Graviton (character)

Publication history

Graviton first appeared in The Avengers #158 (April 1977) and was created by Jim Shooter and Sal Buscema.

Fictional character biography

Franklin Hall is a Canadian physicist involved in an experiment in a private research facility in the Canadian Rockies. A mistake in Hall's calculations causes graviton particles to be merged with his own molecules, and Hall later discovers that he can mentally control gravity. Hall at first tries to hide his newfound ability, but becomes tempted by the potential power, and donning a costume adopts the alias "Graviton".

When Graviton takes over the research facility and forbids all communications with the outside world, a fellow scientist sends a distress signal to the Avengers. A furious Graviton lifts the facility thousands of feet into the sky and threatens to kill the scientist. The Avengers arrive and attack, but are trapped in a gravity field. Graviton brings the facility to New York and demands the U.N. to hand over world power or he will destroy the world's cities. Thor and Black Panther, having been on leave from the Avengers, learn of these events and manage to free the Avengers. Graviton defeats the Avengers again, but is tricked into thinking a fellow scientist he cares for has committed suicide. Graviton then panics and causes the entire facility to collapse on him, forming a giant stone sphere that is dropped into a river by the Avengers.

Graviton later reappears, although is suffering from amnesia and is flickering in and out of existence. Somehow guided to the female scientist he has feelings for, Graviton attempts to abduct her but is stopped by the Thing and Black Bolt. During the battle, Graviton describes himself as becoming a "living black hole" and morphs into a colossal humanoid. Graviton is then attacked until he loses concentration, implodes, and is presumed dead. Graviton is eventually able to reform his body, and decides to seek a bride. Elevating a Bloomingdale's store into the sky, he takes several women hostage until he is tricked by Thor. Thor then maroons Graviton in an alternate dimension.

Graviton is able to return when an anomaly opens a portal to Earth. Arriving in Los Angeles, Graviton attempts to unite all criminal elements under his leadership, but is defeated by the West Coast Avengers.

Graviton attacks the Avengers again, but is defeated when they overload his powers, banishing him to another dimension. He then sends out a distress signal, which is noticed by the villains Techno and Helmut Zemo. Graviton is eventually freed and attacks the Thunderbolts and Great Lakes Avengers, but is persuaded by Moonstone to rethink his priorities. Desiring still more power, Graviton recruits a team of criminals and loots San Francisco until he is defeated by the Thunderbolts with the use of gravity-negating technology from Machine Man.

Graviton is driven insane by his constant defeats and exile from Earth, and returns with the goal of total world conquest. He is accompanied by M'reel, an alien belonging to the P'tah species. Seeking revenge on the Thunderbolts, Graviton storms their headquarters to discover they have disbanded and been replaced by the Redeemers. Graviton nearly kills the entire team before being defeated by the reassembled Thunderbolts. After discovering that M'reel intended to have the P'tah invade Earth, Graviton apparently dies stopping the alien invasion and saves the Thunderbolts.

Under unrevealed circumstances, Graviton returns to Earth once more and is rendered powerless long enough to be imprisoned on the Raft with other superhuman criminals. When Electro shorts out the Raft's defenses to free Sauron, Graviton and dozens of other inmates escape, only to be confronted by the heroes who would soon organize as the New Avengers. Graviton is recaptured and sustains a head injury that dampens his powers.

Graviton battles Iron Man, having been framed for murder by an associate of the Mandarin who possessed similar gravity-manipulating powers to his own. He uses his powers to trigger a fatal aneurysm in his brain, concluding that he will never receive a fair trial and wanting to end things on his terms.

Graviton appears alive as part of the new High Council of Advanced Idea Mechanics, serving as the group's Minister of Science. When the Secret Avengers attempted to assassinate Andrew Forson, Graviton attacks them, but is quickly stopped by an attack by sentient Iron Patriot armors led by the Hulk.

During the "One World Under Doom" storyline, Graviton is one of several villains who escape from the Raft. He battles the Avengers until the Superior Avengers arrive. When the Avengers and the Superior Avengers battle each other, Iron Man subdues Graviton. When it is discovered that the Superior Avengers' Ghost is really a drone used by Doctor Octopus, the Superior Avengers' Onslaught freezes the Avengers and Graviton in place before leaving.

Powers and abilities

Franklin Hall was a normal human until empowered by an explosion that intermingled his molecules with sub-nuclear graviton particles generated by a nearby particle generator, which gave him the ability to manipulate gravity. He can immobilize others by increasing their gravity, levitate himself by lowering his own gravity, and generate concussive energy blasts. Graviton's abilities are potent enough to move islands and reshape mountains.

