MERU the
MIND-BENDER
Real Name: Meru
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (native of Cherron)
Occupation: Warrior
Group Membership: Haifs
Affiliations: former lover of Dalia the Shape Changer; formerly one of the prisoners of the Stranger
Enemies: Haif-Nas, Spider-Man, Stranger, Thor, Valkyrie (Brunnhilde)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: currently unknown; formerly the Stranger's laboratory world; formerly outer space; formerly Cherron
First Appearance: Marvel Team-Up I#115 (March, 1982)
Powers: Meru possessed superhuman strength (Class 25) and
durability. He could fire a blast that would cause repressed feelings and
emotions to come to the surface in his victim. This would often cause them
to act selfishly, fearfully, etc. While merged with Dalia, he demonstrated
the ability to enter and levitate inanimate objects. It was only the mystic
properties of the sword Dragonfang that allowed them to control the
Valkyrie.
Meru used a floating platform to fly through the air, and presumably had
an interstellar ship as well. His platform apparently amplified his mental
powers, allowing him to affect large crowds of people at once.
History: (MTU#115(fb)) - Meru and Dalia are natives of the
planet
Cherron, a world
divided into two sects: "Meru's people, the
Haifs, smug
supercilious telepaths, philosophers, and scientists who could not be bothered
with what they called mundane labors...and Dalia's people, the Haif-Nas,
a noble people, subjugated and driven into slavery! It was inevitable that
revolution fomented in that atmosphere of vile oppression!" (take a guess
which one's version that was!). The Haif-Nas tried reason and diplomacy,
but the Hais responded by tightening the yoke. The Haif-Nas demanded freedom
and equality or Cherron would be destroyed. The Haifs scoffed at this threat,
but the Haif-Nas destroyed key power stations across Cherron, setting up
a chain reaction in the planet's core that tore it
apart.
In spite of the stigma to each of them, Meru and Dalia had fallen in love.
Perhaps following a suggestion of Dalia's, Meru took her to a world where
they could share their love freely. Thus they were both off world when Cherron
was destroyed, and each was the last survivor of his or her sect. Meru was
furious that Dalia had known that this was coming, and Dalia fled from him.
Meru tracked her for unknown ages. Eventually Dalia came to Earth, where
she transformed into the form of "Jane Doe" and induced a hypnotic-trance
to wipe her brain clean of all memory, as protection from Meru's probes.
(MTU#115) - "Jane Doe", a homeless woman living on the streets
of Manhattan, was badly injured during a shoot-out between the police and
some bank robbers. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where her life was
saved by Dr. Donald Blake. About that same time, Meru finally pierced the
veil of Dalia's probes, and he came to Earth and attempted to attack her
in mid-operation. Spider-Man attempted to stop Meru, but after taking one
of his mind-blasts, Spidey didn't see any reason to stick his neck out for
the public that hated him, and he took off. Spidey had delayed Meru enough
to allow Blake to finish the operation, and he became Thor and overpowered
Meru, who fled.
Meru next showed up in Times Square, blasting all the people there, and demanding
(in an alien language...maybe he was using telepathy) that the city
turn over Dalia to him. Meru's public actions made the news, and upon seeing
him, "Jane" regained her memory. Thor again tackled Meru, but this time Meru
used his power on Thor, putting Blake's mind in ascendance. Unused to fighting,
or moving Thor's much larger frame, Blake was no match for Meru, who put
the kibosh on him. Spidey was able to overcome his selfish emotions and swung
to Thor's rescue, saving him from being thrown off a roof by Meru. Spidey
tackled Meru, and ended up getting tossed off the roof himself, but again
he gave Blake some extra time, which allowed him to collect himself. In the
fury of battle, Thor's mind took control again, and he made short work of
Meru. "Jane" suddenly appeared, revealed herself as Dalia and threw Meru
off the roof (a lot of that going around this issue). Spidey saved
Meru, who revived and attacked Dalia. As they chided each other for betrayal
and what-not, Meru overloaded his blaster-weapon, which blew up and disintegrated
them both.
