MISTER GRYPHONMISTER GRYPHON
Real Name: Nathaniel Richards
Identity/Class: Extradimensional/alternate reality
(Earth-6311) human temporally divergent counterpart, possible mutate
and/or magic
user (see comments)
Occupation: Businessman, would-be conqueror
Group Membership: Qeng
Enterprises
Affiliations: Cyclone (Pierre Fresson), Equinox (Terrence Sorenson), Qeng Enterprises, Radioactive Man (Chen Lu), Warbringer
Enemies: Avengers (Captain
America/Sam Wilson, Iron Man/Tony Stark, Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan,
Nova/Sam Alexander, Spider-Man/Miles Morales of Earth-1610, Thor/Jane
Foster, Vision/"Victor Shade"), Redwing
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "The Conqueror of Time," Kang
Base of Operations: Presumably mobile
throughout the timestream;
formerly the former Avengers Tower, New York City,
New York, USA (modern era of Earth-616)
First Appearance: (Behind-the-scenes): Free
Comic Book Day 2015: Avengers (2015);
(fully seen & identified): All-New, All-Different Avengers I#1
(January, 2016)
Powers/Abilities: Mister Gryphon can
manipulate temporal energy for a variety of effects, including freezing
the flow of time on a specific individual, leaving them still able to
speak and think but unable to move. He can "timeshift" other
beings or objects, creating numerous
temporally divergent counterparts of whatever is being timeshifted to
appear at once. He is unable to timeshift himself though. Possibly
related to his timeshifting abilities, Gryphon can conjure up and
project temporal images (such as images of an ancient artifact from
the past). Gryphon can also generate shields made entirely of temporal
energy that were superhumanly durable, able to withstand the
superhumanly strong punches of Earth-1610's Miles Morales and the
energy blasts of Nova (Sam Alexander) simultaneously.
Gryphon can also utilize temporal energy to reveal camouflaged or invisible foes, as well as redirect energy focused at him. For example, when an energy blast was fired at him, Gryphon was able to redirect the focused energy around his body to avoid being hit.
His temporal energy manipulation also allows Gryphon
to affect the past memories of other beings, such as clouding an
opponent's memories of seeing Gryphon. In the case of preventing an
opponent from recalling Gryphon himself, this memory alteration power
did not prevent an opponent from recalling someone being present but it
did prevent the being from recalling the specifics of who they saw and
any identifying characteristics of who they saw, what they said and why
the person was there.
He can also teleport across space, time and even other realities by opening spatial and temporal portals and traveling through them. While trapped in the modern era of Earth-616 by a temporal firewall, Gryphon displayed the ability to teleport across space (such as from one location to another on Earth-616) but since the temporal firewall's breakdown, Gryphon has been seen in other realities and in past eras, suggesting that he now may be able to teleport through time and realities as well.
Gryphon can transform himself into a temporal shade-like form that reduces his density to the point at which he can glide through the air like a ghost.
Mister Gryphon can also transform his fingertips into computer access plugs (not unlike a USB device) and use them to access computer systems, in which he can implant specific computer protocols. For example, he used this ability to access the synthezoid Vision's computer-like brain and implant protocols that forced Vision to serve him.
Gryphon has also been seen animating corpses but whether this ability is magic in nature (such as necromancy) or related to his timeshift abilities remains to be seen.
Gryphon is also extremely skilled with languages, even able to understand and speak fluently extraterrestrial languages such as Chitauri.
Due to his connection to the timestream and temporal
energy-based powers, Gryphon has experienced migraines and intense pain
when near time paradoxes. The bigger the paradox, the more pain he
seems to experience.
Height: 6'2" (by approximation)
Weight: 230 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue with black sclera (no visible irises when utilizing
temporal powers)
Hair: Black (graying)
History: (All-New,
All-Different Avengers I#6
(fb)) - Due to a glitch in the timestream, Mr. Gryphon temporally
diverged into a separate being from Earth-6311's time-traveling Kang
the Conqueror.
(All-New, All-Different
Avengers I#6 (fb) - BTS) -
Gryphon soon found himself trapped behind a firewall of time in the
modern era of Earth-616. Unable to sleep for two thousand years to
catch up to his native timeline, Mr. Gryphon decided to create the Qeng
Dynasty for himself, enlisting the aid of supervillains Radioactive Man
and Cyclone. He also became aware of a time-manipulating alien Chitauri
artifact in three pieces on Earth and sought it to further his goals.
