BLACK GOLD

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human technology user;
   citizen of Aqiria

Occupation: Government agent, presidential bodyguard

Group Membership: Hero Force

Affiliations: President Abdi

Enemies: Legion (David Haller), Gabrielle Haller

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Al-Thahab Al-Aswad (Arabic translation)

Base of Operations: Aqiria; briefly London, United Kingdom

First Appearance: X-Men Legacy II#13 (September, 2013)

Powers/Abilities: Black Gold wears a suit of armor of unrevealed metal, presumably with bulletproof durability, plus added technology (full nature unrevealed). It has a more nationalist warrior design as it has no faceplate. It appears to have a rifle wrist-mounted attachment with reasonable accuracy. The man inside the armor is loyal to (later deposed) Aqiri President Abdi.

Height: 7'6" (by approximation)
Weight: 430 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

History:

(X-Men Legacy II#13 (fb) - BTS) - President Abdi of Aqiria in the Middle East initiated his country's super team Hero Force, starting with Black Gold, an agent encased in armor developed after millions of dollars of R&D. Black Gold acted as Abdi's personal bodyguard.

(X-Men Legacy II#13) - Black Gold accompanied conservative President Abdi on his state visit to the United Kingdom to negotiate a new oil deal. A photo opportunity included Abdi with Black Gold and Aqiri entourage alongside the British prime-minister with British super-agents (Black Knight, Blade, Captain Britain, Excalibur, Spitfire, Union Jack), with mutants deliberately excluded at Abdi's request. Meanwhile, Legion (David Haller), concerned for the welfare of mutants internationally, began manipulating several mutants, including Pete Wisdom, to restore peace and understanding.

(X-Men Legacy II#14) - Black Gold shadowed Abdi shadowed Abdi as he took a ceremonial walk down a London street ignoring protesters, but a persecuted gay Aqiri rebel tried to assassinate Abdi. Wisdom stopped the bullet and Abdi chided Black Gold for failing to protect him.

(X-Men Legacy II#14 (fb) - BTS) - The Aqiri people, seeing the positive actions enacted by Legion's manipulations, were inspired and staged a bloodless coup in Abdi's absence that ousted Abdi from office in favor of a more progressive future. The new regime still signed the oil deal with the UK.

(X-Men Legacy II#15) - Angered that Legion's actions had led to his being deposed, Abdi had Black Gold shoot Legion, who was meeting with his mother Gabrielle Haller on a rooftop. But Black Gold missed and accidentally killed Gabrielle instead. Enraged, Legion accessed a destructive power from his range of personalities and incinerated the pair, killing them instantly.

Comments: Created by Simon Spurrier, Tan Eng Huat, Craig Yeung.

So has President Abdi's Hero Force initiative been abandoned?

This profile was completed 09/25/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary's celebratory event.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Black Gold has no known connections to:

• BLACK KNIGHT (Dane Whitman, or any other incarnations) - descendant of Percy, inherited curse when drew blood with Ebony Blade @Avengers I#47
• BLACK METAL - armored mercenary, agent of Kingpin, opposed by S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent (Rick Mason) @ Marvel Graphic Novel: The Agent
  
• BLACKSTONE - treasured object of the Worms of the Earth, stolen by Bran Mak Morn and used to force them to slaughter @ Worms of the Earth; Savage Sword of Conan#17/4
• BLACKSTONE the MAGICIAN - stage magician who used tricks to pursue criminals and engage in detective work @ Blackstone the Magician#2
  
• or any of the scores of other "Black" or "Gold" characters out there

President Abdi

Although Aqiria is an absolute monarchy, Abdi became president and continued to stoke mutantphobia and homophobia, also trampling on human rights and women's rights. He traveled to the United Kingdom for photo opportunities and negotiate new oil deals with the British government, as well as to show off his new armored bodyguard Black Gold, the first of his initiative to have an Aqiri super team Hero Force, for whom he also sought training expertise from UK's MI13. He was met in the UK with large curbside protests which he mistook as support. Legion (David Haller), concerned for the welfare of mutants internationally, interfered with his state visit, culminating in the manipulation of Pete Wisdom saving Abdi from an Aqiri assassin's bullet. However, a bloodless coup in Aqiria took place in his absence and Abdi was deposed. Abdi saw Legion as responsible and had Black Gold shoot him, but the bodyguard missed and killed Legion's mother instead. Enraged, Legion incinerated Abdi and Black Gold, killing them instantly.

--X-Men Legacy II#13 (14-15

images: (without ads)
X-Men Legacy II#13, p2, pan4 (main image)
X-Men Legacy II#15, p15, pan2 (headshot with gun)
X-Men Legacy II#15, p16, pan1 (death)
X-Men Legacy II#13, p2, pan4 (Abdi, full body)
X-Men Legacy II#14, p14 (Abdi, headshot)

Appearances:
X-Men Legacy II#13 (September, 2013) - Simon Spurrier (writer), Tan Eng Huat (pencils), Craig Yeung (inks), Daniel Ketchum (editor)
X-Men Legacy II#14 (September, 2013) - Simon Spurrier (writer), Tan Eng Huat (pencils), Craig Yeung (inks), Daniel Ketchum (editor)
X-Men Legacy II#15 (October, 2013) - Simon Spurrier (writer), Tan Eng Huat (pencils), Craig Yeung (inks), Daniel Ketchum (editor))

First posted: 09/28/2021
Last updated: 09/27/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
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