FORTRESS (TYRANT'S BASE)
Aliases: Tyrant's Worldship, the stronghold of Tyrant
Classification: Intergalactic spaceship, base of operations, stronghold, city, prison, weapon, and seat of power
Creator: Unrevealed; Tyrant himself may have created it or obtained it
User/Possessors: Tyrant
as owner.
Other crewmen and inhabitants include: Tyrant's Heavy
Troopers (robotic constructs); Toady and other drones; Jack of
Hearts (during his brief stint as Tyrant's minion); and several enslaved
species maintaining it which include an unidentified species of military
protectors of the worldship and the Dendurian
Carnosaurs.
Known, identified prisoners retained in the Fortress
included Beta Ray Bill, Ganymede,
Gladiator (Kallark), Morg,
Silver Surfer, and Terrax (Tyros of Lanlak).
Beings who have breached the Fortress during attacks
include Ganymede, Genis-Vell (then known as Legacy, later as Captain
Marvel), Jack of Hearts (Jack Hart), Persephone, Terrax, and Thanos
First Appearance: (Non-narrative pin-up) Silver
Surfer III#78 (March, 1993)
(in story) Silver Surfer III#81 (June,
1993)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Fortress was the
base of operations for the intergalactic conqueror Tyrant, serving as
his mobile base of operations, vehicle (though Tyrant has used other
smaller vehicles stored in a hangar within the Fortress), seat of power,
headquarters for his robotic military constructs called Heavy Troopers, city and prison to hold the enslaved races he used to satisfy
his needs and maintain his techno-organic globes (as well as a separate
prison to hold superpowered prisoners from whom he extracted energy via
matrixes to power himself and his troops); they
may have had other uses.
The Fortress, with the apparent appearance of an irregular asteroid, was gigantic, the size of a planet, although viewed from space it was compared to the even larger Worldship of Galactus.
At certain times, Tyrant would enter a
state of mecha-catalepsy (also called mecha-coma) in which he would
psionically link himself to the Fortress's many internal systems, and
only a major emergency could awaken him before the process concluded.
Known locations within the Fortress,
besides the aforementioned hangar, included Tyrant's throne room and the
storage vault where he kept his globes of power.
The exterior of the
Fortress appeared to be composed of regolith, similar to the natural
crust of a planet or irregular asteroid; the interior, on the other
hand, is filled with biotechnology controlled by Tyrant. The outer and
inner walls were particularly resistant, capable of withstanding large
explosions caused by battles between superpowered beings;Morg was unable
to breach the outer walls on his own (although the technological devices
inside, such as the matrix, were more vulnerable). Beings capable of
breaching the outer walls of the Fortress included Galactus; the group
consisting of Ganymede,
Terrax, and Thanos was also able to somehow infiltrate it, partly thanks
to Ganymede's specialized knowledge, as he had already been to the
Fortress and was able to reach it undetected. In a subsequent encounter
with Thanos, the Fortress's exterior also opened, though this could have
been due to Tyrant's biotechnological capabilities in modifying it.
However, because of the Fortress's irregular shape, it was possible to approach guarded openings, as when the Silver Surfer first entered it. Tyrant used cameras to monitor various areas of the Fortress, with direct feeds to screens he could view; but these cameras were not concealed and were vulnerable to attack. When intruders managed to enter certain areas of the Fortress, Heavy Troopers were immediately dispatched to deal with them; but when any intruder accessed high-security areas, Tyrant was notified immediately. Even so, some beings like Jakar could teleport people into certain areas of the Fortress and then teleport them back outside. However, Jakar could not teleport anyone into the storage vault while it remained sealed, although he could teleport someone from inside the open storage vault to the outside).
The Fortress's communication capabilities were limited: Sending
holographic communications to Galactus' ship required a complex lock-on
process using the ship's energy signature. Furthermore, a damaged Heavy
Trooper was unable to find its way back to the Fortress, possibly while
the latter was stealthed, but was able to track Ganymede. Additionally,
the Fortress housed a sophisticated computer system with an internal
network of computers that had access ito a wealth of valuable and
relevant information about Tyrant, including his origins, and also about
the location and routing of key items within the structure of the
Fortress. Once someone gained access to the Fortress, even an intruder,
they could operate the computers and obtain information.