(MTU#116) - Meru
and Dalia's formless, intertwined essences floated through Manhattan, and
they came to the agreement that they wanted revenge on Spider-Man and Thor,
whom they blamed for their plight. They sensed the magical properties of
the sword Dragonfang, entered it, and used its energies to take control of
the Valkyrie. They then sent the Valkyrie on a rampage, hoping to attract
the attention of their targets. Spidey showed up first, and attempted to
subdue the bloodthirsty Valkyrie. Thor came along soon after, and mistaking
the Valkyrie to be the victim, he swatted Spidey aside, but then had to defend
himself from Val's sword. During the course of the battle, Spidey had noticed
that Val seemed less battle-crazed when she parted with Dragonfang. He swung
down and pulled it from Val's hands as she fought Thor, which cleared her
mind, and left her and Thor to make googly-eyes at each other, as the possessed
Sword pulled him into the air and across town. Spidey finally got their
attention, and Thor shattered the sword, expelling the disembodied form of
the merged aliens. Thor then made a warp in space and sent the energy form
away.
BTS - Meru (and most likely Dalia, since they were last seen merged) was captured by the Stranger. He was returned to his original form, and imprisoned on the Stranger's laboratory world, where he underwent various forms of tests.
(Quasar#14, 15-BTS, 16) - During the Overmind's attack on the Stranger, Meru was one of those freed and sent to attack the Stranger's allies. Meru was one of several former prisoners being transported to the site of the struggle between the Overmind and the Stranger's forces. Dr. Spectrum (of the Squadron Supreme) was the transporter, but in mid-flight he regained his own mind, as the Overmind withdrew his influence to focus his full power against the Stranger. Spectrum then dropped Meru and the others, leaving them to fend for themselves. Many of the Stranger's former prisoners escaped after this struggle, but Meru's fate is unrevealed.
Dalia the Shape-Changer, aka Jane Doe, was
a metamorph. It's not clear if she can take the form of nonhumanoid beings
or objects.
Her origins are described above. Her true fate is unrevealed, but I'd have
to guess that she was dissected by the Stranger, and that's why she was not
seen when Meru broke free.
--MTU#115 (115(fb), 1115, 116
Comments: Created by J. M. DeMatteis and Herb Trimpe.
Haifs and Haif-Nas...Haves and Have-Nots...get it...boy, is that a clever one.
And it's not the only one -- Donald Campbell points out that "I think the fact that Meru and Dalia's home planet was named 'Cherron' was a nod to a Star Trek episode entitled "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" which was also about racial prejudice. In that story, the Enterprise crew encountered Bele and Lokai, two humanoids from Cheron, a planet whose humanoid inhabitants had truly bizarre pigmentation patterns. All Cheronians were neatly bisected in their skin colouring, with one half of their bodies being solid black and the other half being solid white. Those who were black on the right side were dominant over those who were black on the left side. Anyway, the people of Cheron also wiped each other out but without destroying the planet."
I know Meru went one-on-one with Thor, but Thor was at a disadvantage because Blake's personality was in running the show. I'd put Meru closer to Spidey's class of strength. I know he ripped some webbing, but it was within seconds of it being formed, and we've seen countless times where it gets ripped up relatively easily before it's had a chance to "set."
I hope I don't have to explain to anyone that before Thor's alter ego was Jake Olsen (and before Sigurd Jarlson), it was Don Blake. Man, that makes me feel old.
I'm pretty sure it was Dr. Strange that reforged Dragonfang for Val, but I can't remember where. Any help?
Clarifications: I don't think we need any.
Other appearances:
Marvel Team-Up I#116 (April, 1982) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Tom DeFalco (editor)
Quasar#14-16 (September-November, 1990) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mike Manley (pencils), Dan Panosian (inks), Len Kaminski (editor)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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