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Quote1 I am Moses Magnum, Master of the Magnum Force! This is my ultimatum, Prime Minister. You have 24 hours to acclaim me sole, absolute ruler of your precious island nation... or, at midnight tomorrow -- I will sink Japan! Quote2
Moses Magnum[src]

Moses Magnum is an Ethiopian weapons manufacturer who obtained advanced technology and superpowers, which he uses for his own selfish ends and to foster the nefarious goals of his sponsors. He started his career as the founder and CEO of munition manufacturing company Deterrence Research Corporation (DRC), whose immoral, illegal, toxic biochemical gas attracted the attention of the Punisher and Spider-Man, who shut down his operation. Magnum narrowly escaped death, but was separated from his company. Supplied with technology by They Who Wield Power and using the alias Magnum Force, he executed an ambitious plan to tap Earth's core's potential energy, his forces abducting geophysicist Sam Sheridan for her knowledge, but they were opposed by her bodyguard Power Man (Luke Cage). During an earthquake caused by his own drilling, Magnum fell into a shaft to his apparent death. He was saved by the mutant conqueror Apocalypse, who gave Magnum seismic powers in return for his servitude.

Separated from the DRC, Magnum threatened to destroy all of Japan with his newfound powers if he was not proclaimed its ruler; but was opposed by national hero Sunfire and visiting X-Men; Magnum was defeated, but X-Man Banshee burned out his own powers to block Magnum's. Surviving, Magnum re-established his company as Magnum Munitions and purchased technology from clearanced company Cybertek, which led him to conflict with Deathlok (Michael Collins), created by Cybertek. After obtaining a lucrative defense contract (which required him from destroying rival weapons manufacturers Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.)'s headquarters), Magnum took over African country Canaan, obtaining diplomatic immunity, offering citizenship to any African-American; then tried to ensure Canaan's economic stability by conquering the Great Mound of Vibranium in neighboring Wakanda. His plans were foiled by Wakandan king the Black Panther and Deathlok. Magnum's repeated failures enraged Apocalypse, who punished Magnum by stripping him of control over his power, resulting in Magnum triggering an earthquake whenever he touched solid ground. Desperate to redeem himself, Magnum had his forces steal an experimental seismic cannon to help stabilize his powers, being followed by Triathlon and the Avengers. Fighting in the island of Martinique during the battle, Magnum triggered an earthquake that opened up a chasm beneath him, once again falling to his apparent death. He somehow recovered and represented Canaan in the Pan-African Congress on the Treatment of Superhumans, hosted in Wakanda in a doomed search of a consensus on how to react to the American Superhuman Registration Act.

Ousted from Canaan, Magnum returned to his old criminal ways leading the Deterrence Research Corporation and the Kigali Clan. While serving jail time in the United States after the Punisher and Spider-Man foiled his plan on Gamma-irradiated Mutant Growth Hormone, Magnum was, with other lawbreakers, released and manipulated by Norman Osborn so that Osborn's agent Wolverine (Akihiro) could capture them and recover his popularity. Magnum escaped and moved to Las Vegas to control his illegal business. In his last known appearance, Magnum attended to a concert in Mali that was suddenly attacked by a black hole-creating, extra-terrestrial Space-Lubber; Magnum tried to control the creature's power and use it as a weapon, clashing with Shuri and Iron Man, who only tried to minimize the danger of the Lubber's black holes. When Magnum tried to absorb the black hole's power, he was instead absorbed by it.

History

Origin and Deterrence Research Corporation[]

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) and Peter Parker (Earth-616) from Giant-Size Spider-Man Vol 1 4 001

As CEO of the DRC

Moses Magnum was born in Addis Ababa,[2][3] Ethiopia[2][3][24][10][7][18] and eventually moved to the United States, becoming an African-American citizen[2][3][24] and witnessing the "Freedom Summer" of 1964, an attempt to register previously-restricted African-American voters in Mississippi.[24] Fascinated with weapons from a young age,[7][2][3] Magnum eventually returned to Africa and joined a rebel guerrilla outfit against the Ethiopians during the Eritrean Civil War[18] and also collaborated with an attempted Italian invasion of Ethiopia.[2][3][note 1] Magnum received training as a terrorist and racial extremist,[1] and eventually became a weapons manufacturer[18] and dealer.[10] Magnum made no effort to hide his past activities from the public.[7]

Francis Castle (Earth-616), Moses Magnum (Earth-616), and Peter Parker (Earth-616) from Spider-Man Saga Vol 1 2 001

Moses Magnum's activities led to conflict with superheroes

Magnum founded the Deterrence Research Corporation,[26][27] an amoral company that became the world's main independent weapons manufacturing firm,[20] dealing in any kinds of weapons (from personal to nuclear)[28] and in munitions[26][27] which were sold to anyone who could pay their price.[18] The company and its leader were willing to resort to crime to achieve their goals;[26][27] Magnum claimed to have succeeded in an admittedly dishonest occupation due to his callousness, cunning and anticipation.[4] Magnum was both the company's president[20] and one of its weapons manufacturers,[18] with the company's assets at his disposal;[29] and these included the security guards, well-trained and geared with padded armor, helmets and rifles.[7] Magnum also built the Corporation's headquarters, a well-protected skyscraper on the Fifth Avenue of Manhattan officially called the D.R.C. Tower, but nicknamed the Magnum Building after Moses Magnum.[28] During this time, Magnum trained another of the Corporation's employees, Peter Coelho, who eventually left the company and became a freelance arms smuggler.[30]

Magnum's company was hired by unknown parties to develop a toxic biochemical nerve gas[18][2][3] to be openly sold in the market.[7][18] Magnum kidnapped many innocent victims all over the world[7] to perform experiments on the exact effects of the weapon,[2][3][7][18] which included the disintegration of the skin and meat of the still-living victims.[7][18] The test subjects were taken to a death camp in an undisclosed South American location,[18][7][4] kept in place by guards with machine guns, turrets and jeeps, and including barracks to keep the prisoners and a private fortress to be used by Magnum himself.[7] The victims included Thomas Sheridan, grandson to entrepreneur Amanda Sheridan, and his direct family, who were killed in the operation[4][2][3] along with Thomas' brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew.[31]

The Punisher, vigilante and terror of organized crime, got wise of Magnum's activities and began tracking him,[7][18] obtaining a sample of the gas and a videotape of the tests. Correctly deducing Magnum's personal involvement, the Punisher hid a tracker on Magnum himself, then tried to tail one of the kidnappings; the superhero Spider-Man,[18][7] who had just survived an encounter with Drom the Backward Man,[18] prevented the kidnapping, then, after getting the details of the operation, agreed to collaborate with Punisher against Magnum[7] - in particular, Spider-Man was appalled when he saw the horrible death of the victims in the video.[18][7] They prepared a convoluted plan to raid the D.R.C. Tower, assuming that Magnum's forces could capture Spider-Man and take him to their hidden base: Spider-Man would try to stop Magnum and attract attention, while the Punisher would sabotage the building's power source to prevent Magnum from using non-autonomous technology, both heroes having to deal with the security. So as to protect Spider-Man's secret identity, the Punisher provided him with plastic moldings applied to Spider-Man's face, meaning that the latter could not be recognized if unmasked. The operation was somewhat successful: Spider-Man interrupted an international meeting of Magnum with several investors, then Magnum summoned his guards and those used numeric superiority to overpower Spider-Man; but, before they could kill him, the Punisher cut off the building's power. Magnum, not wanting to risk his business partners' lives, evacuated them in his Hover-Copters, and decided to take Spider-Man to his death camp. This allowed the Punisher to find the camp's location, thanks to his trackers; so Punisher stock up on gas bombs and masks and followed there, with Magnum suspecting nothing. Punisher also researched on Magnum's past, to be prepared against him.[7]

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) from Giant-Size Spider-Man Vol 1 5 001

Moses Magnum was believed dead in the South American camp...

