Iron Man's Armory in the MC2: Model 1

 

Today I wanted to launch a new occasional series (as if I haven’t got enough of those running) looking at the various armours of Tony Stark. This is Iron Man’s Armory in the MC2: Model 1.

 For consistency, I’ll be using the designations for the various Iron Man armours provided by to the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe team’s most recent version of the All-New Iron Manual, updated and corrected as part of the Iron Manual trade paperback.

The very first and famously low-tech armour made its debut in the pages of Tales of Suspense #39 wherein Tony Stark built it alongside fellow prisoner Ho Yinsen while held captive as a means to keep him alive and eventually escape. But I’m sure you all already know that. Shortly afterwards, Stark would add a gold finish to better appeal to the public (Tales of Suspense #40).

 

Now, in the MC2 we see Tony’s original Model 1 armour in the pages of Spider-Girl #95 during a flashback to events which took place directly following Tales of Suspense #39 as shown in Iron Man #144 which depicts Stark’s first meeting with James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes.

 

We can also see  a replica of the golden version of the Model 1 in Avengers Next #5 when Kevin Masterson pulls it out of the Avengers Headquarters armory and uses it as a brief distraction against Ulik and Sylene.

 

Unless I’m mistaken, that’s all the appearances of the original tin can suit in the MC2. Next time, we’ll move on to another Stark designed Iron Man Armor, one with a little hot-rod red thrown in…

 

Until I’m able to build one of these in a cave WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS, I remain

 

frogoat

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