Ursa Major (character)

Ursa Major first appeared in The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #258 (April 1981), and was created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Sal Buscema.

Born in Blagoveshchensk, Mikhail Ursus is one of the first known Soviet mutants to survive past childhood, due to the government killing mutants when their powers first manifested. This is because he was abandoned at a young age and grew up in the forest.

Ursus was among the first mutants trained by scientist Piotr Phobos, who convinced the government of the value of superhumans serving the state. Unknown to either side, Phobos had built a device to siphon the energy from his students and empower himself. The process tended to kill the subjects after a time, and Phobos explained their deaths as training casualties.

Ursus, Darkstar and Vanguard, Phobos' best-trained students, became founding members of the Soviet Super-Soldiers, a team of government agents. After discovering Phobos' plan to spread radiation across the Soviet Union to create more mutants whose powers he could eventually siphon, the Super-Soldiers turn against him and bring him before the government to stand trial.^[1]

Although the Super-Soldiers resolved to remain together as a team, they vowed to never again unquestioningly serve the state.^{[volume & issue needed]} They have subsequently undertaken one government mission,^{[volume & issue needed]} but generally act independently. They were based in a scientific fortress in the region of Khystym.

Ursa Major later battled the Red Ghost alongside the Soviet Super-Soldiers.^[2] With the Soviet Super-Soldiers, he was dispatched to capture Magneto, and battled the X-Men and the Avengers.^[3] With Vanguard and Darkstar, Ursa Major later attempted to defect to the United States, but they were beaten comatose by the Supreme Soviets.^[4]

Later, Ursa Major followed Vanguard into the employ of General Tskarov, a communist sympathizer who wanted to undermine American business along the East coast. They only agreed, however, in order to find the missing Darkstar, who (as Ursa later discovered) was in fact being experimented on in Tskarov's own laboratory. Ursa, Darkstar, and Vanguard then joined the Black Widow and Daredevil in defeating Tskarov.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Ursa Major is one of the few mutants in the world to retain their powers after Decimation.^{[volume & issue needed]} Ursa Major returns as part of the Winter Guard, helping them and War Machine fight off a Skrull attempt to steal Russian nuclear bombs. Despite orders to the contrary, the entire Guard assists War Machine in killing or driving off the invaders.^[5]

The Winter Guard would soon fight a group of superhuman Soviet revolutionaries called Remont Six. This group is led by Iron Maiden and they come into conflict with the Guard when they raid an A.I.M. facility. Ursa Major would fight the Snow Leopards and Volga. The Winter Guard prevail and defeat the Remont Six.^[6] Later, Ursa and the rest of the Winter Guard team up with the Agents of Atlas to battle Warlord Krang.^[7] After teaming up with the Protectorate (including former Winter Guard members Powersurge and Vanguard), Ursa and the rest of the Winter Guard battle the Presence and former Winter Guard member turned Dire Wraith Fantasma and their Dire Wraith children.^[8]

He was later seen in a Russian gulag, forced to battle Bucky Barnes, who had been surrendered to the Russian government for alleged crimes as the Winter Soldier, convicted in absentia. When asked by the prison warden why Ursa Major had been incarcerated, Colonel Rostov replied "it's not too difficult to find treason or corruption charges on any government agent."^{[volume & issue needed]}

In "Secret Empire", Ursa Major appears as a member of the Black Widow Ops Program, which cloned Black Widow following her death at the hands of Captain America's Hydra Supreme counterpart. He bribed Epsilon Red to let him add her current memories while secretly disposing of the bad programming.^[9]

At some point, Ursa Major was incarcerated in a gulag. He was approached by a Russian official who states that they are bringing the Winter Guard back together while presenting a pardon as a condition of him joining. Ursa Major accepted under the condition that they can expunge his criminal record as well.^[10] Ursa Major later represented the Russian government when he attended Black Panther's meeting in the Eden Room of Avengers Mountain. He started to get aggressive towards Black Panther. This caused Black Panther to have Avengers Mountain's teleportation system send Ursa Major to Siberia. Afterwards, Black Panther apologized and commented to the other representatives that he hoped that the Russian government would send Crimson Dynamo and that they sent Ursa Major on purpose. Black Panther concluded that they will not be getting any allies from Russia.^[11]

During "The War of the Realms" storyline, Ursa Major is seen talking to Gorilla-Man in the Wundagore Zoo in Transia, discussing about an undercover operation he is running for Black Panther, until Ka-Zar arrives to pick up Gorilla-Man and take him to Avengers Mountain.^[12]

Ursa Major has the mutant ability to transform into a large anthropomorphic bear. While in this form, Ursa Major retains his human intelligence and ability to speak, though his personality does become more feral and he begins to lose control over his human intelligence if he remains in his transformed state for several hours consecutively. Ursa Major was trained by the Soviet Military, and trained in the use of his powers by Professor Phobos, being a graduate of Professor Phobos's mutant training school.

While transformed, Ursa Major possesses superhuman strength, stamina and resistance to physical injury to a much greater degree than an actual bear of similar size possesses. His strength is sufficient to allow him to engage in a one-on-one battle with The Hulk and survive. His senses are also heightened to a superhuman degree, particularly his sense of smell, which he can use to track a target by scent. Also, like a real bear, Ursa Major possesses non-retractable claws. These claws are relatively blunt, as they are with an actual bear, but can be used as effective weapons when coupled with his great strength.

An alternate universe variant of Ursa Major from Earth-58163 appears in Civil War: House of M #2.^[13]

A zombified alternate universe variant of Ursa Major from Earth-2149 appears in Marvel Zombies.^[14]

• Ursa Major makes a non-speaking appearance in the Avengers Assemble episode "Secret Avengers" as a member of the Winter Guard.^[15]
• Ursa Major appears in Marvel Future Avengers, voiced by Kenji Nomura in Japanese and JB Blanc in English.^[16] This version is a member of the Winter Guard.

Ursa Major appears in Black Widow, portrayed by Olivier Richters. This version is an inmate of the Seventh Circle prison alongside Alexei Shostakov.^[17][18]

Ursa Major makes a cameo appearance in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 as a member of the Soviet Super-Soldiers.^[19]

• Ursa Major at Marvel.com
• Ursa Major at Marvel Wiki