Grandmaster (Marvel Comics)

The Grandmaster first appeared in The Avengers #69 (Oct. 1969). The character was created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema.{{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=154}}

Although his exact origin is unknown, he is one of the oldest living beings in the universe, coming from one of the first intelligent races to evolve after the Big Bang. He once possessed the Mind Gem, one of the six Infinity Gems, but he lost it to Thanos.Thanos Quest #2. Marvel Comics. He is a cosmic game player whose preferred game is pitting two opposing teams against each other. He has used the Squadron Sinister, Daredevil, the Defenders, the East and West Coast Avengers, Malibu Comics's Ultraforce, and DC Comics' Justice League of America.

In his first appearance, the Grandmaster played a game against Kang the Conqueror for the power to resurrect Ravonna or destroy Kang's planet, using the Avengers and Squadron Sinister as pawns.{{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=138}} However, Kang's efforts failed due to the intervention of the Black Knight meaning that the Avengers did not technically win their fight, causing Kang to sacrifice the power to resurrect Ravonna for the power to kill the Avengers, with this attempt failing again when the Grandmaster's gift literally gave Kang the power to kill only the Avengers rather than the currently-unaffiliated Black Knight.The Avengers #69-71. Marvel Comics. He next used the Defenders as pawns in a game against the Prime Mover.Giant-Size Defenders #3. Marvel Comics.

The Grandmaster later challenged Death to a game of strategy, with the power to resurrect his fellow Elder the Collector as prize. A large collection of Earth heroes were used as pawns by both sides of the game; the Grandmaster promised that, if he won, he would never again use Earth's heroes as his pawns. The Grandmaster won, only to learn the resurrection power could only be used if someone else died in the resurrectee's place. Nonetheless, the Grandmaster felt the game would be incomplete unless the power was used, noting "Never, in a thousand games on a thousand worlds, have I quit the table ere the game was through!" Death suggested he use the heroes' lives instead, but, unwilling to break his promise to never again manipulate them, he instead sacrificed his own life to resurrect the Collector.Contest of Champions #1-3. Marvel Comics.

The Grandmaster returned from beyond his grave to plague the East and West Coast Avengers during one of their annual games of baseball, reasoning that, since he was dead, he was free from his vow to leave Earth's heroes in peace. After he and the Collector tricked the teams into battling each other, the Grandmaster succeeded in his true plan: to capture Lady Death and usurp her powers. He forced the Avengers to participate in a competition with the Legion of the Unliving in order to stop a series of powerful bombs, the stakes being all of creation. Captain America and Hawkeye were the only two heroes to survive; the rest of the Avengers were slain, only to instantly join the Legion. As the Grandmaster was preparing to force the pair to fight the Legion again, Hawkeye convinced him to lay it all on the line with one last game of pure chance. Hawkeye held one arrow in each fist, the tips hidden in his hands. Grandmaster would win if he chose the one with Hawkeye's last arrowhead. The one he picked was headless (Hawkeye admits to Captain America that he had cheated: he quickly snapped off the arrowhead as the Grandmaster chose the correct arrow), and his distraction allowed Lady Death to escape her bonds and banish the Grandmaster from her realm — in other words, making them effectively immortal.The Avengers Annual #16 (1987). Marvel Comics. As a reward, she returned the deceased Avengers to life. This incident is what led Death to ban the Elders from dying, confirmed by the Grandmaster in the issue's final panels, just before he expresses interest in the Avengers' renewed baseball game.Avengers West Coast #2; The Avengers Annual #16. Marvel Comics.

He and a group of ten other Elders then conspired to kill Galactus and restart the universe; they felt that being banned from Death's realm would make them the sole survivors to continue their obsessions in a whole new universe.Silver Surfer vol. 2 #4. Marvel Comics. The Grandmaster battled Galactus and the Silver Surfer,Silver Surfer vol. 2 #9. Marvel Comics. and was one of the five Elders captured and consumed by Galactus.Silver Surfer vol. 2 #10. Marvel Comics. The devoured Elders caused Galactus "cosmic indigestion" from within until they were forced out of him by Master Order and Lord Chaos.Silver Surfer vol. 2 #17. Marvel Comics. When the Silver Surfer asked the five Elders to aid them in helping Galactus to defeat the In-Betweener the Grandmaster refused because it would nullify a solemn wager the Elders had made so the Champion physically restrained him until the battle was over.Silver Surfer vol. 3 #18. Marvel Comics. Moments later, the five Elders used their Infinity Gems to escape Galactus and his vengeance.Silver Surfer vol. 3 #19. Marvel Comics.

