CARDINAL RAKER
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (race unrevealed) mutate
Occupation: Cardinal of the Universal Church of Truth
Group Membership: Universal Church of Truth (Magus, Matriarch, others)
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Guardians of the Galaxy (Bug, Drax the Destroyer/Arthur Douglas, Gamora, Groot, Martyr/Genis-Vell, Moondragon/Heather Douglas, Rocket Raccoon, Star-Lord/Peter Quill, Adam Warlock), Luminals (Brightstorm, Cynosure/Lena Sendak, Jarhead, Korda)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: GS Deneb
First Appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy II#2 (August, 2008)
Powers/Abilities: A member of an unrevealed alien race, Cardinal Raker was able to draw on the belief engines of the Universal Church of Truth to increase his strength and resilience, and to allow him to fire powerful energy blasts from his hands, to fly, and to teleport. Raker carries a large energy weapon through which he can channel the belief energies as well. He also has access to the massive temple-ships, resources, and planetary bases of the Church.
Height: Unrevealed (7'5"; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed (unable to determine)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Unrevealed
History:
(Guardians of the Galaxy II#3 (fb) - BTS) - Cardinal Raker watched as
the Universal Church of Truth expanded to many planets, bolstering
their faith power ever higher. Under the guidance of the Matriarch,
they began to worship an obtained cocoon which they believed contained
Adam Warlock. Later, a temple-ship was damaged, seemingly by Warlock
himself.
(Guardians of the Galaxy II#2) - On GS Deneb, the homeworld of the Universal Church of Truth, the Matriarch summoned the Cardinals, including Raker, and informed them that one of the Church's temple-ships had been attacked. She instructed Raker to go after the threat. The Cardinals set a trap on Binary Stasis Twelve Dyson Sphere and waited for the Guardians of the Galaxy to arrive, then they attacked.
(Guardians of the Galaxy II#3) - Drawing upon the Church's belief resources, the Cardinals formed shields and swords and fired energy blasts against the Guardians. The fight ended when a bizarre bio-mass (the mutated remains of the aliens living on the Dyson Sphere merged into one genetic entity) swallowed up two Cardinals. As the bio-mass expanded, Raker hit Star-Lord and Warlock with a massive energy blast, then he teleported the Cardinals back to GS Deneb. Raker took genetic samples of Warlock back to the Matriarch, who confirmed it was him. They wondered who was in the cocoon they worshipped.
(Guardians of the Galaxy II#10) - Raker flanked the Matriarch as Warlock, with Gamora, approached, explaining that he was their messiah and he promised to prove himself. Matriarch again wondered about the cocoon they possessed and felt a psychic attack from it as she approached it. Matriarch ordered the cocoon opened up.
(Guardians of the Galaxy II#17) - Raker was aboard a fleet of temple-ships as they gathered around the Guardians of the Galaxy at the Fault, a huge expanding extradimensional rift in space. Warlock cast a complex spell, draining the belief energy from the temple-ships, in order to stop the Fault from expanding further. When Martyr unexpectedly killed Warlock, Magus took over his form, claiming leadership of the Church. Gamora stabbed Martyr, then Raker and the others bowed down before the Magus.
(Guardians of the Galaxy II#22) - On the planet Orison, Raker watched as the Matriarch held Moondragon and Cynosure captive. Moondragon had become pregnant with a being from the Cancerverse, and the Matriarch was prepared to use belief energy to birth the child, even as Moondragon warned her that it would destroy Orison and the nine billion people on it. When the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Luminals attacked, Raker rushed to defend the Matriarch against Drax the Destroyer, but Drax killed Raker with a blade to his head.
Comments: Created by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Paul Pelletier, and Rick Magyar.
This profile was completed 5/26/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Chadman.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Cardinal Raker has no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
Guardians of the Galaxy II#2, p21, pan1 (main)
Guardians of the Galaxy II#2, p22, pan2 (2nd)
Appearances:
Guardians of the Galaxy II#2-3
(August-September, 2008) - Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning (writers), Paul
Pelletier (penciler), Rick Magyar (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Guardians of the Galaxy II#10 (April, 2009) - Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning
(writers), Brad Walker (pencier), Victor Olazaba, John Livesay
(inkers), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Guardians of the Galaxy II#17 (October, 2009) - Dan Abnett, Andy
Lanning (writers), Brad Walker (pencier), Victor Olazaba, John Livesay
(inkers), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Guardians of the Galaxy II#22 (March, 2010) - Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning
(writers), Brad Walker (pencier), Victor Olazaba, John Livesay
(inkers), Bill Rosemann (editor)
First Posted: 09/09/2021
Last updated: 09/07/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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