Mentallo
Encyclopedia
Mentallo is a fictional comic book
supervillain
, a mutant
who appears in books published by Marvel Comics
.
After having been fired for cause after attempting a covert takeover of S.H.I.E.L.D.
, he has since operated as both a freelance criminal and subversive and a high-ranking agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s enemy HYDRA
. Flumm is usually depicted as using technology to increase his power. He once had a long-term partnership with the Fixer. This partnership effectively ended when the Fixer was invited to join the Thunderbolts
.
. He once worked as a shoe salesman. As a mutant
telepath of moderate ability, Mentallo was recruited by the original S.H.I.E.L.D.
as a candidate for their ESP Division. However, he teamed with the Fixer
in an attempt to take over S.H.I.E.L.D., and clashed with Nick Fury
for the first time. He then served as a division leader in the HYDRA
fragment led by Silvermane
. Mentallo teamed with the Fixer again, and they placed Deathlok under their control. They attempted to make the U.S. President their slave, but were thwarted by the Fantastic Four
. Mentallo and the Fixer were employed by HYDRA again, but Mentallo was rendered comatose by the Micronauts. In the custody of Professor Power
, Mentallo battled Professor X
on a psychic plane. Mentallo was captured by the Super-Adaptoid
, who was impersonating the Fixer, but he was rescued by the Avengers
.
Under the name Think Tank, Flumm was a member of the Resistants
, which was originally an incarnation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. The Resistants opposed the Mutant Registration Act. As Think-Tank, he fought the then-current Captain America
(John Walker). He was imprisoned, and resumed his identity as Mentallo. He started a mass breakout at the Vault
. However, his powers were briefly amplified and used by Iron Man
to compel the escapees to surrender. He then directed an unsuccessful attack on the Hulk
and the Thing
. Mentallo later attended the A.I.M.
weapons exposition.
Mentallo once worked for the Red Skull
and partnered with the Juggernaut
in a successful attempt to brainwash the Hulk to attack the Avengers. Mentallo managed to mentally impersonate the Hulk's wife-killing father and bully him into submission.
His most recent major role in the Marvel Comics
Universe was using his telepathy as part of a conspiracy to break out of prison and acquire a device that would allow his employer to control all the supervillains who ever worked for Justin Hammer
. Controlling the body of the villain Headlok
, while Mentallo himself remained in prison, he freed several prisoners who came to be informally known as the Chain Gang. Hawkeye
was included in the breakout, and led to the plan failing, following it up by forming a new team of Thunderbolts
. He is one of the few mutants who retained their powers after the Decimation.
Mentallo plays a small role in the "Secret War
" crossover event.
Shortly after the events of World War Hulk
, Mentallo was among the members of Hood
's Crime Syndicate. He remained with them until they were defeated by the New Avengers.
Some time after, Mentallo was hired by MODOK
to be part of a supervillain heist squad. Due to his psychic powers, he realised MODOK was creating a psychic illusion of money to secure everyone's loyalty, and MODOK secretly told him the "full extent" of the plans would be revealed to him, and several other villains. Mentallo quickly decided that instead he was going to sell the villain out to whoever stumped up the cash. After noticing "the Chameleon
" had a telepathic shield and Spider-Man's powers & Spider-Sense, he went to him offering to betray MODOK's plans to the Avengers for cash. Unfortunately for Mentallo, it wasn't Spider-Man at all but A.I.M.'s Ultra-Adaptoid
which incinerated him to protect its cover. He was presumed dead, but Mentallo was revealed to be alive when he appeared at Ryker's Island to inform the Fantastic Four and S.H.I.E.L.D. about the New Defenders.
In Secret Invasion
, a person who look likes Mentallo appears as part of the Hood's alliance with super-powered heroes. The group is intent on defeating the Skrull
invasion force of New York City. He was later seen, during an attack on the New Avengers.
During the Heroic Age
, Mentallo once again encountered the Avengers. He attempted to control the mind of Reptil
, who transformed himself into a dinosaur, with Mentallo unable to control the reptillian mind. Reptil was unable to control himself either, and Mentallo was badly savaged as a result.
Mentallo psychically enslaved the Kaiju
monsters of Monster Island on behalf of the Roxxon Corporation, who attempted to seize control of the Island in order to drill for oil. He was stopped and defeated by the X-Men, after he double-crossed Roxxon and tried to flee with his professional fee of a billion dollars. Mentallo was killed as he was fleeing by being squashed to death when one of the giant monsters threw a cargo hold directly on top of him, which contained the entire billion dollars in cash.
with limited psionic powers which can be augmented through scientific means (often provided by the Fixer). Mentallo has telepathy and can read the thought of any human mind within an approximate five mile (8 km) radius. He has the ability to project "mental bolts" at opponents, create psionic screens to protect himself from psionic assault, control the bodies and minds of other humans, communicate telepathically and cast mental illusions. Mentallo has difficulty focusing his powers on moving targets. He is unusually vulnerable to psionic attack unless he erects a mental screen.
