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| {{Short description|Marvel Comics fictional character}} | |||
| {{Infobox comics character |
{{Infobox comics character <!--Misplaced Pages:WikiProject Comics--> | ||
| |image=TLT2.png | |image=TLT2.png | ||
| |caption=The Living Tribunal<br>Art by ] | |caption=The Living Tribunal<br>Art by ] | ||
| |character_name=Living Tribunal | |character_name=Living Tribunal | ||
| |real_name= | |real_name= | ||
| |species= |
|species=Cosmic Entity | ||
| |publisher=] | |publisher=] | ||
| |debut= '']'' #157 (June 1967) | |debut= '']'' #157 (June 1967) | ||
| Line 10: | Line 11: | ||
| |alliances= | |alliances= | ||
| |aliases= | |aliases= | ||
| |powers= Reality warping <br> Near ] | |powers= Reality warping <br> Near ] | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| The '''Living Tribunal''' is a |
The '''Living Tribunal''' is a cosmic entity appearing in ]s published by ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=DeFalco |first1=Tom |last2=Sanderson |first2=Peter |last3=Brevoort |first3=Tom |last4=Teitelbaum |first4=Michael |last5=Wallace |first5=Daniel |last6=Darling |first6=Andrew |last7=Forbeck |first7=Matt |last8=Cowsill |first8=Alan |last9=Bray |first9=Adam |title=The Marvel Encyclopedia |date=2019 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-7890-0 |page=215}}</ref> The character first appeared in '']'' #157 (June 1967) and was created by ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wells |first1=John |title=American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965–1969 |date=2014 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=978-1605490557 |page=188}}</ref> | ||
| ==Publication history== | ==Publication history== | ||
| The Living Tribunal debuted in a storyline called "The Sands of Death" in '']'' #157–163 ( |
The Living Tribunal debuted in a storyline called "The Sands of Death" in '']'' #157–163 (June–December 1967), giving ] hero ] a limited time to prove Earth is worth saving.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brevoort |first1=Tom |last2=DeFalco |first2=Tom |last3=Manning |first3=Matthew K. |last4=Sanderson |first4=Peter |last5=Wiacek |first5=Win |title=Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History |date=2017 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1465455505 |page=122}}</ref> Established as apparently the supreme power in the Marvel Universe, the character made several sporadic appearances over the years, including '']'' #32 (April 1982); '']'' #41 (April 1983) and '']'' #6 (December 1985). The Living Tribunal revealed clues as to its true purpose and nature in '']'' (vol. 3) #31 (December 1989). | ||
| After brief appearances in the role of observer in '']'' #16 ( |
After brief appearances in the role of observer in '']'' #16 (September 1991) and '']'' #26 (Sept. 1991), the character had a significant role in the ] '']'' #1–6 (July–December 1991), '']'' #1 (February 1992), and '']'' #1–4 (April–May 1996). The Living Tribunal's role was eventually expanded on in '']'' (vol. 2) #12 (November 2006).<ref name="CBR moments">{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/living-tribunal-op-moments/|title=The Living Tribunal's 10 Most OP Moments In Marvel Comics|last=Bailey|first=Caleb|website=]|date=July 30, 2019|access-date=October 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731125643/https://www.cbr.com/living-tribunal-op-moments/|archive-date=July 31, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
| The Living Tribunal was featured in the 2003's ] storyline. The character also made an appearance during the '']'' storyline, and battled ].<ref name="CBR moments" /> | The Living Tribunal was featured in the 2003's ] storyline. The character also made an appearance during the '']'' storyline, and battled ].<ref name="CBR moments" /> | ||
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| The Living Tribunal is an entity that oversees and maintains balance in the realities that constitute the Marvel Comics ], including the ] and all ]. He serves as a judge of these realities. | The Living Tribunal is an entity that oversees and maintains balance in the realities that constitute the Marvel Comics ], including the ] and all ]. He serves as a judge of these realities. | ||
| The character is first encountered by |
The character is first encountered by Doctor Strange, announcing its intent to destroy Earth due to its potential for evil. After a series of trials, Doctor Strange is able to convince the Living Tribunal that good also exists, and Earth is spared.<ref>''Strange Tales'' #157–163 (June–December 1967)</ref> The Tribunal reappears to the ] spaceknight ];<ref>''Rom'' #41 (April 1983)</ref> appears briefly with the rest of the cosmic hierarchy when in discussion with the entity the ];<ref>''Secret Wars II'' #6 (December 1985)</ref> and reveals to the former Herald of ] (the ]) that its three faces represent "Equity" (hooded face), "Vengeance" (partially shrouded face), and "Necessity" (fully shrouded face).<ref name="Surfer31">''Silver Surfer'' (vol. 3) #31 (December 1989)</ref> The fourth side of the Living Tribunal's head is a void, with the entity claiming that the cosmic entity the ] once existed as this part of its being.<ref name="Surfer31"/>{{clarify|reason=What does this mean?|date=August 2015}} The character also witnesses the triumph of the hero ]—acting as the ] of cosmic entity Infinity—over the villain ], who acts for the entity Oblivion.<ref>''Quasar'' #26 (September 1991)</ref> | ||
