Hailing from the Strontian race, the super-strong alien Kid Gladiator is Shi’ar royalty and doesn’t let anyone forget it.
Alien Prince
Despite being a prince, Kubark is a normal kid, full of himself and unaware of his own strength. He’s also “Kid Gladiator” a super-strong alien and son of Kallark, AKA Gladiator, Emperor of the Shi’ar Empire, one of the most powerful beings in the universe.
Looking up to his father, Kubark desires to follow in his footsteps, belong to a powerful superteam, and to be a Superguardian. From a very young age, he dreams of attending the Imperial Guard Training Academy—the Shi’ar School for Superguardians.
As a teen, Kubark’s father banishes him to Earth’s Jean Grey School for Higher Learning to study with the X-Men. He attends the school with his bodyguard at his side at all times, Shi’ar warrior Ava’Dara Naganandini, AKA Warbird. Despite a sanctimonious attitude, he trains with the X-Men, learning from many veteran mutants such as the school’s headmaster, James Howlett/Logan, AKA Wolverine.
Strontian Physiology
As a Strontian, Kubark’s alien physiology is much like his father’s. He possesses psionic-fueled powers, which are reliant upon on his self-confidence, and are empowered by cosmic vs. chemical processes. He can project heat rays from his eyes, and create freezing temperatures with his breath. He can also fly by mentally manipulating anti-gravitrons to bend gravity to his will.
He’s virtually invulnerable, able to survive unprotected in outer space and without oxygen for extended periods. He also possesses a resistance to telepathic attacks and a genius-level intellect.
Punching Bags
Raised as a warrior and bred for war, Kubark is fond of punching his enemies, which include Frankenstein monsters, Brood, the Builders, and Thanos’s forces.
Unexpected Alliances
Kubark has a difficult relationship with his father, who often makes decisions to protect his disobedient son. Kallark comes around after Kubark proves himself as an inspiring warrior on the battlefield.
When exiled to Earth, Kubark reluctantly trains under the tutelage of the X-Men. He sees Earthlings as a lower form and doesn’t hold back his feelings, often calling them insulting names, but he eventually comes to like being around them.
Warbird acts as Kid Gladiator’s bodyguard, protecting him from threats such as Frankenstein monsters and Krakoa, until he returns home after his exile ends. Warbrid stays behind on Earth and Kubark must navigate his next school, the Imperial Guard Training Academy, without her. Being the only other Strontian besides his father, Kubark feels alone yet still unique. He uses his skills learned from the X-Men and inspires a young Smasher at his school, which earns him their respect and loyalty. He even fights Shi’ar and Earth enemies alongside the Avengers.
A History of Punching
Kubark’s first day of classes at the Jean Grey school prove to be exciting when flamethrower-wielding Frankensteins overran it and the “Living Island” Krakoa underneath it smashed it to bits. As a young warrior happy to punch things, he was thrilled to participate in the ensuing battles. When Hank McCoy, AKA Beast, shrinks Kubark and the students down and takes them inside the mutant body of the school’s custodian Mortimer Toynbee, AKA Toad, to teach them about physiology, Kubark gets bested by white blood cells. After class was over and the students were returned to normal size, Kubark was frustrated with defeat, and returned to the lab where Professor and Headmistress Kate “Kitty” Pryde, AKA Kate Pryde, was sedated, infected with microscopic Brood. Kubark donned a shrinking suit and unafraid, dove into her body to battle the Brood. Soon, teachers Beast, Bobby Drake, AKA Iceman, and Rachel Summers, AKA Marvel Girl, along with Warbird miniaturized themselves to go after Kubark, but he became a Brood himself. Beast defeated the source of the problem, a microscopic Brood egg sac, and they returned with Kubark who demanded he remain a Brood because he looked awesome, but agents from the Sentient World Observation and Response Department (S.W.O.R.D.) helped return him to his old insufferable self.
When his father ended Kubark’s exile on Earth, Kubark was brought back to the Shi’ar Empire to resume his training with the Imperial Guard. After attending the Imperial Guard Training Academy as a Subguardian for several months, Kubark realized that the school wasn’t what he dreamt it to be and began to miss Earth. Suddenly, all Subguardians were called into active duty and Kubark’s father contacted him via hologram from the Shi’ar flagship, the Lilandra, with a grave warning that the entire cosmos was in danger from the Builders—apparently the oldest civilization in the universe who created everyone with a massive armada intent on undoing their work. Ready to fight, Kubark had his hopes dashed when his father forbade him from doing so, claiming he wasn’t ready, and sent four warbirds to keep him safe.
Kubark easily defeated them and joined the fray with his fellow Subguardians. In the midst of battling the Builders, Kubark was struck down and crashed into a nearby Shi’ar ship. There, he found a young Smasher from the Academy who was afraid to return to the fight. Kubark reminded them that the Builders can fall too and encouraged her them to get back up, lending a helping hand. When the battle came to a conclusion, the Shi’ar armada left and Kubark’s father picked him up in the Lilandra. Kallark was impressed by Kubark’s ability to defeat the Warbirds and called him a true warrior. Kubark then asked his father to not send him back to Imperial Guard school and wanted to instead just be himself and his father. Kallark expressed that his son would be greater than himself. They were then interrupted by the Smasher that Kubark had offered reassurance to, who honored Kubark by bowing alongside other Smashers. Kubark and his father then fought beside the Avengers against the Builders. After the battle ended, and they beat Thanos’s fleet liberating Earth, Kubark returned to the Jean Grey school and retold his tale of heroism to his classmates in Wolverine’s classroom.
