PRAETORIAN GUARD

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Last Updated: 
22nd August 2016

First Appearance: X-Men: Kingbreaker #2

All Team Appearances: X-Men: Kingbreaker #2-4, Nova (4th series) #24-28

Membership: Xenith, Zzxz, Pn’zo, “Godkiller”, unnamed Hodinn

Before

  • During the time of D’Ken’s rule an alien symbiote, similar to Venom’s, was captured for study on the emperor’s orders. After the emperor’s death the symbiote, Zzxz, was locked away.
  • The Uncreated race launched an attack on the Shi’ar, due to the hatred of all species that follow a religion. They were subsequently tricked into a mass suicide by the Starjammers. [Starjammers (1st series) #1-4] One Uncreated, nicknamed “Godkiller”, survived and was subsequently arrested by the Shi’ar.
  • Xenith became disillusioned with the Shi’ar, and her cousin Gladiator in particular, for an unknown reason, and was arrested for an unspecified crime.
  • Pn’zo was arrested robbing a Shi’ar bank.
  • These criminals, along with a mad Hodinn, were locked away in the underwater prison on Kr’kn.

Chronology

Vulcan, the new Shi’ar Emperor, was struggling with constant attacks by rebels, lead by Lilandra Neramani and her Starjammers.  Xenith, Zzxz, Pn’zo, “Godkiller” and the Hodinn were all visited in the Kr’kn prison by Vulcan and offered a place in his new elite Praetorian Guard to hunt down the Starjammers. They all accepted, though Godkiller killed several guards during the process.  [X-Men: Kingbreaker #2]

The symbiote Zzxz was supplied with a Shi’ar host and the group were released to hunt down the Starjammers. They promptly tracked the group to the neutral Clench worlds and attacked. The group fared well against the Starjammers, until the Hodinn went mad and unleashed his power, destroying the planet. The Starjammers and the Praetorians both managed to escape, however. [X-Men: Kingbreaker #2]

The Hodinn was collected from space by a Shi’ar vessel, on Vulcan’s orders. Meanwhile the Praetorians tracked the Starjammers to the Kr’kn prison, where they were trying to break out several of their members. The groups fought again and the Praetorians were joined by the Imperial Guard. Raza killed Zzxz’s host but the symbiote took over the Starjammer as his new host. Meanwhile, the Shi’ar delivered the Hodinn to orbit above Kr’kn. [X-Men: Kingbreaker #3]

The Hodinn battled Rachel Summers in space before falling to the surface into the prison. Havok absorbed the Hodinn’s star energy, rendering him powerless, and the Imperial Guard promptly killed the mad Hodinn for his crimes. Meanwhile Gladiator of the Imperial Guard was shocked to see Xenith out of prison and attacked his cousin on instinct, until Empress Deathbird stopped him. These distractions allowed the Starjammers to escape, except the possessed Raza, who was still under Zzxz’s control.  Vulcan declared the Praetorians would be his new frontline in the Shi’ar Empire’s great expansion. [X-Men: Kingbreaker #4]

In Between

  • War broke out between the Shi’ar and the Kree, who were lead by the Inhumans of Earth. The Praetorians served as Vulcan’s “wetworks” team, completing the dirty missions the Imperial Guard couldn’t do.

Chronology Continued

When the Nova Corps tried to stop the illegal invasion of Nil-Rast by the Shi’ar, hundreds of Nova were captured by Gladiator and his Imperial Guard.  Vulcan sent the Praetorians to take over the mission and Gladiator handed his prisoners over to Xenith and departed. As soon as the Guard left, the Praetorians executed all their prisonsers. [Nova (4th series) #24]

The Praetorians next went to Kree-Lar, capital of the Ceded Territories ruled by regents of the Negative Zone, where Xenith attempted to assassinate Lord Ravenous. She was interrupted by Nova corpsman Robbie Rider, who wanted to arrest her for murdering the Nova prisoners. He could do little against a Strontian, though, even with the power of the Nova Force. Rider pinned Xenith down with gravimetrics, hoping that backup would soon arrive. [Nova (4th series) #26]

