GIDEON TRUST

Membership: Colonel, Janus, numerous unidentified inventors

Purpose: To gain power and riches by investing in industry, energy, medicine and technology

Affiliations: Awesome Android (facsimile), H.E.R.B.I.E. army, their lawyers, the N-Explorers (Trapster (Peter Petruski), Travers, Travis, Vasquez, others), Spot (Jonathan Ohnn)

Enemies: Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Noah Baxter, the Fantastic Four (Human Torch (Johnny Storm), Invisible Woman (Sue Richards), Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards), Thing (Ben Grimm)), Namor the Sub-Mariner (Namor McKenzie), Namorita (Namorita Prentiss), She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters)

Base of Operations: A safe house in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA;
    formerly the Gideon Corporation building in New York City, USA

First Appearance: Fantastic Four III#35 (November, 2000)

History: 

(Fantastic Four III#35 (fb) - BTS) - The Gideon Trust inherited the late scientist Gregory Gideon's actions and debts. In an effort to gain power and riches, the Gideon Trust began investing in new technology, energy and medicine, claiming to the public that they were attempting to better humankind. Despite their claims, the Gideon Trust's goals were not be as altruistic as they claimed, with the Trust itself rumored to have commercial dealings in Genosha and profits gained from eastern European wars.

(Fantastic Four III#39 (fb) - BTS) - The Gideon Trust plotted to mine the Negative Zone dimension of its riches and decided to acquire the Fantastic Four's headquarters of Pier Four for their Negative Zone portal.

(Fantastic Four III#43 (fb)) - Janus, a former enemy of the Fantastic Four, joined up with the Gideon Trust, as their goals of mining the Negative Zone paralleled Janus' own goals. As part of the Gideon Trust, Janus tapped his powers together with those of the captive Spot, allowing him to open portals for the Trust.

(Fantastic Four III#35 - BTS) - The Gideon Trust board of directors sent their lawyers to meet with Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, and their lawyers. The lawyers offered to purchase the Fantastic Four's headquarters of Pier Four on behalf on the Gideon Trust, reminding Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four's recent debts and drop in stock during their recent time on Counter-Earth. The lawyers also reminded the heroic couple that the deadline on their loan for Pier Four was due the following day and commented that Mr. Fantastic would retain the copyrights for the inventions contained within Pier Four. Upon taking the Gideon Trust's proposal in mind, Mr. Fantastic agreed to sign the deed to Pier Four over to the Gideon Trust but their lawyer, "Foggy" Nelson, reminded Mr. Fantastic that the contract would not be valid until the Invisible Woman also signed it. A short time later, the Invisible Woman reluctantly agreed to sign the contract. With Pier Four and all of the inventions contained within now owned by the Gideon Trust, the Gideon Trust lawyers left.

(Fantastic Four III#35) - When Pier Four was surrounded by water from the alchemist Diablo's water elemental, members of the Gideon Trust drove up to Pier Four in a limousine. The woman commented to the man about how impressive the waterfall from the elemental was while the man suggested that they get the signed deed to Pier Four somewhere safe. Before they departed, the woman reminded the man not to worry, as it was their business to close deals while the heroes' business was to make sure nothing happened. Shortly thereafter, Pier Four exploded.

(Fantastic Four III#36) - After Pier Four was left a wreck following the Fantastic Four's battle with Diablo, the woman from the limo chided the Fantastic Four, demanding to know what they had done to the Gideon Trust's property. Mr. Fantastic reminded the Gideon Trust representative that they still owned the patents for the inventions inside Pier Four and that their insurance should cover the damage. The Fantastic Four then left the scene.

(Fantastic Four III#38) - One of the Gideon Trust members led the Trapster into the Gideon Trust's headquarters, where the Trapster witnessed the Gideon Trust testing the criminal Spot and Janus the Nega-Man. When the Gideon Trust member asked the Trapster if he was ready for the first day of the rest of his life, the Trapster replied that the "third time's a charm."

