Maelstrom (comics)

Maelstrom
Maelstrom (left) battles the Thing and the Inhumans on the cover of Marvel Two-In-One #72 (Feb 1981).
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Marvel Two-In-One #71 (Jan 1981)
Created by	Mark Gruenwald Ralph Macchio Ron Wilson
In-story information
Species	Deviant/Inhuman hybrid
Notable aliases	Anomaly, Cosmic Assassin, Malcolm Stromberg
Abilities	Genius biologist and geneticist Kinetic energy manipulation "Cosmic awareness" Formerly: Use of quantum bands that absorbed virtually unlimited energy from the "quantum zone"

Maelstrom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Maelstrom first appears in Marvel Two-in-One #71 (Jan. 1981) and was created by Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, and Ron Wilson.

Maelstrom is the son of Phaeder, an Inhuman scientist banished from their city of Attilan for attempting cloning to increase Inhuman population numbers. Phaeder then lives among the Deviants, and bred with a Deviant female named Morga who gave birth to Maelstrom. With his father's tutoring, Maelstrom became a brilliant geneticist. After his father is incapacitated in an experiment, Maelstrom swears revenge on the Inhuman race and becomes a would-be conqueror.

Maelstrom has first contact with Earth's metahumans when he sends his superpowered minions—Phobius, Gronk, and Helio—to the scientific island facility Hydro-Base to steal an Anti-Terrigen mist compound. This substance can undo the effects of the Terrigen Mist and deprive the Inhumans of their abilities. Maelstrom's Minions, however, are defeated by heroes the Thing and Stingray. They are assisted by two Inhumans, Gorgon and Karnak. This leads to an encounter with another of Maelstrom's minions—Deathurge—who kills the defeated trio. Mister Fantastic and the Inhuman Triton deduce that their opponent may have originated from the old site of Attilan, which was an undersea location.