| During '' |
During ''DC vs. Marvel'', the Tribunal teamed up with the ] to save their worlds from the two cosmic brothers' attempts to destroy one of the two multiverses. Their pact, with the help of Access, created the Amalgam multiverse by merging the two multiverses, to "buy some time".<ref>''Marvel vs. DC'' #3</ref> As the new Amalgam multiverse was unstable, the former multiverses are restored. The struggle of "The Brothers" continues until the efforts of ] and ] against them make them realize they both "Did Well", and the multiverses are spared.<ref>''DC vs. Marvel'' #4</ref> | ||
| The Living Tribunal's power is virtually limitless, as the entity prevents the ] from being used in unison,<ref>''Warlock and the Infinity Watch'' #1 ( |
The Living Tribunal's power is virtually limitless, as the entity prevents the ] from being used in unison,<ref>''Warlock and the Infinity Watch'' #1 (February 1992)</ref> although it remains subservient to a single, even higher entity referred to as "]" (not to be confused with the celestial also called the ]).<ref>''The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z'' Hardcover vol. 6</ref> The entity has representatives called ''The Magistrati'' who dispense judgments by request on alien worlds, and chose to reveal the previously unseen face of "Necessity" to ] as a reflection of her own face, stating that the face is a "Cosmic Mirror which reminds us to always judge others as we would have ourselves judged".<ref>''She-Hulk'' (vol. 2) #12 (November 2006)</ref> | ||
| ] and |
] and ] later find what appears to be the Living Tribunal's withered corpse on the moon, with no sign of who killed it.<ref>''New Avengers'' (vol. 3) #8 (July 2013)</ref> | ||
| When ] ventured into the Multiverse during the ''Time Runs Out'' storyline, the cause of his death was discovered: the Living Tribunal had died fighting the ] while attempting to halt the annihilation of the Marvel Multiverse.<ref name="NA30">''New Avengers'' vol. 3 #30 (April 2015)</ref> | When ] ventured into the Multiverse during the ''Time Runs Out'' storyline, the cause of his death was discovered: the Living Tribunal had died fighting the ] while attempting to halt the annihilation of the Marvel Multiverse.<ref name="NA30">''New Avengers'' (vol. 3) #30 (April 2015)</ref> | ||
| An alternative version of ] later took up the Living Tribunal's vacant position, on orders from the One-Above-All (here called "Above-All-Others").<ref>''Thanos: The Infinity Finale'' (April 2016)</ref> | An alternative version of ] later took up the Living Tribunal's vacant position, on orders from the One-Above-All (here called "Above-All-Others").<ref>''Thanos: The Infinity Finale'' (April 2016)</ref> | ||
| After the devourer of worlds |
After the devourer of worlds Galactus evolves into a lifebringer, ] and Master Order consider this to throw the cosmic hierarchy out of balance, and ask the new Living Tribunal to render judgment. However, when the Tribunal decides in favor of a "new balance for a new cosmos", Order and Chaos join forces to seemingly kill the entity.<ref>''The Ultimates 2'' #2</ref> The Living Tribunal is later resurrected and seen taking Lord Chaos and Master Order to judgment after the defeat of the First Firmament.<ref>''The Ultimates 2'' #100</ref> | ||
| ==Powers and abilities== | ==Powers and abilities== | ||
| ] wielding the ] ranked the Tribunal's power as the highest in Marvel's regular multiversal hierarchy.<ref>''Thanos'' Annual #1 (2014)</ref> However, the Tribunal has also referred to a higher entity that vastly eclipses its own power,<ref>''Thanos: The Infinity Revelation'' #1 ( |
] wielding the ] ranked the Tribunal's power as the highest in Marvel's regular multiversal hierarchy.<ref>''Thanos'' Annual #1 (2014)</ref> However, the Tribunal has also referred to a higher entity that vastly eclipses its own power,<ref>''Thanos: The Infinity Revelation'' #1 (August 2014)</ref> and was killed by the Beyonders.<ref name="NA30"/> | ||
| The Living Tribunal was the embodiment of the Marvel Multiverse,<ref>''New Avengers'' vol. 3 #30</ref> and the sum totality of all the abstract entities within it.<ref |
The Living Tribunal was the embodiment of the Marvel Multiverse,<ref>''New Avengers'' (vol. 3) #30</ref> and the sum totality of all the abstract entities within it.<ref name="Surfer31"/> Nonetheless, the Tribunal is not as powerful as the multiversal incarnation of ] and was referred to as an internal function of the entity.<ref>''The Ultimates'' (vol. 2) #100 (February 2017)</ref> | ||
| ==In other media== | ==In other media== | ||
