Alkemist (Reality-49327; Mars Colony 2026 AD; Death's Head foe)

alkemist-mars2026-49327-console alkemist-mars2026-49327-partial-full-stand ALKEMIST

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Presumed alternate reality (at least active in Reality-49327) possibly extraterrestrial (see comments)

Occupation: Criminal

Group Membership: The Golem program was mostly an alliance between the Alkemist and Lorson; a few other agents

Affiliations: Formerly Lorson
formerly Earth-616's modern era's Mys-Tech (specifically Algernon Crowe and Ormond Wychwood);
formerly an unspecified number of golems, including ones based on Cable (Nathan Christopher Summers/Nathan Dayspring Askani'son), Captain America (Steve Rogers), Captain Britain (Brian Braddock), Hulk (Bruce Banner), Jeanette Hutch, Killpower (Julius Mullarkey), Tigon Liger (at least five of them), Motormouth (Harley Davis), Spider-Man (presumably Peter Parker), Thing (Ben Grimm), Thor Odinson, Tuck, Union Jack (Joey Chapman), Wolverine (James Howlett/Logan), and possibly Gambit (Remy LeBeau), Giant-Man (Henry Pym) or Havok (Alex Summers, Namor (McKenzie) or Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff), Polaris (Lorna Dane), Psylocke (Betsy Braddock), Sunfire (Shiro Yoshida)

Enemies: Death's Head (Minion), Captain Jeanet Hutch, Kadagar crime family (Bethlehem Bardot, Pilgrim Kadagar), Pilgrim Kadagar golem, Tuck

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None;
Lorson called him "idiot," and swiftly regretted it

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly Teefoebee (TerraForming Base command), Clinton City, Earth's Mars colony, Reality-49327 circa 2026 AD

First Appearance: Death's Head II#13 (December, 1993)

Powers/Abilities: Alkemist is large and apparently superhumanly strong (he casually swatted down Tuck, who has at least enhanced human strength, agility, etc.) despite appearing to be unathletic.

It is unclear whether the metal over his chest/shoulders is some sort of armor, exoskeleton, or bionic/cyborg implants.

The Alkemist apparently designed the Golem process, which used scans or tissue, etc. from existing beings to create android/robotic duplicates that replicated their target being's appearance, voice, abilities, memories, and personalities and that believed themselves to be the originals, although they could be controlled by the Alkemist and/or would break programming upon encountering certain beings/targets.

Golems lack a sense of taste. The golems were grown artificially in a cyborganic vat.

Height: Unrevealed (when standing, he didn't look much taller than Lorson, so perhaps 6')
Weight: Unrevealed (he is quite stout, so perhaps 400 lbs. or more, depending on his density)
Eyes: Solid white (or light blue)
Hair: Apparently none
Skin: Green

History:

((Death's Head II#15 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking to avoid the prying eyes of their time period, Algernon Crowe and Ormond Wychwood of Earth-616's Mys-Tech's Techno-Wizards made arrangements of the Alkemist and Lorson on Reality-49327's Mars colony' Clinton City circa 2026 AD. Establishing a straight-tap wormhole between the two realities/times/locations, Mys-Tech financed Alkemist and Lorson's operation to fabricate golems (android replicas) of Earth's mightiest heroes using either living subjects or Mys-Tech's extensive database of previously scanned bio-traces.

alkemist-mars2026-49327-head-rear-detail

(Death's Head II#14 (fb) - BTS) - Alkemist and Lorson established a base in Teefoebee (TerraForming Base command), the abandoned settlement of the first human colonizers on Mars; Clinton City had been built on the abandoned site.

(Death's Head II#13 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking to lay low after recent conflicts on Earth (such as the battles with Charnel), Death's Head and Tuck hijacked an A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) time dish and traveled to Reality-49327's Mars colony' Clinton City circa 2026 AD.

(Death's Head II#13 (fb) - BTS) <Thirty clocks before Pilgrim Kadagar revealed this information to Death's Head> - Pilgrim Kadagar was last confirmed to be flesh and blood.

