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Quote1 When I was the Avengers' boy mascot, all I wanted was to be like them. I had a lot to learn. Quote2
Rick Jones[src]

History

The early life and history of Rick Jones largely mirrored that of his Earth-616 counterpart.

Origins[]

As a teenager, Rick Jones snuck onto the testsite of the first Gamma Bomb. Rick was saved by Bruce Banner, though at the cost of Banner being irradiated by the bomb and transformed into the Hulk.[1] Unbeknownst to Rick, the gamma radiation triggered his own powers, turning him into a reality warper.[2] Rick became a friend and ally to Banner, and for a time served as the sidekick of Captain America.[3]

Rick would become a pawn for the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree. As part of the Supremor's attempts to control Kree hero Mar-Vell, it established a telepathic link between Rick and Mar-Vell, leading him to the Nega-Bands, Kree artifacts hidden on Earth since the creation of the Inhumans.[3]

When Rick slammed the bands together, he changed places with Mar-Vell, who had been trapped in the Negative Zone. Rick was so convinced that he could never really have any power that his abilities manifested themselves in the creation of heroes out of his mind.[4] The Supremor used Rick's latent powers again and again, most notably to win the war between the Kree and their ancient enemies, the Skrulls.[3]

When Mar-Vell died of cancer, Rick unwittingly used his powers to create Genis-Vell, Mar-Vell's son, whom Rick bonded to in a similar fashion.[4]

Universe X[]

Richard Jones (Earth-9997) from Universe X Vol 1 4 0001

Hydra host

At some point following the mutation of humanity, Rick was assimilated by the Hydra and died. His body, now missing an arm and still wearing the now powerless Nega-Bands, was taken and used by the Hydra. When Mar-Vell was reborn in the realm of the living and began his quest to destroy Death, he sought out Rick for the Nega-Bands. He was disappointed to learn that the bands were dead. In a fit of rage, Captain America banished the Hydra to Limbo.[5]

Paradise X[]

After Mar-Vell succeeded in destroying Death, Rick and other deceased superhumans were transported to Paradise, the new afterlife Mar-Vell had created for the dead. Here they ingested a piece of the Cosmic Cube, allowing them to each create their own personal paradises.[6] In Rick's paradise, he defended the world as its mightiest hero, Captain Avenger.[7]

However, unlike most of the others, Rick quickly grew aware that he was living in a dream, due to the nature of his powers. When Mar-Vell's servants, the Avenging Host began to grow suspicious of Mar-Vell due to his increasing aloofness and the discovery that his paradise was seemingly consuming the Negative Zone, they began freeing all those trapped within their own paradises. Rick eagerly awaited them, and gladly accepted their help, declaring that he was sick of living under lies.[8]

Mar-Vell eventually summoned the Avenging Host as well as Rick. Mar-Vell spoke to each of them individually. He told Rick that he was a lodestone for heroism, and credited him with using his powers to inspire those around him, such as the Hulk, the Avengers and even Mar-Vell himself, to heroism. Mar-Vell proceeded to kill Rick and the Avenging Host, after forcing them to face their failures. Meanwhile, Paradise found itself under invasion by the Kree, now worshipping Mar-Vell as their new Supreme Intelligence.[2]

When Reed Richards, having also grown suspicious of Mar-Vell, made his way to Paradise to confront him, Mar-Vell revealed that he had orchestrated the chaos erupting on Earth and Paradise as a way of finally breaking the cycle of mindless violence. He resurrected Rick and the Avenging Host, revealed that his Paradise was not swallowing the Negative Zone, but in fact enveloping it and all the universe in a protective shield that would safeguard it from the meddling of the Elders of the Universe and the Celestials. Mar-Vell ended the conflict in Paradise before passing his omniscience onto Reed, to succeed him as the new Eternity.[9]

Mar-Vell announced his intentions to leave in search of the first, core reality from which Excalibur originated. Before leaving, Rick bid him farewell, declaring that he knew Mar-Vell was still a hero.[9]

Attributes

Powers

Reality Warping: Rick possessed the ability to warp reality. Unable to believe that he could ever possess any real power, Rick used this ability subconsciously, becoming a lodestone for heroism.[2] He possessed the ability to move others to heroism, drawing out heroic qualities in figures such as Mar-Vell and the Hulk, as well as bringing heroes such as the Avengers together.[2] Rick also had the ability to create heroes from his mind, notably creating Genis-Vell.[4]

Abilities

See Also

Links and References

References

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