Tyrant stored the energy extracted from its prisoners in spherical objects known alternately as containment devices, Globes of Knowledge, Globes of Power, power globes, power orbs, and technorganic globes (and, disparagingly, "baubles"), which were mostly small enough to be held in the palm of one hand. These objects were stored within the Fortress and, unless in active use, were kept in the storage vault, a specially secured area inaccessible even by teleportation, but only through the imprint-sealed door that opened with Tyrant's handprint (or a duplicate of it). This door also triggered an alarm within the Fortress if opened (one of the few alarms that could awaken Tyrant from his mecha-coma if he was in one). Tyrant could use these spheres to empower others, or directly as weapons; other beings like Thanos were able to quickly learn to use the spheres as weapons.
The process of extracting energy from prisoners began by immobilizing them with shackles on their wrists and ankles (at least if the prisoner was bipedal). These shackles were strong enough to restrain powerful beings, including the Heralds of Galactus. The process generally siphoned power slowly without causing the victim any perceptible harm, this being the most efficient way to extract power that also kept the prisoner alive longer. However, if Tyrant desired, the device could extract massive amounts of energy instantly, painfully for the prisoner, and with the potential to kill the prisoner almost immediately. Tyrant used this second method to torture prisoners who verbally defied him. The process could be interrupted at any time if Tyrant wished, for example, if the prisoner agreed to cooperate. The devices used for this, called matrixes, were more vulnerable than the outer walls of the Fortress and could be destroyed by a sufficiently powerful explosion, freeing the prisoners. These matrices could be rebuilt, with different designs depending on the number of prisoners.
Another technology Tyrant occasionally used on prisoners held at the Fortress was a helmet-like mind-control device placed on the head of a prisoner. After a painful process, the subject came under Tyrant's control, even against their will. However, the mind-controlled victim operated less efficiently than in normal conditions, and those who knew the victim could notice the difference: the victim's eyes reflected no intelligence, the helmet was visible, and the victim could not speak coherently. If the device was broken, for example in combat, the victim immediately regained control. This technology appeared to be related to another Fortress technology that allowed Tyrant to read the memories of its prisoners through a painful process.
One of the smaller ships Tyrant kept in the Worldship hangar was identified as a "bio-mechanical planet-skimmer." It could travel through space with a single pilot (for example, the drone Toady, one of Tyrant's servants) and a passenger (Tyrant). It was apparently faster and more maneuverable than Fortress. The only known instance of this skimmer was apparently destroyed. Tyrant claimed to also have a space cruiser, which has yet to be seen.
History:
(Silver Surfer III#81 (fb) / Cosmic Powers#5; All-New Official Handbook
of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official Handbook for the Marvel
Universe A to Z#12 hardcover: Tyrant) - Billions of years ago, the
near-omnipotent despotTyrant began a campaign of conquest and massacre
across the cosmos, creating a vast empire while using the Fortress as
his mobile seat of power, from which he commanded enslaved species and
hisHeavy Troopers.
(Cosmic Powers Unlimited#3/1 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Tyrant appointed a race of beings, possibly slaves, as military protectors of the Fortress. Similarly, at some point, he enslaved two or more Dendurian Carnosaurs, whom he kept aboard the Fortress to guard the vault where he kept his energy globes.
(Silver Surfer III#81 (fb) / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant) - The Arachsisterhood (aka Spinsterhood) order, made up of female warriors, dedicated their existence to trying to destroy Tyrant, fighting him for centuries.
(Cosmic Powers#5 (fb)) - Galactus, who had created Tyrant, fought him because Tyrant sought conquest and threatened the universal order. Galactus managed to weaken and defeat Tyrant.
(Silver Surfer III#81 (fb) / Cosmic Powers#5 (fb) / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#4: Ganymede / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#4: Ganymede) - Unaware that the above had just occurred, the Spinsterhood launched an attack against Tyrant at the Fortress, managing to exile him from known space. Spinster cadetsGanymede and Persephone participated in the final campaign.
(Silver Surfer III#81 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant; Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#4 Ganymede / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#4: Ganymede) - The Spinsters believed they had defeated Tyrant, unaware that Galactus' earlier attack had been decisive. Fearing Tyrant's eventual return, the Spinsters dispersed and entered suspended animation in hidden bases, knowing that their suspension chambers would awaken them if they detected Tyrant and the Fortress's return.
(Silver Surfer III#82 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#4: Ganymede; Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#4: Ganymede) - For billions of years, Tyrant spent his time absorbing vast amounts of energy to strengthen himself and his resources at the Fortress, while preparing his plan to return to the galaxy and conquer it. His enslaved races maintained the Fortress.
(Silver Surfer III#81) - Meanwhile, in the civilized galaxy, over the years, Tyrant and the Fortress were forgotten even by beings with vast knowledge of the universe.
