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

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.

The heroes hold off Maelstrom while Black Bolt intercepts and defuses a missile carrying the anti-Terrigen mist compound that is programmed to destroy Attilan.

Maelstrom then attempts to siphon the energies of the Eternals, but is thwarted by the superhero team the Avengers, and after commanding Deathurge to kill him yet again, transfers his consciousness to a new clone body.

The android Vision discovers a way to overload Maelstrom's power source and his body becomes discorporate and floats free from Earth.

This brings Maelstrom into conflict with the agent of the entity Eon, the cosmic hero Quasar, in the Outer Void (realm of Oblivion).

His soul is later collected by Doorman, who was recently chosen by Oblivion as its new angel of death, replacing Deathurge, who was captured by Mr.

[9] Maelstrom can absorb, channel, and otherwise project all forms of kinetic energy for his own purposes, such as strength enhancement, concussive blasts, force field generation, and size shifting.