Noh-Varr is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist J.G. Jones, the character first appeared in Marvel Boy #1 (August 2000). He later appeared in the Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways and the New Avengers: Illuminati limited series. After his appearance in Secret Invasion, he joined the Dark Avengers. He was a member of the main Avengers team. He was a part of the Young Avengers, West Coast Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy. The character has also been known as Marvel Boy, Captain Marvel, and Protector at various points in his history.
Noh-Varr has been described as one of Marvel's most notable and powerful male heroes, being labeled as a queer sex symbol.
Publication history
Marvel Boy was a six-issue limited series published from August 2000 to March 2001, as part of the experimental Marvel Knights line. The series was written by Grant Morrison, illustrated by J.G. Jones (with Sean Parsons) and colored by Matt Milla of Avalon Studios. In a 2000 interview, Morrison described their stylistic intentions for the book:
Following his own mini, he was featured in Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways and the New Avengers: Illuminati. He took a big part in the finale of the Secret Invasion, which leads into his new role as Captain Marvel in the Dark Avengers title. The writer Brian Michael Bendis has said "what he represents is Norman can put an alien on the team, whose [sic] one of the Anti-Skrulls. It's like, 'You hate Skrulls? Well this guy kills Skrulls for a living! He came to our planet to kill Skrulls!'." He appeared as a regular character in the Dark Avengers series from issue #1-6.
In the Dark Avengers Annual, Noh-Varr changed his codename to the Protector. As Protector, he appeared as a regular character in the 2010-2013 Avengers series, from issue #2 (August 2010) through his dismissal from the team in issue #27 (August 2012) during the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline.
Noh-Varr appeared as Marvel Boy in the 2013 Young Avengers series by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie where he begins to date Kate Bishop and reveals that, like the majority of the team, he is "not completely straight".
Marvel Boy starred alongside the Inhumans in 2017's Royals written by Al Ewing and drawn by Jonboy Meyers.
In 2019, he returned in the third volume of the West Coast Avengers, he met the team while he was masquerading as Graviton, who was a member of the Masters of Evil, he would aid the team and eventually join them in the last story-arc. It was written by Kelly Thompson It was during this run that it was confirmed Noh-Varr is bisexual, since he started dating Kate Bishop's former boyfriend and teammate, Fuse.
In 2020, Marvel Boy was featured as a member of a new Guardians of the Galaxy team alongside Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Moondragon, Phyla-Vell, Hercules and Nova.
Fictional character biography
Noh-Varr serves as an ensign aboard the 18th Kree Diplomatic Gestalt interstellar schooner the Marvel, which traverses millions of alternate dimensions on its way home. The ship is drawn toward the Marvel Universe and shot down by the forces of Doctor Midas, a multi-trillionaire obsessed with gaining powers through the absorption of cosmic rays. Midas blasts the Marvel out of the sky in an attempt to acquire the ship's cosmic ray-powered engines. His friends and comrades killed, Noh-Varr emerges as the only survivor.
Noh-Varr then encounters the sentient corporation known as Hexus. Accidentally released from a containment cell when the Marvel crashed, Hexus begins to take over world-wide commerce in an attempt to subjugate the human population and ultimately control Earth. Noh-Varr invades the control center of Hexus and ultimately destroys the "social parasite" by releasing all of its trade secrets to its competitors.
Noh-Varr finds himself pursued by Doctor Midas and his minions, and upon striking an alliance with Midas' daughter Oubliette, Noh-Varr defeats the megalomaniac. After the battle, agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. capture Noh-Varr and incarcerate him in a seemingly inescapable prison known as the Cube. While in custody, Noh-Varr declares war on Earth and the human race.