History:
POWERSURGE
Real Name: Illarion Pavlovich Ramskov
Identity/Class: Human mutate (Russian)
Occupation: Soldier
Group Membership: The Protectorate (Fantasma, Perun,
Starlight,
Steel Guardian/Josef Petkus, Vanguard, Vostok);
formerly the Winter Guard (Darkstar, Fantasma, Perun,
Sibercat,
Steel Guardian/Josef Petkus, Vanguard, Vostok); the Russian military
Affiliations: Avengers (Captain America/Steve Rogers, Firestar/Angelica Jones, Iron Man/Tony Stark, Justice/Vance Astrovik, Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff, She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, Sersi, Thor, Wonder Man/Simon Williams), Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff), Affiliations: Crimson Dynamo, Dr. Deidre Estivez, Immortus, Rage (Elvin Haliday), Soshkin, Galina Nikolaevna Zhukova
Enemies: Crimson Cowl (Justine Hammer), Dire Wraiths, Fantasma, Mandarin, Ngh the Unspeakable, the Presence, the Ruul, Sasha, Starblasters, the Sword of Judgment, ULTIMATUM, Yuri
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Surge (see comments)
Base of Operations: Various bases in Russia
First Appearance: (as Ramskov) Avengers I#326
(November, 1990);
(as Powersurge) Iron Man III#9 (October, 1998)
Powers/Abilities: Ramskov's body has the ability to emit massive amounts of radiation, usually for the purpose of generating heat but he can also emit powerful blasts of energy. The armor which Ramskov wears helps to contain much of his power. Within the armor he has superhuman strength, lifting about 20 tons.
Ramskov's original armor was designed primarily to contain the radiation surging through his boyd. It contained sedatives and muscle relaxants to help keep him alive and manageable as he recuperated.
Height: Unrevealed
(approximately 5'11")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 170 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
History:
(Avengers I#326 (fb)) - Lt. Illarion Ramskov was one of the Russian military officers sent to help contain the results of the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near Pripyat, Ukraine on April 26, 1986. Ramskov served aboard a helicopter with Soshkin as they dropped sand over the plant. Seeing a steam pipe was venting radioactive vapor into the atmosphere, Ramskov heroically lowered to the ground to shut down the main valve. Ramskov located the valve and started to work on it but then discovered two people - Sasha and Yuri - wearing lead suits and attempting to pilfer the Gluon Seperator from the plant. Ramskov warned them that their tampering could cause a further meltdown but they ignored him and fled. Rounding a corner, Ramskov found Yuri and Sasha wielding a wrench and crowbar which they swung at him. The attack tore Ramskov's radiation suit so feeling he was already as good as dead he ripped the uniform off, receiving a massive dose of radiation.
(Avengers I#327 (fb)) - Ramskov fought Sasha and Yuri, the two saboteurs. Ramskov knocked down Yuri and took his crowbar. On an impulse, Sasha swung the Gluon Separator at Ramskov. Ramskov struck the device with the crowbar and by chance hit the device's neutralizer element. The Gluon Separator overloaded and surged with power, bathing Ramskov in its glow.
(Avengers I#326 (fb) - BTS) - Suffering from leukemia, Ramskov was given experimental medical treatments at Tyuratam. These procedures included experimental epidermal coatings. They placed him inside a suit of armor designed to keep him alive and to contain the massive amount of radioactive energy which he was now emitting from his body.
(Avengers I#326) - Galina Nikolaevna Zhukova oversaw Ramskov's transfer to the Metropolitan Hospital in Manhattan to receive a bone marrow transplant for his leukemia. Raymond Sikorski of the National Security Council attended to represent US government interests while Dr. Estivez of the hematology center took charge of Ramskov's care. Ramskov was in a state of delirium from the drugs in his armor and found himself reliving the moments of his time at Chernobyl. As Dr. Estivez examined Ramskov she discovered the regimen of drugs he was receiving and cut them off as a preparation for Ramskov's surgery. With the drugs no longer keeping him sedate, Ramskov began acting out. Although unaware of his surroundings, the vivid recollections of the accident at Chernobyl caused him to renact his previous actions, but now his mutated body was emitting radiation. Heat from his radiation melted him through the floor of the hospital and into the sewers below. As Ramskov continued to reenact events from Chernobyl, the Avengers came to investigate as his reactions seemed to be an attempt to attack them. When he recalled his memory of his suit being torn open, Ramskov tore open the front of his armor and thus unleashing the radiation coming from his body.