| ⚫ | * ], the screenwriters of the ] (MCU) films '']'' and '']'', revealed that the Living Tribunal was originally planned to have an appearance in the latter, in which they would have judged ] for his crimes against the universe, including "]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Itzkoff |first=Dave |date=April 29, 2019 |title='Avengers: Endgame': The Screenwriters Answer Every Question You Might Have |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/29/movies/avengers-endgame-questions-and-answers.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514173025/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/29/movies/avengers-endgame-questions-and-answers.html |archive-date=May 14, 2019 |access-date=May 15, 2019 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/avengers-endgame-thanos-living-tribunal-deleted-scene/|title=Thanos Originally Confronted by The Living Tribunal in Avengers: Endgame|last=Dumaraog|first=Ana|website=]|date=July 20, 2019|access-date=October 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721143107/https://screenrant.com/avengers-endgame-thanos-living-tribunal-deleted-scene/|archive-date=July 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
| ===Film=== | |||
| * |
* The Living Tribunal makes a cameo appearance in the MCU film '']''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bonomolo |first=Cameron |date=April 25, 2022 |title=Doctor Strange 2 Teaser Reveals Major Marvel Character Cut From Avengers: Infinity War |url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/marvel-doctor-strange-2-multiverse-of-madness-teaser-the-living-tribunal-avengers-infinity-war/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220425223238/https://comicbook.com/movies/news/marvel-doctor-strange-2-multiverse-of-madness-teaser-the-living-tribunal-avengers-infinity-war/ |archive-date=April 25, 2022 |access-date=April 26, 2022 |website=]}}</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | * ], the screenwriters of '']'' and '']'', revealed that the Living Tribunal was originally planned to have an appearance in |
||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 55: | Line 55: | ||
| * {{Marveldatabase}} | * {{Marveldatabase}} | ||
| {{Marvel Cosmic Entities}} | |||
| {{Marvel Mystic}} | {{Marvel Mystic}} | ||
| {{Stan Lee}} | {{Stan Lee}} | ||
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| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
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| ] | ] | ||
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Latest revision as of 17:51, 7 December 2024
Marvel Comics fictional character Comics character| Living Tribunal | |
|---|---|
 The Living TribunalArt by Jim Starlin | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Strange Tales #157 (June 1967) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Marie Severin Herb Trimpe |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Cosmic Entity |
| Abilities | Reality warping Near omniscience |
The Living Tribunal is a cosmic entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #157 (June 1967) and was created by Stan Lee, Marie Severin, and Herb Trimpe.
Publication history
The Living Tribunal debuted in a storyline called "The Sands of Death" in Strange Tales #157–163 (June–December 1967), giving mystic hero Doctor Strange a limited time to prove Earth is worth saving. Established as apparently the supreme power in the Marvel Universe, the character made several sporadic appearances over the years, including What If #32 (April 1982); Rom #41 (April 1983) and Secret Wars II #6 (December 1985). The Living Tribunal revealed clues as to its true purpose and nature in Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #31 (December 1989).
After brief appearances in the role of observer in Guardians of the Galaxy #16 (September 1991) and Quasar #26 (Sept. 1991), the character had a significant role in the limited series Infinity Gauntlet #1–6 (July–December 1991), Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1 (February 1992), and DC vs. Marvel #1–4 (April–May 1996). The Living Tribunal's role was eventually expanded on in She-Hulk (vol. 2) #12 (November 2006).
The Living Tribunal was featured in the 2003's Marvel: The End storyline. The character also made an appearance during the Time Runs Out storyline, and battled Beyonders.
Fictional character biography
The Living Tribunal is an entity that oversees and maintains balance in the realities that constitute the Marvel Comics Multiverse, including the mainstream universe and all alternate universes. He serves as a judge of these realities.
The character is first encountered by Doctor Strange, announcing its intent to destroy Earth due to its potential for evil. After a series of trials, Doctor Strange is able to convince the Living Tribunal that good also exists, and Earth is spared. The Tribunal reappears to the Galadorian spaceknight Rom; appears briefly with the rest of the cosmic hierarchy when in discussion with the entity the Beyonder; and reveals to the former Herald of Galactus (the Silver Surfer) that its three faces represent "Equity" (hooded face), "Vengeance" (partially shrouded face), and "Necessity" (fully shrouded face). The fourth side of the Living Tribunal's head is a void, with the entity claiming that the cosmic entity the Stranger once existed as this part of its being. The character also witnesses the triumph of the hero Quasar—acting as the avatar of cosmic entity Infinity—over the villain Maelstrom, who acts for the entity Oblivion.
