Despero (Earth-2310)

"I was once a lost child like you, Captain. In the shadows of my tormentors, I was helpless. But when Death's hands gripped me... I refused to die. Why? I was worthy of the mystical Flames of Py'tar, mortal. I took over my planet and started an empire of a thousand planets. By far, the only planet that has resisted my rule is yours. But do not worry, I will make short work of your lives."

- Despero Despero is a Kalanorian conqueror whose name and exploits are widely known throughout the universe. Before building his empire, he was a sickly boy, kept in a slavery ring on Kalanor. One day, while trying to escape from his slavers, he stumbled upon a great power known as the Flames of Py'tar. Worthy of the power, Despero was turned into an immensely powerful being and immediately took control of his planet. With that, he built an empire stretching from galaxy to galaxy, with little to no planets giving resistance to him. Until planet Earth resisted. Despero, for the first time, was defeated and his conquest was repelled by the Avengers. Although so, Despero's thirst for vengeance never falters, making him one of the most--if not the most--unrelenting and consistent villains the Avengers have ever faced.

Desperation
Born on Kalanor to two politician parents, Despero's life was never meant to go good at the very start. His parents were highly disliked by many factions due to their dictator-like style. As such, conspirators on Kalanor planned to kill these two "dictators" so that they could be free. A long plan was hatched to kill the two Kalanorians, and indeed it succeeded. The politicians were murdered by assassins a day after Despero had been born. Displaying their heads on the royal palace of Kalanor's capital, the assassins would later nearly kill Despero himself. But fortunately for the baby, he's kept alive but was sent to a slavery ring so he could experience the hell his parents inflicted to his people.

Life was quite harsh for Despero, as all he knew were pain and suffering. He had to work hard every day without getting paid, tortures were done to him to remind him that he's carrying the burden of his parents. And it went on for nearly the entirety of his life to the point that he reached the Kalanorian equivalent of being a young adult at 50 years old.

At the said time, Despero finally had enough and resisted attempts to use him for various "purposes". However, he failed miserably in all his attempts to resist. One day, however, he managed to nearly succeed in his escape, but ended up nearly dying due to a laser blast to his neck. But out of coincidence or fate (as he believed in), Despero stumbled upon a cave in which the mythical Flames of Py'tar resided in. In Kalanorian mythology, the Flames of Py'tar only appear in centuries as a sign of a new age for Kalanor. Despero knew this myth and approached the Flames. To his surprise, they regarded him as a worthy wielder of such power and told him that the Flames had expected him for many years. Giving him a glimpse of what to come, Despero was delighted by this and accepted the power, turning him into a being of awesome powers. With his race's natural telepathy enhanced within him, Despero soon resurfaced and went on a rampage across the planet, showcasing his powers.

After the Kalanorian military failed to stop him, Despero took control of the planet, both physically and politically by issuing an ultimatum: give him control of the entire planet, or he'll use his telepathy to literally deliver hell to their minds. The ultimatum was suprisingly ignored by the entire planet, and Despero forcibly exerted his will upon the other Kalanorians to give them a clear picture of what hell is to him. Nevertheless, Despero managed to conquer the entire planet and killed the ones that were responsible for the torment bestowed upon him.

Although tyrannical, Despero was actually trusted by the planet's elders, as they believed in the Prophecy of the Flames of Py'tar, leading them to believe that Despero's about to usher them into a new era. And yes, he made his race enter a new era under his banner. Despero built an empire that extends from world to world, ruling them with sets of draconian laws including the worship of the conqueror. Failure to worship him will result in a slow death.

Needless to say, since Despero gained the powers of the Flames of Py'tar, his empire is considered one of the strongest in the universe and his conquests never cease to fail. That, was until Earth happened to be in his sights.

Trivia

 * Believe it or not, Despero is supposed to be designed as both an antithesis and counterpart to Captain America.
 * Both of these individuals used to live a harsh life. Their childhoods were awful, but the paths they took eventually are different. Steven faced the abuses his father did and his mother died, but when he's put in St. Agnes Orphanage, he took on the path of light. Despero never knew his parents, and instead of being put in foster care, he's put in a slavery ring. And unlike Steve who was taught of morals, Despero learned nothing of compassion and hope, leading him to the path of dark.
 * Both Steven and Despero used to be children that were considered powerless and helpless.
 * When Steven was a victim of bullying, he rose up and ended up being a good man that defends hope. When Despero was a victim of "bullying", he allowed himself to descend down his darker path and ended up being the exact same type of bully Steven faced and an evil creature that defies hope.
 * While not close to such levels, both these two persons are considered the physical and mental perfection of both of their races. Steven being physically perfect for the humans due to his nature as a super-soldier, while Despero being perfect due to his attainment of the Flames of Py'tar, making him far superior than any other Kalanorians.
 * Steven's prime power lies in physicality. Despero's prime power lies in his mentality.
 * Even if Despero is tyrannical in his rule of his empire, his fellow Kalanorians actually prospered under his rule with resources coming from other planets imported to Kalanor itself.