Karnak Mander-Azur (Earth-616)

Category:Marvel Superheroes
Category:Heroes of Marvel
Category:Superheroes
== Preface ==
A number the incidents recounting Karnak's life are cited to have occurred in specific decades relative to the era of publication. However, it should be noted that the so-called "modern era" of the Earth-616 universe operates on a Sliding Timescale. As such these events could not have occurred in the times they appeared due to the fact that it would drastically age the character. 
As Inhumans age much slower than humans some elements of his life prior to the birth of the Fantastic Four may be tied to specific dates. However as of this writing there are few specific examples of this, and as such most events in Karnak's life prior to the birth of the Fantastic Four should be considered as happening relative to a number of years prior to the beginning of the Modern Age than a specific date unless otherwise specified.
== Early life ==
=== Childhood ===
Karnak is a member of the Inhumans an offshoot of humanity that was genetically altered by the Kreecenturies ago. The Inhumans kept themselves hidden from humanity in their city known as Attilan(also known as the Great Refuge) out of fear for centuries, developing a high technological society with a focus on genetics. With the discovery of the Terrigen Mist, the Inhumans would expose themselves it in order to gain fantastic abilities. He was the son of Mander and Azur, members of the House of Agon, the royal family of the Inhumans. He is brother to Triton and cousins to Black Bolt, his brother Maximus, and their cousins Medusa, and her sister Crystal. Black Bolt proved to have a destructive voice that was uncontrollable unless tempered with restraint. As such, his father Agon,and the Genetics Council decreed that he be isolated until he could control his powers.
In his youth, Karnak accepted a challenge by Maximus to see who could sneak into the royal throne room and sit upon the Inhuman throne without getting stopped by their parents. Medusa allowed herself to be caught sneaking around by her parents. Medusa then told them the game that they were playing and while Quelin and Ambur stopped Maximus, Karnak and Crystal dead in their path, Medusa quietly sat upon the throne winning the competition.
=== Adolescence ===
Years later on Black Bolt's 19th birthday, his father Agon allowed his son to finally leave isolation now that he had found the discipline to never speak. It was here that Karnak first met Black Bolt. When Maximus attempted to force his brother to speak to cause untold destruction in the hopes he could eventually claim the Inhuman throne, Medusa, Gorgon and Karnak stopped him.Young and headstrong, when the young Inhuman royals learned that their ruler had hidden the Slave Engine, the Inhumans' most powerful weapon, in order to usher in an age of peace, they boldly confronted him. This led to a battle between the king and Black Bolt. Because he was weakened from hiding the engine the king was easily defeated in combat by Black Bolt. Karnak then witnessed as Black Bolt to the Himalayan Mountains. Black Bolt disposed the king by uttering his name, devastating him in a powerful sonic blast and leaving him for dead. This shameful chapter in Inhuman history was then covered up, the former ruler referred to only as the "Unspoken". However this event would have far reaching consequences many years in the future. Black Bolt soon became ruler of the Inhumans after the untimely death of his parents, and his brother Maximus being driven mad after nearly betraying their people to the Kree.
=== Exile ===
Under Black Bolt's rule, the Inhuman empire continued on secretly hidden from the eyes of humanity, the Inhumans developing a level of xenophobia toward the humans of the outside world. By the 1950s the advancement of the human race threatened to expose the hidden land of Attilan. This prompted Black Bolt to venture out and seek a new home for his people. Along the way he met another advanced offshoot of humanity, the Eternals. Eventually a new home was located in the Himalayan Mountains. Karnak and the rest of the Inhumans then assisted in moving their domain there with some help from the Eternals.
Due to his crimes against society, Maximus was locked away for years but he eventually used his mental powers to coerce three of the Alpha Primitives slave class. He compelled them to expose themselves to the Terrigen Mists transforming them into an entity known as the Trikon. The Trikon then compelled the Alpha Primitives to revolt against their suppressors. During the ensuing uprising, Medusa attempted to confront the Trikon on a sky sled, but it blasted her ship causing her to crash somewhere outside of the Great Refuge. The crash had stricken Medusa with amnesia and she wandered away from the ensuing battle which was eventually ended, but with Maximus taking control of the Inhuman throne and exiling his cousins. The royal family however continued to search for her.
