History
Origins[]
Mikhail Uriokovitch Ursus (Russian: Михаил) was on the run from the state security apparatus when he crossed paths with Margaret Carter's operations team.[4] He acted as the team's guide in Russia as the team sought out a Hydra base.[5] In the base's destruction, he was able to reunite with his mother.[6] He was imprisoned for his own safety, but was abducted and indoctrinated when Russian forces invaded the Hydra base.[1]
Training[]
Russian mutants were deemed as a threat and were to be killed as soon as their mutation was discovered. However, Professor Phobos was able to convince the Soviet government to allow him to train them as potential agents loyal to the government. His real motive, however, was to use them to gain power for himself. Ursa Major was one of the first trainees along with Darkstar and Vanguard. As part of the Soviet Super-Soldiers, they investigated a radioactive area along with the Hulk and discovered that Phobos was attempting to irradiate the USSR to provide more mutants for him to feed off of. Phobos was defeated and the three mutants vowed they would not serve the government without question.[3]
Soviet Super-Soldiers[]
Mikhail continued to be part of the Soviet Super-Soldiers, along with Darkstar, Vanguard and Gremlin, for several years. While hunting for Magneto, they faced both the Avengers and X-Men in southeast Asia.[7]
After discovering Crimson Dynamo was spying on them, the three left the Soviet Super-Soldiers and joined Siberforce, a group of exiled mutants.
Ursus and Vanguard were later tricked by General Tskarov into attacking American businesses while searching for the missing Darkstar.[8] Black Widow and Daredevil exposed Tskarov's plan, revealing that he had kidnapped Darkstar to manipulate the two.[9]
Winter Guard[]
Mikhail was one of the mutants who retained his powers after M-Day. He later returned to Russia, joining the new Winter Guard, investigating the death of Abomination,[2] repulsing the efforts of the Lady Liberators when they attempted to interfere in international business,[10] joining with War Machine to repel the Skrull Invasion in Russia,[11] and then facing the Remont 6 and mentoring the new Darkstar, Sasha Roerich.[12]
He was later imprisoned in a gulag on trumped up charges manufactured by Colonel Rostov,[13] where he was pitted against several opponents, usually ripping through his competition in two minutes. He eventually fought an incarcerated Winter Soldier, who bested him.[14]
When Ursa Major and the Winter Guard tried to capture the Intelligencia, the group used the Zero Cannon on them, sending the team to space,[15] though they survived.[16]
Red Room[]
Following the reinstatement of the Red Room, Ursa Major was recommissioned to its new base of operations in America, though he considered himself to have become a prisoner instead of the soldier he used to be. Following the Black Widow's death at the hands of Captain America, the Red Room created a clone of her with the intention to bring her back to their fold, making her retain only the original's memories pertaining to her service at the Red Room. Unwilling to let the Red Room erase all of Black Widow's memories as a hero, Ursa Major bribed the psychic operative responsible for granting any clones the memories he had previously obtained from the originals. As a result, Natasha's clone possessed all the memories of the original, though Ursa Major told her to keep it a secret. When Black Widow found out about the Red Room cloning program on her own, as well as the fact that she was a clone herself, Ursa Major urged Natasha to destroy the Red Room and put an end to its operations.[17] He was able to escape the compound and was last seen running into the wilderness.[18]
Imprisonment[]
Mikhail was imprisoned in a gulag in Siberia, where he developed alcoholism, a problem that caused him to become increasingly aggressive and unpredictable. When the Russian government decided to revamp the Winter Guard in light of an increase of global tensions, namely the formation of the Defenders of the Deep by Namor to drive off human presence in the oceans, a mission that included the attack of Russian submarines in the Black Sea, the President and the Minister of Justice themselves signed a letter of pardon for Ursa Major to convince him to get back into action. The Winter Guard intercepted Namor and his Defenders when they were carrying out an attack in Hydropolis. The Avengers were already on the scene and briefly joined forces with the Russian team, until in-fighting between Winter Guard members Perun and Chernobog resulted in She-Hulk attacking them, breaking out a fight. The battle came to a standstill after the Defenders escaped, and the Red Widow forced Crimson Dynamo to have his team retreat.[19]
Wakanda[]
When the Black Panther held an international super-summit between representatives of the superhuman community all over the world to discuss the scaling tensions, Ursa Major was sent to represent the Winter Guard. Ursa Major disregarded T'Challa's attempts at diplomacy and tried to goad him before attacking him. Before Ursa Major could land the hit, Black Panther had him teleported to Siberia.[20]
World War She-Hulk[]
When the Avengers reassemble under Wakandan rule and headquartered in the North Pole, they get a lot of attention from a number of different teams. One such team is the Winter Guard, however, Ursa Major had his doubts about the team. He contacted the Agents of Wakanda, the newly established Avengers support staff, to trade intelligence on the Winter Guard for Avengers protection.