In other media

Television

• Graviton appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes two-part episode "Breakout", voiced by Fred Tatasciore. This version is a physicist hired by S.H.I.E.L.D. to help recreate the super-soldier serum that created Captain America. However, Hall caused an accident that gave himself near-limitless gravitational powers. Soon after, when it became clear that he had become dangerous, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury placed Hall into an unconscious state and imprisoned him in the Raft. A decade later, a technological malfunction enables Hall to escape and seek revenge on Fury, only to be foiled by Thor, the Wasp, Iron Man, the Hulk, and Ant-Man.
• Several characters inspired by Graviton appear in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
  • Franklin Hall appears in the first season episode "The Asset", portrayed by Ian Hart. This version is a Canadian physicist who was abducted by his former partner, Ian Quinn (portrayed by David Conrad), to finish work on a gravity manipulator powered by a liquid metal-esque, gravity-manipulating substance called gravitonium. Believing it is dangerous, Hall attempts to destroy the substance. S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson tries to save Hall, but the latter is pulled into the gravitonium, where he got trapped. The substance reappears in the episode "Providence", when Hydra agents release it before their leader John Garrett gives the gravitonium back to Quinn. In a flashback depicted in the fifth season episode "Inside Voices", Quinn is absorbed by the gravitonium following Garrett's defeat.
  • During the fifth season, Ruby Hale (portrayed by Dove Cameron), a genetically-engineered Hydra agent, invades a subterranean Hydra facility and infuses herself with 8% of the gravitonium, seeking to become the "Destroyer of Worlds". However, she fails to control her newly acquired powers and kills one of Hydra's leaders, Werner von Strucker, before she is killed by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Elena Rodriguez and S.H.I.E.L.D. recovers the remaining gravitonium.
  • Later that season, when S.H.I.E.L.D. comes under attack by alien warriors sent by the Confederacy, Glenn Talbot (portrayed by Adrian Pasdar) infuses himself with the remaining gravitonium, along with Hall and Quinn's consciousnesses, and uses his new abilities to kill the warriors before taking Coulson to confront the Confederacy, who they learn intend to stop Thanos. Becoming increasingly narcissistic and unhinged under the corrupting influence of the gravitonium however, Talbot forces his way into the group and attempts to absorb more gravitonium until he is defeated by Daisy Johnson.
• Graviton appears in Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers voiced by Mitsuaki Madano in the Japanese version and by Patrick Seitz in the English dub. This version is a member of the Masters of Evil.

Film

Graviton appears in Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher.

Video games

• Graviton appears as a boss in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
• Graviton appears as a boss in Marvel: Avengers Alliance 2.

References

References

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2. [[Sanderson, Peter]] (w), Various (a). ''The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' #4
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5. ''[[The Avengers (comic book). The Avengers]]'' #158–159 (April 1977)
6. ''[[Marvel Two-in-One]]'' Annual #4 (December 1979)
7. ''[[Thor (comic book). Thor]]'' #324 (October 1982)
8. ''[[West Coast Avengers]]'' #2–4 (October-December 1984)
9. ''[[Avengers Unplugged]]'' #2 (December 1995)
10. ''[[Thunderbolts (comic book). Thunderbolts]]'' #17 (Aug. 1998)
11. ''Thunderbolts'' #27–30 (June–Sept. 1999)
12. ''[[Iron Man (comic book). Iron Man]]'' (vol. 4) #8 (July 2006)
13. ''[[The Invincible Iron Man (comics). The Invincible Iron Man]]'' #21–23 (October - December 2007)
14. ''[[Secret Avengers]]'' (vol. 2) #2 (May 2013)
15. ''Secret Avengers'' (vol. 2) #7 (October 2013)
16. ''Superior Avengers'' #3 (August 2025)
17. ''Superior Avengers'' #4 (September 2025)
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19. "Graviton Voices (Marvel Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors.
20. Hibberd, James. (August 13, 2013). "Inside TV 'Agents of SHIELD' casts 'Luck' actor – Exclusive". [[Time (magazine).
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28. Damore, Meagan. (May 4, 2018). "INTERVIEW: SHIELD's Pasdar Promises Big Changes for Graviton, the MCU's Newest Villain".
29. "Option Two".
30. Abrams, Natalie. (April 27, 2018). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. reveals Graviton in new promo". [[Time (magazine).
31. Damore, Meaghan. (May 17, 2018). "Agents of SHIELD EPs Reveal Why Graviton Had to be Season 5's Villain". [[Comic Book Resources]].
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