H.E.R.B.I.E. in the MC2

 

There’s this highly-anticipated movie on the horizon called Fantastic Four: First Steps from Marvel Studios. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? One of the aspects unique to this big-screen theatrical adaption of Marvel’s First Family is the debut of the robotic companion H.E.R.B.I.E. So, let’s look at the history of H.E.R.B.I.E. in the MC2.

 

H.E.R.B.I.E.’s origins lie outside the comics, having been conceived by Stan Lee for 1978’s The New Fantastic Four animated series as a replacement fourth member of the team when the Human Torch was unavailable for use due to a planned but never realized solo film. Fantastic Four co-creator and comic book legend Jack Kirby provided the design for the character.

H.E.R.B.I.E. or ‘Herbie’ was soon after introduced into the comics, making his (‘its’?) first appearance in the pages of Fantastic Four #209 by Marv Wolfman and John Byrne in 1979. Built by Reed Richards (and Master Xar of Xandar), it is revealed the animated series itself exists in-universe as a licenced product and that Reed offered the design to the producers as a replacement for Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch who was out of town that day and unable to sign a contract. According to Richards, H.E.R.B.I.E. stands for Humanoid Experimental Robotic B-Type Integrated Electronics.

Let us hop on over to the MC2 Universe now, where what appears to be a version of H.E.R.B.I.E. makes a cameo appearance as a member of the Fantastic Five in What If #105. But is this really H.E.R.B.I.E.? When we next see the Fantastic Five in Spider-Girl #3, we learn the public story that Reed Richards body was mangled in an accident, leading him to use a robotic form resembling H.E.R.B.I.E. albeit under the codename ‘Big Brain’.

 

We learn more of the mystery surrounding Reed’s accident in Fantastic Five (vol. 1) #1 when the Big Brain robot is destroyed. Soon after we see flashbacks to a battle in the Negative Zone about 5 years beforehand between the Fantastic Four and the villainous Hyperstorm. In the aftermath of this battle, a doomsday device had already begun to tear a hole in the fabric of reality. When Reed Richards was forced to overload the device to stop it, Susan Richards attempted to shield him from the radiation with her force field. Caught in the blast radius, half of Reed's body was left in a melted and deformed state. With the rip in reality still widening, Susan used her powers to hold the tear in place, with the strain leaving her in a coma, forcing the misshapen Reed to place her suspended animation (Fantastic Five (vol. 1) #4).

 

In the wake of the tragedy, The Fantastistation was built in the Negative Zone around the tear in reality. This allowed Reed to keep Sue company while she remained in suspended animation as he worked to slowly repair the hole in the fabric of reality (Fantastic Five Vol. 1 #4, Spider-Girl #87). Over the next few months, while the Fantastic Four remained in seclusion, rumours and speculation spread about the fate of Susan Richards despite the team never releasing details to the public. Reed developed the Big Brain robot to allow him to remain on the team by remotely controlling it from the Negative Zone (Fantastic Five Vol. 1 #1).

 

With the destruction of the previous Big Brain robot in Fantastic Five (vol. 1) #1, Reed begins using a new model with a more humanlike shell, marking the last time we’d see the H.E.R.B.I.E. design utilized in the MC2.

 

Until I decide to put my brain in a robot to spend more time with my wife, I remain

 

frogoat

From Thunderbolt to Avenger: Jolt in the MC2

 

Marvel Studios has released its latest Marvel Cinematic Universe entry with the Thunderbolts* movie. But the Thunderbolts in the comics have a long and storied history, and the MC2 specifically featured the first Thunderbolt to become an Avenger. So today, let’s finally take a look at the often-overshadowed Jolt in the MC2.

 

But first, the basics! Helen ‘Hallie’ Takahama first appeared in 1997 in the pages of Thunderbolts #1 where we learn she has been living rough since her 15^th birthday, when both her parents were crushed to death during the Onslaught event. Abducted and experimented on by the unseen amoral villain Arnim Zola, Hallie eventually gained superpowers and used them to escape, heading to Four Freedoms Plaza to seek help from the Fantastic Four. Finding instead the Thunderbolts, Hallie joins them in their mission to apprehend her captor and soon after becomes a member of the team unaware of their true motives (Thunderbolts #1-4).

 

Jumping into the MC2 now, Jolt made a surprise cameo in the pages of What If #105 as a member of the new Avengers team alongside Jubilee, Speedball, Thunderstrike, the Vision and *ahem* J2.

 

Hallie Takahama shows up again in A-Next #1, a story set a little earlier than her above cameo, providing readers with the new Avengers team’s origin which involved Kevin Masterson transformation into the new Thunderstrike as a result of the machination of Loki. During this adventure, we learn Jolt is semi-retired with (at least) two school-aged children. As such, Hallie declines the offer to join the team as a full-time member but does mention they can call if they need her.

 

I’ve always imagined the fledgling full-time new Avengers contacted the more established heroes for assistance with setting up the Avengers Compound and perhaps a photo shoot between the pages of A-Next #1 and A-Next #2, which would explain their presence in What If #105 and the Daily Bugle’s front-page photo seen in American Dream #4. Speaking of which, it’s notable that Jolt doesn’t appear in the image, itself a direct reference to the cover of A-Next #1. Though, word of god (tongue no doubt firmly in cheek) says Jolt *is* present, just behind J2!

