SURGE
Real Name: Rupert D. Vitz
Identity/Class: Human technology user
Occupation: Wannabe Super Hero
Group Membership: None
Affiliations:
Enemies: Fantastic Four (Human Torch/Johnny Storm, Invisible Woman/Susan Richards, Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards, Thing/Ben Grimm), True Believers (Battalus/Ozzie Tanaka, Headtrip/Talyn Roark, Payback/Mavis Trent, Red Zone/Theo Bomba)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations:
First Appearance: True Believers#2 (October, 2008)
Powers/Abilities: As Surge he wore an armored battlesuit with dispersion wave technology that could turn him invisible. The suit possessed two energy cannons on his shoulder and two at the side of his chest. He also wore a belt with many pouches and two additional energy cannons. He used energy pistols and a sniper rifle that used special quick-dissolving pellets. His goggles probably possessed special vision modes and maybe even internet connectivity (one side looked like smart glasses and the other like heat or night vision goggles).
Height: Unrevealed (6'2"; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed (190 lbs.; by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Red
History:
(True Believers#2 (fb) - BTS) - Rupert Vitz was a teenager when he
inherited the family fortune through a trust fund. As a near-genius
level science prodigy he became a tech engineer and created a battlesuit
with high-tech weaponry. He begged Reed Richards numerous times to
become a member of the Fantastic Four as Surge. In his fantay they would
become the Fantastic 5, but Richards always rejected him. At one point
he even sent a life-size cutout of himself as Surge to the Fantastic
Four. Despite pushing 30 he still acted like a child. After his last
encounter with the Fantastic Four he went into hiding and swore to get
even with Reed Richards for all the rejections.
(True Believers#2 (fb) - BTS) - Vitz infiltrated the Fantastic Four's servers with a web-bot to read their emails and keep tabs on them.
(True Believers#2 (fb)) - As his first move against Reed Richards, Surge hid near East River and shot Richards with a sniper rifle while Richards was flying past him with the Fantasti-Car. The rifle used a quick-dissolving alcohol delivery pellet that made Richards drunk almost immediately. Richards was arrested by the police in a DUI sting shortly after.
(True Believers#2) - Vitz was lured into a trap by the Fantastic Four and the True Believers, when Payback (Mavis Trent) posed as a scorned lover of Reed Richards in a video call and seemingly blackmailed Richards for money. Vitz watched along and knew that this would be bigger than any scandal he could've created by himself. Using a high-end dispersion wave to make himself invisible, Surge waited for Richards at Hunter's Point to photograph Richards handing over the money she had demanded. He was unaware that Trent's teammates Headtrip and Red Zone had already discovered him. Headtrip used a counter-wave frequency to make Surge visible. Surge was confronted by Richards and Trent, who turned into Payback. Richards offered Surge professional help, but Surge was too angry to listen to Richards and attacked. Payback hit Surge with an electromagnetic blast that short-circuited his battlesuit and nearly killed him. Battalus cut open Surge's suit so that Richards could give him CPR and save his life. Reed Richards took Vitz to the police in the Fantasti-Car.
(True Believers#2 (fb) - BTS) - Vitz confessed his crime against Richards, who was ruled innocent of all the DUI charges.
(True Believers#2 (fb)) - Vitz was arrested.
Comments: Created by Cary Bates & Paul Gulacy.
This profile was completed 11/18/2023, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Surge should not be confused with:
images (without ads)
True Believers#2, p13, pan3 (main, life-size cutout)
True Believers#2, p19, pan5 (head shot)
True Believers#2, p17, pan2 (attacking)
Appearances:
True Believers#2 (October, 2008) - Cary Bates (writer), Paul Gulacy
(artist), Molly Lazer & Bill Rosemann (editors)
First Posted: 09/30/2026
Last updated: 11/18/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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