(Avengers I#327) - Ramskov tore off his armor as he continued to fight the Avengers in a state of delirium. Unable to restrain him, the Avengers used "Plan D" in which Thor would generate a vortex with his hammer that would create an interdimensional space warp, bringing the Avengers and Ramskov into another dimension (the Dimension of Exile) in which the laws of physics functioned differently. As Sersi expanded Thor's vortex to include Zhukova and Dr. Estivez, the Avengers' ally Rage also happened upon them at that moment and was drawn with them into the dimension. Arriving in the dimension, Ramskov's power immediately receded but Dr. Estivez found his vital signs were very weak and he needed the bone marrow transplant as quickly as possible. As Ramskov murmured about the Gluon Separator Zhukova attempted to silence him because the information was classified. The Avengers fought the creatures who had been imprisoned in the Dimension of Exile and were servants of Ngh the Unspeakable while Sersi used her powers to identify which of the people present had the nearest bone marrow match to Ramskov. Finding it was She-Hulk, Dr. Estivez had Sersi perform a bone marrow transplant from She-Hulk to Ramskov. When the procedure was finished Ramskov started to tell the others about what happened to him at Chernobyl but Zhukova silenced him, revealing only then that she was an agent of GRU sent to protect Russian government secrets.
(Avengers I#328) - The Avengers fought more of Ngh's creatures in the Dimension of Exile. Still without his powers, Ramskov wielded a sharpened piece of wood to defend himself. Ngh sent his underling Xa to pretend to be the Avengers' ally and injured her so the Avengers would be compelled to bring her back to Earth with them. As the Avengers prepared to leave the Dimension of Exile, Ramskov confirmed to the Avengers that he would be able to control his powers when they returned now that he wasn't being drugged. He also promised to Zhukova that he would keep the Russian state's secrets because he was a loyal soldier. Zhukova answered that she wished she could make the GRU believe him. The Avengers returned to Earth with their allies and were soon addressed by the media who wanted to know about their recent adventure and about Lt. Ramskov. Hidden among the reporters was Yuri, one of the men Ramskov had encountered at Chernobyl. Assuming that Ramskov had betrayed Russia and shared information with the Avengers, Yuri drew a gun and shot at him. Zhukova threw herself in front of Ramskov to save his life, taking the bullet for him. Dying, she admitted that she had been told to kill Ramskov if he revealed anything about Chernobyl but she saved his life because she knew he was a good person. Thor and Iron Man apprehended Yuri, whose voice Ramskov recognized from their earlier encounter. Yuri accused Ramskov of betraying his country then swallowed a cyanide capsule, killing himself. Iron Man asked Ramskov if he still wanted to go home to Russia. "Now, more than ever," Ramskov replied.
(Iron Man III#9 (fb) - BTS) - Ramskov was assigned to Russia's national super-hero team, the Winter Guard. His armor was improved and he received the new codename "Powersurge."
(Iron Man III#9) - Powersurge joined the Winter Guard and the Russian army in battling an army of mercenaries assembled by the Mandarin who had invaded Russia. Iron Man arrived to alert the Winter Guard as to the identity of the mercenaries' leader and requested the team's aid in his battle, but the Winter Guard refused as they could abandon the Russian army in the field.
(Iron Man III#10) - While Iron Man defeated the Mandarin, the Black Widow and the Avengers aided the Winter Guard in defeating the mercenary army. Powersurge and Wonder Man joined forces to battle the massive flying "Dragon of Heaven" fortress commanded by the Mandarin. Ramskov observed that although he and Wonder Man were both energy beings "solid matter still stymies us." Ramskov thought Wonder Man had a more normal life than he as he could alter his form into a normal body, but Wonder Man disputed the notion that his life was in any way normal.
(Thunderbolts I#25) - When the Crimson Cowl generated a massive series of storms around the world the Winter Guard helped shield people near Irkutsk as Darkstar used her powers to create a defensive barrier.
(Maximum Security I#1) - Powersurge joined the Winter Guard in battle against members of the Starblasters in Smolensk after the Starblasters were among the extraterrestrial criminals confined to Earth by the Intergalactic Council. Powersurge fought Threkker of the Starblasters.
(Maximum Security I#3) - Powersurge joined many of Earth's heroes and extraterrestrial prisoners who had determined the Ruul had manipulated the Intergalactic Council.
(Citizen V and the V-Battalion: The Everlasting I#3) - In
Novosibirsk, Powersurge joined the Winter Guard in resisting the armies
of ULTIMATUM which had been unleashed there.
