Machine Man
Encyclopedia
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 (July 1977), a comic written and drawn by Kirby featuring concepts based on the eponymous Stanley Kubrick
film
and Arthur C. Clarke
novel
. Shortly thereafter, Machine Man spun off into his own Kirby-created series. He is a robot, the only survivor of a series, raised as a human son of scientist Abel Stack, who was killed removing his auto-destruct mechanism, and further evolved to sentience
by a Monolith.
#8 (July 1977), which was written and drawn by Jack Kirby
. He would go on to appear in his own self-titled series in 1978.
This title featured Machine Man entering the mainstream Marvel Universe. Jack Kirby wrote and drew the first nine issues, which dealt with the title character's status as a fugitive from the military after the death of his creator, and his first interactions with mankind. The book was canceled at the end of 1978 with X-51 finally standing up to the military.
Machine Man appeared next in a three issue story arc within the pages of The Incredible Hulk #235-237. The robot found himself battling the green giant within the suburban setting of his human friend, Dr. Peter Spaulding. By the end of the storyline, he incurred a complete system shutdown, leading to the events portrayed in his relaunched monthly series.
The title was relaunched in issue #10 after a nine-month hiatus. Status quo in the book changed with Machine Man now living amongst humanity, and dealing with his own new-found emotions. Marv Wolfman
came aboard as the new writer, partnered with artist Steve Ditko
, which helped set a different tone from Kirby's previous stories. Issue 15 saw a new writer, Tom DeFalco
, taking over the writing chores. The title lasted until issue #19, ending in February 1980.
written by Tom DeFalco
with art by Herb Trimpe
(breakdowns only, issues #1-3) and Barry Windsor-Smith
(finishes only, issues #1-3 & full art for issue #4), with Windsor-Smith also coloring the entire miniseries & co-plotting issue #4 with DeFalco. This series turned out to be one of the most popular of all the Machine Man titles, tying with previous continuity, but with the action set in the distant cyberpunk
future of 2020, starting with Machine Man's reassembly.
The miniseries was first reprinted as a 96 page trade paperback in 1988 (ISBN 0-07135-458-6), with brand new cover art by Barry Windsor-Smith
.
The miniseries was republished again in 1994 as two double-size books, with the name Machine Man 2020. Characters from this alternate future have made appearances in other Marvel books, namely Arno Stark, the mercenary Iron Man 2020
.
In 1990, Machine Man guest-starred in Iron Man Annual #11 (part of the "Terminus Factor" storyline). That story created strong hints that the 2020 Machine Man may turn out not to be the true X-51, but instead a duplicate created by Sunset Bain.
he came across. He was given a drastically more robotic look and his powers were vastly changed. The series lasted twelve issues.
and became psychotic
, due to a lack of identity. X-51 was the only survivor, as he was treated as a son by Stack and given a human face mask as well as being exposed to one of the monolith
s from 2001
. After Stack died trying to protect him, X-51 assumed the human name Aaron Stack and escaped confinement, only to be relentlessly pursued by the army. X-51 was named "Mister Machine" by a young boy in issue #9 of the 10 issue run of 2001.
While on the run, the newly-christened Machine Man initiated contact with humanity in order to better understand it. After being captured and later freed, Machine Man was found by psychiatrist Peter Spaulding. He also battled Col. Krag's troops. Soon after that, he first encountered Curtiss Jackson
. Alongside the Hulk
, he battled Curtiss Jackson. Soon after that, he was redesigned and rebuilt by Dr. Oliver Broadhurst. He then first encountered the Fantastic Four
. He then met mechanic "Gears" Garvin, and then battled Baron Brimstone
. He also battled Madame Menace
. He then first encountered Aurora
, Northstar
, and Sasquatch
of Alpha Flight
. Spaulding and Garvin set up Machine Man with a human identity as Aaron Stack, insurance investigator for the Delmar Insurance Company, but he continued having adventures as a superhero on the side.
In Iron Man v1 #168 (March, 1983), Machine Man attempts to pay Iron Man
a visit. Machine Man was seeking to compare notes with Iron Man, thought to be a robot by Machine Man. At the time, Iron Man was drunk, irate, and under considerable stress from the machinations of Obadiah Stane. Iron Man attacked Machine Man and almost killed two of his own employees. At the last possible second, Machine Man's extendable arm pushed them out of the way.
In a meeting with the Thing
of the Fantastic Four
, Machine Man also first met and fell in love with another sentient robot, Jocasta
. Alongside the Thing and Jocasta, he battled Ultron
. However, during the battle, Machine Man witnessed the seeming destruction of Jocasta by Ultron.
He later fought alongside the Avengers
, which led to the invitation to become a team reservist. Later he was captured by S.H.I.E.L.D.
, who wanted to use his technology to create another Deathlok
. He helps the X-Men
and Douglock
against the villainous Red Skull
, who had taken over the Helicarrier
where Machine Man was held.
He helped the X-Men again against Bastion
and his Sentinels
. As a consequence, he was infected by Sentinel programming, assuming a more robotic look in the subsequent series X-51, and losing self-control whenever he was faced with a mutant. During this series he was on the run from Sebastian Shaw
, who wants his technology for himself. Because of his new programming, while seeking aid from the Avengers, he attacks Justice and Firestar
. Because of his actions against Justice and Firestar, X-51's membership in the Avengers is revoked. At the end of X-51, X-51 encountered one of the monoliths and disappeared, brought into the presence of the monolith's creators, the cosmic beings known as the Celestials.
and Stuart Immonen
's Nextwave series sees Machine Man join a team formed by the Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort, or H.A.T.E.