The Grandmaster traveled to the Ultraverse to collect the Infinity Gems that were in Loki's possession. Both decide to make a competition for the possession of gems, pitting the Avengers against Ultraforce. However both lost the gems to the entity Nemesis.Avengers/Ultraforce #1 (1995). Marvel Comics.

In 2004 the Grandmaster organized the meeting of the Avengers and the Justice League in an attempt to save the Marvel Universe from the DC Comics villain Krona, when Krona came to the Marvel Universe seeking answers about the origin of creation. In an attempt to save his universe, Grandmaster challenged Krona to a game for the identity of a being in the Marvel Universe who had lived through the Big Bang by pitting the Avengers and the JLA against each other in a 'scavenger hunt' for twelve items of power- with Krona choosing the Avengers as his team-, only for Krona to turn on the Grandmaster when he lost due to Captain America helping Batman gain the Cosmic Cube. Although Krona's anti-energy powers were able to easily defeat both the Grandmaster and Galactus, the Grandmaster revealed the game was a trick and was able to use the items gathered to merge the two universes and trap Krona in their 'junction point'. However Krona accelerated the process, with the intention of destroying both universes and learning their secrets. The Phantom Stranger guided the two teams to the Grandmaster, who showed them the truth of reality, then died. However the Grandmaster was resurrected when reality was returned to normal, and it was revealed he had been playing a game with the New God Metron.JLA/Avengers#1-4. Marvel Comics.

The Grandmaster later recreated his Squadron Sinister, with new incarnations of members Doctor Spectrum and Hyperion, to contend against Baron Helmut Zemo's Thunderbolts. He has been using this Squadron to destroy several sources of extra-dimensional energy, known collectively as the "Universal Wellspring", apparently to prevent Zemo from controlling them. The Grandmaster was dispersed by Zemo in a battle for the final Wellspring.Thunderbolts #106. Marvel Comics. In Thunderbolts #108 he was restored and battled Zemo for control of Earth, however using all the power of Earth that had been loaned to him by Earth's superhumans, Zemo was able to take his powers away. Zemo then shot the Grandmaster in the head seemingly killing him.Thunderbolts #108. Marvel Comics.

The Grandmaster returns, promising the Hulk the revival of his long-lost love, Jarella (though this has been thought in the past to be beyond his powers), if he participates in a battle to the death with a team of his choice. The Hulk chooses Doctor Strange, Namor, and the Silver Surfer. However, the Grandmaster takes them from different points in time (specifically, moments when their greatest loves were lost to them), and sets them against a team gathered by the Collector called the Offenders (which is composed of Red Hulk, Baron Mordo, Tiger Shark, and Terrax). This again causes conflict with Galactus.Hulk vol. 2 #10 (2009). Marvel Comics. Upon the conclusion of this battle the Grandmaster is apparently slain by the Red Hulk, and the Collector quits, simply leaving Hulk with Jarella's corpse.Hulk vol. 2 #12 (June 2009). Marvel Comics.

The Grandmaster returns, with a more childish attitude. He has developed romantic feelings towards the X-Man heroine Dazzler. To that end, he stages a roller derby pitting her and two friends against dozens of super-villains. This angers Dazzler, because romance does not involve putting the person you care about in seemingly deadly danger.X-Men: To Serve and Protect #4 (Feb. 2011). Marvel Comics.

Eight months after the "Secret Wars" storyline as part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel," the Grandmaster competes against Collector on Battlerealm (a location which is made up of the remnants of Battleworld) in a new Contest of Champions with the prize being an artifact called the Iso-Sphere.Contest of Champions vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.

During the "No Surrender" arc, Grandmaster forms his version of the Lethal Legion to go up against Challenger's Black Order in a contest that involves Pyramoids.The Avengers #675. Marvel Comics. It is later revealed that Voyager is Grandmaster's daughter who he used in his plans to claim the Pyramoids.The Avengers #684. Marvel Comics. His plan was finally defeated when Living Lightning confronted the Grandmaster and provoked him into a game of poker, with Santos subsequently raising the stakes of the game until he reached a point where the stakes were that the loser would have all memory of their accomplishments wiped from the memories of all who knew of them. Faced with this potential loss, the Grandmaster folded despite his ignorance of Santos's hand, as he could not bear to lose everything like that, whereas Santos accepted that being an Avenger meant doing the right thing because it was the right thing to do rather than because you would be remembered for it.The Avengers #689. Marvel Comics.

