[4] Captain Universe hosts have appeared in either special one-shots or short stories throughout the years, initially in the first series of the Micronauts in 1979.
The series' editor Al Milgrom recalled being taken away by the concept of a Captain Universe serial: "You could come up with three issues, three disparate individuals — each one very different from the other — and see how they use their powers.
In 1994, Captain Universe appeared in a one-shot, coinciding with a promotion, with the claim that readers could have a comic about themselves made for a fee.
The comics were generally stock stories, with minor details altered based on information provided by the purchaser.
[6] In 2005, after a four-year break from comic appearances, Captain Universe returned in the second series of Amazing Fantasy.
The Uni-Power is an extra-dimensional force that possesses an individual (or on one occasion, twins) in a time of crisis, transforming that person into Captain Universe.
Because of its never-ending supply of energy it has been the target of many individuals, terrorist groups and peacekeeping agencies such as AIM, the Psycho-Man, Doctor Doom and even S.H.I.E.L.D.
The latently cosmic-powered Spider-Man battled the Trapster, Titania, Magneto, Brothers Grimm, Goliath, Hulk, TESS-One, Dragon Man, and the Tri-Sentinel itself.
Using the copied powers of each hero, it took paraplegic war veteran Gabriel Vargas as its host to face the one responsible for its weakening.
For months, he was studied by the Kree who, despite their highly advanced technology, could not learn much about the Uni-Power other than that the suit given to all users is actually a molecular shell and not spandex as was previously believed.
[22] Spider-Man learns that Captain Universe is a man named William Nguyen, whose life had been ruined in one of Juggernaut's rampages.
The Juggernaut as Captain Universe repairs the damage to the tectonic plates that was caused by him during the same rampage that had ruined Nguyen's life.
While trapped in the Whirldemons' prison dimension, a connection is explicitly made between a starry apparition that enabled Laura to throw off the influence of a demon attempting to coerce her into serving it,[25] when the star-shaped mark left on Laura's palm after that encounter is recognized by the Whirldemon King as associated with the Enigma Force.
[26] An African-American woman acting as the newest Captain Universe joins the Avengers[27] in the fight against Ex Nihilo, his sister Abyss, and a Builder named Aleph on Mars.
[30] During the "King in Black" storyline, the Enigma Force is revealed by Jean Grey to be the "God of Light" of the Marvel Universe, with properties similar to those of symbiotes and counterpart of the malevolent, darkness-based deity Knull.
Silver Surfer arrives to where the Enigma Force is and frees it from the symbiotes, leading to it choosing Eddie Brock as the new Captain Universe.
Jasmine Shanelle of The Mary Sue included Captain Universe in their "6 of Marvel’s Most Powerful Women Who Have Yet to Hit the Big Screen" list.
[47] Marc Buxton of Den of Geek ranked Captain Universe 11th in their "Guardians of the Galaxy 3: 50 Marvel Characters We Want to See" list.
[51] After finally freeing himself of a circular orbit in an imploding dimension, the superhero known as Quasar returned to the site of a major battle between himself, Doctor Strange, The Thing, Thor, and the evil Elder God Set.
After merging the Uni-Power with his own Quantum Band, Quasar took Doctor Strange's Eye of Agamotto and left the imploding dimension.
[54] During the Abraxas Saga,[55][56] a team of Avengers-esque super heroes called the Law Enforcement Squad appeared in Earth-616.
Joining this strange version of the behemoth were the World War II-era heroes Red Raven, Bucky, Namora and The Whizzer (Bob Frank).
Other members included a heroic version of the Spider-Man villain The Rose, Doctor Druid, Living Lightning, the Shroud and a male Captain Universe.
[volume & issue needed] The true identity of this Captain Universe was never revealed but the host had more than likely had the Uni-Power for several years.
Captain Universe reveals to Druid that Reed is telling the truth, but before he can convince the others to stop fighting, he is struck down by Nova.
Reed and Druid travel into a portal left by Captain Universe's "death" only to find him alive and well within the body of Earth-616's Eternity.
Afterwards Captain Universe vanishes without a trace while Reed and Druid return to their respective realities after a confrontation with Abraxas, the antithesis of Eternity and Galactus.