DIAMONDHEAD
Real Name: Archibald Dyker
Identity/Class: Human mutate
Occupation: Criminal
Group Membership: None;
formerly Shadow Consortium, Champions of Xandar (Comet/Harris Moore, Crimebuster/Frank Moore, Nova/Richard Rider, Powerhouse/Rieg Davan), Terrible Trio (Condor, Powerhouse/Rieg Davan)
Affiliations: Adora, Beef (Buford Wilson), Crimson Cowl (Justine Hammer), Doctor Spectrum (Joseph Ledger) of Earth-712, Doctor Sun, Dragonfly (Veronica Dultry), Fantastic Four (Human Torch/Johnny Storm, Invisible Woman/Susan Richards, Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards, Thing/Ben Grimm), Fusion (Pinky and Hubert Fusser), Grim Reaper (Eric Williams), General Hamza Halladah, H.E.R.B.I.E., Jack of Hearts (Jonathan Hart), Javelynn, Megaman (Nat Cooper), Melter (Christopher Colchiss), Mercurio the 4-D Man, Meru the Mind-Bender, Nova Corps, Nova-Prime (Tanak Valt), Nygorn the Last Monitor, Over-Mind (Grom), Protector (Thoran Rul), Razor-Fist (Douglas Scott), Shocker (Herman Schultz), Skrulls, Sky-Walker, Tai, Ten-For, Threkker, Weird Sisters (Beauty, Charm, Truth), Woodgod, Zarrko the Tomorrow Man
Enemies: Robert Baldwin, Mr. Benchley, Dr. Benchley, Bert, Black Cat (Felicia Hardy), Captain America (Steve Rogers), Corruptor (Jackson Day), Kobik, Kur, New Warriors (Firestar/Angelica Jones, Justice/Vance Astrovik, Namorita, Night Thrasher/Dwayne Taylor, Nova/Richard Rider, Silhouette/Silhouette Chord, Speedball/Robert Baldwin), Nova (Richard Rider), Nova (Sam Alexander), Quasar (Wendell Vaughn), Sphinx (Anath-Na Mut), Star-Lord (Peter Quill), Stranger, Mr. Vanetti
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Archie/Arch Dyker, Deadly Diamondhead
Base of Operations: New York City, New York;
formerly Pleasant Hill, Connecticut;
formerly the Raft;
formerly New York City, New York;
formerly the Stranger's laboratory world;
formerly the Nova Ship;
formerly mobile throughout space in the Sphinx's ship;
formerly New York City, New York
First Appearance: Nova I#3 (November, 1976)
Powers/Abilities: After being exposed to a diamond-powered laser, Archibald Dyker's body somehow changed into one massive living diamond. No longer needing to eat, drink, or breathe (or perhaps sleep; he may be able to do any of these if he chooses to, though this has not been specifically revealed), Diamondhead is super-strong, super-dense, and nearly unbreakable, able to shake off bullets and energy blasts, to survive while buried in a mountainside for weeks, and to live on after being exposed to a vacuum in space.
Diamondhead is vulnerable to certain lasers and lights, which have severed his arm and shattered his body on different occasions. After being shattered, Diamondhead was able to reincorporate his body, and after his body was cut to pieces, it was discovered that he can regrow limbs, and live on even as just a severed head.
An aggressive and violent criminal with a quick temper, Diamondhead is trained in boxing. He has had access to many resources, including a private gym equipped with heavy artillery and robots, and, for a time, the ships and weaponry of the Xandarians and the Skrulls, including a device that could send people to Limbo and a deadly biological weapon, and the Computalyzer and brain-washing equipment of the Condor. The full extent of his powers are likely unrevealed.
Height: 6'
Weight: 829 lbs.; previous weight unrevealed
Eyes: Blue
Hair: None; formerly black
History:
(Nova I#3 (fb)) - Arch Dyker grew up idolizing criminals, choosing to
play the bad guy roles in games with his friends, like pretending to be
the Red Skull to fight Captain America.
(Nova I#3 (fb)) - As a teenager, Dyker became a Golden Glove champion in boxing, and had the dream of someday becoming a crimelord.
(Nova I#3 (fb)) - As an adult, Dyker broke into the South Hampton Science Institute to steal precious gems, but he clumsily tripped into a diamond-powered laser, and he screamed in pain, but soon discovered his skin had been changed to diamond. He called himself the Deadly Diamondhead.
