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The Living Tribunal is a cosmic entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. (2025). 9781465478900, DK Publishing. ISBN 9781465478900 The character first appeared in Strange Tales #157 (June 1967) and was created by Stan Lee, Marie Severin, and Herb Trimpe. (2025). 9781605490557, TwoMorrows Publishing. ISBN 9781605490557
After brief appearances in the role of observer in Guardians of the Galaxy #16 (September 1991) and Quasar #26 (Sept. 1991), the character had a significant role in the limited series The Infinity Gauntlet #1–6 (July–December 1991), Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1 (February 1992), and DC vs. Marvel #1–4 (April–May 1996). The Living Tribunal's role was eventually expanded on in She-Hulk (vol. 2) #12 (November 2006).
The Living Tribunal was featured in the 2003's storyline. The character also made an appearance during the New Avengers storyline "Time Runs Out", and battled the Beyonders.
The character is first encountered by Doctor Strange, announcing its intent to destroy Earth due to its potential for evil. After a series of trials, Doctor Strange is able to convince the Living Tribunal that good also exists, and Earth is spared. Strange Tales #157–163 (June–December 1967) The Tribunal reappears to the Galadorian spaceknight Rom; Rom #41 (April 1983) appears briefly with the rest of the cosmic hierarchy when in discussion with the entity the Beyonder; Secret Wars II #6 (December 1985) and reveals to the former Herald of Galactus (the Silver Surfer) that its three faces represent "Equity" (hooded face), "Vengeance" (partially shrouded face), and "Necessity" (fully shrouded face). Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #31 (December 1989) The fourth side of the Living Tribunal's head is a void, with the entity claiming that the cosmic entity the Stranger once existed as this part of its being. The character also witnesses the triumph of the hero Quasar—acting as the Incarnation of cosmic entity Infinity—over the villain Maelstrom, who acts for the entity Oblivion. Quasar #26 (September 1991)
During DC vs. Marvel, the Tribunal teamed up with the Spectre to save their worlds from the two cosmic brothers' attempts to destroy one of the two multiverses. Their pact, with the help of Access, created the Amalgam multiverse by merging the two multiverses, to "buy some time". Marvel vs. DC #3 As the new Amalgam multiverse was unstable, the former multiverses are restored. The struggle of "The Brothers" continues until the efforts of Batman and Captain America against them make them realize they both "Did Well", and the multiverses are spared. DC vs. Marvel #4
The Living Tribunal's power is virtually limitless, as the entity prevents the Infinity Gems from being used in unison, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1 (February 1992) although it remains subservient to a single, even higher entity referred to as "One Above All" (not to be confused with the celestial also called the One Above All). The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Hardcover vol. 6 The entity has representatives called The Magistrati who dispense judgments by request on alien worlds, and chose to reveal the previously unseen face of "Necessity" to She-Hulk as a reflection of her own face, stating that the face is a "Cosmic Mirror which reminds us to always judge others as we would have ourselves judged". She-Hulk (vol. 2) #12 (November 2006)
Iron Man and Uatu later find what appears to be the Living Tribunal's withered corpse on the moon, with no sign of who killed it. New Avengers (vol. 3) #8 (July 2013)
When Hank Pym ventured into the Multiverse during the Time Runs Out storyline, the cause of his death was discovered: the Living Tribunal had died fighting the Beyonders while attempting to halt the annihilation of the Marvel Multiverse. New Avengers (vol. 3) #30 (April 2015)
An alternative version of Adam Warlock took up the Living Tribunal's vacant position on orders from the One-Above-All (here called "Above-All-Others"). Thanos: The Infinity Finale (April 2016)
After the devourer of worlds Galactus evolves into a lifebringer, Lord Chaos and Master Order consider this to throw the cosmic hierarchy out of balance, and ask the new Living Tribunal to render judgment. However, when the Tribunal decides in favor of a "new balance for a new cosmos", Order and Chaos join forces to seemingly kill the entity. The Ultimates 2 #2 The Living Tribunal is later resurrected and seen taking Lord Chaos and Master Order to judgment after the defeat of the First Firmament. The Ultimates 2 #100
The Living Tribunal was the embodiment of the Marvel Multiverse, New Avengers (vol. 3) #30 and the sum totality of all the abstract entities within it. Nonetheless, the Tribunal is not as powerful as the multiversal incarnation of Eternity and was referred to as an internal function of the entity. The Ultimates (vol. 2) #100 (February 2017)
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