ANTI-MIND
Classification: Deviant/Eternal collective
consciousness
Creator: Lord Ghaur (with a little help from Sersi
and Thena)
User/Possessors: Lord Ghaur
First Appearance: Heroes for Hire I#6 (December,
1997)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: To merge the minds of
Eternals and Deviants in order to possess one of the Celestials and use
it to attack and destroy the approaching Celestial Host. As the sum
total of several dozen powerful minds, the Anti-Mind was capable of
generating intense psionic energies it could unleash in blasts or use it
to force others to be absorbed by it. Unlike the Uni-Mind that has a
semblance of free will (most likely based on a democratic collective
decision making process), Ghaur actively controlled the Anti-Mind.
History:
(Heroes for Hire I#5 - (fb) - BTS) - Learning of the
coming approach of the Celestials
(following the Heroes Reborn affair) the Deviant high priest
Ghaur decided the best way to defend his people from these cosmic beings
was the formation of the Anti-Mind. This variation on the Eternals'
collective consciousness known as the Uni-Mind would consist of the
merging of Deviant and Eternal minds. Ghaur theorized that the Anti-Mind
would be powerful enough to dominate the mind of one of the Celestials.
He then planned to use it to attack and destroy the other "space gods".
Because the common Deviant mind was incapable of forming a
Uni-Mind (let alone an Anti-Mind), Ghaur devised a plan to radically
change his people's mental makeup. He kidnapped
the children of the Eternal Thena and several other Eternals he
imprisoned in a focal tower he had constructed in Lemuria. Threating to
kill her children, Ghaur managed to force Thena to aid him by using her
mental powers on her fellow Eternals to jumpstart the formation of the
Anti-Mind. The next key element in Ghaur's plan was the Eternal Sersi,
who needed to change the makeup of the Deviants' brains so they could
enter the Anti-Mind. Grabbing Sersi by her mind as she returned from an
alternate Earth (Ultraverse) with the Black Knight, Ghaur had her teleported to
his headquarters in Lemuria where he filled her in on his plans and, to
assure her loyalty, had a brain mine planted on her. Just then, Kro led
Ransak the Reject and Karkas in a rescue attempt. Freeing Sersi of her mind
control device but falling prey to the superior forces at Ghaur's
command, Karkas insisted the Eternal fled Lemuria to get help.
Complying, Sersi teleported away but soon found the Fantastic Four and
Avengers missing. Not trusting the Thunderbolts, she decided to go to
the Heroes for Hire who quickly agreed to help out. When they reached
Lemuria, they discovered however that Ghaur had mind controlled most of
Kro's forces and was waiting for them.
(Heroes for Hire I#6 - BTS) - The arrival of the Heroes For Hire caused Kro to mount a second rescue attempt. When that failed again and only he, Iron Fist and a handful of his minions managed to escape while Sersi was recaptured, Ghaur was satisfied and started preparations for the formation of the Anti-Mind. Forcing Sersi and Thena to merge their powers and start the physiological alteration of all the Deviants' brains, Ghaur then used his focal tower to kickstart the Anti-Mind. Leaving only a handful of Deviants unaffected so they could guard the facility, Ghaur forcibly dragged Thena, Sersi and most Deviants (including Kro) into the Anti-Mind he himself dominated.
While Deviant and Eternal alike disappeared into the
forming Anti-Mind, the Deviant/Eternal hybrid offspring of Kro and Thena
were unexpectedly affected as well: joining together in a powerful single
entity identifying itself as the Dark Angel.
(Heroes for Hire I#6) - Ghaur ordered the newly formed Anti-Mind to attack the Heroes for Hire with powerful psi-blasts. The Black Knight, however, used his mystical Shield of Night to absorb the energy and shot it back through the Sword of Light, momentarily staggering the Anti-Mind in the process. Annoyed, Ghaur told the Black Knight this act assured he would be the first to die. Before the Deviant high priest could make good on his threat, the Dark Angel assaulted the Anti-Mind, plunging straight into its physical form while calling out to their mother and father to free themselves, just as they had. Hearing her children's plea was enough for Thena to overcome Ghaur's mental domination. Using her powers to sever the psi-link that bonded them, she dissolved the Anti-Mind and forced everyone to return to their own seperate forms. Iron Fist then unleashed his chi and destroyed the focal tower, freeing the Eternals. Enraged, Ghaur ordered his newly reformed Deviant forces to kill the heroes.
(Heroes for Hire I#7 - BTS) - Moments after he had ordered
the death of Kro and the Heroes for Hire, the Deviant ruler Ghaur had a
change of heart. Declaring that he wouldn't risk further needless death
after his plans involving the Anti-Mind had failed, he told his forces
to stand down. Gloating, Ghaur then assured a defiant Kro that he had
actually won. Now able to form the Anti-Mind at will, Ghaur figured Kro
and the others would never be able to undo what he had caused without
his cooperation...which he would never give. He then ordered his
enemies to leave, while he returned to his own schemes.
Comments: Created by John Ostrander (writer), Pascual Ferry (pencils), Jaime Mendoza (inks).
Kudos to John Ostrander for coming up with an ingenious
way to have the Deviants form their own Uni-Mind, though it's hardly the
first time an Eternal was used to create a non-Eternal version. Back in
Avengers I#339, Sersi (her again) helped the Brethren
come together in a Uni-Mind of their own... If sentient bacteria are
capable of doing what supposedly only the godlike Eternals can, having
their close genetic cousins the Deviants do it doesn't seem that big a
stretch.
Speaking of needing an Eternal to get the party started:
Ghaur's claims that he could reform the Anti-Mind whenever he wanted
sound a little hollow. With his focal tower destroyed and the kidnapped
Eternals freed, just how would he go about doing this? It might merely
have been boasting on Ghaur's part, propaganda to prevent him from
losing face after the defeat.
Profile by Norvo.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Anti-Mind should not be confused with
images: (without ads)
Heroes for Hire I#6, p18, pan3 (main image)
Heroes for Hire I#6, p15, pan4 (Focal Tower)
Appearances:
Heroes for Hire I#5 (November, 1997) - John Ostrander (writer), Pascual
Ferry (pencils), Jaime Mendoza (inks), Mark Bernardo (editor)
Heroes for Hire I#6 (December, 1997) - John Ostrander
(writer), Pascual Ferry (pencils), Jaime Mendoza (inks), Mark Bernardo
(editor)
Heroes for Hire I#7 (January, 1998) - John Ostrander
(writer), Pascual Ferry (pencils), Jaime Mendoza (inks), Mark Bernardo
(editor)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
First Posted: 02/02/2014
Last Updated: 02/02/2014
Non-Marvel
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