Who Is Hexus The Living Corporation In Hulu's MODOK?

Contains spoilers for "Marvel's MODOK" on Hulu

The Marvel Universe boasts a storied history of memorable villains, and most of them are either ideologically extreme or just extremely selfish. Some of these miscreants have destroyed entire planets. Others have committed atrocities while pursuing power, money, glory and various self-interests, much to the detriment of innocent people. However, some of the most formidable foes thrive due to strength in numbers, and they're able to exert their influence far and wide. Supervillains are one thing, but never underestimate the power of CEOs and evil corporations in their ability to cause problems for the universe's heroes, either.

The Roxxon Energy Corporation is arguably the most notable example of Marvel's villainous organizations. Roxxon has played a key role in a number of Marvel TV shows, like "Daredevil" and "Cloak & Dagger," and the corporation's presence has even been acknowledged in a few MCU movies. It's the largest energy conglomerate in the Marvel Universe, known for exploiting natural resources and using its political influence to exert dominance. 

That being said, while Roxxon is undeniably evil, Hexus the Living Corporation scores extra points because it is both insidious and original. Hexus isn't like other corporations, though, even if it's driven by the same motivations as its evil peers. Let's dive into its history prior to appearing in Hulu's "MODOK" series.

Hexus the Living Corporation is a bizarre concept, but what else do you expect from the mind of writer Grant Morrison — of "Doom Patrol" and "Arkham Asylum" fame? Per Comic Vine, Hexus the Living Corporation originally appeared in the Scottish writer's "Marvel Boy" series, published all the way back in 2001. Morrison is known for bringing an anti-establishment point of view to most of his work, and Hexus is one of many ideas that represent his distrust of powerful corporate monopolies.

Hexus is a sentient being that effectively operates as a parasite, spreading across planets, brandishing its logo, and sneakily stripping the residents of their free will. Hexus the Living Corporation basically recruits the world's most brilliant minds as employees and brainwashes everyone through advertising. Its end goal was to enslave the human race and move on to other planets, doing the same, but Noh-Varr (the Marvel Boy of the title) managed to put a stop to the entity by beating it at its own game.

Unfortunately, that meant fighting fire with fire — in other words, feeding the greedy machine to restore balance again. To defeat the parasite, Noh-Varr stole Hexus' trade secrets and strategies and shared them with the competition. Hexus couldn't be defeated physically, but making its business counterparts stronger was enough to end its reign of terror.

"MODOK" is available now on Hulu.