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{{Short description|Marvel Comics fictional character}}
{{Infobox comics character <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
|character_name = The Beyonder
|image          = [[File:SecretwarsII3.png|250px]]
|caption        = The Beyonder from ''Secret Wars II'' #3<br>Art by [[Al Milgrom]]
|publisher      = [[Marvel Comics]]
|debut          = <small>Cameo appearance:<br></small>''[[Secret Wars]]'' #1 (May 1984)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Misiroglu |first1=Gina Renée |last2=Eury |first2=Michael |title=The Supervillain Book: The Evil Side of Comics and Hollywood |date=2006 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |isbn=9780780809772 |url=https://archive.org/details/supervillainbook0000gina/page/34/mode/2up |language=en}}</ref><br /><small>Full appearance:<br></small>''[[Secret Wars II]]'' #2 (May 1985)
|creators       = [[Jim Shooter]]<br>[[Mike Zeck]]
|species        = [[Beyonders]]
|homeworld      = Beyond-Realm
|alliances      = [[Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation]]<br>[[Beyonders]]<br>Omega Council 
|aliases        = Frank<br>Kosmos<br>The Maker<br>The One from Beyond
|powers         =
* Reality warping
* Nigh-omnipotence  
}}
The '''Beyonder''' ({{IPAc-en|b|i|ˈ|ɒ|n|d|ər}}) is a fictional cosmic entity appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[Marvel Comics]]. Created by writer [[Jim Shooter]]<ref name="Rivera">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|title=Go big or go home: Why Marvel's new 'Secret Wars' could be too much|first=Joshua|last=Rivera|date=October 10, 2014|url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/10/10/go-big-or-go-home-why-marvels-new-secret-wars-could-be-too-much/}}</ref> and artist [[Mike Zeck]], the Beyonder first appeared in ''[[Secret Wars]]'' #1 (May 1984) as an unseen, nigh-omnipotent<ref name="beyond dimensions">{{cite web|url=https://i.servimg.com/u/f35/19/00/38/35/beyond12.png|title=Official Narration for Secret Wars 2|website=I.servimg.com|access-date=3 November 2018}}</ref> being from outside the multiverse who kidnapped the heroes and villains of the [[Marvel Universe]] to have them do battle on [[Battleworld]], a fictional planet created by the Beyonder. The character plays a more antagonistic role in the 1985 sequel, ''[[Secret Wars II]]'', in which he takes human form to learn about desire but threatens to destroy the multiverse out of increasing frustration.

Following ''Secret Wars'' and ''Secret Wars II'', the Beyonder experienced many notable [[Retroactive continuity|retcons]]. At first, he was changed to a [[Cosmic Cube]] that was incomplete because of the [[Molecule Man]].<ref name="FF319" /> The [[Illuminati (comics)|Illuminati]] suggested he was a [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutant]] [[Inhumans|Inhuman]].<ref name="NAI3" /> Finally, he is revealed to be a "child" of the [[Beyonders|Beyonder race]].<ref name="NA30" />

==Publication history==
Created by writer [[Jim Shooter]]<ref name="Rivera"/> and artist [[Mike Zeck]], the Beyonder first appeared in ''[[Secret Wars]]'' #1,<ref>{{cite web|title=New 'Secret Wars' is Marvel Comics' major event of 2015| first= Brian| last= Truitt| date= October 9, 2014|work=[[USA Today]]|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2014/10/09/marvel-comics-secret-wars-event-exclusive/16987121/}}</ref> as an unseen, apparently nearly omnipotent being. He reappears in ''[[Secret Wars II]]'' #1 (July 1985), which was written by Shooter and drawn by [[Al Milgrom]].

==Fictional character biography==

===''Secret Wars''===
The Beyonder is the manifestation of the "Beyond-Realm", which exists separately from the multiverse.<ref>''[[Secret Wars II]]'' #3 (Jun. 1985). Marvel Comics.</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/19/00/38/35/41498710.jpg | title= [Excerpt of synopsis] |format= Comic book | publisher= Marvel Comics | access-date= August 28, 2017| via= servimg.com}}</ref> This dimension was accidentally accessed by lab technician Owen Reece; some of the energy from the dimension escapes and imbues Reece with infinite powers, which he wields as the villainous [[Molecule Man]], and the remaining energy gains sentience and becomes the Beyonder.<ref>''Secret Wars II'' #8 (Nov. 1985). Marvel Comics.</ref><ref name="FF319">''[[Fantastic Four]]'' #319. Marvel Comics.</ref> The Beyonder creates a planet called [[Battleworld]] out of pieces of various planets and abducts a number of [[superhero]]es and [[supervillain]]s from Earth and forces them to fight each other so that he can observe the never-ending battle between good and evil.<ref>''[[Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars]]'' #1 (Jan. 1984). Marvel Comics.</ref> During this time, his powers are briefly stolen by [[Doctor Doom]].<ref>''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'' #10 (Feb. 1985). Marvel Comics.</ref>

