BIOGRAPHY - Page 5
Tamara Devoux was a waitress and single mother when a rainy night sent her car off the side of the road. She was severely injured and lapsed into a coma for the next ten years. The Uni-Power, in its aspect as the Mother-Maker, the Universe itself, chose Tamara to become the new Captain Universe because she was broken, and the universe was broken too. Through the Incursion crisis, 
the multiverse was collapsing (one to two universes at a time) and hastening the inevitable end of all things. Because Earth was the lynchpin to the Incursions, the Uni-Power manifested there and made itself available to the world’s Avengers. Captain America and Iron Man had been in the process of building a bigger “Avengers Machine,” so they welcomed her presence. However, because of her trauma, Tamara was still amnesiac and largely unaware of her power when the Uni-Power was inactive. Meanwhile, the Universe was too broken to make itself fully understood to others when it manifested through Tamara.
The Avengers Machine faced its first crisis when a Builders’ System known as the Garden arrived on Mars and began terraforming it. The Garden was comprised of an Ex Nihilo, who favored life and change, an Aleph intent on world-razing, and an amoral and objective Abyss who would break 
the tie and decide the fate of a world. They used Mars as a staging ground to launch seven Origin Bombs at Earth, reordering the surface of the planet as they tested it for survival. The Avengers’ first wave was captured, and so Captain America led Captain Universe as part of the second wave to save their teammates. Tamara was confused at first as conflict broke out, but once she/they identified the System, Captain Universe manifested in a form the Garden would recognize.
Captain Universe denounced the Builders’ mission for the Garden, claiming her children and their creators were broken and insufficient in their methods. Her authority was enough to sway Abyss, 
and Ex Nihilo eagerly embraced the idea of change, even for himself. The Aleph would not budge, however. The living machine’s function was to destroy worlds, or yield to the Garden’s decision not to. It had marked Earth for razing and would not be swayed. The Aleph attempted to destroy its creator’s creator and Captain Universe saw no other choice. Unaffected by the attack, the Uni-Power reached out and, with a touch, deconstructed the Aleph and scattered its ashes across the surface of Mars. [Avengers (5th series) #1-3]
As the Avengers worked to understand the Enigma Force’s presence among them, they turned to their newer member, Shang-Chi. Shang chose an alternate route of focusing on Tamara’s importance, rather than the Uni-Power’s. Through guided meditation, he reached out to Tamara 
and encouraged her memories to return. He helped Tamara remember her daughter, Ella, and confront how long she had been in a coma. By connecting with Tamara, Shang-Chi also helped the Universe express its reasons for being there. Earth was the axis around which the fate of the universe was to be decided, and so Earth was where the Universe needed to be present and sentient. And the host was broken, because the Universe was broken. All of existence was coming to an end. [Avengers (5th series) #6]
With the defeat of the Garden, the Avengers brought back to Earth an advanced human specimen named Adam who was created by Ex Nihilo. He could only speak in Builder machine code at first, which Captain Universe helped to translate for Tony Stark. As they spoke, however, Adam was affected by the last White Event, transformed via a glyph into a herald of change known as a Nightmask. After the Garden, the Builders created a new System within the Superflow, which 
existed outside of space and time. From there, they occasionally triggered a White Event on different worlds to institute a paradigm shift and promote further evolution. The collapse of the multiverse devastated the Superflow and triggered emergency White Events from all remaining Stations. As Captain Universe and Nightmask explained, the broken Universe combined with multiple Builder Systems working in unison but in opposition to each other meant this was not a normal White Event.
The Avengers tracked the second glyph holder, a Starbrand, to a small college destroyed by his empowerment. Captain Universe became less helpful as they met Kevin Connor, the new Starbrand and sole survivor of his school. Over 3,000 people died when Kevin became the weapon for a planetary defense system, and the Universe did not break the news to him gently.