Nova backup arrived but was blocked by Blastaar and his Negative Zone forces, who were allied with the Praetorians. While Blastaar agreed to allow the Novas time to search for their comrade, he also allowed the other Praetorians (Pn'zo, Godkiller and Zzxz) time to intercept them. The Novas and the Praetorians fought and the Novas systematically took them down. The Uncreated Godkiller was skewered on his own quills, Pn’zo shocked by his own tendrils and Zzzxx separated from its host Raza. Nova Prime, Richard Rider, arrived in time to save his brother and took down Xenith using the psionic dampeners in his helmet to interrupt her psionically-reinforced powers. 

All Praetorians were arrested for war crimes and placed in stasis within the Nova Corp’s base, which was within Ego the Living Planet at the time. [Nova (4th series) #27-28]

Afterwards

  • The war ended with the death of Vulcan, the Kree’s victory and Gladiator being named the new emperor of the Shi’ar. [War of Kings #6, War of Kings: Who Will Rule? #1]
  • When Ego began to regain consciousness the Novas transferred their prisoners to a new starship base.
  • The symbiote Zzxz was handed over to the Shi’ar and the Starjammer Raza, its former host, took it into the Fault, a massive tear in space time, to destroy it. Ultimately the symbiote was integral in saving the Starjammers and the Imperial Guard from a massive alien threat, serving as an unwilling distraction. [Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #1-5]
  • Other than Zzxz and the deceased Hodinn, the fate of the other Praetorians is unknown. Presumably they are still prisoners. Given Gladiator’s anger towards Xenith and distaste for their methods, it is unlikely he would permit the Praetorians to continue.

Members

Xenith

First Appearance: Star Masters #1
All Praetorian Guard Appearances: X-Men: Kingbreaker #2-4, Nova (4th series) #24,26-28

Notes: Xenith was the leader of the group.

Powers: Superhuman strength, speed, endurance, reflexes, and resistance to physical injury, create high-velocity arctic winds from her mouth, thermoscopic optical beams, x-ray vision, flight, all powers psionic-based and depend on her confidence

Pn’zo

First Appearance: X-Men: Kingbreaker #2
All Praetorian Guard Appearances: X-Men: Kingbreaker #2-4, Nova (4th series) #28

Notes: It is unknown whether Pn’zo is his name or the name of his species

Powers: Utilises electrical manipulation abilities to create energy blasts, electrical shocks, shields and teleportation. Possesses mechanical tendrils through which he channels electrical shocks.

Zzxz

First Appearance: X-Men: Kingbreaker #2
All Praetorian Guard Appearances: X-Men Kingbreaker #2-4, Nova (4th series) #28

Notes: Zzxz appears to be the same species of symbiote as the one bonded with Earth supervillain/hero Venom.

Powers: Symbiotic ooze-like entity capable of bonding with a physical host, controlling their body and enhancing their strength and abilities. Capable of creating tendrils by extending its own mass and crawling on walls.

“Godkiller”

First Appearance: X-Men: Kingbreaker #2
All Praetorian Guard Appearances: X-Men: Kingbreaker #2-4, Nova (4th series) #28

Notes: No specific name for the character is provided, though he is nicknamed “Godkiller” by Xenith.

Powers: Possesses thick armored skin, razor sharp talons and prominent spikes on his back and arms, which can be expelled from his body as projectiles. Exhibit above human strength, as well a low level telepathy.

The Hodinn

First Appearance: X-Men: Kingbreaker #2
All Praetorian Guard Appearances: X-Men: Kingbreaker #2-4, Nova (4th series)

Notes: This Hodinn is the same species as G-Type of the Imperial Guard. It was mentioned that all his species were wiped out due to how dangerous they were.

Powers: Exists as a being of living solar plasma with white-hot skin and a specialized armor that can direct his energies as fiery blasts or focused thermal beams. Capable of planetary destruction.