(Cosmic Powers#1 - BTS) - One of the few beings still knowing about Tyrant was the Oracle of Ancient Knowledge, an android with memory banks covering many data about the long-lost past that was not recorded elsewhere.
(Silver Surfer III#81 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant) - Finally, in recent times, Tyrant returned to known space aboard the Fortress. All the Spinsters in cryo-chambers had died except for one, Ganymede. When the computer systems in Ganymede's cryo-chamber detected the Fortress, she was awakened.
(Silver Surfer III#79 / Silver Surfer III#81 / Silver Surfer III#82 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#4: Ganymede / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#4: Ganymede / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update#1: Gladiator) - Tyrant sent Heavy Troopers to capture some extremely powerful individuals who passed near the Fortress. These individuals were chained to a matrix to siphon their power and supply its systems in preparation for conquest. The first to be captured was Gladiator of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, who was conducting reconnaissance in an uncharted sector. According to the plan, he was taken to the Fortress and chained up.
(Silver Surfer III#79 / Silver Surfer III#81 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#4: Ganymede / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#4: Ganymede) - Beta Ray Bill was the second to be captured. Knocked out by the Heavy Troopers, Bill awoke inside the Fortress and discovered he was chained up alongside Gladiator.
(Silver Surfer III#80 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#4: Ganymede / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#4: Ganymede) - The Heavy Troopers found the former heralds of Galactus,Morg (who had been presumed dead) and Terrax, fighting each other. The Troopers defeated and captured them, taking them to the Fortress, but the Heavy Troopers left behind Terrax's axe, which was useless to their ends.
(Silver Surfer III#80 / Silver Surfer III#81
/ All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official
Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant) - Terrax's on/off
ally Silver Surfer found Terrax's axe, and he used his powers to follow
its trail of energy toward the Fortress. Meanwhile, Ganymede, also
following the same trail, found Silver Surfer, and they eventually
decided to collaborate toward a similar goal, as the Surfer intended to
free Terrax from Tyrant, and Ganymede wanted to fight Tyrant. They both
reached the Fortress, entered without immediate resistance and were soon
attacked by energy beams fired by the Heavy Troopers. When the Heavy
Troopers proved ineffective, Tyrant personally confronted these
intruders and defeated them, binding them to the matrix along with his
other four prisoners. The prisoners exchanged what little information
they had as the matrix absorbed their power, strengthening the Troopers.
(Silver Surfer III#81-Silver Surfer III#82) - Tyrant appeared before his prisoners to explain his objectives, and he tortured Ganymede and Silver Surfer when they challenged him.
(Silver Surfer III#81) - Galactus noticed that Morg had not returned to his Worldship and decided to find him personally.
(Silver Surfer III#82 (fb) / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant; Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant) - At least two Heavy Troopers grabbed Jack of Hearts in space and hauled him to the Fortress.
(Silver Surfer III#82 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant; Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant, Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update#1: Gladiator) - The Heavy Troopers took Jack to the matrix. Jack broke free from the Troopers and defeated them, but was promptly defeated by Tyrant. Seeing who the other prisoners were, and fearing for them, Jack activated a fail-safe switch in his armor to release all the energy within his body at once, causing a massive explosion that destroyed the Matrix and freed the others; however, Jack didn't know whether he himself would survive. The Fortress structure withstood even all this released power, but the matrix was destroyed and Jack was seriously injured. Still, the other prisoners did indeed break free and challenged Tyrant and the Troopers, initiating a battle inside the Fortress. Morg, however, insisted on continuing to fight Terrax instead of uniting against a common enemy.
(Silver Surfer Annual III#6/3 - BTS) - During the battle, one of the Heavy Troopers was damaged and ejected into space, where he was unable to find his way back to the Fortress.
(Silver Surfer III#82 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update#1: Gladiator) - Eventually, Tyrant managed to defeat all the attackers, after which Galactus arrived, breaching the Fortress' hull to negotiate with Tyrant. In a tense negotiation where Tyrant and Galactus acknowledged that fighting at that moment would benefit no one, Tyrant proposed releasing all the prisoners except Morg, whom he intended to enslave and turn against Galactus, and Galactus reluctantly agreed. The other prisoners were freed, and each went their separate ways.
(Silver Surfer Annual III#6/3 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant) - The Heavy Trooper injured in the previous battle, realizing it could not return to the Fortress, decided instead to track down Ganymede. It found her on one of Jupiter's moons, but she destroyed it there.
(Cosmic Powers#1 / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Thanos) - Thanos, through the Oracle of Ancient Knowledge (an android he had captured to extract its vast knowledge), discovered the existence of Tyrant.