Apparently foreseeing the future, she was also provocative with Nightmask, telling him the affair would only end with him “in a box.” The Starbrand panicked and lashed out, and the Nightmask teleported them away to the Superflow as the Avengers lost control of the situation. Tamara resurfaced for a time, with no further knowledge of Captain Universe’s motivations or intentions. After visiting Ex Nihilo on Mars, Starbrand and Nightmask returned to Earth and discovered Adam’s “father” had intended to make Earth itself Self-Aware with his Origin Bombs. This was the second System at odds with their Designations given by the White Event. The nascent mind of the living world was destroyed by Starbrand in Croatia and, after another brief conflict with the Avengers, it was decided they were too dangerous to remain on Earth. Captain America and Iron Man sent Starbrand and Nightmask to an outpost Stark was building near the Sun until they were better trained. [Avengers (5th series) #6-9]
Captain Universe and the Avengers continued working amidst the Origin Bombs and their lasting consequences. A tribe of Zebra People children from the Savage Land developed Self-Sustenance, needing no food, water, air or sleep to survive. Thor and Hyperion organized the Avengers in ensuring the Zebra Children still felt like a part of the ecosystem, as beings that felt a need to contribute and provide for their fellow beings. The Universe spoke to them as well and supported this calling. When the children were kidnapped by the High Evolutionary for exploitation, Captain Universe reached out to Garokk, living soul of the Savage Land, to aid the Avengers in finding them. [Avengers (5th series) #12-13]
Troubles continued with the Origin Bomb sites on Earth after the Self-Awareness was destroyed. The giant workers at the Self-Repair site in India declared the world terminal, leading the Communication site in Perth, to transmit a signal. This “signal” drained the electrical energy of the entire planet once every six minutes as it cycled, causing chaos and confusion around the globe. The Avengers were busy putting out fires (sometimes literally) as satellites fell from the sky, 
planes begin crashing and nuclear reactors approached meltdown. Captain Universe made herself available to the team in South Korea, containing the fallout from a reactor in meltdown before others were harmed. Her damaged method of communication also gave the Avengers the clue they needed to focus on the Origin Bombs site for the source of the problem. [Avengers (5th series) #14]
The giants of India teleported to the insect hive signaling in Perth, giving the Avengers a workout as they tried to stop the communication pulse from cycling. They destroyed the antenna and its protectors, but a signal did leave Earth and was received by the Builders. Matters were escalating outside the Avengers’ sphere, and Captain Universe arrived in Perth to appropriate the team’s 
transport specialist, Manifold. The Universe brought Eden Fesi to Galador and showed him the threat of her children, the Builders’ armada. A single Aleph’s function was world-razing – an army of the Builder’s creations could obliterate every civilization, everywhere. Captain Universe remained on Galador, but she sent Manifold home with a message for the Avengers… “they have to get bigger.” Captain America and Iron Man took her meaning and, with the Universe’s recommendation, added Abyss, Ex Nihilo, Starbrand, and Nightmask to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. [Avengers (5th series) #15-17]
Captain Universe remained on Galador to witness her children’s atrocity. The Builders unleashed a World-Killer ship that atomized the planet before moving on. The Universe transported back to Earth but fell into a coma when she returned. Still, Manifold’s message and alerts from the Galactic Council rallied the Avengers to fly out into space and meet the Builders’ armada firsthand. After the Battle of the Corridor, several Avengers and Captain Universe’s stasis pod were captured by the enemy. The Builders were shocked to see the Mother and several of their Systems among the defenders of Earth. They had recalled and conscripted Ex Nihilii and Alephs as their armies, with one Ex Nihila in particular as their steward.
The Avengers fought back, reclaiming their allies and using Starbrand to destroy this portion of the Builders’ fleet with their own System. The Ex Nihila acted as envoy to the Avengers’ Ex Nihilo and Abyss, offering the Nihilii’s services to the forces of life once more. Together, the Garden 
combined their power to foster a miracle, and bring Captain Universe back to consciousness. The Universe met her children personally to showcase her displeasure. The Builders knew of the Incursions and wished to destroy the Earth as triage to save everything. Captain Universe would not let them and, when they refused to yield, she annihilated her unruly children and ended the costly Builders War in an afternoon. [Infinity crossover]
The ongoing deterioration of the multiverse seemed to limit Captain Universe’s effectiveness after that. Although she celebrated the end of the Builders War with the Avengers and remained officially on the roster, the Universe appeared less often among their active membership. [Avengers (5th series) #24] She did appear to aid Manifold after his abilities began to falter. Like her, Eden Fesi’s ability to move through space was being disrupted by the collapse of space itself and he needed help to reorient. Although the Incursions weren’t public knowledge yet, Captain Universe brought Manifold to a neighboring Earth in the midst of one without explanation. Outside 
of their home universe, both Eden Fesi and Tamara Devoux had no access to their abilities, and so they both were somewhat surprised by the Universe’s actions. Tamara helped Eden survive in the chaos of the Incursion, until he managed to look up in the sky and see their Earth edging closer due to the dimensional overlay. Viewing his own space from outside of space helped Eden recalibrate his power, and Manifold teleported them both back to their home dimension. [Avengers World #5]
Captain Universe made a few more appearances at group events, but it was clear the power of the Universe was dwindling as the multiverse died away. [Avengers World #14, Captain America (7th series) #25] Iron Man followed up on the Avengers’ initial research and managed to locate Tamara’s missing daughter. As the Uni-Power seemed depleted, Tamara retired from the Avengers and reunited with Ella, living happily as a waitress in Texas. Her memory problems persisted, leaving her functional but largely oblivious of her time as an Avenger.
