HISTORY: Untold millennia ago, the sole survivor of a war party fled his enemies, taking refuge in the Cave of the Glowing Walls, from which no others had left alive. Though felled by the unearthly green light, he crawled to safety, reviving hours later filled with power and fury. After single-handedly slaying the enemy tribe, followed by millennia of mindless slaughter, the Berserker-so named for his warrior madness-was hired by a Sumerian nobleman to murder his city's ruler. Intrigued by killing with a purpose, the man accepted and finally gained his life's direction. He wandered the world, selling his skills to the highest bidder, becoming the power that fashioned the Pharaohs' dynasties and the conquests of Alexander the Great. His reputation drew off-world attention, and after overcoming his initial superstitious fear he found that he equally enjoyed killing aliens; the destinies of entire planetary systems were decided by who hired him first. His payments included fantastic custom-crafted weapons, and he soon became the galaxy's supreme warrior. Returning to Earth, he joined the Roman legions, attracting the attention of the Earth Lords, a secret society who had withdrawn from humanity before recorded history, and who had mastered the forces of nature. Realizing the Berserker-backed Rome might conquer Earth, the Earth Lords arranged Mount Vesuvius 79 A.D. eruption when the Berserker was on its slopes. Having miscalculated their power, the Earth Lords were horrified by the resultant destruction of Pompeii and other cities. They forsook their powers, dispersing their society to perish naturally. Learning that the Berserker was merely trapped in the hardened lava, the Lords chose a member to await his return. They projected their city into a shadow world, where the man waited as the Shadow Lord.

In recent years, archeologists unearthed the Berserker, and the Shadow Lord's city returned to Earth. The Shadow Lord unwittingly provoked battle with the Avengers after driving off the military, and the Avengers learned his power was contained within his city and destroyed it. Dying, the Shadow-Lord passed his necklace on to journalist Rachel Palmer.

The revived Berserker easily overcame all opposition, twice defeating the assembled Avengers, and took Palmer prisoner as he plotted worldwide slaughter. Ultimately, Wonder Man realized the necklace’s purpose and interlocked its pieces at dusk, banishing the Berserker to the now-empty shadow world.

HEIGHT: 7 ft. 2 in.
WEIGHT: 425 lbs.
EYES: Green
HAIR: Brown

ABILITIES/ACCESSORIES: The Berserker is superhumanly strong and durable, immune to aging, possesses an unquenchable thirst for battle, and is a master combatant. His arsenal includes a flying mechanical horse-led chariot which expels an oxygen-consuming energy prison; a Cerellian Power Sword releasing an energy stream that cleaves anything within 100 yards; a shield generating a controlled metal-disintegrating aura and a powerful traction force; an energy-discharging spear which can fell a jet-fighter and then return to his grasp when thrown; body armor from Aturak IV, able to withstand a proton cannon; an Arkossian dagger which imbeds in and drains energy sources; and gauntlets that sap others' strength into him.

NOTE: The above information was copied from “All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #2”