(Nova I#3 (fb) - BTS) - Under unreveale circumstances, Diamondhead grew to consider the Sphinx a huge threat to the power that Dyker hoped to build up. Diamondhead built himself a training room to test out his super-strength and durability. He heard about Powerhouse, a minion of the Sphinx, getting arrested with a powered box.
(Nova I#3) - Diamondhead smashed replicas of Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, and Nova, feeling impatient to prove his strength against the real heroes. He then resisted gunfire and missiles while punching through walls, feeling powerful but still frightened of the "dreaded one." Diamondhead went on a crime spree, stealing from the Long Island Gold Reserve, an armored car, and the bank, before surrendering to the police. At the jail, Diamondhead stole the box that had been captured when Powerhouse was arrested, after which Diamondhead broke free. He stormed into a building and threw a man out of the window, then repelled the hero Nova when he attacked. The fight continued on the nearby train tracks, where Diamondhead was impervious to Nova's punches and blasts, and Diamondhead shouted his plans to use the box to launch an attack on the "dreaded one." Diamondhead jumped on top of a subway to escape, but he hit a tunnel and went flying, then hid when Nova came looking for him. Condor approached Diamondhead and offered to team up with him against the "dreaded one."
(Nova I#6 (fb) - BTS) - Condor and Diamondhead plotted to free Powerhouse from the power-dampening equipment at the hospital to join their alliance, which they loosely called the Terrible Trio.
(Nova I#6) - Condor and Diamondhead attacked the hospital, with Diamondhead smashing through a wall and breaking a desk in half with a punch. Escaping with Powerhouse, Condor and Diamondhead knocked out Nova when the hero attacked, and they strapped him to a Computalyzer back at the base, one that scanned Nova and found his connections to an alien power source. Powerhouse turned on the others, and then Nova broke free, sparring with Diamondhead until Powerhouse drained his power. They then brainwashed Nova, who believed himself a criminal and announced himself as the new leader in their team.
(Nova I#7) - Diamondhead sparred with Nova over leadership of the team before Condor intervened and told Nova the origins of the Sphinx and his Ka Stone. Later, the four went into Condor's ship into orbit, where Diamondhead nearly threatened to fight Condor if he didn't reveal the truth about his origins. Condor provided a spray for the others that would briefly allow them to breathe in space, and then they snuck aboard a dead Nova's ship to get weapons to fight the Sphinx with, but they were attacked by robot sentries sent by the Sphinx to stop them. Nova's brainwashing wore off, and he battled the others, but the criminals knocked him out and left him behind, returning to their own ship.
(Nova I#8) - Condor, Powerhouse, and Diamondhead used the stolen Nova weapons to break into Sphinx's headquarters and attack.
(Nova I#10) - Diamondhead, Condor, and Powerhouse fought the Sphinx's men, and one of them, Kur, alerted the Sphinx. The Dreaded One finally appeared in front of them and manifested his true power-base, the Pyramid of Knowledge, and gave the criminals a chance to leave peacefully, but Diamondhead launched himself at the Sphinx, who nearly crushed Dyker's hand before tossing him away. Nova intervened again as the villains pressed their attack on Sphinx, who tossed Diamondhead aside again with force, throwing him away through the air. Sphinx turned Condor into a bird and then defeated Nova and Powerhouse.
(Nova I#22 (fb) ) - Diamondhead landed on and was buried in a mountain, where he was trapped for weeks before military men set off an explosion that would free him.
(Nova I#22 (fb) - BTS) - Dyker spent weeks planning revenge on Nova, after hearing that the Fantastic Four had sent the Sphinx into space.
(Nova I#22) - Diamondhead interrupted a group of bank robbers, including Bert, and recruited them to work for him. He had them stage a diamond store robbery to lure Nova in, then he collapsed a brick wall on Nova to trap him. After letting the robbers pilfer diamonds, which he claimed for himself, Diamondhead faced off with the cops and then Nova, who had freed himself. Dyker hit Nova with electrical wires and a thrown car, then, believing him dead, left him behind.
Dyker later saw footage of Nova alive, and he saw that the hero was coming after him with another hero, the Comet. Contacting him over a television set, the mysterious Doctor Sun abruptly ordered Diamondhead to kill the Comet and bring Nova to him.