== Modern Age ==
=== Reunion ===
Their search eventually brought the Inhumans to New York City, where they established a temporary home below a Brooklyn tenement slated for demolition. While out exploring one night Crystal happened to cross paths with the Human Torch, member of the heroic Fantastic Four. The pair were smitten by each other from the first, and after a quick chase, Crystal mistook Johnny Storm for an Inhuman due to his flame powers. When Gorgon successfully returned with Medusa, she recognized him as her former foe and a battle broke out. During the conflict, Johnny was able to summon his comrades in the Fantastic Four, while the Inhumans summoned their leader Black Bolt.
The Inhumans deduced that Maximus' agent the Seeker was after them when Triton went missing during the ensuing battle. Using Black Bolt's dog Lockjaw they fled the scene by teleporting back to the Great Refuge. Karnak then witnessed as Black Bolt fought through an army of Alpha Primitives in order to reclaim the Inhuman crown from Maximus. The Fantastic Four soon discovered and arrived at the Great Refuge and confronted Medusa and the others, Mister Fantastic pleading them to reveal themselves to humanity outside. However Maximus was not totally defeated as he intended to use his Atmo-Gun to wipe out the human race so the Inhumans could take over the entire world. Karnak then witnessed as Black Bolt destroyed the Atmo-Gun, saving the lives of every human on Earth. In one last ditch effort, Maximus scored a Pyrrhic victory by activating a device that surrounded Attilan with a "Negative Zone" barrier, forcing the Fantastic Four out while trapping the Inhumans within. While Karnak and the others processed this information, Black Bolt and Gorgon clashed with Maximus and the Seeker, ending with Maximus being driven even more mad than ever before, and the Seeker being slain for murdering Gorgon's father.
=== Freedom ===
Finding themselves trapped behind the Negative Zone barrier, Karnak and the others lamented over their fate. First, Karnak tried to find a weakness in the barrier, but failed to produce results.Karnak and the others then began attempting to coax Maximus into revealing a means for them to escape, but they found that he was more insane than ever and was only interested in making toys than helping solve their dilemma. Karnak then stood back helplessly as Black Bolt attempted to use his control of electrons trigger an Absorba-Bomb to destroy the barrier. This attempt also failed, and realizing that the Absorba-Bomb could destroy them all Black Bolt injured himself attempting to stop it. As soon as Black Bolt began to recover, Maximus revealed the only means in which the barrier could be destroyed, also revealing to the others the secret of why Black Bolt never spoke. Medusa tried to stop Maximus from speaking, but it was too late and the secret was out: the only way to destroy the Negative Zone barrier was in the destructive power of Black Bolt's voice. Something that could possible destroy them all in the process. With no other choice left to them, Karnak and the other Inhumans sought shelter below the city while Black Bolt unleashed the awesome power of his voice. Although Black Bolt succeeded in destroying the barrier, Attilan was decimated in the process. In the aftermath of the battle the Ruling Council of the Inhumans decreed that Black Bolt and the rest of the Royal Family leave the Great Refuge until the city could be rebuilt to its former splendor.
Karnak joined the rest of the royal family in their travels. They made a brief stop in Europe before a group of prejudiced villagers mistook them for witches and attacked, forcing them to defend themselves and leave. Karnak and the others soon found a new refuge before Black Bolt allowed Crystal to venture on her own to find the Human Torch. Their island hideaway was soon invaded by soldiers of an unspecified country who sought to secretly deploy an "Atomic Curtain" on the island in direct contravention of NATO agreements. Karnak and the other Inhumans attacked the invaders, destroyed their weapon and sent them fleeing into the ocean. The Inhumans and the others soon had to deal with two invaders, the first being the costumed hero known as the Black Panther who legally purchased the Inhumans temporary island home. He battled it out with the Inhumans until they realized they had mutual allies in the Fantastic Four. When Black Bolt alerted them that the island was also being invaded by the Microverse tyrant known as the Psycho-Man. Later on in the battle, Gorgon returned from a mission and arrived just in time to destroyed the device the Psycho-Man's emoto-cannon. However before the Inhumans and their allies could apprehend the Psycho-Man he fled back to his native Microverse.
