Who's Who: The Persuader

The Persuader
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Nyuen Chun Ti

Super-Power(s): The Persuader has control of the Atomic Axe, which can cut through every known substance, including gravity. He also boasts superior body strength. 
Planet of Origin: Unknown

Relationship to Legion: Villain; member of the original Fatal Five

Legion Log
The Persuader is one of the galaxy's most wanted men. He is the highest paid killer and strong-arm enforcer in the galaxy. Nyuen Chun Ti grew up in rough sections of the United Planets where nothing was more important than your manhood. It was in a duel over his, in the asteroid community of Minerstown, that he won an ancient Fission Blade from Earth's World War VII which his opponent called his "Persuader." He had met his match in Nyuen, who killed him, took the blade, and dubbed it the Atomic Axe. So began his rise through the criminal underworld.

The Persuader was minding his own business, on the run from the Science Police, when the Legion of Super-Heroes approached him with the request to help them defeat the Sun-Eater, which was on a collision course with Earth's galaxy. He joined with them and four other arch-criminals to help destroy the menace. However, as soon as the universe was safe the five of them banded together to form the next most dangerous threat to the United Planets, the Fatal Five.

During the years that the Fatal Five were active, the Persuader could be counted on to be the group's number three, behind Tharok and the Emerald Empress. Initially, he considered himself something of a leader, and fought with the others to establish his position in the group. Eventually, however, he deferred to the two more egotistical members, and was satisfied to be the "enforcer" of the group.

After the Fatal Five's encounter with the Dark Man, the Fatal Five dispersed and the Persuader went back to his "old job," being an assassin for hire and gang enforcer. In this capacity, he was lured back to Talok VIII, a planet the Fatal Five had once taken over. Lady Memory had intended to take it over for her people, but the Legion became involved and the Persuader was taken into custody.

After trying to escape the prison planet during the Crisis, the Persuader was eventually rescued by the Emerald Empress. Together, they scouted new members to re-form the Fatal Five. When this incarnation was also captured by the Legion, the Persuader was re-imprisoned on Labyrinth.

During his villainous career, the Persuader met several of the Legionnaires in battle. However, he showed specific scorn for Colossal Boy, who fought him the most often, and Princess Projectra, who was the first (and last) Legionnaire he met. He was apparently smitten with the Emerald Empress, whose death (the first time around anyway), he did not take well.

After the so-called Five-Year Gap, the Persuader immersed himself into his bloody work and was in and out of prison until Leland McCauley formed a new Fatal Five and broke him out. This new Fatal Five failed to defeat the SW6 Legion.

After the Reboot, the Fatal Five were assembled by the Legion and the United Planets to combat the Sun Eater; the Persuader was once again among their number. The deal went sour and the Five turned on their masters. They would return several times to plague the Legion. The last time was during Infinite Crisis when Tharok discovered the Persuader's axe could carve into other realities where they could recruit other Fatal Fives. It took the combined strength of the Legion and the Teen Titans to fight the Fatal Five Hundred! The Reboot Legion was lost in Limbo as a result of that battle. The Persuader in this timeline had a daughter who visited him in prison.

After the Threeboot, the Persuader does not seem to exist.

After Infinite Crisis, the Persuader's original history has more or less been restored. He took part in the final assault on the Legion that led to the destruction of the team's headquarters and several Legionnaires being either injured or killed. The Persuader also acted as members of Superboy-Prime's Legion of Super-Villains during Final Crisis.

The Persuader, like the Fatal Five, has appeared in animation, in both Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Kin Shriner) and the Legion of Super-Heroes animated series (voiced by David Sobolov). The Persuader also appeared in "Legion", the 11th episode of the 8th season of the television series Smallville played by stunt performer Fraser Aitcheson. There, he is a xenophobe who's part of the future "human supremacist" movement. He steals a Legion flight ring, travels through time and attacks Clark Kent in the Kent barn, intending to kill him before he can create the legacy that will inspire Earth to welcome aliens in the future. He uses a long-handled axe, which can split atoms, to injure Clark and destroy the Phantom Zone crystal that was meant to be used to defeat Brainiac. Clark is ultimately saved by Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad, who remove the Legion ring and send the Persuader back to the future.

Defining Villainous Moment: 

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #219

The Persuader very nearly murders Duplicate Boy

Important Persuader Stories:

Adventure Comics (v1) #352-353
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 6, 
The Life and Death of Ferro Lad TPB, 
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 3)

 
 We meet the Persuader, as he meets Princess Projectra 

Adventure Comics (v1) #365-366
 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 7
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 3)

The Persuader helps the Fatal Five take over Talok VIII, then invade Earth!

Adventure Comics (v1) #378
(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 4)

Karate Kid takes on the entire Fatal Five, including the Persauder

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #198

(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 10
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 5)

The Persuader nearly splits Superboy in two!

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #219

 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 12
and Showcase Presents The Legion Vol. 5)

We learn that the Persuader likes to fish

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #231

 (reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 13)

The Fatal Five tries to harness power from an imminent solar explosion

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #246-247

The Persuader tries his hand at diplomacy 

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #269-271

The Persuader takes down Mon-El during the Dark Man saga

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #300

 (reprinted in 1,050 Years of the Future TPB
and The Curse )

The Persuader is just as dangerous in an alternate universe

Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #318-319

The Persuader returns to Talok VIII as a paid killer

Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #324

The Persuader is featured in a hint of a storyline with the 
new prison planet warden that is never revisited

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #21

The Persuader is part of an escape attempt during The Crisis

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #24

The Persuader schemes with the Emerald Empress to re-create the Fatal Five 

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #25-26

 
The Persuader has his final battle with Princess Projectra, aka Sensor Girl

Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #12-13

The Persuader encounters Kent Shakespeare while working solo

Who's Who in the DC Universe #4

The Persuader's back story explained and distilled

Legionnaires #3-6

The Persuader rejoins the Fatal Five under Leland McCauley

Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #50

Pin-up that reimagines the Persuader as a pro wrestler

Legionnaires #34-35, Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #78-80

After the Reboot, the Fatal Five are assembled to destroy the Sun-Eater, but turn on the Legion

Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #120-121

The Fatal Five are freed by an empowered Emerald Empress

Superman v2 #171

Warworld make use of hard light holograms of the Fatal Five

The Legion #15-16

Timber Wolf defeats the Fatal Five on his first mission

The Legion #35-38

The Persuader's daughter visits him in prison and he must protect her during a mass break-out

Teen Titans #16, Legion/Teen Titans Special #1

The Persuader cuts through to other Earths and one Fatal Five forms the Fatal Five Hundred

Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #2

The Persuader joins Superboy-Prime's Legion of Super-Villains

The Brave and the Bold (v3) #3-6

The Fatal Five are used by the Lord of Time to fight 21st-Century heroes

Legion of Super-Heroes (v7) #16-22

The Fatal Five reform and almost destroy the Legion

Justice League Unlimited animated series

The Persuader's first animated appearance, with the Fatal Five

Legion of Super-Heroes animated series

The designs for the Fatal Five as they appeared on the Legion cartoon

Smallville

The Persuader in live action in the episode "Legion"