Unicorn (Earth-616)

The Unicorn is a Marvel Comics supervillain who is a longtime foe of Iron Man.

Origins
Milos Masaryk was born in Bratislava, Slovakia but educated in Russia. After graduating, he joined Department X, the Russian analogue for SHIELD. He was assigned a security position at Arsenal Tomska 44, a Siberian weapons research facility overseen by Professor Anton Vanko, the original Crimson Dynamo. Since Masaryk's size and strength enabled him to easily field test heavy equipment, Masaryk became Vanko's assistant as he developed military hardware capable of countering Western "threats" such as The Avengers Initiative. Masaryk eventually managed to cobble his own armor from equipement that Professor Vanko was not able to integrate into the Crimson Dynamo Mk I armor: A harness that enabled flight and generated force fields, and a helmet that fired an energy beam similar to Iron Man's Uni-Beam. Since the beam emitter resembled a unicorn's horn, Masaryk adopted the moniker Unicorn.

Initial Deployment
By the time Masaryk had completed his training as Unicorn, his superiors had seen the loss of two Crimson Dyanmos: Vanko had defected to the West after being defeated by Iron Man, and later sacrificed himself to save Iron Man from his would-be successor. Unicorn was subsequently deployed to the West to steal blueprints to Iron Man's technology, though Masryk was eager to avenge the death of his mentor. Unicorn travels to New York and attacks a Stark Industries munitions plant, attempting to draw Iron Man into a confrontation by taking Pepper Potts as a hostage. After a brief tussle, Iron Man rescues Pepper, but Unicorn follows Iron Man back to the plant and sets a bomb that would detonate unless the Armored Avenger returns to Russia with him as his prisoner. After Unicorn disarms the bomb, but once Iron Man is aboard his plane, he demolishes it and flies back to New York. Unaware of the Unicorn's own flight capabilities, Iron Man believes his foe had perished.

Freelancer
Rather than return to Russia and risk punishment for failure, Unicorn decided to remain in the West and use his powers for personal gain. He was one of many villains summoned by Doctor Doom to crash the wedding of Reed Richard and Susan Storm, but was eventually teleported away with no memory of the encounter. He later resurfaced as a mercenary, working as hired muscle for Count Nefaria for a time.

Upgrades
At some point, Unicorn was captured by Department X and deemed a traitor. After several months of brainwashing to reaffirm his loyalty to the State, he is made an expendable guinea pig for an untested machine called the "hyper activator." The project was designed to permanently confer a strength level seen in some humans during high adrenaline surges. Due to his already considerable strength and hardiness, Unicorn was able to survive the treatments, granting him superhuman strength and durability. He was given a sleeker costume, made from a "synthetic steel mesh." However, these enhancements inadvertently weakened his brainwashing, heightening his paranoia and megalomania. They also drastically shortened his life expectancy - a star that burns twice as bright only burns half as long. Unicorn destroyed the lab to ensure that Department X could not replace him as easily as they had Crimson Dynamo, then fled to one of his secret hideouts. After learning that several of the worlds greatest scientific minds were attending a summit in the Alps, Unicorn plotted to capture them and ransom them into finding a way to prolonging his life. He again found himself in conflict with Iron Man, who was providing security for the scientists. Having learned of Unicorn's condition, he urges his nemesis to surrender so he can work on a cure. Unicorn refuses, insisting that he will save himself on his own terms. After a fierce mountain battle, Unicorn falls off a cliff, but again escapes due to his new armor's upgraded flight capabilities.

Unicorn sought out the assistance of Red Ghost, a longtime adversary of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, in the hopes that he could cure his condition. Though permanently curing the cellular degradation was beyond his capabilities, Red Ghost provided Unicorn with a drug that would slow its effects, provided he took it on a regular basis, combined with psychiatric drugs that would make him more pliable. They launched several campaigns against Iron Man, but Unicorn grew frustrated as it become increasingly apparent that Red Ghost saw him as a mere henchman rather than a full-fledged accomplice. Once it became apparent the Red Ghost's "treatments" were actually placebos, the partnership officially dissolved.

