Leonardo da Vinci (Marvel)
Leonardo da Vinci is a male character who features in Marvel Comics.
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Biography
Leonardo da Vinci was a male human born in Vinci (Florence) as the illegitimate son of a notary and a peasant woman. He was one of the thinkers spawned by the Renaissance from the 14th century and became a polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor. Among his most famous works were the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and the Vitruvian Man where his genius epitomized the Renaissance. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v2 #1)
At some point, he was noted to had become part of the secret society known as the Brotherhood of the Shield. In 1495, he and his compatriots detected something wrong with the sun leading to da Vinci building a machine that would let him fly into space to investigate it. He came to complete his creation by 1503 where he departed for space with another invention as he flew to the sun. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v1 #1) Before Leonardo left to investigate the Sun, he tried to recruit Michelangelo several times and Michelangelo revealed his nature as an omnitemporal being in 1502. Michelangelo gave Leonardo the Human Machine and a small piece of his power, telling him that Leonardo must help save the world. Leonardo learned that there will be a man named Leonid in the future that he must meet and that there was a god growing in the Sun. He built the Immortal City under Rome and a door called the Iter, which punched a hole in space and time, that could only be opened with a key that Leonardo gave Michelangelo. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v2 #1) Leonardo then completed a flying suit that could travel through space and time in 1503. With the Human Machine in hand, he took off to the future. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v1 #1) Prior to departing though, he created a perfect mechanical decoy to take his own place. It had all his memories and would continue his life as if he had never left. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v2 #2)
Leonardo da Vinci and Leonid went to the Brotherhood's council chambers and was confronted by Sir Isaac Newton, the immortal current Patriarch. To Newton's disbelief, Leonardo revealed himself to the Brotherhood and showed everyone the Human Machine. After privately conversing with Newton, he met with Leonid, warned him about Newton's 'Truth', and informed Leonid about Newton's secret dungeon where Leonid would find and free Nostradamus. Meanwhile, Leonardo set off to do what he originally had intended to do and that was to investigate the Sun. He found the Celestial Madonna giving birth in the Sun and he returned to the Immortal City with the Star Child in his arms. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v2 #4)
Many years ago, he was approached by Chan Kong-Sang who came from the Immortal City of K'un-Lun and had been dispatched by the ruling Yu-Ti. At the time, the Yu-Ti had learnt that the Phoenix Force was heading towards Earth and he sought to save the world. Thus, he had sent a messenger to enlist the aid of Leonardo da Vinci who whilst sceptical made the journey to the hidden city. Once there, he witnessed the girl Fongji who was destined to become the Phoenix and was undergoing training to become the next Iron Fist but this was not going well. This was because she was reluctant in cooperating and had never been raised to speak until the Yu-Ti goaded her by insulting her mother. In a rage, the red haired girl manifested the power of the Phoenix before collapsing with da Vinci looking to examine her. He had the people of K'un-Lun help him in creating a large telescope in order to witness the coming approach of the fiery Phoenix. Leonardo later accompanied the Yu-Ti and the Thunderer to the caves of Shou-Lao the Undying where Fongji was sent alone to complete the training to become the Iron Fist. After two days, she emerged having completed in her task and had manifested the power of her role. Later, da Vinci caught sight of the Phoenix approaching the planet and had a message sent to the Yu-Ti to warn them that the time of prophecy had arrived. (New Avengers v2 #26)
He later returned in 1953 to the Immortal City in order to meet Leonid as he now carried the hope of all things. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v1 #1)
After the Human Machine ascended Leonid and allowed him to resolve the conflict with Newton, Leonardo greeted the returning heroes in the present-day Italy. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v2 #6)
