Awesome Andy
Encyclopedia
The Awesome Android, is a fictional character
that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics
. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four
#15 (June 1963) and was created by writer Stan Lee
and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby
.
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books
, the character has made appearances in Marvel titles for over four decades, and also appeared in Marvel-related products including animated television series and trading cards.
#15 (June 1963) as the creation of the Mad Thinker
, and "since then, [the Mad Thinker] and his 15 feet (4.6 m) artificial being ... have had run-ins with most of Marvel's major superheroes.
The pair reappeared in Fantastic Four #28 (July 1964) to battle both the titular superhero team and the mutant superheroes the X-Men
. The Android continued in the role of antagonist, appearing in Tales of Suspense
#72 (Dec. 1965) as an opponent for Iron Man
; Rom #14 (January 1981) against the Mattel
-licensed hero Rom; and in Captain America
#311 (Nov. 1985). The Android reappeared as part of a supervillain team in The Avengers #286-289 (Feb.-May 1988); featured in the Acts of Vengeance
storyline in Avengers Spotlight #27 (Mid-Dec. 1989); battled several Marvel heroes in Thunderbolts
#2 (June 1997) and Heroes for Hire
#1 (July 1997) and had two further encounters with the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four vol. 3, #23 (Nov. 1999) and #43-44 (July-Aug. 2001). The Android was reclaimed and upgraded by the Thinker in a humorous storyline in the 2004-2005 series She-Hulk
; and made a brief appearance in Exiles vol. 2 #4 (Sept. 2009).
creates an artificial lifeform based on the research notes of Fantastic Four
leader Mister Fantastic
. A synthesis of ape
DNA
and unstable molecules
incorporated into an almost indestructible body with a microcomputer
and a solar-power source, the newly christened Awesome Android is directed against the Fantastic Four, although the superhero
team defeats both the Android and the Thinker. The Awesome Android, still as a pawn of the Thinker, returns to battle the combined efforts of the Fantastic Four and the mutant
team the X-Men
before being deactivated by X-Men leader Professor X
.
The Thinker directs the Android to kidnap industrialist Tony Stark, which eventually leads to a battle with Stark's alter ego
Iron Man
. After an appearance during the "War of the Super Villains" storyline the Android is absent from Marvel continuity until directed by the Thinker to capture the Galadorian spaceknight Rom for further study. After a brief battle, Rom successfully deactivates the Android. The Android battles Captain America
, having been repaired by then abandoned by the Thinker. Fellow artificial creation the Super Adaptoid, posing as villain the Fixer, reprograms the Android and uses it as part of an assault team of advanced robot
s called Heavy Metal, consisting of the Awesome Android; Machine Man
; the Sentry 459
, and TESS-One
. The group is eventually defeated by the superhero team the Avengers with Namor the Sub-Mariner
deactivating the Android.
The Android reappears during the "Acts of Vengeance
" storyline, being repaired by the robot Machinesmith
and used to distract the Avengers while several villains escape confinement in the prison facility the Vault
. The Android is neutralized by Captain Marvel
. After battles with the superhero teams the Thunderbolts
, and the Heroes for Hire
, and two more encounters with the Fantastic Four, the Android is reclaimed by the Thinker.
The Thinker upgrades the Android to absorb additional abilities, such as music
al talent and animal traits. Acquiring sentience
, the Android rebels against the Thinker and seeks legal aid from law firm
Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway
(the firm that employs Jennifer Walters, the alter ego
of heroine She-Hulk). The Android is legally emancipated from the Thinker, with a court recognizing the being as a male with a new name, "Awesome Andy." Andy becomes a general office worker for the firm; lacking speech, he communicates via hand-gestures, body language, and a message board around his neck. The board, originally depicted as a chalk board, was retcon
ned into a digital display screen with a Wi-Fi
connection to his CPU.
After a brief fight with a member of the Eternals, Starfox, Andy inadvertently absorbs Starfox's pheromone
-like abilities, causing Andy to gain the affections of his coworker Mallory Book. Upon realizing she does not actually reciprocate these feelings, the character deactivates his powers, and, after being rejected by her, leaves the law firm. Andy reappears as the Awesome Android in the employ of the Thinker, having reset its system with no trace of the previous personality.
The Android also encounters the parallel universe
team the Exiles
.
The Android has super strength and durability, and can also mimic an ability (one at a time) after touching an opponent, such as the strength and epidermis of the Thing
or the frost coating of Iceman
. The character can also emit close-range blasts of gale-force wind
from its mouth. The Android is given one weakness by the Thinker: a collection of nerve
ganglia
underneath the left armpit that if struck will cause the Android to shut down.
imprint, a version of the character named Bobby Burchill appears in Ultimate Fantastic Four
. The character is the younger brother and slave of Rhona Burchill (the Ultimate Marvel version of Mad Thinker).
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
#15 (June 1963) and was created by writer Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
.
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
, the character has made appearances in Marvel titles for over four decades, and also appeared in Marvel-related products including animated television series and trading cards.
