This article covers Nathaniel Richards' incarnation as Rama-Tut. For other incarnations of Richards, see Iron Lad, Kid Immortus, the Scarlet Centurion, Kang the Conqueror, Immortus, and Mister Gryphon.
History
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Mural: Kang, Scarlet Centurion, Immortus, and Iron Lad (boots)
Origins[]
Nathaniel Richards was born in the 30th century of Earth-6311 a reality where humanity never went into the dark ages. After centuries of advancement and warfare, peace was brought to the land by a time-traveller from Earth-616 named Nathaniel Richards. Because Richards brought peace to this war-torn future, he became known as a legendary benefactor.[5] The Nathaniel Richards born to this reality is said to be a descendant of the Benefactor, although other records indicate that he may also be a descendant of the Latverian monarch known as Dr. Doom.[6] At the age of 16, intervention from his future self, Kang the Conqueror resulted in young Nathaniel to try and prevent his eventual transformation in Kang, briefly becoming the young hero known as Iron Lad.[7] The youth also briefly had a stint as a supervillain known as Kid Immortus. However Nathaniel Richards eventually returned to his native time to finally follow his proper destined path, possibly with his memories as Iron Lad erased, however at this time there is no conclusive explanation and the events leading to this are as yet unrecorded.
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Nathaniel Richards finds plans for a time machine
As an adult Nathaniel grew bored of the peaceful world he lived in and soon became infatuated with the heroic age of Earth-616 taking particular interest in that reality's premiere heroes the Fantastic Four.[8] Richards began researching his background learning about his possible biological links to his namesake, as well as Dr. Doom.[9] Through his research he uncovered the abandoned fortress of the the Benefactor and uncovered its many weapons, machines and a fully functional Time-Platform.[9][6] However before Richards could use any of his discoveries he was attacked by the Fantastic Four of Earth-7712. The group was sent by the Time Variance Authority to implant a Saturnyne Symbiont a device that would prevent Nathaniel's future self Immortus from absorbing temporal energies and become a temporal quantum wave, a feat Nathaniel's future self was trying to accomplish many years from his own personal history. However Nathaniel was able to seemingly slay this alternate reality Fantastic Four. The TVA then sent the Reed Richards' Rocket Group of Earth-8212 instead. That reality's Reed Richards convinced Nathaniel of their shared lineage and also talked him into willingly implanting himself with the Saturnyne Symbiont, having been brought to agree to stop the threat of his future self. With their mission accomplished the Rocket Group returned to their own reality.[6]
Left to his own devices, Nathaniel built his own time machine, and deciding to travel to ancient Egypt, constructed it to resemble a sphinx.[8][9][10]
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Nathaniel Richards crash lands in ancient Egypt
First Reign[]
The time machine sent Nathaniel back in time to Egypt on Earth-616 circa the year 2960 BC. His ship crashed in the desert and a blinded and injured Nathaniel was found by Baal and his band of Sandstormers who lived in the desert. They recovered him from the ship and nursed the wounded man back to health. Although blinded in the crash, Nathaniel eventually fled into the desert, leaving behind devices that held information about the coming birth of the world's first mutant known as En Sabah Nur.[11] Using an army of robots and weapons from his time-ship, Nathaniel Richards easily took over the kingdom of Egypt, renaming himself Rama-Tut.[10] Learning of a radioactive herb, Rama used it to restore his lost vision shortly thereafter.[8] Rama had the people of Egypt come to worship him and build massive statues in his honor[12][10][11][9] and reject the old gods. Unknown to Rama-Tut at the time, this angered the Egyptian vengeance god Khonshu.[10][13] A few weeks after his take over of Egypt, Rama led an army to the camp of the Sandstormers in order to retrieve his archive so that he might make En Sabah Nur -- who was fated to become the powerful mutant known as Apocalypse -- his heir. However when he arrived he learned that the Sandstormers hid it, and they refused to turn it over. Rama and his soldiers slaughtered many of the Sandstormers and enslaved the rest. Baal and a few others managed to escape and became devoted to finding Nur on before Rama-Tut could find him.