CONTRARY

Real Name: possibly Mary

Identity/Class: Extra-dimensional (Earth-Ultraverse) Human mutate (Ultra)

Occupation: Teacher and warrior; former nurse

Group Membership: Ultraforce (Ghoul, Pixx, Prime, Prototype (Jimmy Ruiz), Topaz, Black Knight, Siren); leader of the Academy of the New Elite

Affiliations:

Enemies: Aladdin, Angels, Atalon, Entity, the Fire People, Hybrid, Loki of Earth-616, Nemesis, Sersi of Earth-616;
    antagonist of the Old Man

Known Relatives: none

Aliases: Wetware Mary

Base of Operations: currently unknown;
    formerly
Ultraforce HQ, Headless Cross, Arkansas;
    formerly Ultraforce HQ, Miami, Florida;
    formerly
Mt. Shasta, Northern California;
    mobile across the planet in her
airship;
   
Earth-Ultraverse

First Appearance: (BTS) Freex#1 (July, 1993);
    (Wetware Mary named, but not seen) Freex#5 (November, 1993);
    (Contrary) Freex#9 (March, 1994)

Powers/Abilities: Contary can induce intense pain or pleasure on contact.  She is highly intelligent, knowledgeable in various aspects of medicine and technology.  She is skilled at manipulating others, especially men, and is more than happy to use her...assets to distract and influence others.
    She did appear to fly at one point, though that may have been an unseen tractor beam from her ship.

    Contrary also has access to the advanced technology of the Fire People, which she pilfered from the subterranean bases.   

    Though essentially heroic, she does seek to manipulate the world to her own uncertain agenda, possibly in-line with an ancient prophecy of the Fire People. She sought to establish her "new order." She intended "to make everything work out...for everybody's good" (in her opinion, anyway).

History: Contary's full origins remain unrevealed.

(Freex#18(fb) - BTS) - An official of the Fire People known as the "Keeper of the Powers" watched as the children of his race were born more and more monstrous.  Based on the prophecy of the Someday Champions and the legend of a group of humans encountered back in ancient Egypt, the Keeper of the Powers decided that humanity might be better able to save the Fire People. To this end, the Keeper took the Wetware (nanotechnology developed in the distant past by Prometheus to empower the Someday Champions) and gave it to a secret society on Earth (presumably Aladdin).

(Freex#5 (fb) - BTS) - <approximately 16 years before the modern era> A nurse stole the Wetware/nanotech and injected a number (dozens, by one account) of infants in a hospital with it. Several of these beings would become the Freex, with the potential to fulfill the prophecy of the Someday Champions. The government went after this nurse, but found her to have vanished without a trace. The nurse became known only as Wetware Mary.

BTS - The woman who would become Contrary somehow located and an abandoned outpost of the Fire People within Mt. Shasta, which she took as her base. With the equipment and technology she obtained, she constructed an airship. Within Mt. Shasta, she established the Academy of the New Elite, a training facility for young mutates, presumably recipients of the Wetware, including Caymen, Feline, Flygirl, and Waver.

(Freex#1 (fb) - BTS) - Contary was contacted by Mrs. Golic to take/train her son Ray. However, Ray feared that she was sending him to prison or worse and fled before Contary could arrive. Ray went on to become Boom Boy of the Freex.

(Freex#9) - Contrary confronted the Night Patrol, a group hunting the Freex and other Ultras, and offered them more advanced technology to better enable them to combat the ultras. In reality, she wished to create a tangible threat to the Freex that would drive them into her arms. She created weapons for the suits, but left subject to her control and fitted them with various Achilles' heals.
    Contrary abducted Ray against his will, teleporting him into a set of restraints in her airship, where she explained that she was fulfilling a promise to his parents.

(Freex#10) - Contrary brought Ray to Mt. Shasta, released him from his bonds, and introduced him to the other members of her Academy. Contrary quickly demonstrated the benefits of her teaching skills by teaching Ray proper lifting posture. She also appealed to his interest in reading by showing him her immense library. As she read to the monstrous Boom Boy about Pinocchio--the story of a poor puppet who becomes a real boy through the help of a beautiful princess--Cayman attacked Ray, as Contrary had instructed to test Ray's loyalty to her. As expected, Ray defended her without a second thought.
    The rest of the Freex located and invaded Mount Shasta in an effort to free Ray. Boom Boy, however, was torn between loyalty to his friends and his desire to learn, and stood back from the fight as the Freex were defeated by the members of the Academy.