(Avengers VI#0 (fb) - BTS) - To continue his goals of establishing his Qeng Dynasty, Mr. Gryphon formed Qeng Enterprises as a business venture. Gryphon and Qeng Enterprises then purchased the former Avengers Tower from Tony Stark, who was suffering from money troubles and sought to unload the Tower quickly. Before the sale to Gryphon was final, the synthezoid Vision visited Avengers Tower to retrieve any of his personal effects that might have still remained there.
(All-New, All-Different Avengers I#6 (fb)) - A time-traveling Mr. Gryphon arrived from the near future and found Vision attempting to erase his emotional connections after experiencing visions from his own memories. Deciding Vision would make the perfect puppet, Mr. Gryphon extended his fingertips into Vision's access ports and implanted protocols to serve Gryphon into the Vision's computer brain, beginning the long game of destroying the Avengers.
(All-New, All-Different Avengers
I#1) - As Tony Stark
and Captain America (Sam Wilson) flew past the old Avengers Tower, Mr.
Gryphon was inside supervising the cleanout. Once all of Stark's
possessions were boxed up, Gryphon ordered, as the new owner of the
skyscraper, the belongings moved out of the tower. Noticing a glowing
box, Gryphon asked the workers if they had cycled down whatever was in
the box and one of the workers assured Gryphon they had cut all power
components. When the worker exclaimed that something was being absorbed
into the box from outside it, Gryphon witnessed energy being
explosively pulled from other boxes and reconstitute into the form of
the extraterrestrial Warbringer. Overhearing the Warbringer reporting
back to the Chitauri and understanding the Warbringer's Chitauri
language, Gryphon commended the Warbringer on a successful
reconstitution. When the Warbringer appeared surprised that Gryphon
could understand his language, Gryphon admitted he was good with
languages but the Warbringer responded by telling Gryphon to shut up
and firing an energy blast from his staff at Gryphon. Redirecting the
energy from Warbringer's attack around himself, Gryphon continued,
praising the Warbringer's method of teleportation. The impatient
Warbringer, however, called Gryphon a flea and proclaimed that his
business was not with Gryphon before attempting to leave. Gryphon
temporally froze the Warbringer midway through him phasing through the
wall, calmly remarking that he did not say Warbringer could leave.
Gryphon then suggested the two work together against Warbringer's enemy
Nova but when the Warbringer remarked how Earthlings were known for
their sarcasm, Gryphon warned the Warbringer against assuming where
Gryphon was from or even that he was speaking to Gryphon's true form.
Gryphon then again suggested
the two work together
and revealed an ancient artifact in three pieces that, when acquired,
would make the Warbringer powerful enough to the destroy the human
race. Showing the Warbringer images of the artifact and its assembly,
Gryphon soon overheard whispers above and realized they were not alone.
Gryphon then used his powers to reveal the invisible Spider-Man (Miles
Morales), who had been drawn to the area by Warbringer's reconstituting
energy, and Spider-Man was moments later launched from the tower.
Having drawn the attention of Iron Man after Spider-Man was knocked
from the tower, Gryphon teleported away, assuring the Warbringer that
he would be in touch and the Warbringer could take it from there.
(All-New, All-Different Avengers
I#2) - After
Warbringer flash melted Iron Man's armor and downed Captain America and
Spider-Man, Mr. Gryphon showed up in front of the former Avengers Tower
and berated Tony Stark, exclaiming that the tower was no longer an
Avengers playground but private property. As he yelled that the
Avengers should have made an appointment if they wanted one last look
around, Stark introduced Captain America, Spider-Man and the arriving
Vision to Gryphon. Gryphon then who the short hero was and, upon
learning it was Spider-Man, Gryphon asked if Spider-Man was
franchising. As Captain America mentioned that the Avengers covered
property damage, Spider-Man mentioned how he had seen someone else with
Warbringer but oddly couldn't recall the person's face.
Later, as Iron Man and his allies fought a Warbringer empowered by the artifacts Gryphon had suggested he seek out, Gryphon himself intervened in the fight from afar, using his powers to open a temporal portal that to swallow Thor's hammer. Gryphon's portal then reopened behind Warbringer, allowing Warbringer to avoid the impact and escape.