(Death's Head II#13 (fb) - BTS) - At some point thereafter, the Alkemist's agents captured Pilgrim Kadagar, created a golem of him, and released the Pilgrim golem to take the place of the original.

(Death's Head II#13 (fb) - BTS) - The Pilgrim Kadagar golem discovered that he was an android.

(Death's Head II#13 (fb) - BTS) - <A few days after their arrival and a few hours before the main story> - Alkemist and/or his agents spotted Tuck in a marketplace and -- considering her an ideal specimen for Golem -- captured her with difficulty. They had to use double-strength tranquilizers to take her down, after which they brought her to an Alkemist cell where her arrms were chained to the wall.

Shortly thereafter, Death's Head was jumped by a quartet of Kadagar boys, leading Death's Head to believe the Kadagar gang had taken Tuck.

(Death's Head II#13 - BTS) - "Three clocks" (three hours?) later, Death's Head assaulted a Kadagar stronghold, leading to a confrontation with Pilgrim Kadagar (secretly the golem), which was ultimately broken up by local enforcement Captain Jeanet Hutch. Knowing the difficulties in pressing charges against the Kadagar, Hutch let them go but took Death's Head into custody.

(Death's Head II#13) - When Tuck woke up with an apparent headache (or some other source of pain) and demanded to know what this was about, the Alkemist and Lorson agreed that she was a feisty one. Warning them that they had no idea who they were dealing with, Tuck tore her chains from the stone wall and charged the pair. While Lorson panicked, the Alkemist calmly acknowledged the situation and punched Tuck back into the wall, shattering chunks from the wall and knocking Tuck out again.

Noting her superhuman strength and considering that she might be a mutant, Alkemist noted that he would devise electronic shackles to neutralize her strength, after which he would prepare the bio-mimetics. He further stated that she was wonderful and yielded such potential. Agreeing that this was for "the greater good of Golem," Lorson wondered if she had any friends, but Alkemist assured him that she was a low-life drifter who had arrived in the city a few days ago and that no one was going to miss her.

(Death's Head II#14 (fb) - BTS) - Alkemist had Tuck bound in woven tungstencomposite chains.

(Death's Head II#13 - BTS) - The Pilgrim Kadagar golem subsequently bailed out Death's Head, revealed his situation, and sought his aid in finding who had done this as well as recovering the real Pilgrim; in exchange, the Kadagar would help Death's Head find Tuck. alkemist-mars2026-49327-upper-detail

(Death's Head II#13 - BTS / Death's Head II#14 - BTS) - Meeting, being attacked by, and finally destroying a Tigon Liger golem held at the Kadagar ranch, Death's Head was convinced to aid Pilgrim.

Death's Head II#14) - As Tuck awakened again in her new shackles, the Alkemist greeted her and noted they had just activated the golem procedure and were now initializing a provisional scan. As angrily threatened him, Alkemist laughed and applauded her spirit.Agreeing that their regular customers would be very interested in her, Lorson instructed Alkemist to get the process underway, and Alkemist pushed the button to do so.

As the process first charted Tuck's baseline bio-codex, Tuck broke free again despite the stronger restraints. Admitting he had underestimated Tuck and had not compensated for a heightened adrenaline level amplifying her strength, the Alkemist alerted all-stations to initiate security lock-out and to locate and detain the escaped "Specimen One Eight Eff."

When Lorson called Alkemist an idiot and demanded to have this cleaned up quickly as their customers were scheduled to arrive in four hours, Alkemist interrupted him, calling Lorsn an "oily little geek" and noting that he tolerated a lot from him as he got the clients in, but -- grabbing Lorson by the neck and choking him -- reminded him not to forget where the product came from. He continued that Lorson would be nothing without him and that if Lorson ever called him an idiot again, he would be nothing anyway. After Lorson choked out an acknowledgement, Alkemist dropped him and then activated all golem units to assist in the search, and he considered that Tuck would not get far.

