Origin
Xemnu was an intergalactic criminal who had been imprisoned on a prison planet, until he sneaked past guards and hijacked a supply ship. Xemnu arrived on Earth after his spacecraft ran out of fuel and crashed. His unconscious body is discovered by an electrician named Joe Harper. When he came to, Xemnu used telepathy to control Harper and later, each and every other human being on Earth and forced them to build a new spaceship so Xemnu could return home. As Xemnu departed, Harper was released from Xemnu’s telepathic hold and sabotaged the ship’s electrical system, electrocuting him and causing him to fall into a coma-like state. As the ship departed, Xemnu’s hold over the people of Earth faded and they forgot he had ever existed.
Xmenu attempted to attack again later on by brainwashing a smaller population into amping him up to his strongest telepathic level by using makeshift technology to blast him with star energy, but he was defeated again by Joe Harper when he was able to reflect Xemnu’s own mind control rays back at Xemnu, destroying his body and thus setting the townspeople free.
Creation
Xemnu was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in Journey Into Mystery issue 62. In his first appearances, he was called “The Hulk”. This was before the green Hulk we know today was created. After that, his name was changed to Xemnu to avoid confusion.
Major Story Arcs
FIghting the Hulk Family
Xemnu has had a long history of fights between him and the Incredible Hulk and his cousin, the She-Hulk. Many times the creature battled them, however he was always defeated and sent packing, through he usually escaped via spacecraft or during the aftermath.
Annihilation
Xemnu eventually returned to space and was a select servant of the Phalanx, fighting against Moondragon telepathically when they attacked a planet. He (or a possibly a relative) has now returned to Earth and now serves with the Marvel Monsters.
Monsters Unleashed
Xemnu has taken over South Korea, and put all of its citizens under mind control giving each their own personal fantasy, including Amadeus Cho, the current Hulk. Soon Cho breaks the mind control using his brain to logically pick away at his delusions, and with the help of White Fox, Cho is able to get to Xemnu. After explaining to the heroes that Xemnu is trying to protect South Korea from the Leviathans by using his mental powers, Xemnu and the Cho Hulk fight it out. Eventually the Hulk defeats Xemnu, upper cutting him into the Pacific Ocean, where Xemnu escape.
Do you Remember?
Xmenu was hired by Roxxon head Dario Agger to deal with the threat of the “Devil” Hulk, whom was attacking multiple Roxxon operations and was exposing the illegal biological experiments that they were undergoing. By using generically modified creatures and setting them upon the city of Phoenix in Arizona (close to where Hulk was) Agger was able to hurt Devil Hulk enough for him to revert back to his old Savage persona, which caused him to mindlessly rip the stomach of one of the beasts, causing a flood of parasites to attack citizens.
This made Hulk out to be the cause of the attack while also giving Xemnu a opportunity to mind control the people both at the scene and watching on nationwide news, using his telepathy to implant false memories of him being the only Hulk in existence and a worldwide hero and icon, while making Hulk (renamed “the Devil”) and Banner to be criminals and terrorists. Savage Hulk was uneffected and attempted to attack Xemnu (who allowed this to happen to garner sympathy) but was teleported away before he could deal any real damage.
With Hulk out of the way and his allies unable to recall any mind control, Xemnu was able to use his powers further, making Roxxon the figurehead company and the ones that befriended Xmenu, as well as selling merchandise and branded toys to the market. This mind control leaked over to Banner’s behaviour as well, making him act irrational and crazed, as well as mind wiping all of the Hulk personas apart from Savage, who was mentally locked away. However, eventually with the assistance of “Green Scar” (which was really the Hulk’s nemesis, The Leader) Savage was able to become the primary personality again and override Xmenu’s brainwashing.
With the help of his allies, they were able to raid Roxxon’s HQ and confront Xmenu, whom had been consuming the people there (including Agger) and turning them into zombie hybrids of himself. Savage Hulk faced off against Xmenu but couldn’t overcome his immense collection of minds whom he still had control with. With the assistance of a Leader controlled Rick Jones, Hulk was able to destroy Xemnu’s body with a single strike, ending his control. It is unknown if Xemnu is truly dead, or if he is simply biding his time once more.
Powers
In addition to his superhuman size and strength being enough to battle with Hulk level foes, Xemnu has telepathy, telekinesis, and the power of mass hypnosis, whom he has used multiple times to control the planet for his own evil ends. Xemnu also has more unused powers, like being able to molecularly control his body, can take control of people’s bodies and turn them into himself, as well as turning individuals into hybrid zombies by “eating” them as a source of nourishment.
Xmenu is also quite gifted with alien technology, building spacecraft’s out of Earthly materials, making genetic clones of old creatures, and conversion devices that turn people into members of his own race.
Statistics
Height : 11’0″ (Originally 20’0″)
Weight : 1100 lbs.
Eyes : Red
Hair : White (Originally Brown)
Relatives :
Citizenship:
Place of Birth:
Marital Status:
Occupation: Intergalactic Criminal
Education:
In Other Media
Television
- Xemnu appears in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode “The Strongest One There Is,” voiced by Fred Tatasciore. This version of the character challenges the Hulks to a fight to prove he is the strongest. Hulk initially rejects the challenge, but Rick Jones accepts on all of their behalf. Xemnu manages to defeat Hulk, She-Hulk and Skaar, but is ultimately defeated by Rick. However, the two wind up bonding over video games and donuts, becoming friends.
Merchandise
- Xemnu was the subject of a Marvel Legends Build-a-Figure wave from Hasbro, dubbed “Bring on the Bad Guys.” The wave contained God Emperor Doom, Red Skull, Lady Deathstrike, Dormammu, Scientist Supreme, The Hood and Arcade, each of whom came with a piece needed to build Xemnu (save for Doom). This marked the character’s first action figure in his 50+ years of existence.