(All-New, All-Different
Avengers I#3) - Mr. Gryphon
traveled to Hart Island at Long Island Sound, where Warbringer sensed
the third artifact piece. Gryphon sarcastically commended Warbringer on
being a credit to the Chitauri for finding the third artifact piece. He
also remarked that Warbringer was far greater at heavy lifting than he
was as Warbringer uncovered the piece. Projecting visions of the
Chitauri ruling over Earth as an incentive for Warbringer to continue
his work, Gryphon flew alongside Warbringer to assemble the artifact
pieces and when Warbringer noticed the temporal projections showed the
Chitauri in armor and weapons he was unfamiliar with, Gryphon commented
that they would discuss that after. Gryphon then disappeared as
Warbringer asked "after what?" While the arriving Avengers fought
Warbringer and Iron Man ordered Spider-Man to assemble then immediately
destroy the artifact, Mr. Gryphon acted from the shadows and animated
graveyard corpses to attack Spider-Man, Captain America and Ms. Marvel.
The heroes tried to avoid the zombies, unaware Gryphon was ordering the
corpses to seize the artifact. When Spider-Man successfully destroyed
the artifact, Mr. Gryphon, still hiding in the shadows, cringed and his
projection of Chitauri rule dissipated, as did the corpses under his
control.
(All-New, All-Different Avengers I#6 (fb)) -
Following the Warbringer's defeat by the Avengers, Mr. Gryphon had the
idea to use the Avengers to further his Qeng Dynasty and searched
recent Avengers history for a vulnerable moment to exploit for his own
benefit. Finding one such moment, Mr. Gryphon traveled into the recent
past to find the Vision.
(Free Comic Book Day 2015:
Avengers -
BTS) - After Radioactive Man battled the Avengers to help spread the
word of Gryphon's Qeng Dynasty, Mister Gryphon temporally teleported
Radioactive
Man from the scene while the newest Avengers were distracted saving a
civilian.
(All-New, All-Different Avengers I#5) - During a
battle with the supervillain Equinox, several temporally divergent
Equinox counterparts appeared and began remarking "Honor the dynasty,"
prompting Thor to recall other villains they had recently fought
mentioning the Qeng Dynasty. Looking towards the ground, Iron Man
noticed Mr. Gryphon there and drew a connection between "Qeng" and
"Kang." Gryphon then began levitating as he was surrounded by energy
and Thor regrouped the Avengers to prepare for battle. Surprisingly,
Vision turned on his teammates and hit Captain America and Thor with
his solar beams, launching them in a temporal portal of Gryphon's
creation.
(All-New, All-Different
Avengers I#6) - Iron Man
demanded to know what "Kang" wanted but Mr. Gryphon explained that he
wasn't truly Kang before recounting his origins and plans to create
himself a dynasty in the modern era. After revealing how he turned the
Vision against the Avengers as a distraction for what he was really
after, Gryphon then walked towards Thor's hammer, which had been left
behind when Gryphon had launched Captain America and Thor into one of
his temporal portals. When Vision warned that Gryphon would not be able
to lift Mjolnir, Gryphon replied that he need not lift it to siphon its
time-traveling power but Gryphon was attacked by Captain America's pet
falcon Redwing. Admitting that he had planned to kill Iron Man first,
Gryphon turned his attention towards Redwing before he was forced to
back away by the arriving Nova and Ms. Marvel. While Iron Man battled
Vision, ultimately rebooting Vision's system when Vision attempted to
phase through his armor, Ms. Marvel, Nova and Spider-Man focused on
Gryphon, surprised at the revelation that he was an incarnation of
Kang. Iron Man then turned to help the young heroes against Gryphon and
the Avengers were able to turn the tide of battle when Captain America
and Thor returned from the near future. Painfully absorbing temporal
energy from the time paradox created by Thor utilizing a near future
version of her own hammer, Gryphon utilized the energy to drag the
Avengers up and down their own timelines, resulting in the Avengers
changing forms as they were temporally pulled through the wringer.
Announcing that he then had to go to attend to plans he had set into
motion that would not bear fruit for millennia, Gryphon promised to
return with reinforcements but he was instead attacked from behind by a
restored Vision, who demanded he release the Avengers. Gryphon and
Vision then brutally fought, with Vision defying Gryphon's orders,
while the rest of the Avengers recalled Gryphon's pain caused by the
time paradox of the presence of two Mjolnirs. Thor then grabbed both
Mjolnirs and slammed them together, creating a temporal ripple effect
that seemingly banished Gryphon from the modern era as he swore revenge.
