Merge:Triathlon

Triathlon is a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is African American. Triathlon was created by Kurt Busiek and George Perez in Avengers (vol. 3) #8 (September 1998). Triathlon was the fiftieth member of the Avengers and was a member and spokesman for the Triune Understanding.

Publication history
Triathlon has appeared in the pages of Avengers (vol. 3).

Origin
Delroy Garrett, Jr. was an Olympic track medallist whose career was derailed when it was found he used steroids. Dejected, Delroy joined the Triune Understanding to restore his faith. Triune leader Jonathan Tremont imbued Delroy with the powers stolen from the former superhero, the 3-D Man. Delroy had no idea of the source of his new powers thinking that the teachings of the Triune had simply unlocked his superhuman potential. Delroy became the costumed superhero, Triathlon, and became the Triune's celebrity spokesman.

Avengers
Triathlon's first involvement with the Avengers came when he assisted them in defeating arms dealer Moses Magnum. Soon after, Triathlon also helped the Avengers battle Lord Templar and Pagan at the dedication ceremony of a new Triune Understanding building. The battle ended with Lord Templar and Pagan escaping. Jonathan Tremont publicly blamed the Avengers for the destruction, then covertly set up a smear campaign against the team to suggest they were religiously intolerant and racist.

Tremont then had the mercenary Taskmaster frame a number of Avengers for the destruction of an important Triune building. Tremont then publicly "forgave" the Avengers which the team grudgingly went along with to avoid further bad publicity. It was during Tremont's media event at Avenger's Mansion that the building was attacked by a terrorist. Triathlon aided the Avengers in defeating the terrorist. In the aftermath, Duane Freeman, the Avengers government liaison suggested that the team add Triathlon as a member to quell the bad publicity that the team had recently engendered. With some animosity on both sides, Triathlon was made a member of the Avengers when their new line-up was announce to the public.

At first, Triathlon, although a capable member, constantly complained and argued with his teammates, thinking that they were intolerant and included him on the team only because of the public image. But soon, with the help of teammate Warbird, Delroy saw that his teammates were good people and became an eager and willing team member.

Later, during Kang's war on earth, a being of immense power entered the solar system. This was the "triple evil" which Tremont had supposedly founded the Triune Understanding to defeat. Powering up the Triune's spaceship, Tremont and the Avengers travelled to face the being. During the battle, Tremont's true reasoning became clear: he sought the power of the "triple evil" for his own. In the past, he had stolen the triangle power of 3-D Man and resurrected his two dead brothers as Lord Templar and Pagan. He then formed the Triune Understanding to enable him to find the other triangle fragments of power. The "triple evil" contained the final power he sought. During the battle, Tremont killed his brothers by drawing all their power into himself, but, he ultimately lost control of the immense power. Triathlon, though, was able to channel the power and defeated the "triple evil." The Avengers then returned to earth and ultimately defeated Kang and the Scarlet Centurion in their bid to take over the planet. After this, the Avengers reorganized under a United Nations charter and Triathlon left the team along with some other members.

Similarities to the DC Comics superhero Aztek are obvious. In DC Comics, Aztek was also trained by a secrety society, the Q Foundation, to beyond peak physical perfection. In addition, Aztek was sent to the United States in preparatioin to battle an ultimate evil emanating from space. Although Aztek first saw publication in 1996 and Triathlon debuted in 1998, many fans judge the similarities as coincidence.

Powers and abilities
Imbued with the spirit of 3-D Man, Delroy has three times the physical abilities of a man in peak physical condition. This makes him three times faster and stronger than the likes of Captain America or Black Panther. He can heal injuries in a third of the time that would take a peak human to heal. His perceptions (sight, hearing, smelling) have been enhanced as well

List of titles

 * Avengers (vol. 3) #8-9, 15, 26-46, 48, 50, 52-56, 59
 * Avengers Annual 2001
 * Black Panther (vol. 2) #23
 * Captain America (vol. 3) #46-48
 * Deadpool #44
 * Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #39
 * Incredible Hulk Annual 2000
 * Iron Fist/Wolverine: The Return to K'un Lun #2
 * Magneto: Dark Seduction #2-4
 * Maximum Security #1-3
 * The Order #3, 5
 * Thunderbolts #43-44, 57

Significant stories

 * Avengers (vol. 3) #8 (September 1998)