Unicorn sought out the Mandarin in the hopes that he could succeed where Red Ghost could not, but by the time he made contact with the elusive mastermind, the cellular degradation had damaged his brain to the point where he was effectively a mindless zombie. The Mandarin used a mind control device to convert Unicorn into a robot-like enforcer he dubbed "the Eleventh Ring." The Mandarin deployed the "Eleventh Ring" against Iron Man in two battles, but the Unicorn's deteriorating brain meant control was unsustainable. The Mandarin discarded the dying Unicorn by dropping him into the South China Sea.

In Service To The Other
The Unicorn resurfaced in a new, sleeker ballistic mesh suit, under the guidance of a mysterious master he calls "The Other." Believing that the Other will cure him in exchange after performing enough criminal favors, Unicorn attacks the newly-minted Stark International Campus. Iron Man initially does not fare well against the Unicorn's upgraded powers and armor, but manages to knock the villain unconscious by hitting him with a truck. Taking the unconscious Unicorn to the Avengers Mansion, he has Hank Pym attempt to find a cure for the cellular degradation. A probe of the Unicorn's memories gives Iron Man the impression that "the Other" found Unicorn adrift at sea, upgraded his equipment, but could not halt the cellular degradation, and hence sent Unicorn in a kamikaze attack. But it gives no indication of who "the Other" is, aside from being a scientist of great skill. Some time later, Titanium Man attacks Times Square, and reveals that he is "the Other" hiding his true identity from his proxies so they could not identify him in the event of capture. Unicorn remained in suspended animation until Whiplash attacked Stark International, triggering a fire that enabled Unicorn to escape. By now completely insane, he attacks Iron Man again, resulting in a devastating battle that leaves both of their armors with considerable damage. Iron Man insists that "the Other" was just window dressing used by Titanium Man, who has since been deported back to Russia. But in his delirious state, Unicorn believes he must return to the Other and ventures into the water.

For a time, it was believed that the Unicorn had indeed truly perished. But some time later, Iron Man and Hellcat encounter him in the New York Public Library attempting to steal a Gutenberg Bible. Now in a younger, fitter body, the Unicorn reveals that "the Other" had NOT abandoned him. Iron Man and Hellcat knock him out, only for "the Other" to destroy the Gutenberg Bible with a lightning bolt. It is soon discovered that "the Other" is not Titanium Man, but Korvac. In the hospital getting treated for his injuries, Unicorn quickly escapes and joins his fellow Acolytes: Blizzard, Controller, and Guardsman as they proceed to carry out the next phase of Korvac's plans.

Powers and Abilities
Unicorn's armor includes a "power harness" that is capable of generating force-fields, and also grants him limited magnetic telekinesis over heavy metallic objects (similar to Magneto). The power beam fired by the helmet was conceived as a counter-reaction to the Uni-Beam fired from the chest piece of most of Iron Man's armors, but rivals the optic beams of the X-Man Cyclops. After being exposed to the Hyper-Activator, he was gifted with superhuman strength, capable of lifting 15 tons. These benefits are initially negated by cellular degradation, but Korvac restores him to perfect health.

Quotes
"Do you think I'd seriously leave you means to duplicate my powers? The Unicorn must remain unique!"

- Unicorn thwarting attempts by his superiors to replace him

"I've gotten everything out of you that I've wanted. And granted power like this, I've no intention of using it to serve the State... not when it can be used to serve myself!"

- Unicorn striking out on his own

"Now that I’ve made clear the vast spectrum of might available to the Unicorn… I hope there will be no foolish resistance while I state my demands to you… and the world!"

- Unicorn attempting to ransom scientists

Trivia

 * Milos is Greek for "apple." In Slovak, it is pronounced "Me-losh".
 * He is likely named for Thomas Masryk.