(a subsidiary of the Beyond Corporation©
) to fight Unusual Weapons of Mass Destruction. Now preferring simply to be called Aaron, Machine Man is partnered with Monica Rambeau
, Tabitha Smith
, Elsa Bloodstone
, and The Captain
, and the team soon discovers that H.A.T.E. are funded by the Beyond Corporation©, leading them to go rogue and carry out their mission on their own prerogative.
Calling humans "fleshy ones" and expressing a degree of pride in his "roboty parts" - which he uses to kill Fin Fang Foom
- Aaron has developed a fondness for alcohol, stating "My robot brain needs beer" on regular occasions. He is not especially popular with his teammates because of his self-important attitude, and as is learned in a flashback that after being brought to space by the Celestials at the conclusion of his previous series, he was dumped back on Earth because the space-gods considered him to be a "complete and utter ☠☠☠☠." ("☠☠☠☠" representing an unspecified, but extremely offensive, profanity throughout the Nextwave series) He appears to have a rather serious attraction to Elsa Bloodstone and stares at her chest constantly, much to her chagrin.
It is revealed that when still an agent of H.A.T.E, Aaron would often sneak into Dirk Anger
's room to steal beer until he found out what Anger made it out of ("I thought lizard squeezings was the name of a brewery!"). He later uses his knowledge of Dirk's quarters to steal Anger's mother's dress and hold it hostage in exchange for the safe escape of Nextwave.
This characterization is strongly at odds with Machine Man's previous depiction as a friendly and logical individual. Warren Ellis and Joe Quesada explained that Nextwave did not take place in the mainstream Marvel universes. However, Aaron Stack's later appearances in the Marvel Universe are consistent with Nextwave.
Machine Man appears in a flashback to Iron Man v1 #168 (March, 1983) in Iron Man/Captain America: Casualties of War. In trying to convince Captain America
of the rightness of his position, Iron Man tells of the time Machine Man came to visit him. Machine Man was seeking to compare notes with Iron Man, thought to be a robot by Machine Man. Drunk, irate, and under considerable stress from the machinations of Obadiah Stane
, Iron Man attacks Machine Man and almost kills two of his own employees. At the last possible second, Machine Man's extendable arm pushes them out of the way. Iron Man uses this incident as the need for accountability in the superhero population.
Aaron and Sleepwalker
are recruited to aid Ms. Marvel
in finding her teammate Araña
as part of a S.H.I.E.L.D. strikeforce known as Operation Lightning Storm. In the promotional cover for this appearance, he is in the costume which he wore during Nextwave. His appearance is entirely in keeping with Nextwave: he wears the same costume and displays the same nonsensical and zany personality developed, in place of his previous logical and friendly self. He reveals that Agent Maria Hill
from S.H.I.E.L.D. offered him financial compensation to join the Initiative, enraging Ms. Marvel, who had supported it from the beginning, for free. He spends much of his time in Chile and aboard the Minicarrier 13, Ms. Marvel's headquarters at the time, antagonizing and criticizing every available agent.
In addition to financial compensation, S.H.I.E.L.D. has also provided Aaron with a Life Model Decoy
of Monica Rambeau
, which is programmed to cry for him. Keeping him in his new role of comic relief
, Aaron has been shown using the LMD body as a replacement part for his damaged body, going so far to offer womanly advices to a deeply shocked Araña.
" universe, initially in a cameo as part of the Nextwave
team who engage in battle against the infected heroes and are killed off panel in "Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
", and as the main character in "Marvel Zombies 3
". As the main character, Machine Man accepts an assignment on behalf of A.R.M.O.R. to accompany Jocasta
to retrieve a blood sample from a living human from the "Marvel Zombies
" universe, and the two are transported there by Portal
. At first he wants to complete his mission only for the money, until he discovers that the zombies are cloning humans for food, much as humans use his fellow robots only for their own needs. He obtains cell samples from the Kingpin
's wife Vanessa
, who is still alive and being kept safe by the Kingpin. Machine Man delivers the samples to Jocasta, but the zombies nearly destroy him in retribution, and Portal and Jocasta are forced to leave his ruined body in that dimension. After Machine Man reveals that it was a holographic projection of himself, he fights off some zombies and captures the zombie Lockjaw
who he uses to teleport back to his own dimension. Disposing of the remaining zombies within the facility, Machine Man and Jocasta are assigned back to S.H.I.E.L.D.
He retains his personality as displayed in Nextwave and Ms Marvel in this series, however when Jocasta describes him as different to the person she once knew, he gives an explanation. Describing his earlier, friendly personality as being linked to "unresolved Oedipal issues", he claims to have grown tired of saving people over and over again to earn their love, as he loved them. Since that never happened (he claims), he has "modeled myself after the fleshies now. I look out for Number One, just like them". However, at the end of the series, as he wipes out the last remaining zombies, he declares, "No, you know what? My name is Machine Man and I just saved the ☠☠☠☠ing world!" accepting the name he spent much of Nextwave and this series denying.
In Marvel Zombies 5
, he teams up with Howard the Duck
and a girl named Jacali and together they travel the mulitverse fighting zombies in hoping to find a cure for the zombie plague. He is dismayed by Jocasta's decision to marry Ultron.
who is tracking down Dagan Shah (whom Red Hulk believed to be behind the death of his old friend). Machine Man and Red Hulk arrive in Sharzhad where they find Dagan Shah in the disguise of Arabian Knight
who lets them through the forcefield and leads them to his palace. Once inside the palace, Dagan Shah reveals his true identity as the Sultan Magus and imprisons Red Hulk and Machine Man.