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) from Power Man Annual 1 1 002

...but survived, as it was later discovered

In the death camp,[7][32] Magnum insisted in meeting with Spider-Man to gloat, mockingly offered him champagne (which he dropped, prompting Magnum to lose his temper and slap him) and taking a photo of Spider-Man unmasked (though with the plastic moldings) to compare it with employee records of several companies and other files. When Spider-Man still challenged him, Magnum punched his prisoner's stomach. Later, during the night, Magnum began to manipulate the gas canisters, using protective gloves[7] and a self-contained anti-gas bodysuit hidden under his clothing.[4] Meanwhile, Punisher sneaked into the camp and released Spider-Man, so that both of them could assault the guards. Spider-Man reached Magnum's isolated laboratory and confronted him, only to find that Magnum was an excellent one-on-one fighter - Magnum managed to pull Spider-Man's web, maintained initiative and stunned Spider-Man with attacks that almost broke the latter's column. Magnum grabbed the gas canister to use it as a blunt weapon, but then the Punisher entered and aimed his gun. Spider-Man warned the Punisher against shooting, as that could release the lethal gas, yet the Punisher, having heard it, shot against the canister, which flooded the room in a matter of seconds. Spider-Man quickly took himself and the Punisher out of the room and sealed the door, unable to save both the Punisher and Magnum.[7] Spider-Man and the Punisher believed that Magnum would be killed by the gas, but Magnum had planned against an accidental exposure to it, and used the anti-gas body suit to protect himself, so that he would survive and escape.[4] Magnum was considered dead, thou. Spider-Man and the Punisher contacted local South American authorities and the United Nations to return the surviving prisoners to their respective countries, and probably apprehend the guards.[7][32] The Deterrence Research Corporation managed to distance itself from Magnum's illegal activities and continued their own business, while replacing Magnum as company's president with similarly ruthless Ivor Carlson.[28] In his civilian identity as freelance press photographer Peter Parker, Spider-Man tried to sell photos of the event to the Daily Bugle newspaper, and was then surprised to find that his usual contact, editor J. Jonah Jameson, had left for Europe, leaving Joe Robertson in charge;[18] it is unknown whether Parker succeeded in selling photos of the Magnum affair or whether those were published[33] but Magnum's apparent death and even his encounter with Punisher were known by the public sometime later.[4]

Amanda Sheridan, They Who Wield Power and Power Man in Japan[]

Romulus Augustulus (Earth-616) from Incredible Hulk Vol 2 241

Moses Magnum was but one of the pawns of They Who Wield Power

Needing to recover from his losses,[4] Magnum moved to Japan, adopted the alias Magnum Force[18][4] and became one of the pawns[34] of the would-be world-conquering organization They Who Wield Power,[18][2][3][35][20][36][37][38] who provided him with advanced technology and resources.[2][3] Working for them,[35] Magnum established a mining operation on Katsyu Shima,[2][3][4] a tectonically-stable, volcanic island on a particularly thin layer of the Earth crust and unclaimed by any country. From a very advanced base protected with Asian martial artists as guards and provided with advanced computerized technology and automated extra security, Magnum used a humungous laser drill, powered by three nuclear fission reactors, to dig a 1,500-mile-deep, 1-meter-wide pit to the center of the Earth in mere weeks. His constant pressure, greater than was felt in the area for a million years,[4] his goal being to tap the energy on Earth's core,[2][3][4] with the side effect of it affecting a fault connecting the Alaskan and Japanese systems, and causing earthquakes all along the Japanese islands and San Andreas, destroying Tokyo and Los Angeles in the process.[4]

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) from Power Man Annual 1 1 001

As Magnum Force

Noticing pre-shocks in his own island that his computers had failed to foresee, Magnum decided to find an expert geophysicist for consulting. He found the research of Samantha "Sam" Sheridan,[4] an expert in the area[2][3] coincidentally related to Magnum's victim Thomas Sheridan; Sam Sheridan had already noticed the effects of Magnum's work. Magnum decided to kidnap her to find how much could Magnum work on the fault before the effects came to happen. Magnum did not know that several of his guards were secretly working for a rival organization called the Council, which did not want Magnum to have Sheridan, even if that meant killing her.[4] The Council or Council of the Chosen was the secret cabal leading the Hellfire Club, in turn led by Edward Buckman, who somehow found his own interests threatened by Magnum's plan.[39] Magnum later claimed he had had doubts about the loyalty of certain guards (including Council inside man Sakura), but was unaware of the Council's involvement.[4]

Simultaneously, Sheridan's great-grandmother Amanda discovered that Magnum had survived his apparent death, was involved in a criminal project related to earthquakes, and was trying to kidnap her descendant. Amanda Sheridan sent several non-superpowered agents after Magnum, but every one of them went missing. She wanted hero-for-hire Power Man to track and murder Magnum, which he refused to,[4] but Power Man agreed to protect Sam Sheridan and to confront Magnum if needed.[4][2][3][21][40] At that point, Sam Sheridan was in Cherry Blossom Lane, a Tokyo district also protected by agents of Tokyo Police, so Power Man travelled there. Magnum sent his agents to kidnap Sheridan in the night but, while they killed several policemen, they could not overcome Power Man.[4] Magnum then entered the fray personally and, using his new technology, defeated Power Man[4][41] and took both him and her as prisoners,[4][2][3] chaining the superpowered man. Magnum somehow had access to a plane owned and operated by a respectable firm which allowed him to take off from Haneda Airport before the police was wise about the murders.[4]

En route, one of the guards, Sakura, contacted the Council for instructions, and was ordered to kill Sheridan before reaching Katsyu Shima; Power Man overheard him and, while still chained, attacked the guard to save the woman's life. The struggle attracted Magnum's attention, and Power Man revealed the man's treachery. Magnum dealt with the situation by opening a hatch and throwing both Sakura and Power Man to their apparent deaths after a one-mile fall on the Pacific Ocean, without any obvious moral effect. Sheridan was aghast and tried to attack Magnum, but he easily grappled and beat her. Once the plane reached Katsyu Shima, Sheridan was imprisoned in a cell and forced to cooperate. Sheridan told Magnum of the effect of his actions, hoping that he'd stop when he knew he would kill many people, but Magnum was not morally affected and returned Sheridan to her cell.[4]

Lucas Cage (Earth-616), Samantha Sheridan (Earth-616) from Power Man Annual Vol 1 001

Power Man and Sam Sheridan see Magnum's drill

Having survived the fall thanks to his powers and skill, Power Man reached Katsyu Shima, impersonated a guard and reached Sheridan's cell to release her just in time - as a few moments later, a Council-aligned guard also entered the cell to kill her, only to be defeated by Power Man. Sheridan convinced Power Man to help her sabotaging Magnum's technology, but when they reached the drill, they had already triggered several alarms and Magnum waited for them with several guards. Deciding that he had already extracted any information he needed, Magnum ordered his guards to kill Sheridan, but Power Man's bullet-proof body covered her, and she was only grazed. Easily defeating the guards, Power Man went after Magnum himself. With his technology, Magnum proved to be powerful enough to match Power Man, and his Magnum's finger-mounted force blasters at full power were enough to stun Power Man, but while fighting,[4] they affected the drill and activated the fault,[4][2][3] something that only barely-awake Sheridan noticed. Magnum tried to throw Power Man to the pit, but his enemy grabbed the floor, then grabbed Magnum's ankle when the latter tried to push him to his death. Recovering, Power Man broke Magnum's blasters, prompting Magnum to retreat to grab a hand-held hand laser - but before he could shoot it, an earthquake shook the base. Power Man and Sheridan left together,[4] but the floor under Magnum gave in, and Magnum, screaming, fell through his own drill shaft.[4][2][3]

Apocalypse and the X-Men in Japan[]

En Sabah Nur (Earth-616) and Moses Magnum (Earth-616) from Classic X-Men Vol 1 25 001

Moses Magnum meets Apocalypse

After falling for several miles while screaming in rage, Magnum, unconscious, was teleported to a secret location by mutant extremist Apocalypse, who chained Magnum to a machine to give him superhuman powers. When Magnum awoke, Apocalypse introduce himself[13] and offered him powers in exchange for Magnum becoming one of Apocalypse's agents of chaos and destruction,[13][42][14] meaning that Magnum would have to serve Apocalypse,[13][10] lest Apocalypse return Magnum to the drill for Magnum to die. Magnum accepted,[13][14] and Apocalypse performed an experiment process on Magnum[42] that succeeded[43][16] in giving him superhuman powers[1][12] including superhuman strength[44] and several seismic-related powers[2][3][14] including the psionic[45] ability to trigger earthquakes[44] and create seismic waves so that he could use them to threaten several countries[10] in plans that finally benefitted Apocalypse.[13] Though it is believed that behind-the-scenes They Who Wield Power in one last manipulated, possibly used the immortal mutant Apocalypse to grant Magnum his new abilities for their ends.[38][46] Later, They Who Wield Power also provided Magnum with extra technology to augment his powers before he went on his next mission.[47] Magnum kept his powers[20] and his survival in secret for a time.[5]

Magnum then built a new steel base in another ancient, extinct volcano, this time in the Kuril Islands, north of Japan. The base was equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including a sonic disintegrator cannon, communication antennae, sensor connected to alarm klaxons, and well-trained rifle-holding guards.[5] Magnum also appropriated the plans of the Mandroid Armor MK I, a heavily armored combat suit designed by Stark International to be used by law enforcement agency SHIELD[48] in combat against superhuman enemies,[48][49] and also stole[49] the three instances[50] of Mandroid Armor MK I used by SHIELD, and two of the newer Mandroid Armor MK II, the later destined to protect his new base.[51]

