PYRAMOIDSPYRAMOIDS
Classification: Extraterrestrial
(presumably) objects of elemental power
Creator: Unrevealed
User/Possessors: The Challenger, the
Grandmaster (En Dwi Gast)
First Appearance: (mentioned): Avengers VI#676 (March, 2018)
(fully seen): Avengers VI#677 (March, 2018)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: Each Pyramoid
represented an elemental force, each with its own set of abilities once
activated. For
example, the earth Pyramoid generated a sort of black hole effect,
pulling matter and energy into itself, while the fire Pyramoid
projected a stream of swirling flame into the air, super heating the
atmosphere around it for a variety of weather effects. The thunder
Pyramoid affected weather patterns sufficient enough to generate
super-storms with gale-force winds and lightning while the water
Pyramoid could lower ambient temperature to create an extreme build up
of ice. The soul Pyramoid could summon forth the spiritual souls of the
recently deceased.
Each Pyramoid could also magnify any existing weather
patterns in their vicinity, especially if the weather patterns mirrored
the particular Pyramoids' element, to protect itself and all Pyramoids
could levitate under their own power.
History:
(Avengers VI#686 (fb) - BTS) - A competition between the Elders of the
Universe known as the Challenger and Grandmaster was proposed and the
Grandmaster used his daughter Voyager as a hidden pawn, tasked with capturing the final Pyramoid for Grandmaster to assure he won the competition.
(Avengers VI#681 (fb)) - After recruiting his Lethal
Legion as champions, the Grandmaster informed them that, as part of his
competition against the Challenger, the world-shaking Pyramoids would
be scattered across the Earth battlefield and that must be obtained in
order to triumph.
(Avengers VI#676 - BTS) - When the Challenger and Grandmaster's chosen champions were transported to Earth to begin the game between the two cosmic beings, the two groups of champions began to fight but the Challenger and Grandmaster ended the conflagration, warning that neither group was to engage the other until the first Pyramoid was activated.
(Avengers VI#677) - In front of the assembled
Pyramoids, Grandmaster suggested to the Challenger that they begin
their game and as his first move, the Grandmaster chose the earth
Pyramoid while the Challenger chose fire. Once activated, the two
Pyramoids were sent to Earth, where the earth Pyramoid landed in Rome,
Italy and the fire Pyramoid landed in Peru. The earth Pyramoid
generated an effect that began pulling everything towards it while the
fire Pyramoid began generating fire that burst into the sky. The
Grandmaster's Lethal Legion, having split into two groups, each arrived
at the Pyramoids' locations, where the Legion members attempted to
acquire the Pyramoids to earn points for their respective Elder.
Avengers contingents arrived moments later to battle the Lethal Legion
as the Pyramoids affected the environment surrounding them.
(Avengers VI#678) - The Avengers and Lethal Legion
continued battling around the Pyramoids' locations and the Challenger's
Black Order soon arrived as well, prompting Synapse to read the
thoughts of the Black Order's Ebony Maw. Learning that the Black Order
and Lethal Legion were competing for the alien Pyramoids, Synapse
informed the Avengers, who allowed the Black Order and Lethal Legion to
fight among themselves until the Black Order's Black Dwarf grabbed the
earth Pyramoid and was seemingly disintegrated. As the Pyramoid and
Black Dwarf disappeared, a giant number one appeared in the air to
signify a point for the Challenger and the Avengers sent Lightning to
Peru to prevent anyone from acquiring the fire Pyramoid and suffering
the same fate. In Peru, the unaware Avengers ally Red Hulk leapt for
the Pyramoid and Lightning flew as fast as he could to prevent anyone
was grabbing the Pyramoid. Before either could acquire the Pyramoid,
Human Torch grabbed it.
(Avengers VI#679) - Seemingly obliterated, the Human
Torch and the fire Pyramoid disappeared, prompting the Black Order and
Lethal Legion to depart as Grandmaster watched the events from afar.
The Human Torch then appeared, suspended within a large gemstone next
to Black Dwarf, who had also grabbed the first Pyramoid. Looking at the
frozen combatants, the Challenger remarked on how Grandmaster had a
chance to even the score of their game but one of the game's obstacles
(the Avengers) had grabbed the Pyramoid instead, accusing the game
board itself of being a better game player than the Grandmaster. When
Grandmaster admitted he had chose Earth for the game board because it
was the ultimate battleground for the ultimate game, the Challenger
angrily threatened Grandmaster, accusing him of stealing his title.
Grandmaster saved himself by reminding the Challenger of the game and
the Challenger agreed to continue into the next round, summoning the
electric Pyramoid while leaving Grandmaster with the water Pyramoid.
Insisting that he could use the water Pyramoid to bury the Challenger's
champions in ice, Grandmaster remarked that the Challenger was one
player short, prompting the Challenger to reveal that he was holding
one player in reserve.
(Avengers
VI#680) - The thunder Pyramoid was activated in Los Alamos, New Mexico,
while the water Pyramoid was activated near an Antarctic research
station, and the Avengers quickly learned of their appearances.