Machine Man is powered by solar energy. He can also draw power from several different external energy sources, if needed. Machine Man has the ability to telescope his arms and legs to a length of 100 feet. Machine Man's hands are equipped with variable payload fingers, some routinely carried in his fingers, other stored in hidden recesses in his belt. His fingers contain a different variety of weapons, including: gas chromatograph, laser interferometer, micro-pulse radar, audiometer, seismometer, gravity wave detector, pulse-code modulator, standard computer input/outputs, radio beacon, all-wave transceiver, laser cutting torch/weapon, and projecting heat, cold, or electricity; one of his fingers has been shown to contain a bullet-firing mechanism that uses .357 Magnum
ammunition. He has the ability of flight under his own power through the means of anti-gravity
disks.
During the X-51 series, Machine Man had a few extra features thanks to nanotechnology within him at the time. This mainly included parts of himself being rebuilt if damaged, also causing many changes in his look from issue to issue. He also had a beam cannon on his chest.
In Nextwave, he has become a living Swiss Army knife
of sorts, containing various tools and weapons for a multitude of situations, both useful and esoteric. When asked if he could impregnate a human woman from several feet away, Aaron simply states "I am full of very useful devices."
#10, Forbush Man
forced each member of Nextwave to experience life in 'Forbush Vision'; they were cursed to suffer in a boring or mundane personal hell
. Aaron's nightmare was life as an insurance adjustor for Delmar Insurance in Central City, USA. Bashing his head into a personal computer several times out of depression, he decapitated himself...only to answer the phone a moment later. Stack was freed from the nightmare by the intervention of fellow Nextwave member Tabitha Smith
.
trilogy. Transformed by a monolith
into a transparent version of himself, Aaron was forced to become the new Watcher by a blind Uatu
, the previous Watcher, who had not viewed any event on the planet for 20 years. Tricking Uatu, who had attempted to force Machine Man to reject his humanity, Machine Man managed to use his access to Watcher technology and data to help humanity defeat the coming Celestials, by revealing to Earth's superhero community the true origins of mankind. After defeating the Celestials, Machine Man used his newfound position to contact parallel Earths to help them eradicate the Celestial menace.
. The classic version of Machine Man also appears in Marvel Zombies Dead Days in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
, as well as mercenary Arno Stark, the amoral Iron Man of 2020
.
#1 , Iron Man 2020
claimed to the Earth X Machine Man that he had killed Machine Man 2020, despite the miniseries clearly depicting Arno Stark's decisive defeat at Machine Man's hands (The Earth X
universe is a separate continuity
from the mainstream Marvel Universe
).
restructured reality in volume three of Avengers
#1-3, nearly all Avengers, past and present, were transformed into the Queen's Vengeance, a sort of medieval-themed Avengers. Machine Man became Sir MacHinery, an obvious play on the word machine
ry. He can be seen on the cover of issue #2, behind Hercules
.
stated that Nextwave's setting was in a universe separate from the main Marvel continuity. However, recent issues of Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
, as well as Civil War: Battle Damage Report
, consistently place Nextwave's activities in mainstream continuity. As noted above, subsequent appearances by Stack have used the Nextwave portrayal.
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...
, an android 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 —...
in the 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...
Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. The character was created by 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....
for 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (comics)
2001: A Space Odyssey was the name of an oversized comic book adaptation of the 1968 film of the same name as well as a monthly series, lasting ten issues, which expanded upon the concepts presented in the Stanley Kubrick film and the novel by Arthur C. Clarke...
#8 (July 1977), a comic written and drawn by Kirby featuring concepts based on the eponymous Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
film
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
and Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
novel
2001: A Space Odyssey (novel)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke. It was developed concurrently with Stanley Kubrick's film version and published after the release of the film...
. Shortly thereafter, Machine Man spun off into his own Kirby-created series. He is a robot, the only survivor of a series, raised as a human son of scientist Abel Stack, who was killed removing his auto-destruct mechanism, and further evolved to 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...
by a Monolith.
Volume 1
Machine Man originally appeared in the pages of 2001: A Space Odyssey2001: A Space Odyssey (comics)
2001: A Space Odyssey was the name of an oversized comic book adaptation of the 1968 film of the same name as well as a monthly series, lasting ten issues, which expanded upon the concepts presented in the Stanley Kubrick film and the novel by Arthur C. Clarke...
#8 (July 1977), which was written and drawn by 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....
. He would go on to appear in his own self-titled series in 1978.
This title featured Machine Man entering the mainstream Marvel Universe. Jack Kirby wrote and drew the first nine issues, which dealt with the title character's status as a fugitive from the military after the death of his creator, and his first interactions with mankind. The book was canceled at the end of 1978 with X-51 finally standing up to the military.
Machine Man appeared next in a three issue story arc within the pages of The Incredible Hulk #235-237. The robot found himself battling the green giant within the suburban setting of his human friend, Dr. Peter Spaulding. By the end of the storyline, he incurred a complete system shutdown, leading to the events portrayed in his relaunched monthly series.
The title was relaunched in issue #10 after a nine-month hiatus. Status quo in the book changed with Machine Man now living amongst humanity, and dealing with his own new-found emotions. Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
came aboard as the new writer, partnered with artist Steve Ditko
Steve Ditko
Stephen J. "Steve" Ditko is an American comic book artist and writer best known as the artist co-creator, with Stan Lee, of the Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange....
, which helped set a different tone from Kirby's previous stories. Issue 15 saw a new writer, Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well known for his association with Marvel Comics and in particular for his work with Spider-Man.-Career:...
