Fictional Character Biography
Ezekiel was a rich businessman who, in his younger years, ritualistically gained powers similar to those of Spider-Man. He wanted to use his powers to be a hero, but initially used them to found a corporation, believing that he could not do anything without a base of operations, and swiftly became too busy to use his powers on a daily basis. When Spider-Man emerged, Ezekiel hired half a dozen independent private detectives to investigate Spider-Man's life, allowing him to piece together who Spider-Man was from the various pieces of information they provided to him. Felicia Hardy was one of his investigators, specifically hired to track Spider-Man's appearances in foreign countries.
Ezekiel, in his 50s, contacted Spider-Man and explained to him the nature of animal totems: people who gain supernatural abilities from a mystic link with certain animals. He suggested that the spider that bit Peter Parker was not mutated by the radiation, but actually trying to give Peter its powers before the radiation killed it. This meant that Spider-Man was now part of the supernatural food chain, and became a target for other totems and beings who feed on totems (Hence why so many of Spider-Man's foes were based on animals; on some level, they 'sensed' that Peter was a true totem while they were merely impostors and were thus driven to destroy him). He subsequently aided Spider-Man in fighting a being known as Morlun, a vampire-like entity that 'fed' on totems, apparently at the cost of his life, but it was later revealed that he survived and departed for Africa, where he aided Spider-Man in dealing with Shathra, another supernatural-based menace, by leading Peter to an area where he would have the advantage over Shathra.
It was revealed that a variety of supernatural menaces that Spider-Man had faced were really after Ezekiel, and Ezekiel attempted to direct the consequences of gaining his powers onto Spider-Man himself, taking Spider-Man to the temple where he had been given his powers and drawing blood to attract a massive spider that would take the 'false' totem warrior as a sacrifice. However, in his last moments, he realized that he had done nothing with his powers but help himself, while Peter had selflessly risked his life to save others again and again. With this in mind, he attacked the spider that would have eaten Peter, giving his own life to save his friend in recognition of the hero that Peter truly was, and thus gaining a chance for redemption that he would have never had again.
Recently, in Grim Hunt, it appeared as if a reanimated Ezekiel (covered in spiders) appeared before Spider-Man and Arachne. Unknown to Spider-Man, the Ezekiel that appeared before him was really the Chameleon in disguise leading Peter into a trap with the Kravinoffs in order to carry out the resurrection of Sergei Kravinoff, which required the blood of Spider-Man.
Read more about this topic: Ezekiel (comics)
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