BANYAN

Real Name: Ajay Roy

Identity/Class: Sub-species of humanity (Inhuman) mutate

Occupation: Criminal; former actor

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Kludge, Lineage (Gordo Nobili), Parvati Mehta

Enemies: Adhira Deol, Anoop Deol, Human Torch (Johnny Storm), Inhumans (Grid/Dinesh Deol, Inferno/Dante Pertuz, Medusa/Medusalith Amaquelin, Naja, Triton), Maw Queen, the Unspoken

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mumbai, India

First Appearance: Free Comic Book Day 2015: Avengers#1/2 (July, 2015)

Powers/Abilities: Ajay Roy is a trained actor with experience in Bollywood who acted as a criminal enforcer for years. After undergoing Terrigenesis, Roy emerged as Banyan, a living tree who fed off the sunlight (no longer requiring food) and who could smell the moonlight. Banyan can grow his arms and legs like branches and roots, creating sharp spikes at the tips that are capable of stabbing others. Super-strong, Banyan is able to throw a car a vast distance. Though vulnerable to fire, Banyan seems impervious to injury, able to regrow as a sapling after seemingly mortal injuries.

Height: Unrevealed; variable
Weight: Unrevealed; variable
Eyes: None; formerly brown
Hair: None; formerly black





History:
(Free Comic Book Day 2015: Avengers#1/2 (fb) - BTS) - Ajay Roy spent years building his acting career in Mumbai, which meant subjecting himself to criminal elements for years, doing bad things to innocent people to help the criminals maintain their control. Finally, Ajay Roy received a starring role in One Night in Ooty, alongside Parvati Mehta.

(Free Comic Book Day 2015: Avengers#1/2) - On the night of the premiere of his film, Ajay Roy was on the red carpet with Parvati when he was blanketed in the Terrigen Cloud, and he emerged from his cocoon as a monstrous plant man. Seeing everyone scatter. Banyan panicked and threw a car, but another new Inhuman, Dinesh Deol, used his new powers to stop the car. Hydra soldiers attacked, seeking to recruit them both, but Medusa, Naja, Triton, and the Human Torch arrived to fight the villains. Ajay Roy went missing in the ensuing conflict.

(Uncanny Inhumans Annual#1 (fb)) - Banyan realized he could smell the moonlight and that he no longer needed food, only needing to absorb energy from the sun. He fled into the slums and stayed there for months in hiding as he learned how to control his powers, and the people left offerings for him, thinking him a god. In time, Banyan was found by the gang families who had helped his career. Banyan was put to work as an enforcer for a time, but when the leaders of the families gathered, he killed them all and took over their enterprises. He had wood carvers chisel him into a new and more pleasing form.

(Uncanny Inhumans Annual#1 (fb) - BTS) - Banyan began monitoring the adventures of Grid closely. He recruited Kludge, another Inhuman, who had the ability to reform machines, and had him build a network that would drain the power from the city and put it in his control. Kludge also built a cage that would trap Grid within it. He then instructed Kludge to build a mechanized armor and to attack the Indian navy, knowing that it would inspire Grid and his allies to return to Mumbai.

(Uncanny Inhumans Annual#1) - Banyan knocked on the door of Anoop and Adhira Deol, wanting Grid to come with him. He drove him to the warehouse and showed him the machine he had built, then trapped Grid in the cage while Grid's parents were taken captive. Banyan stabbed Anoop Deol in the leg to inspire Grid to activate the machine, putting the electricity of Mumbai in his control, but then Naja and Inferno attacked and Banyan was set on fire and withered away. Weeks later, he grew back as a sapling.

(Uncanny Inhumans#20 (fb) - BTS) - Kludge escaped Crystal’s custody one day and returned to Banyan, unable to provide an understandable explanation about the escape.

(Uncanny Inhumans#18 (fb) - BTS) - Maximus called Banyan, offering to work together on a project.

(Uncanny Inhumans#19) - In Mumbai, Maximus, Lineage, and Triton brought Banyan materials they had gathered around the world to remake the Terrigen Mists. Banyan planned to have Kludge work on the chemical processes.

(Uncanny Inhumans#20) - Banyan showed the Inhumans in to his warehouse, where Kludge took the gathered materials and went to work for a few days. Banyan sat and watched one of his old movies with Lineage. Banyan, wanting to sell the Terrigen, was furious to see that Maximus and Kludge had built a giant robot, but then the Unspoken and the Maw Queen attacked inside of a giant sea monster.

Comments: Created by Charles Soule and Brandon Peterson.

Profile by Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Banyan has no known connections to:

Parvati Mehta

(Free Comic Book Day 2015: Avengers#1/2 (fb) - BTS) - in Bollywood, Ajay Ray received a role in One Night in Ooty, starring alongside Parvati Mehta.

(Free Comic Book Day 2015: Avengers#1/2) - On the night of the premiere of his film, Ajay Roy was on the red carpet with Parvati when he was blanketed in the Terrigen Cloud, and he emerged from his cocoon as a monstrous plant man.

--Free Comic Book Day 2015: Avengers#1/2 (1/2 (fb) - BTS, 1/2

images: (without ads)
Uncanny Inhumans Annual#1, p14, pan1 (main) Uncanny Inhumans#19, p19, pan2 (face)
Free Comic Book Day 2015: Avengers#1, p11, pan3 (Ajay Roy)
Free Comic Book Day 2015: Avengers#1, p13, pan1 (initial form)
Uncanny Inhumans Annual#1, p32, pan4 (sapling)
Free Comic Book Day 2015: Avengers#1, p11, pan3 (Parvati Mehta)

Appearances:
Free Comic Book Day 2015: Avengers#1/2 (July, 2015) - Charles Soule (writer), Brandon Peterson (artist), Nick Lowe (editor)
Uncanny Inhumans Annual#1 (October, 2016) - Charles Soule (writer), Kevin Walker (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
Uncanny Inhumans#18-219(March, 2017) - Charles Soule (writer), Kim Jacinto (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
Uncanny Inhumans#19-20 (April-May, 2017) - Charles Soule (writer), Kim Jacinto, Ario Anindito (artists), Wil Moss (editor)

First Posted: 09/13/2020
Last updated: 09/13/2020

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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