(Freex#11) - Contrary told the Freex that she would have to detain them so that they could not reveal the existence of her New Academy to the public.  Ray disagreed with this, and when the Freex broke free, he stopped the members of the Academy from recapturing them.  As the fight raged on Cayman sided with the Freex, helping them to escape and going with them.  Ray, however, stayed with the Academy. Contrary was furious and vowed to recapture the Freex.

(Giant-Size Freex#1/2) - Contrary received a call to take Penny Burka into her Academy.  She met with the Burkas, but found that they had also contacted Aladdin, who tried to take Penny by force. Contrary used her powers against the Aladddin agents, but was nearly overcome until Penny joined the fight, driving the agents off with the illusion of Prime coming to join the fight. Contrary took Penny, aka Pixx, with her and revealed that she would be serving as her assistant and technician.

(Prototype#13/Ultraverse Premiere#6/5) - Contrary brought Pixx to Mt. Shasta, where she met with the members of the Academy.

(Freex#12, 13) - Contrary then took Pixx with her to investigate an uprising of the Fire People. Under Pixx's guidance, they zeroed in on several groups of Fire People, raiding military nuclear bases across the country.

(Ultraforce#0A+B) - On that mission, Pixx and Contrary encountered Hardcase and Ghoul and discovered that they had similar interests. Realizing that Hardcase had good public approval, Contrary convinced him of the need for an Ultraforce.

(Ultraforce#1) - Pixx continued her efforts to convince Hardcase. Annoyed with her manipulative ways, he stole a vital piece of her airship's guidance controls, preventing her from interfering with the struggle against Atalon and the Fire People. As it became apparent that they needed to team up against Atalon and to provide guidance to the younger ultras, Contrary convinced Hardcase to lead the group by offering to lead herself

(Ultraforce I#2) - As Ultraforce received official government sanction from President Bill Clinton, Contrary observed the other members in action, considering how each could be manipulated towards her ends. She found the young Prime the easiest to manipulate.
    The group split up to try to recruit aid from other ultras.

(Freex#14) - Contrary tried and failed to re-recruit the Freex, she then regathered Prime, Prototype, and Hardcase, pulling them away from their previous negotiations, to inform them that the Fire People were assaulting a nuclear weapons base in Russia.

(Ultraforce I#2) - As Hardcase tried to formulate a plan, Contrary's manipulations of the younger males in the team caused Prime to lash out at Hardcase, and a fight erupted, that ended with Prime leaving the team. The rest of the group headed out after the Fire People.

(Ultraforce#3) - Contrary accompanied Ultraforce in an assault on Zenalla, the island of the Fire People. Atalon's gravity powers prevented her airship from attempting to stop the nuclear missile he had launched (though Prototype did stop it with Pixx's aid). Atalon then sank both Contrary's airship and the temporary ship Pixx was using, but Prime returned to action in time to save them both. Contrary watched helplessly as Atalon detonated a nuclear weapon on Zenalla, rendering it inhospitable to Ultraforce.

(Ultraforce#4) - Contrary attended an Ultraforce press conference which ended badly as Prototype lost his cool. Contrary used her ability to manipulate others to help Prototype regain his confidence (just by talking to him...get your mind out of the gutter!). She helped palliate Prime's concerns as well, then made her peace with Hardcase. She helped finalize the details of Pixx's planned new assault on Atalon and the Fire People.

(Ultraforce#5) - As the others assaulted the Fire People, Contrary donned scuba gear and went to retrieve her airship.

(Ultraforce#6) - Recovering her airship, Contrary released a pulse of light that temporarily blinded the Fire People.  Atalon, infuriated over the destruction of his plans, released enough seismic force to utterly destroy the Earth. Contrary teleported Atalon aboard her ship and convinced him to withdraw the energy in exchange for being granted legal sovereignty of Zenalla.  The World Leaders backed her plan, and Atalon agreed to a temporary truce.
    Hardcase awarded Contrary the position of Nerve Center of Ultraforce, but warned her that he still suspected she was up to something and would be watching her.