(Darkstar and the Winter Guard I#1 (fb)) - After Darkstar died in battle it created a rift between members of the Winter Guard and finally several of them chose to walk away from the team, including Powersurge.
(Darkstar and the Winter Guard I#2 (fb)) - Powersurge joined the Protectorate alongside Fantasma, Perun, Starlight, Steel Guardian, Vanguard and Vostok. The team journeyed to the realm of Limbo where Vanguard pled to assist Immortus if he helped him recover his deceased sister. Immortus offered to aid the Protectorate if they helped defend Limbo from the Dire Wraiths for one year. During the year, Steel Guardian was killed and they ultimately learned Fantasma had been a Dire Wraith witch all along. Fantasma fled from her allies back to Earth.
(Darkstar and the Winter Guard I#1) - Powersurge, Vanguard and Starlight returned to Earth in pursuit of Fantasma and announced in St. Petersburg the Protectorate were back.
(Darkstar and the Winter Guard I#2) - The Protectorate battled the terrorist forces of the Sword of Judgment in St. Petersburg. The team hoped their actions would draw Fantasma out of cover but instead it brough out the Winter Guard and a fight ensued, during which Powersurge grappled with Ursa Major, noting he could easily overpower him. Finally the Protectorate explained what had happened to them while in Limbo. Returning to the Winter Guard's base the Citadel they found it had been occupied by the Dire Wraiths.
(Darkstar and the Winter Guard I#3) - Entering the Citadel the two teams and Crimson Dynamo (Bukharin) began to prepare for battle with the Dire Wraiths but as Red Guardian was preparing a nuclear-powered dimensional displacer for Powersurge to wield, the Red Guardian was decapitated by a Dire Wraith. Ramskov began using the device to send the Dire Wraiths back into Limbo but was opposed by the insane Presence, who thought of the Dire Wraiths as his children. Ramskov was the only hero who could resist the Presence's radiation-based powers but in assaulting him his containment suit was destroyed. Ramskov knowingly sacrificed his life to destroy the Presence; the resulting nuclear blast likewise destroyed the Citadel.
Comments: Created by Larry Hama, Paul Ryan and Tom Palmer.
The Chernobyl disaster could be a topical reference now, but then again maybe Ramskov was kept in suspended animation by the Russians for a long period after the accident.
He was referred to as "Surge" only in the next issue promotional text of Avengers I#326.
This profile was completed on 11/24/2025 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Powersurge should not be confused with:
Dr. Deidre Estivez was head of the hematology center at the Metropolitan Hospital. When Lt. Ramskov was placed in her care she accidentally woke him up by cutting off the drugs inside his armor which were keeping him sedate. When Ramskov acted out with his powers while in a state of delirium, Dr. Estivez insisted on accompanying the Avengers as they confronted him so that she would be able to treat him, which ultimately brought her along with the Avengers into the Dimension of Exile. With the help of Sersi, Dr. Estivez identified She-Hulk as the best bone marrow match to Ramskov and Sersi used her powers under Dr. Estivez's guidance to give Ramskov the bone marrow transplant he required. Later, as the Avengers were battling the creatures of Ngh the Unspeakable and sent his underling Xa to pose as their ally, Dr. Estivez took charge of Xa when she wounded by Ngh in an attempt to trick the Avengers. Dr. Estivez brought Xa back to Earth with her as Ngh had hoped and took her to the Metropolian Hospital to be cared for. Xa repaid this kindness by helping Ngh to invade the Earth.
--Avengers I#326 (327-328
The Gluon Separator was a device found in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Its purpose is unrevealed but it was hinted to have played some part in the disaster. Sasha and Yuri were sent to remove the Gluon Separator from the scene of the accident by unrevealed entities (likely Russian government officials). The theft was interrupted by Ramskov and when he fought them, Sasha carelessly wielded the Gluon Separator as a weapon. Ramskov struck it with a crowbar and hit the device's neutralizer element. This caused the device to overload, releasing a surge of energy which enveloped Ramskov and granted him superhuman powers.
--Avengers I#326 (326 (fb), 327 (fb)
Sasha accompanied Yuri into Chernobyl to retrieve the Gluon Separator but encountered Rmaskov while performing the theft. Sasha made the mistake of swinging the Gluon Separator at Ramskov like a weapon which caused Ramskov to strike it and unleash a massive blast of radiation. Although Yuri was later seen alive (albeit with terrible radiation sickness), Sasha's fate is unrevealed.
