Marvel Database
Marvel Database

I am a summoner of many things. Most of all... lies.

Summoner[source]

History

The being known as the Summoner was the son of Apocalypse's First Horseman of War and Bracken, who would later be killed by Solem.[5] He was born nearly 300 years ago, on the mutant island of Arakko as part of the highest rank of Summoners, a group of wizards able to summon various creatures of Arakko.

After his grandmother, Genesis, was seemingly killed by the dark god of Amenth, Annihilation, the dark forces of the Amenthi daemons destroyed Arakko's towers, allowing them to finally attack its mutant population. While countless mutants were slaughtered, the Summoner was sent with a portion of Arakko to find his grandfather outside the Amenth dimension, as he was the only one who could help them save Arakko from its enemies.[7][1] However, his grandmother was still alive and became one with Annihilation, leading the daemons to unite with Arakko's mutant population and decide to invade Krakoa.[8]

Some time later, the Summoner sensed the presence of Cyclops and his children (Prestige and Cable) on the Arak Coral and approached them. As they couldn't understand each other due to their different languages, Cable gave a grenade to the Summoner as a sign of friendship, but he ended up accidentally setting it off. Mistaking it for an attack, the Summoner called forth a host of creatures to retaliate. In the ensuing battle, Prestige used her telepathic powers to make the Summoner understand them, and they cleared up the misunderstanding. After the Arak Coral united with Krakoa, the Summoner decided to remain there because of Apocalypse.

Later that day, the Summoner finally met Apocalypse and reported Arakko's situation to him, leading the mutant leader to promise he would protect all of his children, independent if they were from Krakoa or Arakko.[7] The Summoner later invited Anole, Loa, and Rockslide to play a game about weakness that originated from Arakko.[9] After the game, he told his grandfather the shared history of Arakko and Amenth before being directed towards the External Gate, a portal constructed on the bones of immortal mutants that linked Krakoa to Otherworld, a realm which was itself connected to Arakko. With Unus and Banshee by his side, the Summoner entered the portal so he could make his way back home.[1]

While traveling through Otherworld beneath the Starlight Citadel, the Summoner reunited with his mother and the rest of the Horsemen leading an armada of daemons, and turned on Banshee and Unus. After capturing Unus, the Summoner returned an injured Banshee to Krakoa, and, alongside Apocalypse, he told the Quiet Council of Krakoa about the armadas of daemons. The Council initially decided to destroy the External Gate, but Krakoa refused to let them destroy the portal, instead choosing to send Apocalypse, the Summoner, and other volunteers to go fight the horde. After entering Otherworld, Apocalypse was reunited with his children, the First Horsemen, but they, along with the Summoner, attacked him. The Summoner then proceeded to kill Rockslide. The fight was broken up by the Omniversal Majestrix Saturnyne, who offered each side to participate in the Contest of Swords for victory, to which they agreed.[10]

After Arakko's champions were gathered, the Summoner and his fellow Swordbearers of Arakko went to the Starlight Citadel, where the tournament would be held.[3] Facing off against Wolverine in Blightspoke, the realm of collapsed realities, he died in battle, stabbed through the eye with the Muramasa Blade.[11]

Personality

Despite his reluctance to go to Krakoa, the Summoner appeared to just want to protect Arakko from the enemy who split the mutant islands. After Cyclops and his children arrived on the Arak Coral, the Summoner tried to communicate with them and felt pity for thinking they were in pain due to speaking a different language; however, when he thought that he was under attack, he was eager to respond.[7]

He had no problem lying and manipulating to achieve his goals. He tricked Apocalypse into building the External Gate so Arakkii forces could invade Earth. He also tricked Rockslide into revealing his weakness and fighting with him in Otherworld, only to use this information to slay him.[10] Summoner was in fact known for lying in Amenth, as part of being a Summoner, he told lies most of all.[3]

Attributes

Powers

The Summoner is a mutant and a member of the highest rank of Summoners.[7]

  • Summoning: The Summoner is able to summon and control all the dark beasts of Arakko, including various Daemons and a horde of Elementals.[7]
  • Invulnerability:[1] The Summoner was able to withstand an explosion from Cable's futuristic grenade, and didn't seem to have received any damage from it.[7]
  • Advanced Longevity: The Summoner is around three hundred years old.[1]

Weaknesses

Eyes: The Summoner's eyes are the only vulnerable thing in his body.[1]

Paraphernalia

Weapons

Colony: the Summoner can manifest weapons from some black matter out of his body.[10]

Notes

  • The Summoner is the only surviving High Summoner of the three that were created.[7] Interestingly enough, a second High Summoner was confirmed to exist at a later point.[1]
  • According to Prestige, the Summoner's language (Arakki)[9] is similar to singing. Meanwhile, English to the Summoner is like grunting in pain.[7]
  • Summoner sat on the Night Seats of the Quiet Council. He was the only eligible participant in the trial of swords, as Redroot sat on the Great Ring already and Death is an Omega-level mutant.[12]

Trivia

  • The Summoner's characteristics appear to have been based on the Tarot card of Strength,[13] and some of his summoned creatures appear to be inspired from the Cthulhu Mythos, such as the monster in X of Swords: Creation #1 which was somewhat reminiscent of Cthulhu (as a giant dragon-winged octopus-headed creature).
  • A video game by the name Summoner was apparently based on the Summoner and his game about finding a person's weakness.[14]

See Also

Links and References

References