[11] The Sandstormers were successful, rescuing En Sabah Nur after he was left in the desert to die by his people of Clan Akkaba. Baal raised young En Sabah Nur as though he were his own son over the course of the next 20 years. Rama-Tut meanwhile continued to rule Egypt apparently unopposed. During his time in Egypt, Rama encouraged the scientific work of an Egyptian named Logos who also acted as his adviser. He also sought to marry the young woman named Nephri, whose brother Ozymandias was commander of Rama-Tut's army. Ozymandias hoped that the marriage between Nephri and Rama-Tut would ultimately bring him closer to one day ruling the kingdom himself.[14] It is likely during this period that Rama-Tut trapped the ancient Vampire Amenhotep within a pyramid built in his name.[15] At some point doing his reign Rama-Tut impregnated a slave woman who bore a son named Ramades, whom Rama-Tut abandoned.[16]
It was at this time that this era began host to a series of time-traveling heroes from the modern era that Rama was so enamored over prior to his time travels. When the so-called Time Guardian who sent the biologically engineered assassin Killpower into the past to retrieve a portion of the Chronifact a device that threatened the Guardian's very existence. When Kill Power appeared in that era, he was quickly captured by Rama-Tut's soldiers and brought before him. Noting the super-powered assassin's feeble mind, tricked Killpower into attacking Samira a sorceress who opposed his rule. However when Killpower went to eliminate Samira, she convinced him of the truth and teleported Killpower back to face Rama-Tut. However before Killpower could face Rama-Tut, the group known as Genetix were sent into the past by Killpower's creators, Mys-Tech to retrieve him from that era.[17] Rama-Tut fled in the confusion but Genetix, realizing that Tut was the true threat pursued him, with Killpower following behind. Rama inadvertently led them to the Chronifact and when Killpower reclaimed it he was teleported away. Genetix were sent after him by Samira. Rama-Tut took full advantage of this, using his high tech weapons to absorb the chronal energy created by Samira's spell.[18]
Rama-Tut finally got a location on the Sandstormers and sent Logos and Ozymandias out to capture En Sabah Nur to make him his heir. While Ozymandias and his armies slaughtered the Sandstormers, Nur and his adopted father Baal managed to flee to a stone totem where Baal hidden Rama-Tut's equipment decades earlier. Rama was furious to hear of Nur's escape and sent Logos back out into the desert to search for him.[14] Rama-Tut then began planning for his wedding for Nephri, when Logos found En Sabah Nur, he hid this man of genetic destiny among the slaves of Egypt convincing Nur not to avenge the death of Baal until the time was right.[11] The next group of time travelers from the heroic era came from the West Coast Avengers who traveled to 2940 BC with a time machine that could only bring them backwards in time. They had hoped to use Rama's technology to return to their own era. Their arrival was noticed by Rama-Tut, however the god Khonshu used his magics to make the Avengers appear as though they were simple Egyptian peasants. Rama quickly subdued them[19] and had their bodies placed in the temple of Khonshu to die. The Avengers were revived by Khonshu under the promise they would oust Rama-Tut in exchange for getting word of their predicament to their comrades in the modern era.[13] Soon after the Fantastic Four arrived in this era, searching for the radioactive herbs that cured Rama-Tut's blindness so they could restore the sight of their friend Alicia Masters in the present. Rama's guards with the help of Rama-Tut's Ultra-Diode Ray managed to defeat and capture the Fantastic Four.[8] Yet another time traveler, the Sorcerer Supreme Dr. Strange arrived in this era seeking the soul shard of his friend Morgana Blessing before it could travel back to the dawn of time and destroy humanity's ability to dream. Strange was quickly subdued by Rama-Tut's robots, but still manage to freely roam the area in his astral form.[20] Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four were brought before Rama-Tut who decided to enslave the male members, and also decided to make the Invisible Girl his bride instead of Nephri and used a device to sap her mind.[8][20][21][10][22]
