concert with
Talisman and Witchfire, he managed to open the Gateway of Day hidden
within the Eye of the World. Once the portal was open, the armies of
light came forth to combat Llan's evil forces. Overwhelmed, the Sorceror
was driven out, ending the conflict. (Alpha Flight I#90) - Vindicator effortlessly took out
both Auric and Silver with a single shot when she and Wolverine took on
Gamma Flight. After the far more experienced duo defeated Gamma Flight,
Nemesis was ready to die for the cause. Auric and Silver didn't care for
this and simply requested they'd be allowed to return home to China.
According to Silver, all they wanted was to serve the cause of freedom
and democracy, which they could do better in their homeland than in
jail. Vindicator allowed them to go free, telling the sibling to beat
it, adding that they knew where to find Alpha if they ever needed help. (Amazing Spider-Man Annual I#26) - Auric and Silver were
still in Vancouver when they were attacked by the Hero Killers, a band
of mercenaries working for Target Technologies. They were captured
within impenetrable energy capsules and brought to Target's New Jersey
laboratories for study (the company
was analyzing superhumans and their abilities to find a way to empower
their employer, the Sphinx). (Alpha Flight I#121 (fb) - BTS) - After the New Warriors
and Spider-Man defeated the empowered Sphinx, all his energies were
released in a massive explosion. Silver was killed in the blast, but
both her body and that of Auric absorbed a massive amount of energy that
somehow restored them to a state of dormant consciousness. When the
government sent a team of scientists months later to excavate the site,
one doctor Hedison stumbled on the energized remains of the two who
instinctively latched on to his lifeforce, merging with his mind. Comments: Created by James Hudnall (writer), John
Calimee (pencils), Mike Manley (inks). Auric and Silver just might be the most underdeveloped
characters ever. They had about as many lines between them as
appearances. Ending with the two of them merging with a scientist who barely
had time to finish even one sentence was fitting. A waste, but fitting. Profile by Norvo. CLARIFICATIONS: images: (without ads) Appearances:
First Posted: 07/14/2015 Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know. Non-Marvel
Copyright info Special thanks to www.g-mart.com
for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!
(Alpha Flight I#85) - Thanks to the Alphan Laura Dean opening up a
portal, both Alpha and Gamma Flight made their way to the Eye of the
World. There, they fought against Llan's forces who emerged from the Eye
in seeming endless waves. In the end, Auric, Silver and the others were
fighting a losing battle. Before a gloating Llan could deal with the
captured Talisman, she sent a message to the lightning fast Aurora and
Northstar to find Doctor Strange and get his help.
(Alpha Flight I#87 (fb) ) - Following Llan's defeat, Auric, Silver and
all the other members of Alpha and Gamma Flight willingly surrendered to
the authorities, pending the government's decision about the team's
future. The Chinese siblings attended the hearings that ended with the
government deciding to reinstate Alpha Flight as the nation's official
superhuman force. However, when they further announced Gamma Flight
would be demoted, its members serving as a new Beta Flight under Alpha's
supervision. Fearing this would mean he'd end up on the streets again,
Wild Child lost all control and attacked the politician delivering the
verdict before fleeing the building.
(Alpha Flight I#87) - Auric, Silver and the Alphans searched for Wild
Child. When they found him, he injured Laura Dean before running off
again. While Laura was rushed to the hospital, Auric and Silver resumed
their search under command from Vindicator. After hours of fruitless
searching, they reconvened only to be surprised by Wolverine who had
traced and captured the wayward Wild Child himself.
(Alpha Flight I#88) - Auric and Silver watched as Wild Child was carted
off to prison, where he would soon escape from.
(Alpha Flight I#89 - BTS) - While Wolverine and Vindicator searched for
Wild Child, the vengeful Nemesis assembled Gamma Flight to search for
their wayward teammate. They eventually found him in an abandoned wharf
in Sault, St. Marie.
(Alpha Flight I#89) - Auric, Silver and the other Gamma Flighters
confronted Wolverine and Vindicator when they came to the wharf to bring
in Wild Child.
