He survived to 1213 BC, dying when he was approximately 90 years old. He was a son of Pharaoh Seti I and Queen Tuya. As king, Ramesses II led several expeditions north into the lands east of the Mediterranean Sea (locations in modern Israel, Lebanon and Syria) . He also led expeditions to the south, into Nubia, commemorated in inscriptions at Beit el-Wali and Gerf Hussein. The early part of his reign was focused on building cities, temples and monuments. He established the city of Pi-Ramesses in the Nile Delta as his new capital and main base for his campaigns in Syria. This city was built on the remains of the city of Avaris, the capital of the Hyksos when they took over, and was the location of the main Temple of Set.
The Marvel version of the character is equated with the Pharaoh depicted in the Exodus, an ancient narrative equated in the Bible. Historically the identification is less than certain and several other Pharaohs have been proposed as candidates.