Phobos

Advertisement

Background

Powers & Abilities

Phobos can cause fear in his targets, with only the strongest wills able to resist his powers. He also has precognitive abilities which have not been fully detailed, although he was able to see the fates of all his team mates, as well as his own.

He’s a highly trained combatant, both armed and unarmed, especially with his sword, Grasscutter.

History

(See the Secret Warriors entry for a general history of the team.)

Son of War

Raised by his father, Alexander lived a normal life on Earth. He was unaware of his father’s true identity until kidnapped by the gods.

Advertisement

Ares had abandoned his old life, and was determined to raise his son better than he’d been himself raised. He still taught Alex to be a warrior, if not training him with weapons, because that part of his character was so ingrained into him that he couldn’t avoid it.

When Zeus called on Ares to help defend Olympus from invasion, Ares refused. So they kidnapped Alex. Travelling to Olympus to wage war on his father, Ares discovered Alex had already been seized by their enemy, Mikaboshi.

Ancient Japanese myths

After conquering the land of the Japanese gods, this God of Evil turned his attention to the lands of the other pantheons. Mikaboshi had been emboldened by the recent fall of Asgard. He laid siege to Olympus, his forces proving too much for them to handle.

Making reluctant peace with his father long enough to recover Alex, Ares went to war with Mikaboshi. Mikaboshi, meanwhile, began manipulating Alex into becoming his weapon against his father. He told him a biased truth about his heritage, in particular their parricidal impulses. Alex was also trained in combat, and given the legendary sword, Grasscutter .

The war went on for five years, before Ares led the Olympians against Mikaboshi’s stronghold. Breaking through, Ares’ momentum was stopped when Alex attacked him, aiming to kill him.

The Olympians also began to fall, and Zeus used the last of his power to free Alex from Mikaboshi’s control. Alex turned on Mikaboshi, turning the tide of battle.

The battle over, and Zeus missing, Alex and his father spent some time in Africa. Once done they returned to New York, with no more secrets between them. Although Alex may not have told his father that he’d developed certain powers.

Ares had taken Grasscutter away from Alex, saying he could have it back when he’d learned all other weapons, which Ares taught him.

Secret Warriors

Despite his father’s attempts to keep him hidden from the world, Nick Fury learned of Alexander’s existence. The spymaster had Daisy Johnson recruit him to Team White when they learned of the Skrull  invasion and needed powered assets who nobody else knew about.

Ares was part of the Avengers by this time, so had little time to notice what Alexander was doing.

Shortly after Osborn took power, Ares learnt of Alex’s activities, and confronted Fury. They came to an agreement when Ares recognized Alex’s devotion to his chosen path, even if it left them on opposing sides.

Before Ares would allow it, though, he took Alexander to be judged by the other gods. Outfitting him properly, Ares returned Grasscutter to him. The blade had gone red, tainted by Ares’ blood when Alex had stabbed him.

He was accepted as God of Fear and Dread by his peers. But Ares told him that since he had been born to a mortal woman, he had to undergo one final event before becoming a true god. He had to die so that he could one day be reborn.

Ordeals

Alex was left behind when the team helped break the siege of Asgard, but saw his father’s death on television. Enraged, he used Fury’s secret access to the White House to try to confront the President over his complicity in Osborn’s power.

Fighting through an army of Secret Service agents he didn’t reach the President before he was airlifted away, but did leave a pointed letter.

Despite having seen the inevitability of his death, Alex said nothing to his friends as they infiltrated Gehenna. He maintained hope that he could cheat his fate, even as he guarded the other’s retreat, forcing them to leave him behind.

He faced the Gorgon, who wielded Grasscutter’s twin, Godkiller. They fought, and Alex realised his precognition couldn’t so easily be cheated. Gorgon killed him.

His consciousness awoke in the afterlife with his father, as Ares explained that as gods, they would return.

Personality

Unflappable and determined, Alex acts older than his years. This is partly due to his time under Mikaboshi’s power, and partly due to what his precognitive abilities have shown him of his future.

While not reckless, he won’t hesitate to throw himself into a fight (possibly because he knows when he’ll die).

Quotes

Ares: “There will always be war.”
Alex: “Okay, fine, whatever, our battle is eternal… we fight for a cause… like heroes. We fight for good.”
Ares: “Good and evil are for man, son… not you and I.”
Alex: “Then why ?”
Ares: “Why not ?”
Alex: “No, I mean for what reason… why do we fight, then ?”
Ares: “Why ? Hrmmph. You need some reason greater than victory… than women or good food or the good sleep of the victorious ?”
Alex: “Yeah, dad, I really do.”
Ares: “It is honor, Alexander. Honor above everything.”
Alex: “… I think I’d rather be a hero.”

Ares: “Boy, when I say you come home after school, that means you go straight home ! I don’t have to be worrying about you on top of everything else !”
Alex: “If you’re not home… what do you care ?”
Ares: “Listen to me boy. I’m an Avenger now ! I can’t control when and where that will take me. But it’s important work and I need you to be where I tell you to be ! And you will learn to respect me.”
Alex: “Like you respect your father ?”
Ares: “…”

Nick Fury: “Alexander, there’s no wireless in this base and no Ethernet connection in this room.”
Alex: “Yeah, that seemed wrong… I fixed it.”
Nick Fury: “Anything else seem wrong or need fixin’ ?”
Alex: “We’re out of pop-tarts.”
Nick Fury: “… I’ll have someone take care of that.”

“Hear me clearly, Norman Osborn: You do not fuck with Nick Fury. And you do not fuck with the God of Fear.”

“This is how it was always going to be.”

DC Universe History

He could be one of the Crow Children of Ares, whom the Amazons managed to reform.

By Gareth Lewis.

Source of Character: Marvel Comics (Covers up to Secret Warriors #28).

Writeup completed on the 20^th of September, 2012.