Captain America and the Illuminati had a falling out over the Incursions, ending with them erasing his memories when he refused to consider ending worlds to save theirs. Still, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark later met at Tamara’s Burger Shack to break bread. Tony used his efforts on Tamara’s behalf as an olive branch to help convince Steve he still saw people as people, not as statistics and acceptable losses. When he started to promise Steve there was still a way out of this crisis, though, the Universe chose to manifest one last time to rebuke him. Tamara became Captain 
Universe and lashed out at Stark for failing to build an Avengers machine to save them all. She denounced Iron Man as a liar and made sure Captain America knew Stark had known this was their fate all along. The great futurist had recognized that a systemic problem affecting an infinite multiverse meant that, if no one had solved the problem, it meant no one could. This was the final wedge between Rogers and Stark, and then… Everything Dies. [Avengers (5th series) #44]
And then… Everything Lives. The Eighth Cosmos was not a reboot, but a continuation of the 
Seventh Cosmos. In many ways, the Enigma Force carried on just as before, moving from host to host in times of crisis to ensure a better outcome. The Uni-Power can make some strange decisions in the moment, such as when it empowered Deadpool as a champion of life. As Captain Universe, Deadpool battled Thanos outside of reality on behalf of Eternity to preserve the regular course of existence. [Deadpool vs. Thanos #4]
Eons ago, Knull’s symbiote children turned against him and contained their god within a planetary mass of symbiote matter called Klyntar. In modern times, Knull awakened and escaped Klyntar to seek out the living codex represented by Dylan Brock of Earth. Knull’s invasion brought powerful symbiote dragons from the abyss and blocked out the sun in a new Klyntar cage encasing the Earth. The heroes of Earth fought back and the Enigma Force revealed itself to 
confront its ancient enemy. The Silver Surfer helped the Uni-Power pass through the symbiote cage and empower Venom’s host Eddie Brock as its champion. With the Uni-Power and the Symbiote Codex in his grasp, Venom showed startling strength. He even summoned Mjolnir and the Silver Surfer’s board, forging them into a wicked battle axe to finally kill Knull and claim the role of King in Black for himself. The Uni-Power departed its host, having fulfilled its mission against its opposing force in the cosmos. [King in Black crossover]
In summary, who is Captain Universe? Captain Universe is the shared name and costumed identity granted to hosts of the Uni-Power. The Uni-Power is a single aspect of the broader Enigma Force. The Enigma Force emanates from the White Hot Room, making it kin to the Phoenix Force and the Tiger God, among other cosmic forces. As the Light of the Creation, the Enigma Force was employed by the Celestials to bring life into the Seventh Cosmos, and possibly earlier incarnations of the universe as well. The Enigma Force is an energy source utilized by the Beyonders (the Ivory Kings), who are themselves creations of the Celestials dating back to the Second Cosmos. It powers their Concordance Engines and may be the origin of their own quasi-omnipotence.
The Enigma Force is sometimes worshipped as the Universe itself, the Goddess, the Mother Maker, for its role in the creation of all things. This particular aspect can manifest through the Uni-Power and its hosts as an independent sentience. If Eternity is the representation of the universe, the Uni-Power is the representation of life entering the universe. The Avengers’ version of Captain Universe felt and was affected by the ongoing destruction of the multiverse, just as one might expect Eternity to react. The Enigma Force is a direct parallel to Venom and the Kings in Black. The King in Black operates within the multiverse, creating organic symbiotes to empower multiple hosts. The Enigma Force represents the Ivory Kings who observe the multiverse from Beyond and empower a single host with an energy symbiote.