Origin

Korath-Thak was an amazing cybergenetics and one of the architects behind the Kree's Pursuer project. The project created an energy template that would use whatever matter it touched to transform into an entity capable of pursuing and capturing its targets. After a few years of work, the ruling administration shut the Pursuer project down after judging that funds could be better spent elsewhere. A bitter Korath chose to turn a Pursuer energy template onto himself and transformed himself into a stronger version of himself, Korath the Pursuer. He would prove the worth of his research to those he judged as being too shortsighted to understand.

Creation

The Pursuer was originaly an energy template that was created by Doug Moench and Keith Pollard and first appeared in The Inhumans Vol.1 issue 11 (1977). In his first appearance, the energy template was formed with lobster DNA, making it one of the strangest villains in time (in fact, a human-like lobster). During the Operation: Galactic Storm crossover, Mark Gruenwald and Greg Capullo created Korath the Pursuer as one of the new characters to fill out the ranks of the Kree Starforce.

Major Story Arcs

Operation: Galactic Storm

In secret. Korath the Pursuer was summoned by the Supreme Intelligence along with other powerful Kree agents to form Starforce. Starforce was to be an elite military unit that would see the Supreme Intelligence's plans fulfilled and return him to power. As his first duty, Korath was dispatched to capture the fugitive Avengers on Kree-Lar. He was able to easily track them down and neutralize the two most powerful among them, Sersi and Crystal. However, he was then defeated by Captain America and failed in his objective to capture the Avengers.

After his defeat, he regrouped with his fellow members of Starforce as the team was sent after the Avengers once again. The Supreme Intelligence gave them false intelligence that the Avengers were in league with a Shi'ar assassin who intended to kill Ael-Dan and Dar-Benn, the supreme commanders of the Kree. Starforce succeeded in intercepting the Avengers, and Korath personally engaged the Black Knight in combat. The battle created a distraction that allowed Deathbird, the Shi'ar assassin, to breach security, and she killed both Ael-Dan and Dar-Benn. The Supreme Intelligence then retook leadership of the Kree, declaring that there would be retaliation against the Shi'ar.

Korath was sent with the rest of Starforce to the Shi'ar throneworld to assassinate Empress Lilandra. Once there, they took on the combined forces of the Avengers and Imperial Guard. Outmatched, the members of Starforce failed in their mission. Each of them fell to their opponents, and Korath was defeated by the Scarlet Witch and Astra. Now a prisoner of the Shi'ar, he was very nearly executed by Empress Lilandra. However, the exposure of a Skrull in the Shi'ar's midst caused her to rethink that and instead held him as a prisoner while releasing only Ultimus to deliver a message to the Supreme Intelligence.

Soon after, the Nega-Bomb devastated Kree space and the Shi'ar annexed all that remained. Korath was released to continue his service as a member of Starforce, but the team would now serve the Shi'ar and be led by Deathbird.

Annihilation

It was revealed that after the Supreme Intelligence rebuilt the Kree Empire those who served with the Shi'ar such as Starforce were branded defectors and exiled. Korath the Pursuer was included in this group and settled with them on a world called Godthab Omega. They were able to live in peace there for a short time until the arrival of Gamora. She gathered together a band of other dangerous and powerful females and set about conquering the planet. Korath and his fellow Kree put up a resistance that eventually came to be aided by Ronan the Accuser.

As Ronan fought Gamora, Korath received some of the first reports of the looming Annihilation Wave and that it was on the borders of Kree space. He informed Ronan of this and convinced the Accuser that whatever the ruling House Fiyero had done to them they could not turn their backs on the Kree. Unfortunately, everything was interrupted when the Annihilation Wave suddenly swarmed on Godthab Omega. Korath and Ronan rallied the exiled Kree, joined with Gamora's forces and left the planet to aid the Kree Empire against this new threat.

This led to Korath the Pursuer becoming a part of Nova's United Front against the Annihilation Wave.

Annihilation Conquest

Towards the end of the war with the Annihilation Wave, Korath had been dispatched to lead a covert search for the High Evolutionary. His search continued even after the war but was diverted to investigate a distress signal from a Kree colony. The colony had been wiped out by the Phalanx, now being led by Ultron. Korath and his soldiers encountered them and were assimilated. However, Ultron chose Korath as his first Select, allowing Korath to maintain some measure of individuality while still serving the collective. Korath then aided the Phalanx in their infiltration and conquest of Kree space.

Korath was sent out with his fellow Selects Xemnu and Shatterax to capture Adam Warlock and encountered resistance from Quasar and Moondragon. He personally fought the daughter of Mar-Vell but was defeated. The three then escaped from the Phalanx. Korath tracked their escape to a facility inside of a sun and reported all this back to Ultron. The intelligence report was appreciated, but Ultron executed Korath for his failure to capture Adam Warlock.

Powers and Abilities

Korath is physically stronger and more durable than Kree naturally are due to subjecting himself to the Pursuer energy template. He is also trained in Kree martial arts. The armor he wears allows him to fly and possesses technology that allows him to track sentients by scanning brain patterns for certain anomalies. His primary weapons are a pair of beta-batons capable of energy blasts and taser-like attacks proven to be strong enough to even stun an Eternal.

In Other Media

Film

• Academy Award-nominee Djimon Hounsou portrays Korath the Pursuer in the 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy film. Unlike his comic counterpart, Korath's skin is black rather than blue. In the film, Korath works as one of Ronan's top enforcers, and is killed by Drax during the final battle.
• Djimon Hounsou will reprise his role in the 2019 film Captain Marvel, which will be set in the 1990s, well before the events of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Television

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Korath appears in the show, voiced by Dave Fennoy. It is stated that he and Gamora were raised together by Thanos, who molded them to become his assassins.

Video Games

• Korath the Pursuer is a playable combatant in the fighting game Avengers in Galactic Storm.

Merchandise

• Hasbro released a two-pack with figures of Korath and Drax.