Redstone is the name of two fictional characters appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
.
Various incarnations of Redstone
The first Redstone is a
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
who is a native to the alternate universe of the original
Squadron Supreme
The Squadron Supreme is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, of which there are several notable alternate versions. The original team was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, derived from the previous ...
. A member of Nighthawk's Redeemers, Redstone, a later creation, is a counterpart to
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
and Detroit Justice League character
Steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
.
The second Redstone is a super-powered
serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
*
*
*
* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
from the reality of the ''
Supreme Power
The Squadron Supreme is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, of which there are several notable alternate versions. The original team was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, derived from the previous ...
'' series. Though he shares the same name as the first, his powers in this universe are derived from elements of Hyperion's alien DNA and mimic most - but not all - of his alien abilities.
Squadron Supreme
Michael Redstone was an
Apache
The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
born on a reservation somewhere in the Southwest United States of "Other-Earth", or "Earth-S", later known as
Earth-712
The Squadron Supreme is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, of which there are several notable alternate versions. The original team was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, derived from the previous ...
. As Redstone, he was a part of ''
Nighthawk
The nighthawk is a nocturnal bird of the subfamily Chordeilinae, within the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae, native to the western hemisphere. The term "nighthawk", first recorded in the King James Bible of 1611, was originally a local name i ...
's
Redeemers
The Redeemers were a political coalition in the Southern United States during the Reconstruction era of the United States, Reconstruction Era that followed the American Civil War, Civil War. Redeemers were the Southern wing of the Democratic Par ...
''. Like the
Greek god
The following is a list of gods, goddesses, and many other divine and semi-divine figures from ancient Greek mythology and ancient Greek religion.
Immortals
The Greeks created images of their deities for many purposes. A temple would house the ...
Antaeus
Antaeus (; Ancient Greek: Ἀνταῖος ''Antaîos'', "opponent", derived from , ''antao'' – 'I face, I oppose'), known to the Berbers as Anti, was a figure in Berber and Greek mythology. He was famed for his defeat by Heracles as part o ...
, he drew his power from the Earth, and lost much of his super-strength when not in contact with the ground.
Redstone was recruited into the Redeemers by Nighthawk. Alongside several other Redeemers, he then infiltrated the Squadron Supreme. With
Thermite
Thermite () is a pyrotechnic composition of metal powder and metal oxide. When ignited by heat or chemical reaction, thermite undergoes an exothermic reduction-oxidation (redox) reaction. Most varieties are not explosive, but can create brie ...
, he captured
Shape
A shape or figure is a graphics, graphical representation of an object or its external boundary, outline, or external Surface (mathematics), surface, as opposed to other properties such as color, Surface texture, texture, or material type.
A pl ...
and took him to Redeemers headquarters for deprogramming. With the other Redeemers, he eventually fought the Squadron in Squadron City, forcing them to end their dictatorship over the United States of "Other-Earth". During the battle, Redstone personally bested Squadron leader
Hyperion; however, he was only able to achieve this with
Lamprey
Lampreys (sometimes inaccurately called lamprey eels) are an ancient extant lineage of jawless fish of the order Petromyzontiformes , placed in the superclass Cyclostomata. The adult lamprey may be characterized by a toothed, funnel-like s ...
's aid. After this battle, Redstone remained with the Squadron as a costumed adventurer.
Redstone's ties to the Earth proved to be more intimate than he realized for after leaving the planet and traveling into outer space with the Squadron to confront the
Nth Man
Nth Man is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
Thomas Lightner first appeared as Blacksun in '' Marvel Two-in-One'' #21-23 (November 1976-January 1977), and was created by Bi ...
and prevent him from destroying the universe. Upon leaving Earth's atmosphere he became ill and lost much of his physical mass. His return to Earth did not prevent his demise; the adverse effects of separation from Earth's environment were irreversible, and Redstone perished.
[''Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe'']
Supreme Power
The first
supervillain
A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.
Supervillains are oft ...
to appear in the ''
Supreme Power
The Squadron Supreme is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, of which there are several notable alternate versions. The original team was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, derived from the previous ...
''
universe
The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Acc ...
, Redstone is what the US government has dubbed a "Power." In essence, he is on par with the likes of Hyperion and Power Princess, but he does not yet exhibit the degree of control over his powers Hyperion possesses, though it can be inferred that this is Redstone's personal choice.
Michael Redstone was an imprisoned renegade soldier and
serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
*
*
*
* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
who murdered six women (five
prostitutes
Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...
and one ''Sergeant Alicia James''.) The murder of the female sergeant, who outranked him, was said to demonstrate "a
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
that loathes women who have any amount of power over him." A secret government group had been grafting a retro-virus based on
Hyperion's DNA to military convicts who volunteered as human
guinea pig
The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus ''Cavia'' in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word ''cavy'' to describe the ani ...
s. Redstone had been one such volunteer.
After getting his powers (super strength, invulnerability, and "
Flash vision"; notably, he does not gain Hyperion's ability to fly), he and an unknown number of other test subjects escaped. Redstone resumed killing prostitutes, again mostly black women, but this time in greater numbers, attracting
Nighthawk
The nighthawk is a nocturnal bird of the subfamily Chordeilinae, within the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae, native to the western hemisphere. The term "nighthawk", first recorded in the King James Bible of 1611, was originally a local name i ...
's attention. Due to the detective work of Nighthawk and the assistance of Hyperion and Blur, Redstone was apprehended again. The team used a substance that blocked Redstone's nose and mouth, showing Redstone that he still needs oxygen to survive.
Dr. Spectrum arrived at the scene after the fighting, to take Redstone into custody and to a prison originally made for Hyperion. General Richard Alexander makes a deal with Redstone, and has him dropped into an unknown country whose government is being what the United States considers ''difficult''. Redstone's mission is simple: kill as many people he can, in order to cause mass panic and governmental instability.
Since then, he has seemingly escaped government control and was last seen hiring out his services to the
Chinese government
The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, mili ...
, whose intent is to counterbalance the superhuman weapons threat presented by the Squadron Supreme; subsequently, he tracked down Hyperion himself, and confronted him in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
Redstone and Hyperion fight, resulting in the deaths of many innocent bystanders. Hyperion attempts to suffocate Redstone by flying him into orbit, but Redstone has prepared a nuclear weapon stolen from a submarine that had sunk in the
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea ( no, Norskehavet; is, Noregshaf; fo, Norskahavið) is a marginal sea, grouped with either the Atlantic Ocean or the Arctic Ocean, northwest of Norway between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea, adjoining the Barents Sea to ...
. The bomb will explode if it does not receive a signal from him every 5 minutes. Redstone insists Hyperion let himself be beaten to death or the device will be triggered. Hyperion is blinded by Redstone's flash vision and Redstone's rampage takes the lives of many citizens.
Zarda arrives to save Hyperion but he insists she dispose of the bomb. Finally
Blur forcibly recruits Nighthawk to aid in the battle and the three heroes confront Redstone.
Powers and abilities
The Redstone of the Squadron Supreme's Earth possesses superhuman strength, stamina, and durability. His life force and superhuman powers were dependent on his contact with the Earth and its atmosphere. He was a good hand-to-hand combatant, and was coached from Nighthawk and Squadron Supreme members.
References
External links
*http://www.marvel.com/universe/Redstone_(Earth-712)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Redstone
Characters created by Mark Gruenwald
Comics characters introduced in 1986
Fictional Apache people
Fictional serial killers
Fictional soldiers
Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength
Marvel Comics supervillains
Squadron Supreme