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Quote1 Once, long ago, I led this group. The great men of this place believed in the future -- in the infinite human experience. Now, I have been warned that the council -- these new men of the Shield -- believe in something different: a logical conclusion...inevitability...an end. I have come to shatter this notion. And on that rubble, reconstruct a better way. I am a builder of great things, Leonid...and these men have stood on my shoulders for far too long. Quote2
Leonardo da Vinci[src]

Leonardo da Vinci is an ingenious Italian polymath who led the Brotherhood of the Shield during the High Renaissance. After discovering an anomaly in the Sun, he ventured across space and time to the year 1956 and he retrieved the Star Child for the Brotherhood.[3][4] He had left behind a mechanical decoy; thus, the world believes that he died in the 16th century.[4][1] He was succeeded by Galileo Galilei.[5]

At Michelangelo's request, Leonardo created the Immortal City and was given the Human Machine to take to the future and help a young man named Leonid save the world.[6][1] Leonid's father, Sir Isaac Newton, had usurped power over the Brotherhood and perverted its ideals. Instead of hope, free will, and potential, Newton believed that everything is fated and the world will end in 2060; thus, it must be so.[5] Leonardo reintroduced the Brotherhood's original philosophy upon his return and caused a schism, which escalated into war four years later.[7][8] When Leonid ultimately sided with Leonardo, Newton escaped to the future to see the end of the world.[9] The Brotherhood used the Human Machine to chase and defeat Newton, though Leonardo stayed behind.[10]

History

Origin[]

Leonardo da Vinci (literally, "Leonardo, from Vinci") was born in Vinci (Florence) as the illegitimate son of a notary and a peasant woman. He was one of the thinkers spawned by the Renaissance from the 14th century and became a polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor. Among his most famous works were the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and the Vitruvian Man. His genius epitomized the Renaissance.[1]

Brotherhood of the Shield[]

Leonardo da Vinci (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D

Workshop

Leonardo da Vinci's brilliance got him recruited into the Brotherhood of the Shield, and he eventually became their Patriarch.[1] He personally took on many students at the Brotherhood.[11] In 1495, he, Pietro Perugino, and Lorenzo Di Credi discovered that there was something in the Sun, draining its energy.[3]

Michelangelo Buonarroti (Earth-616) and Leonardo da Vinci (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D

Being tasked by Michelangelo

Before Leonardo left to investigate the Sun, he tried to recruit Michelangelo several times and Michelangelo revealed his nature as an omnitemporal being in 1502. Michelangelo gave Leonardo the Human Machine and a small piece of his power, telling him that Leonardo must help save the world. Leonardo learned that there will be a man named Leonid in the future that he must meet and that there was a god growing in the Sun. He built the Immortal City under Rome and a door called the Iter, which punched a hole in space and time, that could only be opened with a key that Leonardo gave Michelangelo.[1]

Finally, Leonardo completed a flying suit that could travel through space and time in 1503. With the Human Machine in hand, he took off to the future.[3] Furthermore, he had created a perfect mechanical decoy to take his own place. It had all his memories and would continue his life as if he had never left.[9]

Phoenix Force[]

Because no date is given, it is not clear if this section is experienced by the real Leonardo da Vinci or his Life-Model Decoy. He references the Immortal City, which began construction in 1502, and Leonardo leaves for the future in 1503, so the likelihood of the LMD is fairly high.
Possible trip to K'un-Lun

Centuries ago, a messenger from K'un-Lun approached Leonardo to ask him to come to the city and help them against the approaching Phoenix Force. Fongji's training as the next Iron Fist was not going well. She was reluctant to cooperate and still would not speak. Yu-Ti goaded her into action by insulting her mother. Leonardo arrived in K'un Lun to find her frustrated, bleeding, and still making very little progress. Finally, in a fit of rage, she manifested the Phoenix, blasting Lei Kung halfway across the training yard, and then collapsed.[12]

Leonardo recruited the Thunderer's other students and over time they constructed an enormous telescope to watch for the Phoenix's arrival. He opined that this was an opportunity to study the Phoenix Force itself and attempt to understand why it was coming to Earth. Yu-Ti and Fongji sat at the scrying spring of Bo-Ling, where an image of a dragon appeared to them. He interpreted it as the sign that she must confront Shou-Lao the Undying -- the rite of passage required for all Iron Fists. Two days later, Fongji emerged from the cave, smiling and wielding the power of the Iron Fist. She spoke for the first time, thanking Yu-Ti. By night, Leonardo consulted his telescope and saw the Phoenix approaching. He sent a messenger to bring Yu-Ti and Fongji, saying that the time had come.[13]

Arrival at the 20th Century[]

