Malcolm Cortez

The Upstart

Malcolm is the leader of a group of dissidents who believe King T'Challa is past the age were he should be able to lead. The group is comprised of children and grandchildren of the original group of Acolytes and they have taken the name as there own. They have also been mentioned to worship the late Magneto as a religious figure.

The Assasination

Malcolm sent one of his followers to kill the Black Panther. The assasin delivered the Black Panther a fatal wound but the Wasp turned the Black Panther into a zombie to prevent his death. The Panther's new zombie status allowed Cortez to assume control of the community as T'Challa had to be put in confinement to prevent him from killing or infecting other with the virus.

 

Rise to power

Cortez later demanded their death but the zombies were freed by Reynolds and Forge. Their attempt at escape was discovered by Cortez and just as he was demanding their death the Zombie Galacti reappeared after a 20 year absence. Some of the zombies planned to use the remaining humans as breeders. Spiderman and later Luke Cage fought against their fellow zombies in unison with Wasp, Hawkeye and the

Black Panther. Cortez managed to flee with the rest of the community to Asteroid M. When all the humans were on board Reynolds put up a forcefield to protect the community.

New Alliances

Cortez later meets with T'Challa and the rebelling zombies. Forge convinces Cortez that if they are to survive everyone this renewed zombie threat they will have to work together. Cortez concedes. Cortez and his Acolytes along with Forge engage the zombie Ironman when he manages to get inside the settlement. They are defeated but given the chance to feed the zombies realise that the hunger is gone.

Usurper

The zombies begin to help rebuild the settlement they plan to use the transdimensional portal to find supplies or new worlds for the survivors to settle on. Cortez uses this opportunity to get rid of them. He had taken the missing parts of the transdimensional portal to prevent it from being used. Now seeing a opportunity he repairs the machine to get rid of his rivals and sends the zombies to a unknown location. As he's sending the Zombies away he reveals that he was the one to kill T'Channa and that unlike everyone else he loves their world its all he's never known and doesn't want to leave because it'll be so easy to control. Forge rushes in just as the Zombies are sent and Malcolm violently beats him its unknown whether he's alive or dead.

Powers

His powers are unrevealed.