Herbert was a student at Oxford University where he built a machine that was able to accelerate the genetic evolution of living organisms. Evolution could be brought to the peak of human potential by his genetic accelerator.

Universe

Earth-616

Place of Birth

Manchester, England

Created by

Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

First appearance

Thor #134
(November, 1966)

1 HistoryEdit
2 Powers and AbilitiesEdit
- 2.1 Powers
- 2.2 Abilities
3 ParaphernaliaEdit
- 3.1 Equipment
- 3.2 Weapons
4 TriviaEdit
5 LinksEdit
- 5.1 Discover and Discuss
- 5.2 Footnotes

HistoryEdit

As a student in the 1920s, Herbert wyndham was inspired by the work of Nathaniel Essex to perform his own genetic experiments, evolving rats in his parents' basement. Later, when he attented a conference in Geneva, Wyndham was approached by a disguised Inhuman, who gave Wyndham the secrets for unlocking genetic codes. As a result, he created a serum that allowed for genetic alteration, but his controversial work got him expelled from Oxford University.

However, Wyndham joined with another scientist, Jonathan Drew to continue his work, and they set up base in Transia on Wundagore Mountain in a futuristic citadel that his Inhuman contact gave him a workforce of Moloids to build. Drew's daughter Jessica Drew became ill thanks to their proximity to the mountain's reserves of uranium, and she was treated by a combination of spider serum and Wyndham's evolutionary technology and placed in suspended animation. This process would later result in Jessica becoming the superheroine known as Spider-Woman.

Drew's wife was killed by a werewolf, Gregor Russoff, and died, while Wyndham survived the same attack. Jonathan left Wundagore, and Wyndham constructed a suit of advanced armor to protect himself. Soon after this, aided by a new assistant Miles Warren, Wyndham created the New Men by evolving animals into humanoid forms. Jonathan returned to Wundagore possessed by the sorceror Magnus, who warned him that the mountain was the banishing place of the demon Chthon, though the scientifically-minded Wyndham scoffed at this. However, Russoff used the mystical book the Darkhold to try and cure his lycanthropy, and in the process freed Chthon. Wyndham, now known as the High Evolutionary, and the New Men, now known as the Knights of Wundagore fought the demon, banishing him again. However, at that moment, a pregnant woman Magda gave birth to twins Wanda and Pietro on the mountain, in the citadel, and Chthon's power touched them, giving him a conduit into the world. The twins would grow up to become the mutant superheroes the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.

The High Evolutionary's New Man Bova first tried to pass the twins on to Robert Frank, whose wife had died in childbirth, before giving them to a gypsy couple who had lost their own children.

After clashes with the heroes Thor and the Hulk. The High Evoltionary decided to launch his citadel into space, where Wyndham temporarily evolved himself into a disembodied intelligence. He later devolved himself back into his normal form, but now had powers including the ability to evolve or devolve other creatures at will.

Powers and AbilitiesEdit

Powers

Superhuman Intelligence: The High Evolutionary has evolved his own brain to its full potential; he has virtually unlimited knowledge and intellectual ability.

Psionics: The High Evolutionary possesses vast psionic powers, augmented by his armor.

Clairaudience

Clairvoyance

Animal Telepathy: Communication with Animals

Telepathic Communication: Capable of telepathic communication with human

Cyberpathy: Communication with Cybernetics

Cosmic Awareness

Danger Sense: which also alerts the High Evolutionary of threats to any of his creations: Class 1000

Astral Projection: The High Evolutionary can separate his spirit from his physical form and can survive in this state for an indefinite period of time.

Levitation

Linguistics: Skilled in linguistics and ventriloquism

Mental Invisibility: preventing detection by other powerful telepaths. Which he can extend to an entire world

Mental Probe

Force Fields

Dimensional Travel

Mass Manipulation: increase and decrease his own size/mass,can grow at max to 300 feet

Matter Creation: which can be used for the following:

Artifact Creation: which allows the creation of complex shapes
Elemental Creation
Life-form Creation
Mechanical Creation
Missile Creation: with powerful range and damage.
Matter Spray: powerful intensity and damage.

Psychokinesis

Telepathy

Flight

Energy Blasts

Total Recall Memory

Artificial Evolution: Capable of forcibly evolving life-forms at an accelerated rate

Artificial Devolution: Capable of forcibly devolving life-forms at an accelerated rate

Power Grid ^[1]

Abilities

Scientific Genius-level Intellect: Skilled in science, especially relating to genetics and engineering. Brilliant theoretician

Master Geneticist

ParaphernaliaEdit

Equipment

Evolutionary Exoskeleton: Most of the High Evolutionary's powers are derived from his protective suit which also provides its wearer with amazing protection against physical attacks and protection from energy, psionic, or magical attacks.

Automatic Defense: The suit is designed to protect it's wearer at all costs and, as such, works automatically to prevent disasters from affecting the High Evolutionary.
Reconstitution Protocol: Body armor, including microcircuitry containing his complete genetic information and thus capable of restoring him to life in the event of his death. Thus the suit can, in time, regenerate his body or even create a whole new body for Wyndham.
Life-Support System: The suit provides complete life support for Wyndham, automatic recycling his air and providing him with water and food

Genetic Manipulation Technology: He frequently uses machinery to control evolutionary effects.
Weapons

New Wundagore

TriviaEdit

He owns a space-worthy Citadel of Science on Transia's Mount Wundagore, a research fortress in the Savage Land, an upstate New York castle, research facilities beneath several major cities, and space facilities ranging from asteroid bases to orbital ships to the worldship New Wundagore.