Leonardo da Vinci (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D

Greeting Leonid while holding the Human Machine

Having time travelled from the 16th century, Leonardo da Vinci waited at the "Seeing Place" through the Iter at the Immortal City, as requested by Michelangelo. In 1956, Leonid was given the key to the Iter by his adoptive parents, Nikola Tesla and Mina, which was also orchestrated by Michelangelo. As Leonid went up the stairway through the Iter, he was greeted by Leonardo da Vinci, who carried with him the Human Machine. With the power he received from Michelangelo, he unlocked Leonid's latent memories. He revealed that he built the Immortal City and summoned the Brotherhood of the Shield. Meanwhile, Leonid's adoptive parents were flung to the far future along with Shield agents Nathaniel Richards and Howard Stark, though Leonardo reassured Leonid that this was all foretold by the Forever Man and that they will return.[14][1]

Star Child (Multiverse) and Leonardo da Vinci (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D

Retrieving the Star Child from the Sun

Leonardo da Vinci and Leonid went to the Brotherhood's council chambers and was confronted by Sir Isaac Newton, the immortal current Patriarch. To Newton's disbelief, Leonardo revealed himself to the Brotherhood and showed everyone the Human Machine. After privately conversing with Newton, he met with Leonid, warned him about Newton's "Truth," and informed Leonid about Newton's secret dungeon where Leonid would find and free Nostradamus. Meanwhile, Leonardo set off to do what he originally had intended to do and that was to investigate the Sun. He found the Celestial Madonna giving birth in the Sun and he returned to the Immortal City with the Star Child in his arms.[4]

Brotherhood of the Shield (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D

Schism in the Brotherhood of the Shield between Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newton, 1960

Over the course of the next four years, the conflict between Leonardo and Newton escalated into war. Leonardo believed in free will and the Brotherhood's original purpose, which was to preserve and guide humanity into the future, and Newton wanted the Brotherhood to accept humanity's inevitable demise, specifically in the year 2060.[15][8] When Nikola Tesla, Mina, Nathaniel Richards, and Howard Stark return from the future, they refuted Newton's belief that the world will end in 2060. In a trial, Leonid sided with Leonardo, but Newton used Leonardo's suit to travel forward in time to 2060 to see the end of the world. Newton's Quiet Math corrupted the Star Child, who then followed Newton to the future. The Brotherhood used the Human Machine to chase them; Leonardo stayed behind but wished Leonid and the others good luck.[16] After the Human Machine ascended Leonid and allowed him to resolve the conflict with Newton, Leonardo greeted the returning heroes in the present-day Italy.[17]

Wheels Within Wheels[]

It was during this time that Leonardo, under the alias Aries, formed an organization called the Great Wheel of Zodiac. The group consisted of members Vasili Dassaiev, John Garrett, Shoji Soma, Cornelius van Lunt, Baron Strucker, Dum Dum Dugan, Nick Fury, Jake Fury, Daniel Whitehall, Viktor Uvarov, and Thomas Davidson. Each member was assigned a codename from the Greek zodiac calendar. The group consisted of the best covert intelligence agents from around the globe. After only a few key missions for Leonardo, he would provide them resources that would be of great value to their own separate agendas. Each mission involved acquiring advanced technology from all across the globe. The Great Wheel later fell apart due to the betrayal of Dassaiev and Uvarov. The broken Wheel led to the creations of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, Leviathan, and the Zodiac Cartel. Years later, Leonardo revealed that he formed the Great Wheel because he hoped it would control its members.[18]

Leonardo was seen years later as a technical adviser to the post-H.A.M.M.E.R. iteration of S.H.I.E.L.D., but how long he held this role and where in his timeline it falls is unknown.[19] Da Vinci resurfaced in the present not long after the decommissioning of S.H.I.E.L.D. following Hydra's short-lived takeover of the United States. He started assembling in secret a group of geniuses and people of interest to build something new to stand in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s place.[20]

Attributes

Powers

Leonardo da Vinci (Earth-616) and Leonid (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D

Using Michelangelo's power to unlock Leonid's memories

Michelangelo had bestowed Leonardo a "small piece of the divine" during one of their encounters.[1] Leonardo later used it to unlock Leonid's latent memories by touching Leonid's forehead.[6] It is unknown if he still has this power after doing this.

Abilities

Genius: Leonardo is an inventive mechanical engineering prodigy, constantly creating new technology and looking for ways to improve it. His intelligence is classed as above genius. He is one of the smartest people who ever lived.

Expert Engineer: He is an excellent engineer and mechanic. Using only technology from the 16th century, he developed time machines, space suits, gateways through space and time, and the proto-Life-Model Decoy.[14][8]

Expert Architect: He designed the Immortal City.[6]

Expert Tactician: He is a brilliant tactician capable of quickly formulating battle strategies and new plans should the situation changes.[21][22]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Leonardo da Vinci (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D

Trivia

  • Leonardo da Vinci's return to the Brotherhood of the Shield in 1956[3] is a reference to his real life comic debut: Mystery Tales #41 (published in 1956).
  • Ennilux possess in its vaults an unknown thing from Leonardo da Vinci,[23] and Cole has some of his notes for a steam engine.[24]
  • Leonardo da Vinci is the Anchor of the Human Machine.[14][10]
  • The Mad Thinker once created an android based on Leonardo da Vinci programed with all of da Vinci's writings, as part of a project to create androids based on many great thinkers, hoping they would make new applications of their philosophies for the present day.[25]

See Also

Links and References

References

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