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) from X-Men Vol 1 118 001

Moses Magnum threatens the Japanese government

Magnum then contacted the Japanese government to threaten to sink the whole country if he was not proclaimed its ruler, and promised to destroy the port city Agarashima at a given time, as a demonstration of his power and intentions.[2][3][50] The government evacuated the city using the newspapers to report an early warning of an earthquake as an excuse - but instead of having the typical symptoms of an earthquake, the city was destroyed in a firestorm. The Prime Minister of Japan and senior government officials including Osama contacted national superhero Sunfire[50][52] and, at Osama's request, collaborated with Osama's niece, private investigator Colleen Wing, and her partner Misty Knight (Nightwing Restorations), who were on assignment in Japan,[53] in Yoshida Manor.[50][54] Japanese scientists concluded that Magnum had used a beam of energy in his attack.[5]

Simultaneously, the American mutant superhero team X-Men,[50] who had been stranded in the Savage Land,[5][44][55] went to Japan to ask their sometimes-ally Sunfire for help going back to the States,[5][52] only to witness the destruction of Agarashima. They went to Yoshida Manor,[50] where Sunfire attacked them, mistakenly believing they were responsible for the attack.[44][50] The Daughters of the Dragon ordered Sunfire to relent,[5] as Prime Minister[5][56] Takeo Fukuda[53] wanted to meet with the X-Men and ask for their help (against Sunfire's counsel),[5][56] because Japan was not to accept Magnum's demands. Knowing that government representatives were at Yoshida Manor, Magnum sent his Mandroids to attack the place,[5] but they did not expect the resistance of a full superpowered team and were defeated and apprehended.[5][52] Magnum then personally appeared at Yoshida Manor, riding his flying platform, and gave them an ultimatum: He'd sink Japan in 24 hours if they did not name him ruler,[50] or if he was attacked. However, the Prime Minister informed the Emperor and Japan still refused to surrender, instead organizing an attack on Magnum's base.[5] The Daughters of the Dragon discovered where Magnum was hiding,[5][57] and Japan recruited Sunfire and the X-Men[44][52][58][59][60][61] to infiltrate there and destroy his assets.[5]

The X-Men sneaked into the base, using Banshee and Storm's powers to damage the sensors while Nightcrawler teleported in to provide the other X-Men with good coordinates for an underground access in a tunnel dig by Cyclops' optic blasts. However, Magnum's new powers noticed the subtle changes on the earth, and he found and defeated Nightcrawler, then ambushed the X-Men when they entered, slamming Colossus with his new superhuman strength, then flooring Wolverine (James Howlett). To avoid the enemy's teamwork, Magnum summoned the Mandroids MK II, but Colossus recovered, returned and defeated them while Sunfire provided Banshee and Storm a way to access. Magnum gave the battle for lost, but retreated to activate the weapon that would sink Japan in response to the aggression.[5]

Banshee understood that Magnum's power was based on energy, meaning that Banshee's own power could stop it by generating a wall of sound that matched Magnum's frequency.[5][45] Magnum unleashed his power,[2][3] noticed the block of vibrating[45] sonic waves[62] on his own force waves,[45] and tried to sustain the attack, hoping that his enemy would fall first.[5] Instead, the psionic energy unleashed by Magnum[45] was contained and caused an explosion that destroyed his base[5][2][3] and one hundred non-inhabited small islands in the area,[5][45] and there were relevant changes in the sea floor detected by seismographs,[5] but Japan was saved.[5][63][55][61] The X-Men escaped thanks to Storm's flying powers to take the others to safe land,[5] while Magnum was missing and presumed dead.[28] Sunfire, however, came to consider Magnum one of his personal enemies after this fight,[64] which also improved his opinion on the X-Men,[56][52] and this victory of a team of superpowered humans against a national threat was one of the reasons the Japanese government approved the creation of their own state-sanctioned super-team, Big Hero Six.[65] However, Banshee had overextended his vocal cords during this feat,[62] severely damaging them[45][66] and temporarily losing his powers[45][45][62][2][3][67][68][61] (and for a very short time, his speech),[45] which convinced him to retire as a superhero, instead spending time with his girlfriend Moira MacTaggart and assisting the X-Men as a non-combatant.[45][63] The X-Men returned to the States, remembering this encounter.[55]

Magnum survived the destruction of his base,[2][3] but Apocalypse was unhappy with this defeat.[14]

Magnum Munitions, Cybertek, Deathlok, and Curtis Carr[]

Although presumed dead in the Kuril Islands, and wanted for felonies in several continents,[24] Magnum moved back to the United States and ran a[23] 8,000-employee[69] company, Magnum Munitions, seated in Rock Hill, South Carolina.[23] One of the technologies he developed and built in Magnum Munitions was the manned[69] weapon platform[2][3] Terrordome, while he was involved in a several-year plan[23] to take over an African country.[69] Magnum Munitions was also one of the companies that bought most of the equipment, technology and contracts of Cybertek Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of Roxxon Oil Corporation that was dismantled and liquidated when illegal activities related to Cybertek were made public;[23][2][3] other Cybertek assets ended being bought by A.I.M. and by Stark Prosthetics.[23][70]

Denver-based Stark Prosthetics employee High-Tech (Curtis Carr) stole Magnum Munition's classified files[2][3] related to Cybertek's cyborg warrior Deathlok, to use them to build cyborgy for disabled people. Magnum Munitions had built-in security in their files so that, whenever those were opened, Munitions would be able to track the thief. Simultaneously, those files were also being monitored by Michael Collins, a former Cybertek employee who had been transformed in Deathlok against his will and wanted to turn back.[23] Magnum sent Munitions security chief Lawson,[23][2][3] who had failed to stop the thief, to find him, but Deathlok found Carr first. - and Carr convinced Deathlok of his good intentions, gaining him as an ally.[23] Soon afterward, Lawson attacked Stark Prosthetics while piloting a Terrordome,[23][2][3] demanding that Carr returned the Cybertek files in exchange for Lawson letting other Stark Prosthetics employees live (as he intended to kill Carr no matter what).[23] However, Deathlok damaged the Terrordome, defeated Lawson[2][3][23] and turn him to the Denver police. Magnum Munitions distanced from the event by denying any knowledge about the Terrordome and claiming that no files had been stolen; however, Moses Magnum ordered another of his employees, Edgerton, to pay Lawson's bail, then murder Lawson, then provide Magnum with every available information about Deathlok (Collins).[23] This was not enough to trick Carr or Deathlok, as both of them understood that Magnum was a personal enemy for them.[71][72][73]

Canaan takeover, Deathlok (again), and Wakanda invasion[]

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) from Marvel Universe Cards Series IV 0001

Magnum's attire as ruler of Canaan

Magnum next bid for a multi-billion defense contract[24] against A.I.M., losing the them. Magnum them went to A.I.M. Headquarters to ask them to forfeit the contract and, as they refused to, Magnum destroyed their building[2][3][69] and their factory complex in rage[69] (then pretended that a natural earthquake had caused the disaster),[24] which allowed him to take the contract. Magnum then used the profits obtained through it to recover, outfit a new army[69][2][3] and conquer the African country Canaan,[24][2][3][74][75] which he wanted to restructure into a homeland for disenfranchised African-Americans.[76][77][2][3] Magnum deposed King Baru of Canaan and replaced him as ruler of the country, thus obtaining immunity, though Magnum magnanimously allowed Baru to remain in the country so as to avoid intelligence leaks to enemy countries.[24] He then expanded the country's industrial base with the contract's money, naturalized a great number of African-American citizens in Canaan,[24][19] using the money earned with the defense contract,[19] and managed that his rule was recognized by the United Nations and the United States in less than three months, though he intentionally failed to start relationships with neighboring country Wakanda[24] as he intended to conquer Wakanda to take over its Vibranium Mound[76] and the whole country of Wakanda[77][2][3] as a means to ensure Canaan's economic independence[76][19] and stability; while the Wakandan Vibranium was a valuable resource, no foreign power had dared trying such an attack before, due to the power of the Wakandan Defense Force,[77] though a number of international criminals have tried before Magnum.[78] Wakandan authorities were unaware of the political change in Canaan, though their intelligence had noticed changes in Canaan's industrial and political activities.[24]

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) and T'Challa (Earth-616) from Deathlok Vol 2 22 001