During the "Empyre" storyline, Grandmaster is revealed to have a sister called the Profiteer, another Elder of the Universe.Empyre: Fantastic Four #0. Marvel Comics.

The Grandmaster has been described as manipulating the so-called "power primordial", radiation left over from the Big Bang,Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Master Edition and is one of the most powerful Elders of the Universe. However, his power is considerably below that of Galactus and the In-Betweener.Silver Surfer vol. 3 #18; Hulk vol. 2 #12 (2009). Marvel Comics. It has been implied that the Grandmaster can, and in some cases has, used highly advanced technology to augment his abilities and perform feats that might be normally beyond him.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=August 2013}} While the extent of this is unknown, it is known that the Grandmaster has access and mastery of technology far beyond human comprehension.

The Grandmaster possesses a cosmic life force which renders him virtually immortal, including immunity to aging, disease, poison, and imperviousness to conventional injury through regeneration of any damage. He can survive and travel in space unaided and without food, drink, or air. He can utilize his cosmic life force for a variety of effects, including levitation, the projection of blasts of cosmic energy, teleportation across space and time and alternate dimensions, adjusting his size, control time to interact with beings moving at superhuman speed, or transformation and rearrangement of matter on a planetary scale. Perhaps his most fearsome ability is his power over life and death. The Grandmaster can "will" the death of another being. It is unknown if he can will the death of another virtual immortal being. He can also "resurrect" another being no matter how badly injured or heal a person on the verge of death. He cannot resurrect another virtually immortal being powered by "cosmic life force" like himself or anyone who has died past a certain time point. Lastly, he can temporarily bestow these powers upon another being. Currently, due to his machinations against Death,{{Volume needed|c=y|date=August 2013}} he and the other Elders cannot die.

He has a highly developed superhuman intellect, with vast knowledge and comprehension of games and game theory far beyond present-day Earth, as well as encyclopedic knowledge of thousands of exotic games played throughout the universe. He can calculate diverse low information probabilities within a tenth of a second and remember countless rules and data. He also possesses certain extra-sensory abilities of mental perception beyond those currently known which enable him to sense things about his surroundings not detectable by normal senses, and maintains a psychic link with the advanced computers of his base world, which enhance his mental abilities.

The Grandmaster has access to various exotic extraterrestrial devices as needed, including starships.

• The Grandmaster appears in the Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes episode "Contest of Champions", voiced by French Tickner.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}
• The Grandmaster appears in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "Whom Continuity Would Destroy!", voiced by John O'Hurley.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}
• The Grandmaster appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man four-part episode "Contest of Champions",{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP54PmUuv60 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/YP54PmUuv60 |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Ultimate Spider-Man - Contest of Champions! - Official Disney XD UK HD |publisher=YouTube |date=2015-05-07 |access-date=2020-05-16}}{{cbignore}} voiced by Jeff Bennett.{{cite web |title=Grandmaster Voices (Marvel Universe) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/characters/Marvel-Universe/Grandmaster/ |access-date=August 13, 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.
• The Grandmaster appears in the Guardians of the Galaxy episode "Take the Milano and Run", voiced by Jason Spisak.

The Grandmaster makes a cameo appearance in Planet Hulk.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

{{See also|Grandmaster (Marvel Cinematic Universe)}}

The Grandmaster appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), portrayed by Jeff Goldblum. This version is the ruler of the planet Sakaar who, unlike his appearance in the comics, does not have blue skin. Instead he possesses a silvery blue stripe on his chin similar to that of the Collector. According to Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi, this decision was made to avoid detracting from Goldblum's personality by concealing his appearance and because Goldblum had already played a blue alien in the film Earth Girls Are Easy.{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/04/20/why-jeff-goldblum-doesnt-resemble-marvel-comics-grandmaster-in-thor-ragnarok|title=Why Jeff Goldblum Doesn't Resemble Marvel Comics' Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnarok - IGN|date=20 April 2017 |via=www.ign.com}}