(Nova I#23) - Diamondhead battled Nova and Comet, burying Nova under a rock wall and throwing Comet far into the distance.
(Nova I#24) - Plotting revenge, Diamondhead snuck aboard the ship of the Crimebuster (Frank Moore) and stayed in hiding while Crimebuster revealed to Comet that he was his son. After Nova battled Powerhouse, they were teleported into space by the Sphinx, and Diamondhead started plotting.
(Nova I#25 (fb) - BTS) - Diamondhead was inadvertently pulled into the Sphinx's ship as well. He stayed in hiding for a time, seeing Powerhouse and Doctor Sun also aboard the ship.
(Nova I#25) - Diamondhead, realizing they were getting farther from Earth, revealed his presence and attacked Sphinx, demanding to be returned home. Sphinx demonstrated his power by blasting Diamondhead into pieces and then reassembling him. Skrulls surrounded them and a fight broke out, and Diamondhead tried seizing the ship's controls to head back to Earth. Crimebuster tried to stop Diamondhead, who nearly killed him, but Sphinx stopped Dyker.
(Fantastic Four I#206) - Diamondhead, Doctor Sun, Nova, Sphinx, Comet, Crimebuster, and Powerhouse flew through space, with Dyker wishing he were back on Earth. When a Skrull ship flew by, they shot at it, not realizing that three of the Fantastic Four were aboard.
(Fantastic Four I#208) - Diamondhead saw the others pull the Fantastic Four (Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Thing) on board the Sphinx's ship, and then the Sphinx and Doctor Sun disappeared in an attempt to gain more power. The group traveled to Xandar, where they were joined by Princess Adora and the Human Torch, and soon by Nova-Prime, as well. The Sphinx subsequently attacked, giant-sized and in possession of cosmic power, and Diamondhead joined Thing in punching Sphinx's ankle before getting knocked aside. As Sphinx departed, Mr. Fantastic theorized that only Galactus was strong enough to stop him.
(Fantastic Four I#209) - Diamondhead saw the Fantastic Four (who were suffering from a Skrull aging ray) build a robot, H.E.R.B.I.E., to help them track Galactus. Nova named his strange team of allies, consisting of Diamondhead, Comet, Crimebuster, and Powerhouse, the New Champions of Xandar, and they took a Nova ship to find the Skrulls. The Champions separated from the FF, heading off to find the Skrulls.
(Nova II#10 (fb) - BTS/Nova III#4 (fb) ) - At some point, the Nova Corps got into a battle with Skrulls on the planet Epyrus-7, where many of the Corps and the Skrulls were killed, and Diamondhead enjoyed killing many of them himself, using a biological weapon on them during a fit of insanity. Later, the Nova Corps tried to erase Diamondhead's memories of the event, but he continued to remember. Nova was present, but his memories were erased effectively.
(Rom#24 (fb) - BTS) - The Champions allied with the Nova Corps, including Protector and Nova-Prime. Diamondhead swiftly betrayed his fellow Champions, reaching out to the Skrulls for an alliance and allowing them to seize the Champions' spaceship. The Skrulls sent out a false distress signal to lure the Nova Corps in.
(Rom#24 (fb)) - Crimebuster discovered Diamondhead's betrayal, which resulted in Crimebuster's death. Diamondhead and the Skrulls then sent his allies, and the Nova Corps to another dimension.
(Rom#24 (fb) - BTS) - Diamondhead joined with the Skrulls, thinking himself in command of the Nova Ship, where he kept hostages.
(Rom#24) - Nova attacked the ship and sparred with Diamondhead directly and left him floating through outer space. Nova and Rom swiftly freed the captives from the other dimension, and then they worked together to defeat the Skrulls who had allied with Diamondhead.
(Quasar#16 (fb) - BTS) - Diamondhead was captured by the Stranger and kept as a captive aboard his Laboratory World alongside many other alien and human curiosities.
(Quasar#16) - Over-Mind freed the captives and mentally sent them to assault the Stranger's base. Diamondhead, Ten-For, Megaman, Skywalker, Meru, Mercurio, Nygorn the Last Monitor, and the Captive (aka Threkker) were pulled by Doctor Spectrum in an energy craft, but Spectrum got control of his mind again and dropped the others.