 

In Spider-Girl #32, we catch a tantalising glimpse of the largely unseen interim Avengers team who attempted to fill the void left after many of the original Avengers perished on their final mission (mentioned in A-Next #7). Jubilee was a member of this line-up alongside Nova, the Steel Spider, Speedball and, of course, Jolt. It’s heartening to learn that members of the X-Men, New Warriors and Thunderbolts all came together in the wake of the tragic loss of many of the Avengers to try and carry on their legacy.

 

Finally, in a nice little story published on the Marvel Unlimited digital comic reading app as Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comic #37, Jolt makes it onto the cover of an MC2 comic! In a story set between the panels of A-Next #1 we learn an interesting fact about Hallie Takahama: she can party like an Asgardian!

 

Jolt is a possibly the earliest example of the MC2 including elements from across the decades of Marvel’s published history, even (at the time) very recent additions such as the youngest member of the Thunderbolts, in their stories. It’s a wonderful tradition, and one I hope we see again someday.

 

Until I find out I’m working with a team of disguised super villains posing as heroes, I remain

 

frogoat

 

Avengers Headquarters in the MC2

In my ongoing effort to delay returning to my Clones in the MC2 series, I am currently procrastinating by focusing my attention on the home of the MC2’s own Avengers team. I thought I might channel this hyper focused tangent into a little post looking at the history of the Avengers Headquarters with particular focus on Avengers Mansion.

What is later known as Avengers Mansion made it’s first appearance way back in 1963’s Avengers #2 where we see the interior, referred to simply as ‘the library of Anthony Stark’, with the exterior of Stark’s Mansion first glimpsed in Fantastic Four #26 when the Hulk emerges from the sewers nearby.

 

The Avengers’ stalwart butler Edwin Jarvis made his first appearance in Tales of Suspense #59 before making his debut in the Avengers title itself with Avengers #16. The building is first identified as ‘Avengers Headquarters’ and ‘Avenger Mansion’ in Avengers #38 and aside from some pedantic variations (such as Avengers #51, Avengers #53, and Avengers #60) is referred to as the ‘Avengers Mansion’ from Avengers #61 onward. There is a two-page cutaway look at Avengers Mansion in Avengers Annual (vol. 1) #1 (or Avengers King-Size Special #1 if you prefer).

 The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (vol. 1) #1 features a fantastic profile detailing the history of the Mansion and includes a mention of several extensive remodels, including moving the Mansion 35 feet from the street. This is referenced in Avengers #230 where Hank Pym recalls Thor and Iron Man were responsible for the move. This write up also fleshes out details published previously, including that it was built in 1932 by Howard Stark (Avengers Annual #9) (though the sliding timeline may someday change this to an earlier Stark) in addition to confirming the address is ‘890 Fifth Avenue between 70^th and 71^st Streets in New York City’ which has remained almost entirely consistent since then with the exception of it being listed as ‘721 Fifth Avenue between 70^th and 71^st Streets’ in at least some reprints of this profile. The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #1 has a few minor updates to details, and a new additional schematic of ‘Sub-Basement Level Two’. A correction for this profile notes the depth of lowest Sub-Basement was left blank and should read 110 feet.

 

During the iconic ‘Avengers Under Siege’ storyline, the Avengers Mansion is destroyed, leaving team demoralised and with no base of operations (Avengers #270-#277). After temporarily using an office suite in Four Freedoms Plaza the Avengers move their headquarters to the artificial floating island Hydrobase while plans for renovation of Avengers Mansion began (Avengers #278). The rebuilt Mansion itself would be moved to Hydrobase in Avengers #288 and the island was dubbed ‘Avengers Island’ in Avengers #301, though the whole island was soon after sunk during an assault orchestrated by Doctor Doom (Avengers #311).

 

Without a base of operations once again, the Avengers temporarily utilize the remaining Sub-Basements beneath the grounds of 890 Fifth Avenue, the location having been recently converted into ‘Avengers Park’ (Avengers #300, Avengers #312).

 

Eventually, construction would begin on a brand new ‘Avengers Headquarters’ with the help of architect Eric Masterson (Avengers #314 - #328, Avengers Annual #19, Thor #423, Thor #434). Construction on Avengers Headquarters was completed in Avengers #329 before an official opening was held in Avengers #332. This version of the Avengers Headquarters is wrecked by the Avengers team member and Eternal Sersi during in Avengers #373, when she was driven mad by the effects of ‘Mahd Wy’ry’ or ‘Eternal Madness’ and the manipulations of the evil alternate-reality version of Dane Whitman known as Proctor.