While the Fantastic Four were forced into enslavement,[8] the West Coast Avengers clashed with Rama-Tut's forces to try and get access to his time machine.[21] Dr. Strange soon found Nephri as she was preparing the Invisible Girl for her forced wedding and found that Morgana's soul shard was within her. Calling out to Nephri, Strange convinced her to free his physical body. While she did that Strange secretly used his mystical powers to free the Fantastic Four's Thing from captivity.[20] Meanwhile, Rama-Tut's minions found En Sabah Nur hidden among the slaves, Rama then ordered Logos put to death. Witnessing Logos being tortured and killed, En Sabah Nur rejected Rama-Tut when offered the chance to be his heir.[22] Apocalypse and Nephri were then locked imprisoned, but thanks to the manifestation of his mutant powers, the mutant who would be known as Apocalypse managed to break them free and fight back against Rama's armies.[23] However by the time En Sabah Nur got free, Rama's kingdom was already beginning to crumble. The Thing then freed his comrades and they chased after Rama-Tut who then attempted to flee back to his own era in his time machine. The Fantastic Four then recovered the radioactive herb they needed and returned to their own era.[24] The Avengers trapped in this era missed stopping both Rama-Tut and the Fantastic Four from leaving,[21] however they were brought back to the present by other means.[25][26] Doctor Strange also succeeded in his own mission just as Rama-Tut fled and returned to his own era as well.[20] While En Sabah Nur himself was enhanced by Rama's technology, and got his revenge against Ozymandias, he then went into the desert to live out his destiny to see that only the fit survive.[23]
Return to the Timestream[]
As Rama-Tut attempted to flee back to his native 30th century, his vessel was caught in a time storm and he was forced to veer into the modern era of Earth-616. Appearing just outside of the orbit of planet Jupiter, he found his possible ancestor Dr. Doom floating in space following one of his defeats at the hands of the Fantastic Four. Impressed by meeting his possible ancestor, Rama-Tut suggested that the two could be the same man from different eras before helping Doom return to Earth.
Rama-Tut was caught in a time storm and returned to ancient Egypt, re-establishing his rule momentarily.[1] He briefly returned to the modern age where he attended a meeting of Fantastic Four foes who were gathered by the Puppet Master and Mad Thinker. After hearing the Puppet Master's pitch that they all work together, Rama-Tut declined the offer.[27] After returning to ancient Egypt, it was during this time his kingdom was briefly visited by Dr. Doom and the Avenger known as Iron Man, both from a few years ahead of their personal futures from their last travels to ancient Egypt. The two visitors were quickly plucked out of time before they could remember their prior encounters with Rama-Tut.[28] Rama once again tried to return to his own era, but the time storm trapped him in the modern era again, this time a few years in the future from his last visit. With his time machine damaged, Rama-Tut captured another time traveler from Earth-4935 named Blaquesmith. When Blaquesmith refused to help Rama-Tut, the former pharaoh tortured him. Blaquesmith was rescued by his ally, the mutant mercenary known as Cable, and Rama escaped into the timestream once again.[29]
Inspired by his encounter with Doom, Rama-Tut re-entered the timestream.[30] Rama-Tut then reinvented himself as the Scarlet Centurion, an appearance inspired by Doom.[2]
However his time as the Scarlet Centurion proved to be a complete failure and so he resumed his Rama-Tut guise[10]. This time when Rama-Tut attempted to return to his native time the time-storm caused him to overshoot his own era and he ended up in the war torn 40th Century. There Rama-Tut finally found an era fitting to his desire for battle and he eventually reinvented himself yet again, this time as Kang the Conqueror.[31][12][10][9]
Second Reign[]
After achieving many conquests over various galaxies and time periods. By his 60th year he had become less and less involved in the battles that expanded his empire and he began to view himself as nothing more than an administrator. Deciding to return to a more simpler time, Kang turned his vast empire over to his lover Ravonna and returned to ancient Egypt, resuming his guise of Rama-Tut.[9] There he found his loyal subjects still worshiped him and he was welcomed back as ruler. In order to live out his final years in the antiquity of ancient Egypt, Rama-Tut destroyed his time machine. As the years progressed there was a change in the rule of Rama-Tut, he began leading his people with virtue and compassion in mind.
