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Quote1 The battle being fought is between men who believe that they can choose their future and those who believe they cannot. [...] And it's time you learned da Vinci and Newton are both wrong. It's time you learned they are both right. You have been looking for a third way, Leonid...this is it. Time is not linear. There is no great cause and effect. There is no final destiny. We must live our lives...in between. Look now, Leonid...look! It is what you have been waiting for... It is what has always been coming... It is hope. Quote2
Forever Man[src]

Michelangelo, also known as the Forever Man, is a renowned Italian artist from the 16th century. In secret, he is an omnitemporal being, existing at all times. He guided many events involving the Brotherhood of the Shield so that the Eternal Dynamo, a young man named Leonid, could save the world with the Human Machine.[1]

History

Origin[]

Michelangelo Buonarroti was born in 1475 in Caprese near Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy. He grew up to become one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance. Best known for his scultpures and frescos, he was brilliant and talented in many ways: he could paint, sculpt, design buildings, and write poetry. However, two years after becoming a man, "infinity washed over him" and he began to simultaneously exist at all times. Michelangelo stopped existing as a linear being and was illuminated as the Forever Man.[1]

Brotherhood of the Shield[]

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

Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, while the latter sculps David

While working as a Renaissance sculptor, he was approached many times by the patriarch of the Brotherhood of the Shield, Leonardo da Vinci. In 1503, Michelangelo crafted the famous David. Leonardo approached him while he was working in one final recruitment attempt and Michelangelo revealed his nature as the Forever Man. He tasked Leonardo to build the Immortal City as well as a door that cannot be opened, except with a special key, called the Iter. In addition, he told Leonardo about the Star Child and gave Leonardo the Human Machine and "a small piece of the divine." Michelangelo explained that Leonardo must do these things to save the world and that Leonardo must save the "Dynamo," Leonid.[1]

In 1582, Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, attacked Rome. Michelangelo assisted Galileo Galilei by having him build an improved version of Abu Mūsā Jābir ibn Hayyān al-Azdi's device to harness the power of man. At the cost of two thirds of the Brotherhood of the Shield, Galactus was defeated and the Greater Science was born.[4][1]

Morda (Earth-616), Leonid (Earth-616), and Michelangelo Buonarroti (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D

Michelangelo saving Leonid from being lynched at Ashomia

In 1630, Sir Isaac Newton burned down the Deviant city of Ashomia and left behind a half-Deviant son, Leonid. The enraged Deviants furiously attacked the Deviant mother, Morda, and Michelangelo appeared to her before they broke into her home. After he told her that she will die but he could save her baby, Morda tried to have him promise "No Newton," only for Michelangelo to refuse that condition. Tearfully, she handed her baby over to Michelangelo and he took Leonid to the Sinkhole. There, a pigeon landed on his arm and Leonid's cosmic powers transformed her into Mina. Michelangelo gave her the key to the Iter from Leonardo da Vinci and tasked her to look after Leonid along with Nikola Tesla, who was able to find them in the Sinkhole three centuries later (on Earth) due to its abnormal flow of time.[1]

In 1642, Michelangelo disapprovingly watched Isaac Newton murder Galileo in his sleep. Newton prepared to attack Michelangelo but he disappeared.[1]

In 1645, Michelangelo approached Nostradamus and, after thorough convincing, persuaded him to complete the daunting task of being imprisoned by Isaac Newton, the ruthless new master of the Brotherhood, for hundreds of years. Michelangelo bestowed him the knowledge that Nostradamus is the Catalyst of the Human Machine and the Architect of Revelation; thus, he would be needed over three centuries in the future and the longevity from Newton's Forever Compound would unknowingly aid this.[5] Before leaving, Michelangelo told Nostradamus that part of him will always be chained up but a part of him will always be free.[1] Michelangelo did a check-up on Nostradamus in 1806 and was pleased to hear he was preserving.[6] Michelangelo ensured that Nostradamus will be freed by a boy with stars beneath his skin, Leonid.[5]

Michelangelo Buonarroti (Earth-616) and Nikola Tesla (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D