(Quasar#20) - Jack of Hearts led many of the former captives back to Earth. After he sparred with Quasar, Diamondhead and the others landed in Siberia. Among the others saved were Fusion, Woodgod, Gargoyle, Dragonfly, and the Weird Sisters (Beauty, Charm, and Truth).
(Darkhawk#26) - Zarrko the Tomorrow Man pulled Diamondhead, Beef, Tai, and General Halladah out of the timestream to startle the New Warriors. Nova, shocked to see Diamondhead alive, blasted through his foe, who soon disappeared into the timestream again.
(Nova II#10 (fb) - BTS) - Diamondhead began acting as an assassin for hire.
(Nova II#9) - Posing as a janitor, Diamondhead beat up Mr. Benchley, warning him to drop his investigation into the committee.
(Nova II#10 (fb) ) - Resisting gunfire, Diamondhead attacked Mr. Vanetti, whom he threw through a window 20 stories up, killing him.
(Nova II#10) - Seeking revenge for Vanetti's death, Corruptor discreetly hired Nova, who had a delivery business, to take a package to Dyker's apartment, where the package then exploded. Nova was shocked to see Diamondhead, who promptly attacked the hero. Nova, still furious over Diamondhead's betrayal of the Nova Corps years before, pummeled the villain until Diamondhead reminded him of Epyrus-7. With Nova distracted, Diamondhead fled to safety.
(Nova III#2 (fb) - BTS) - Diamondhead was hired to kill Dr. Benchley, an abortion specialist.
(Nova III#2) - Dressed in scrubs at the hospital, Dyker bumped into Rich Rider, not recognizing him as Nova. Diamondhead attacked Benchley, but Nova stopped him, knocking Dyker through the wall. Dyker again reminded Nova of Epyrus-7 to throw him off, and Nova finally retained his full memories of the event. Captain America showed up, and Diamondhead attacked him, but Nova grabbed Cap's energy shield and used it to disrupt Diamondhead's stability, accidentally hacking him into pieces of diamond. Cap believed Diamondhead could be put back together.
(Civil War: Front Line#9/2 (fb) - BTS) - Diamondhead recovered, healing into his natural form again, and ended up imprisoned at the Raft.
(Civil War: Front Line#9/2) - When guards attacked Robert Baldwin in prison, Diamondhead reached through his cell bars and killed two of the guards. He then worked with Crimson Cowl (Justine Hammer), Razor-Fist (Douglas Scott), and Grim Reaper to attempt an escape, but was thwarted by Penance.
(Nova IV#2 (fb) - BTS) - Diamondhead found out Nova's real identity and stalked out his parents' home, watching for the heroes' return.
(Nova IV#2) - Diamondhead attacked Nova on the street outside his parents' house, and Nova easily severed Diamondhead's hand with an energy blast.
(Dark Reign Files#1 - BTS) - Norman Osborn considered Diamondhead as an expendable operative.
(Marvel Now! Point One#1 (fb) - BTS) - After getting his hand reattached, Diamondhead sought revenge on Nova. He saw a new Nova on the news and went after him, spending all of his money on a jetpack.
(Marvel Now! Point One#1) - Diamondhead followed Nova from New York to Utah, where he attacked the boy before realizing he was a new Nova. They crashed into a mountain and Diamondhead tried pulling Nova's helmet off, but Nova hit him with a lightblast that left Diamondhead blind. Diamondhead asked for a ride off the mountain, but Nova refused, leaving him there.
SECRET WARS III HAPPENED
(Captain America: Sam Wilson#7 (fb) - BTS) - Diamondhead was arrested and ended up in Pleasant Hill prison, where his identity was overwritten by Kobik.
(Captain America: Sam Wilson#7) - Diamondhead and others remained under Kobik's control in Pleasant Hill.
(All-New, All-Different Avengers#8) - Diamondhead and the others broke free from Kobik's control.
(Avengers Standoff: Assault on Pleasant Hill Omega#1) - Diamondhead escaped from Pleasant Hill during a chaotic battle.
(Star-Lord II#3 (fb) - BTS) - Diamondhead began hanging out at the Bar With No Name, where he regularly bragged about heists, always finding the crimes committed before he could get to them.
