CRUSADER

Real Name: Adrian (last name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Earth-93060/Ultraverse) human mutate (circa 1150-1350 AD)

Occupation: Crusader against evil, briefly ruler

Group Membership: None;
   formerly European crusader knights traveling to the Kingdom of Jerusalem (see comments)

Affiliations: Ione, Rex Mundi (see comments)

Enemies: Rune, other "evil" beings

Known Relatives: wife (name unrevealed) 

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile in Europe and Asia Minor

First Appearance: Rune II#4 (January, 1995)

Powers/Abilities: As a fervent Christian crusader knight, Lord Adrian sought to eliminate non-believers, but was benevolent to fellow Christians. Empowered as the superhuman Crusader, he could transform his skin into a dense metallic sheath that contained fiery energy that also altered his sword's design into near indestructible energy. His glowing eyes could peer into another's soul to detect "evil" (or possibly a superhuman's/mystic being's power - see comments). Increased faith and self-righteousness in his quest amplified his strength, mass and durability, also extending his lifespan by centuries. He was unable to read, relying on his squire.

Height: 5'9" human form; 6'4" armored form (by approximation)
Weight: lbs. human form; unrevealed in armored form (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown/gray

History:

(Rune II#5 (fb)) <ca. 1150 AD> - As a young knight, Lord Adrian was shipwrecked during his journey to the Kingdom of Jerusalem/Crusader States as part of the Crusades. Washed up on a desolate shore, he found a foreboding temple and a voice (which he interpreted as the "voice of God") questing him to drive the beast from Jerusalem. Accepting the task, he was empowered with transformative powers that would turned his skin metallic hard with an internal fire fueled by belief and righteousness, and armed with a flaming sword.

(Rune II#4 (fb) - BTS) <ca. 1150-1348 AD> - Lord Adrian's wife died. He took the name Crusader as he traveled, killing those he deemed as having evil powers as two centuries passed. He took on young Ione as his squire.

(Rune II#4) <1348 AD> - Crusader (in his human form) and Ione passed mad Christian flagellists despairing at the ravaging Black Plague. Told of an evil lord controlling a town, Crusader rode there and found the demon-like Rune holding a brutal reign with harsh laws to keep the plague at bay. Challenging Rune, he cut through loyalist villagers to meet a fierce fight with Rune, who shattered his sword on Crusader's armored skin and lost his armor to Crusader's flaming sword. thinking Rune to be the pinnacle of evil, Satan, Crusader peered into his soul but saw only void. Surging in faith, Crusader skewered Rune, almost cleaving him apart.

(Rune II#5 (fb) - BTS) <1348-1349 AD> - Thinking Rune the ultimate evil and his quest over, Crusader was made ruler of Rune's small kingdom while Rune was burnt on a crucifix. Crusader hoped to move on after winter and reversed many of Rune's brutal lockdown laws, but this allowed the deadly Black Plague to enter the kingdom and castle, and come spring, the infections spread like wildfire, with Ione the first to fall.

(Rune II#5) <1349 AD> - To counter the plague, superstition gained traction with human sacrifice to summon Rune, who had since recovered. Crusader discovered Rune consuming worshipers and transformed into armored form, intending to complete his task. But Rune attacked with fury, biting through Crusader's armored skin into his neck, which flooded Rune's mind with memories of Crusader's history and overwhelmed Rune with his energy. Rune ripped Crusader's armored flesh, dripping his internal fire of righteousness that turned into small black demons of fear (possibly through Rune's dark influence) and felled him. Rune somehow ripped Adrian's human form from the armored shell and he drank blood from the weakened man before tossing him off the castle ramparts. Crusader's empty armor was left abandoned as Rune's wrath destroyed the town.

(Rune II#4,5) - Insane with hunger, Rune disgorged a number of life forces held in his gullet for centuries. These spirits reminded him of his encounter with the Crusader.

Comments: Created by Len Kaminski, Paul O'Connor, Tony Atkins, Gabriel Gecko, Patrick Rolo, Jason Moore & Jeff Whiting.

It's not clear who empowered Crusader and set him on his destructive path, but I'd say it's a safe bet that's it's the millennia-old meddling Rex Mundi, keen to destroy many ultras and super-powered beings by empowering a few. It could be Mundi's counterpart, the benevolent Alternate and Crusader misinterpreted her message, but this is very unlikely. It might also be a arcane being, but I also really doubt that.

A map of the "Holy Land" in 1155 AD showed it to be the Kingdom of Jerusalem, so this is likely where he was headed (Lord Adrian's shipwreck with background palm trees was likely North Africa). Crusader States were later set up in the Eastern Mediterranean, but the Crusades also extended into the limits of Europe, offering wide scope for Crusader's (Lord Adrian's) killings.

This profile was completed 01/29/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20^th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Crusader of Earth-93060 has no known connections to:

• CRUSADER (el Alemain) - @ 1189 AD, Englishman, ally of King Richard, enemy of de Montfort and Saladin, used scimitar @ Black Knight Comics#1/2
• CRUSADER - duplicate of MARVEL BOY (Bob Grayson) created by Uranians, given Quantum Bands, went mad and overloaded them, destroying self @ Fantastic Four I#164
• CRUSADER (Arthur Charles Blackwood) - religious zealot, wore mystical armor, eye cut out by Wolverine, drew power through belief in holy Crusades @ Thor I#330
• CRUSADER (Z'reg) - Skrull, Initiative member, befriended and trained Freedom Ring, claimed his ring after his death @ Avengers: Initiative#8
• CRUSADER (Perseus Ablemarle) - sought vengeance on criminals for the death of his parents, possibly killed on his first outing @ Rampage Magazine (UK)#41
  
• CRUSADER of Earth-238 (Perseus Ablemarle) - vigilante slain by the Fury @ Marvel Super-Heroes (UK)#388
• CRUSADER of Earth-9811 (Sarah Rogers) - daughter of Captain America and Rogue on Battleworld @ What If? II#114
• CRUSADER X of Earth-2122 - Captain Britain Corps, one of the sole survivors of Mastermind's slaughter of the Corps, assisted Excalibur in his defeat @ Excalibur I#21
• CRUSADERS - WWII, group of patriotic British super-heroes formed by German agent to discredit the US Invaders and assassinate British King George VI @ Invaders I#14
  
• or any other "Crusader" characters

Ione

Ione was Crusader's latest squire. She could read and attended to Crusader during his travels and he was protective of her, ushering her away at signs of trouble. She remained his attendant after Crusader had ousted Rune as the local ruler, but his benevolence allowed the Black Plague to return and young Ione was one of its first victims.

--Rune II#4 (Rune II#5

images: (without ads)
Rune II#4, p22, pan5 (main image)
Rune II#5, p6, pan1 (headshot)
Rune II#5, p14, pan5 (side view with sword)
Rune II#4, p9 (Ione)

Appearances:
Rune II#4 (January, 1995) - Len Kaminski & Paul O'Connor (writers), Tony Atkins, Gabriel Gecko & Patrick Rolo (pencils), Jason Moore & Jeff Whiting (inks), Roland Mann (editor)
Rune II#5 (February, 1995) - Len Kaminski & Paul O'Connor (writers), Patrick Rolo (pencils), Terry Pallot & Jeff Whiting (inks), Roland Mann (editor)

First posted: 09/06/2021
Last updated: 09/04/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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