(Death's Head II#15 (fb) - BTS) - Tuck was apparently either re-captured and then replaced with a golem who was left to continue her escape efforts, or the Tuck that escaped the second time was already a golem. I think the former is more likely, but there's no confirmation either way.

(Death's Head II#14 - BTS) - Tuck was confronted in series by a Liger golem, a Killpower golem, both of whom she destroyed, and then a group of golems, Captain America, Motormouth, Union Jack, and Wolverine.

Meanwhile, Pilgrim's lover, Bethelehem Bardot, overheard Pilgrim telling Death's Head that if his kin learned of his fate, there would be a massive succession gangwar. Death's Head used his cranial disruption unit to absorb the Liger golem's knowledge to learn more about the golems. Additionally, after Pilgrim discovered that he had no sense of taste, Death's Head took a sample of a bitter drug for future use.

As Tuck destroyed the Motormouth golem, her fight drew Captain Hutch -- with a riot squad on hold as back-up -- to the old quarter, near the old Teefoebee silos. Hutch destroyed the Union Jack golem, after which Death's Head and the Pilgrim golem arrived.

(Death's Head II#15 - BTS) - After Death's Head, Tuck, and Hutch destroyed the Captain America, Union Jack, and Wolverine golems, respectively, Tuck revealed that the Alkemist was making the golems in the silos below the street. Death's Head, Hutch, the Pilgrim golem, and Tuck then joined forces to take down the Alkemist. Meanwhile, Bethlehem Bardot observing silently from above used the exposure of the machinery in "Pilgrim" to convince others in the Kadagar clan to help her eliminate the false Pilgrim and install her as leader of Kadagar.

(Death's Head II#15) - After Alkemist reported these four golem's destruction, Lorson exclaimed that these were some of their finest and most expensive products. Alkemist advised Lorson that their massive budget would swallow the costs but noted that they had a more serious problem as the individuals responsible for those golems' destruction had re-entered their security perimeter: Pilgrim and Tuck, Hutch, and a cyborg he didn't recognize. Furious that local law enforcement was investigating, Lorson demanded Alkemist deal with it, and Alkemist assured Lorson he would while reminding Lorson that he had guests that would need his attention. Lorson departed to greet and placate their soon-to-arrive customers but instructed Alkemist not to let him down.

(Death's Head II#15 - BTS) - Testing Tuck with a drink containing the bitter drug (he says "pharmocyl," which I'm not familiar with, but I think it just means pharacological something...like a drug), Death's Head blew her apart when she failed to taste it (good thing it wasn't the real Tuck with her gustatory sense numbed from the golem process...or maybe from COVID-19, since this took place in 2026...). The remaining three were then attacked by a Hutch golem and four Liger golems.

(Death's Head II#15) - Alkemist watched the struggle with approval, hoping Lorson could keep their guests happy.

(Death's Head II#15 - BTS) - Lorson greeted Crowe and Wychwood as they arrived via wormhole.

(Death's Head II#15 - BTS) - Death's Head, Hutch, and Pilgrim golem took out their attackers and continued investigating the golem facility, finding a screen displaying the golem models on offer for clients, after which Crowe and Wychwood confronted the investigators and confirmed their involvement. Expressing regret that the locals had unwittingly drawn Death's Head's attention and unwilling to risk a fight -- Crowe's reluctance was based on Death's Head dangerous power, while Death's Head's was due to Crowe and the other Mys-Tech's Techno-Wizards having their life force tied to the fabric of the universe, such that slaying them allegedly could destroy all reality -- Crowe agreed to call it a draw, and he cancelled Mys-Tech's contract with Lorson. As Crowe and Wychwood departed, Lorson pulled a weapon and threatened Death's Head, who swiftly (apparently) slew him.

(Death's Head II#15) - Having watched the resolution remotely, the Alkemist cursed Lorson as an idiot and then instructed his computer to activate an emergency wormhole exit through which he departed, vowing to remember and punish Death's Head in time...