--Avengers I#326 (326 (fb), 327 (fb)
Soshkin was the man piloting the helicopter which brought Lt. Ramskov to Chernobyl. While Soshkin was dropping sand over the plant, Ramskov saw a vent of radioactive vapor and had Soshkin lower him to the ground so that he could investigate.
--Avengers I#326 (326 (fb)
Yuri accompanied Sasha into Chernobyl to retrieve the Gluon Separator but encountered Rmaskov while performing the theft. After Ramskov damaged the Gluon Separator Yuri was evidently given a large dose of radiation. Later, when Ramskov was in the United States for medical treatment, Yuri followed him there under orders from unidentified superiors, despite Yuri's own failing health from radiation sickness. Believing that Ramskov had shared what he saw in Chernobyl with the Avengers, Yuri tried to shoot and kill him. Zhukova took the bullet for Ramskov but Yuri claimed she was a traitor for saving Ramskov's life. As Thor and Iron Man restrained Yuri, Ramskov insisted he hadn't told the Avengers anything but Yuri refused to believe him. To prevent his own capture, Yuri took a cyanide capsule concealed inside a false tooth in his mouth and died.
--Avengers I#326 (326 (fb), 327 (fb), 328d
Galina Nikolaevna Zhukova was a GRU agent assigned to keep tabs on Lt. Ramskov while he was being treated in the USA to ensure classified information concerning him was kept concealed. Ramskov's health and survival was treated as a secondary concern after defending Russian secrets, to the extent that Zhukova had orders to kill Ramskov if he revealed what he knew about the Chernobyl disaster. She introduced herself as a protocol officer as a cover identity. Zhukova insisted on working alongside the Avengers and Dr. Estivez as they sought to stop Ramskov from going on a rampage. When they finally brought Ramskov to the Dimension of Exile to calm his powers and give him his bone marrow transplant, Zhukova revealed to the Avengers and Ramskov that she was a GRU agent. Upon their return from the Dimension of Exile, Yuri attempted to assassinate Ramskov in order to silence him. Having seen from her experiences that Ramskov was a noble man, Khukova jumped in front of Ramskov and took the bullet for him. Dying, she admitted to Ramskov that she been given clearance to kill him but couldn't bring herself to see him die because he was a good person.
Zhukova carried a Marakov automatic pistol.
--Avengers I#326 (327, 328d
images: (without ads)
Iron Man III#9, page 11, panel 5 (main)
Avengers I#327, page 3, panel 3 (face)
Avengers I#326, page 5, panel 6 (1st armor)
Darkstar and the Winter Guard I#2, page 8, panel 2 (last armor)
Avengers I#326, page 4, panel 2 (Dr. Estivez)
Avengers I#327, page 3, panel 1 (Gluon Separator)
Avengers I#327, page 2, panel 3 (Sasha)
Avengers I#326, page 6, panel 4 (Soshkin)
Avengers I#328, page 14, panel 4 (Yuri)
Avengers I#326, page 5, panel 3 (Zhukova)
Appearances:
Avengers I#326-328 (November, 1990-January, 1991) - Larry Hama (writer),
Paul Ryan (penciler), Tom Palmer (inker), Howard Mackie (editor)
Iron Man III#9 (October, 1998) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Sean Chen
(penciler), Eric Cannon (inker), Sean Parsons (inker), Bobbie Chase
(editor)
Iron Man III#10 (November, 1998) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Sean Chen
(penciler), Eric Cannon (inker), Lary Stucker (inker), Bobbie Chase
(editor)
Thunderbolts I#25 (April, 1999) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Mark Bagley
(penciler), Bob Wiacek (inker), Al Vey (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Maximum Security I#1 (December, 2000) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Jerry
Ordway (penciler), Will Blyberg (inker), Paul Ryan (inker), Al Vey
(inker), Chris Ivy (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Maximum Security I#3 (January, 2001) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Jerry
Ordway (penciler), Will Blyberg (inker), Paul Ryan (inker), Mark McKenna
(inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Citizen V and the V-Battalion: The Everlasting I#3 (June, 2002) - Fabian
Nicieza (writer), Lewis LaRosa (penciler), UDON Studios (inker), Tom
Brevoort (editor)
Darkstar and the Winter Guard I#1-3 (August-October, 2010) - David
Gallaher (writer), Steve Ellis (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), Jordan
D. White (editor)
First posted: 09/04/2026
Last updated:
11/24/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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