THE WHITE KING
REAL NAME: Brian Carpenter
AGE: 52
POWERS: The White King has no superhuman powers, but he compensates with an array of
high-tech weaponry and skills honed in a life of battle and espionage. However, he rarely engages
in stand-up fighting anymore.
APPEARANCE: 6'0", 210 lbs, greying hair in a buzz cut, well-built without being muscle-bound.
Usually wears comfortable clothing or business suits. As the White King, he wears a suit of white
armor with combat harnesses for equipment, and carries a laser rifle.
ALIASES: William Kingman
FIRST APPEARANCE: Guardians #4 (as Kingman), Guardians #5 (as White King).
BACKGROUND:
Brian Carpenter was one of the first class of Special Forces troopers to graduate from the
Special Warfare School, and was an A-team leader for two years in Vietnam. The Central
Intelligence Agency tapped him as a covert operative then, and he worked for them for four years,
both in Vietnam and around the world. After a rough outing in Vienna, Brian was sent to work as
the field test operative for a new project to develop new espionage equipment. During the
project, he worked with the FBI in a counter-intelligence role, testing out the project's work and
making a number of very high-ranking friends.
After the murder of Michael Longstreet's parents, Brian requested a leave of absence from the CIA, which he used to raise young Michael, with the assistance of his old friend Kenneth Lee. After Michael's mental powers surfaced, Brian was faced with a quandary. His young charge was potentially very powerful, but revealing his power to the CIA would turn the young man into a guinea pig and a human weapon. Brian was at a loss until he met Alyna. This mysterious woman told him of the coming danger, and the need for a group of heroes to meet it. Brian then decided to form the Foundation, with the help of his numerous government contacts. Assembling a team of scientists and technicians to support the Foundation, he then began recruiting field agents. Often, these agents were honest cops that were under pressure from criminals and who needed support. In exchange for help, they would work for the Foundation on the side. By the time Michael graduated from Duke, the Foundation was taking shape. When the Shadow Empire began to move on a large scale, Brian concentrated his efforts on planning for eventualities and keeping the President aware of the real source of the problems.