(All-New, All-Different Avengers I#7 - BTS) - Vision met with Ms. Marvel and presented her with a virtual reality device that would immerse her into Avengers history as a way of making up for his actions while under Gryphon's control and in an effort to rebuild her trust in him.
(All-New, All-Different Avengers I#9 - BTS) - When parts of the Vision began popping in and out of time, his attacks occurring out of sync with time, Spider-Man reminded the other Avengers of how the Vision had recently been reprogrammed by Mr. Gryphon. Iron Man assured the others that he had run a full virus scan of the Vision's systems and there was no trace of Gryphon's work but the recently appeared Wasp (Nadia) suggested that there could still be biochemical traces of Gryphon's tech within the Vision. Twenty four hours after the Wasp successfully removed the traces of Gryphon's tech, an angry Vision told Iron Man that he was thinking about the future. Annoyed that Gryphon had twice now tried to use him as a weapon against his friends, Vision grimly announced that Kang would not use him again.
(All-New, All-Different Avengers I#13 (fb) - BTS) -
Vision met with the Inhuman Ulysses and revealed how Gryphon had
implanted an override program into his brain, allowing Gryphon to
control the Vision. Vision then admitted he had sought out Ulysses'
counsel in helping him make a decision on a logical course of action
against Mr. Gryphon. Following his meeting with Ulysses, Vision
pondered traveling into the future to kill the infant Nathaniel
Richards before he could ever become Kang, thereby eliminating Kang
himself and any divergent counterparts such as Gryphon before he would
ever become a threat, ultimately deciding to do so.
(Avengers: Back to Basics#2 -
BTS) - After Ms. Marvel
witnessed an Avengers battle against the Asgardian Fenris Wolf via her
virtual reality headset then left her room for hot chocolate
downstairs, Mister Gryphon appeared in her room and, finding Ms.
Marvel's headset quite interesting, he monologued that he and Ms.
Marvel had much to discuss.
(Avengers: Back to Basics#4) - After Ms. Marvel used the virtual reality headset to witness a battle between the Magus and the Avengers then was summoned away by her mother, Mr. Gryphon again appeared in Ms. Marvel's room, grabbed the headset and grimly remarked that he would make sure her next venture was one she wouldn't forget.
(Avengers: Back to Basics#5) - When Ms. Marvel was trapped in the past around the time of the Avengers' founding, diverging reality-18757 from reality-616, and a younger counterpart of her mother was accidentally hit by a bus, Mr. Gryphon traveled to Earth-18757 and claimed to be a doctor to get close to Ms. Marvel. Once an ambulance had taken away Ms. Marvel's mother, Gryphon approached the grieving Ms. Marvel and remarked on how she was probably wondering why she was still stuck in the past.
(Avengers: Back to Basics#6) - Recognizing
Gryphon as the counterpart of Kang she had earlier encountered, Ms.
Marvel rushed to attacked Gryphon, whom she blamed for being trapped in
the past and her mother's death. Downing Ms. Marvel, Gryphon calmly
admitted his responsibility in trapping Ms. Marvel in the past,
gloating that once she caught up to her own birthdate, she would cease
to exist. He then grimly suggested Ms. Marvel make the most of the time
she had left before departing into the timestream.
Comments: Created by Mark Waid and Adam Kubert.
The Free Comic Book Day 2015: Avengers issue had to have occurred after the events of All-New, All-Different Avengers I#3 since the FCBD story mentions it being the first day for Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man and Nova as Avengers and we don't see them officially join the Avengers until after Warbringer's defeat in ANAD Avengers I#3.
Some online sources list Mr. Gryphon as being mentioned in Amazing Spider-Man IV#13 but Spider-Man (Miles Morales) mentions Kang while telling civilians that heroes fight villains like Kang, not each other. While the Avengers often referred to Gryphon as Kang, Gryphon himself explained that he had diverged from the original Kang so the Avengers likely referred to him as Kang due to his resemblance and nature as a counterpart of Kang. In a sense, he still was Kang, just not the original one. In the case of the mention of Kang in Amazing Spider-Man IV#13, I feel like Miles was referring to the actual Kang and not specifically Gryphon and therefore, I've chosen not to include that mention in the History section of this profile. Similarly, Kang is mentioned in Avengers VI#7 when it is shown that the Avengers have "Kang souvenirs" in storage but again, that seems to be a reference to the original Kang, not specifically Mr. Gryphon.