(Cosmic Powers#6 / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Thanos) - Thanos' plan was to access Tyrant's data banks using the computers aboard the Fortress and obtain valuable knowledge about Tyrant that would allow him, among other things, to steal one of Tyrant's power orbs. He also wanted to confront Tyrant to find out which of them was stronger, foreseeing a possible future conflict between both of them.
(Cosmic Powers#1-5 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#4 / Ganymede; Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#4: Ganymede) - Thanos recruited Terrax and then kidnapped Ganymede to discover information about Tyrant and the Fortress, and later to invade the Fortress. Ganymede then agreed to ally with Thanos and Terrax to guide them to the Fortress, undetected, in exchange for the opportunity to kill Tyrant herself. They departed from the Fortress aboard the starship Demeter. Jack of Hearts, who had begun a complicated romantic relationship with Ganymede, tracked Thanos to help Ganymede, joined by Genis-Vell, without Thanos, Terrax, or Ganymede noticing.
(Cosmic Powers#5) - Meanwhile, at the Fortress, Tyrant had been holding Morg captive for some time in a less elaborate version of the matrix, but even torture failed to break Morg's will or change his allegiance to Galactus. Tyrant used one of his machines to read Morg's memories and discovered that Morg respected power, but Morg argued that Galactus was more powerful than Tyrant and as such Tyrant did not deserve Morg's service, even at the risk of the matrix killing Morg.
(Cosmic
Powers#5
/ All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official
Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant) - Thanos, Tyrant,
and Ganymede invaded the Fortress, attacking the guards. A drone
informed Tyrant, who confirmed the news via security cameras. Tyrant
decided to use mind-control technology on Morg and reinvigorate him,
then send him to confront the invaders. During that fight, however,
Terrax destroyed the mind-control device, restoring Morg's mind. Morg
decided that his priority was to leave the Fortress and return to
Galactus (thus refusing to cooperate with the invaders). Jack of Hearts
arrived at the Fortress and breached the exterior to threaten Thanos and
demand Ganymede's release. Morg immediately escaped through that hole,
and Ganymede explained that she had allied with Thanos against Tyrant.
The invaders convinced Jack and Genis-Vell to join them.
(Cosmic Powers#6 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#4: Ganymede / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#4: Ganymede / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#12 / Thanos' profile) - As the Troopers were unable to defeat the invaders, Tyrant went to fight them, but by then Thanos had sneaked away, abandoning his allies to continue his initial plan (accessing Tyrant's computers, finding where the power spheres he coveted were stored, and specifically at that moment deciding to seek the sphere that stored the energy taken from Morg; Thanos also destroyed the computer terminal he had used, to partially cover his tracks). Tyrant, after specifically threatening Ganymede, pointed out to the invaders that their leader had abandoned them, and they began to fight; during the battle, Ganymede chose to not help Jack in his time of need in order to focus on Tyrant. Tyrant defeated everyone but Ganymede, and then Thanos returned with the sphere in hand and knowledge about Tyrant, which he shared with Ganymede: Back in the day, the Spinstershood had not defeated Tyrant, but instead Galactus, Tyrant's creator, did. Thanos then attacked and knocked out Ganymede, betraying her, then dueled Tyrant. With the orb, Thanos was a match for Tyrant. Genis-Vell and Terrax recovered, and Terrax wanted to withdraw with Genis-Vell, abandoning Thanos after the latter's betrayal. Genis-Vell agreed, provided they took their fallen comrades Jack and Ganymede with them aboard the Demeter. Meanwhile, Thanos tested Tyrant's power, after which he teleported away safely with the orb, possibly unaware that Tyrant possessed many other orbs.
(Silver Surfer Annual III#7/1) - After escaping the Fortress, the group split up, and Genis-Vell explained to his ally Silver Surfer what he had found out, speculating that Thanos might have died there. Similarly, Morg reported to Galactus what happened to him at the Fortress, emphasizing that Tyrant had been unable to subdue him.
(Cosmic Powers Unlimited#3/1 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant) - Meanwhile, Tyrant accessed his larger power spheres and punished and killed several of his slaves for failing to prevent Thanos from entering and stealing one. Specifically, he ripped out the hearts of the military protectors and threw their bodies into space.
