PHINEASof the Fifth Dimension
PHINEAS
of the Fifth Dimension
Real Name: Phineas
Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-6212, aka the "Earth of the 5th Dimension" or Earth-5D, or just the Fifth dimension) human
Occupation: Ruler of the Fifth Dimension;
former rebel
Group Membership: Ruling party of the Fifth Dimension
Affiliations: Fantastic Four (Human Torch/Johnny Storm, Invisible
Girl/Sue Storm (now Invisible Woman), Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards,
Thing/Ben Grimm), Quicksilver-616 (Pietro Maximoff), Reed Richards of Earth-A (although DeVoor made him appear to be an enemy);
formerly Albert DeVoor and Inter-Politan Thermo-Dynamics,
Unlimited
Enemies: Andrones of Earth-712 (aka Earth A), Arkon of Polemachus, Albert DeVoor-616, Zemu (aka Xemu);
formerly soldiers serving Zemu
see comments
Known Relatives: Valeria (daughter), Theos (son)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: The capital city of Gornath, somewhere on Earth-6212 (the Fifth Dimension)
First Appearance: Strange Tales I#103 (December, 1962)
Powers/Abilities: Phineas has no known superhuman powers.
He was willing to risk his life to save others or further the revolution, although he did not act futilely against overwhelming forces.
He was an expert in temperature control devices. Phineas thermal weapons could be used to generate great cold, expanding Earth's glaciers, for example.
He also designed the Thunder Horn, which amplified either vocal or mental energies, generating sufficient power from a normal human voice to destroy a mountaintop.
He has access to personal aircraft and a Multi-Viewer allowing him to glimpse other dimensions.
Height:
Unrevealed (he is not shown clearly next to anyone of known height. he
seemed a shorter than Theos and the Human Torch, but taller than
Valeria; perhaps 5'6" to 5'8")
Weight: Unrevealed (at height height and build, with human density, I would estimate 195 lbs.)
Eyes: Blue (in Fantastic Four I#159; in #161, they were shown as brown)
Hair: White (bald on top), with full beard.
Skin: Blue (green in original appearance; see comments)
History:
(Strange Tales I#103 (fb) - BTS / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#14: Zemu) - Phineas is well-known and influential native of Earth-6212, commonly known as the Fifth Dimension (as described by
natives of their own realm), which was ruled by the tyrannical warlord, Zemu (or at least he ruled their land). While
Zemu
sought to invade and takeover Earth-616, to which a portal (in a wooded
region of Long Island, New York) had been discovered, Phineas,
his children Theos and Valeria, and many others opposed this. However, Zemu had the support of the
army, deterring Phineas and other rebels from rallying against him.
(Strange Tales I#103 - BTS) - Zemu's soldiers efforts to prevent a housing development from building in the area of the portal attracted the attention of the Human Torch (Johnny Storm), who was captured and brought before Zemu in the Fifth Dimension, in the capital city of Gornath.
(Strange Tales I#103 - BTS) - Phineas and/or Theos were likely with Valeria when the Torch was brought before Zemu and then outfitted with a breathing apparatus and submerged in a tank filled with a liquid chemical that prevented him from flaming on.
(Strange Tales I#103 (fb) - BTS) - Theos, Phineas, and Valeria resolved to free the Torch.
(Strange Tales I#103 - BTS) - Valeria used her hypno-ring to send the guard into a deep, hypnotic sleep.
(Strange Tales I#103) - Phineas presumably assisted as Theos entered the tank and freed the Torch. Phineas and Theos initially supported the exhausted Torch, after which the trio took the Torch back to their home where they discussed how they opposed Zemu and his plot to invade Earth-616, but that they could not challenge his army. Theos noted how the resistance was too weak and unorganized to stop Zemu's forced.
At Valeria's request, the Torch agreed to help them, and Phineas directed him to Zemu's arsenal. The Torch burned a tunnel into the building before melting the arsenal's foundation and causing its floor to collapse.
