Mandroid
Encyclopedia
A Mandroid is a fictional suit of power armor
which appears in the Marvel Comics
universe
. It first appeared in Avengers
#94 (December 1971
), created by Roy Thomas
and Neal Adams
.
and built by Stark International for use by S.H.I.E.L.D.
,{Iron Man #227} with the concept being to provide the wearer with a large number of offensive options in order to provide a variable response to the level of threat, threats which may include those posed by supervillain
s or rogue superhero
es. Since then, Mandroid armor has been utilized by several criminals, such as minions of Moses Magnum
.
The Mandroid power armor is constructed of a titanium
alloy
that provides a fair deal of protection from physical and energy attacks; the suit also offers an internal air supply and life support systems. Sensors include infrared
scanners and radar
/sonar
, and the suits contain a full-range radio
and loudspeaker. The suits increase the wearer's strength and durability to superhuman
degrees (a Mandroid once threw a car at Iron Man, carrying it dozens of feet). The main feature is the wide array of offensive weaponry—electrostatic beams, laser
s, magnetic force "punch-blasters", "neuro-stunners", and tractor/repellor beam
s have all been exhibited.
On one occasion, the Mandroids were released against the Avengers during the Kree-Skrull War
, when a Skrull posing as politician H. Warren Craddock claimed that the Avengers were aiding an alien invasion of Earth. However, although the Mandroids were able to overcome various heroes from Goliath
to Captain America
, Iron Man was able to defeat them by using his knowledge of their weaknesses to neutralize the suits without injuring the men inside them.
The Mandroid armor appears in the X-Treme X-Men
storyline God Loves, Man Kills II. In it, William Stryker and a brainwashed Kitty Pryde wear the armor, with Stryker using Kitty's phasing ability, enhanced tenfold, to disrupt biological beings as well as technology.vv
During the events of the Armor Wars
, S.H.I.E.L.D. was sent to capture Iron Man. After discovering that elements of his technology had been stolen and given to both various armored criminals and government organizations, Iron Man neutralized the S.H.I.E.L.D. Mandroids, unwilling to take the risk that their technology would be acquired by a criminal.
J. Jonah Jameson
, having been made mayor of New York, combined the Mandroid technology with that of the Spider-Slayer
s, creating a "Spider-Slayer Squad".
Powered exoskeleton
A powered exoskeleton, also known as powered armor, or exoframe, is a powered mobile machine consisting primarily of an exoskeleton-like framework worn by a person and a power supply that supplies at least part of the activation-energy for limb movement.Powered exoskeletons are designed to assist...
which appears 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...
. It first appeared in 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...
#94 (December 1971
1971 in comics
This is a list of comics-related events in 1971.-Year overall:* The Comics Code Authority revises the Code a number of times during the year. Initially "liberalized" on January 28, 1971, to allow for the sometimes "sympathetic depiction of criminal behavior . ....
), created by Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and Neal Adams
Neal Adams
Neal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
.
Fictional history
Mandroids were originally designed by Tony StarkIron 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,...
and built by Stark International for use 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....
,{Iron Man #227} with the concept being to provide the wearer with a large number of offensive options in order to provide a variable response to the level of threat, threats which may include those posed by supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s or rogue 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 —...
es. Since then, Mandroid armor has been utilized by several criminals, such as minions of Moses Magnum
Moses Magnum
Moses Magnum is a fictional character, an arms dealer, terrorist, and supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Moses Magnum first appeared in Giant-Size Spider-Man #4 , and was created by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru....
.
The Mandroid power armor is constructed of a titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
that provides a fair deal of protection from physical and energy attacks; the suit also offers an internal air supply and life support systems. Sensors include infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
scanners and radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
/sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
, and the suits contain a full-range radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and loudspeaker. The suits increase the wearer's strength and durability to superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
degrees (a Mandroid once threw a car at Iron Man, carrying it dozens of feet). The main feature is the wide array of offensive weaponry—electrostatic beams, laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
s, magnetic force "punch-blasters", "neuro-stunners", and tractor/repellor beam
Tractor beam
A tractor beam is a device with the ability to attract one object to another from a distance. Since the 1990s, technology and research has labored to make it a reality, mostly at microscopic level. Less commonly, a similar beam that repels is called a pressor beam or repulsor beam...
s have all been exhibited.
On one occasion, the Mandroids were released against the Avengers during the Kree-Skrull War
Kree-Skrull War
The "Kree-Skrull War" is a story arc that was written by Roy Thomas, and drawn by Sal Buscema, Neal Adams, and John Buscema. The story was originally published in the Marvel Comics comic book title Avengers #89 - 97 ....
, when a Skrull posing as politician H. Warren Craddock claimed that the Avengers were aiding an alien invasion of Earth. However, although the Mandroids were able to overcome various heroes from Goliath
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
to 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...
, Iron Man was able to defeat them by using his knowledge of their weaknesses to neutralize the suits without injuring the men inside them.
The Mandroid armor appears in the X-Treme X-Men
X-Treme X-Men
X-Treme X-Men was a comic book published by Marvel Comics from 2001 through 2004. All 46 issues of the series were written by Chris Claremont. The first 24 issues were drawn by Salvador Larroca, and the final 22 issues were drawn by Igor Kordey....
storyline God Loves, Man Kills II. In it, William Stryker and a brainwashed Kitty Pryde wear the armor, with Stryker using Kitty's phasing ability, enhanced tenfold, to disrupt biological beings as well as technology.vv
During the events of the Armor Wars
Armor Wars
"Armor Wars" is a seven-issue Iron Man story arc written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton with art by Mark D. Bright and Barry Windsor-Smith and published by Marvel Comics...
, S.H.I.E.L.D. was sent to capture Iron Man. After discovering that elements of his technology had been stolen and given to both various armored criminals and government organizations, Iron Man neutralized the S.H.I.E.L.D. Mandroids, unwilling to take the risk that their technology would be acquired by a criminal.
J. Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson
John Jonah Jameson Junior is a supporting character of Spider-Man in the .Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and now serves as the mayor of New York City...
, having been made mayor of New York, combined the Mandroid technology with that of the Spider-Slayer
Spider-Slayer
The Spider-Slayers are a series of fictional robots in the Marvel Comics universe that were specifically designed to hunt down, capture, and/or kill Spider-Man.-Fictional character biography:...
s, creating a "Spider-Slayer Squad".
Television
- The Mandroids appeared in the 90's Iron ManIron Man (TV series)Iron Man, also known as Iron Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series based on Marvel Comics' superhero Iron Man...
animated series, in the episode "Cell of Iron" and also during the show's adaptation of the Armor WarsArmor Wars"Armor Wars" is a seven-issue Iron Man story arc written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton with art by Mark D. Bright and Barry Windsor-Smith and published by Marvel Comics...
saga in which Tony takes them out for using Iron Man technology with inhibitor packs. The design, however, is that of the GuardsmanGuardsman (comics)Guardsman was the name of a superhero in the Marvel Universe, but was later applied to a small squad of agents. He/they wear suits of power armor while working security at the Vault; the suits were designed by Tony Stark, better known as the superhero Iron Man....
armor. - A squadron of Mandroids appeared in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series. A second season has been...
episode "Iron Man is Born". These versions were built by S.H.I.E.L.D. without the knowledge or consent of Tony Stark, and are colored blue. They appear to fight HYDRAHYDRAHYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
only to also fight Iron Man even though he took out a HYDRA DreadnoughtDreadnought (comics)Dreadnoughts are a type of fictional robot found in the Marvel Comics universe. They are frequently employed by villainous organizations. Different forms of the robots are depicted by organizations such as HYDRA and the Maggia....
that was about to harm them. Nick Fury orders the Mandroids to call off their attack on Iron Man. Stark later points out that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Mandroids designs have been used by HYDRA to make their Dreadnoughts. - The Mandroids appear in the 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 "Fugitive of S.H.I.E.L.D". In this contingency, they are robots made by Justin HammerJustin HammerJustin Hammer is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. As a frequent adversary of the superhero Iron Man, Justin Hammer exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
and are recolored versions of Stark's Arctic Armor Design.
External links
- Mandroid at MarvelDirectory.com