Editing Unus the Untouchable

{{Short description|Marvel Comics fictional character}}
{{Redirect|Unus|the village in Azerbaijan|Unus, Azerbaijan|the American community|Unus, West Virginia}}
{{Infobox comics character
|image=Gunther Bain (Earth-616) from Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Vol 1 11 001.jpg
|caption=Unus the Untouchable as depicted in ''[[Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe]]'' #11 (August 1983).
|real_name=Angelo "Unus" Unuscione; legally changed to Gunther Bain
|species=[[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|Human mutant]]
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|debut=''[[Uncanny X-Men|X-Men]]'' #8 (November 1964)
|creators=[[Stan Lee]] (writer)<br>[[Jack Kirby]] (artist)
|alliances=[[Factor Three]]<br/>[[Brotherhood of Mutants]]<br/>[[Secret Empire (organization)|Secret Empire]]
|aliases=
|powers=Force field generation
}}
'''Unus the Untouchable''' (also known as '''Gunther Bain''', born '''Angelo Unuscione''') is a [[supervillain]] appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[Marvel Comics]]. Unus is a [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutant]], and is named for his ability to consciously project an invisible [[force field (fiction)|force field]] which protects him from harm.

==Publication history==
{{expand section|date=June 2020}}
Unus first appeared in ''[[Uncanny X-Men|X-Men]]'' #8 (November 1964), and was created by [[Stan Lee]] and [[Jack Kirby]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Rovin |first=Jeff |title=[[The Encyclopedia of Super-Villains]] |date=1987 |publisher=Facts on File |isbn=0-8160-1356-X |location=New York |page=360 |authorlink=Jeff Rovin}}[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofsu0000rovi_h5r9/page/360/mode/2up]</ref>

==Fictional character biography==
===Origin===
Angelo Unuscione was born in [[Milan, Italy]]. After his arrival in the United States, he legally changed his name to Gunther Bain.<ref>''[[Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe]]'' #14 (January 1987)</ref> He became a wrestler, and, when [[Beast (Marvel Comics)|Beast]] briefly left the X-Men, he was able to defeat him in a wrestling match.<ref name=":0">''[[X-Men (comic book)|X-Men]]'' #8 (November 1964)</ref> Once in America, he sought out the [[Brotherhood of Mutants]] to join them. He turned criminal, and joined with the Brotherhood as they fought the [[X-Men]]. During the battle, his powers were enhanced by a shot fired from Beast's gun, increasing his power beyond his ability to control it, and making him unable to touch anything. He promised to reform, and his normal power level was restored by Beast.<ref name=":0" /> He became a good friend of the [[Blob (Marvel Comics)|Blob]],<ref name="X-Men vol. 1 #20">''X-Men'' #20 (May 1966)</ref> and they teamed up together on various schemes, such as posing as the X-Men and framing them for robbery,<ref name="X-Men vol. 1 #20"/> before both mutants went their separate ways. It was revealed the alien invader [[Lucifer (Marvel Comics)|Lucifer]] was behind this, and had made sure Beast's weapon did not work on Unus anymore.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=July 2011}}