When the villain known as Plantman encroached their island in his sub, Black Bolt sent Triton to investigate. Later when Triton was captured along with the Sub-Mariner, Karnak and the others attempted to rescue them. Despite their efforts, the Plantman managed to escape in the ocean.However, Triton and the Sub-Mariner managed to free themselves and stop the Plantman's schemes.
=== Return to Attilan ===
When Attilan was restored to its former glory, Karnak accompanied Black Bolt back to the Great Refuge. When Maximus and his band of renegade Inhumans attempted to take over the city by coercing the gamma spawned monster known as the Hulk into going on a rampage, Karnak lent his strength to the battle. Ultimately, Black Bolt foiled his mad brother's schemes and the Hulk was driven from Attilan. Karnak and the other members of the Inhuman royal family were later captured by Maximus during his next attempt to seize the Inhuman throne. By this point, Medusa's sister Crystal was asked to join the Fantastic Four to take the place of the Invisible Girl who had just discovered that she was pregnant. The group learned of the fate of Karnak and the rest of the royal family before being captured themselves. With no opposition, Maximus began preparing to unleash his massive Hypno-Gun to enslave the entire world. Ultimately, Black Bolt freed himself and the other Inhumans while the Fantastic Four broke out of their prison. The pair then stormed the Hypno-Gun, destroying the device before Maximus could employ it. In the ensuing battle Maximus, and his loyal renegades managed to escape in a ship. Later Karnak helped defend the kingdom from the Silver Surfer who was tricked into attacking the Great Refuge by Maximus. The Surfer was ultimately driven from the region.
During this period, Black Bolt was injured in a radiation experiment and needed the combined powers of both Gorgon and Crystal to recover from his injuries. Medusa was sent to collect Crystal from the Fantastic Four, despite protests from the Human Torch. When the Human Torch came to Attilan to get Crystal back, Karnak and the others defended Black Bolt was finally cured. All hostilities ceased when it was finally explained to Johnny why Crystal needed to return home. With Black Bolt fully healed, Crystal was allowed to return home with the Fantastic Four. Not long after this, the Fantastic Four's long time foe Doctor Doom was amassing a cache of powerful weapons. To this end he also stole the Helix of Randac from the Citadel of Science in Attilan. When this was discovered the royal family sent Lockjaw to collect Crystal from the Fantastic Four. Karnak was present when Medusa and the others informed Crystal of the threat of the theft. Karnak and the others later rescued the Fantastic Four and the Black Panther from space following a failed attempt to stop Doctor Doom from stealing the Ultimate Machine on the moon. They later reconnoitered on the SHIELD helicarrier to plan their next move along with Nick Fury and the Silver Surfer. It was not long until Doom used the Horn of Proteus to summon the sea creatures, including Giganto, upon New York City. Karnak and his family returned to Attilan where they provided the Human Torch and Crystal with an Agon-Sequencer to assist them in trying to locate the Helix of Randac. When Doom returned to Earth after stealing the power of the world devourer known as Galactus, Karnak and the other Inhumans stood by while the Fantastic Four dealt with the crisis. However they soon joined in the final battle against Doom in New York City. Karnak joined the rest of the royal family in a frontal assault on Doom and were subsequently slain. However, Doom was ultimately defeated when Mister Fantastic obtained the Cosmic Cube and restored everything to normal, undoing all the carnage Doom had caused and restored Karnak and the others to life. Back home, Karnak and the royal family joined the Eternal known as Pixie to reign in the rogue Inhuman known as the Yeti who was in a battle with the X-Men. In the aftermath, they revealed to the X-Men the fate of the Cold War era heroes known as the First Line.