, taking over the writing chores. The title lasted until issue #19, ending in February 1980.
Volume 2
In October 1984 - January 1985, the Machine Man title was resurrected, in a four-issue miniseriesMiniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
written by Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well known for his association with Marvel Comics and in particular for his work with Spider-Man.-Career:...
with art by Herb Trimpe
Herb Trimpe
Herbert W. "Herb" Trimpe Herbert W. "Herb" Trimpe Herbert W. "Herb" Trimpe (b. May 26, 1939, is an American comic book artist and occasional writer, best known for his work on The Incredible Hulk and as the first artist to draw for publication the character Wolverine, who later became a breakout...
(breakdowns only, issues #1-3) and Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
(finishes only, issues #1-3 & full art for issue #4), with Windsor-Smith also coloring the entire miniseries & co-plotting issue #4 with DeFalco. This series turned out to be one of the most popular of all the Machine Man titles, tying with previous continuity, but with the action set in the distant cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
future of 2020, starting with Machine Man's reassembly.
The miniseries was first reprinted as a 96 page trade paperback in 1988 (ISBN 0-07135-458-6), with brand new cover art by Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
.
The miniseries was republished again in 1994 as two double-size books, with the name Machine Man 2020. Characters from this alternate future have made appearances in other Marvel books, namely Arno Stark, the mercenary Iron Man 2020
Iron Man 2020
Iron Man 2020 is a fictional supervillain. He is the counterpart of the superhero Iron Man in the future year of 2020 in the Marvel Comics multiverse...
.
In 1990, Machine Man guest-starred in Iron Man Annual #11 (part of the "Terminus Factor" storyline). That story created strong hints that the 2020 Machine Man may turn out not to be the true X-51, but instead a duplicate created by Sunset Bain.
Volume 3
In 1999 Marvel brought the character back in a series titled X-51, The Machine Man. This series gave Machine Man a programming malfunction in that he would uncontrollably attack any mutantMutant (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...
he came across. He was given a drastically more robotic look and his powers were vastly changed. The series lasted twelve issues.
Fictional character biography
Machine Man, whose real name is Z2P45-9-X-51, was the last of a series of sentient robots created at the Broadhurst Center for the Advancement of Mechanized Research in Central City, California, by robotics expert Dr. Abel Stack for the US Army. However, all previous 50 experimental robots went mad as they achieved sentienceSentience
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...
and became psychotic
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
, due to a lack of identity. X-51 was the only survivor, as he was treated as a son by Stack and given a human face mask as well as being exposed to one of the monolith
The Monolith
Monoliths are fictional advanced machines built by an unseen extraterrestrial species that appear in Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey series of novels and films....
s from 2001
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
. After Stack died trying to protect him, X-51 assumed the human name Aaron Stack and escaped confinement, only to be relentlessly pursued by the army. X-51 was named "Mister Machine" by a young boy in issue #9 of the 10 issue run of 2001.
While on the run, the newly-christened Machine Man initiated contact with humanity in order to better understand it. After being captured and later freed, Machine Man was found by psychiatrist Peter Spaulding. He also battled Col. Krag's troops. Soon after that, he first encountered Curtiss Jackson
Power Broker
Power Broker is the name of two characters in Marvel Comics.Power Broker, Inc. is a fictional criminal corporation in the Marvel Universe which provides individuals with superhuman physical abilities for a price...
. Alongside the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
, he battled Curtiss Jackson. Soon after that, he was redesigned and rebuilt by Dr. Oliver Broadhurst. He then first encountered the 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...
. He then met mechanic "Gears" Garvin, and then battled Baron Brimstone
Baron Brimstone
Baron Brimstone is a fictional supervillain in Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Baron Brimstone first appeared in Machine Man #16 , and was created by Tom DeFalco and Steve Ditko ....
. He also battled Madame Menace
Sunset Bain
Sunset Bain is a fictional villainess in the Marvel Comics universe. She is a shady business-woman who occasionally masquerades as Madame Menace. Although very technologically adept, she personally does not have any super-powers. Publicly she is the CEO of Baintronics. Privately she maintains her...
. He then first encountered Aurora
Aurora (comics)
Aurora is a fictional character, a Canadian superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the twin sister of Northstar and the former lover of Sasquatch. She has also been in a relationship with Wild Child....
, Northstar
Northstar
Northstar is a fictional character, a superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the twin brother of Aurora. Through his mutation, Northstar gains superhuman powers, which he uses for the betterment of society...
, and Sasquatch
Sasquatch (comics)
Sasquatch is a fictional character, a superhero in Marvel Comics' universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 and was created by John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:Dr...
of Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian superhero teams. Created by John Byrne, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 ....
. Spaulding and Garvin set up Machine Man with a human identity as Aaron Stack, insurance investigator for the Delmar Insurance Company, but he continued having adventures as a superhero on the side.
In Iron Man v1 #168 (March, 1983), Machine Man attempts to pay 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,...
a visit. Machine Man was seeking to compare notes with Iron Man, thought to be a robot by Machine Man. At the time, Iron Man was drunk, irate, and under considerable stress from the machinations of Obadiah Stane. Iron Man attacked Machine Man and almost killed two of his own employees. At the last possible second, Machine Man's extendable arm pushed them out of the way.
In a meeting with 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...
of the 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...
, Machine Man also first met and fell in love with another sentient robot, Jocasta
Jocasta (comics)
Jocasta is a fictional, comic book superhero appearing books published by Marvel Comics. A member of the Avengers, the character is a robot created by the villain Ultron.-Publication history:Jocasta first appears in The Avengers Jocasta is a fictional, comic book superhero appearing books published...