During the Cold Wars, Leonardo began to operate in secret under the alias of Aries where he formed an organization called the Great Wheel of Zodiac. This group consisted of Vasili Dassaiev, John Garrett, Shoji Soma, Cornelius van Lunt, Baron Von Strucker, Dum Dum Dugan, Nick Fury, Jake Fury, Daniel Whitehall and Viktor Uvarov and Thomas Davidson. Each member was the head of a great organization in the world covert intelligence communities and was assigned a code name from the zodiac. Aries dispatched them on various key missions that was in reality to provide them resources such as technology of great values for their own separate respective agendas. As a result, the Great Wheel fell apart primarily due to the betrayal from Dassaiev and Ivarov with S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, Leviathan and the Zodiac formed in its place. (Secret Warriors v1 #25) In 1961, Nick Fury, Jake Fury, and Thomas Davidson went on a secret mission to Chateau d'Amboise and opened Leonardo da Vinci's tomb, finding the decoy where it became the prototype for modern LMDs. (Secret Warriors v1 #26)
He began to shape S.H.I.E.L.D. into an agency of action and espionage with him personally selecting its heads and putting them into their position. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v3 #9)
The Ennilux corporation of Inhumans were noted to hold some unknown item made by da Vinci that resided within their vaults. (Uncanny Inhumans v1 #12) The Mad Thinker once created an android based on Leonardo da Vinci that was programmed with all of da Vinci's writings. This was done so as part of a project to create androids based on many great thinkers, hoping they would make new applications of their philosophies for the present day. (New Warriors v3 #5)
After the dismantling of S.H.I.E.L.D., da Vinci looked into replacing the organization as he was unhappy with how it had evolved over the years into the modern era. He looked into developing a group devoted to super-science and selected a number of candidates to join this body that included Toni Ho, Riri Williams and Miles Morales. Around this time, Tony Stark was missing and da Vinci secretly arranged for Toni and Riri to find him by providing clues to his whereabouts. (Invincible Iron Man v1 #600)
Overview
Personality and attributes
After forming the Great Wheel of the Zodiac, he came to assume the position of Aries among the group. (Secret Warriors v1 #25) Nick Fury had given him the acronym of D.E.A.T.H. that stood for Da Vinci Elevating Agents To Helm. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v3 #9)
It was claimed that he saw himself as a mythical ferryman similar to Charon that transported the heads of S.H.I.E.L.D. to their position as Director. He even demanded a fare and arranged for payment in advance from those that took on the post. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v3 #9)
Powers and abilities
Da Vinci was said to be an Immortal that had allowed him to live across the centuries. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v3 #9)
It as said that the one thing he did best was building something. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v1 #1)
Michelangelo had bestowed Leonardo a 'small piece of the divine' during one of their encounters. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v2 #1)
He made use of a coin shaped device that had a green spiral design that was Model S-168 Hypno-Beam that was able to place a post-hypnotic suggestion in those that saw it. With it, he caused people to forget ever encountering him and ensuring his secrecy. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v3 #9)
Da Vinci also constructed a perfect decoy of himself that was a mechanical construct that resembled himself. It was known to be programmed with his memories allowing him to explore the wider world whilst his copy operated in a designated role in history. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v2 #2)
He was a member of the secretive Brotherhood of the Shield. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v1 #1) Years later, he came to be the founder of the Great Wheel of the Zodiac. (Secret Warriors v1 #25) In addition, he had a hand in founding S.H.I.E.L.D. and selecting its Directors. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v3 #9)
It was noted that he was the original designer for the Immortal City that was located underneath Rome. (S.H.I.E.L.D. v1 #2)
Notes
- Leonardo da Vinci was created by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber where he made his first appearance in Tales of Suspense v1 #49 (January, 1964).
- He was based on the real world Leonardo da Vinci.
Alternate Versions
- In Red Skull v2 #1 (2015), an alternate version of the character named the Vitruvian Man appeared in the Battleworld reality that was designated as Earth-15513 in the Multiverse. At some point, Leonardo was sent to the Shield for an unknown crime and joined the Hel-Rangers. Leonardo spent most of his time creating technology for the rest of the Hel-Rangers to use against the hordes that attacked the Shield. During the final days before the wall fell, Leonardo developed an Enlightenment Cannon which drew upon the power of Michelangelo. Utilizing the cannon to reveal the truth to The Thing used up the rest Michelangelo and, after losing the man he loved while discovering the truth of life, Leonardo killed himself
Appearances
- Tales of Suspense v1': (1964)
- S.H.I.E.L.D. v1:
- Secret Warriors v1:
- New Avengers v2:
- S.H.I.E.L.D. v2:
- Invincible Iron Man v1:
External Links
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