Moses Magnum, ruler of Canaan

Magnum sent two minions to Wakanda: sentient database Phreak to steal military files from their computers,[69][19] and a Terrordome with a pilot to give Phreak support in the physical world. Phreak's incursion was detected,[69] and Wakanda temporarily recruited Deathlok (Michael Collins) to solve their computer security situation;[69][74][75][19] Deathlok accepted as long as his wife Tracy Collins and son Nick also visited Wakanda on vacation. In Wakanda, Deathlok collaborated with Taku, communications chief, while W'Kabi, chief of Wakandan Security found and confronted the Terrordome with the help of Wakandan King T'Challa, the superhero Black Panther.[69] Defeated by Deathlok,[69][19] Phreak retreated to Canaan without the files, while the Terrordome was damaged and its pilot captured; Deathlok reported that the computer intruder had retreated to Canaan, which prompted T'Challa to go to Canaan and ask King Baru about it; Deathlok, who had experience fighting Terrordomes, went with him. Once in Canaan, Moses Magnum revealed to them as the new ruler of the country; he falsely claimed that the Terrordome pilot had attacked Wakanda without his orders, and then executed the pilot in front of T'Challa and Deathlok; T'Challa stopped Deathlok from attacking Magnum, as Magnum was in his country and had that right, but T'Challa also warned Magnum to not move against Wakanda. As soon as T'Challa and Deathlok left to research on Magnum, however,[79] Magnum summoned mercenary weapon master Killjoy and ordered him to infiltrate in Wakanda and murder T'Challa,[79][19] so as to plunge Wakanda into a political chaos that would contribute to Magnum's invasion plans. Magnum meanwhile made a televised speech to offer Canaan citizenship to any African-American, as a solution to the United States' race problem.[24] Killjoy failed in his mission and was apprehended by Deathlok,[79][19] though he managed to cut off Deathlok's right arm,[24][74][75] which was reattached by the Wakandan Cybernetics Unit.[79][74][75]

Impressed at Deathlok's prowess defeating both Phreak and Killjoy,[79][74][75] Magnum contacted Deathlok, an African-American, through a hologram, and offered him to join Canaan; yet Deathlok refused as he viewed Magnum's position as a way to demand priorities for black people only at the expense of other groups, while Deathlok believed that any people could and should thrive through their own effort and collaboratively, instead of demanding a privilege. Immediately after this conversation,[79] Magnum started an invasion on Wakanda[74][2][3][79] using Terrodomes[79] and traditional military including soldiers and missiles. Immediately T'Challa put W'Kabi in charge of the Wakandan Defense Force, which succeeded in destroying several Terrordomes. Deathlok, unwilling to participate in a war, initially prioritized the protection of just his family, until his son convinced him to help saving the country without killing anyone, as the Black Panther himself had saved the world without killing anyone in the past. With a cunning programming of his own onboard computer, Deathlok neutralized Canaan's communication web and command and control,[76] dismantling the invader's military capabilities[74][75][2][3] by leaving them without coordination or leadership, and making them an easy prey for capture by the Wakandan Army. Deathlok then raided Magnum's war room and fought him one on one, each criticizing the other's political position. Even though Magnum threatened to use the Magnum Force, Deathlok overpowered him, admittedly with Deathlok's computer making combat decisions.[76] Although Deathlok had thwarted the invasion, Magnum remained the ruler of Canaan[19] and the owner and CEO of Magnum Munitions.[9]

Some time later, during the Infinity Crusade, Deathlok had an encounter with the Goddess, and had a vision of an alternate world where Michael Collins had never become Deathlok. In this vision, Deathlok had never protected Wakanda against Moses Magnum's Terrordomes, causing Magnum to lay waste to the country and kill the Black Panther; Deathlok argued that, if he had not been there, maybe some other protector would have made even a better job than Deathlok had done.[80]

Magnum Shells, Costa Verde and Martinique[]

Not much later, Baru tried to recover his throne, but was rejected by his own people and took shelter in Wakanda, his plans to restore his kingdom abandoned. Magnum remained the ruler of Canaan,[19] but he was persona non grata in United States territory[14] and more importantly: his repeated defeats in Kuril and Wakanda had angered his patron Apocalypse. To punish Magnum, Apocalypse removed Magnum's control over his powers, so that an earthquake would be automatically triggered whenever Magnum was in contact with solid ground.[14][2][3] Seeing his new situation as a curse,[14][42] Magnum sought a way to be away from land and used the massive floating resort cruiser Evangeline,[14][2][3] which operated four miles north-east of Martinique Island but never touched port, ferrying the passengers and crew by boat and helicopter. Magnum also used the Evangeline to hide from Apocalypse,[14] though he continued with his commercial activities as a weapon monger as owner and president of Magnum Munitions, selling weapons such as energy cell Powerprison 170, Power-Podium 310 to control the cell's coherence and to communicate using holograms, high-powered fans, radiation-proof wrappings, shock-blasts and ultrasonic weapons.[9] Again using the alias Magnum Force, he used commandos with high-tech armor known as Magnum Shells[14][9] and more inconspicuous guards onboard the Evangeline.[14] The criminal activities of Magnum Force and his Magnum Shells attracted the attention of beginner[2][3] American superhero Triathlon, who devoted effort to track them.[9]

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) and Magnum Force (Earth-616) from Avengers Vol 3 8 001

Moses Magnum and the Magnum Shells during the JFK Airport attack

Magnum discovered an experimental[2][3][9][14] seismic cannon,[81][82] designed by Rand-Meachum, Inc. to mitigate earthquake-causing tectonic forces,[14] which he hoped to use to stabilize his own powers,[2][3][14] possibly channeling the power to cause a thousand-dead disaster and regain Apocalypse's good will.[14] Magnum knew that the cannon would be transported from the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, and arranged an operation to steal it[9][81][82] by making his Magnum Shells hijack an airplane flying from Costa Verde,[9][14][83] which had laxer security, to New York, so that his agents with advanced weaponry would be in the JFK terminal in time to hijack a second plane where the cannon was being transported, and take it to Martinique. The Magnum Shells were to wreak havoc in the airport to attract attention, while a more reduced team would pilot the other airplane, making the most of the diversion. Triathlon discovered Magnum's plan and prepared to intercept his agents in JFK.[9]

Superhuman Costa Verde citizen Maria de Guadalupe Santiago (alias Silverclaw), a passenger in the first hijacked plane, was unable to stop the Magnum Shells when those threatened to kill passengers;[9] instead, as they demanded her superpowered collaboration,[82] she begrudgingly agreed to cooperate with them if no innocent was killed.[9][84] The ruckus (and the fact that Santiago was friends with Avengers's butler Edwin Jarvis, who was waiting to pick her up) attracted the Avengers, who confronted the Magnum Shells and got the upper hand when Triathlon joined them.[9] Triathlon, a longtime fan of the Avengers happy to collaborate with them.[85][86] By then, Magnum had revealed himself via hologram, but refused to reveal his plan and instead boasted about including his upcoming victory against the Avengers in his merchandise catalogue.[9] Though the Avengers defeated the Shells, they failed to prevent the theft of the cannon plane, but Triathlon stowed away in it, which allowed him to hear Magnum talk about his plans of destruction for Apocalypse.[14] The Avengers did released Silverclaw,[84] who next collaborated with them in the operation to recover the cannon.[81][82]

The Avengers regrouped to review information on Magnum,[9] then Triathlon managed to contact them from the Caribbean Sea to ask for their help, sending coordinates and intelligence, including dropping the name Apocalypse. The Avengers infiltrated the boat, with minor skirmishes with the Magnum Shells, but Magnum's powers detected them due to the vibrations they caused. Meanwhile, Magnum submitted himself to a treatment using the cannon's containment resonance to affect his own cellular structure and supercharge his seismoplast. Magnum ordered the operator, Matuscek, to increase the machine's power, as he needed to appease Apocalypse by controlling his own power in destructive ways. Triathlon and Avenger Hawkeye found Magnum, but Magnum sent his guards and Shells against him while he himself tried to escape; Avenger Iron Man confronted him, but Magnum overpowered Iron Man because[14] the cannon treatment had increased Magnum's powers by allowing him to tap into the planet's energies and unleash those at will. Eager to destroy the United States' eastern seaboard[14][2][3] - but another Avenger, the Scarlet Witch, who also tapped on energy fields to block his power. Magnum physically attacked the Witch, throwing her a massive machine to knock her down, even if her colleague Firestar tried to destroy it - but when the Witch fell unconscious, the energy form of Wonder Man appeared to protect her. Wonder Man[14] knocked Magnum to Martinique,[14][2][3] to beat him. Magnum initially thought that the cannon had cured him from the involuntary earthquakes, but the island began shaking with Magnum as the epicenter of the problem. The Avengers followed him, and Magnum revealed the reason of his attack.[14] Magnum then accidentally opened a chasm beneath him, falling to his apparent death as it closed over him[14][2][3][10] while Magnum believed that Apocalypse had found him and was taking him. The Avengers would have tried to help him, but Magnum refused to consider an alternative to his own ways.[14] The Avengers thus simply made a file on the battle, reporting Magnum's self-destruction.[42]

