Cornelius is major tetartagonist of 20th Century Fox and Chernin's Planet of the Apes prequel series.
Serving as a supporting character in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, a major character in War for the Planet of the Apes.
Biography[]
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes[]
One day following the decade the apes left the city and thrived in the Muir Woods, Caesar returned home from a hunt to learn his wife Cornelia is in labor. Caesar rushed to his tree just in time to be by Cornelia's side as she gives birth, which came with complications unlike with Blue Eyes' birth, to their newborn baby boy. The baby, later named Cornelius, cried as he gasped his first breath and placed in his mother's arms. His father and mother gazed at him with happiness, then turned to see his elder brother, who was scarred by a wild bear, enter the tree to see his newborn brother as their parents continued to touch Cornelius so he can know they were his parents.
Having just been born, Cornelius slept most of the time with his mother, who was developing complications after the birth. One day, Cornelius and his mother slept as a gunshot was heard throughout the woods, which woke Caesar, who investigated with a large troop of apes and discovered a group of humans standing in front of Blue Eyes and Rocket's son Ash, who was shot by one of the humans.
The following night after Caesar made a deal with the human group, consisting of Malcolm, Ellie, Alexander, Carver, Forest and Kemp, he returned to see Cornelius sleeping while Cornelia was wheezing, which concerned Caesar but she assured him she just needs rest. Caesar then gazed at Cornelius as he worried the humans presence can place him and the tribe in danger, which Cornelia picked up. By sunrise, Caesar and Blue Eyes took Cornelius, so Cornelia could rest, and made it to the hydro dam site as Malcolm's group began their work to fix it and restore power to the ruins of San Francisco. Joining Rocket and the orangutan Maurice, Caesar and Blue Eyes, who was holding Cornelius, stood watch until Caesar noticed the bonobo Koba wasn't present. Cornelius, wide awake, observed his surroundings while in his brothers arms.
During their work, Malcolm's group set off an explosive to clear the dam's interior, which trapped them at the same time. Rocket, Ash, and a gorilla named Luca went in the dam and saved them, bringing them back outside so Ellie can treat Carver and the rest clean themselves from the dirt. Cornelius became intrigued by the humans' presence and leapt out of his brother's arms as Malcolm told Caesar gratitude and explained what else his group needs to do. Cornelius crawled up Ellie's back to get a better look at them before moving in front of Alexander's knee. He looked at both Ellie and Alexander, who began to connect with the young ape until he moved to the ground and examined Alexander's shoe before heading to an open case. As he sat rummaged through the case's contents, he unveiled a shotgun, which Carver kept hidden as the deal between Malcolm and Caesar was the group can stay if they surrendered all the guns in their possession. Carver, who spotted Cornelius, jumped up and yelled at Cornelius to get out of the case, which angered Blue Eyes and forced him to tackle the human. Cornelius got out of the case and ran to cover as Blue Eyes kept Foster and Kemp at bay as they tried to get Carver out, who reached for the gun and pointed it at Blue Eyes, shocking everyone until Caesar disarmed Carver. Sensing their unintended deception, Caesar tossed the gun in the lake and grabbed Cornelius as he ran towards his father, who yelled at Malcolm to leave.
Returning to their village, Caesar and Blue Eyes were approached by a panicking Sparrow, one of Cornelia's midwives, who revealed to them Cornelia has gotten worse. Caesar and Blue Eyes, holding a sleeping Cornelius, ran into their tree to see Tinker and a midwife by Cornelia's side, who's breathing has worsen and became unresponsive. Both Cornelius' father and brother stood by Cornelia's side until Rocket brought up Malcolm and Ellie, who apologized and struck a new deal: Ellie will help Cornelia with antibiotics and Caesar will allow Malcolm's group to stay, but for one day and to have Carver kept far away from the apes while they help Malcolm's group repair the dam, which angered Cornelius' brother.
The next night, Cornelius' mother made a full recovery and came out of Caesar's tree with Cornelius in her arms. Caesar, who allowed Malcolm's group, excluding Carver, to enter their village and see the lights in the city come back on as they have fixed the dam and restored the power, went up to her and they embraced before taking their infant son to gaze at the lights. Standing near a cliff on the right corner of the tree's roots, Cornelius stayed with his mother as she went to Blue Eyes, who hugged her in happiness to see her well until Caesar was shot, by Koba lurking in the darkness after having been humiliated by Caesar and deemed him caring more for the humans than his own kind, and fell over the cliff. Cornelius was startled as Cornelia and Blue Eyes called out to Caesar, then the entire village began to burn, which was caused by Stone. After Koba came and lied that the humans killed Caesar and set their home on fire before declaring war on the humans in the city, he decreed that the females and children stay in the woods while the males head for the city.
Two nights later, Cornelius and Cornelia headed for the city as Koba summoned them after defeating the humans. By sunrise, all the females and children made it to the colony, an unfinished building where the surviving humans were living, and learned that a few apes died from an explosive set off by the colony's leader in a suicide. Blue Eyes found Cornelius, who was in slumber, and their mother and brought them to Caesar, who survived Koba's attempt. Cornelius' father, mother and brother embraced one another before Caesar reasserted his dominance over the tribe and made preparations for war as Malcolm informed Caesar that a military group is coming to San Francisco.
War for the Planet of the Apes[]
Cornelius, now two, has learned the concept of war as his tribe continues the fight with Alpha-Omega for the last two years while seeking refuge in a secret cavern system hidden in a waterfall. One day as his father returned home with a troop of wounded apes, Cornelius walked with his mother Cornelia, who was shocked and happy to see Blue Eyes and Rocket, who have returned from their journey of finding a new home for the tribe. As Cornelia hugged her oldest son, Cornelius hurried over to his father, grabbing him by the hand as he didn't remember his own brother due to his absence over the two years, and hesitated to say hi as Blue Eyes turned to greet him. Their mother help remind Cornelius of Blue Eyes as Caesar lifted him up and cradle him, allowing Cornelius to greet his estranged brother nervously before their mother directed Blue Eyes to his mate Lake. As Blue Eyes and Lake embrace each other, Cornelius watch his father cradle his mother as both parents are happy to see their son returned safely.
