Real name: Count Luchino Nefaria
Known Aliases: None
Identity: Publicly known
Occupation: Head of the Nefaria "family" of the Maggia
Legal status: Citizen of Italy with a criminal record in the United States
Place of birth: Rome, Italy
Group affiliation: Leader of the Nefaria "family" of the Maggia and unofficial leader of the entire organization, former employer of the criminal Ani-Men, leader of the second Lethal Legion
Base of operations: Mobile
Original Reality: Earth-616
First appearance: AVENGERS Vol. 1 #13

Height: 6 ft. 2 in.
Weight: (in prime) 230 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black

Count Luchino Nefaria, the descendent of a long line of Italian noblemen, inherited a vast fortune. Fascinated by technology, Nefaria commissioned researchers to create inventions far in advance of contemporary science. Although he greatly valued his family's tradition of respectability, his lust for even greater power and wealth led Nefaria to become a powerful figure in the Maggia, the notorious international crime syndicate.

After battling a number of super heroes, Nefaria sought superhuman abilities of his own. Once empowered, he attacked New York City, and was confronted and captured by the Avengers. Nefaria's new powers did not come without a price: Now a feeble, wizened old man, he required machines to keep him alive. Nefaria's daughter, Madame Masque, freed him from the Avengers, believing he was not receiving proper care. During a battle with Nefaria's minions, the Ani-Men, Iron Man accidentally crushed him under the weight of a Jupiter landing vehicle.

Miraculously returned to his prime, Nefaria resurfaced to plague the Avengers yet again. As powerful as ever, he gained control of fellow ionically charged beings Wonder Man and Atlas. He used the heroes as pawns in a plan to charge all Earth's inhabitants with ionic energy, so he could control the world as he controlled them. With the aid of Madame Masque, the Avengers narrowly defeated Nefaria, who is believed to have been killed in a massive ionic explosion.

Abilities: For most of his life, Count Nefaria possessed no superhuman powers. But due to Professor Kevin Sturdy's treatment, Nefaria gained the powers of the Living Laser, now a being of pure energy; Power Man, before becoming Atlas; and the Whirlwind. However, each of Nefaria's superhuman abilities is a hundred times greater than its source. Besides superhuman strength, Nefaria possesses extraordinary resistance to injury. (He survived a blow from Thor's hammer unharmed.) Having returned from the dead transformed into an ionically powered entity like Wonder Man, Nefaria must feed on the energies of other ionic beings to sustain his own powers.

• None Currectly