Loss of Canaan[]

Pan-African Congress on the Treatment of Superhumans (Earth-616) from Civil War Battle Damage Report Vol 1 1 001

Magnum posing with (from left to right) Afrikaa, Zanda, Storm, the Black Panther, the Man-Ape, and Joshua N'Dingi

Magnum somehow survived, apparently cured from the involuntary earthquake effect,[17] and returned to Canaan, continuing his rule over the country. Magnum represented Canaan in the Pan-African Congress on the Treatment of Superhumans, hosted in Wakanda in search of a consensus on how to react to the American Superhuman Registration Act.[87][84][19][3] The representatives failed to reach an agreement before the Congress disbanded.[84]

Soon afterward, however, Magnum stopped being the ruler of Canaan and returned to typical criminal activities.[note 2] After being ousted from his government office, Magnum remained the owner and CEO of Magnum Munitions.[2][3]

Mutant Growth Hormone[]

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) from Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 577 001

Magnum's attire as a drug lord, hiding his uniform underneath

Magnum returned to his previous activities as developer and distributor of state-of-the-art weaponry and technology[17] from an undisclosed base outside North America.[3] He had a chemical engineer[17] develop a Gamma-irradiated[17][3][54] Mutant Growth Hormone (MGH)[17][3][88] that a human user could inject on him or herself to obtain almost-immediate superhuman strength, resistance to most projectiles, and aggressivity to resist capture, which he advertised as a way to avoid capture by UN Peacemakers. At that point, Magnum had already invested millions in developing the serum. However, the engineer asked for more money in exchange for his product, and Magnum executed him. Magnum then protected the only available sample of the MGH in a well-protected briefcase designed by Magnum himself, so that he could take it to a New York City base[17] in an attempt to expand his operations to the Untied States.[3] He abandoned his identity as Magnum Force and used plain clothes and suits, with his uniform hidden beneath those; his minions were common thugs in suits with traditional weapons.[17]

Magnum's operation had been detected by the Punisher, who impersonated a buyer to ambush and kill one of Magnum's sales team, then followed the supply chain. Thus, when smuggler Fernando give the case with the MGH to Magnum's man Carlo, the Punisher found them and killed everyone except Carlo, who was chained to the case and could not open it. While opening the case in the Punisher's lair, Carlo was killed, but the Punisher obtained the serum and a video demonstration where Magnum publicized the product.[17] Just after an encounter with Hammerhead in Bronx,[88] Spider-Man found the Punisher and teamed up with him to stop Magnum from recovering the serum, even though they remember their previous arguments due to their differences,[88][54] and even though Spider-Man warned the Punisher that Magnum had obtained superpowers since he'd seen him last.[17]

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) and Peter Parker (Earth-616) from Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 577 001

Defeated by the Punisher

Magnum tracked the Punisher to the latter's secret lair at the bay and attacked with his minions; the automatic defenses in the base damaged many of the thugs, but Magnum himself used his powers and remained unhurt. Foreseeing capture, the Punisher trapped Spider-Man in a net and threw him to the Hudson River, so that Spider-Man wouldn't be captured; the Punisher also swallowed one of Spider-Man's Spider-Tracers so that Spider-Man would be able to track him, and he hid the serum sample in his body, without consuming it himself. Magnum indeed captured the Punisher, took him to his own boat base, and had one of his men torture him by waterboarding - but the Punisher resisted and even spit the water on Magnum's face. When the Punisher claimed to have destroyed the serum, Magnum refused to believe that someone would not want such a valuable asset. Spider-Man arrived in time to help the Punisher, but in the fray, the Punisher tried to murder the torturer; Spider-Man tried to save that man's life, and that gave Magnum a chance to try and use his powers - which failed, because they were on a boat, not on solid land.[17] Then, the Punisher shot Magnum in the stomach, so that Spider-Man would take Magnum to the hospital,[17][3][88] allowing Punisher to escape.[17][88] Further reports of the event wrongly stated that the Punisher had stabbed Magnum, not shot him.[10]

Norman Osborn, Wolverine, and an unnamed team of villains[]

Magnum was sent to a local prison as prisoner 3001246. At that point, Norman Osborn was facing a problem due to his minion Wolverine (Akihiro) having made a public blunder which Osborn wanted to correct, so Osborn prepared a convoluted plan[6] involving several "D-list villains" escaping from jail[89] that Wolverine could capture, in video, to recover his popularity. Osborn contacted Neo-Nazi Aryan, a prisoner in the same jail, to stage a racial prison riot targeting Magnum, which would give Aryan, Magnum and other prisoners new charges they'd have to face in court; the court, being less secure than the jail, would allow them to escape, with external help from Osborn's agents Inquisitor and Emmy Doolin, killing innocents in the process so that their infamy would grow, and in turn Wolverine's fame for defeating them would grow too. Another prisoner involved in the riot was Cutthroat, the three of them having been contacted by Osborn's intermediaries. Osborn's agents had to coerce Judge Jones to make the hearing public and allow the press to access.[6]

Akihiro (Earth-616), Moses Magnum (Earth-616) from Dark Wolverine Vol 1 79

Defeating Wolverine

Magnum was cuffed with a high-technology device that prevented him from using his powers, but Doolin deactivated the item, allowing him to cause a tremor that broke the wall[6] for their escape, killing at least ten people[6][10] and destroying the building; Aryan was also murdered in the escape. The team hid in a warehouse, Magnum believing that Osborn had chosen them because nobody would link them to Osborn, but knowing that the authorities were tracking them.[6] Wolverine entered the warehouse and ordered the villains to surrender; Cutthroat accepted to, but Wolverine attacked him nevertheless, as Osborn could edit the final footage. Wolverine also slashed Magnum's face before the later could act. Osborn then asked Wolverine to give a chance to the villains to have a more dramatic video, but then Magnum shocked him point-blank range with his powers.[11] With Wolverine barely alive,[89] the villains escaped - even if the news were already reporting Wolverine's victory. In the way out, Magnum and Doolin argued about the identity of the attacker, and Magnum allowed Doolin to make the main decisions, as Cutthroat and the Inquisitor were, in his opinion, fools. With the villains understanding that Osborn was trying to trick them, Doolin contacted Osborn to blackmail him, who offered to let them free with new identities, if they surrendered to Wolverine first.[11]

Dark Wolverine Vol 1 79 Textless

Magnum (second from the left) during his association with Cutthroat (far left), Doolin (middle) and the Inquisitor (far right) against Wolverine (bottom). The image shows Aryan (second from the right) in a liberal way, as he did not confront Wolverine at that point

Again Osborn tried to betray them, blowing several inhabited suburb houses during the arrest just to blame the villains for the disaster; immediately Osborn's law enforcement agency H.A.M.M.E.R. falsely accused Magnum, and TV host Alma Baine admitted that Magnum could reasonably be accused of this. Wolverine recovered his popularity, and the villains were presumed dead; Wolverine then tracked several of the villains, apparently killing Cutthroat and the Inquisitor, and probably Doolin too - but Magnum apparently had abandoned his cohorts.[89]

Knowing that Magnum was at large, Avenger Captain America,[10] who had briefly met him in the JFK airport[9] and in Martinique,[14] wrote a report on Magnum for his own secret files, arguing that the correct treatment for him would be to send him immediately to a maximum security jail for a long time, and considering extraditing Magnum to some African country.[10]

Return to Deterrence Research Corporation and the Kigali Clan[]

Magnum returned to the Deterrence Research Corporation, now styled DRC weapons, as its president.[8] He offered state-of-the-art cloaking technology for orbital weapons platforms that prevented them from being detected by any other country, and claimed that a country could become far more powerful with that product. While trying to sell this in Asia, however, the example orbital platform was destroyed by Crimson Dynamo VII during his speech; Dynamo was working for the High Evolutionary, whose plans to create a time-adapted new god apparently did not allow for such a device.[90]

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) from Storm Vol 3 4 001

Moses Magnum as leader of the Kigali Clan

Magnum was next seen in Las Vegas as the leader of the Kigali Clan, a criminal organization, while still the president of DRC weapons, and again in his uniform. He and three other crimelords, Davis Harmon of the Aqiria Clan, Yukio of the Kyoto Clan and Kuva of Breakworld of the Oakland Clan, agreed to solve their differences with gladiatorial fights in an underground facility,[8] or sometimes in an open desert, so as to prevent collateral damages, with the blessing and supervision of Wolverine (James Howlett). For three years,[note 3] this prevented the Clans from murdering innocents, while continuing their crimes.[25]

