Voyager (Va Nee Gast), initially known by the alias Valerie Vector) 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, ...
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 ...
. Created by
Mark Waid
Mark Waid (; born March 21, 1962) is an American comic book writer best known for his work on DC Comics titles ''The Flash'', '' Kingdom Come'' and '' Superman: Birthright'' as well as his work on ''Captain America'', ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Dar ...
,
Al Ewing
Al Ewing () is a British comics writer who has mainly worked in the small press and for '' 2000 AD'' and Marvel Comics.
Career
Al Ewing began his career writing stories in the four-page ''Future Shocks'' format for '' 2000 AD'' and moved on ...
,
Jim Zub
Jim Zubkavich, known professionally as Jim Zub, is a Canadian comic book writer, artist, and art instructor best known for creating comics ''Skullkickers'' (2010), '' Wayward'' (2014), ''and Glitterbomb'' (2016) for Image Comics, and writing on t ...
,
Michael Allred
Michael Dalton Allred is an American comic book artist and writer most famous for his independent comics creations, ''Madman'' and ''iZombie''. His style is often compared to pop art, as well as commercial and comic art of the 1950s and 1960 ...
, and
Laura Allred
Laura Allred is an American comics artist who is best known for her work as a colorist with her husband, the writer/artist Mike Allred.
Awards
* 1995: Won "Favorite Colorist" Wizard Fan Award
* 1998: Nominated for "Best Colorist" Eisner Awa ...
, the character first appeared in ''
The Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...
'' #675 as part of the ''
Avengers: No Surrender'' storyline. Voyager was initially presented as a "lost" founding member of the
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
, but was subsequently revealed to be the daughter and ally of the
Grandmaster, one of the
Elders of the Universe
The Elders of the Universe are a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Collector was the first Elder to appear, and featured in '' The Avengers'' #28 (May 1966), but the idea that he was a member ...
, before truly defecting to the Avengers' side.
Publication history
Concept and creation
The concept of a "lost founder" of the Avengers was initially suggested during the planning of ''
Marvel Legacy
Marvel Legacy is a 2017–18 relaunch of a line of American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is concurrent with All-New, All-Different Marvel and Marvel NOW! 2.0.
Publication history
On April 22, 2017, Marvel Comics announced Marvel ...
'', with writers tentatively attributing the idea to
Tom Brevoort
Tom Brevoort () is an American comic book editor, known for his work for Marvel Comics, where he has overseen titles such as '' New Avengers'', ''Civil War'', and ''Fantastic Four''. He became Executive Editor in 2007, and in January 2011 was prom ...
. The concept is similar to that of
Triumph
The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...
, a retroactively established founding member of the
Justice League of America
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
co-created by
Mark Waid
Mark Waid (; born March 21, 1962) is an American comic book writer best known for his work on DC Comics titles ''The Flash'', '' Kingdom Come'' and '' Superman: Birthright'' as well as his work on ''Captain America'', ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Dar ...
, one of the creators of Voyager; as a result, Waid was insistent that Voyager not be a "real" founder", not wanting to repeat his work on Triumph.
[Avengers: No Surrender Writers Talk Hulk's Return & Voyager's True Identity]
/ref> The similarity between the two was alluded to in Voyager's fictional backstory, in which she claims to have been erased from history while fighting "Victory, the Electromagnetic Man", a pastiche
A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking it ...
of Triumph and member of the Squadron Sinister
The Squadron Sinister is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Sinister first appeared in the final panel of '' The Avengers'' #69 (October 1969), created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema. The ...
.[''Avengers'' #676. Marvel Comics.]
Voyager's powers of teleportation were suggested by Jim Zub
Jim Zubkavich, known professionally as Jim Zub, is a Canadian comic book writer, artist, and art instructor best known for creating comics ''Skullkickers'' (2010), '' Wayward'' (2014), ''and Glitterbomb'' (2016) for Image Comics, and writing on t ...
as abilities that were not widely represented among the Avengers, as well as being useful as a plot device
A plot device or plot mechanism
is any narrative technique, technique in a narrative used to move the Plot (narrative), plot forward. A clichéd plot device may annoy the reader and a contrived or arbitrary device may confuse the reader, causing ...
for the story of ''No Surrender''. Her name was suggested both to relate to her powers and allude to the naming conventions of the Elders of the Universe
The Elders of the Universe are a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Collector was the first Elder to appear, and featured in '' The Avengers'' #28 (May 1966), but the idea that he was a member ...