Meanwhile, however, Zemu's soldiers discovered Theos, Valeria, and Phineas, and they used a giant magnet to pull the "traitors" to it, threatening to slay the Torch's co-conspirators unless the Torch surrendered. Instead, the Torch generated a smokescreen and then melted the magnet, freeing hia allies; although the Torch carried Valeria to the ground, Theos and Phineas made it down on their own unharmed.
Zemu then summoned tanks bearing asbestos-coated ammunition, but the Torch created a super-tornado that destroyed the tanks while sparing his allies. As Theos noted that Zemu still had thousands of loyal troops stationed throughout the land, Phineas advised that only a general uprising could topple Zemu's regime, but he acknowledged that Zemu controlled all the communication systems.
In response, the Torch wrote a fiery message in the sky urging the people to arise against tyranny and defeat Zemu, and a revolt ensued. The Torch captured Zemu himself, and Theos noted that Zemu didn't look like much of a menace now, and Phineas told him that tyrants never did, in the end. After Theos proclaimed that from now on they would live in peace as free men, Phineas confirmed that the invasion of the Torch's world was cancelled.
Phineas watched as the Torch bade them all farewell despite Valeria's efforts to get him to stay. Phineas tried to comfort her, telling her maybe he would return some day.
(Fantastic Four I#158 (fb) - BTS) - The Fifth Dimension's populace appointed Phineas to succeed Zemu.
(Fantastic Four I#159 (fb) - BTS) - The Torch never returned to the Fifth Dimension.
(Fantastic Four I#163 (fb) - BTS / Marvel Blockbusters: The I.T. Plot) - The extradimensional realm Polemachus had long been plagued by an unstable light/heat source, threatening their existence.
The scientists of Arkon, Polemachus’ Imperion, learned a nuclear war between the Earths of three realities -- Earth-616, Earth-721 (aka Earth-A, in which Reed Richards had become the Thing), and Earth-6212 (the Fifth Dimension, aka Earth-5D) -- would generate enough atomic power,shunted through a nexus (hole in space/time), to sustain Polemachus for millennia.
Having learned of interdimensional theories
developed by men working under Earth-616 scientist Albert DeVoor, Arkon
met with and convinced him to facilitate just such a war, for research
and/or profit.
(Fantastic Four I#162 (fb) / Marvel Blockbusters: The I.T. Plot) - Posing as the head of the corporation Inter-Politan Thermo-Dynamics, Unlimited, DeVoor traveled to Earth-5D and purchased the rights to its Phineas’ thermal weaponry, funding Phineas’ research in return. See comments.
(Fantastic Four I#163 (fb) - BTS / Marvel Blockbusters: The I.T. Plot) - On Earth-A, as the head of Inter-Related Technocracies, Unlimited, DeVoor convinced the lonely Thing/Reed Richards, who needed money to continue his work, to sell him the rights to Reed Richards Robotics, Inc.
(Fantastic Four I#159 (fb) - BTS / Fantastic Four I#161 (fb) - BTS) - Eventually
Zemu grew strong enough to retake control of the Fifth Dimension again,
apparently interrupting DeVoor's plots as he wished to avoid conflict
with Zemu.
(Fantastic Four I#158 (fb) - BTS) - Renewing his plans to take over Earth, Zemu led a contingent of his army into Attilan (then in the Himalayas), the home of the Inhumans, and succeeded in overpowering and capturing the Royal Family, thus taking control of the entire city.
Zemu wished to force Black Bolt to power his Thunder Horn in order to use its devastating power to facilitate the surrender of Earth's governments to him.
(Fantastic Four I#159 (fb) - BTS) - Zemu brought Phineas and Valeria to Attilan to mock them with his impending triumph. Phineas and Valeria hoped that the Fantastic Four could defeat him.
(Fantastic Four I#159) - After the Human Torch, Mr. Fantastic, the Thing, and Quicksilver traveled to Attilan, they were captured by Zemu and his forces and brought in chains into Phineas' and Valeria's cell.