When Wolverine was presumed dead, Yukio recruited Storm to replace him; when she introduced Storm to the other Clan leaders,[8] Magnum, who had met her as an X-Woman in Kuril Islands[5] and as the Queen of Wakanda in the Pan-African Congress,[84] doubted she would be cold enough for the job; Storm used her powers to freeze Magnum's drink, much to Kuva's delight. Then, in their first meeting, Magnum asked Harmon for rights on the new A.I.M. based in the Red Sea, which Harmon denied as it was not in Magnum's so-called territory; this led to a very polite formal challenge to Magnum, which was to be solved in a subterranean pit. Storm was aghast at the fight and interrupted it, which prompted Kuva to challenge Yukio because Storm, Yukio's champion, had broken the rules.[8] Kuva's champion Gah-Ran of Breakworld was to confront Storm the following sunset in the Mojave Desert; Magnum and Harmon, in good spirits, made friendly bets on how fast would Storm lose. Storm won the fight, but did not kill Gah-Ran, so Magnum argued that he was still the winner of the bet; then, Storm challenged the attendees in case anyone else wanted a fight, and Yukio killed Kuva following the rules, thus taking over the Oakland Clan. Magnum did not complain about this, and apparently continued with his criminal activities.[25]

The Space-Lubber in Mali[]

Magnum was next seen at an open-air concert just outside Timbuktu, Mali, flirting with several women by making use of his reputation as a supervillain. The show was suddenly attacked by a Space-Lubber, a giant electricity-stealing, music-loving space insect who then escaped through a small, self-generated black hole - to Magnum's surprise, as he had not attracted the creature. With the ever-growing hole remaining behind, havoc spread and most attendees and staff members left, but Magnum remained behind, even if his two girl friends asked him to leave. However, Magnum stayed as he saw the weapon potential of a black hole-creating being especially in the hands of someone with his powers. Magnum's powers correctly identified that the creature was extraterrestrial in origin, and then he used his Gravitational Force Meter to make some readings. Finding the women's insistence bothersome, he pushed them into the hole, then hid in the area as a camel rider to prepare his following movement.[15]

The news attracted Shuri, at that point protector of Africa, who summoned American savant industrialist Anthony Stark (who had fought Magnum in the past as Iron Man) to help her find a solution, with the Malian Army and the Egungun organization in the area trying to provide support. Magnum stayed around, looking from afar, as he thought Shuri would do most of his work so that he'd be able to reap profits absorbing more power from the whole the bigger it became. Believing to be powerful enough, Magnum caused an earthquake and revealed his presence, criticizing the meddling of foreign Stark. Iron Man fought Magnum while also collaborating with Shuri to find a way to reverse the black hole, which caused the hole to absorb Magnum before disappearing itself. Shuri theorized that Magnum's seismic powers should allow him to stay alive within the hole's singularity.[22]

Newspaper The Ethiopian Daily reported Magnum's comeback in Timbuktu (and probably his defeat) after the event.[22]

Personality

Moses Magnum is a power-hungry[10] racial extremist[1] who cares nothing for human life,[10] repeatedly executing people personally[7][4][24] and sometimes even joking about it in macabre ways.[4] Although superhumanly powerful,[2][3] he pursues his objectives of international conquest in more effective ways by leading and manipulating other people[10] (not to mention his extraordinary charisma), which allowed him to take over a country[24] and to become one of the most powerful entrepreneurs in his admittedly amoral field. Although short-tempered and unstable,[4] he can also be very focused and develop and execute complex plans.[24] Magnum has shown bravery when confronting superpowered enemies or submitting himself to untested procedures, but is utterly scared of Apocalypse.[14]

Attributes

Power Grid[91]
:Category:Power Grid/Fighting Skills/Experienced Fighter:Category:Power Grid/Energy Projection/Single Type: Long Range:Category:Power Grid/Durability/Enhanced:Category:Power Grid/Speed/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Strength/Superhuman (800 lbs-25 ton):Category:Power Grid/Intelligence/Gifted

Powers

Seismic Wave Generation: Moses Magnum has psionic-based powers[45] that allow his body to generate seismic waves;[2][3][10] he refers to this power as "Magnum Force", apparently naming it after himself.[5] Magnum can unleash his powers generating earthquakes, both minor to affect his immediate surroundings,[2][3] or to focus vast amounts of energy[20] to cause devastating earthquakes[44][2][3][57] like the destruction of the city of Agarashima.[50] His powers can be boosted via absorption of energy from external sources including a black hole[22] and the use of an experimental cannon; when his powers were such increased, Magnum believed he was able to destroy all the eastern seaboard of the United States - but this was never confirmed.[14] Moses Magnum is himself invulnerable to the effects of generating these intense vibratory waves, but not to side effects such as the floor breaking under his feet.[5]

Magnum can use this power to generate short-range force bolts that he can shoot from his hands and cause damage to nearby enemies.[5] At one point, he made a man's brain blow up with a gesture, but without an apparent bolt.[24] Magnum also has superhuman strength amplified through his own powers,[2][3] which allows him to lift very heavy items or to slam a fully armored Iron Man[14] or Colossus with his naked hands.[5] Magnum's natural strength, without powers but possibly increased via technology, allowed him to lift 300-pound Power Man over his head.[4]

His powers also attune Magnum to seismic vibrations[2][3][14] which allows him to detect nearby intruders because of the movement they generate,[5][14] and to identify gravitational resonance of beings to define whether they are native of Earth or not.[22]

Other effects of his powers are a superhuman endurance that lets him withstand a direct impact from Cyclops' optic blasts.[5] He resisted a direct slash on the face by the claws of Wolverine (Akihiro) without apparent permanent effects.[11]

The use of his powers have occasional secondary effects, such as the destruction of non-prepared clothes (Magnum tends to wear his protected uniform under plainclothes when he wants to avoid attention)[17] and a green shine coming from his eyes.[14][17]

Abilities

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) and Anthony Stark (Earth-616) from Avengers Vol 3 9 001

As a fighter, Moses Magnum is Iron Man's match

Moses Magnum is a very talented designer of weapons, creator of designs in several fields, including the Terrordome weapons platform, the Magnum Shell personal armor,[2][3] suitcases that are protected against manipulation and can mutilate or kill anyone trying to open them,[17] and biological weapons.[3][17] He is also a ruthless, efficient corporate manager,[7][4] to levels that allowed him to compete with tycoons like Anthony Stark.[5] As a corporate magnate with the right contacts, Magnum had (apparent illegal) access to the records of important companies in Manhattan for his own purposes.[7]

Moses Magnum is an excellent fighter in personal combat,[7] against one or several enemies.[5] Even without powers, he showed high levels of strength and initiative, allowing him to defeat Peter Parker[7] and Power Man (barring circumstances external to the fight).[4] He was once defeated by Deathlok, who at that point used his onboard computer to direct his fighting movements.[76]

Magnum was also trained as a racial terrorist and extremist,[1] his skills including torture.[17]

Moses Magnum speaks fluent English and Amharic[22] and can ride a camel.[15]

Weaknesses

As Moses Magnum's powers are based on tapping energy fields,[14] other superpowered beings with similar powers can block Magnum's and stop them from causing an effect, if they can outwill him. This happened when Banshee's sonic powers found the specific frequency Magnum was using[5] and when the Scarlet Witch tapped the same energy field Magnum was trying to use.[14]

Moses Magnum's earthquake-generating powers do not operate if he's not physically on solid land: If he's on a boat, he only generates sea waves.[17] However, onboard the Evangeline, he could use his detection powers and, after being boosted by the cannon, he could also use his offensive powers.[14]

There is a technology to prevent Moses Magnum from using his powers. When he was arrested, he was cuffed with a specific device but, if that item was broken, Magnum immediately recovered his powers.[6]

Although Moses Magnum claimed to be prepared for everything,[4] the Punisher was able to hide a transmitter in Magnum's person without him noticing.[7]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) company logo from Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 577 001

A briefcase designed by Moses Magnum himself, with the logo of one of his companies

To manipulate his own dangerous products, such as the bio-chemical nerve gas, Magnum used protective gloves and other measures.[7] So as to avoid accidental leaks, Magnum had a self-contained body suit, hidden under his clothing.[4]

Magnum has holographic communication technology that allows him to immediately establish conversation with another person, with the send appearing as a real-sized, full-colored holographic projection wherever the receiver is. The limitations of this technology are unclear.[79]

Magnum always had a pocket-sized gravitational force meter with him, which allowed him to make readings on the field.[15]

Moses Magnum also developed, directly or indirectly, several items for sale, though he did not use these directly (For the weapons designed by Magnum, see the Weapons section):