(Cosmic Powers Unlimited#3/1 - BTS) - Enigmatic space-wandering alien Jakar, who
coveted Tyrant's largest globe of power for a plan to exact revenge on
the Stranger,
discovered that the Fortress' storage vault could only be opened by
Tyrant's hand, and that Tyrant had ripped out the hearts of some of his
victims with his hand. Jakar obtained the corpse of one of Tyrant's
victims and used it to create a casting of the hand. Even so, Jakar
concluded that he could not steal the Globe personally, so he cloned
Persephone, a member of the Spinsterhood, to enlist Ganymede's help and
have her steal the Globe for him. Following the plan, Jakar decided to
lie to Ganymede and promised to help her in her crusade against Tyrant
after the heist, never intending to keep this promise.
(Cosmic Powers Unlimited#3/1 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#4: Ganymede / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#4: Ganymede / Captain America: America's Avenger#1: Jakar's profile) - Using the Persephone clone, Jakar recruited Ganymede and Jack of Hearts as allies for his plan to steal the Globe from the Fortress while Tyrant was occupied in his mecha-coma: First, Jakar teleported Jack inside the Fortress to distract the Troopers without waking Tyrant. Then, Jack teleported Ganymede and Persephone so they could reach the storage vault and open it. This was expected to awaken Tyrant, but as soon as they had the Globe, Jakar would teleport them back. Ganymede and Persephone had to fight Dendurian Carnosaurs at the Fortress before reaching the storage vault entrance; but the plan worked perfectly. After the Spinsters opened the storage vault, they stole the Globe, and Jakar teleported all his allies to his ship, then to a moon of Jupiter, where he abandoned them. Tyrant was alerted to the intrusion and entered his storage vault too late.
(Cosmic Powers Unlimited#3/2 / Captain America: America's Avenger#1: Jakar's profile) - Jack of Hearts and Silver Surfer later destroyed the globe stolen by Jakar, though Jakar claimed this did not thwart his plan.
(Silver Surfer III#101 / Silver Surfer III#102 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant) - With the Fortress several light-years from Zenn-La, Tyrant decided to focus his attention on Galactus, and he ordered his drone Toady to find Galactus' Worldship and lock onto its unique energy signature. When Toady found it, Tyrant sent Toady there to arrange an audience with Galactus, in which Tyrant falsely intended to convince Galactus that he sought peace.
(Silver Surfer III#104) - Toady transformed into a starship and left the Fortress for Galactus' Worldship
(Silver Surfer III#104-106 / All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant) - Although Morg mutilated Toady, Galactus agreed to the audience, and Toady returned to the Fortress to report back to Tyrant. Galactus, meanwhile, fed on a planet to invigorate himself, but this weakened Tyrant, who shrieked in pain inside the Fortress.
(Silver
Surfer
III#106 / Silver Surfer III#107-109 - BTS / All-New Official Handbook of
the Marvel Universe#11: Tyrant / Official Handbook for the Marvel
Universe A to Z#12: Tyrant) - Tyrant traveled from the Fortress to
Galactus' Worldship in his bio-mechanical
planet-skimmer, piloted by Toady. There, Tyrant battled Galactus,
but Morg boldly appeared with the Ultimate
Nullifier, which he used to wound Tyrant. Although Toady attempted
to take control of the Nullifier and Silver Surfer intervened, the
Nullifier caused an explosion that seemingly destroyed Galactus, Morg,
Toady, and Tyrant. Galactus and Morg survived, but for a long time,
Tyrant was presumed dead.
(All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#4: Ganymede / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#4: Ganymede) - After his encounter with Jakar, Ganymede traveled with Persephone to the Jubat system where, according to Jakar, they could ambush Tyrant. While there, however, Tyrant was seemingly destroyed in his encounter with Galactus.
(Silver Surfer Rebirth#3 - BTS) - Tyrant recovered and returned to the Fortress undetected.
(Silver Surfer Rebirth#1 / Silver Surfer Rebirth#2 / Silver Surfer Rebirth#4 - BTS) - Tyrant stole the Reality Gem, which was in Thanos' possession, without Thanos knowing who the thief was, and returned to the Fortress with it. Thanos began to search for the Gem.
(Silver Surfer Rebirth#2 / Silver Surfer Rebirth#4 - BTS) - Tyrant used the Gem to brainwash Jack of Hearts and use him as a superpowered agent. Jack then moved to the Fortress.
(Silver Surfer Rebirth#2 / Silver Surfer Rebirth#4) - With the Gem in his possession, Tyrant made iterative changes to universal reality in an attempt to impose his dominion, altering events, resurrecting the dead, and sending people to different alternate realities. Silver Surfer noticed and became interested in the anomalies, then encountered Thanos, who recruited him to search for the Gem, as they concluded the Gem's thief was behind the anomalies.
