By Tim Stevens
Leonard,
I know you are still looking for someone to analyze for your Case Review class. I came across this Michael Korvac and thought he might make for an interesting discussion for you and your students. Feel free to use my notes below to direct the dialogue.
--Tim
Michael Korvac is an adult male who has appeared in two distinctive forms. The first of these was a man who presented as fairly average in physical fitness. The second was a so-called “perfect” form that often glowed with orange or pink energy. While in this form, he seemed to create an alter ego for himself that he labeled as just “Korvac.”
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| Original form |
In his initial human form, the subject was a computer technician who claimed he was from the future. The mystical hero Doctor Strange fought the subject at this time and reported that his technological abilities were advanced enough to repel Strange’s magic, seemingly offering evidence that he was, indeed, from the future. During this time, he presented as intelligent and articulate while driven by a palpable sense of rage.
The scant evidence available about Korvac’s initial timeline suggests that he came from a world that was conquered by alien oppressors and that he may have aided them, at least at first. His anger may be a sort of inverted sense of disgust with himself as a result of this betrayal of his planet or it may speak to the subject eventually having been betrayed by those with whom he collaborated. Conflicting statements by him and witnesses indicate that either or both may be accurate.
Upon reaching his “perfect” form, an interesting pattern develops with the subject. He is simultaneously driven to the acquisition of more power and the imposing of his will on others while also seeming to seek out domesticity with an alien named Carina. Although there is evidence to suggest he was “undercover” when he and Carina settled into life as a married couple in a Queens suburb, it is an unusual choice for a being that had near god-like power himself and was supported by a woman who also boasted in impressive range of abilities. If his goal was indeed word dominance and he was nearly unstoppable, why bother with embracing the mundane?
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| Later form |
This question is also at the root of the different opinions those that faced the subject seem to have. Some detail his (thankfully temporary) slaughter of several Avengers in battle while others point out that he seemingly created a situation in which those killed could immediately be returned to life. It is as though his inner cognitive dissonance is being played out by others’ views on him.
It appears Korvac was slain in battle with the Avengers. Although he did appear once more later, it would seem that this resurrection was undone by an object of great power called the Cosmic Cube. At this time, it is assumed that Korvac remains dead. For any further information you may need, Leonard, I suggest reviewing AVENGERS ACADEMY #10 and #11 by Doctors Christos Gage, Sean Chen and Tom Raney which will be available on March 2 and March 16 respectively.
Psy D. Candidate Tim Stevens is a Practicum Trainee at a Federal Correctional Institute and a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Consultant.
Michael Korvac's psych profile is shown almost EXCLUSIVELY in the classic Avengers series that he was defined by.Any analysis of his character begins and ends there.This articles spends less than one sentence on his defining appearances, other than to ponder his cover form.Yes, he was absurdly written to be "in hiding" while simultaneously plotting the takeover of the entire universe, but he ...
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Michael Korvac's psych profile is shown almost EXCLUSIVELY in the classic Avengers series that he was defined by.Any analysis of his character begins and ends there.This articles spends less than one sentence on his defining appearances, other than to ponder his cover form.Yes, he was absurdly written to be "in hiding" while simultaneously plotting the takeover of the entire universe, but he also happened to be in love with Carina, and that might lead to less-than-brilliant decisions (that, and he was written by Jim Shooter *rimshot*).But comedy aside, Michael Korvac was a much more compelling and flawed, and deeper character than this "psych profile" author is aware of.(This is written from 25 year old memories):He was just a man - a flawed man with past trauma, and stumbled on to a means of gaining vast, untold powers. He didn;t work for them, or gain the discipline of them, and therefore abuses them to absorb cosmic power after cosmic power.This leads him to become convinced that His version of the Universe would be better than the current state (I can't say I blame him).I believe he blames his past trauma partly on the existing cosmic powers, and seeks to usurp their rule.So he exhibits classic revenge tendencies, and megalomania.Along the way, he falls in love with The Collector's daughter, Carina (and she, with him), and his motivation falters. He still wants to make the universe a better one (in his eyes) by replacing a failed regime with his own, but he also wants domestic bliss (he is, or at least WAS, only human after all).So the meddling Avengers were obviously drawn to stop his takeover of the universe, and Korvac was forced to wipe them out.Problem was - his humanity was his downfall. He looked to his muse (Carina) and saw hesitation there (in her true acceptance of his plan). Without his love by his side in his monumentally-overachieving goal of becoming the one force in the universe, he allows himself to die, overwhelmed by the forces allied against him.But even as he gave up his dream of bettering (in his eyes) the universe, he resurrected the very "foes" who killed him. This proved Moondragon's words at the end, which revealed him to be a honorable, well-intentioned character.
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