  • An armored briefcase, designed personally by Moses Magnum, that can only be open by authorized individuals and mutilates or kills people who try to force it open; but the contents are protected even in this case.[17]
  • The high-powered armors used by Magnum's private army, the Magnum Shells.[14][2][3]
  • A Gamma-irradiated version of the Mutant Growth Hormone that gave superhuman strength, powers and aggressivity to the person injecting it, to protect them in a hostile environment. This was developed by an engineer working for Magnum, who was killed afterward, and then Magnum considered it "his proprietary MGH". The only sample was lost soon afterward.[17]

Weapons

Force Blasters: Before obtaining superpowers, Moses Magnum had finger-mounted blasters[2][3][4] that he claimed could stop a charging rhinoceros. These devices could be set to kill or not; at maximum power, they were able to merely stun Power Man. They were a part of the gauntlets Moses Magnum wore.[4]

Moses Magnum (Earth-616) and Peter Parker (Earth-616) from Giant-Size Spider-Man Vol 1 4 002

Using gloves to manipulate one of the weapons he designed before he obtained powers, and defeating Spider-Man in a fair fight

Knockout Gas: Before obtaining superpowers, Moses Magnum also used knockout gas,[2][3] which he could shoot, at a very close range, from the fingertips of his gloves. They were a part of the gauntlets Moses Magnum wore.[4]

Moses Magnum also developed, directly or indirectly, several weapons for sale, though he did not use these directly. Those include:

  • a toxic biochemical nerve gas[18][2][3] that disintegrated the skin and meat of the still-living victims.[7][18]
  • The Powerprison 170 (catalog number MM1313170), a portable, powerful, fast-deploying, self-sealing cage able to keep the Avengers.[14]
    • The Power-Podium 310, used both to keep the Powerprison 170's cell coherence, and to receive holographic transmissions.[14]
  • The Terrordome,[2][3] a heavy-artillery, armored attack vehicle[23] built en masse for the failed invasion of Wakanda.[24]
  • Unnamed high-powered fans, shock-blasts, radiation-proof wrappings and ultrasonic weapons.[9]

Transportation

Initially, as the CEO of the Deterrence Research Corporation, Magnum had a number of comfortable Hover-Copters for international flight.[7] The technology provided by They Who Wield Power included a one-man flying platform which he rode himself.[50] Later, so as to avoid touching land when his powers went haywire, he settled in the floating resort cruiser Evangeline, in the Caribbean Sea.[14] He was then seen using a traditional boat for drug smuggling in the Hudson River.[17]

Notes

  1. In his first appearance in Giant-Size Spider-Man #4 (1975), Magnum is said to have been born 15 years before Mussolini invaded Ethiopia, which happened in 1934 during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1934-36), then joined Mussolini against "his own people" (apparently the Ethiopian); this would have made Magnum 55 years old during his first encounter with Spider-Man. This has now become a Topical Reference. A more recent source, Spider-Man Saga #2 (1991) updates the story saying that Magnum had fought in the Eritrean Civil War (either 1972-1974 or 1980-81), not mentioning how old he was at that point. However, Magnum's profile in All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #6 (2006), reprint almost verbatim in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #7, again mentions that "when Italy invaded Ethiopia", Magnum joined the invaders; this does not mention Mussolini, but Italy has not invaded Ethiopia again since, unless Italy participated in some other conflict in Earth-616. However, in Deathlok (Vol. 2) #23 (1993), Magnum claims to remember Freedom Summer (1964), suggesting that he was in the United States at that point, which takes place before the Eritrean Civil War, suggesting that Magnum moved from Ethiopia to the U.S. before 1964, then moved back to Africa before 1980.
  2. Magnum takes over Canaan in Deathlok (Vol. 2) #25 (1993); in his following encounter with the Avengers in Martinique, in Avengers (Vol. 3) #8 (1998), it is unclear whether he is still ruling the country (He's using a different base of operations, but that can be plot-related as he'd cause earthquakes in Canaan). All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #6 (2006) lists Magnum as "former ruler of Canaan"; but Magnum explicitly represents Canaan in the Pan-African Congress on the Treatment of Superhumans in Civil War Battle Damage Report (2007) and is listed as still Canaan's ruler in Marvel Atlas #2 (2008). In his further appearances in Amazing Spider-Man #577 (2008) and later he's a common criminal, and he is even in jail Dark Wolverine #78 (2008). The post-Magnum government of Canaan has been unrevealed.
  3. It is unclear whether Magnum was in charge of the Kigali Clan for that long or not; that may mean that Magnum was involved in this operation while he was in prison, maybe even while he was still ruling Canaan.
Moses Magnum (Earth-616) from Marvel Universe Cards Series IV 0002

Moses Magnum's 1993 card, back, tagging him as a racial terrorist/extremist

    • Magnum's story had a relevant retcon: In Power Man Annual #1 (1976), Magnum falls to his death through the shaft he himself had bored to the center of the Earth. He reappears in X-Men #118 (1978-79) and, in the following issue, a narration says that "as he fell, the laser beam, the exotic weaponry of his combat suit, the elemental force of the quake itself, had all combined within him in some mad, arcane fashion to give him the power primal -- the ability to focus an infinite amount of energy anywhere on Earth, in any manner he chose." However, when this story is reprint in Classic X-Men #25 (1988), this text is removed and instead new pages are added to show, in a flashback, Apocalypse giving Magnum powers.
    • Magnum's two sponsors (Apocalypse and They Who Wield Power) appeared theoretically in different moments: Per All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #6, They Who Wield Power provide Magnum with technology and no obvious superpowers before Magnum encounters Power Man in Japan and Katsyu Shima; then, Classic X-Men #25 shows Apocalypse meeting Magnum just after Magnum's adventure in Katsyu Shima. Marvel Legacy: The 1970s Handbook (2006), section "Where are they now" about They Who Wield Power, first suggests that either They Who Wield Power provided Magnum with only technology and not powers, which led to some confusion in the reports; or that Apocalypse was being manipulated by They Who Wield Power when he gave Magnum powers.
  • A number of sources have presented unresolved inconsistencies related to Magnum:
Moses Magnum (Earth-616) and Wanda Maximoff (Earth-616) from Avengers Vol 3 9 001

Moses Magnum's moustache and goatee suddenly disappear; they're back in the following panel

    • In Power Man Annual #1, Magnum's laser pit in Katsyu Shima is alternatively described as 1,200 miles deep (pg. 43) and 1,500 miles (pg. 36) deep.
    • When retelling the story of Power Man Annual #1, both All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #6 and Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #7 mistakenly say that Power Man rescued Amanda Sheridan, hired by her grandmother. In the story, he rescues Samantha Sheridan, not Amanda, and was hired by Samantha's great-grandmother Amanda.
    • In X-Men #119, Magnum mentions he shoots force blasts, and later Banshee remembers how Magnum talked about his energy blasts (which he didn't), meaning that he could use his own sonic energy powers to counter Magnum's.
    • In Deathlok (Vol. 2) #23, the Black Panther reads that Magnum was taken for dead after X-Men #119; but Magnum had been seen after that as leader of Magnum Munitions in South Carolina just in Deathlok (Vol. 2) #11. This could mean that Magnum was using a false name or hiding his personal involvement somehow.
    • In attack on the JFK Airport in Avengers (Vol. 3) #8, Magnum's forces wanted only to distract attention from the theft, so they did not use the airplane passengers as hostages, as explicitly explained by Silverclaw. However, Marvel Atlas #2, Costa Verde profile, sub-section "international crime", explicitly mentions how Magnum's army used the passengers as hostages.
    • In both Avengers (Vol. 3) #8 and 9, Magnum is described as an eco-terrorist, even if none of his plans had any relation to ecology.
    • In Avengers (Vol. 3) #9, Magnum's facial hair disappears in a panel after using his powers, only to reappear in the next panel.
    • In Dark Wolverine #78, Magnum is called a mutant several times, and once again in Dark Wolverine #80. Magnum obtained his powers in adulthood due to Apocalypse's meddling, so he's not a mutant.
    • In Dark Wolverine #79, Wolverine slashes Magnum's face, leaving no apparent wounds or scars later. If Magnum has a healing factor, it was never described.
    • In Storm (Vol. 3) #4, Magnum refers to Storm as Queen of Wakanda and calls her Her Royal Highness; but the protocol to refer to a Queen is Her Majesty. As Magnum was closely involved with both Wakanda and Canaan, both monarchies, he should be familiar with this.