Gorilla Man was assigned to be his contact point. Unfortunately, Gorilla Man's curse of immortality was depressing him. Behind the Avengers back, he had been making deals with both Dracula and the Winter Guard in exchange for them officially killing him. After letting the Winter Guard into Avengers Mountain, Red Widow betrayed Gorilla Man. She left him alive to face the consequences of his action and tried to kill Ursa instead.[21]
Ursa was moved to a veterinary facility on a Wakandan nature preserve, where he remained in a coma.[22]
Avengers Assemble (Event)[]
Much later during the Avengers' battle against Mephisto and the Mak Nultiversal Masters, Mikhail arrived at the battle after waking up from his coma accompanied by Gorilla-Man, who led the body of the Celestial Progenitor, who was possessed by a Deathlok.[23]Attributes
 |
Powers
Enhanced Mutant Physiology: Ursa Major is a mutant who has the ability to transform into a brown bear. The O*N*E classified him as a General Threat.[24]
- Ursine Transformation: Ursa Major is capable of transforming into a humanoid brown bear at will within ten seconds. This process grants him an additional 14 inches in height and 700 lbs to his frame. While in his bear form, he retains his full level of intelligence, personality, and ability to speak.[25]
- Superhuman Strength: While transformed, Ursa Major possesses superhuman strength much greater than average humans and than of an actual brown bear of similar size. At his peak, his strength is sufficient to lift about 15 tons.[25]
- Peak Human Speed: Like an actual brown bear, Ursa Major is capable of running at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.[26]
- Peak Human Stamina: Ursa Major has peak human stamina,[26] which is likely equivalent to that of an adult Siberian bear.[26]
- Athletic Agility and Reflexes: Despite his great size and bulk in his transformed state, Ursa Major's agility and bodily coordination are as great as than that of an Olympic level athlete,[26] which is likely equivalent to that of an adult Siberian bear.[26]
- Enhanced Durability:[26] Ursa Major has the durability of an adult Siberian bear.[27]
Abilities
Weaknesses
Additional Attributes
Paraphernalia
Transportation
Trivia
- Mikhail's origin is another example of Marvel's Sliding Timescale.
See Also
- 72 appearance(s) of Mikhail Ursus (Earth-616)
- 8 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Mikhail Ursus (Earth-616)
- 5 minor appearance(s) of Mikhail Ursus (Earth-616)
- 5 mention(s) of Mikhail Ursus (Earth-616)
- 2 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Mikhail Ursus (Earth-616)
- 48 image(s) of Mikhail Ursus (Earth-616)
- 5 quotation(s) by or about Mikhail Ursus (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Operation: S.I.N. #5
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hulk (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Incredible Hulk #258
- ↑ Operation: S.I.N. #2
- ↑ Operation: S.I.N. #3
- ↑ Operation: S.I.N. #4
- ↑ X-Men vs Avengers #1–3
- ↑ Daredevil #369
- ↑ Daredevil #370
- ↑ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #35
- ↑ Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. #34–35
- ↑ Hulk: Winter Guard #1
- ↑ Captain America #617
- ↑ Captain America #616
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man #676
- ↑ http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?396699-The-Former-Mutant-Formerly-Known-as-Darkstar-s-new-status-quo-(ASM-spoilers)&p=14411791#post14411791
- ↑ Tales of Suspense #103
- ↑ Tales of Suspense #104
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #10
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #11
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #46
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #50
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #66
- ↑ X-Men: The 198 Files #1
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #2
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 26.6 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #6
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #11
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #10–11
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #2
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update Vol 1 2