===Factor Three/Brotherhood===
Unus then joined the villainous organization Factor Three in a conspiracy to conquer Earth. They fought the X-Men, but turned against the [[Mutant Master]] when the latter was exposed as an extraterrestrial.<ref>''X-Men'' #37-39 (October - December 1967)</ref> Unus later visited [[Ogre (Marvel Comics)|Ogre]] at their Mt. Charteris base.<ref>''[[Thunderbolts (comic book)|Thunderbolts]]'' #33 (December 1999)</ref> However, shortly after he was captured by [[Sentinel (comics)|Sentinels]] alongside several others mutants, but was later released,<ref>''X-Men'' #60 (September 1969)</ref><ref>''[[The Avengers (comic book)|Avengers]]'' #103 (September 1972)</ref> after which he teamed with Blob and [[Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde)|Mastermind]] as agents of the second [[Secret Empire (organization)|Secret Empire]]; they were defeated by Beast,<ref>''[[Amazing Adventures]]'' (vol. 2) #12-13 (May - July 1972)</ref> and then held prisoner by the Secret Empire. Unus then joined an incarnation of [[Magneto (Marvel Comics)|Magneto]]'s [[Brotherhood of Mutants|Brotherhood of Evil Mutants]].<ref>''[[The Defenders (comic book)|Defenders]]'' #15 (September 1974)</ref> As a member of the Brotherhood, Unus joined in their battle against the X-Men and Kruger.<ref>''X-Men: The Hidden Years'' #11 (October 2000)</ref> Alongside the Brotherhood, Unus battled the [[Defenders (comics)|Defenders]], but Magneto and the Brotherhood were reduced to infancy by their team member [[Alpha the Ultimate Mutant]].<ref>''Defenders'' #16 (October 1974)</ref> Unus and the others were kept at [[Muir Island]].<ref>''X-Men'' #104 (April 1977)</ref> When the Brotherhood was reverted to adulthood and reorganized, Unus teamed with the [[Vanisher]], Blob, and Mastermind and fought alongside the group against the [[Champions (1975 team)|Champions]].<ref>''[[Champions (1975 team)|Champions]]'' #17 (January 1978)</ref> However, he left the team disheartened.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=June 2009}} He came in conflict with [[Doc Samson]],<ref>''[[The Incredible Hulk (comic book)|Incredible Hulk]]'' Annual #11 (October 1982)</ref> and [[Luke Cage|Power Man]], and then embarked on a New York crime spree, but was defeated by [[Iron Fist (character)|Iron Fist]] and Power Man.<ref>''[[Power Man and Iron Fist]]'' #90 (February 1983)</ref>

Not long after, Unus decided to retire from the life of the organized supervillain, deciding to use his talents in less "lofty" ways; he was making a living as a wrestler.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=June 2009}} At some point, he fathered the Canadian mutant [[Radius (comics)|Radius]].<ref>''[[Alpha Flight (comic book)|Alpha Flight]]'' (vol. 2) #10 (May 1998)</ref> It is also believed that the [[Acolytes (comics)|Acolyte]] [[Unuscione|Carmella Unuscione]] is either his daughter or sister, but no official confirmation of this has ever been given.{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}}

Coming out of retirement and teaming with his friend the Blob again, Unus discovered, during a fight against the [[Hulk]], that his powers had become nearly uncontrollable, and his field was smashed by the Hulk.<ref name=":1">''[[Marvel Fanfare]]'' #7 (March 1983)</ref> Unus lost control of his powers and his force-field became so thick that it suffocated him, causing him to lose consciousness. Blob, believing Unus to be dead, rampaged through Brooklyn, leading to a fight with both [[Spider-Man]] and [[Black Cat (Marvel Comics)|Black Cat]].<ref>''[[Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man]]'' #91 (June 1984)</ref>

===Genosha===
Years later, Unus reappeared on the decimated island of [[Genosha]],<ref>''New X-Men'' #132 (November 2002)</ref> traumatized by the devastation and speaking of "ghosts". Usually arrogant and somewhat fearless, due in no small part to his invulnerable force field, he was shaken by apparent "ghosts" being able to pass through it. At some point, he stopped seeing them, and returned to his former hubris.

Unus later formed his own band of mutant rebels (which included Toad and [[Randall Darby|Paralyzer]]), trying to survive on the harsh island that Genosha had become.<ref>''[[Excalibur (comic book)|Excalibur]]'' (vol. 3) #2 (August 2004)</ref> They most commonly had arguments with Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto, and surprisingly never recognized Magneto out of costume. In their first confrontation, the mutant known as [[Freakshow (comics)|Freakshow]] ends up literally swallowing Unus in order to end the tensions. His powers protected him.<ref>''Excalibur'' (vol. 3) #3 (September 2004)</ref>

Unus leads Appraiser and Stripmine, two superhuman poachers, to Genosha which caused him to be at odds with all the remaining mutants on Genosha.<ref>''Excalibur'' (vol. 3) #5 (November 2004)</ref><ref>''Excalibur'' (vol. 3) #7 (January 2005)</ref>

===House of M and death===
Unus stayed on the island until before the [[House of M]],{{Volume needed|c=y|date=June 2009}} and was depowered after the events of [[Decimation (comics)|Decimation]].{{Volume needed|c=y|date=June 2009}}