(Death's Head II#15 - BTS) - Secruity fences went down either with Lorson's death (which took out a computer console) and/or the Alkemist's departure, and the real Pilgrim and Tuck escaped.

(Death's Head II#15 - BTS) - The Pilgrim golem destroyed itself after turning over leadership to Bethlehem Bardot, after which the real Pilgrim and Tuck arrived. After they confirmed their identities, Pilgrim reclaimed rule of the Kadagar family.

Comments: Created by Dan Abnett, Salvador Larroca, Paul Scott, and Colin Fawcett as part of the Marvel UK imprint.

We don't know anything about the Alkemist beyond setting up the Golem program with Lorson and taking a contract with Mys-Tech...is he extraterrestrial, extradimensional, terrestrial or alien mutant, Deviant, Inhuman, cyborg, mutate, etc.? The world may never know...

I don't know how long a "clock" is supposed to be, but I'd have thought it was a full clock, meaning 12-24 hours, but then Alkemist notes that they had taken Tuck a few hours back.

Golems seemed to be equivalent to advanced Life Model Decoys. It seems to be a point of contention with some folks (or one folk) with regards to what the term android means. While there are multiple definitions and interpretations, the original definition comes from the Greek root "andro" (man) and the term "oid" meaning, like. At least in the Marvel Universe, the term "man" in this usage is meant to refer to mankind, rather than male vs. female (while I haven't seen the term in usage, the specific term to refer to taking the form of a woman would be "gynoid"). It is most commonly/consistently used as a specific type of robot in human form. While individual stories/writers sometimes use their own terminology, that's the official policy, spelled out by Mark Gruenwald, et al., in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition and reiterated in subsequent editions.
If you believe differently...good for you, and have a nice day...

This profile was completed 3/24/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20^th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Alkemist should be distinguished from:

ALCHEMAX of Earth-928 (or other alternate reality counterparts) circa 2099 AD - corporate power--Spider-Man 2099#1 (
"alchemist" - British mutant woman, enemy of F66,created Men in Black and Man Stone--Pryde & Wisdom#1
ALCHEMIST ( ) - mutant, slain, hand sought by Mystique and others for retained powers. Transform lead into gold--Mystique#13
ALCHEMIST - see BRIGGS, JEREMY--Avengers Academy I#14.1
ALCHEMOID - construct of Druid, destroyed in battle with Captain America--Captain America I#187
ALCHEM-TECH - weapon of Nocturne, merger of science and magic, used to take over Baxter Building. Grows over structures and replicates, turned to dust by Pixie --Marvel: Lost Generation#11
ALCHEMY (Thomas "Tom" Jones) - mutant, chemistry student, sought by Troll Associates for ability to transform things into gold. Transform objects or beings into other elements --X-Factor I#40
ALCHEMY GUN - matter transmuting devices used by various Chemistro incarnations--Hero for Hire#12
ALKHEMA - robot, constructed by Ultron-13 as his second attempt to create a mate, based on the brain patterns of Mockingbird/Bobbi Morse--Avengers West Coast#90
other "alchem"-ish characters...

images: (without ads)

Death's Head II#13, pg. 15, panel 1 (partial full; raised leg)
        pg. 16, panel 1 (dropping Tuck);
          panel 2 (partial full; normal stand);
          panel 3 (rear, full, dragging Tuck)
    #14, pg. 7, panel 6 (fingers);
       pg. 8, panel 6 (at console);
       pg. 9, panel 2 (upper body detail; choking Lorson);
          panel 4 (back of head detail)
        panel 5 (face);
    #15, pg 9, panel 1 (profile)

Appearances
Death's Head II#13 (December, 1993) - Dan Abnett (writer), Salvador Larroca (penciler), Paul Scott & Colin Fawcett (inkers), Stuart Bartlett (editor)
Death's Head II#14-15 (January-February, 1994) - Dan Abnett (writer), Salvador Larroca (penciler), Paul Scott (inker), Stuart Bartlett (editor)

First posted: 09/07/2021
Last updated: 12/13/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters