A warrior agent of the Kree Empire, Korath the Pursuer is a cyber-geneticist who endows himself with superhuman strength. He uses his intellect, might and arsenal against Kree opponents and outworlders.
Transformation
When the Inhuman Royal family destroys a Kree space station, the Kree’s Supreme Science Council elects to use cyber-geneticist Korath-Thak’s Pursuer Project to eliminate the Inhumans. They create a solidified holographic template that tracks the Inhumans, then condenses it into a malleable energy-mass state for transmission to Earth’s New York City; but instead of encountering stone or metal first to absorb that material’s properties to enhance its strength, the template hits a cockroach and uses that material instead.
The hybrid Pursuer fights the Inhumans and immobilizes them until the Inhumans’ dissident Kree ally Falzon sprays an industrial strength pesticide in the Pursuer’s face, dropping it. It awakes in police custody and escapes, resuming its hunt for the Inhumans. Sometime later the Pursuer gets recalled from Earth by its creators, its ultimate fate unrevealed.
Korath-Thak spent the next few years making the Pursuer process more cost-effective to develop cyber-genetic warriors for the militia, but new Kree leaders, Generals Ael-Dan and Dar-Benn, decide that the project will not be viable quickly enough and terminate it. A bitter Korath-Thak receives reassignment and transfers to a munitions plant where he re-creates another template and bonds it to himself, thus becoming Korath the Pursuer.
Pursuer Template
The Pursuer template has greater strength (lifting 1 ton), reflexes, and durability than that of an average Kree, sensors to track anomalous genetic/energy patterns from miles away, and can recover from exposure to poisonous gasses. The template transforms on contact with any available organic and inorganic materials into parts of its body. It carries a scepter that rearranges matter to create tentacles and hands from asphalt and a brick building, transparent globes from air, and can fire energy blasts.
When the American cockroach (Periplaneta Americana) absorbs into the template, it can go 1 month without water, 2-3 months without food, and eat any organic substance it finds. It is unclear if the bug’s abilities carry over into Korath the Pursuer.
Korath’s strength, durability, and reflexes are also greater than the average Kree’s, presumably close to the template’s levels. He carries two “beta batons” that can stun or kill opponents either on contact or by firing energy blasts, and flies using jet boots. Korath had some combat training, but limited real combat experience. He is also a leading researcher in Kree genetics and cybernetic systems.
Outworlder Opponents
Korath battles the Avengers on a few occasions and faces the likes of Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America, and suffers defeat by Wanda Maximoff, AKA Scarlet Witch, and Astra.
During Korath’s time as part of The Phalanx, he goes up against Wendell Vaughn, AKA Quasar, Heather Douglas, AKA Moondragon, and Adam Warlock as well as the deadliest automaton, Ultron, but is ultimately killed by the sentient robot.
Starforce Colleagues
Korath-Thak’s Pursuer Project is used by the Kree’s Supreme Science Council to eliminate the Inhumans, but his project fails. He goes on to continue it and becomes Korath the Pursuer as a result.
The Kree’s Supreme Intelligence assembles the Kree Starforce team, employing his Supremore android, to help him rule again. Team members include Korath, Roco-Bai, AKA Shatterax, Ultimus, Minn-Erva, AKA Doctor Minerva, Att-Lass, AKA Captain Atlas, and later, Ronan the Accuser. Alongside Starforce, Korath faces the Avengers in battle. He and his teammates overwhelm them but later suffer defeat by another Avengers team.
Korath is assimilated into The Phalanx, who are allied to Ultron, and becomes a Phalanx Select though Ultron later turns on Korath when he fails in the capture of Adam Warlock.
Korath joins his people in the Kree-Shi’ar War and upon orders from the Supreme Intelligence, he and Starforce attempt to assassinate the Shi’ar leader Lilandra Neramani. After the Kree fall from a devastating attack secretly coordinated by the Supreme Intelligence, Korath joins the Shi’ar to help rebuild his race under Shi’ar rule.
A Cyber-Geneticist’s Chronicles
The Supreme Intelligence had Korath the Pursuer join his new Starforce on Kree homeworld Hala, where he attacked a group of Avengers before being defeated by Captain America. Recovering, Korath and Starforce again attacked the Avengers, overwhelming them.
However, both teams were powerless to stop the royal Shi’ar renegade Cal’Syee Neramani, AKA Deathbird, while she killed Ael-Dan and Dar-Benn. The Supreme Intelligence sent Starforce to kill Shi’ar Majestrix Lilandra in retaliation, but they were defeated by the Shi’ar Imperial Guard and a second Avengers team. When all sides learned their mutual enemies, the Skrulls, had tricked them into the war, Lilandra freed Starforce member Ultimus to inform the Supreme Intelligence of the plot and kept Korath and the others as collateral, but the Kree Empire fell before that plan succeeded.
Lilandra sentenced Starforce to serve as personal guard to the new Kree Viceroy, Deathbird. In that role, they chased off Quasar when he came to help rebuild the planet, and helped put down a prisoner revolt when outlaw Admiral Galen-Kor broke out of prison, and aided the alien Deviant Blackwulf (Lucian) against his father, Lord Tantalus.
When the Shi’ar occupation ended, Starforce, branded as defectors, was forced into exile. Korath eventually settled on the Kree fringe world Godthab Omega. When the exiled Ronan the Accuser made his way to the Kree colony, Korath gained his aid against assassin Gamora and her Graces, who were trying to take their land. While Ronan took the fight to Gamora, Korath learned of Negative Zone ruler Annihilus’ invasion. Korath convinced Ronan to abandon his battle against Gamora and help evacuate the planet from the advancing force.
After the Armistice ending the war was signed, Korath went on a covert mission to locate Herbert Wyndham, AKA High Evolutionary, who was secretly creating genetically perfect Kree for the Supreme Intelligence, but fell prey to the robot Ultron and his new Phalanx allies, a techno-organic race. Transformed into the first Phalanx Selects, Korath and his allies Shatterax and Xemnu failed to capture the just-awakened Adam Warlock. They reported this failure to Ultron, who slew Korath as an example.