During DC vs. Marvel, the Tribunal teamed up with the Spectre to save their worlds from the two cosmic brothers' attempts to destroy one of the two multiverses. Their pact, with the help of Access, created the Amalgam multiverse by merging the two multiverses, to "buy some time". As the new Amalgam multiverse was unstable, the former multiverses are restored. The struggle of "The Brothers" continues until the efforts of Batman and Captain America against them make them realize they both "Did Well", and the multiverses are spared.
The Living Tribunal's power is virtually limitless, as the entity prevents the Infinity Gems from being used in unison, although it remains subservient to a single, even higher entity referred to as "One-Above-All" (not to be confused with the celestial also called the One Above All). The entity has representatives called The Magistrati who dispense judgments by request on alien worlds, and chose to reveal the previously unseen face of "Necessity" to She-Hulk as a reflection of her own face, stating that the face is a "Cosmic Mirror which reminds us to always judge others as we would have ourselves judged".
Iron Man and the Watcher later find what appears to be the Living Tribunal's withered corpse on the moon, with no sign of who killed it.
When Yellowjacket ventured into the Multiverse during the Time Runs Out storyline, the cause of his death was discovered: the Living Tribunal had died fighting the Beyonders while attempting to halt the annihilation of the Marvel Multiverse.
An alternative version of Adam Warlock later took up the Living Tribunal's vacant position, on orders from the One-Above-All (here called "Above-All-Others").
After the devourer of worlds Galactus evolves into a lifebringer, Lord Chaos and Master Order consider this to throw the cosmic hierarchy out of balance, and ask the new Living Tribunal to render judgment. However, when the Tribunal decides in favor of a "new balance for a new cosmos", Order and Chaos join forces to seemingly kill the entity. The Living Tribunal is later resurrected and seen taking Lord Chaos and Master Order to judgment after the defeat of the First Firmament.
Powers and abilities
Thanos wielding the Infinity Gauntlet ranked the Tribunal's power as the highest in Marvel's regular multiversal hierarchy. However, the Tribunal has also referred to a higher entity that vastly eclipses its own power, and was killed by the Beyonders.
The Living Tribunal was the embodiment of the Marvel Multiverse, and the sum totality of all the abstract entities within it. Nonetheless, the Tribunal is not as powerful as the multiversal incarnation of Eternity and was referred to as an internal function of the entity.
In other media
- Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the screenwriters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, revealed that the Living Tribunal was originally planned to have an appearance in the latter, in which they would have judged Thanos for his crimes against the universe, including "The Blip".
- The Living Tribunal makes a cameo appearance in the MCU film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
References
- DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 215. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
- Wells, John (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965–1969. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 188. ISBN 978-1605490557.
- Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017). Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History. DK Publishing. p. 122. ISBN 978-1465455505.
- ^ Bailey, Caleb (July 30, 2019). "The Living Tribunal's 10 Most OP Moments In Marvel Comics". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
- Strange Tales #157–163 (June–December 1967)
- Rom #41 (April 1983)
- Secret Wars II #6 (December 1985)
- ^ Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #31 (December 1989)
- Quasar #26 (September 1991)
- Marvel vs. DC #3
- DC vs. Marvel #4
- Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1 (February 1992)
- The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Hardcover vol. 6
- She-Hulk (vol. 2) #12 (November 2006)
- New Avengers (vol. 3) #8 (July 2013)
- ^ New Avengers (vol. 3) #30 (April 2015)
- Thanos: The Infinity Finale (April 2016)
- The Ultimates 2 #2
- The Ultimates 2 #100
- Thanos Annual #1 (2014)
- Thanos: The Infinity Revelation #1 (August 2014)
- New Avengers (vol. 3) #30
- The Ultimates (vol. 2) #100 (February 2017)
- Itzkoff, Dave (April 29, 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame': The Screenwriters Answer Every Question You Might Have". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
- Dumaraog, Ana (July 20, 2019). "Thanos Originally Confronted by The Living Tribunal in Avengers: Endgame". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
- Bonomolo, Cameron (April 25, 2022). "Doctor Strange 2 Teaser Reveals Major Marvel Character Cut From Avengers: Infinity War". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
External links
- Living Tribunal at Marvel.com
- Living Tribunal on Marvel Database, a Marvel Comics wiki
