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The Living Tribunal is a cosmic entity appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. The character first appeared in '' Strange Tales'' #157 (June 1967) and was created by
Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...
, Marie Severin, and
Herb Trimpe Herbert William Trimpe (; May 26, 1939 – April 13, 2015) was an American comics artist and occasional writer, best known as the seminal 1970s artist on '' The Incredible Hulk'' and as the first artist to draw for publication the character Wol ...
.


Publication history

The Living Tribunal debuted in a storyline called "The Sands of Death" in '' Strange Tales'' #157–163 (June–December 1967), giving mystic hero
Doctor Strange Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...
a limited time to prove Earth is worth saving. Established as apparently the supreme power in the Marvel Universe, the character made several sporadic appearances over the years, including ''
What If What If may refer to: Film * ''What If'', a 2006 TV film starring Niall Buggy * What If... (2010 film), ''What If...'' (2010 film), an American film * What If... (2012 film), ''What If...'' (2012 film), a Greek film * What If (2013 film), ''What ...
'' #32 (April 1982); ''
Rom Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * ...
'' #41 (April 1983) and '' Secret Wars II'' #6 (December 1985). The Living Tribunal revealed clues as to its true purpose and nature in ''
Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...
'' (vol. 3) #31 (December 1989). After brief appearances in the role of observer in '' Guardians of the Galaxy'' #16 (September 1991) and ''
Quasar A quasar ( ) is an extremely Luminosity, luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN). It is sometimes known as a quasi-stellar object, abbreviated QSO. The emission from an AGN is powered by accretion onto a supermassive black hole with a mass rangi ...
'' #26 (Sept. 1991), the character had a significant role in the limited series '' Infinity Gauntlet'' #1–6 (July–December 1991), '' Warlock and the Infinity Watch'' #1 (February 1992), and ''
DC vs. Marvel ''DC vs. Marvel'' (issues #2–3 titled ''Marvel vs. DC'') is a comic book miniseries intercompany crossover published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from February to May 1996. Each company would publish two issues of the miniseries, thus the t ...
'' #1–4 (April–May 1996). The Living Tribunal's role was eventually expanded on in ''
She-Hulk She-Hulk (Jennifer Susan Walters) is a Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she First appearance, first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk ...
'' (vol. 2) #12 (November 2006). The Living Tribunal was featured in the 2003's Marvel: The End storyline. The character also made an appearance during the '' Time Runs Out'' storyline, and battled Beyonders.


Fictional character biography

The Living Tribunal is an entity that oversees and maintains balance in the realities that constitute the Marvel Comics
Multiverse The multiverse is the hypothetical set of all universes. Together, these universes are presumed to comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describ ...
, including the mainstream universe and all alternate universes. He serves as a judge of these realities. The character is first encountered by Doctor Strange, announcing its intent to destroy Earth due to its potential for evil. After a series of trials, Doctor Strange is able to convince the Living Tribunal that good also exists, and Earth is spared. The Tribunal reappears to the Galadorian spaceknight
Rom Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * ...
; appears briefly with the rest of the cosmic hierarchy when in discussion with the entity the Beyonder; and reveals to the former Herald of
Galactus Galactus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, he is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of the p ...
(the
Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...
) that its three faces represent "Equity" (hooded face), "Vengeance" (partially shrouded face), and "Necessity" (fully shrouded face).''Silver Surfer'' (vol. 3) #31 (December 1989) The fourth side of the Living Tribunal's head is a void, with the entity claiming that the cosmic entity the Stranger once existed as this part of its being. The character also witnesses the triumph of the hero
Quasar A quasar ( ) is an extremely Luminosity, luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN). It is sometimes known as a quasi-stellar object, abbreviated QSO. The emission from an AGN is powered by accretion onto a supermassive black hole with a mass rangi ...
—acting as the
avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...
of cosmic entity Infinity—over the villain Maelstrom, who acts for the entity Oblivion. During ''DC vs. Marvel'', the Tribunal teamed up with the Spectre to save their worlds from the two cosmic brothers' attempts to destroy one of the two multiverses. Their pact, with the help of Access, created the Amalgam multiverse by merging the two multiverses, to "buy some time". As the new Amalgam multiverse was unstable, the former multiverses are restored. The struggle of "The Brothers" continues until the efforts of
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
and
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
against them make them realize they both "Did Well", and the multiverses are spared. The Living Tribunal's power is virtually limitless, as the entity prevents the Infinity Gems from being used in unison, although it remains subservient to a single, even higher entity referred to as " One-Above-All" (not to be confused with the celestial also called the One Above All). The entity has representatives called ''The Magistrati'' who dispense judgments by request on alien worlds, and chose to reveal the previously unseen face of "Necessity" to
She-Hulk She-Hulk (Jennifer Susan Walters) is a Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she First appearance, first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk ...
as a reflection of her own face, stating that the face is a "Cosmic Mirror which reminds us to always judge others as we would have ourselves judged".
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
and the Watcher later find what appears to be the Living Tribunal's withered corpse on the moon, with no sign of who killed it. When
Yellowjacket Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genus, genera ''Vespula'' and ''Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of ...
ventured into the Multiverse during the ''Time Runs Out'' storyline, the cause of his death was discovered: the Living Tribunal had died fighting the Beyonders while attempting to halt the annihilation of the Marvel Multiverse.''New Avengers'' (vol. 3) #30 (April 2015) An alternative version of Adam Warlock later took up the Living Tribunal's vacant position, on orders from the One-Above-All (here called "Above-All-Others"). After the devourer of worlds Galactus evolves into a lifebringer, Lord Chaos and Master Order consider this to throw the cosmic hierarchy out of balance, and ask the new Living Tribunal to render judgment. However, when the Tribunal decides in favor of a "new balance for a new cosmos", Order and Chaos join forces to seemingly kill the entity. The Living Tribunal is later resurrected and seen taking Lord Chaos and Master Order to judgment after the defeat of the First Firmament.


Powers and abilities

Thanos Thanos () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Devia ...
wielding the Infinity Gauntlet ranked the Tribunal's power as the highest in Marvel's regular multiversal hierarchy. However, the Tribunal has also referred to a higher entity that vastly eclipses its own power, and was killed by the Beyonders. The Living Tribunal was the embodiment of the Marvel Multiverse, and the sum totality of all the abstract entities within it. Nonetheless, the Tribunal is not as powerful as the multiversal incarnation of
Eternity Eternity, in common parlance, is an Infinity, infinite amount of time that never ends or the quality, condition or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside tim ...
and was referred to as an internal function of the entity.


In other media

* Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the screenwriters of the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
(MCU) films '' Avengers: Infinity War'' and '' Avengers: Endgame'', revealed that the Living Tribunal was originally planned to have an appearance in the latter, in which they would have judged
Thanos Thanos () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Devia ...
for his crimes against the universe, including " The Blip". * The Living Tribunal makes a cameo appearance in the MCU film '' Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness''.


References


External links


Living Tribunal
at Marvel.com * {{Stan Lee Characters created by Herb Trimpe Characters created by Stan Lee Comics characters introduced in 1967 Fictional characters with dissociative identity disorder Fictional judges