Primus Vand (Sakaarian Imperial; Hulk foe)

Hover podium/platform/whatever face & obedience staff PRIMUS VAND

Real Name: Primus Vand

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Sakaarian Imperials) technology user;
citizen of the First Sakaarian Empire;
former slave of the First Sakaarian Empire

Occupation: Gladiator trainer / Imperial League promoter;
former gladiator;
former slave

Group Membership: Imperial League

Affiliations: Father Emperor (Angmo the First);
formerly used Warbound (Hiroim, Hulk, Elloe Kaifi, Korg, Miek, No-Name of the Brood (#2 of 6), Lavin Skee) as gladiator/slaves; other gladiator/slaves

Enemies: Ronan Kaifi, unidentified Kronans, Margus, Red King (Angmo-Asan), Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd), Spikes, Warbound (Hiroim, Hulk, Elloe Kaifi, Korg, Miek, No-Name of the Brood (#2 of 6), Lavin Skee), Wildebots (Eggbreaker); other gladiator/slaves
formerly the Father Emperor

Known Relatives: Omegus Vand (father, deceased), unidentified mother (deceased)

Aliases: Kumarson, the Kumarian Killer

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly the Maw, the gladiator training facility in the Mawkaw Mountains
born in Kumaria, Kumar province, planet Sakaar, Tayo system, Fornax galaxy

First Appearance: (Possible, unidentified) Incredible Hulk III#92 (April, 2006)
(confirmed, identified) Incredible Hulk III#93 (May, 2006)

Powers/Abilities: Primus Vand is an experienced gladiatorial warrior and trainer, and is skilled in various forms of martial combat. He carried an Obedience Staff, able to render numbing pain into any bonded to an Obedience Disc. He frequently rode a personal hovercraft.

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 203 lbs.
Eyes: Crimson (missing left eye)
Hair: None

History:

(Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1: The Imperials: Primus Vand (fb) - BTS) <Sometime between 490-500 Post> - Nearly the entire ruling family of Kumar was killed during the Wars of Empire. Omegus Vand, once a high ranking advisor to Kumar's king, was forced into a life of slavery.

(Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1: The Imperials: Primus Vand (fb) - BTS) <510 Post; see comments> - Primus Vand was born in the Kumar Province, the only son of Omegus Vand.

(Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1: The Imperials: Primus Vand (fb) - BTS / Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1: Sakaar: The Great Games (fb) - BTS) <515 Post> - The Father Emperor ordered the dilapidated Tego Arena be converted into the larger, more modern Great Arena in Tego Province's Geot City.

(Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1: The Imperials: Primus Vand (fb) - BTS) <517 Post> - Omegus Vand and his family were forcibly relocated to Geot City where they were among the first group of slaves to start work on the Great Arena Project. Primus was put to work on the project, carrying small slabs of marble to and from the construction site.

(Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1: The Imperials: Primus Vand (fb) - BTS) <526 Post> - Omegus Vand and his wife were among the many slaves killed when a Spike attack caused part of the Great Arena to collapse on them. Primus was spared his parents' fate and continued to work on the Great Arena for nearly 20 years.

(Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1: The Imperials: Primus Vand (fb) - BTS) - Primus' hostility towards the Empire, which he blamed for his parents' death, prompted his reassignment to the newly established gladiator training school at the Maw.

Through sheer force of will, Vand survived the Maw's hellish conditions (although he lost his left eye in the process) and eventually graduated to competition in the Imperial League's Great Games.

After scoring several decisive victories in the Great Arena, the charismatic Primus became Sakaar's most beloved slave-warrior.

(Incredible Hulk III#93 (fb) - BTS / Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1: The Imperials: Primus Vand (fb) - BTS) <551 Post> - Primus Vand spent four undefeated seasons in the Imperial Arenas and was granted his freedom by the Father Emperor.

(Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1: The Imperials: Primus Vand (fb) - BTS) - Thrust into the limelight, Primus' hatred for the Empire was gradually replaced with his devotion to the Great Games. Primus retired from combat, but found himself unable to leave the business and soon became both a promoter for the Imperial League and a gladiator trainer at the Maw.

He also became involved in analyzing viewbox ratings and recruiting gladiators.

(Incredible Hulk III#102 (fb) - BTS) - Under orders from the Red King, Primus Vand or others broke a group of Kronans who attempted to rebel against their slave discs.

(Incredible Hulk III#92) - A Sakaarian wearing a different style eyepatch over the same eye as Vand watched the gladiatorial games in the Great Arena, wearing a slight smile as he stood behind the announcer.

(Incredible Hulk III#93) - As the Hulk fought one of the Mawkaw Magkong lava monsters in the Maw, Vand, from a floating platform flanked by two other Sakaarian warriors, noted that while the Hulk had not lost his spirit, it wouldn't do him much good if he stayed so stupid. He then ordered the Hulk to kneel, using his obedience staff to force the Hulk to one knee against his will. Telling all those present (including the Hulk, Miek and some other natives, and Arch-E) of his history as a gladiator, Primus encouraged the slaves to do as he said, and they might learn the skills needed to seize the glory he had tasted. However, as this was the Maw, the Empire's most lethal gladiatorial training school, and the Maw must be fed, there would first be a test.

He sent the Hulk to meet another group of slaves -- including Elloe & Ronan Kaifi, Lavin Skee, Korg of the Kronans, Hiroim the Shamed, and six hidden Brood -- and he condemned the group as criminals, traitors, slaves, and monsters that no one on the planet deserved to live; after asking who would among them would prove the rest of the world wrong, he stated that 22 had entered the field, but only seven would leave it. Ronan Kaifi interrupted, noting the travesty of his current situation and demanding justice.

(Incredible Hulk III#93 / Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1: The Imperials: Ronan Kaifi - BTS) - Vand cut off Ronan's rant using a weapon that sent a terminal feedback charge through Ronan's obedience disk, vaporizing Kaifi.

face - flanked by soldiers (Incredible Hulk III#93) - When Vand ordered, "Fight. Or die," the remaining 15 entered into battle, and the Brood joined in soon afterward. After all but seven had perished in battle -- leaving only Hiroim, Hulk, Elloe Kaifi, Korg, Miek, No-Name of the Brood (#2 of 6), Lavin Skee -- Vand used his obedience staff and ordered the survivors to half, and he told them they were now a team: "Sleep well. Tomorrow it gets worse."

The next day, Vand had the team fight a group of Kronans whose minds had been fried by resisting their obedience discs, including Korg's brother, Margus. He watched from above as the team destroyed their attackers.

The following, the team was outfitted as gladiators, and Vand had them brought to the Chaleen plains to face a group of Wildebots -- including the powerful Eggbreaker -- plaguing some Imperial farmers, and the team destroyed the Wildebots.

That evening, as the team enjoyed a celebratory feast aboard Imperial Pleasure Cruiser "Dreamskipper," Vand told Skee he had been chosen by a group of Imperial females, and Skee departed to enjoy their company.

(Incredible Hulk III#93 - BTS) - Vand was nowhere to be seen when the Sakaarian Democratic Insurgency assaulted the Cruiser; perhaps he was enjoying some admirers himself (?).

(Incredible Hulk III#94) - Later, aboard the Dreamskipper, Vand told the team their fight with the Wildebots made the premiere viewbox feed, and the Imperial League had taken notice. He advised them to get some sleep, as tomorrow they would hit the big time.

As he led the team back to their quarters, Vand complimented the Hulk on keeping his eye on the big picture (when the Hulk had refused to get involved with the Sakaarian Democratic Insurgency and instead let them be captured or slain by the Death's Head Warguard). He also told the Hulk -- "just between you and me, the Shadow Man and Skee have the look, but not the spirit. Miek and Korg and the Brood thing? Let's just say that no one who matters is gonna be pasting their pictures on the ceiling. But you. You could go all the way. Don't blow it." He then left the Hulk to his chambers...we don't know whether Vand was aware that Caiera awaited Hulk in his chambers or not...

