Origin
Forty thousand years ago, a caveman warrior named Eshu was cast out of his tribe despite his skill as a hunter, his selfish and arrogant personality and behavior offending too many. Constantly desiring more woman, clothes and food than his peers would grow bored of Eshu’s actions and outcast him. Managing to survive in the harsh ice age conditions Eshu would look for habitable land, yet he would find himself overwhelmed with a persistent compulsion to head towards the North. As he would eventually find out, an alien ship had crash landed at the north pole. The ship was of Plodex origin, the Plodex being a species that would send its advanced space ships around the Universe, with their eggs onboard, that would capture, reprogram and imprint on the most intelligent biological life on the planets the ship would land on. However the Plodex ship that had landed on Earth had suffered much damage from its crash landing, with the Plodex eggs severely injured. The ship would still emit a powerful psychic wave designed to lure in intelligent species. Eshu was one of those receiving the psychic broadcast compelling him to travel north. The wanderer would come across the dying bodies of lesser hunters or competent animals, feeding on the as he headed towards the alien Plodex ship.
Arriving at the ship Eshu would be lured inside where Plodex technology would assault him, dissecting his body, deconstructed it piece by piece and analyzing it methodically. Eshu would be experimented and experimented on by the ship for thousands of years a labor intensive process that involved remaking and breaking down Eshu over and over. During that time he would develop a superior intellect and both his body and mind would receive several enhancements. Although the ship was designed to overwhelm and control Eshu, Eshu’s determination and stubbornness allowed him to renege control and conscious and he would circumvent the ships controls becoming the master of his situation. He would create a new superior body for himself and emerge from the ship. Mad from experimentation but with a superiority complex with his newfound knowledge and intellect Eshu would consider himself the rightful ruler of the world. Eshu’s ambition is world domination and he will even go as far as genocide of the weak and innocent to achieve this. Eshu would eventually adopt the name and title as the Master of the World. Master of the World would realize he could not truly be liberated until the Plodex ship that transformed him was destroyed, but as he could not do this directly he would bide his time.
Creation
Master of the World was created by John Byrne and first appears in Alpha Flight Vol.1 issue 2 (1983).
Character Evolution
Master of the World was created and remains a major antagonist of the superhero team Alpha Flight. Usually associated with Alpha Flight the character would also serve as an antagonist for characters and teams such as Heroes for Hire and the Avengers.
Major Story Arcs
Alpha Flight
Approximately 20 years ago Master would identify his opportunity and he psionically compel the Alpha Flight member Marrina to head towards the ship, electing Marrina as she was of the Plodex species. Master of the World would capture Marrina and explain his past with her as well as of the Plodex. His intentions were more than friendly however as he sought to torture Marrina as well, but he would be interrupted by Marrina’s team mates Alpha Flight as well as Namor and Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four. During the ensuing confrontation Master of the Worlds ship would be destroyed, essentially fulfilling his wishes, he would then escape via a submarine no longer restricted by his location by his ship.
Heroes for Hire
At some point the Master of the World acquired the services of the powerful team the U-foes, made up of Ironclad, Vapor, Vector and X-Ray rescuing the powerhouse team, forming an alliance with the group. During this particular time Master of the World would also interact with White Tiger, a super evolved creation of the High Evolutionary. If White Tiger would acquire technology for him Master would give her information regarding a person she was tracking Man-Beast. Master of the World would be guilty of treachery as he had sent the U-Foes to interrupt White Tigers plans. The U-Foes would face further confrontations with White Tiger with the later teaming up with Iron Fist and Hercules to form a new incarnation of the Heroes for Hire. Master would take an interest in this new superhero group and monitor their activities. Master would even exploit one f the members of Heroes for Hire former Human Torch and android Jim Hammond into manipulating the rest of the team. Further manipulation of the team involved selling out the members of U-Foes and the Controller to Heroes for Hire in induced comas as to not al;ert the superhero team to his presence or machinations. Eventually the Heroes for Hire would learn of his manipulations and actions with Luke Cage initially appearing to switch on his team mate but then flipping on Master of the World electrocuting him on his base at the time Hydra island.
Kang Dynasty
When Kang the Conqueror set his sights on conquering the Earth in the 20th Century, The Master was offended and reluctant to give up what he believed his to another. Announcing himself as the Earth’s savior, The Master raised gigantic walls around all of North America to defend from Kang’s forces, while also willing to sacrifice the rest of the world in order to maintain his own stronghold. The Master also kidnapped several senators and political figures with the intention of using them as his brainwashed pawns to cement his own control over the World once Kang had been repelled.
The Avengers, led by Ms. Marvel, battled their way through armies of Plodex wolves to get to The Master, in hopes of acquiring his technology to aid the rest of the World against Kang. When The Master refused to willingly ally with the heroes, Ms. Marvel battled him and was seemingly bested by the villain who had counter-measures for her every move. Mocking the heroine with his knowledge that the only way he could be defeated by her was if she killed him which as an Avenger she couldn’t do, The Master believed himself the victor only to then be stabbed through the chest and killed by Ms. Marvel who declared the “rules have changed”.
With The Master no longer a threat, the Avengers were able to use his technology in the battle against Kang, although Ms. Marvel was constantly ashamed and felt guilty about having killed The Master, so much so that she demanded legal action be taken against her afterwards. Despite her own reservations, Ms. Marvel was found innocent of The Master’s murder due to the necessity during the war against Kang.
Fear Itself
The Master of the World would make a reemergence during the Serpents fear terrorism sweeping the world. The Asgardian brother of Odin had created avatars to spread fear throughout the world. Master of Worlds would act independently but opportunistically masterminding the political Unity Party and using it as the means to target Alpha Flight. Master would have Vindicator and Department H assemble a team Alpha Strike consisting of Persuasion, Ranark, Citadel and a Wendigo, to neutralize Alpha Flight. The Canadian superhero team would eventually prevail and defeat Master of the World yet again.
Powers and Abilities
Master of the World, Eshu possesses superhuman levels of strength, stamina, speed, agility, reflexes, vision and durability, the Master also holds tremendous intellectual ability as well as fighting prowess. Most of these abilities were granted to Eshu by advanced Plodex technology. The Master’s capacity of strength allows for him to lift upwards of a ton, and his fighting ability is such that Eshu is aware of and can strike pressure points on the anatomy of humanoids. Functionally immortal Master of the World has lived for over 40 000 years and has deep and intimate knowledge of Earth and the Plodex. The Master utilizes an advanced battle suit that enables flight and energy generation, manipulation and absorption powers. The Master’s battle suit enables him to access and employ a durable personal forcefield. His helmet as well as suit both allow interaction and communication with other Plodex technology Master has access to.
Master of the World also regularly utilizes Plodex technology to and for various effect, including a replica Plodex ship which he can use for dimensional travel and cloning. Master of the World can teleport to this highly advanced ship as well at his discretion. Eshu is extremely knowledgeable on Earth history and Plodex history. Master of the World is an expert in bio-genetics.