. Alongside the Thing and Jocasta, he battled Ultron
Ultron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
. However, during the battle, Machine Man witnessed the seeming destruction of Jocasta by Ultron.
He later fought alongside the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, which led to the invitation to become a team reservist. Later he was captured by S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
, who wanted to use his technology to create another Deathlok
Deathlok
Deathlok is a fictional cyborg published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Astonishing Tales #25 , and was created by Rich Buckler and Doug Moench...
. He helps 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...
and Douglock
Warlock (New Mutants)
Warlock is a fictional character, a cybernetic alien superhero published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #18 , and was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz.-Publication history:...
against the villainous Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
, who had taken over the Helicarrier
Helicarrier
The Helicarrier is a fictional flying aircraft carrier specifically designed to be capable of independent powered flight in addition to the conventional functions of aircraft carriers...
where Machine Man was held.
He helped the X-Men again against Bastion
Bastion (comics)
Bastion is a supervillain that appears in the fictional Marvel Universe. The character was created by Scott Lobdell and Pascual Ferry and first made a cameo appearance in X-Men #52 . His first full appearance was Uncanny X-Men #333...
and his Sentinels
Sentinel (comics)
Sentinels are a fictional variety of mutant-hunting robots, appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. They are usually portrayed as antagonists to the X-Men. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, they first appeared in The X-Men #14 .According to Marvel canon, Sentinels are programmed to locate...
. As a consequence, he was infected by Sentinel programming, assuming a more robotic look in the subsequent series X-51, and losing self-control whenever he was faced with a mutant. During this series he was on the run from Sebastian Shaw
Sebastian Shaw (comics)
Sebastian Hiram Shaw is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and an adversary of the X-Men.A mutant, Shaw possesses the ability to absorb energy and transform it into raw strength...
, who wants his technology for himself. Because of his new programming, while seeking aid from the Avengers, he attacks Justice and Firestar
Firestar
Firestar is a fictional mutant superhero in the . Debuting in 1981 on the NBC animated television series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, she has the ability to generate and manipulate microwave radiation, which allows her to generate intense heat and flames, and to fly...
. Because of his actions against Justice and Firestar, X-51's membership in the Avengers is revoked. At the end of X-51, X-51 encountered one of the monoliths and disappeared, brought into the presence of the monolith's creators, the cosmic beings known as the Celestials.
Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.
Warren EllisWarren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
and Stuart Immonen
Stuart Immonen
Stuart Immonen is a Canadian comic book artist. He is best known for his work on Nextwave, Ultimate X-Men, The New Avengers and Ultimate Spider-Man...
's Nextwave series sees Machine Man join a team formed by the Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort, or H.A.T.E.
H.A.T.E.
The Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort, better known by its acronym H.A.T.E., is one of two antagonistic organizations in Marvel Comics' Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E., a series created by Warren Ellis....
(a subsidiary of the Beyond Corporation©
Beyond Corporation©
The Beyond Corporation© is a fictional multinational corporation that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The corporation acts as a recurring antagonist in the Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. series, appearing in every story arc....
) to fight Unusual Weapons of Mass Destruction. Now preferring simply to be called Aaron, Machine Man is partnered with Monica Rambeau
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...
, Tabitha Smith
Tabitha Smith
Tabitha Smith is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom, the character first appeared in Secret Wars II #5 . She later appeared as a member of the X-Force and, more recently, as a member of Nextwave...
, Elsa Bloodstone
Elsa Bloodstone
Elsa Bloodstone is a fictional character, appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appears in Marvel's Bloodstone mini-series of 2001 written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning...
, and The Captain
Captain (comics)
The Captain is a fictional character, a satiric Marvel Comics superhero appearing in the book Nextwave...
, and the team soon discovers that H.A.T.E. are funded by the Beyond Corporation©, leading them to go rogue and carry out their mission on their own prerogative.
Fin Fang Foom
Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang...
- Aaron has developed a fondness for alcohol, stating "My robot brain needs beer" on regular occasions. He is not especially popular with his teammates because of his self-important attitude, and as is learned in a flashback that after being brought to space by the Celestials at the conclusion of his previous series, he was dumped back on Earth because the space-gods considered him to be a "complete and utter ☠☠☠☠." ("☠☠☠☠" representing an unspecified, but extremely offensive, profanity throughout the Nextwave series) He appears to have a rather serious attraction to Elsa Bloodstone and stares at her chest constantly, much to her chagrin.
It is revealed that when still an agent of H.A.T.E, Aaron would often sneak into Dirk Anger
Dirk Anger
Dirk Anger is a satiric Marvel Comics character appearing in the book Nextwave. He was created by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen.Anger is a thinly veiled, over-the-top parody of Nick Fury...
's room to steal beer until he found out what Anger made it out of ("I thought lizard squeezings was the name of a brewery!"). He later uses his knowledge of Dirk's quarters to steal Anger's mother's dress and hold it hostage in exchange for the safe escape of Nextwave.
This characterization is strongly at odds with Machine Man's previous depiction as a friendly and logical individual. Warren Ellis and Joe Quesada explained that Nextwave did not take place in the mainstream Marvel universes. However, Aaron Stack's later appearances in the Marvel Universe are consistent with Nextwave.
The Initiative
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...
of the rightness of his position, Iron Man tells of the time Machine Man came to visit him. Machine Man was seeking to compare notes with Iron Man, thought to be a robot by Machine Man. Drunk, irate, and under considerable stress from the machinations of Obadiah Stane
Iron Monger
The Iron Monger is an identity used by several fictional supervillains published by Marvel Comics. The first and most notable person to take up the identity is Obadiah Stane...