• The Grandmaster makes a cameo appearance in a mid-credits scene for the live-action film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-04-30/the-11-best-easter-eggs-in-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2/|title=The 11 best Easter eggs in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2|website=Radio Times}}{{cite web|url=https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2017/04/there-are-two-fun-cameos-in-the-credits-of-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2-to-keep-an-eye-out-for/|title=There are two fun cameos in the credits of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to keep an eye out for|date=April 26, 2017|website=Flickering Myth}}
• The Grandmaster appears in the live-action film Thor: Ragnarok.{{cite web|url=http://marvel.com/news/movies/26203/marvel_studios_confirms_stellar_new_cast_members_of_the_highly_anticipated_thor_ragnarok?linkId=24717779 |title=News, Blog, Articles & Press Releases |publisher=Marvel |access-date=2020-05-16}} After Thor ends up on Sakaar, Valkyrie captures him and brings him to the Grandmaster, who forces him to face his "Champion", the Hulk, in gladiatorial combat. However, the Grandmaster rigs the fight when he sees Thor winning. Thor, Hulk, and Valkyrie later escape a starship after instigating a revolution amongst the gladiators. In the film's post-credits scene, the Grandmaster and his handmaidens face a group of rebels in a dumping yard and congratulates them.
• Alternate timeline variants of the Grandmaster appear in the Disney+ animated series What If...?, voiced by Goldblum in the first two seasons and by Matt Friend in the episode "What If... Howard the Duck Got Hitched?".{{cite web |last1=Hughes |first1=William |title=Marvel just released an extremely intriguing cast list for Disney+'s animated What If…? |url=https://www.avclub.com/marvel-just-released-an-extremely-intriguing-cast-list-1836569935 |website=A.V. Club |date=21 July 2019 |access-date=21 July 2019 |archive-date=21 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721041330/https://news.avclub.com/marvel-just-released-an-extremely-intriguing-cast-list-1836569935 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Amin |first=Arezou |date=December 25, 2024 |title=What If...? Season 3 Episode 4 Recap: Keeping Up With the Ducks |url=https://collider.com/what-if-season-3-episode-4-recap/ |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=Collider |language=en}}
• The Grandmaster was set to return in the live-action film Thor: Love and Thunder,{{Cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/jeff-goldblum-talks-thor-ragnarok-grandmaster/ |title=Jeff Goldblum talks Thor: Ragnarok's Grandmaster |last=De Semlyen |first=Phil |work=Empire |date=June 6, 2016 |access-date=June 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160607104939/http://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/jeff-goldblum-talks-thor-ragnarok-grandmaster/ |archive-date=June 7, 2016 |url-status=live}} but his scenes were cut.{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Leon |date=June 30, 2022 |title=Thor: Love and Thunder Star Confirms Two Major Marvel Characters Were Cut |url=https://www.cbr.com/thor-love-and-thunder-christian-bale-grandmaster-eitri-cut-mcu/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630155917/https://www.cbr.com/thor-love-and-thunder-christian-bale-grandmaster-eitri-cut-mcu/ |archive-date=June 30, 2022 |access-date=June 30, 2022 |website=Comic Book Resources}}

• The Grandmaster appears in Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet, voiced again by John O'Hurley.
• The Grandmaster appears in Marvel Super Heroes 3D: Grandmaster's Challenge.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}}
• The Grandmaster appears as a playable character in Lego Marvel's Avengers.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
• The Grandmaster was announced as a playable character for Marvel: Future Fight,{{cite web |url=https://news.marvel.com/games/79315/thor-ragnarok-takes-marvel-games-storm/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-10-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107004255/https://news.marvel.com/games/79315/thor-ragnarok-takes-marvel-games-storm/ |archive-date=2017-11-07 |url-status=dead }} but was not released in the associated update.{{Cite news|url=http://www.mobirum.com/article/detail?cafeId=futurefight_en&bbsId=75&id=954530|title=MARVEL Future Fight - mobirum|access-date=2017-10-31|language=en-US}}
• The Grandmaster appears as a non-playable character in Marvel Contest of Champions.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}
• The Grandmaster appears in Marvel Snap.{{Cite web |title=MARVEL SNAP - Dominate the Marvel Multiverse in High-Speed Card Battling Action |url=https://www.marvelsnap.com/home/newsdetail?id=7296743796027480838 |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=www.marvelsnap.com}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Grandmaster Grandmaster] at Marvel.com
• [http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/g/grandmaster.htm Marvel Directory: Grandmaster]

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