(Ultraforce#7) - Contrary shared Ghoul's grieving over Pixx and encouraged him to go out and get some fresh air.

(Freex#16) - Contrary attended the funeral for the Freex member Plug, where she argued with the Old Man over the best course for the Freex.

(Freex#17) - As the Freex returned from the past (somehow reality warped), Contrary greeted them outside the portal in San Fancisco. She agreed to help the Freex warn the rest of the world about the Savior of the Fire People, but only if she could assess the situation directly herself.   

(Freex#18) - The Freex brought Contrary to the subterranean tunnel of the Fire People, where she was astounded to find out that the prophecies of the Fire People were all true. Contrary then took advantage of a burst of green flames to head off by herself into the tunnels. She planned to utilize the large amounts of high-tech equipment to further her plans, but eventually was discovered and forced to flee by some monsters of the Fire People. The newest member of the Freex, AJ, saved her, but then told her that he knew she was using them for her own benefit. Contrary tried and failed to influence him with her powers, but he released his energy form to stop her from touching him. Contary used her energy disruptor to stun his physical form and steal his crown (a device of the Fire People that enabled them to move freely among the monsters, etc.).  However, removing the crown hurt AJ more seriously than she had planned, and she flew off to take him to her citadel to treat him.  As he left, she told him not to worry, because she used to be a nurse.

(Ultraforce#8, 9) - With Ultraforce, Contrary helped oppose the Angels that had escaped from Metabio.

(Mantra I#24) - Alongside Ultraforce, Contrary helped Topaz resolve her differences with Mantra and defeat the villain Hybrid.
    In the course of the struggle, Contrary was part of the group that fell victim to Hybrid's trap involving a missile testing on an aircraft carrier. Under Contrary's guidance, Prime was able to push the carrier out of the missile's range.

(Ultraforce#10) - With Ultraforce, she fought a frost giant construct of Loki and then entered the Dark Shoppe, where she was attacked by a maddened Sersi.

(Ultraforce/Avengers prelude) - Sersi used the Infinity Gems to manipulate reality around Ultraforce. Contrary and Siren appeared to be sent to confront Loki on Vahdala, the hub of the Godwheel, where they seemingly managed to steal the Reality Gem from him. However, as they did so, they were sent back to the Dark Shoppe, empty handed.

(Avengers/Ultraforce) - While the Grandmaster and Loki manipulated the Avengers and Ultraforce for possession of the Infinity Gems, Contrary was sent to struggle against Eros/Starfox. Each turned their pleasure powers against each other and wound up just getting hot and heavy. This battle was one of the indecisive struggles that allowed Loki to claim he had not lost and to claim the seventh, Ego Gem.
    However, Nemesis than reformed and warped reality around them.

(Ultraforce/Avengers) - Alongside the Avengers and Ultraforce, Contrary joined with the Avengers of the New World and numerous other alternate dimensional counterparts of both teams to destroy Nemesis. However, as she split, reality was warped yet again.
    Contrary was absent from this new reality, and no one remembered her.

Comments: Created by Gerard Jones and Martin England.

With Freex#18, that whole plotline and that aspect of Contrary were dropped like a hot potato, and buried deep, deep, deep in the pit of forgotten stories when Contrary vanished, never to be seen again, during the events of Black September, as detailed under the Ultraforce profile.

    Contrary strikes me as a little bit White Queen (Emma Frost) and a little bit Moonstone (Karla Sofen).

While never conclusively stated that Contrary was Wetware Mary, the hints are there, and I don't see any other conclusion you could reach after reading Freex#18.

CLARIFICATIONS:
no known connection to:

 


Airship

 

Constructed by Contrary based on the technology of the Fire People.

 

It can fly through the air at great speeds, travel underwater, teleport others, easily carry 6 or more passengers, project blinding light, etc.

 

--Freex#9 (10, GS Freex#1/2, Prototype#13/Ultraverse Premiere#6/5, Freex#13, Ultraforce#0A+B, UF1, UF2/Freex#14, UF3-6, Freex#18, UF8,9, 10,

 


Mount Shasta

A base within a mountain, carved out of stone eons past by the Fire People and later abandoned. Contrary discovered it and made it her own base, quickly learning to use the advanced technology. It is powered by a tap into the magma core towards the center of the Earth.