===''Secret Wars II''===
Intrigued by what he has witnessed during the first Secret Wars, the Beyonder comes to Earth during the ''[[Secret Wars II]]'' story line to walk among humans and study them and learn of human desire firsthand. He creates a human body for himself (this body originally resembles Molecule Man). He also transforms a television writer named Steward Cadwell into Thundersword.<ref name="SWII#1">''Secret Wars II'' #1. Marvel Comics.</ref> Finally, the Beyonder creates a form for himself based on that of [[Captain America]] after witnessing him defeat [[Armadillo (character)|Armadillo]].<ref>''[[Captain America (comic book)|Captain America]]'' #308. Marvel Comics.</ref>

After learning of the importance of money from [[Luke Cage]], the Beyonder turns a building into pure gold,<ref>''Secret Wars II'' #2. Marvel Comics.</ref> causing [[Spider-Man]] to rescue those trapped in the building, while the U.S. government works to get rid of the gold to avoid a financial crisis.<ref>''[[Web of Spider-Man]]'' #6. Marvel Comics.</ref> The Beyonder later meets the blind superhero [[Daredevil (Marvel Comics character)|Daredevil]] and restores his sight, asking for legal representation in return. After realizing that the desire to protect his eyesight might compromise his integrity and dedication, Daredevil demands that the Beyonder take his sight away again, which he does.<ref>''[[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]'' #223. Marvel Comics.</ref> After becoming involved with a woman named Sharon Ing, when it is revealed that he is open to loving women and men and can also change his own gender, Beyonder attempts to get [[Dazzler (Marvel Comics)|Dazzler]] to fall in love with him, but fails, leading to feelings of despair.<ref>''Secret Wars II'' #4. Marvel Comics.</ref> Following this, the Beyonder is recruited to be a professional wrestler and is nearly killed by [[Thing (comics)|Thing]] in a [[Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation]] wrestling match.<ref>''The Thing'' #30. Marvel Comics.</ref>

In order to combat Beyonder, [[Mephisto (Marvel Comics)|Mephisto]] sent his demon agent Bitterhorn to form the Legion Accursed. While waiting for the Legion Accursed to arrive, Mephisto tricked Thing into signing a contract that would increase his strength. When the Legion had arrived, Thing had to defend Beyonder from them. By the time Mephisto planned to drop his contract with Thing, nearly all of the Legion were defeated. Due to Beyonder and Thing ruining his plan, Mephisto returned all the villains to where they were before he began his scheme.<ref>''Secret Wars II'' #7. Marvel Comics.</ref>

After being encouraged to find enlightenment by [[Doctor Strange]], and failing, a frustrated Beyonder decides to destroy the entire multiverse, leading to several more battles with various Marvel superheroes, all of which end up with the Beyonder victorious. The Beyonder is finally defeated by a huge group of superheroes, including the [[Fantastic Four]], [[X-Men]], [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]], and [[Spider-Man]], after the [[Molecule Man]] intervenes and kills him, while he had temporarily transformed into an infant in the midst of a re-birthing process. The Beyonder's energy returns to the Beyond-Realm, where it evolves into a new universe.<ref>''Secret Wars II'' #9. Marvel Comics.</ref>

====''Deadpool Team-Up''====
Long after the ''Secret Wars II'' crossover had ended, a [[Deadpool]] special featured the "Secret Wars II continues in this issue" corner tag that was used during that original storyline. In this issue, a younger, less-experienced Deadpool is hired by the [[Kingpin (character)|Kingpin]] to kill the Beyonder. The flashback sequence ends with Deadpool chasing him into a portal with a footnote saying "to be continued in Secret Wars III".<ref>''[[Deadpool]] Team-up'' #1. Marvel Comics.</ref>

===Kosmos and the Maker===
The tale of the Beyonder continues several years later when it is revealed that, in the distant past, the enigmatic [[Beyonders]] created [[pocket universe]]s holding vast amounts of sentient energy. Some are tapped into by various beings, including [[Skrull]]s and humans, to create reality-warping [[Cosmic Cube]]s. The Beyonder is told that this is his origin, but he is missing a containment vessel and the [[Molecule Man]] absorbed part of his energy. They merge and shape themselves into a Cube.<ref name="FF319" />