Trivia

  • Magnum is not particularly reputed, as Shuri had never heard of him (even if he had tried to invade her native country). She believed that his name tried to combine gangsta style with devout religion.[22]
    • Though his name is Biblical, Moses Magnum's religion is not specified. Magnum did invoke God's name[15] and swore by all the devils in hell,[5] also uttering undefined bad words ("@#%#!") on occasion.[17]
  • When working for the Deterrence Research Corporation, twice, Moses Magnum cheered with cups of Champagne with his customers while in civilian clothes.[7][90] When drinking in Vegas with other crimelords, he chose a glass of orange juice while in supervillain uniform.[8]
  • The power Moses Magnum uses his called Magnum Force.[5] Moses Magnum himself has used "Magnum Force" as an alias for himself[4] and as the name of his own private army.[2][3]
  • Moses Magnum attended to the concert in Timbuktu, apparently to enjoy the music, suggesting an interest in the arts.[15]
  • A racial extremist,[1] Moses Magnum criticized Spider-Man's attempts to save lives as an ill-directed Westerner attitude,[17] and censured Iron Man's intervention in Mali as uninvited Westerner meddling in African soil.[22]
  • The encounter in the Presidential Palace confirms that Moses Magnum ruled Canaan as King - as T'Challa was taken to the King of Canaan, and then they say that Baru was King, no longer being it, thus Magnum used the title of King.[24]

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Marvel Universe Cards Series IV (1993); Moses Magnum's card
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.41 2.42 2.43 2.44 2.45 2.46 2.47 2.48 2.49 2.50 2.51 2.52 2.53 2.54 2.55 2.56 2.57 2.58 2.59 2.60 2.61 2.62 2.63 2.64 2.65 2.66 2.67 2.68 2.69 2.70 All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #6; Moses Magnum's profile
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 3.36 3.37 3.38 3.39 3.40 3.41 3.42 3.43 3.44 3.45 3.46 3.47 3.48 3.49 3.50 3.51 3.52 3.53 3.54 3.55 3.56 3.57 3.58 3.59 3.60 3.61 3.62 3.63 3.64 3.65 3.66 3.67 3.68 3.69 3.70 3.71 3.72 3.73 3.74 3.75 3.76 3.77 3.78 3.79 3.80 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #7; Moses Magnum's profile
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29 4.30 4.31 4.32 4.33 4.34 4.35 4.36 4.37 4.38 4.39 Power Man Annual #1
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 5.23 5.24 5.25 5.26 5.27 5.28 5.29 5.30 5.31 5.32 5.33 5.34 X-Men #119
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Dark Wolverine #78
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 7.21 7.22 7.23 7.24 7.25 7.26 7.27 7.28 7.29 7.30 7.31 7.32 Giant-Size Spider-Man #4
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Storm (Vol. 3) #4
  9. 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 Avengers (Vol. 3) #8
  10. 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 Heroic Age: Villains #1
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Dark Wolverine #79
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Marvel Encyclopedia Spider-Man; Moses Magnum's profile
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 Classic X-Men #25
  14. 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 14.14 14.15 14.16 14.17 14.18 14.19 14.20 14.21 14.22 14.23 14.24 14.25 14.26 14.27 14.28 14.29 14.30 14.31 14.32 14.33 14.34 14.35 14.36 14.37 14.38 Avengers (Vol. 3) #9
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Shuri #4
  16. 16.0 16.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #1; Apocalypse's profile
  17. 17.00 17.01 17.02 17.03 17.04 17.05 17.06 17.07 17.08 17.09 17.10 17.11 17.12 17.13 17.14 17.15 17.16 17.17 17.18 17.19 17.20 17.21 17.22 17.23 17.24 17.25 Amazing Spider-Man #577
  18. 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 18.12 18.13 18.14 18.15 18.16 18.17 18.18 18.19 Spider-Man Saga #2
  19. 19.00 19.01 19.02 19.03 19.04 19.05 19.06 19.07 19.08 19.09 19.10 19.11 Marvel Atlas #2; Canaan's profile
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #9; Appendix
  21. 21.0 21.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #2; Luke Cage's profile
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 22.7 Shuri #5
  23. 23.00 23.01 23.02 23.03 23.04 23.05 23.06 23.07 23.08 23.09 23.10 23.11 23.12 23.13 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #11
  24. 24.00 24.01 24.02 24.03 24.04 24.05 24.06 24.07 24.08 24.09 24.10 24.11 24.12 24.13 24.14 24.15 24.16 24.17 24.18 24.19 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #23
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 Storm (Vol. 3) #5
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #17; Hammer and Anvil's profile
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe #2; Hammer and Anvil's profile
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 Marvel Team-Up #86
  29. Marvel Encyclopedia Spider-Man; Deterrence Research Corporation's profile
  30. Marvel Super-Heroes (Vol. 2) #11
  31. Spider-Woman #34
  32. 32.0 32.1 Marvel Legacy: The 1970s Handbook #1; Punisher's profile
  33. Amazing Spider-Man #143
  34. Incredible Hulk #241
  35. 35.0 35.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Hulk 2004; Tyrannus's profile
  36. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #3; El Dorado's profile
  37. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #12; Tyrannus's profile
  38. 38.0 38.1 Marvel Legacy: The 1970s Handbook #1; They Who Wield Power's profile
  39. X-Men: Earth's Mutant Heroes #1; Edward Buckman's profile
  40. Marvel Legacy: The 1970s Handbook #1; Power Man's profile
  41. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #23; Cage's profile
  42. 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 Cable #67
  43. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: X-Men 2005; Apocalypse's profile
  44. 44.0 44.1 44.2 44.3 44.4 44.5 Wolverine Encyclopedia #2; Moses Magnum's profile
  45. 45.00 45.01 45.02 45.03 45.04 45.05 45.06 45.07 45.08 45.09 45.10 45.11 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #2; Banshee's profile
  46. Marvel Legacy: The 1970s Handbook #1; "Where Are They Now - They Who Wield Power"
  47. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #12; They Who Wield Power's profile
  48. 48.0 48.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #8; Mandroid's profile
  49. 49.0 49.1 Wolverine Encyclopedia #2; Mandroid's profile
  50. 50.0 50.1 50.2 50.3 50.4 50.5 50.6 50.7 50.8 50.9 X-Men #118
  51. Iron Manual Mark 3 #1; Mandroid Armor's profile (MK I & MK II)
  52. 52.0 52.1 52.2 52.3 52.4 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #11; Sunfire's profile
  53. 53.0 53.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #6; Misty Knight's profile
  54. 54.0 54.1 54.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #11; Spider-Man's profile
  55. 55.0 55.1 55.2 X-Men #138
  56. 56.0 56.1 56.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: X-Men 2005; Sunfire's profile
  57. 57.0 57.1 All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z: Update #3; Daughters of the Dragon's profile
  58. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #11; Storm's profile
  59. All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z: Update #1; Storm's profile
  60. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #13; Wolverine's profile
  61. 61.0 61.1 61.2 Marvel Legacy: The 1970s Handbook #1; X-Men's profile
  62. 62.0 62.1 62.2 Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe #1; Banshee's profile
  63. 63.0 63.1 All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z: Update #1; Banshee's profile
  64. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #34; Sunfire's profile
  65. Marvel Atlas #1; Japan's profile
  66. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #21; Banshee's profile
  67. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #13; X-Men's profile
  68. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #1; Banshee's profile
  69. 69.00 69.01 69.02 69.03 69.04 69.05 69.06 69.07 69.08 69.09 69.10 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #22
  70. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #3 ; Deathlok's profile
  71. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #24; Chemistro I (Curtis Carr)'s profile
  72. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #27; Deathlok III's profile
  73. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #35; Deathlok III's profile
  74. 74.0 74.1 74.2 74.3 74.4 74.5 74.6 All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z: Update #3; Deathlok (Michael Collins)'s profile
  75. 75.0 75.1 75.2 75.3 75.4 75.5 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #3; Deathlok's profile
  76. 76.0 76.1 76.2 76.3 76.4 76.5 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #25
  77. 77.0 77.1 77.2 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #26
  78. Marvel Atlas #2; Wakanda's profile, repeated almost verbatim in Marvel: Your Universe Saga
  79. 79.0 79.1 79.2 79.3 79.4 79.5 79.6 79.7 79.8 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #24
  80. Deathlok (Vol. 2) #29
  81. 81.0 81.1 81.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Avengers 2005; Silverclaw's profile
  82. 82.0 82.1 82.2 82.3 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #10; Silverclaw's profile
  83. Marvel Atlas #2; Costa Verde's profile
  84. 84.0 84.1 84.2 84.3 84.4 Civil War Battle Damage Report
  85. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Avengers 2005; Triathlon's profile
  86. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #12; Triathlon's profile
  87. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #1; Black Panther's profile
  88. 88.0 88.1 88.2 88.3 88.4 Spider-Man: Brand New Day Yearbook #1
  89. 89.0 89.1 89.2 Dark Wolverine #80
  90. 90.0 90.1 Iron Man/Thor #1
  91. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 7
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