(Fantastic Four III#39) - The Trapster awoke within a room in the Gideon Trust headquarters, commenting to himself that the Trust's experiments on him were unpleasant, unaware that the Gideon Trust itself was observing his progress. Colonel, a military veteran member of the Gideon Trust, mentioned to the other Trust members that the Trapster was fit to join the Trust's N-Explorers along with a man named Travers and others. He then commented how much easier it would have been to explore the Negative Zone if the Gideon Trust had acquired the Fantastic Four's Negative Zone portal prior to Pier Four's destruction. An unseen Gideon Trust member communicated with the Colonel via speaker and reminded the Colonel that he was contracted to the Gideon Trust for his military expertise, not his ability as an accountant. The Colonel grumbled that he would like to see the Trust operate without him but another Trust member present reminded the Colonel of his contractual obligations to the Gideon Trust. He then warned that those who operated opposite the Gideon Trust would suffer dire consequences and commented that those consequences would begin with Noah Baxter and the Fantastic Four.

(Fantastic Four III#40) - The Gideon Trust monitored a training exercise for their N-Explorers in the Holo-Lab of their New York headquarters. Following the exercise, the Colonel informed the N-Explorers that they had been given the green light to travel into the Negative Zone by the Gideon Trust. A short time later, the Colonel oversaw the N-Explorers' first venture into the Negative Zone, telling the N-Explorers to do their job, get back alive and go home rich. Once the N-Explorers had went through the Negative Zone portal, the Colonel told others to inform the Gideon Trust that the N-Explorers had breached the wall. Other Gideon Trust associates cheered at the successful trip.

(Fantastic Four III#41 - BTS) - When the N-Explorers located an energy generator within the Negative Zone, N-Explorers leader Travis reported their findings to the Gideon Trust's Colonel, who congratulated Travis and reminded him that the N-Explorers knew what to do next.

(Fantastic Four III#42 (fb)) - At 4 a.m., the Gideon Trust's North Atlantic station was attacked by Namor the Sub-Mariner.

(Fantastic Four III#42) - Later that day, the Colonel was informed of Namor's attack and told that Namor was heading toward the Gideon Trust's New York City tower. When asked if they should alert a security team, the Colonel responded that they should let the U.S. government handle it. At that same time, Namor was attacking New York City harbor and subsequently noticed the Gideon Trust logo on the Gideon Trust's New York City tower and flew toward it. Namor's attack was interrupted by the arrival of the Human Torch.

(Fantastic Four III#43 (fb) - BTS) - Using plans and patents they now owned from inside Pier Four, the Gideon Trust created an army of H.E.R.B.I.E. robots to act as pest control in their Gideon Corporation building. They also created a facsimile of the Mad Thinker's Awesome Android.

(Fantastic Four III#43) - When the N-Explorers located Annihilus in the Negative Zone, the Trapster reported back to the Colonel at the Gideon Trust headquarters, who met with Gideon Trust member Janus and had him contact reinforcements to aid the N-Explorers. Janus psychically contacted the other N-Explorers and sent them to aid the Trapster and Travis within the Negative Zone. Unbeknownst to the Gideon Trust, the Human Torch, She-Hulk, Namorita and Ant-Man were infiltrating the Gideon Corporation building, directed by Noah Baxter, who tipped the heroes off to the Gideon Trust's invasion of the Negative Zone. The four heroes were soon met by the Gideon Trust's security, an army of H.E.R.B.I.E. robots built from Mr. Fantastic's patents. In order to escape the H.E.R.B.I.E.s, the Human Torch had to flame on, allowing the Gideon Trust's security to locate the heat signature and send a modified Awesome Android after the heroes.

(Fantastic Four III#44) - The four heroes continued battling the Awesome Android within Gideon Tower, eventually defeating the Android and discovering the Gideon Trust lab where Janus had been tapping his abilities with those of the captive Spot to open portals into the Negative Zone. Shortly after discovering the portal system, the Human Torch and the other heroes were surprised to see it overloading. As Gideon Trust employees made a run for it, the Human Torch began attempting to absorb the heat and fire from the exploding portal system. The other Fantastic Four members soon arrived through the Negative Zone portal, only to find that Janus had been killed in the prior explosion and that the Human Torch could not turn his flame powers off. Unbeknownst to the Fantastic Four and their allies, the Gideon Trust had made an escape during the scuffle to a Lake Tahoe, Nevada safe house, where the Trust's lawyers were fired. Before the lawyers left, the Trust reminded them via speakerphone of their non-disclosure clause in their contracts preventing them from speaking of the Gideon Trust's actions.