The Cube expels the Molecule Man from its form, returning him to Earth, and soon evolves into the cosmic being known as Kosmos. Kosmos takes on a female form and is tutored by [[Kubik (comics)|Kubik]], touring the universe with him.<ref>''[[Fantastic Four (comic book)|Fantastic Four]]'' Annual #23. Marvel Comics.</ref> When the Molecule Man's lover [[Volcana (Marvel Comics)|Volcana]] leaves him, he becomes angry, extracts the Beyonder from Kosmos, and proceeds to attack him until Kubik intervenes.<ref name= "FF27"/>

At some unknown point, Kosmos becomes insane and assumes a mortal form, now calling itself the Maker. After the [[amnesia]]c Maker destroys a [[Shi'ar]] colony, the [[Imperial Guard (Marvel Comics)|Imperial Guard]] imprison it in the interstellar prison called the [[Kyln]]. The Maker's madness takes control of several inmates but is finally subdued by [[Thanos]] and several of his allies among the prisoners. Thanos confronts the Maker, and, by refusing to reveal its origins at a critical juncture, manipulates it to psychically shut down its own mind. Thanos instructs the Shi'ar that the body should be kept alive but brain-dead, or the Beyonder essence would go free again.<ref>''Thanos'' #10 (2003). Marvel Comics.</ref>

In the "[[Annihilation (comics)|Annihilation]]" crossover story line, the [[Fallen One]], a former [[Herald of Galactus]] under the control of [[Thanos]],<ref>''Thanos'' #12 (2004)</ref> is sent to investigate the aftermath of the Kyln's destruction by the Annihilation Wave and ascertain the Beyonder's fate. The Fallen One finds the lifeless form of the Maker in the rubble, confirming the Beyonder's freedom.<ref>''[[Annihilation (comics)|Annihilation]]: Silver Surfer'' #1 (April 2006). Marvel Comics.</ref>

===The Illuminati===
[[File:Beyonder - by Jim Cheung.jpg|thumb|right|170px|The Beyonder in his human form. Art by [[Jim Cheung]].]]
In a [[retcon]] of past events, [[Charles Xavier]] reveals to his fellow [[Illuminati (comics)|Illuminati]] members that in the original Secret War, he had attempted to mind-scan the Beyonder, revealing him as one of the [[Inhumans]] previously ruled over by [[Black Bolt]]. Xavier also deduced the apparent secret behind the Beyonder's seemingly godlike abilities, which was that the Beyonder was not only an Inhuman but also a [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutant]], and the exposure of his mutant genes to Terrigen Mist had created an unprecedented power.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070525111356/http://www.popcultureshock.com/new-avengers-illuminati-3/41826/ "New Avengers: Illuminati #3 Preview"]}}. Pop Culture Shock. </ref>
	
This revelation leads to a confrontation with the Beyonder during the events of the second Secret War, wherein Black Bolt expresses his extreme displeasure toward the Beyonder's activities. When encountered, the Beyonder is dwelling in a simulacrum of Manhattan Island on [[Ceres (dwarf planet)|Ceres]]. The Illuminati convince the Beyonder to leave the universe, causing the Beyonder's human form and his simulacrum city to crumble into dust. However, Black Bolt admits that he has no memory of an Inhuman becoming the Beyonder, and the final image of the story reveals that the entire event was in the pupil of the Beyonder's right eye, thus making the revelations dubious.<ref name="NAI3">''New Avengers: The Illuminati'' #3. Marvel Comics.</ref>

===Time Runs Out===
[[Hank Pym]] is sent by the [[Illuminati (comics)|Illuminati]] to investigate the Incursions and the collapsing multiverse. Upon discovering the truth of the Ivory Kings, Pym returns to the Illuminati to warn them about their enemy: the [[Beyonders]]. He refers to the Beyonder from the original Secret Wars as a "child unit" of the Beyonders.<ref name="NA30">''New Avengers'' vol. 3 #30 (Feb. 2015). Marvel Comics.</ref>

The Molecule Man later reiterates the same thing while also revealing that the accident that gave him his power and the "child Beyonder" his awareness was engineered by the Beyonders.<ref>''[[New Avengers]]'' vol. 3 #33 (April 2015). Marvel Comics.</ref>