(Fantastic Four I#161 - BTS) - Frustrated with recent decisions by Reed Richards, the Torch sought out a sympathetic solider and traveled to the Fifth Dimension via the original Long Island portal. Upon his arrival, he was initially assumed to be another attacking Androne, and he was subdued and taken away for intended dismantling.
(Fantastic Four I#161) - Learning of this, Phineas intervened, instructing the warriors the release the Torch. Greeting Phineas and Valeria, the Torch insisted on an explanation, and Phineas told him that they were at war, and the enemy was Reed Richards. Using his Multi-Viewer, Phineas showed the Torch images from their enemy's dimension, which clarified that this Richards and his Andrones were from an another alternate Earth.
They were then attacked by a pair of Andrones, which the Torch disabled. Noting his dislike of sneak attacks, the Torch agreed to ally with Phineas' forces, at least until they learned who was behind these attacks.
(Fantastic Four I#161 (fb) - BTS) - The Torch agreed to lead the forces of the Fifth Dimension in an assault on Earth-A.
(Fantastic Four I#161-163 (fb) - BTS / Marvel Blockbusters: The I.T. Plot) - Meanwhile, DeVoor used Phineas’ thermal weapons to cause intense cold on Earth-616, rapidly expanding Arctic glaciers, and he also used Reed-616’s time machine to send warriors and dinosaurs from various time periods to assault Earth-A.
(Fantastic Four I#161) - Sensing that the energies causing the glacier expansion were from the Fifth Dimension, Reed looked in on that reality's Earth, and he saw the Torch standing alongside Phineas and Valeria in preparation to invade Earth-A.
(Fantastic Four I#162 - BTS) - Greybeard of Polemachus showed his leader, Arkon, an image of the Torch leading the Fifth Dimension's army (with Phineas visible in the background) in its planned assault on Earth-A. He continued, showing how Earth-616's military was rallying to assault the Fifth Dimension.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Larry
Lieber, and Jack Kirby.
The people of the Fifth Dimension were originally
green-skinned in Strange Tales I#103 (and pink/Caucasian on the cover).
I had forgotten that, as I was working from a reprint in the 1970s
Human Torch series. When David Zuckerman sent me the digital versions,
I was puzzled by the green skin until I went back and checked the
originals. I don't recall any explanation for this color change, but
they were blue in the 1974 reprint in Human Torch I#3 as well as in
1975's Fantastic Four I#158-159 and 161-162...
As discussed with David Zuckerman, perhaps there is a seasonal or
other atmospheric change. Perhaps in more sunny times, their blue skin
turns to green...yellow and blue make green, right?
I had assumed that the flashback in Fantastic Four I#162 was just colored oddly (as flashbacks sometimes are), showing everyone with blue skin. However, in reading Proto-Man's Albert DeVoor profile and discussing the matter with him, it is clear that there are many colors in the panel, such as a brown cigar and Valeria's red dress, as well as Phineas' white beard, paper, and DeVoor's shirt. I think he is right in his assessment that DeVoor took on blue skin in his travels to the Fifth Dimension, presumably so as to appear as a native.
The
Fifth Dimension was confirmed to be alternate Earth-6212 in the
Earth-A entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z
hardcover#3. Zemu's profile in the Official Handbook of the Marvel
Universe A to Z hardcover#14 further speculated: "...whose
blue-skinned inhabitants may be descended from Kree colonizers or a
land-dwelling Homo mermani offshoot."
Or perhaps another blue-skinned race, such as Levians could be involved...
It would be interesting if the Fifth Dimensions mentioned in the clarifications turned out to all be the same realm.
Phineas originally had a sub-profile in the Fifth Dimension profile that I first published WAY back 9/6/2001 in the early days of the Appendix.
Thanks to Loki for cleaning up the main image.
This profile was completed 10/22/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Phineas should be distinguished from:
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#103 (December, 1962) - Stan Lee & Larry Lieber
(writer), Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayer (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Fantastic Four I#158-159 (May-June, 1975) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), Rich Buckler (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks)
Fantastic Four I#161-163 (August-October, 1975) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), Rich Buckler (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks)
First posted: 09/01/2026
Last updated: 08/26/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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