However as time went on he began thinking of his past Rama-Tut began recalling how his past self attempted to take the Celestial Madonna as his bride and was opposed by his future self. Rama-Tut decided to pursue this destiny and try to steer his past-self away from his path to destruction. He sought the aid of the court wizard, Shamaz, and over the next seven years combining their applied skills of science and sorcery to devise a means for Rama-Tut to slumber in an airtight sarcophagus to sleep away for over the 5000 centuries needed to arrive in the time in which his past self went after the Celestial Madonna in the modern age. Knowing that Kang would use an old pyramid built during his first reign as Rama-Tut as a base of operations, Rama-Tut had the sarcophagus placed inside. Also knowing that the Avenger known as the Swordsman would enter the pyramid searching for his comrades and the Madonna, Rama-Tut set up a series of mirrors that would caused the needed light to shine on his tomb and awaken him.[32] It was the year 2920 BC that Rama-Tut ingested the drugs that would put him in suspended animation, Rama-Tut was visited by the West Coast Avengers, who were earlier in their travels backward in time. The Avenger Hawkeye asked Rama-Tut for help returning to the future. Slowly fading into unconsciousness, Tut informed the Avengers that he destroyed his time machine, but suggested they go back in time further to his first reign and seek a means of returning home from there. When Rama-Tut slipped into unconsciousness, the Avengers did just that.[19]
Celestial Madonna[]
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Rama-Tut vs. Kang the Conqueror
Over 5000 years later, at the destined time the Celestial Madonna was marked and she was among the Avengers. Kang the Conqueror came from the 40th Century to claim her as a bride so that he would be the father of the being that -- in Kang's future time -- was thought to be the most powerful in existence. Because the historical records were fractured, Kang believed it was one of three women associated with the Avengers: the mutant Scarlet Witch, the enigmatic martial artists known as Mantis or the elderly sorceress Agatha Harkness. Kang not only captured the three women, but also three of the most powerful Avengers: Thor, Iron Man, and the android Vision. Finding the Swordsman beneath his notice, Kang left him alone and fled back to the pyramid built in his name during his first reign of Rama-Tut, unaware that his future self was slumbering away within and plotting to thwart his plans. As fated, the Swordsman tracked Kang to the pyramid thanks to the mystical aid of Agatha Harkness. When the Swordsman breached the pyramid, he allowed light to enter the tomb which awoke Rama-Tut as planned. After the Swordsman slew the vampire Amen-Hotep, Rama-Tut revealed himself and offered his aid to the Swordsman.[15] Seeking other allies, they both returned to New York and found Hawkeye had returned to Avengers Mansion and recruited him to their cause.[33] Knowing that Kang intended to seal the three captured Avengers in his Macrobots and use them in a plot to assassinate various world leaders and trigger World War III, Rama-Tut brought the two Avengers to each location. A disguised Rama-Tut first brought them to the United Nations building in New York where they stopped a Macrobot utilizing the powers of the Vision from assassinating the US Secretary of State, freeing the Vision in the process. Next they traveled to Peking, China where they stopped a Macrobot containing Iron Man from eliminating the China's ruling class. Fed up of the interference from the Avengers, Kang decided to skip trying to murder leaders from Russia and unleashed the Macrobot containing Thor upon them, but this Macrobot was defeated and its prisoner freed from within. During the battle the Vision freed the captive women and they joined the fray. With all the Avengers free, Rama-Tut then chose to reveal himself to Kang. With the same man from two different eras finally face-to-face time ruptured causing all gathered to be able literally see all time. This caused all to learn that Mantis was destined to be the Celestial Madonna. With opposition all around him, including his future self, Kang decided that if he could not have the Celestial Madonna nobody would. Remembering that this caused the death of one of the Avengers, Rama-Tut tried to stop Kang from firing at Mantis, but hesitated in trying to stop Kang. Kang fired his weapon, but the Swordsman jumped in the way of the blast sacrificing his life to save Mantis. Meanwhile, Kang and Rama-Tut struggled with each other until they slammed into the controls of Kang's time sphere causing both men to be pulled into the timestream.[32][34]
