VIRGO
Real Name: Elaine McLaughlin
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Criminal mastermind
Group Membership: Zodiac Cartel
Affiliations: Thunderbolts gang;
presumably Gaea;
see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Gaea from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot
Enemies: Avengers (Black Panther, Captain America, Goliath (Clint Barton), Iron Man, Mantis, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Vision, Wasp, Yellowjacket), Nick Fury, Rick Jones, Zodiac (LMDs)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Denver, Colorado
First Appearance: Avengers I#72 (January, 1970)
Powers/Abilities: Virgo was skilled at hand-to-hand combat.
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 125 lbs.
Eyes: Green
Hair: Red
History: (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#20: Zodiac (fb) - BTS) - The Zodiac Cartel was founded by Cornelius van Lunt (Taurus), handpicking the eleven other members; van Lunt concealed his own identity, while he was the only one who knew the identities of the others. Each member was based in a different American city as part of his nationwide criminal network, with the ultimate goal of world economic and political domination.
(Avengers I#72) - Virgo attended a gathering of the Zodiac made by Scorpio, who had captured the Avengers, only to discover that Nick Fury was masquerading as Scorpio, and the Avengers set themselves loose to battle them. Virgo was stunned by the Wasp in battle, but was able to flee when Aries distracted the Avengers with the Zodiac Key.
(Avengers I#80 (fb) - BTS) - Under the direction of Aries (Marcus Lassiter), Zodiac regrouped and began plotting their takeover of Manhattan. Meanwhile, Cornelius van Lunt led Zodiac's efforts to build to steal the land from Red Wolf's father, leading Red Wolf to pursue van Lunt's agent, Jason Birch, back to Manhattan.
(Avengers I#80 - BTS) - Having learned something of Zodiac's activities, the Avengers prepared to oppose them, though they split into three groups, each pursuing a different agenda (unaware that all three were Zodiac related). Van Lunt's men shot down the Avengers' quinjet containing Goliath (Clint Barton), the Scarlet Witch, the Vision, and Red Wolf, and van Lunt appeared to drown when the artificial dam was destroyed in the ensuing conflict.
(Daredevil I#69 - BTS) - Zodiac backed the Thunderbolts gang, directing them to dupe other African-Americans into joining a seeming revolution against oppression, when they were really just common criminals; the Thunderbolts were defeated by the Black Panther, Daredevil, and William Carver.
(Avengers I#82 - BTS) - Aries led the forces of Zodiac to ambush the Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man (Tony Stark), Quicksilver, and Thor), using gas to incapacitate then within Avengers Mansion, after which they were placed within stasis.
Aries then led the forces of Zodiac to take over Manhattan, entrapping it within a force field, and threatening to slay the entire population if they did not receive one billion dollars within 24 hours time. The Black Panther and Daredevil freed the imprisoned Avengers, and Aries was apparently slain in the ensuing conflict. The army captured Zodiac's mercenary soldiers, and the force field was deactivated. The rest of the Zodiac Cartel escaped capture.
(Avengers I#120) - Virgo joined the Zodiac Cartel in an attack on the Avengers Mansion, and defeated the Avengers gathered there simply to demonstrate their might. He then participated in their plot to use the Star-Blaster to slay everyone born under the sign of the Gemini (except for their own Gemini), but the Avengers intervened. Taurus was able to halt the Avengers by threatening to kill Mantis with the Star-Blaster.
(Avengers I#121) - The Scarlet Witch broke their stalemate by using her hex power on the Star-Blaster, but Virgo knocked her out. The Zodiac were able to escape when Aries flung Mantis from the World Trade Center, distracting the heroes.
(Avengers I#122) - Virgo met with Taurus, Capricorn, Gemini and Libra as they continued with their plans after Taurus had ejected the traitors within the cartel's ranks into space along with the Avengers. However, the treacherous Zodiac members and the Avengers were able to return to Earth and ultimately, the traitors sided with Taurus' allies against the Avengers. Virgo was defeated in battle by the Scarlet Witch, who had now had her revenge for her earlier defeat.
(Avengers I#123 - BTS) - The Avengers turned Virgo over to the authorities along with the other Zodiac members, except for Libra.
(Ghost Rider II#7 (fb)) - Virgo was sent to prison with the rest of the Zodiac Cartel, with the exception of Taurus.
(Iron Man I#184) - Virgo participated in a viewscreen-only meeting with the other 11 Zodiac members, during which Taurus explained his intent to destroy Iron Man with a bomb to prevent him from investigating the cartels.
(West Coast Avengers II#26) - Virgo attended a meeting of the Zodiac cartel in Houston, Texas, in which they discussed the threat the LMD Zodiac posed to them. Before they could come to any conclusions, they learned that an LMD of Jake Fury had replaced their Scorpio, and he let in his LMD Zodiac to destroy them. Virgo was slain by the LMDS.
Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema and Sam Grainger.
As a Virgo, Elaine McLaughlin was born between August 23rd and September 22nd.
by Prime Eternal
CLARIFICATIONS:
Virgo should not be confused with:
Images taken from:
Avengers I#72, page 12
Avengers I#120, page 18, panel 3
First Posted: 01/23/2005
Last updated: 03/25/2013
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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