• Source: Swarm (Marvel Comics)

Swarm (Fritz von Meyer) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character's entire body is composed of bees, and is mainly featured as an enemy of Spider-Man.




Publication history



Swarm first appeared in The Champions #14 (July 1977). He was created by Bill Mantlo and John Byrne.




Fictional character biography


Fritz von Meyer was born in Leipzig, Germany and became one of Adolf Hitler's top scientists specializing in toxicology and melittology. Escaping capture after World War II, he was a beekeeper or apiarist in South America and discovered a colony of mutated bees. Intrigued by their intelligence and passive nature, von Meyer attempted to enslave the queen bee but failed and the bees devoured him, leaving only his skeleton. The bees' unique qualities caused von Meyer's consciousness to be absorbed into them, allowing him to manipulate the hive to do his will while his skeletal remains are inside the swarm itself. His consciousness merged with the hive to the extent that they are one being, calling himself/themselves "Swarm".
Swarm battled the Champions. After being defeated, Swarm resurfaced to battle Spider-Man. In the first of many fights, Spider-Man prevailed against him when the web-slinger's costume was dosed in a new type of insecticide that hurt the bees if they got too close. Swarm lost his/their skeleton in this battle but returned to fight again (no longer having the skeleton but still possessing von Meyer's consciousness), first teaming with Kraven the Hunter against Iceman and Firestar, then against Spider-Man, but feedback from a weapon fired by the Rhino caused Swarm's bee body to disperse temporarily.
Swarm next appears when a Super-Collider from Rand Industries is activated and called his/their attention. Swarm decides mankind should be exterminated so insects can rule the world. Doctor Druid convinced Swarm that mankind will exterminate themselves and the age of insects can begin. Eventually, Swarm was tired of waiting and returned to New York, after a psychic wave generated by Onslaught disrupted the psychic field that bonded him and the bees together. He forced a group of scientists investigating energy fields to help him not only restore his original field, but expand it to grant him control of every bee on Earth. As New York City is invaded by bees, the Scarlet Spider tracked the bees to their destination and — taking advantage of the fact that the swarms' instinctive memory of Raid caused the bees to automatically flinch away from Spider-Man — infiltrated the building to contact the scientists. By claiming that the scientists' equipment is having trouble broadcasting a sufficiently powerful signal through the dome of bees, Scarlet Spider is able to trick Swarm into allowing a device's construction designed to negate the vibrational frequency that the bees create to allow themselves to fly, presenting it as a means of boosting the existing signal's power. With the bees now grounded, Scarlet Spider subsequently recovers the queen of Swarm's hive and leaves the authorities' care, reasoning Swarm will not be a future threat without her.
Now back with an internal skeleton, Swarm felt that the criminal organization Pride's fall allowed access to their former territory, specifically Los Angeles. However, they are defeated by the Los Angeles' protector Runaways when their bees' mental link is disrupted by electrical blasts.
Swarm regained control over his colony and joins the Chameleon's Exterminators to kill their shared enemy now that Peter Parker's true identity is revealed. Swarm attacks Mary Jane Watson but the latter sprays Swarm with water while a co-worker smashes Swarm's skeleton, but the bees reformed around the skeleton as Stark Industries' bodyguards take him/them away.
When Alyosha Kravinoff began collecting a zoo of animal-themed superhumans, Swarm is in one of the cages. He fought Gargoyle as the Punisher passes them and escaped.
Swarm next turns up in Denver, Colorado, having amassed enough bees to become giant-sized. The Thunderbolts face him/them unsuccessfully until Venom devours Swarm's bones. Norman Osborn speculated this is a minor inconvenience that shouldn't prevent Swarm's return.
Swarm next turns up in Buenos Aires, having his intelligence again. He fought the Mighty Avengers by creating 'avatars' made of bees. Hank Pym, Stature and Amadeus Cho place an inhibitor collar on the queen bees which caused Swarm's intelligence to somehow disperse.
He was briefly seen trying to launch an attack of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning only to be almost instantly thwarted by the X-Men's Krakoa, the Bamfs, and Doop.
Swarm later formed his own incarnation of the Sinister Six with 8-Ball, Delilah, Killer Shrike, Melter and Squid. They attack Spider-Man and the students of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. Swarm gets dispersed by Hellion which caused the other members to surrender.
Swarm later attacked New York but was defeated by Squirrel Girl and her ally Koi Boi covering him with water and turning bags full of his constituent bees in to the police.
Swarm later appeared as a member of the Hateful Hexad alongside Bearboarguy, Gibbon, Ox, Squid and White Rabbit. During the disastrous battle against Spider-Man and Deadpool, the battle is crashed by Itsy Bitsy.
Swarm relocates to Florida, where he encounters Macrothrax and his minions who are also sentient insect colonies in humanoid form, accidentally created by the invention behind him. He ends up joining forces with Ant-Man and taking a liking to the latter.