Rama-Tut and Kang ended up in the timestream where the battled furiously against each other. Suddenly, they were plucked out of time and transported to the timeless realm of Limbo by Immortus, yet another future incarnation of both Rama-Tut and Kang, a fact unknown to both Kang and Rama-Tut at the time. Pretending to ally himself with Kang, Immortus then imprisoned Rama-Tut and allowed Kang to use his devices to defeat the Avengers. To this end, Kang summoned the Frankenstein, Wonder Man, the original Human Torch, Midnight, the Ghost, and Baron Zemo from the moments of their death to be part of his Legion of the Unliving. Kang then betrayed Immortus, trapping him alongside Rama-Tut, and then teleported the Avengers to Limbo to get his revenge.[35] While the Avengers wandered around Limbo and were attacked by members of the Legion, Rama-Tut and Immortus attempted to free themselves.[36] However they were eventually found by Hawkeye who, after battling Baron Zemo, freed both of the time travelers. The Avengers defeated Kang who fled into the timestream again. In thanks, Immortus healed and revived the Avengers who were injured or killed in battle and then returned the members of the Legion to their proper destinies. Immortus then informed Rama-Tut that it was time for him to go. Suspecting that Immortus knows more than he was letting on, Rama agreed and bid farewell to the Avengers and entered the timestream once more.[37][34] Rama-Tut traveled all across time trying to find a new place for himself.[9] At one point in his travels he was captured by Akhenaten along with other time travelers.[38] When Akhenaten was defeated, the time travelers were freed from captivity.[39]
Divergent Destinies[]
Future struggled between Kang and Immortus would eventually have an impact on the destiny of Rama-Tut. During the so-called Destiny War at the end of time between the Avengers and the Time-Keepers. During this battle they attempted to speed up Kang's destiny to become Immortus in order to eliminate him from the battle.[40] However instead they merely diverged their destinies so that both men now existed autonomously from each other.[41] The branching point of this divergence occurred during Rama-Tut's travels through the timestream. Growing old, Rama-Tut began seeking a way to achieve immortality and began studying the realm of Limbo and learned that it was a timeless place where he could live forever and decided to retire there to learn mastery of time. Breaching the barrier into Limbo, Rama-Tut later reinvented himself as Immortus and began following this destiny.[42] However, the barrier between the timestream and Limbo is a point where every moment in time can be seen, it is also a place where divergences can occur. This is the case with Rama-Tut. While one version of Rama-Tut went on to Limbo to become Immortus, yet another looked into the timestream and saw Immortus' eventual servitude to the Time-Keepers. Furious at the prospect of becoming a slave, Rama-Tut found a new fire for conquest and returned to his empire in the 40th century, and resumed his Kang identity.[9]
Legacies[]
Rama-Tut's son Ramades would eventually grow to adulthood in ancient Egypt and came to resent his father. Discovering the time travel technology left behind he became determined to succeed where he father would fail so many times: conquering the modern age. Ramades scheme was foiled by the Fantastic Four.[43]
Attributes
 |
Powers
Abilities
As Kang: Superior-level Intellect: Though it is hard to gauge Kang's intellect given his futuristic origins, his genius is nothing short of superhuman by modern standards. He commands technology beyond the most sophisticated designs of Stark Industries and Doctor Doom, and has made breakthroughs in time travel and robotics. Kang is the only known time traveler (other than his counterpart Immortus) who has the ability to travel through time without creating divergences.