, Iron Man attacks Machine Man and almost kills two of his own employees. At the last possible second, Machine Man's extendable arm pushes them out of the way. Iron Man uses this incident as the need for accountability in the superhero population.
Aaron and Sleepwalker
Sleepwalker (comics)
Sleepwalker is a Marvel Comics character created by Bob Budiansky. He is named after his race, and is the star of a self-titled comic book which ran for 33 issues from June 1991 to February 1994, with one Holiday Special. All but two of the issues were written by Budiansky, with Tom Brevoort and...
are recruited to aid Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is the name of a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and designed by artist Gene Colan, the non-powered Carol Danvers debuted as a member of the United States Air Force in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 and as Ms. Marvel—a...
in finding her teammate Araña
Anya Corazon
Anya Sofia Corazon is a fictional half Mexican and half Puerto Rican superheroine in the . She formerly went by the codename Araña, but is currently known as Spider-Girl.-Publication history:...
as part of a S.H.I.E.L.D. strikeforce known as Operation Lightning Storm. In the promotional cover for this appearance, he is in the costume which he wore during Nextwave. His appearance is entirely in keeping with Nextwave: he wears the same costume and displays the same nonsensical and zany personality developed, in place of his previous logical and friendly self. He reveals that Agent Maria Hill
Maria Hill
Maria Hill is a fictional character of the Marvel Universe. She was the former director of the planetary defense/intelligence service S.H.I.E.L.D..-Introduction:...
from S.H.I.E.L.D. offered him financial compensation to join the Initiative, enraging Ms. Marvel, who had supported it from the beginning, for free. He spends much of his time in Chile and aboard the Minicarrier 13, Ms. Marvel's headquarters at the time, antagonizing and criticizing every available agent.
In addition to financial compensation, S.H.I.E.L.D. has also provided Aaron with a Life Model Decoy
Life Model Decoy
A Life Model Decoy is fictional android appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is designed to function as an exact body double for VIPs...
of Monica Rambeau
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...
, which is programmed to cry for him. Keeping him in his new role of comic relief
Comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
, Aaron has been shown using the LMD body as a replacement part for his damaged body, going so far to offer womanly advices to a deeply shocked Araña.
Marvel Zombies
Machine Man appears twice in the "Marvel ZombiesMarvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories...
" universe, initially in a cameo as part of the Nextwave
Nextwave
Nextwave is a comic book series by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen, published by Marvel Comics between 2006 and 2007.-Concept:The series was written exclusively in two-issue story arcs, a choice deliberately bucking the trend in modern American comics toward decompression...
team who engage in battle against the infected heroes and are killed off panel in "Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness is a five-issue 2007 comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in association with Dynamite Entertainment, an intercompany crossover in which Ash Williams, hero of the popular Evil Dead film and comic book, finds himself in the Marvel Zombies...
", and as the main character in "Marvel Zombies 3
Marvel Zombies 3
Marvel Zombies 3 is a four-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics beginning in October 2008. It is part of the Marvel Zombies series. The series is written by Fred Van Lente, penciled by Kev Walker, with covers by Greg Land.-Plot:...
". As the main character, Machine Man accepts an assignment on behalf of A.R.M.O.R. to accompany Jocasta
Jocasta (comics)
Jocasta is a fictional, comic book superhero appearing books published by Marvel Comics. A member of the Avengers, the character is a robot created by the villain Ultron.-Publication history:Jocasta first appears in The Avengers Jocasta is a fictional, comic book superhero appearing books published...
to retrieve a blood sample from a living human from the "Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories...
" universe, and the two are transported there by Portal
Portal (comics)
Portal is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. He first appeared as Charles Little Sky in Avengers #304 and as Portal in Darkhawk #5 ....
. At first he wants to complete his mission only for the money, until he discovers that the zombies are cloning humans for food, much as humans use his fellow robots only for their own needs. He obtains cell samples from the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
's wife Vanessa
Vanessa Fisk
Vanessa Fisk is a Marvel Comics character. She is the wife of Wilson Fisk, the so-called Kingpin of crime, and mother of Richard Fisk.-Fictional character biography:Little is known about Vanessa Fisk's personal life and early years...
, who is still alive and being kept safe by the Kingpin. Machine Man delivers the samples to Jocasta, but the zombies nearly destroy him in retribution, and Portal and Jocasta are forced to leave his ruined body in that dimension. After Machine Man reveals that it was a holographic projection of himself, he fights off some zombies and captures the zombie Lockjaw
Lockjaw (comics)
Lockjaw is a fictional character and alien bulldog-like being that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
who he uses to teleport back to his own dimension. Disposing of the remaining zombies within the facility, Machine Man and Jocasta are assigned back to S.H.I.E.L.D.
He retains his personality as displayed in Nextwave and Ms Marvel in this series, however when Jocasta describes him as different to the person she once knew, he gives an explanation. Describing his earlier, friendly personality as being linked to "unresolved Oedipal issues", he claims to have grown tired of saving people over and over again to earn their love, as he loved them. Since that never happened (he claims), he has "modeled myself after the fleshies now. I look out for Number One, just like them". However, at the end of the series, as he wipes out the last remaining zombies, he declares, "No, you know what? My name is Machine Man and I just saved the ☠☠☠☠ing world!" accepting the name he spent much of Nextwave and this series denying.