Comments: Created by Rafael Marin, Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino.

It was never clear whether the Colonel was a present military colonel or a former one. Also, the Colonel strongly resembled former U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt, sporting a large mustache and saying "bully!" quite often.

The true board of directors of the Gideon Trust was never actually seen, only lower employees of the Trust such as the Colonel, Janus or the Trust's lawyers. The "inner circle" of the Gideon Trust was only interacted with via speakerphone/speakerbox.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Gideon Trust has no known connections to

The Colonel has no known connections to

The Colonel

The Colonel was a military colonel who was contracted by the Gideon Trust to work for them. Using his military expertise, the Colonel monitored the testing of N-Explorer applicants and approved their joining of the group. Once the N-Explorers roster had been finalized, the Colonel monitored their training exercises, reported on their progress to the other Gideon Trust members, and directed their activities on behalf of the Gideon Trust. He oversaw the N-Explorers Holo-Lab training exercise and their first outing into the Negative Zone. He later monitored their progress when the N-Explorers located an energy generator inside a Negative Zone temple. Still overseeing the N-Explorer missions from the Gideon Corporation building, the Colonel was later contacted to send reinforcements to the N-Explorers when they were attempting to capture Annihilus. The Colonel met with Janus, who sent the requested reinforcements.

--Fantastic Four III#39 (#40, #41 - BTS, #42-43,




images: (without ads)

Fantastic Four III#39, p9, pan4 (The Gideon Trust, main image)
Fantastic Four III#39, p10, pan4 (The Gideon Trust, supplemental image)
Fantastic Four III#40, p10, pan2 (The Colonel)

Appearances:
Fantastic Four III#35 (November, 2000) - Rafael Marin (writer), Carlos Pacheco (writer, art), Jesus Merino (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Fantastic Four III#36 (December, 2000) - Rafael Marin (writer), Carlos Pacheco (writer, art), Jesus Merino (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Fantastic Four III#38 (February, 2001) - Jeph "Loudmouth" Loeb (script), Rafael "The Magic" Marin (co-plotter), Carlos "The Prince" Pacheco (co-plotter, art), Jesus "Mercury" Merino (inks), Bobbie "Da Bomb" Chase (editor)
Fantastic Four III#39 (March, 2001) - Jeph "Rockhead" Loeb (script), Rafael "Emerald" Marin (co-plotter), Carlos "Diamond" Pacheco (co-plotter, art), Jesus "Ruby" Merino (inks), Bobbie "Opal" Chase (editor)
Fantastic Four III#40 (April, 2001) - Jeph "Potty Mouth" Loeb (script), Rafael "el Mulo" Marin (co-plotter), Carlos "el Burro" Pacheco (co-plotter, art), Jesus "el Cabo" Merino (inks), "Cheeky" Bobbie Chase (editor)
Fantastic Four III#41 (May, 2001) - Jeph Loeb (script), Rafael Marin (co-plotter), Carlos Pacheco (co-plotter, art), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Fantastic Four III#42 (June, 2001) - Jeph Loeb (script), Rafael Marin, Carlos Pacheco (co-plotters), Stuart Immonen (pencils), Jesus Merino (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Fantastic Four III#43 (July, 2001) - Jeph Loeb (script), Rafael Marin, Carlos Pacheco (co-plotters), Joe Bennett (pencils), Sandu Florea (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Fantastic Four III#44 (August, 2001) - Jeph Loeb (script), Rafael Marin (co-plotter), Carlos Pacheco (co-plotter, art), Jesus Merino (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)

First Posted: 03/09/2014
Last updated: 07/05/2014

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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