Tyrannus appeared in 1962 Marvel Comics called Incredible Hulk. Romulus Augustulus was the last emperor of the Roman Empire, granted immortality by a mysterious Fountain of Youth.
Born in 463 AD, Romulus' original surname was Augustus, but it was changed to the diminutive when he took the throne in 475 AD still a child of 12. The child emperor was described as a puppet, not recognized as a legitimate ruler; he ruled for only around 12 months, until 476 AD when his father was defeated by the German Goth Odoacer, marking the start of the Dark Ages in Europe. Thus the Empire ended with his rule, and Italy fractured into smaller kingdoms. Romulus was not killed, however, but rather banished from the kingdom, swearing to return one day.
Taking the title of "Tyrannus", Augustus became a servant of the Olympian god Pluto, who empowered the former emperor and sent him to destroy Merlin. He was sent to Britannia to conquer the kingdom of Camelot and take the throne from King Arthur. He was stopped by Merlin's champion the Black Knight; Sir Percy of Scandia. He was no match against the young knight and fled leaving his master Pluto to continue the battle, who ultimately lost and retreated back to his realm. Merlin found Romulus and banished him beneath the Earth to the realm known as Subterranea.
Trapped beneath the Earth; Romulus came upon a stockpile of Deviant technology, which he used to attack the surface world. On one such attack, he discovered the Fountain of Youth which allowed him to remain young through the centuries.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Telepathy: He has several psychic powers which allow to control the minds of others as well as life-force absorption. He can also communicate with others telepathically.
- Genius Intellect: Tyrannus possess an advanced intellect being educated by the best minds in the Roman Empire. His natural intellect along with his long life has made him one of the leading experts in Deviant technology.
- Skilled Swordsman: Tyrannus was trained from birth by his father to be an expert swordsman. Over the centuries he has expanded his skills further.