Universe
Marvel Universe

Real Name
Sheikh Farouk Al-Fasaud

Aliases
None

Identity
Secret (believed to be deceased)

Citizenship
Aquiria

Place of Birth
Presumably Aquiria

First Appearance
Fantastic Four #308 (1987)

Origin
Fantastic Four #308

Sheikh Farouk Al-Fasaud lived such a secretive life that no one knew of his existence other than those in the highest levels of government. He was the oil minister of the country of Aquiria, and because of that position, he was one of the richest and most powerful men on the planet. Fasaud was a very influential man and could make powerful groups such as OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) bend to his will as he saw fit. This made reporter, Gregory Dunbar, do some exploring into the life of Fasaud. Dunbar found out information he wasn’t supposed to be privy to, and this led to a full scale investigation by the media. Fasaud could no longer remain a mystery as he now had cameras in his face every day and his life and finances were picked apart. Soon, those who backed Fasaud pulled away from him as more of the truth behind his business dealings was revealed. He blamed Dunbar for all of his recent misfortunes, and while Dunbar was working in Aquiria, Fasaud tried to kill him. Dunbar instinctively ducked away from the knife that was aiming for him, but it found a second target in a video camera. The knife completed a circuit and Fasaud, still holding onto it, was electrocuted. Most of the world thought Fasaud died that night, but Dunbar saw the amazing transformation as a flesh and blood man turned into an electronic monster.

Eventually, Fasaud came to New York in search of Dunbar and attacked the maid in Dunbar’s home until she revealed her master’s whereabouts. The Human Torch was passing by when he was flagged down by other members of the staff and was told what had transpired. The rest of the Fantastic Four were assembled, and they raced over to the television studio Dunbar was currently working. They arrived just as Fasaud made his play for revenge on the news reporter. The Fantastic Four could not stop the living video image, and the Torch was almost killed as Fasaud pushed him to the point of going nova, making the flame around him explode as he was high over the city. The Thing managed to drive Fasaud away by using cable insulation to disrupt his image, and Dunbar told the Four his story. The Thing assigned the Human Torch and Crystal to stay in New York to protect the reporter while he and Ms. Marvel traveled to Aquiria to see what else they could learn.

The Thing and Ms. Marvel were greeted by the American Ambassador and the President of Aquiria who assured them that Fasaud was an embarrassment to his country. However, further investigation led these two heroes to believe that something more sinister was going on in this foreign land. Meanwhile in New York, Fasaud returned and attacked the remaining two members of the Fantastic Four, but Crystal used her elemental powers to create a lightning storm in order to disrupt Fasaud’s image once again. This disruption forced Fasaud to transmit his image back to Aquiria just as the Thing and Ms. Marvel stumbled into a secret shuttle base, but Fasaud electrocuted them into unconsciousness before they could learn why it was there. They were imprisoned inside the shuttle launch bay, but the Thing proved to be too strong and broke free of his chains. Freeing Ms. Marvel and battling their way through Aquiria’s armed forces, Ms. Marvel suggested that in order to stop Fasaud the satellite uplink in Aquria should be destroyed. Seizing the shuttle, the two members of the Fantastic Four found themselves in space ready to destroy the satellite until Fasaud took control of it. Fasaud used the internal defenses of the satellite to launch an assault on the shuttle as he manifested a physical image of himself inside the shuttle to attack them personally. The Thing managed to out maneuver the satellite’s offensive weaponry and destroy it which weakened Fasaud considerably. In order to survive that far from Earth, Fasaud needed more power to draw on so he took control of the shuttle and made it dive toward the planet below. The Thing pummeled the shuttle’s controls and shorted them out which drove Fasaud’s influence out and led Ms. Marvel to believe that Fasaud had died.

Fasaud recently re-emerged, however, this time in the employ of R.A.I.D. Operating in London, he aided the terrorist group by disrupting security equipment so that their agents could enter the United Kingdom. However, a telepath working for MI5 discovered him, leading to his confinement in a Faraday cage. Threatened with execution via a localized E.M.P., Fasaud gave up the names of R.A.I.D.'s super-powered operatives. When the Darkforce-controlling villainess Ecstasy showed up at MI5 headquarters, Union Jack (Joseph Chapman) released Fasaud, whose electric body disrupted Ecstasy's connection to the Darkforce dimension, leaving her vulnerable. Presumably, Fasaud is either lost somewhere within the Darkforce dimension, or perhaps truly dead.