Avengers ally Dr. Toni Ho informed the two Avengers squads in Peru and
Rome, explaining where the two new Pyramoids had appeared and how each
had begun affecting the weather in their vicinity, from super-storms in
New Mexico to extreme ice build up in Antarctica. The Challenger's
Black Order soon arrived in Antarctica, fighting off the
Pyramoid-created ice storms in an effort to acquire the Pyramoid but a
squad of Avengers arrived moments behind them and the Avengers battled
the Black Order to prevent their gaining the Pyramoid.
(Avengers VI#681) - While one squad of Avengers took
down the Black Order in Antarctica when Rogue absorbed the powers and
memories of the Black Order's Corvus Glaive, another squad of Avengers
battled the Lethal Legion in New Mexico, where the thunder Pyramoid was
creating super-storms. During the battle, the Lethal Legion's Metal Master
attempted to acquire the thunder Pyramoid by first encasing it in metal
for safe handling, only to be knocked aside by Scarlet Witch. In
Antarctica, Rogue learned from Corvus Glaive's stolen memories that the
Pyramoids, Lethal Legion and Black Order were all part of the game
between Grandmaster and Challenger and as she informed the other
Avengers, the Lethal Legion's Ferene the Other
snuck by and grabbed the water Pyramoid, earning a point for the
Grandmaster and disappearing in the process like all others who touched
Pyramoids. As the battle continued in New Mexico, the Avenger Synapse
also learned of the Elders of the Universe's competition by reading the
mind of the Lethal Legion's Captain Glory
and she quickly warned the other Avengers not to let anyone touch the
thunder Pyramoid. The Lethal Legion immediately went on the offense,
keeping the Avengers distracted while Lethal Legion member Mentacle
telekinetically forced one of her Blood Brother teammates towards the
thunder Pyramoid. The unwilling Blood Brother begged for Mentacle not
to force him to touch the Pyramoid but the Avenger Hawkeye and his ally
Red Wolf arrived and hit the Blood Brother with an explosive arrow,
preventing him from touching the Pyramoid.
(Avengers
VI#682) - The battle for the thunder Pyramoid in New Mexico raged on as
Red Wolf eyed the Pyramoid. After much thought, Red Wolf took advantage
of the distracted Avengers and Lethal Legion and rushed for the
Pyramoid himself, grabbing it and disappearing like all others who had
touched Pyramoids and leaving the Avengers to think him dead. From
afar, the Challenger remarked that the Avengers were becoming more
trouble than they were worth and as the next round of the Elders' game
began, Grandmaster claimed the soul Pyramoid and placed it within the
hospital where Avengers Beast and Wasp (Nadia) were taking care of the
Avengers' injured butler, Edwin Jarvis. When the soul Pyramoid
activated, it summoned the spirits of the recently deceased, who ran
amuck in the hospital.
(Avengers VI#683) - From their auxiliary
headquarters, the Avengers witnessed the soul Pyramoid's activation and
its subsequent manipulation of weather patterns around the hospital as
Beast and Wasp attempted to keep the hospital patrons calm while
battling the summoned spirits. Wasp eventually decided to touch the
Pyramoid and sacrifice herself to save others but the Pyramoid oddly
rejected her touch and her Pym Particles proved ineffective against the
Pyramoid as well. After Beast tended to Edwin Jarvis, Beast and Wasp
watched the Pyramoid, unsure how to handle it as the Avengers ally
Voyager appeared, claiming she would handle the Pyramoid. A recovering
Jarvis tried to tell Beast and Wasp of Voyager's alteration of the
Avengers' memories but Voyager teleported away with the Pyramoid as
Jarvis revealed that Voyager had never been an Avenger.
(Avengers VI#684) - Voyager's acquisition of the
final Pyramoid was witnessed from afar by Challenger and Grandmaster,
leaving the Challenger's hidden player, the resurrected Hulk, without a
target. Arriving at the Avengers' auxiliary headquarters, Voyager
sealed herself in a security room to prevent anyone from touching the
Pyramoid but when the Challenger learned of Voyager's location, he sent
the Hulk after the Avengers to acquire the Pyramoid.
(Avengers VI#685) - Voyager remained in the Avengers' security room with the floating soul Pyramoid as the Hulk trounced the Avengers outside trying to prevent the Hulk from touching the Pyramoid. The Black Order's Black Swan and Proxima Midnight soon arrived as well to assist in the acquisition of the Pyramoid, battling the Avengers while the Hulk began pounding on the security room door.
(Avengers
VI#686) - Voyager continued guarding the final Pyramoid as the Avengers
battled the Hulk and the Black Order outside. The angry,
mind-manipulated Hulk eventually broke into the security room, where
Voyager, having witnessed the Avengers' bravery and courage first-hand,
decided to fight alongside the heroes. Hulk easily swatted Voyager
aside, however, and, realizing he was being manipulated, smashed the
Pyramoid, destroying it and effectively cutting off the link between
himself and the Challenger. With the Pyramoid's destruction, Voyager
revealed her ruse to the Avengers, explaining how the Grandmaster had
used her as a pawn to acquire the final Pyramoid and point for himself.