Unus is later found by [[Quicksilver (Marvel Comics)|Quicksilver]] on Genosha, who restores his powers using Terrigen Mist.<ref>''Son of M'' #5 (June 2006)</ref> The [[Office of National Emergency]] soon step in and take the mists from Quicksilver and his daughter [[Luna Maximoff|Luna]]. [[Lockjaw (character)|Lockjaw]] teleports Luna and Pietro away before ONE can capture them, leaving a battle between the Inhumans and the repowered mutants of Genosha. Unus's powers evolve beyond his control, forming a pink force field that suffocates and kills him.<ref>''Son of M'' #6 (July 2006)</ref>

===Resurrection===
During the "[[Necrosha]]" event, Unus is among the many deceased mutants resurrected by [[Selene (comics)|Selene]] and [[Eli Bard]] using the [[Techno-organic virus|Transmode Virus]].<ref>''[[X-Force (comic book)|X-Force]]'' (vol. 3) #21 (January 2010)</ref> He becomes a citizen of [[Krakoa]] during the [[Krakoan Age]].<ref>''X-Men'' (vol. 5) #12 (November 2020)</ref>

==Powers and abilities==
Unus the Untouchable is a [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutant]] who possesses the power to generate a field of invisible psionic energy around his body. The field acts to deflect objects and even energy beams, and can withstand great concussive force. Normally, Unus can control the force field at will and certain types of radiant energy, such as sunlight, can pass through the field, as do air and sound waves (at least within certain unknown limits). Unus has deflected beams of energy, objects of high mass, objects traveling at high speed and telepathy, including that of [[Professor X|Charles Xavier]]. Unus was at one point vulnerable to [[Beast (Marvel Comics)|Beast]]'s ray gun that augmented his force field power beyond his control;{{Volume needed|c=y|date=June 2011}} in later years Unus's power again became uncontrollable for unknown reasons, finally repelling air molecules.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=June 2011}}

Unus's force field was not impenetrable, and could be disrupted by a sufficiently powerful force. The Hulk did this on two occasions, the first time by simply shattering it with a punch enhanced by his anger.<ref name=":1" />

==Other versions==
===Age of Apocalypse===
An alternate universe variant of Unus the Untouchable from Earth-295 appears in ''[[Age of Apocalypse]]''. This version is a servant of Apocalypse who is later killed by [[Iceman (Marvel Comics)|Iceman]].<ref>''X-Men Alpha'' one-shot (February 1995)</ref>

===House of M===
An alternate universe variant of Unus the Untouchable from Earth-58163 appears in ''[[House of M]]''. This version is a lieutenant of [[Exodus (comics)|Exodus]], who tasked him with eradicating humanity.<ref>''Incredible Hulk'' (vol. 2) #83 (September 2005)</ref>

===Ultimate Marvel===
An alternate universe variant of Unus the Untouchable from Earth-1610 makes minor appearances in the [[Ultimate Marvel]] imprint. This version is a member of [[Magneto (Marvel Comics)#Ultimate Marvel|Magneto]]'s [[Brotherhood of Mutants#Ultimate Marvel|Brotherhood]] who possesses additional mind-control abilities. In ''[[The Ultimates 3]]'', Unus is killed by [[Thor (Ultimate Marvel character)|Thor]].<ref>''[[Ultimates]]'' (vol. 3) #4 (April 2016)</ref>

===X-Men Noir===
An alternate universe variant of Unus the Untouchable from Earth-90214 appears in ''[[Marvel Noir|X-Men Noir]]''. This version is a human mob boss and a rival of the [[Brotherhood of Mutants|Brotherhood]], who later kill him.<ref>''X-Men Noir'' #2-4 (March - April 2009)</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Marvelwiki|Unus|Unus}}
* [http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/u/unus.htm Unus the Untouchable at Marvel Directory]
* {{Marvunapp|http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix3/unusuntouchx.htm|Unus the Untouchable}}

{{Brotherhood of Evil Mutants}}
{{Jack Kirby}}
{{X-Men}}
{{Stan Lee}}
[[Category:Characters created by Jack Kirby]]
[[Category:Characters created by Stan Lee]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1964]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities]]
[[Category:Fictional immigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Fictional Italian people]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics male supervillains]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics martial artists]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics mutants]]