Triskelion (comics)

Triskelion
First appearance	Ultimates #2 (April, 2002)
Created by	Mark Millar Bryan Hitch
In-universe information
Locations	Washington D.C.
Characters	S.H.I.E.L.D.
Publisher	Marvel Comics

The Triskelion is a fictional headquarters used by S.H.I.E.L.D., an organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A feature of the Ultimate Marvel universe, the building first appeared in The Ultimates #3 (May 2002). ^[1]

Fictional history

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, the Triskelion is one of the first headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D., and base for the Ultimates. Originally designed by British architect Norman Foster, the facility was to have been mobile like the Helicarrier, but the cost proved prohibitive. The Triskelion was partially destroyed by the Liberators, whose super-soldiers scuttled the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier onto the facility, though the Scarlet Witch used her powers to save the building's first three floors and everyone within them. ^[2]

While under repair, the Triskelion's prison was breached by the Green Goblin, who gathered Doctor Octopus, Electro, Sandman, and Kraven the Hunter to form the Ultimate Six. ^[3]

During the Ultimatum storyline, the Triskelion was attacked by suicide-bomber duplicates of Multiple Man until Hank Pym sacrificed himself to stop the clones. Shortly after Ultimatum, the Triskelion was undergoing another stage of repairs and became the headquarters of the Ultimates' replacements, the Avengers.

During the Avengers' tenure, the Triskelion was attacked by vampires, a battle in which with the entire facility was teleported to a desert in Iran. After the Iranian government protested, S.H.I.E.L.D. temporarily moved their headquarters to Stark Industries. With help from the European Defense Initiative, S.H.I.E.L.D. was trying to find a way to return the Triskelion back to New York City.

This Triskelion was finally left to the new pro-American, Iranian government after powered rebels had taken down the former rulers, as the way to threaten Russia, China, and the Arabic nations authorities. ^[4]

A new Triskelion was built in New York, and in other countries, such as one in Bangkok in SEAR (South East Asian Republic, another newly established superhuman-run state). ^[5]

The Triskelion in New York City was destroyed when Hulk escaped custody along with Reed Richards, but was rebuilt into a flying fortress using technology from Richards' Aleph-One. ^{[6] [7]}

During the Secret Wars storyline, the Triskelion is destroyed when Hulk's Doc Green form used the Fastball Special with Colossus during the incursion between Earth-616 and Earth-1610. ^[8]

Other versions

The Marvel-616 version of the Triskelion debuted as part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel branding. Located off the coast of Manhattan, it has three wings radiating from a hub, each serving a different purpose. The first wing houses the ground crew for the Alpha Flight Space Program; the second, a Wakandan Embassy; the third, the headquarters of the Ultimates (unrelated to the team from Ultimate Marvel). ^[9]

The Triskelion is later revealed to host S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel, including a medical emergency team. ^[10]

In other media

Television

Live-action

• The Triskelion is featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. . After being mentioned by the show's characters The Triskelion appears frequently in the third "pod" of season four, Agents of Hydra, serving as the main headquarters of Hydra in a simulated reality called the Framework. An alternate timeline version from 1983 appears in the season seven episode "Brand New Day", during which it is destroyed by the Chronicoms. In the series finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., S.H.I.E.L.D. has rebuilt the Triskelion in 2020.

Animation

• The Triskelion appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series. Introduced in the third season episode "New Warriors", the base serves as the location of S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy off the coast of Manhattan. In the episode "S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy," Robert Frank appears as a teacher for the titular school while Captain America and Hawkeye act as guest instructors. In "Attack of the Synthezoids," Arnim Zola escapes from his imprisonment within the Triskelion and takes control of the Academy's personnel and students before destroying the base, though by "The Revenge of Arnim Zola," the Triskelion is rebuilt following Zola's defeat. The base is featured frequently in the fourth season as Spider-Man and his fellow superheroes continue their education at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy until they graduate while Agent Venom and Scarlet Spider are promoted to teachers in the series finale.
• The Triskelion appears in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode "Planet Monster" Pt. 1. The base served as the Leader and Ronan the Accuser's prison before the Supreme Intelligence sends Kree soldiers to free the latter. The Kree succeed in their mission, but are convinced by Leader to bring him along as well.

Films

• The Triskelion is featured in the animated films Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2 . Like in the comics, the building serves as the base of operations for the Avengers before it is invaded by the Chitauri.

The Triskelion as depicted in Captain America: The Winter Soldier

• The Triskelion is featured in films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
  • The Triskelion first appears in the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters in Washington D.C.'s Theodore Roosevelt Island, on Little Island at the foot of the Roosevelt Bridge. The base is taken over by Hydra during their uprising from within S.H.I.E.L.D. in order to use three weaponized Helicarriers to kill people they deemed threats. It is later destroyed by a disabled Helicarrier. The incident was cited by Thaddeus Ross as one of a series of high-profile incidents involving the Avengers that ultimately culminated with the passing of the Sokovia Accords, which would lead to the ideological schism that split the team in the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War . ^[11]
  • An incomplete, yet fully operational, past version of the Triskelion from 1989 appears in a flashback in the film Ant-Man (2015).
  • In Spider-Man: Homecoming , the eponymous character travels to Washington D.C. to prevent Adrian Toomes and his crew from stealing weapons from the Triskelion's wreckage. A deleted scene features Peter Parker and his classmates viewing the aforementioned wreckage from their school bus.

Video games

• In Ultimate Spider-Man , a number of posters depicting the Triskelion are seen announcing a movie called The Ultimates.
• In Ultimate Spider-Man: Total Mayhem the Triskelion is damaged by Roxxon operatives attempting to combine the Venom symbiote with the Oz serum, causing a breakout, though all of the escapees are recaptured by Spider-Man.
• In Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions , Ultimate Spider-Man fights Carnage at the Triskelion after the symbiote turns the Triskelion's inmates and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents into zombie-like creatures.
• The Triskelion appears in Marvel Avengers Academy .

References

1. Sanderson, Peter (2007). The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City. Gallery Books. p. 125. ISBN   9781416531418.
2. Ultimates Vol. 2 #9. Marvel Comics (New York).
3. Ultimate Six #1. Marvel Comics (New York).
4. Ultimate Avengers vs. New Ultimates #6. Marvel Comics (New York).
5. Ultimate Comics Hawkeye #1. Marvel Comics (New York).
6. Ultimate Comics Ultimates #25. Marvel Comics (New York).
7. Cataclysm: The Ultimates Last Stand #1. Marvel Comics (New York).
8. Secret Wars #1. Marvel Comics (New York).
9. Ultimates Vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics (New York).
10. Civil War II #2. Marvel Comics (New York).
11. "Tower-ing Fiction #3: Triskelion, Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014)". The Vault of Culture. Retrieved 2019-11-15.

External links

• Triskelion at Marvel Wiki
• Triskelion at Comic Vine