Political Savvy: Kang is a brilliant military tactician and a peerless general. Using his considerable charisma, Kang was able to raise an army and conqueror his first world within weeks of building his armor. He has conquered everything within 100 light years from Other Earth, including the counterpart Badoon and Shi'ar empires of his reality. Though he considers it a chore, Kang is also a capable statesman.
Skilled Combatant: Kang is a master of both armed and unarmed combat. He has managed to go toe-to-toe with Captain America, and single-handedly held back Immortus's time-tossed army for several minutes during the Destiny War.Paraphernalia
Weapons
Transportation
Notes
See Also
- 36 appearance(s) of Nathaniel Richards (Rama-Tut) (Earth-6311)
- 7 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Nathaniel Richards (Rama-Tut) (Earth-6311)
- 17 minor appearance(s) of Nathaniel Richards (Rama-Tut) (Earth-6311)
- 14 mention(s) of Nathaniel Richards (Rama-Tut) (Earth-6311)
- 4 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Nathaniel Richards (Rama-Tut) (Earth-6311)
- 33 image(s) of Nathaniel Richards (Rama-Tut) (Earth-6311)
- 5 quotation(s) by or about Nathaniel Richards (Rama-Tut) (Earth-6311)
- 4 item(s) used/owned by Nathaniel Richards (Rama-Tut) (Earth-6311)
Links and References
- Marvel Directory
- A Brief History of Kang (Does not cover Avengers Forever or later)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #6
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Avengers Annual #2
- ↑ What If? #29
- ↑ (between Scarlet Centurion and his second reign)
- ↑ Fantastic Four #273
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 What If...? #39
- ↑ Young Avengers #2
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Fantastic Four #19
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 Avengers: Forever #9
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Captain America Annual #11
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Rise of Apocalypse #2
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Avengers #269
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 West Coast Avengers (Vol. 2) #21
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Rise of Apocalypse #1
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Avengers #129
- ↑ 4 #16
- ↑ Killpower: The Early Years #1
- ↑ Killpower: The Early Years #2
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 West Coast Avengers (Vol. 2) #20
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Doctor Strange (Vol. 2) #53
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 West Coast Avengers (Vol. 2) #22
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Rise of Apocalypse #3
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Rise of Apocalypse #4
- ↑ Fantastic Four #19. However they would later find that their Time-Platform neutralized the radioactivity of the herb, rendering it useless.
- ↑ West Coast Avengers (Vol. 2) #23
- ↑ West Coast Avengers (Vol. 2) #24
- ↑ Fantastic Four: Foes #1
- ↑ Iron Man (Vol. 2) #11. This was during the Heroes Reborn event, where following Onslaught: Marvel #1 a number of heroes were reborn into new lives on Counter-Earth with no memory of their past lives. Dr. Doom and Iron Man and the others transported there would have their memories restored and returned to their proper world in Heroes Reborn: The Return #4
- ↑ Cable #57
- ↑ Fantastic Four Annual #2 Avengers #269 Captain America Annual #11 Avengers: Forever #6. Dr. Doom was lost in space after being defeated by the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #23
- ↑ Avengers #8
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 Giant-Size Avengers #2
- ↑ Giant-Size Avengers #2Fantastic Four Annual #25. at the time Hawkeye was not an active Avenger having quit the group in Avengers #109
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Fantastic Four Annual #25
- ↑ Avengers #131Fantastic Four Annual #25. Immortus is later revealed in Avengers: Forever #8 revealed that this was part of his manipulations to first reveal that the original Human Torch and the Vision were both the same being the first step in a series of manipulations to affect the destiny of the Avengers. Immortus is specifically revealed to be the future counterparts of Rama-Tut and Kang in Giant-Size Avengers #3
- ↑ Avengers #132
- ↑ Giant-Size Avengers #3
- ↑ Marvel Universe: The End #2
- ↑ Although not seen, this likely happened after Akhenaten was slain by Thanos in Marvel Universe: The End #4
- ↑ Avengers: Forever #11
- ↑ Avengers: Forever #12
- ↑ Thor #282
- ↑ 4 #15–18
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 14