In Marvel Zombies 5
Marvel Zombies 5
Marvel Zombies 5 is a five-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics beginning in June and ending in October 2010. It is part of the Marvel Zombies series. The series is written by Fred Van Lente, penciled by Jose Angel Cano Lopez, with covers by Greg Land.-Plot synopsis:Morbius...
, he teams up with Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck is a comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. The character first appeared in Adventure into Fear #19 and several subsequent series have chronicled the misadventures of the ill-tempered, anthropomorphic, "funny...
and a girl named Jacali and together they travel the mulitverse fighting zombies in hoping to find a cure for the zombie plague. He is dismayed by Jocasta's decision to marry Ultron.
Working with Red Hulk
Machine Man later teams up with Red HulkThunderbolt Ross
General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross is a fictional character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as an adversary of the Hulk, sometimes as a supervillain. Ross is a United States military officer, the father of Betty Ross, ex-father in-law of Glenn Talbot and the father in-law...
who is tracking down Dagan Shah (whom Red Hulk believed to be behind the death of his old friend). Machine Man and Red Hulk arrive in Sharzhad where they find Dagan Shah in the disguise of Arabian Knight
Arabian Knight (comics)
Arabian Knight is a title used by three fictional characters appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. All three characters are superheroes from Saudi Arabia.-Abdul Qamar:...
who lets them through the forcefield and leads them to his palace. Once inside the palace, Dagan Shah reveals his true identity as the Sultan Magus and imprisons Red Hulk and Machine Man.
Powers and abilities
Machine Man was constructed by unnamed computer engineering specialists under Dr. Oliver Broadhurst at the Broadhurst Center for the Advancement of Mechanized Research; Dr. Abel Stack was his chief programmer. Machine Man's robotic materials, design, and construction (titanium alloy) provide him with a number of abilities, as does his adamantium composition. He possesses superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, and reflexes. He is an expert on his own construction and repair. Machine Man has superhuman visual acuity. He possesses an above normal intellect, with a capacity for unlimited self-motivated activity, creative intelligence, and human-like emotions. He has superhuman cybernetic analytical capabilities, including the ability to process information and make calculations with superhuman speed and accuracy.Machine Man is powered by solar energy. He can also draw power from several different external energy sources, if needed. Machine Man has the ability to telescope his arms and legs to a length of 100 feet. Machine Man's hands are equipped with variable payload fingers, some routinely carried in his fingers, other stored in hidden recesses in his belt. His fingers contain a different variety of weapons, including: gas chromatograph, laser interferometer, micro-pulse radar, audiometer, seismometer, gravity wave detector, pulse-code modulator, standard computer input/outputs, radio beacon, all-wave transceiver, laser cutting torch/weapon, and projecting heat, cold, or electricity; one of his fingers has been shown to contain a bullet-firing mechanism that uses .357 Magnum
.357 Magnum
The .357 S&W Magnum , or simply .357 Magnum, is a revolver cartridge created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, Colonel D. B. Wesson of firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson, and Winchester. It is based upon Smith & Wesson's earlier .38 Special cartridge. The .357 Magnum cartridge was introduced in...
ammunition. He has the ability of flight under his own power through the means of anti-gravity
Anti-gravity
Anti-gravity is the idea of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or to balancing the force of gravity with some other force, such as electromagnetism or aerodynamic lift...
disks.
During the X-51 series, Machine Man had a few extra features thanks to nanotechnology within him at the time. This mainly included parts of himself being rebuilt if damaged, also causing many changes in his look from issue to issue. He also had a beam cannon on his chest.
In Nextwave, he has become a living Swiss Army knife
Swiss Army knife
The Swiss Army knife is a brand of pocket knife or multi-tool manufactured by Victorinox AG and Wenger SA. The term "Swiss Army knife" was coined by US soldiers after World War II due to the difficulty they had in pronouncing the German name....
of sorts, containing various tools and weapons for a multitude of situations, both useful and esoteric. When asked if he could impregnate a human woman from several feet away, Aaron simply states "I am full of very useful devices."
Delmar Insurance
In NextwaveNextwave
Nextwave is a comic book series by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen, published by Marvel Comics between 2006 and 2007.-Concept:The series was written exclusively in two-issue story arcs, a choice deliberately bucking the trend in modern American comics toward decompression...
#10, Forbush Man
Forbush Man
Forbush Man , is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. Originally the mascot of Marvel Comics' Not Brand Echh, he is the alter-ego of Irving Forbush, a fictional employee of Marvel Comics...
forced each member of Nextwave to experience life in 'Forbush Vision'; they were cursed to suffer in a boring or mundane personal hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
. Aaron's nightmare was life as an insurance adjustor for Delmar Insurance in Central City, USA. Bashing his head into a personal computer several times out of depression, he decapitated himself...only to answer the phone a moment later. Stack was freed from the nightmare by the intervention of fellow Nextwave member Tabitha Smith
Tabitha Smith
Tabitha Smith is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom, the character first appeared in Secret Wars II #5 . She later appeared as a member of the X-Force and, more recently, as a member of Nextwave...
.
Earth X
Machine Man was also one of the main characters of the Earth XEarth X
Earth X is a 1999 comic book limited series written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon and published by Marvel Comics. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian future version of the Marvel Universe....
trilogy. Transformed by a monolith
Monolith
A monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument...
into a transparent version of himself, Aaron was forced to become the new Watcher by a blind Uatu
Uatu
Uatu, often simply known as The Watcher, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and designed by artist Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Fantastic Four #13 ....