Reviving Nikola Tesla

In 1953, Shield agents Nathaniel Richards and Howard Stark took Leonid to the Immortal City beneath Rome where he joined the Brotherhood of the Shield at the request of his undying biological father, Isaac Newton.[7] Leonid's loving adoptive father, Nikola Tesla, was accidentally killed by Nathaniel Richards; Michelangelo took the body and revived Tesla as a cyborg.[3] Michelangelo asked Tesla to go to the Zargo Mountains where he would find the Last Caliphate and to give the key to the Iter, which Mina had been secretly safekeeping, to their son Leonid.[6]

Michelangelo Buonarroti (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D

Revealing himself to Leonid

In 1956, Michelangelo's plan started to come into fruition. At the Immortal City, Nikola Tesla gave Leonid the key to the Iter, which allowed him to meet a time-travelling Leonardo da Vinci carrying the Human Machine. Leonardo used a trace of Michelangelo's power to unlock Leonid's memories and explained their meeting was planned in order to save the world. Meanwhile, as foretold by Michelangelo, Tesla, Mina, Nathaniel Richards, and Howard Stark were flung into the future. Leonardo brought the Human Machine to the High Council and confronted Newton, who had corrupted the Brotherhood's purpose. Afterward, Leonardo went to the Sun to retrieve the Star Child and had Leonid free Nostradamus from Newton's dungeon.[8]

Tension between Leonardo and Newton escalated over the next four years. Leonardo represented the original ideals of the Brotherhood, being hope and free will. Newton believed in fate and he calculated that the world will end in the year 2060; thus, it must be so. A civil war broke out in 1960 and Leonid was caught in the middle. After an unsuccessful attempt to stop the fighting, Michelangelo appeared to Leonid and explained to him both sides as well as the nature of time. Soon after, Nikola Tesla, Mina, Nathaniel Richards, and Howard Stark returned to the Immortal City from the future. They revealed that they had been beyond what Newton claimed to be the end of the world and Michelangelo disclosed that Newton had ran out of Elixir of Life. A trial was held for Leonardo and Newton, and Leonid sided with Leonardo. Expecting this, Newton stole Leonardo's time machine and escaped to the year 2060 to see the end of the world for himself. Michelangelo told the Brotherhood that they must follow him.[9][10]

Michelangelo Buonarroti (Earth-616), Human Machine, and Leonid (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D

Preparing the Human Machine for Leonid's ascension

Not long after Newton left, the Star Child found Newton's Quiet Math, the mathematical proof that the world will end in 2060.[11] Having gone insane with this knowledge, the Star Child began destroying the Immortal City but his rampage was stopped by Michelangelo, who convinced the Star Child to time travel to 2060.[12] The Brotherhood, with the Last Caliphate, used the Human Machine to travel to three different versions of 2060 and were confronted by Newton and the Star Child in all of them. Most of them died during the ensuing battle against Newton, but Michelangelo worked in the background in upgrading the Human Machine. When he was done, he led Leonid into it and the Human Machine ascended him into a god-like entity. Leonid collapsed time into a single moment and reasoned with Newton and Michelangelo, offering a compromise that accepted both their respective ideals of fate and free will: an evolving story; truth as one makes it. They agreed to Leonid's offer, Leonid restored everything, and returned the Human Machine to modern-day Italy.[13]

Attributes

Powers

Michelangelo Buonarroti (Earth-616) and Leonardo da Vinci (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D
Michelangelo is present everywhere and everywhen. No longer a linear being, he can teleport through time and space, can summon floating glowing copies of himself, and possesses knowledge of the possible pasts and futures due to his non-linear perception of time.[1] In addition, he seems to have some level of psychic abilities as he was able to bestow knowledge to Leonardo da Vinci and Nostradamus by touching their foreheads, and Leonardo later used a small piece of Michelangelo's power to unlock hidden memories from Leonid's mind.[1][5][2]

Abilities

Weaknesses

When Leonid ascends through the Human Machine and collapses time into a single moment, Michelangelo is rendered temporally blind.[15]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Notes

Trivia

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

Many actions taken by many characters are requests from Michelangelo

See Also

Links and References

References

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