===Defenders===
The Beyonder appears to the [[Defenders (comics)|Defenders]] after they left the multiverse.<ref>''Defenders: Beyond'' #1 (July 2022). Marvel Comics.</ref> He explains the history of the Beyonders before reluctantly joining the Defenders on their quest.<ref name="DB2">''Defenders: Beyond'' #2 (August 2022). Marvel Comics.</ref> Upon reaching the House of Ideas, he decides to break free from and leave the story of the [[One Above All]], promising to return on his own terms.<ref>''Defenders: Beyond'' #5 (November 2022). Marvel Comics.</ref>

==Powers and abilities==
The Beyonder is an [[Hilbert space|infinite-dimensional]],<ref>''Secret Wars II'' #2 (Aug. 1985). Marvel Comics.</ref> or [[Theory of forms|beyond-dimensional]],<ref name="beyond dimensions"/> entity and was originally portrayed as the most powerful being in the Marvel Comics multiverse, and as the be-all and end-all of the "Beyond Realm",<ref>''Secret Wars II'' #8 (1986). Marvel Comics.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://i.servimg.com/u/f35/19/00/38/35/beyond10.jpg|title=Jim Shooter in an Interview for Secret Wars 2|website=I.servimg.com|access-date=3 November 2018}}</ref> that took human form to better understand the nature of human beings.<ref name="SWII#1"/>

The narration stated that he possessed power millions of times greater than the entire multiverse combined,<ref name="SWII9">''Secret Wars II'' #9 (March 1986). Marvel Comics</ref> and that a regular universe was a drop of water in the ocean compared to the Beyond Realm.<ref name="SWII4">[http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140812053848/powerlisting/images/1/15/Stan_Lee_called_beyonder_omnipotent_.jpg ''Secret Wars II'' #4 (Oct. 1985)]. Marvel Comics</ref>

The Beyonder proved capable of destroying, and recreating, the abstract entity known as [[Death (Marvel Comics)|Death]] across the multiverse, although it extremely exerted and weakened him to do so. However, even in this state, he was capable of easily sending a horde of demons back to hell with a wave of his hand.<ref>''Secret Wars II'' #6 (1985). Marvel Comics.</ref>

Despite his power, the Beyonder has shown moments of vulnerability. He was overwhelmed when [[Rachel Summers]] returned the enormous powers that he had bestowed upon her along with the thoughts of the past and present beings in the universe, to the point that he collapsed on the ground,<ref>[http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/5/56904/2226158-beyonder_vs_phoenix2.jpg ''Uncanny X-Men'' #203]. Marvel Comics.</ref> and he was apparently slowed down in battle against the [[Molecule Man]].<ref>[http://media.animevice.com/uploads/0/4813/274235-moleculeman_super.jpg ''Secret Wars II'' #9 (1985)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220114551/http://media.animevice.com/uploads/0/4813/274235-moleculeman_super.jpg |date=2015-02-20 }}. Marvel Comics.</ref> He also lost part, or all, of his power on various occasions, some of them engineered by himself.<ref name="SWII9"/><ref name="SWII4"/><ref>''Secret Wars'' #10 (Feb. 1985). Marvel Comics.</ref> He also stated that the [[Puma (character)|Puma]]—when in perfect harmony with the Universe—was capable of killing him.<ref>''[[Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man]]'' #111. Marvel Comics.</ref> However, on another occasion, after trying to be a superhero by fighting a superpowered biker gang, the Beyonder stated that he limits his powers to keep them more in line with the world around him.<ref>''Dazzler'' #40 (Nov. 1985). Marvel Comics.</ref>

After his creator, [[Jim Shooter]], left Marvel, writer-editor [[Tom DeFalco]] re-tooled the Beyonder, diminishing his power greatly: He was no longer nearly omnipotent, and several of the cosmic beings who were previously established to be below him in power were vastly upgraded in conjunction.<ref name="FF27"/><ref>''The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' vol.2 #7 (June 1986). Marvel Comics.</ref><ref>''Fantastic Four'' #319 (1988). Marvel Comics.</ref><ref name="FF23"/>

Nonetheless, the Beyonder retained his reality-warping powers, allowing him to control and manipulate matter, energy, and reality at a cosmic level beyond all but the strongest and most powerful of cosmic entities.