With the Avengers Headquarters ruined, the alternate reality Watcher known as Ute uses his dying moments to supposedly restore the Avengers Mansion in its place (Avengers #375). However, the team quickly noticed things were not as they seemed (Avengers #378) and soon Black Widow discovers something hidden behind a wall deep in the Sub-Basements, identified as a ‘chronal displacement field’ by Dr Henry Pym aka Giant-Man, which explodes when the Vision attempts to phase through the wall, revealing a strange door (Avengers #382). After further attempts to investigate this strange trans-temporal door (Avengers #385, Avengers: The Crossing), the Avengers make use of the strange door to time travel to the past and recruit the younger ‘Teen’ Tony Stark from Earth-96020, who was not yet corrupted by ‘Kang’ (in actuality a disguised Immortus) (Avengers: Timeslide). Following this time travel adventure, the mystery door disappears and is never satisfactorily elaborated upon (Iron Man #325).

Soon after this point, the events of Onslaught occur, and at its conclusion the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Doctor Bruce Banner and even Doctor Doom apparently perished saving the world from the psychic entity known as Onslaught, a massively powerful psionic manifestation of the combined consciousnesses of Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto (Onslaught: Marvel Universe One-Shot). Consequently, this replacement Avengers Mansion was the final headquarters prior to events branching into the MC2. Oh, and don’t worry! The Avengers are okay thanks to Franklin Richards using his amazing abilities to create a pocket dimension to save his parents and all the other heroes. The reborn heroes would awaken in this pocket dimension to live out new lives, unaware of their pasts. Long story short, the heroes were all eventually returned to the Main Marvel Universe and things went back to some semblance of normality (Heroes Reborn: The Return #1 - #4). The Fantastic Four and Avengers reformed in their respective third volumes and that leads nicely into the MC2 portion of this post.

The MC2’s present day Headquarters first appeared in What If #105 when civilian Peter Parker visits hoping to recruit help. We get a much better look in the Avengers own MC2 series starting with A-Next #1. The Maria Stark Foundation runs tours with all gift kiosk proceeds going to charity. The property grounds still maintain a defensive grid with metallic restraining tentacles seen when Rock Trolls sent by Loki target Kevin Masterson. When Loki’s magical energy bolt is detected by monitors built into the Avengers Compound defences, they bring online a ‘long dormant program’. The program sends out an emergency call to assemble to over a dozen locations, but which is only received by two former Avengers; Jubilee and Jolt who would be joined by Stinger, Speedball and J2, while the program itself activates Mainframe.

 

It is worth noting it is referred to as ‘Avengers Mansion’ in What #105, though usually referred to as ‘Avengers Headquarters’ or ‘Avengers Compound’ (A-Next #1- #3). Characters such as Cassie Lang aka Stinger and even the narration calls the location ‘Mansion’ (A-Next #4, A-Next #8, Avengers Next #1) but it does not appear to be in common use by this point in time. I believe ‘Mansion’ is a colloquial and traditional term, while the building acts as the team’s ‘Headquarters’ and the grounds in their entirety are the ‘Compound.’ As Chief of Staff, Jarvis’ hires Scott Lang as a technical advisor responsible for upgrading and maintaining the team’s hardware (A-Next #3). The training room is located two floors below the ground level (A-Next #6) and the building has at least seven Sub-Basements (A-Next #6). The Avengers stylised ‘A’ logo is rendered on the roof (A-Next #7).

We know from Avengers Next #1 that there is a library, gym, and med lab as well as an armoury which is frequently updated by Tony Stark in areas restricted from the general public, in addition to many more areas. The Headquarters’ arsenal includes at least some of Tony Stark’s old Iron Man armours, the scythe once used by the villain Grim Reaper (Avengers Next #5). Some members of the Avengers take up residence within the Avengers Headquarters, such as Shannon Carter aka American Dream (American Dream #1)

 

This version of the Avengers Headquarters has strong visual similarities to the build designed by Eric Masterson, which raises some questions. Based on what we know of the shared history of the MC2 and Main Marvel Universe, the Avengers Headquarters designed by Masterson was destroyed and replace by a nearly exact duplicate from an alternate universe by Ute the Watcher. While this is most likely a case of artistic licence favouring Masterson’s design, I do have a theory to explain this. Given the interior of MC2 Avengers Headquarters retains many of the Mansion-style fittings and fixtures of old, it’s possible this is (at least in part) the ‘restored’ Mansion with various modifications and additions (such as a reinforced exterior modelled upon or inspired by Eric’s existing designs) made through the intervening years between what we know of the original Avengers team and the rise of the new Avengers in the present. This is partly supported by the mishmash of elements seen throughout, including the (at least) seven Sub-Basement levels.

 

Speaking of the Sub-Basements, there’s another (or possibly the same) mystery door behind which lies a cryogenic chamber containing the unconscious Wanda Maximoff aka The Scarlet Witch, who had been holding closed the mysterious portal to another universe following the original Avengers last mission which left many of them dead (A-Next #6- #9). I find the notion of their being a different doorway in the basement too similar to be merely a coincidence, though we never learn exactly where this interdimensional aperture originated, nor how the original Avengers first learned of the threat posed by the alternate reality on the other side. Just something to think about if you like to draw crazy patterns like I most certainly do.

 

That is about it for this post; the current Avengers Headquarters fortunately has not been destroyed in the MC2. Let us hope it stays that way.

 

Until I stop using these posts to dig deep into Marvel Lore, I remain

 

frogoat