(Web of Spider-Man Annual I#8 - BTS) - Auric and Silver were subjected to
gruesome experiments, poked and prodded with knives and needles to find
out the source of their powers. Auric didn't survive the brutal
experimentation. He was partially disected, leaving his sister alone and
crying before she was discovered by Spider-Man and the New Warriors.
(Alpha Flight I#121) - News of the Sphinx's energies surviving, reached
the Brass Bishop who figured out that the energies could still be
transferable. He ordered his Chess Set to steal the corpses of Auric and
Silver, replacing their bodies with dummies placed in the coffins). They
also kidnapped Hedison, whose wild story about merging with the dead
Chinese metahumans had caused him to be ridiculed. The Brass Bishop
planned to sell the stored energy to the highest bidder, inviting
various supervillains to attend the auction at a local airfield. Auric
and Silver's remains were displayed prominently, connected to Hedison in
a complex contraption called the nexus. Before a final deal could be
made, the proceedings were interrupted by Alpha Flight and Spider-Man
(who had discovered the Bishop's trickery at the siblings' funeral).
During the fight, Nemesis noticed the Chess Set was protecting the
nexus, prompting her to damage it with her sword. This caused the
machine to malfunction, merging the energies and personalities of Auric,
Silver and Hedison into one extremely powerful entity. This new lifeform
was furious over what had been done to it and ready to kill the Brass
Bishop, the Chess Set and the remaining supervillains. Alpha Flight's
leader Heather Hudson managed to reason with the newborn creature,
reminding it that Auric and Silver always fought for life and that its
creation gave their senseless deaths meaning. Moved by Hudson's plea to
let Auric and Silver rest in peace, knowing their legacy is life, not
death... the entity teleported away, claiming it had much to consider.
Auric should not be confused with
Alpha Flight I#76, p1, pan1 (main image)
Marvel Graphic Novel: The Agent, p10, pan10 (as China Force member Gold)
Alpha Flight I#76, p17, pan3 (Auric & Silver love each other)
Alpha Flight I#84, p16, pan4 (hit by Northstar)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual I#26, p11, pans1&2 (Auric & Silver kidnapped in Vancouver)
Alpha Flight I#121, p20, pan2 (Auric & Silver composite)
Alpha Flight I#76 (November, 1989) - James Hudnall
(writer), John Calimee (pencils), Mike Manley (inks), Carl Potts
(editor)
Marvel Graphic Novel: The Agent (December, 1989) - James Hudnall (writer),
John Ridgway (pencils & inks), Carl Potts & Marc McLaurin
(editors)
Alpha Flight I#79 (Mid-December 1989) - James Hudnall (writer), John
Calimee (pencils), Mike Manley (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Alpha Flight I#80 (January, 1990) - James Hudnall (writer), John Calimee
(pencils), Mike Manley (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Alpha Flight I#84 (May, 1990) - James Hudnall (writer), John Calimee
(pencils), Mike Manley (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Alpha Flight I#85 (June, 1990) - James Hudnall (writer), John Calimee
(pencils), Mike Manley (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Alpha Flight I#86 (July, 1990) - James Hudnall (writer), Mark Bagley
(pencils), Mike Manley (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Alpha Flight I#87 (August, 1990) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Michael Bair
(pencils), Mike Manley (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Alpha Flight I#88 (September, 1990) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Michael
Bair (pencils), Mike Manley (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Alpha Flight I#89 (October, 1990) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Michael
Bair (pencils), Mike Manley (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Alpha Flight I#90 (November, 1990) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Michael
Bair (pencils), Mike Manley (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual I#26 (June, 1992) - David Michelinie (writer),
Scott McDaniel (pencils), Keith Williams (inks), Danny Fingeroth &
Eric Fein (editors)
Web of Spider-Man Annual I#8 (June, 1992) - David Michelinie (writer),
Scott McDaniel (pencils), Keith Williams (inks), Danny Fingeroth &
Eric Fein (editors)
Alpha Flight I#121 (June, 1993) - Simon Furman (writer), Craig Brasfield
(pencils), Frank Turner (inks), Rob Tokar (editor)
Last updated: 07/08/2015
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