Originally, I suspected that Avengers: Back to Basics was not in -616 continuity, given the historical errors in the flashbacks to the past, but honestly, these flashbacks were being seen through Ms. Marvel's eyes via a virtual reality headset that projected her into the stories using the Avengers' files. It's very possible that the Avengers who wrote log entries on the various stories got the facts incorrectly or the merging of various logs together to create a virtual reality scenario caused inaccurate information in parts. Then, of course, we also see Mr. Gryphon messing with the headset so it's possible he altered the recordings to show incorrect information.
It was not explained how exactly Mr. Gryphon acquired his time-manipulating abilities. His original self used futuristic technology to accomplish his goals. Perhaps the temporal divergence from his original self mutated him, infusing his entire body with temporal energy that he could then manipulate?
It was also not explained how Mr. Gryphon was able to reanimate corpses to serve his will. It's possible that he possesses some sort of necromancy abilities and could have learned that type of sorcery over time but it's also possible that the corpse animation might be related to his timeshifting powers.
Mr. Gryphon's height and weight are approximated from that of his original self, Earth-6311's Kang.
This profile was completed 6/19/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Proto-Man.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Mister Gryphon has no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
Avengers: Back to Basics#6, p1, splash page (Mr. Gryphon, main)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#1, p8, pan3 (Mr. Gryphon, headshot)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#6, p1, pan3 (Mr. Gryphon diverging
from Kang)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#6, p5, pan2 (Mr. Gryphon accessing
Vision's computer brain)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#1, p11, pan2 (Mr. Gryphon redirecting
energy)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#1, p11, pan3-5 (Mr. Gryphon freezing
Warbringer in place & teleporting to the other side of a wall)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#1, p12, pan3 (Mr. Gryphon conjuring
temporal images)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#1, p13, pan3 (Mr. Gryphon using
powers to expose the invisible)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#5, p18, pan1 (Mr. Gryphon, crackling
with temporal energy)
Avengers: Back to Basics#4, p20, pan7 (Mr. Gryphon fiddling with Ms.
Marvel's headset from the shadows)
Appearances:
Free Comic Book Day 2015: Avengers (2015) - "The All-New, All-Different
Avengers" story - Mark Waid (writer), Mahmud Asrar (art), Tom Brevoort,
Wil Moss (editors)
Avengers VI#0 (December, 2015) - "Eidetic" story - Mark Waid (writer),
Mahmud Asrar (art), Tom Brevoort, Wil Moss (editors)
All-New,
All-Different Avengers I#1 (January, 2016) - 1st story - Mark Waid
(writer), Adam Kubert (art), Tom Brevoort, Wil Moss (editors)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#2 (February, 2016) - Mark Waid
(writer), Adam Kubert (art), Tom Brevoort, Wil Moss (editors)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#3 (March, 2016) - Mark Waid (writer),
Adam Kubert (art), Tom Brevoort, Wil Moss (editors)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#5 (April, 2016) - Mark Waid (writer),
Mahmud Asrar (art), Tom Brevoort, Wil Moss (editors)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#6 (April, 2016) - Mark Waid (writer),
Mahmud Asrar (art), Tom Brevoort, Wil Moss (editors)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#7 (May, 2016) - Mark Waid (writer),
Adam Kubert (art), Tom Brevoort, Wil Moss (editors)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#9 (July, 2016) - Mark Waid (writer),
Mahmud Asrar (art), Tom Brevoort, Wil Moss (editors)
All-New, All-Different Avengers I#13 (October, 2016) - Mark Waid
(writer), Adam Kubert (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers: Back to Basics#2 (May, 2018) - Peter David (writer), Brian
Level (art), Sarah Brunstad (editor)
Avengers: Back to Basics#4 (June, 2018) - Peter David (writer), Juanan
Ramirez (art), Sarah Brunstad (editor)
Avengers: Back to Basics#5 (July, 2018) - Peter David (writer), Brian
Level (art), Sarah Brunstad (editor)
Avengers: Back to Basics#6 (July, 2018) - Peter David (writer), Brian
Level (art), Sarah Brunstad (editor)
First Posted: 09/20/2021
Last updated: 09/19/2021
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.!