(Incredible Hulk III#94 (fb) - BTS) - By this time, Primus had put hundreds of silver squares into this team.

(Incredible Hulk III#94) - The next day, the team arrived in the Great Arena in Crown City, where an Imperial Dreadnought -- presumably under the Red King's orders -- dropped a deathfire bomb on them. After the Hulk seemingly sacrificed himself to deflect the bomb, Vand approached the Red King, telling him how he had invested so much into his team, and insisting he couldn't just change the rules and slaughter them. When the Red King reminded him that it was the Emperor's game and the Emperor's rules, Vand argued, "Don't give me that. I demand to --" The Red king interrupted, reminding him no one demanded anything from the Red King and lived, and then telling to have his obedience staff ready so his slaves didn't get out of hand. When Vand didn't see how that could happen, the Red King pointed as the still smoking Hulk rejoined the fight and shattered the Death's Head Warguards.

(Incredible Hulk III#94 (fb) - BTS) - Vand's team traveled to a cell within the gladiator chambers...willingly or otherwise, we don't know...

(Incredible Hulk III#94 - BTS) - With Skee having perished in the battle, the rest of Vand's team (minus Elloe, who was still imprisoned) declared themselves Warbound.

(Incredible Hulk III#95) - Vand was present as the Warbound defeated the Silver Savage (a slave-disc implanted Silver Surfer), shattering his obedience disc. To gain their freedom, the Warbound were instructed to kill Elloe Kaifi and the other rebels; when they refused, Primus enforced Caiera's order, using his obedience staff to force them to do it. The disc's power forced the Warbound to their knees until the recovered Surfer destroyed their discs (and the discs of all of the enslaved within the Arena), after which the Warbound tore a whole in the side of the Great Arena, though which they and the other slaves escaped.

(Incredible Hulk III#97 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking to protect the young Hivelings they had gathered, the Hulk led the Warbound to the Maw to find more warriors to protect them.

(Incredible Hulk III#97) - As Vand repeated his Maw spiel to a new group of slaves/would-be-gladiators, the Hulk contradicted him, punching out the Tyrannosaur-like creature that was mowing them down. Vand ordered the slaves to kill the Hulk, using his obedience staff when they refused, until Elloe Kaifi kicked him off his hover platform, claimed the obedience staff for herself, and ordered the slaves to kill Vand. The Hulk took the staff from Elloe and shattered it, pronouncing the slaves free, and he told Elloe that if she wanted Vand dead, she should kill him herself. When Vand told the Hulk he knew he was smart and promised to tell the Emperor, the Hulk told him to shut up or he would do the job himself.

(Incredible Hulk III#97 (fb) - BTS / Incredible Hulk III#102 (fb) - BTS) - Elloe Kaifi, at least observed (and presumably assisted) by Miek -- and possibly the Brood and/or the Hivelings -- fatally slit the throat of Vand and the other prisoners. According to Miek, Vand cried for mercy as Elloe killed him.

(Incredible Hulk III#97 (fb) - BTS) - Korg and Hiroim found Vand and the other dead prisoners. When Korg asked Elloe about what happened, she just lauughed.

(Incredible Hulk III#97 (fb) - BTS) - Korg told the Hulk about Vand.

Comments: Created by Greg Pak, Carlo Pagulayan, and Jeffrey Huet.

