Cerebra's Files
Gladiator
Real Name: KallarkAffiliation: Imperial Guard
Alternate-X Versions: Age of Apocalypse
Codename Etymology: Pronounced glăd'ē-ā'tər [From Latin, gladius: "sword"]; A Roman slave who fought in an arena to entertain a large crowd.
Powers & History: Super-strength, invulnerability, flight, laser vision, etc, etc,. Gladiator is bascially the MU's answer to a certain Kryptonian. He was the prized pupil of Deathbird and leads the Imperial Guard as Praetor with an almost fanatical loyalty to the Shi'ar Empire, regardless of who's in charge. This has brought him into conflict with the X-Men and the Starjammers on more than one occasion. The interesting fact about Gladiator's powers is that they are all based in his self-confidence. If he believes that he can do something, then he can do it. His biggest weakness, then, is self-doubt. Gladiator is also Oracle's current paramour. While on a mission to protect Earth after the loss of the heroes to Onslaught, Gladiator was torn between following his Empress's orders and returning to the Imperium to aid in the fight against the Phalanx. Realizing that he must obey Lilandra above all else, Gladiator sought out the X-Men and after a tussle with Cannonball (who managed to subdue Gladiator by absorbing his strongest blow into his kinetic field, causing Gladiator a moment of doubt, during which the young mutant rechannelled all of the energy into a punch) had the rest of the mutants who had arrived to help teleported to the Shi'ar Empire, where they defeated the Phalanx. Gladiator and the Guard have since returned to service in the Empire.
Months later, under orders from Lilandra, who in turn was influenced by Cassandra Nova in Xavier's body, Gladiator led a team of Imperial Superguardians to Earth to destroy Xavier's School. They were stopped when Cassandra Nova arrived and telepathically subdued them herself. When Cassandra was trapped inside the Superguardian Stuff by the Stepford Cuckoos, Gladiator returned to serve the Shi'ar and rebuild the empire.
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