(Star-Lord II#2) - Diamondhead hung out in the Bar With No Name.
(Star-Lord II#3) - Diamondhead interacted at the bar with Melter, Shocker, and Javelynn, as well as bartender Star-Lord. Diamondhead bragged about his powers, and about an upcoming bank robbery he had planned. Diamondhead woke up in restraints, finding his leg had been amputated by the Black Cat. He heard her say how she had been stealing his crimes, but now she planned to see off his body parts.
(Star-Lord II#4 (fb) - BTS) - Black Cat continued severing and selling off body parts from Diamondhead.
(Star-Lord II#4) - Star-Lord and Shocker found Diamondhead's head and foot in a cabinet, and Dyker asked for help. Black Cat defeated the men, then stated she planned to keep letting Diamondhead regrow his body parts so she could keep selling them.
Comments: Created by Marv Wolfman, Sal Buscema, and Tom Palmer.
Diamondhead has a profile in All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#3 (May, 2006), Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z HC#3 (2008) and Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z SC#3 (March, 2012).
This profile was completed 06/05/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Chadman.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Diamondhead has no known connections to:
Appearances:
Nova I#3 (November, 1976) - Marv Wolfman (writer), Sal Buscema (penciler), Tom Palmer (inker), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Nova I#6-8, 10 (February-April, June, 1977) - Marv Wolfman (writer),
Sal Buscema (penciler), Frank Giacoia (inker), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Nova I#22 (November, 1978) - Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), Carmine Infantino (penciler), Steve Leialoha (inker)
Nova I#23 (January, 1979) - Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), Carmine Infantino, Gene Colan (pencilers), Many Hands (inkers)
Nova I#24 (March, 1979) - Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), Carmine Infantino (penciler), Mike Esposito (inker)
Nova I#25 (May, 1979) - Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), Carmine Infantino (penciler), Klaus Janson (inker)
Fantastic Four I#206 (May, 1979) - Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), Keith Pollard (penciler), Joe Sinnott (inker)
Fantastic Four I#208 (July, 1979) - Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), Sal Buscema (penciler), Diverse Hands (inker)
Fantastic Four I#209 (August, 1979) - Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), John Byrne (penciler), Joe Sinnott (inker)
Rom#24 (November, 1981) - Bill Mantlo, Mark Gruenwald (writers), Sal
Buscema (penciler), Joe Sinnott, Al Milgrom (inkers), Al Milgrom
(editor)
Quasar#16 (November, 1990) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mike Manley
(penciler), Dan Panosian, Keith Williams (inkers), Howard Mackie
(editor)
Quasar#20 (March, 1991) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Greg Capullo (penciler), Keith Williams (inker), Howard Mackie (editor)
Darkhawk#26 (April, 1993) - Danny Fingeroth (writer), Tod Smith (penciler), Chris Ivy, Don Hudson (inkers), Nel Yomtov (editor)
Nova II#9-10 (September-October, 1994) - Chris Marrinan (writer/penciler), Mark Stegbauer (inker), Tom DeFalco (editor)
Nova III#1-2 (May-June, 1999) - Erik Larsen (writer), Joe Bennett (penciler), Armando Durruthy (inker), Ruben Diaz (editor)
Civil War: Front Line#9/2 (February, 2007) - Paul Jenkins (writer), Steve Lieber (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Nova IV#2 (July, 2007) -Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning (writers), Sean Chen (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Dark Reign Files#1 (April, 2009) - various writers, Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Marvel Now! Point One#1/3 (December, 2012) - Jeph Loeb (writer), Ed
McGuinness (penciler), Dexter Vines (inker), Sana Amanat (editor)
Captain America: Sam Wilson#7 (May, 2016) - Nick Spencer (writer), Angel Unzueta, Daniel Acuna (artists), Tom Brevoort (editor)
All-New, All-Different Avengers#8 (June, 2016) - Mark Waid (writer), Adam Kubert (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers Standoff: Assault on Pleasant Hill Omega#1 (June, 2016) - Nick
Spencer (writer), Daniel Acuna, Angel Unzueta (artists), Tom Brevoort
(editor)
Star-Lord II#2-4 (March-May, 2017) - Chip Zdarsky (writer), Kris Anka (artist), Jordan White (editor)
First Posted: 09/03/2021
Last updated: 08/31/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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