Multitude

Origin

Ward is a synthetic person whose objective is to research humanity to determine what a soul is so that it can be determined if synthetic people have or can get a soul. Ward makes friends with a trucker, John Cray, but this makes both of them a target for the Sapien League. When the league tracks and attacks them at a diner, the Soul Stone chooses Ward as its host and gives him the ability to defend himself.

Creation

Ward debuted in Avengers Annual #1 by writer Jed McKay and artist Travel Foreman. He created for the spinoff of the Infinity Wars event, which ended with Adam Warlock imbuing the Infinity Gems with the ability to choose their own destinies. He is one of the few hosts to not be introduced ahead of the Infinite Destinies event that would chronicle the Gems’ new chosen ones.

Major Story Arcs

Infinite Destinies

Iron Man and Captain America were able to track the energy signature of “incarnations,” when an Infinity Gem chooses a host, after each of them had separate run-ins with said hosts.

They responded to the attack on Ward at the diner but believed him to be the aggressor. Ward defended himself but ultimately negotiated for the safe passage of his friend, John Cray, which the Avengers obliged.

The Soul of Arthur Douglas

Multitude continued to travel the American Southwest search for a sense of humanity. He was eventually sought out by Mantis and Gamora of the Guardians of the Galaxy. They were hoping to access the Soul Stone and take back Drax’s soul that was still trapped inside. They believed this would help their friend feel complete.

Multitude mistook them as a threat and called a number of soul constructs to fight them off. The soul of Arthur Douglas took this opportunity to connect with Multitude. “Jazz Man,” as Multitude called him, assured Multitude that he is more than the sum of his parts and will continue to be so if he loses Arthur as one of the souls.

After this talk, Multitude handed Arthur’s soul over willingly, however, Mantis still gave him a large chunk of mysterium as payment.

Powers

Soul Stone: Ward appears to be the only host who can communicate directly with his stone and have the soul stone possess his body for its own purposes.

• Soul Constructs: The stone is made up of a legion of souls, which Ward can conjure as energy constructs. The more constructs he wills into existence, the less powerful they are individually. They are much more stronger when he concentrates on a single construct.
• Infinity Circuit: The closer he is to other Infinity Hosts, the stronger he becomes. “Powered by the user’s mastery of reality. Can preserve the soul to allow for life after death”