, the previous Watcher, who had not viewed any event on the planet for 20 years. Tricking Uatu, who had attempted to force Machine Man to reject his humanity, Machine Man managed to use his access to Watcher technology and data to help humanity defeat the coming Celestials, by revealing to Earth's superhero community the true origins of mankind. After defeating the Celestials, Machine Man used his newfound position to contact parallel Earths to help them eradicate the Celestial menace.
Marvel Zombies
Aside from his mainstream version having traveled to this universe, Machine Man and his Nextwave counterparts are also a team in this reality; they are destroyed off-panel by the zombie Power PackPower Pack
Power Pack is a fictional team of comic book superheroes consisting of four young siblings who appear in books published by Marvel Comics. They were created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman and first appeared in their own series in 1984. The series lasted 62 issues...
. The classic version of Machine Man also appears in Marvel Zombies Dead Days in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
Machine Man 2020
Machine Man was reactivated in the year 2020 by a group of outlaw scavengers called Midnight Wreckers (led by X-51's old friend Gears Garvin), and forced to battle his old enemy, the industrialist ice queen Sunset BainSunset Bain
Sunset Bain is a fictional villainess in the Marvel Comics universe. She is a shady business-woman who occasionally masquerades as Madame Menace. Although very technologically adept, she personally does not have any super-powers. Publicly she is the CEO of Baintronics. Privately she maintains her...
, as well as mercenary Arno Stark, the amoral Iron Man of 2020
Iron Man 2020
Iron Man 2020 is a fictional supervillain. He is the counterpart of the superhero Iron Man in the future year of 2020 in the Marvel Comics multiverse...
.
Earth X
In Paradise X: HeraldsEarth X
Earth X is a 1999 comic book limited series written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon and published by Marvel Comics. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian future version of the Marvel Universe....
#1 , Iron Man 2020
Iron Man 2020
Iron Man 2020 is a fictional supervillain. He is the counterpart of the superhero Iron Man in the future year of 2020 in the Marvel Comics multiverse...
claimed to the Earth X Machine Man that he had killed Machine Man 2020, despite the miniseries clearly depicting Arno Stark's decisive defeat at Machine Man's hands (The Earth X
Earth X
Earth X is a 1999 comic book limited series written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon and published by Marvel Comics. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian future version of the Marvel Universe....
universe is a separate continuity
Continuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
from the mainstream Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
).
Queen's Vengeance
When Morgan le FayMorgan le Fay (Marvel Comics)
Morgan le Fay is a fictional character in the , based loosely on the Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend. In this version of the character, she is the half-faerie half-sister of the mythic Arthur. Her elven heritage granted her immortality, and she used this time to master the mystic arts. She...
restructured reality in volume three of Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
#1-3, nearly all Avengers, past and present, were transformed into the Queen's Vengeance, a sort of medieval-themed Avengers. Machine Man became Sir MacHinery, an obvious play on the word machine
Machine
A machine manages power to accomplish a task, examples include, a mechanical system, a computing system, an electronic system, and a molecular machine. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work...
ry. He can be seen on the cover of issue #2, behind Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
.
Television
- In the Spider-Man UnlimitedSpider-Man UnlimitedSpider-Man Unlimited was a short-lived animated series featuring the Marvel comic book superhero Spider-Man. The series was released in 1999, but, although it had fair ratings, was overshadowed by Pokémon, and was canceled after airing only a few episodes. Fox later resumed airing the show, airing...
animated TV series, the Machine Men (all voiced by Dale Wilson) serve as the High EvolutionaryHigh EvolutionaryThe High Evolutionary is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The High Evolutionary was first mentioned in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #133 , and first appears in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #134 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
's enforcers on Counter-EarthCounter-Earth (comics)In the fictional Marvel Universe, there have been three versions of the hypothetical planet known as Counter-Earth, each one a near-duplicate of Earth.-Publication history:...
. Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
saved a Machine Man named X-51 from disassembly in the 5th episode ("Steel Cold Heart"), and he joined forces with Spider-Man and the Human Rebels in their struggle against the High Evolutionary's regime. This robot is one of a group of Machine Men, who switches sides after not wanting to be scrapped following serious damage in a battle. The design of these machine men is somewhat reminiscent of the original Machine Man, especially in terms of color and abilities. However, they are substantially bulkier than Machine Man's human sized physique, drawing inspiration from the design of the Sentinels from X-MenX-MenThe 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...
.
Music
- X-51 was mentioned on the Powerman 5000Powerman 5000Powerman 5000 is an American Metal band formed in 1991. Through the span of over two decades, the group has released several albums and gained their highest commercial success with 1999's science fiction themed Tonight the Stars Revolt!...
album Tonight the Stars Revolt!Tonight the Stars Revolt!Tonight the Stars Revolt! is the second major label studio album by Boston heavy metal band Powerman 5000. It was released on July 20, 1999...
in the song entitled "The Son of X-51" as well as their song "Public Menace, Freak, Human Fly" from the album Mega!! Kung Fu Radio
Controversy
Despite the appearance of Nextwave characters in other Marvel titles, in 2006 Editor-in-Chief Joe QuesadaJoe Quesada
Joseph "Joe" Quesada is an American comic book editor, writer and artist. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom...
stated that Nextwave's setting was in a universe separate from the main Marvel continuity. However, recent issues of Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
, as well as Civil War: Battle Damage Report
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
, consistently place Nextwave's activities in mainstream continuity. As noted above, subsequent appearances by Stack have used the Nextwave portrayal.
External links
- Machine Man at the Marvel Universe
- Machine Man at the Marvel Directory
- Midnight Wreckers at the Appendix the Handbook of the Marvel Universe