Powers and abilities


Fritz von Meyer is a composite being of thousand bees driven by his human intelligence. He is also technically intangible, as his body is an aggregate of tiny forms. As Swarm, he can fly through the air, assume any shape or size at will, and mentally influence other bees' actions (the full range may extend over a hundred yards in radius). At this end, Swarm seemed capable of controlling a mutant bee queen and, through her, countless drones. He even has exhibited a limited amount of super strength. As von Meyer, he possesses expertise in beekeeping, robotics, and toxicology.




Other versions






= Marvel Fairy Tales

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An alternate universe variant of Swarm from Earth-7082 appears in Spider-Man: Fairy Tales #2.




= Marvel Adventures

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An alternate universe variant of Swarm from Earth-20051 appears in Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #38.




= Ultimate Marvel

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An original incarnation of Swarm from Earth-1610 appears in the Ultimate Marvel universe. This version is Petra Laskov, a Syrian mutant who is also known as the Insect Queen and Red Wasp.




= Marvel Noir

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An original incarnation of Swarm from Earth-90214 appears in the Marvel Noir universe. This version is Madame Sturm, a female scientist whose powers are derived from a Spider-God totem.




In other media






= Television

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An original incarnation of Swarm appears in a self-titled episode of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, voiced by Al Fann. This version is a beehive irradiated by a fallen meteorite's energy, gaining sentience as well as the ability to increase other bees' size and mutate humans into insect hybrid drones. Swarm attempts to spread its hive mind throughout the universe until Spider-Man, Firestar, and Iceman intervene and launch the meteorite into space to reverse Swarm's effects.
An original incarnation of Swarm appears in Ultimate Spider-Man, voiced by Eric Bauza in his self-titled episode and Drake Bell in "Sandman Returns". This version is Michael Tan, a disgruntled employee of Stark Industries whose body is made of self-replicating nanobots.
Swarm appears in Marvel Super Hero Adventures, voiced by Ian James Corlett.
An original incarnation of Swarm, Jefferson Davis, appears in Spider-Man, voiced by Alex Désert. This version utilizes purple nanotech bees that grant him a solid form and have mind-controlling stingers.




= Video games

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Swarm appears as an unlockable playable character in Marvel Strike Force. This version is a member of the Sinister Six.
Swarm is mentioned in Marvel's Spider-Man by J. Jonah Jameson in an episode of his podcast.




= Miscellaneous

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Swarm appears in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, portrayed by Gerald Avery. This version was originally an Oscorp scientist before he was manipulated into becoming Swarm by the Green Goblin and joining the Sinister Six.
The Symbiotic Warfare Anthophila Restraining Model (S.W.A.R.M.) appears in Spider-Man: City at War.




Reception


In August 2009, TIME listed Swarm as one of the "Top 10 Oddest Marvel Characters".
Swarm was ranked #29 on a listing of Marvel Comics' monster characters in 2015.




References






External links


Swarm at The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
Swarm at Marvel.com

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