Comments: Created by Mark Waid, Al Ewing, Jim Zub and Pepe Larraz.
It was unclear what exactly happened to the acquired
Pyramoids once someone touched them. It's possible they were destroyed
when the Pyramoid and whoever touched it disappeared but it's also
possible that the Pyramoid were transformed into the gem-like prisons
that housed those who touched the Pyramoids. The soul Pyramoid,
however, was definitely destroyed when it was smashed by the Hulk.
Some online sources list the Pyramoids as appearing
unidentified in Avengers VI#675 but I could not find any appearance at
all of the Pyramoids in that issue.
Writers Jim Zub and Al Ewing had this to say about
the creation of the Pyramoids (taken from the bonus page in Avengers
VI#682):
JIM: "These 'Pyramoids' are kind of my fault.
We knew we'd need some of kind of point-bearing MacGuffins for the cosmic game we were putting together with the Grandmaster against the Challenger, but didn't know exactly what they should be. Something elemental made sense, but there still had to be a focal point. The objects themselves.
The Marvel Universe already has infinity gems and cosmic cubes, so I thought we could create something in that vein, but a different shape.
'How about pyramid-shaped, like a four-sided die?'
I think Tom said something to the effect of 'Fine, but we can't call them 'pyramids.'
'Sure, it's alien, so it'll be a 'pyramoid' or whatever...'
Mark snorted 'pyramoid?'
'Or whatever.'
Within a few minutes, everyone was using 'pyramoid' as a placeholder. An hour after that, it just kind of...stuck.
Don't look at me like that! 'Spider-Man' sounds silly if you take away your nostalgia for the world's wittiest web slinger. 'Pyramoid' is totally valid in a world with 'Magneto,' 'The Sub-Mariner' and 'Mentacle.'
I sketched up some Kirby-esque symbols to represent the elemental power contained within each Pyramoid, these cosmic d4's that will determine the fate of Earth, and sent it along to the group, wondering when they would stop me.
I'm still waiting."
AL: "I've got a little to add here-though I remember some discussion about the fifth pyramoid. What comes after Earth, Air, Fire and Water? What's the fifth element? 'raw power' was one of the suggestions, but I was knee-deep in alchemy for INHUMANS at the time, so I was lobbying for 'spirit,' and we ended up somewhere in between the two-as readers will see, the final Pyramoid has plenty of both.
Funnily enough, one or two of Jim's symbols remind me strongly of alchemical symbols--I don't know if they were a basis, but if not I'll take that as evidence of the Jungian collective unconscious at work. I found them very pleasing, anyway--a perfect cross between Kirbytech and mystic sigil."
Jim Zub's sketch of the symbols is included here in
this profile for reference...
Profile by Proto-Man.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Pyramoids have no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
Avengers VI#677, p7, pan2 (assembled Pyramoids, main image)
Avengers VI#677, p7, pan3-4 (Grandmaster & Challenger choosing the earth and fire Pyramoids)
Avengers VI#680, p4, pan3-5 (Dr. Toni Ho learning about the thunder and water Pyramoids)
Avengers VI#682, p16, pan4 (Grandmaster claiming the soul Pyramoid)
Avengers VI#686, p16, splash page (Hulk destroying the soul Pyramoid)
Avengers VI#682, bonus page (Pyramoid symbols)
Appearances:
Avengers VI#675 (March, 2018) - Mark Waid, Al Ewing, Jim Zub (writers),
Pepe Larraz (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#676 (March, 2018) - Mark Waid, Al Ewing, Jim Zub (writers), Pepe Larraz (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#677 (March, 2018) - Mark Waid, Al Ewing, Jim Zub (writers), Pepe Larraz (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#678 (March, 2018) - Mark Waid, Al Ewing, Jim Zub (writers), Pepe Larraz (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#679 (April, 2018) - Al Ewing, Jim Zub, Mark Waid (writers), Kim Jacinto (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#680 (April, 2018) - Al Ewing, Jim Zub, Mark Waid (writers), Kim Jacinto (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#681 (April, 2018) - Al Ewing, Jim Zub, Mark Waid (writers), Kim Jacinto, Mike Perkins (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#682 (April, 2018) - Al Ewing, Jim Zub, Mark Waid (writers), Sean Izaakse (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers
VI#683 (May, 2018) - Jim Zub, Mark Waid, Al Ewing (writers), Paco
Medina (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#684 (May, 2018) - Jim Zub, Mark Waid, Al Ewing (writers),
Paco Medina, Joe Bennett (pencils), Juan Vlaso, Ruy Jose (inks), Tom
Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#685 (May, 2018) - Jim Zub, Mark Waid, Al Ewing (writers),
Paco Medina (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VI#686 (May, 2018) - Jim Zub, Mark Waid, Al Ewing (writers),
Paco Medina (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First Posted: 11/09/2018
Last updated: 11/09/2018
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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