; other names considered included "Legacy", "Vector", "Apex", "Transit" and "Portal Princess". Her design was created by Mike Allred
Michael Dalton Allred is an American comic book artist and writer most famous for his independent comics creations, ''Madman'' and ''iZombie''. His style is often compared to pop art, as well as commercial and comic art of the 1950s and 1960s ...
and Laura Allred
Laura Allred is an American comics artist who is best known for her work as a colorist with her husband, the writer/artist Mike Allred.
Awards
* 1995: Won "Favorite Colorist" Wizard Fan Award
* 1998: Nominated for "Best Colorist" Eisner Awa ...
, and was specifically intended to fit alongside the designs of Marvel characters from the 1960s, the era which Voyager supposedly hailed from.
Fictional character biography
Va Nee Gast was the daughter of the Grandmaster, travelling the galaxy with him and gambling for the fates of planets. However, she came to resent her father for treating her as a playing piece in his games.[''Avengers'' #684. Marvel Comics.]
When Earth was chosen as the battleground for a contest between the Grandmaster and his brother, the Challenger
Challenger, Challengers, or The Challengers may refer to:
Entertainment
Comics and manga
* Challenger (character), comic book character
* ''Challengers'' (manga), manga by Hinako Takanaga
Film and TV
* ''The Challengers'' (TV series), a 1979 ...
, Voyager was secretly planted on the planet as the Grandmaster's "secret weapon", using her newly-granted powers to implant false memories in order to adopt the guise of "Valerie Vector", a founding member of the Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
who was lost fighting Squadron Sinister
The Squadron Sinister is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Sinister first appeared in the final panel of '' The Avengers'' #69 (October 1969), created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema. The ...
member Victory the Electronic Man. When the truth of her identity was revealed by the Vision
Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to:
Perception Optical perception
* Visual perception, the sense of sight
* Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight
* Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...
and Edwin Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis is a supporting character in the Marvel Comics titles ''Iron Man'' and ''Avengers (comics), The Avengers''. He is the loyal household butler of the Stark family. Since the 1990s, the character has appeared heavily in media adaptations ...
, Voyager turned on her allies and claimed the fifth "pyramoid" target of the contest for herself;[''Avengers'' #683. Marvel Comics.] however, during the Avengers' defense of their headquarters against the Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
, Voyager found herself moved by their bravery and heroism, leading her to aid them in restoring Earth to its proper place and in defeating the Challenger, whose anger had been provoked by the Grandmaster's duplicity.[''Avengers'' #689. Marvel Comics.]
In the aftermath, the Avengers offered her membership, but she declined, feeling she had not truly earned it yet and vowed to return if the Grandmaster ever threatened Earth again. Wishing to make amends for her actions, Voyager took it upon herself to watch over the newly-imprisoned Challenger on the Far Shore of life and death, showing him the adventures of the Avengers in the hope that he would find the same inspiration in them that she did.[''Avengers'' #690. Marvel Comics.]
Voyager returns in ''Avengers: No Road Home'' after the goddess Nyx
Nyx (; , , "Night") is the Greek goddess and personification of night. A shadowy figure, Nyx stood at or near the beginning of creation and mothered other personified deities, such as Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death), with Erebus (Darknes ...
is released from her imprisonment by the contest between the Grandmaster and Challenger, causing global night to fall across the universe. Feeling responsible for Nyx's release, Voyager assembles a team of Avengers consisting of Spectrum
A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors i ...
, the Vision, Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...
, Hawkeye, Hulk, Rocket Raccoon
Rocket Raccoon is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Keith Giffen, the character first appeared in ''Marvel Preview'' #7 (Summer 1976). He is an intelligent ...
