WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Avengers #688 by Mark Waid, Al Ewing, Jim Zub, Kim Jacinto, Stefano Caselli, David Curiel and Cory Petit, on sale now.
The Elders of the Universe are centuries old, and some of the most powerful figures in the Marvel Universe. One of the most recognizable Elders is the Grandmaster, who was named for his love of a competitive matchup.
In a surprising turn of events, the Avengers' weekly event series "No Surrender" revealed the title of "Grandmaster" originally belonged to the Challenger, who had his name stolen by his brother before he was exiled from our plane of existence. Of course, the Challenger would finally make his return, aided by the reality-altering events of Secret Wars.
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Back among the living, the Challenger isn't content with only seeking revenge. The long-lost Elder wants what was taken from him, but with a small added twist.
Say My Name, Say My Name
The cosmic game between the Challenger and Grandmaster involved the planet Earth and a collection of chosen heroes and villains as chess pieces. The game appeared to be evenly matched, but that was far from the case. Ever the sore loser, the Grandmaster rigged the game by planting his daughter, Voyager, among Earth's Mightiest Heroes in a bid to guarantee victory.
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Enraged, Challenger attempted to kill the Grandmaster and has declared their friendly game over with. That leaves Earth in a very precarious spot -- it was plucked out of orbit and transported to another location, leaving it vulnerable to an enraged Challenger. He has now decided to take his frustrations out on the people of Earth through natural disasters, while debuting his new name of Grandmaster Prime.
When it comes to choosing a unique name, we have to say the Challenger opted for possibly the laziest option, even if it's factually correct. The Challenger was the original Grandmaster, thus making his brother Grandmaster 2.0. Also, an added benefit of the character going by the moniker Grandmaster Prime is it allows the Grandmaster that readers and fans are familiar with to continue using the name.
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If there can be multiple Spider-Men and Wolverines running around in spandex costumes, then there's room for more than one Grandmaster in the Marvel Universe. The creative team behind "No Surrender" brought the Grandmaster Prime to life with the intention to have him stick around following the conclusion of the event. He may call himself Grandmaster Prime now, but it remains to be seen if the title picks up momentum going forward, or if he will always be referred to as the Challenger.