(Silver Surfer Rebirth#3) - Tyrant, recognizing that Silver Surfer and Thanos could be a threat to his plans, sent them to other realities to try to get rid of them; but he also monitored them from the Fortress in case they managed to return to Reality-616, in which case he planned to destroy them.
(Silver Surfer Rebirth#4) - In the Fortress, Tyrant discovered that Silver Surfer and Thanos had returned to his reality, so Tyrant empowered Jack and sent him to fight them in space near the Fortress. Silver Surfer and Thanos fought Jack; Thanos then destroyed Jack as he rammed him, causing him to crash into the planet-like surface of the Fortress; Jack's skeleton lay there. Tyrant confronted them, refused to return Thanos' Infinity Stone, and fought Silver Surfer and Thanos in the Fortress.
(Silver Surfer Rebirth#5) - During the fight, the surface
of the Fortress opened up (or was modified by Tyrant's power), so the
fight moved to an open interior area. Silver Surfer's board accidentally
pierced Tyrant's chest, seemingly killing him. As Tyrant fell, the
Silver Surfer used the Infinity Stone to resurrect Jack before giving
the Stone to Thanos. Thanos then tore Tyrant's body in two, ejecting the
upper half (including torso and head) into space outside the Fortress,
hoping to ensure Tyrant would not recover.
It is unclear whether this was enough to kill Tyrant, or whether Thanos, the Silver Surfer or anyone else would take possession of the Fortress.
Comments: Created by Ron Marz, Ron Lim and Tom Christopher.
The Fortress has its first real appearance in Silver Surfer III#81. However, in Silver Surfer III#78, a pin-up of the Fortress appears announcing the imminent story arc with the caption "It's coming!", albeit not in the narrative part of the issue.
The Fortress does not have a dedicated article in any Handbook; but its image appears in an inset in Tyrant's articles in both All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11 and Official Handbook for the Marvel Universe A to Z#12 (This image is the one appearing in the pin-up of Silver Surfer III#78, re-colored. In both cases, the Fortress is mentioned in the article, with both articles being almost verbatim except for minor differences. The Fortress is also mentioned in two articles on Ganymede in All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#4 and Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#4; events happening in Fortress are also mentioned in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#12: Thanos (March, 2010), Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update#1: Gladiator (April, 2010); and Captain America: America's Avenger#1: Jakar (August, 2011).
When Silver Surfer sees the Fortress
for the first time (in Silver Surfer III#81), he says that the Fortress
rivals Galactus' Worldship in size (which is famously the size of a
solar system). However: Ganymede in All-New Official Handbook of the
Marvel Universe#4 and Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#4
says unambiguously that Fortress is "only" the size of a planet.
Perhaps there is
some confusion with Taa II (The immense star system-sized ship) and
his white, spherical ship for traveling--Snood
The story in Cosmic Powers Unlimited#3/1 (in which Jakar sends his agents to the Fortress) presents several continuity issues that deserve clarification:
In Silver Surfer Rebirth#4, Thanos charges at Jack in space until they crash into the surface of the Fortress (not identified as such at that point), and it is clearly shown that Jack's skeleton remains on the surface, in the open sky. In the next issue, Silver Surfer Rebirth#5, the fight against Tyrant continues inside the Fortress, in a breached area, and Jack's skeleton appears to have moved on its own; he is clearly not in the open area where Thanos killed him. This can be justified because Tyrant, self-proclaimed undisputed master of bio-technology (Silver Surfer III#108) and user of the Reality Gem, could have transformed and moved parts of his base during the fight.
This profile was completed 09/03/2026, but its publication was
delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary
's celebratory event to represent Tyrant and the Silver Surfer's stories
and characters.
Profile by
CLARIFICATIONS: Tyrant's Fortress has no known connections to:
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The Heavy Troopers, also known
as Trooper Autobots, were robotic constructs that served as Tyrant's
primary military, security, and capture force within the
Fortress. Described by Ganymede
as entities housing only a few simple organic functions within
metallic armor, they were not considered true life. Numerous in
number, they acted as the worldship's first line of defense,
deploying automatically and immediately when security systems
detected intruders in certain areas (though if an intruder was
detected in high-security areas, Tyrant would respond personally
instead of dispatching the Troopers). They also served Tyrant in military-style operations such as attacking and capturing individuals (other beings, the drones, served Tyrant in different operations). The Heavy Troopers possessed spaceflight capabilities and could equip their hands with energy cannons to fire bursts. However, their effectiveness was limited against high-level opponents: although they could overwhelm with numbers or surprise attacks, they were easily outmatched, evaded, or destroyed by beings like Ganymede or the Silver Surfer. The Troopers have the ability to speak, though they are not very talkative.