Publication history
The Awesome Android debuted in Fantastic FourFantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
#15 (June 1963) as the creation of the Mad Thinker
Mad Thinker
The Mad Thinker is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . He is a genius specializing in evil robotics and usually comes up with very elaborate infallible devious plans that unfold like clockwork....
, and "since then, [the Mad Thinker] and his 15 feet (4.6 m) artificial being ... have had run-ins with most of Marvel's major superheroes.
The pair reappeared in Fantastic Four #28 (July 1964) to battle both the titular superhero team and the mutant superheroes the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
. The Android continued in the role of antagonist, appearing in Tales of Suspense
Tales of Suspense
Tales of Suspense is the name of an American comic book series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such artists as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Don Heck, then featured...
#72 (Dec. 1965) as an opponent for Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
; Rom #14 (January 1981) against the Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
-licensed hero Rom; and in Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
#311 (Nov. 1985). The Android reappeared as part of a supervillain team in The Avengers #286-289 (Feb.-May 1988); featured in the Acts of Vengeance
Acts of Vengeance
"Acts of Vengeance" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through several titles published by Marvel Comics from December 1989 to February 1990.-Publication history:...
storyline in Avengers Spotlight #27 (Mid-Dec. 1989); battled several Marvel heroes in Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
#2 (June 1997) and Heroes for Hire
Heroes For Hire
Heroes for Hire is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54 , and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias.-Publication history and original concept:...
#1 (July 1997) and had two further encounters with the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four vol. 3, #23 (Nov. 1999) and #43-44 (July-Aug. 2001). The Android was reclaimed and upgraded by the Thinker in a humorous storyline in the 2004-2005 series She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
; and made a brief appearance in Exiles vol. 2 #4 (Sept. 2009).
Fictional character biography
The villain Mad ThinkerMad Thinker
The Mad Thinker is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . He is a genius specializing in evil robotics and usually comes up with very elaborate infallible devious plans that unfold like clockwork....
creates an artificial lifeform based on the research notes of Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
leader Mister Fantastic
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
. A synthesis of ape
Ape
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
and unstable molecules
Unstable molecules
Unstable molecules are a piece of fictional technology featured in Marvel Comics. They exist as a configuration of unknown atomic nuclei and electrons that are responsive to certain energized matter around them...
incorporated into an almost indestructible body with a microcomputer
Microcomputer
A microcomputer is a computer with a microprocessor as its central processing unit. They are physically small compared to mainframe and minicomputers...
and a solar-power source, the newly christened Awesome Android is directed against the Fantastic Four, although the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team defeats both the Android and the Thinker. The Awesome Android, still as a pawn of the Thinker, returns to battle the combined efforts of the Fantastic Four and the mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
team the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
before being deactivated by X-Men leader Professor X
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
.
The Thinker directs the Android to kidnap industrialist Tony Stark, which eventually leads to a battle with Stark's alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
. After an appearance during the "War of the Super Villains" storyline the Android is absent from Marvel continuity until directed by the Thinker to capture the Galadorian spaceknight Rom for further study. After a brief battle, Rom successfully deactivates the Android. The Android battles Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, having been repaired by then abandoned by the Thinker. Fellow artificial creation the Super Adaptoid, posing as villain the Fixer, reprograms the Android and uses it as part of an assault team of advanced robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s called Heavy Metal, consisting of the Awesome Android; Machine Man
Machine Man
Machine Man is a fictional character, an android superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character was created by Jack Kirby for 2001: A Space Odyssey #8 , a comic written and drawn by Kirby featuring concepts based on the eponymous Stanley Kubrick film and Arthur C. Clarke novel...
; the Sentry 459
Sentry (Kree)
Sentry-459 is a fictional character that appears in the . It is one of series of giant humanoid robots built by the alien race the Kree. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four vol. 1, #64 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
, and TESS-One
TESS-One
TESS-One is a fictional character, a robot in the .-Fictional character biography:Near the end of 1945 the United States government started to foresee the destructive potential of super heroes like Captain America and the Invaders. They grew concerned that after World War II they would not be able...
. The group is eventually defeated by the superhero team the Avengers with Namor the Sub-Mariner
Namor the Sub-Mariner
Namor the Sub-Mariner is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe, and one of the first superheroes, debuting in Spring 1939. The character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for Funnies Inc., one of the first "packagers" in the early days of comic books that supplied...
deactivating the Android.
The Android reappears during the "Acts of Vengeance
Acts of Vengeance
"Acts of Vengeance" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through several titles published by Marvel Comics from December 1989 to February 1990.-Publication history:...
" storyline, being repaired by the robot Machinesmith
Machinesmith
Machinesmith is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Universe. He specializes in robotics, and is able to make convincing doubles of other superhumans...
and used to distract the Avengers while several villains escape confinement in the prison facility the Vault
Vault (comics)
The Vault is the widely used nickname of a fictional defunct prison facility for technological-based superhuman criminals in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. The prison's full official name is the United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals.It first...