, and Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
, but they are too late to stop Nyx from slaughtering the Olympian Gods
upright=1.8, Fragment of a relief (1st century BC1st century AD) depicting the twelve Olympians carrying their attributes in procession; from left to right: Hestia (scepter), Hermes (winged cap and staff), Aphrodite (veiled), Ares (helmet and s ...
. Voyager sends the Avengers across dimensions to stop Nyx's children from reclaiming the three shards of her power, but is captured by Nyx in the process and enslaved by the powers of Oizys
In Greek mythology, Oizys (; grc, Ὀϊζύς, Oïzýs) is the goddess of misery, anxiety, grief, depression, and misfortune. Her Roman name is Miseria, from which the English word ''misery'' is derived. Oizys is a minor goddess without a great ...
, goddess of misery. Though Voyager is able to temporarily keep the shard kept in Omnipotence City away from Nyx by teleporting it, and the Scarlet Witch, through time to the Hyborian Age
The Hyborian Age is a fictional period of Earth's history within the artificial mythology created by Robert E. Howard, serving as the setting for the sword and sorcery tales of Conan the Barbarian.
The word "Hyborian" is derived from the l ...
, Nyx follows them to the past and reclaims the shard.[''Avengers: No Road Home'' #5]
Voyager is freed from Oizys' control when Hercules overcomes his despair and offers her his aid, crushing Oizys to death in the process and allowing the Avengers and Conan the Cimmerian to follow Nyx to the final shard, on the planet Euphoria. Though Voyager is brought to the point of collapse by overuse of her powers, she manages to transport the Avengers one final time, following the fully powered Nyx to the House of Ideas, the dwelling place of the One-Above-All
Randy O'Brien
Blackjack O'Hare
Blackjack O'Hare is a fictional anthropomorphic hare in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema, first appeared in ''The Incredible Hulk'' (vol. 2) #271 (May 1982).
Blackjack O'Hare ...
, and allowing the Vision to enter the House and stop Nyx from rewriting creation in her image. With Nyx defeated, Voyager returned to the Far Shore, only to discover that the Challenger had escaped his imprisonment and disappeared.
Powers and abilities
Voyager has the ability to create portals that teleport herself and others through time and space with no apparent limitations on distance. She was able to take the Challenger to the Far Shore, the "furthest point of life and death." She also transported the Avengers through time to the Hyborian Age
The Hyborian Age is a fictional period of Earth's history within the artificial mythology created by Robert E. Howard, serving as the setting for the sword and sorcery tales of Conan the Barbarian.
The word "Hyborian" is derived from the l ...
. However, use of these powers repeatedly or on large numbers of people is draining on Voyager. It required her to rest before using them again.[''Avengers'' #677. Marvel Comics.] Her powers also extend to the ability to "travel" through memories. She can implant new memories and altering existing ones. Voyager is also able to fly through her quantum powers.
Other versions
The fictional backstory that Voyager gave to the Avengers is true in the alternate reality of Earth-17122. On this Earth, Valerie Vector was the daughter of scientist Arthur Vector, who gained her quantum powers when she ran into the path of one of her father's experiments after hearing that her mother wanted a divorce. Voyager served as a superhero and Avenger for years until she was seemingly killed during a fight with the Squadron Sinister.
Reception
Accolades
* In 2019, ''CBR.com
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Voyager 9th in their "10 Best New Avengers Of The Decade" list.
In other media
Video games
* Voyager appears as a recruitable character in ''Marvel Avengers Academy
''Marvel Avengers Academy'' was a freemium mobile game for iOS and Android, based on the characters featured in Marvel Comics. It was released on February 4, 2016. The game was shut down three years later. Despite the name, the game was not rel ...
''. She appears as an Avenger from the 1960s who re-enters the timestream only to discover that nobody remembers her existence.['']Marvel Avengers Academy
''Marvel Avengers Academy'' was a freemium mobile game for iOS and Android, based on the characters featured in Marvel Comics. It was released on February 4, 2016. The game was shut down three years later. Despite the name, the game was not rel ...
'' - "Voyager!"
References
External links
'Avengers: No Road Home': Who is Voyager?
at Marvel.com
at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
{{Marvel Cosmic
Comics characters introduced in 2018
Elders of the Universe
Marvel Comics female superheroes