At a later time, the Fortress was invaded by Ganymede, Terrax, and Thanos, and the Heavy Troopers were once again the first line of defense. They were ineffective, but enough to keep the intruders occupied until a drone informed Tyrant. On another occasion, Jakar planned a heist at the Fortress using Ganymede, Jack of Hearts, and Persephone as pawns. Jakar was to teleport Jack to a point in the Fortress monitored by the Troopers, who would immediately attack him, as a distraction so that he could then teleport Ganymede and Persephone to a different area of the Fortress with a different type of security (Dendurian Carnosaurs). Jack fought the Troopers and was teleported safely, apparently before the battle was over. In his most recent appearances, Tyrant did not visibly use Heavy Troopers.
--Silver Surfer III#79-#82, Silver Surfer Annual III#6/3, Cosmic Powers Unlimited Vol 1 #3/1, Cosmic Powers Vol 1#5-6 Note: When Thanos faced Tyrant in a duel, Terrax and Genis-Vell recovered and escaped unopposed; one would expect that, with Tyrant occupied, some guards would remain active to apprehend them without needing permission. The absence of Heavy Troopers in Tyrant's most recent encounter using the Reality Gem has not been explained |
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The matrixes were sophisticated energy containment and draining devices used by Tyrant within the Fortress to enslave superpowered prisoners. Their primary function was to turn captives into "living batteries": the individuals (mostly bipeds) were immobilized with heavy shackles on their wrists and ankles, connected to a system that extracted their raw energy, including Cosmic Power and other forms of power, to fuel the Heavy Troopers, the worldship's systems and Tyrant himself as he prepared for his conquest. The process was designed to be highly efficient, slowly and progressively siphoning power to keep the subject alive as long as possible; but it also possessed a torture mode that allowed massive amounts of energy to be drained instantaneously, causing excruciating pain and near-instant death -- a method Tyrant employed to punish the insolence of captives like Ganymede and Silver Surfer. Unlike the Fortress' nearly impenetrable outer walls, the matrices were relatively fragile and could be destroyed by a sufficiently powerful internal explosion, instantly freeing the prisoners. However, these devices could be rebuilt or reconfigured with different designs depending on the number of inmates. Throughout the various incursions into the Fortress, several heroes and heralds fell under the control of these matrices. First, Gladiator and Beta Ray Bill were captured and chained, followed shortly after by the former heralds Morg and Terrax. When Ganymede and Silver Surfer infiltrated the base, they were defeated by the Tyrant himself and bound to the same drainage system. Next, Jack of Hearts, captured by Troopers, was brought before Tyrant to be inserted into the Matrix. However, he activated a fail-safe switch in his armor, releasing all of his body's energy at once. This caused a massive explosion that completely destroyed the Matrix and freed all the prisoners, allowing them to fight back. All the prisoners were freed except for Morg, whom Tyrant kept imprisoned in a less sophisticated version of the Matrix, without the enormous wheel. Tyrant unsuccessfully attempted to break Morg's loyalty to Galactus and read his memories using technology. Tyrant insisted that the Matrix would eventually kill Morg unless he agreed to serve him, but Morg was unyielding. Later, when the Fortress was attacked by Thanos and his allies (who could not be stopped by the Heavy Troopers), Tyrant decided to extract Morg from the Matrix, control his mind with a device, and send him to fight the intruders; however, Morg broke free and escaped instead. --Silver Surfer III#81-82, Cosmic Powers I#5 |
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An enslaved species of orange-skinned reptilian humanoids, these beings were designated by Tyrant as the military protectors of his base, the Fortress. They possessed five-fingered hands ending in claws, elongated mouths with large fangs, and viperous tongues. Their anatomy included the heart in their chest, a vital organ whose removal is immediately fatal. After Thanos' incursion into the Fortress and the theft of one of its power orbs, Tyrant severely punished this race for their failure to defend the base by tearing out their hearts with his bare hands and hurling their corpses into space. Later, the alien Jakar recovered the body of one of these beings to create a mold of Tyrant's hand, using it in his plan to open the imprint-sealed door to Tyrant's storage vault in the Fortress, and steal an orb with the help of Ganymede, Persephone, and Jack of Hearts. --Cosmic Powers Unlimited I#3/1