Sakaarian calendar

I think the Modern Sakaarian Calendar and chronology in the Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook should be considered questionable. While the book was written from Greg Pak's original notes and approved by Pak and editorial, subsequent stories have contradicted those dates and even the order of events to some extent. Even within the Guidebook, which was an impressive work with a ton of great data, there were numerous contradictions.
In-story, we already have notes that records of the Father Emperor's life were destroyed during the War of Empires and the Spike War...and that information was pieced together in the New Encyclopedia and established as the official history of Imperial Sakaar. So, some of the information may be erroneous, some from confusion, and some of it perhaps propaganda, altered to make the Father Emperor and/or the Red King look better.
Additionally, most in-comic references to the Father Emperor are second-hand accounts given by beings whose motivations in imparting the correct information are questionable, such as Miek (Tales of the Warbound).
Regardless dates are included in this profile when listed and not found to be contradictory. Generally, when something notes something as a number of years ago, that's from the stories...when a specific date is given, that 's from the Modern Sakaarian Calendar.

Thanks to Anthony Cotilletta for pinpointing when Vand's killer was confirmed!

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Primus Vand should be distinguished from:

PRIMUS - Flb'dbi, first among equals, led exploratory colonization party to earth thousands of years ago, stranded on Earth when magnetic poles reversed--[Fantastic Four I#220], 221
PRIMUS - artificial humanoid, created by Arnim Zola--Captain America I#209
PRIMUS - native of Archko dimension, annexed by the Soul Masters of Shadow Realm, husband of Stara, brought Captain Mar-Vell to his dimension to train the natives to fight--Marvel Spotlight II#4
PRIMUS - white Kree, former pawn of Supreme Intelligence, led the underground militia--Imperial Guard#1
Other Prime, or Primo characters, etc.

Omegus Vand

(Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1: The Imperials: Primus Vand (fb) - BTS) - Omegus Vand was a high ranking advisor to Kumar's king.

(Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1: The Imperials: Primus Vand (fb) - BTS) <510 Post> - Omegus' wife gave birth to their only son, Primus Vand in the Kumar province.

(Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1: The Imperials: Primus Vand (fb) - BTS) <526 Post> - Omegus Vand and his wife were among the many slaves killed when a Spike attack caused part of the Great Arena to collapse on them.

Note: Neither Omegus Vand nor his wife were ever shown on panel

images: (without ads)
Incredible Hulk III#92, pg. 8, panel 6 (possible Primus Vand; alongside announcer);
    #93, story pg. 3, panel 4 (distant, full, hover platform);
            panel 6 (with obedience staff aimed forward);
        pg. 4, panel 6 (face in profile);
        pg. 5, panel 2 (in profile, with obedience staff held vertical);
        pg. 10, panel 2 (face, flanked by two soldiers)

Appearances:
possibly Incredible Hulk III#92 (April, 2006) - Greg Pak (writer), Carlo Pagulayan (penciler), Jeffrey Huet (inker), Nathan Cosby (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Incredible Hulk III#93-94 (May-June, 2006) - Greg Pak (writer), Carlo Pagulayan (penciler), Jeffrey Huet (inker), Nathan Cosby (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Incredible Hulk III#95 (July, 2006) - Greg Pak (writer), Carlo Pagulayan with Marshall Rogers (pencilers), Jeffrey Huet with Tom Palmer (inkers), Nathan Cosby (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Planet Hulk: Gladiator Guidebook#1 (July, 2006) - Anthony Flamini & Greg Pak (writers), Carlo Pagulayan, Aaron Lopresti, Ladronn, Ryan Sook, Alex Maleev, Lucio Parrillo & James Raiz (resource artists), Jim Calafiore (new art), Jen Grunwald & Mark D. Beasley (associate editors), Michael Short (assistant editor), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Incredible Hulk III#97 (October, 2006) - Greg Pak (writer), Aaron Lopresti (penciler), Danny Miki (inker), Nathan Cosby (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Incredible Hulk II#102 (March, 2007) - Greg Pak (writer), Aaron Lopresti (penciler), Sandu Florea (inkers), Nathan Cosby (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)

First Posted: 03/22/2016

Last Updated: 03/22/2016

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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