. The Android is neutralized by Captain Marvel
Monica Rambeau
Monica Rambeau is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. Initially known as Captain Marvel, the character became a leader of the Avengers...
. After battles with the superhero teams the Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
, and the Heroes for Hire
Heroes For Hire
Heroes for Hire is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54 , and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias.-Publication history and original concept:...
, and two more encounters with the Fantastic Four, the Android is reclaimed by the Thinker.
The Thinker upgrades the Android to absorb additional abilities, such as music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
al talent and animal traits. Acquiring sentience
Sentience
Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
, the Android rebels against the Thinker and seeks legal aid from law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway
Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway
Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway is a fictional law firm featured in the pages of the She-Hulk comic books - named after Marvel Founders Martin Goodman, Stan Lee, under his birth name Stanley Lieber, and Jack Kirby, using his birth name Jacob Kurtzberg - published by Marvel Comics...
(the firm that employs Jennifer Walters, the alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
of heroine She-Hulk). The Android is legally emancipated from the Thinker, with a court recognizing the being as a male with a new name, "Awesome Andy." Andy becomes a general office worker for the firm; lacking speech, he communicates via hand-gestures, body language, and a message board around his neck. The board, originally depicted as a chalk board, was retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned into a digital display screen with a Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
connection to his CPU.
After a brief fight with a member of the Eternals, Starfox, Andy inadvertently absorbs Starfox's pheromone
Pheromone
A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual...
-like abilities, causing Andy to gain the affections of his coworker Mallory Book. Upon realizing she does not actually reciprocate these feelings, the character deactivates his powers, and, after being rejected by her, leaves the law firm. Andy reappears as the Awesome Android in the employ of the Thinker, having reset its system with no trace of the previous personality.
The Android also encounters the parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
team the Exiles
Exiles (comics)
Exiles, in comics, may refer to:*Exiles , one of two series published in 1993 and 1995 by Malibu Comics*Exiles , a series published by Marvel Comics starting in 2001*Exiles , Marvel Comics villains...
.
Powers and abilities
The Awesome Android is created when the Mad Thinker steals and uses a technique invented by Mister Fantastic, involving splicing unstable molecules into the DNA patterns of an ape. The character has limited artificial intelligence and no capacity for self-motivated activity, and is totally dependent on its programming or on the spoken commands of its programmer, and usually deactivates itself when not active.The Android has super strength and durability, and can also mimic an ability (one at a time) after touching an opponent, such as the strength and epidermis of the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
or the frost coating of Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
. The character can also emit close-range blasts of gale-force wind
Gale
A gale is a very strong wind. There are conflicting definitions of how strong a wind must be to be considered a gale. The U.S. government's National Weather Service defines a gale as 34–47 knots of sustained surface winds. Forecasters typically issue gale warnings when winds of this strength are...
from its mouth. The Android is given one weakness by the Thinker: a collection of nerve
Nervous system
The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...
ganglia
Ganglion
In anatomy, a ganglion is a biological tissue mass, most commonly a mass of nerve cell bodies. Cells found in a ganglion are called ganglion cells, though this term is also sometimes used to refer specifically to retinal ganglion cells....
underneath the left armpit that if struck will cause the Android to shut down.
Ultimate Marvel
In the Ultimate MarvelUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
imprint, a version of the character named Bobby Burchill appears in Ultimate Fantastic Four
Ultimate Fantastic Four
Ultimate Fantastic Four is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Fantastic Four comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
. The character is the younger brother and slave of Rhona Burchill (the Ultimate Marvel version of Mad Thinker).
Television
- The Awesome Android appears in a Namor the Sub-Mariner segment of The Marvel Super Heroes.
- The Ultimate Marvel version of Awesome Android appears in Iron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored Adventures is a 3D CGI cartoon series based on the Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man. It debuted in the USA on the Nicktoons on April 24, 2009, and has already begun airing on Canadian network Teletoon. The series is story edited by showrunner Christopher Yost, who also worked on...
episode "Enter: Iron Monger." This version is named Andy Erwin and is a goth like his sister Rhona. In the episode "All the Best People are Mad," Rhona and Andy slip sleeping gas into the school and places Tony into competing the D.A.T.s (Deadly Aptitude Tests) with Pepper Potts, James Rhodes, Happy Hogan, and Whitney Stane placed in different death traps (similar to the Saw franchise). After Pepper is freed from her trap by Tony Stark guessing the answer to Rhona's question, Andy asks Rhona if he can activate the next death trap. Rhona tells him that she's the supervillain and he's just her henchman. Andy does managed to convince Rhona to allow Tony to use a lifeline from the captives that Tony frees. Displeased that Tony won the D.A.T.s, Rhona sends Andy to take car of Tony's friends. Andy manages to beat. Tony becomes Iron Man and ends up fighting Iron Man. Iron Man's computer reveals that Andy is actually an android. Iron Man tries to make Andy realize that he is an android as Andy attacks Iron Man. Iron Man manages to damage Andy much to the disappointment of Rhona. Andy then ends up shutting down in Rhona's arms.