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The bio-mechanical planet-skimmer is a smaller vessel that Tyrant kept stored in the Fortress' hangar. Described as a bio-mechanical craft with plant-like structures on its hull, it was considerably smaller, and seemingly faster and more maneuverable, than the immense world-ship. Designed to be operated by a single pilot (such as the drone Toady, one of Tyrant's servants), it had room for a passenger, allowing Tyrant to travel through space personally without having to move the entire Fortress or expose his main base. Tyrant used it to travel from the Fortress to Galactus' world-ship to demand an audience under the false pretense of seeking peace. Toady docked the skimmer inside Taa II. The skimmer was apparently destroyed shortly afterward in an explosion caused by the Ultimate Nullifier. --Silver Surfer III#106-107 |
images: (without ads)
Silver Surfer III#78, p22, pan1 (Fortress)
Silver Surfer III#81, p10-11, pan1 (Fortress seen with internal
structures)
Cosmic Powers#6, p6, pan1 (Fortress' computers)
Silver Surfer III#102, p29, pan2 (Fortress seen from space)
Silver Surfer III#81, p9, pan2-3 (Fortress seen up close)
Cosmic Powers#5, p18, pan5 (Camera-based monitoring of Fortress)
Cosmic Powers Unlimited#3, p16, pan1 (Fortress as a chromed space
station)
Silver Surfer III#104, p9, pan3 (Fortress with city-like structure)
Silver Surfer III#81, p15, pan1 (Heavy troopers)
Silver Surfer Annual III #6, p53, pan1 (Damaged heavy trooper)
Silver Surfer III#82, p2-3, pan1 (First configuration of the matrix)
Silver Surfer Annual III #6, p59, pan1 (Second configuration of the
matrix)
Cosmic Powers Unlimited#3, p16, pan4 (Military protectors of the
Fortress)
Silver Surfer III #107, p22-23, pan3 (Bio-mechanical planet-skimmer)
Appearances:
Silver Surfer III#81 (June, 1993) - Ron Marz (writer), Ron Lim
(pencils), Tom Christopher (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Silver Surfer III#82 (July, 1993) - Ron Marz (writer), Ron Lim
(pencils), Tom Christopher (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Silver Surfer Annual III#6/3 (October, 1993) - Ron Marz (writer), Jim
Hall (pencils), Ian Akin (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Cosmic Powers#5 (July, 1994) - Ron Marz (writer), Tom Grindberg
(pencils), Don Hudson (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Cosmic Powers#6 (August, 1994) - Ron Marz (writer), Scot Eaton
(pencils), Bill Anderson (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Silver Surfer Annual III#7/1 (September, 1994) - Ron Marz (writer), Tom
Grindberg and Scot Eaton (pencils), Tom Christopher, Jim Sanders and
Raymond Kryssing (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Silver Surfer III#101 (February, 1995) - Ron Marz, Mike Friedman &
Mike Lackey (writers), Tom Grindberg (pencils), Bill Anderson (inks),
Craig Anderson (editor)
Silver Surfer III#102 (March, 1995) - Ron Marz, Mike Friedman & Mike
Lackey (writers), Tom Grindberg (pencils), Bill Anderson (inks), Craig
Anderson (editor)
Silver Surfer III#104 (May, 1995) - Ron Mike Lackey (writer), Tom
Grindberg (pencils), Bill Anderson (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Silver Surfer III#106 (July, 1995) - Mike Lackey (writer), Tom Grindberg
(pencils), Bill Anderson (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Cosmic Powers Unlimited#3/1 (November, 1995) - Michael Gallagher
(writer), Sandu Florea (pencils, inks), Mark Gruenwald, Joe Andreani
(editors)
Silver Surfer Rebirth#2 (April, 2022) - Ron Marz (writer), Ron Lim
(pencils), Don Ho (inks), Darren Shan (editor)
Silver Surfer Rebirth#3 (May, 2022) - Ron Marz (writer), Ron Lim
(pencils), Don Ho (inks), Darren Shan (editor)
Silver Surfer Rebirth#4 (June, 2022) - Ron Marz (writer), Ron Lim
(pencils), Don Ho (inks), Kat Gregorowicz, Darren Shan (editor)
Silver Surfer Rebirth#5 (July, 2022) - Ron Marz (writer), Ron Lim
(pencils), Don Ho (inks), Kat Gregorowicz, Darren Shan (editor)
First Posted: 09/04/2026
Last updated: 09/03/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099
Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you
should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!
When Tyrant returned to civilized space after his exile,
he sent the Heavy Troopers to capture powerful beings (initially
including Gladiator, Beta Ray Bill, 
The Fortress' matrix
The
Fortress' military protectors
Bio-mechanical
planet-skimmer