He repelled [[Galactus]] "like a bug",<ref name="SW1">''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'' #1. Marvel Comics</ref> and exceeded the collected energy of the latter's World-Ship.<ref>''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'' #10. Marvel Comics/</ref> He once destroyed a galaxy on a whim to meet his needs during the first Secret Wars,<ref name="SW1"/> and later created a universe out of his own being.<ref name="FF319" /> When the Molecule Man extracted the Beyonder from Kosmos, their battle took place in more than three spatial dimensions, and threatened to cause vast destruction across the multiverse.<ref name="FF27">''Fantastic Four'' Annual #27 (1994). Marvel Comics/</ref> In Kosmos' 'Maker' incarnation, she was stated as capable of reversing [[Antimatter#Conceptual history|The Crunch]] itself, essentially collapsing the universe.<ref>''Thanos'' #10-12. Marvel Comics/</ref> However, his scale of power was stated to be significantly below the [[Living Tribunal]] and [[Eternity (Marvel Comics)|Eternity]],<ref name="FF319"/> the [[Celestials (comics)|Celestials]],<ref name="FF23">''Fantastic Four'' Annual #23 (1990). Marvel Comics.</ref> or Molecule Man.<ref name="FF27"/>

After The Beyonder was retconned again to be a child of the race of [[Beyonders]],<ref name="NA30"/> and he was later seen fully grown and interacting with an assembly of them,<ref name="DB2"/> his power was presumably upgraded to a similar scale to them, and other Beyonders have together managed to kill the [[Living Tribunal]] and all of the [[Celestial (comics)|Celestials]] in the Marvel multiverse.<ref name="NA30"/> However, it was stated that he is considerably less powerful than the multiversal [[Phoenix Force]].<ref>''Defenders: Beyond'' #3 (September 2022). Marvel Comics.</ref>

==Other versions==
===''Guardians of the Galaxy''===
In ''[[Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team)|Guardians of the Galaxy]]'', the Beyonder provides Guardian [[Vance Astro]] with a black undergarment resembling a [[Symbiote (comics)|Symbiote]].<ref>''Guardians of the Galaxy'' #38 (1993). Marvel Comics</ref> Later, he attempts to hold captive [[Protege (comics)|Protégé]], the leader of the [[Universal Church of Truth]]. Protégé retaliates using his limitless ability to copy the abilities of other beings to become a match for the Beyonder. They battle until Eternity and the Living Tribunal intervene.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Guardians of the Galaxy #50|publisher=Marvel Comics}}</ref>

===''Heroes Reborn''===
In an alternate reality depicted in the ''[[Heroes Reborn (2021 comic)|Heroes Reborn]]'' storyline, a character named '''Mister Beyonder''' appears as an inmate of the [[Negative Zone]] before escaping and confronting  [[Hyperion (comics)|Hyperion]], claiming that his reality is not what it seems. Despite being perturbed by his words, Hyperion defeats Mister Beyonder.<ref>''Heroes Reborn'' #2. Marvel Comics.</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=May 2021}}

===''Mutant X''===
In ''[[Mutant X (comics)|Mutant X]]'', the Beyonder allies with [[Dracula (Marvel Comics)|Dracula]] to wage war on Earth's forces and confront the [[Madelyne Pryor|Goblyn Queen]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Mutant X #31-32|publisher=Marvel Comics}}</ref>

===''Spider-Ham''===
The '''Bee-Yonder''', a funny animal version of the Beyonder from Earth-8311, appears in ''[[Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham]]''.<ref>''Spider-Ham'' #17. Marvel Comics.</ref>

==In other media==
[[File:Beyonderspider.png|thumb|The Beyonder as he appears in ''[[Spider-Man: The Animated Series]]''.]]
* The Beyonder appears in ''[[Spider-Man: The Animated Series]]'', voiced by [[Earl Boen]].<ref name="btva">{{cite web |title=Beyonder Voices (Marvel Universe) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/characters/Marvel-Universe/Beyonder/ |access-date=August 7, 2024 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref> This version is an associate of [[Madame Web]] who helps her prepare Spider-Man for his battle against [[Spider-Carnage]].
* The Beyonder appears in ''[[Avengers Assemble (TV series)|Avengers Assemble]]'', voiced by [[Steven Weber]].<ref name="btva" />
* The Beyonder appears in ''[[Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur]]'', voiced by [[Laurence Fishburne]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Palmer |first=Roger |date=February 10, 2021 |title=''Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur'' Casting Details Announced |url=https://whatsondisneyplus.com/marvels-moon-girl-and-devil-dinosaur-casting-details-announced/ |website=What's On Disney Plus?}}</ref><ref name="btva" /> This version possesses orange skin and a lean build.

==References==
{{Reflist|35em}}

==External links==
* {{Marvelwiki|beyonder|Beyonder}}
* {{Marvunapp|http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/beyondersw.htm|The Beyonder}}

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