Ursa Major
Art from X-Men 198 Files 0.N.E.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #258 (April 1981)
Created by	Bill Mantlo (writer) Sal Buscema (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Mikhail Uriokovitch Ursus
Species	Human Mutant
Team affiliations	Winter Guard Soviet Super-Soldiers Siberforce
Notable aliases	Большая Медведица (Bolsaja Medvedica, "Great Bear"), Major Ursus
Abilities	As a humanoid bear: Superhuman strength, stamina, senses and resistance to injury Non-retractable claws

Ursa Major (Russian: Большая Медведица, romanized: Bol'shaya Medveditsa, Mikhail Uriokovitch Ursus) is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as a member of the Soviet Super-Soldiers.

The character appeared as a human in the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Widow (2021), portrayed by Olivier Richters.

Ursa Major first appeared in The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #258 (April 1981), and was created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Sal Buscema.

Born in Blagoveshchensk, Mikhail Ursus is one of the first known Soviet mutants to survive past childhood, due to the government killing mutants when their powers first manifested. This is because he was abandoned at a young age and grew up in the forest.

Ursus is among the first mutants trained by scientist Piotr Phobos, who convinces the government of the value of superhumans serving the state. Unknown to either side, Phobos has built a device to siphon the energy from his students and empower himself. The process tends to kill the subjects after a time, and Phobos explains their deaths as training casualties.

Ursus, Darkstar, and Vanguard, Phobos' best-trained students, become founding members of the Soviet Super-Soldiers, a team of government agents. After discovering Phobos' plan to spread radiation across the Soviet Union to create more mutants whose powers he could eventually siphon, the Super-Soldiers turn against him and bring him before the government to stand trial.^[1]

Although the Super-Soldiers resolve to remain together as a team, they vow to never again unquestioningly serve the state.^{[volume & issue needed]} They have subsequently undertaken one government mission,^{[volume & issue needed]} but generally act independently. They are based in a scientific fortress in the region of Khystym.

Ursa Major later battles the Red Ghost alongside the Soviet Super-Soldiers.^[2] With the Soviet Super-Soldiers, he is dispatched to capture Magneto, and battles the X-Men and the Avengers.^[3] With Vanguard and Darkstar, Ursa Major attempts to defect to the United States, but is beaten and rendered comatose by the Supreme Soviets.^[4]

Later, Ursa Major follows Vanguard into the employ of General Tskarov, a communist sympathizer who intends to undermine American business along the East Coast. The two only agree to work for Tskarov to find the missing Darkstar, who they later learn has been captured and experimented on in Tskarov's laboratory. Ursa, Darkstar, and Vanguard join Black Widow and Daredevil in defeating Tskarov.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Ursa Major is one of the few mutants in the world to retain their powers after Decimation.^{[volume & issue needed]} Ursa Major returns as part of the Winter Guard, helping them and War Machine fight off a Skrull attempt to steal Russian nuclear bombs. Despite orders to the contrary, the Guard assists War Machine in killing or driving off the invaders.^[5]

The Winter Guard battle Remont Six, a group of superhuman Soviet revolutionaries led by Iron Maiden, when they raid an A.I.M. facility. The Winter Guard prevail and defeat the Remont Six.^[6] Later, Ursa and the rest of the Winter Guard team up with the Agents of Atlas to battle Warlord Krang.^[7] After teaming up with the Protectorate (including former Winter Guard members Powersurge and Vanguard), Ursa and the rest of the Winter Guard battle the Presence and Fantasia, a former Winter Guard member who was revealed to be a Dire Wraith.^[8]

Ursa Major is later seen in a Russian gulag. He is forced to battle Bucky Barnes, who had been surrendered to the Russian government for alleged crimes as the Winter Soldier, convicted in absentia. When asked by the prison warden why Ursa Major had been incarcerated, Colonel Rostov replied "it's not too difficult to find treason or corruption charges on any government agent."^{[volume & issue needed]}

In the storyline "Secret Empire", Ursa Major appears as a member of the Black Widow Ops Program, which cloned Black Widow following her death at the hands of Captain America's Hydra Supreme counterpart. He bribes Epsilon Red to let him add her current memories while secretly disposing of the bad programming.^[9]

At some point, Ursa Major is incarcerated in another gulag. He is approached by a Russian official, who states that they are reassembling the Winter Guard while presenting a pardon as a condition of him joining. Ursa Major accepts under the condition of his criminal record being expurged as well.^[10] Ursa Major later represents the Russian government while attending a meeting at Avengers Mountain. When Ursa Major acts aggressive towards Black Panther, he is teleported away to Siberia.^[11]

During "The War of the Realms" storyline, Ursa Major is seen talking to Gorilla-Man in the Wundagore Zoo in Transia, discussing about an undercover operation he is running for Black Panther, until Ka-Zar arrives to pick up Gorilla-Man and take him to Avengers Mountain.^[12]

Ursa Major has the mutant ability to transform into a large anthropomorphic bear. While in this form, Ursa Major retains his human intelligence and ability to speak, though his personality does become more feral and he begins to lose control over his human intelligence if he remains in his transformed state for several hours consecutively. Ursa Major was trained by the Soviet military, and trained in the use of his powers by Professor Phobos, being a graduate of Phobos's mutant training school.

While transformed, Ursa Major possesses superhuman strength, stamina and resistance to physical injury to a much greater degree than an actual bear of similar size possesses. His strength is sufficient to allow him to engage in a one-on-one battle with the Hulk and survive. His senses are also heightened to a superhuman degree, particularly his sense of smell, which he can use to track a target by scent. Also, like a real bear, Ursa Major possesses non-retractable claws. These claws are relatively blunt, as they are with an actual bear, but can be used as effective weapons when coupled with his great strength.

An alternate universe version of Ursa Major from Earth-58163 appears in Civil War: House of M #2.^[13]

A zombified alternate universe version of Ursa Major from Earth-2149 appears in Marvel Zombies.^[14]

An alternate universe version of Ursa Major from Earth-6160 appears in Ultimate Wolverine #13. This version was experimented on and brainwashed by Directorate X.^[15] After encountering Ursa Major and realizing the extent of his brainwashing, Wolverine decides to kill him.^[16]

• Ursa Major makes a non-speaking appearance in the Avengers Assemble episode "Secret Avengers" as a member of the Winter Guard.^[17]
• Ursa Major appears in Marvel Future Avengers, voiced by Kenji Nomura in Japanese and JB Blanc in English.^[18] This version is a member of the Winter Guard.

Ursa Major appears in Black Widow, portrayed by Olivier Richters. This version is an inmate of the Seventh Circle prison.^[19][20]

Ursa Major makes a cameo appearance in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 as a member of the Soviet Super-Soldiers.^[21]

• Ursa Major at Marvel.com
• Ursa Major at Marvel Wiki