--Freex#10 (11, GS Freex#1/2, Prototype#13/Ultraverse Premiere#6/5, Freex#12, [18]

 

The real Mt. Shasta: http://www.mtshastanews.com/

 

 


Appearances:
Freex#1 (July, 1993) - Gerard Jones (writer), Ben Herrera (pencils), Mike Christian (inks), Chris Ulm (editor)
Freex#5 (November, 1993) - Gerard Jones (writer), Ben Herrera (pencils), Larry Welch (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Freex#9 (March, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), Martin Egeland (pencils), Tim Roddick (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Freex#10-11 (April-May, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), Ben Herrera (pencils), Mike Christian (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Giant-Size Freex#1 (July, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), Jeff Parker (pencils), John Lowe, Larry Welch & Scott Reed (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Prototype#13/Ultraverse Premiere#6/5 (August, 1994) - Mark Paniccia (writer), Brian O'Connell (pencils), Scott Reed (inks)
Freex#12 (June, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), Scott Kolins (pencils), Jon Holdredge (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Freex#13-14 (September-October, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), Scott Kolins (pencils), Jon Holdredge (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Ultraforce I#1 (August, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), George Perez (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Chris Ulm & Hank Kanalz (editors)
Ultraforce I#0A-B (September, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), George Perez (pencils), Al Vey (inks)
Ultraforce I#2 (October, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), John Statema & George Perez (pencils), Jeff Whiting & Barb Kaalberg (inks), Chris Ulm & Hank Kanalz (editors)
Ultraforce I#4-6 (January-March, 1995) - Gerard Jones (writer), George Perez & Steven Butler (#6) (pencils), Al Vey, Keith Aiken, Terry Austin (#5) & Dennis Jane (#6) (inks), Hank Kanalz (editors)
Ultraforce I#3 (November, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), George Perez (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Chris Ulm & Hank Kanalz (editors)
Freex#16 (January, 1995) - Gerard Jones (writer), Klebs de Moura e. Silva (pencils), Rick Magyar, Reuben Rodriguez & Mike Christian (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Freex#17 (February, 1995) - Gerard Jones (writer), Scott Kolins (pencils), Jon Holdredge (inks), Phil Crain (editor)
Freex#18 (March, 1995) - Gerard Jones (writer), Steve Ellis (pencils), Robert Hunter (inks), Roland Mann (editor)
Ultraforce I#8 (May, 1995) - Marv Wolfman & Hank Kanalz (writers), George Perez (pencils), Keith Aiken & Mark Morales (inks), Phil Crain & Hank Kanalz (editors)
Ultraforce I#9 (June, 1995) - Marv Wolfman & Hank Kanalz (writers), John Royle & Chris Alexander (pencils), Jeff Whiting & Stephen Baskerville (inks), Chris Ulm & Scott Bernstein (editors)
Mantra I#24 (August, 1995) - Mike W. Barr (writer), Dave Roberts (pencils), Jim Amash (inks)
Ultraforce I#10 (July, 1995) - Hank Kanalz & Phil Crain (writers), John Royle & Joyce Chin (pencils), Jeff Whiting, Bruce Patterson & Jim Sanders (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Ultraforce/Avengers Prelude (July, 1995) - Terry Kavanagh (writer), John Statema (pencils), Robin Riggs, Barbara Kaalberg, Larry Welch & Al Vey (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Avengers/Ultraforce (October, 1995) - Glenn Herdling (writer), Angel Medina & M.C. Wyman (pencils), Keith Aiken, Steve Alexandrov, Hector Collazo & Don Hudson (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Ultraforce/Avengers (Fall 1995) - Warren Ellis (writer), George Perez & Larry Welch (pencils), Paul Neary, Art Thibert, Ken Branch, Dennis Jensen, Karl Kesel, George Perez, Robin Riggs, Jon Statema & Al Vey (inks), Hank Kanalz & Scott Bernstein (editors)


First Posted: 07/29/2003
Last updated: 07/29/2003

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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