Mentallo wears a modified S.H.I.E.L.D.
battle-suit. He has used various weaponry, including conventional firearms, rocket-guns, and a "sonic whammer" which projects intense vibratory blasts. He usually wears a special helmet to protect him against telepathic feedback, background noise and psionic assault from other telepaths. The Fixer has supplied him with "electronic masks" (or "servo-pods") which adhere to victims' faces and places them under Mentallo's control. The Fixer's "mentascope" enables Mentallo to use his psionic power to locate and attack victims from afar. Mentallo is cabable of flight via the Fixer's "anti-grav propellant unit" or "flying discs" and a tank that can bore its way through the ground.
Mentallo also has the ability to send out mental probes to identify the shape and size of objects in his near vicinity, effectively creating some type of radar-sense. He can even locate invisible and intangible objects this way.
As the Resistants member Think Tank, he rode within a small tread-propelled vehicle in which he sat, with his upper body and head still exposed. This tank unit was armed with a wide range of weapons — machine guns, metal grappler arms etc. — which Mentallo directly controlled with his telepathic ability and a special interface helmet.
reality, Mentallo (alongside Arclight
and Wild Child
) is a member of the Red Guard that was positioned in Australia to serve Exodus.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
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...
, a 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...
who appears in 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...
.
After having been fired for cause after attempting a covert takeover of 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....
, he has since operated as both a freelance criminal and subversive and a high-ranking agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s enemy HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA 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...
. Flumm is usually depicted as using technology to increase his power. He once had a long-term partnership with the Fixer. This partnership effectively ended when the Fixer was invited to join 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:...
.
Fictional character biography
Marvin Flumm was born in Watford City, North DakotaWatford City, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,435 people, 619 households, and 378 families residing in the city. The population density was 964.8 people per square mile . There were 790 housing units at an average density of 531.2 per square mile...
. He once worked as a shoe salesman. As a 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...
telepath of moderate ability, Mentallo was recruited by the original 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....
as a candidate for their ESP Division. However, he teamed with the Fixer
Fixer (comics)
The Fixer is a name used by two fictional characters, both of are which were introduced as villains in the Marvel Comics universe.-Roscoe Sweeney:...
in an attempt to take over S.H.I.E.L.D., and clashed with Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
for the first time. He then served as a division leader in the HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA 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...
fragment led by Silvermane
Silvermane (comics)
Silvermane is a fictional Marvel Comics character. He is a supervillain and a prominent figure in the Maggia, a fictional organized crime syndicate that is analogous to the Mafia. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 1 #73...
. Mentallo teamed with the Fixer again, and they placed Deathlok under their control. They attempted to make the U.S. President their slave, but were thwarted by 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...
. Mentallo and the Fixer were employed by HYDRA again, but Mentallo was rendered comatose by the Micronauts. In the custody of Professor Power
Professor Power
Professor Power is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. His first appearance was in Marvel Team-Up vol. 1 #117, although individuals working for him appear before then.-Fictional character biography:...
, Mentallo battled 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....
on a psychic plane. Mentallo was captured by the Super-Adaptoid
Super-Adaptoid
The Super-Adaptoid is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first Super-Adaptoid appeared in Tales of Suspense #82 The Super-Adaptoid is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first...
, who was impersonating the Fixer, but he was rescued by 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...
.
Under the name Think Tank, Flumm was a member of the Resistants
Resistants (comics)
The Resistants, also known as Mutant Force are a fictional supervillain group in the Marvel Comics universe. They were originally the second incarnation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but have become completely independent of the other incarnations of that group, except that they were...
, which was originally an incarnation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. The Resistants opposed the Mutant Registration Act. As Think-Tank, he fought the then-current Captain America
U.S. Agent
U.S. Agent is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those starring Captain America and the Avengers. He was created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary in Captain America vol...
(John Walker). He was imprisoned, and resumed his identity as Mentallo. He started a mass breakout at 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...
. However, his powers were briefly amplified and used by 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,...
to compel the escapees to surrender. He then directed an unsuccessful attack on 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 ....
and 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...
. Mentallo later attended the A.I.M.
Advanced Idea Mechanics
A.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
weapons exposition.
Mentallo once worked for the 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....
and partnered with the Juggernaut
Juggernaut (comics)
The Juggernaut is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #12 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
in a successful attempt to brainwash the Hulk to attack the Avengers. Mentallo managed to mentally impersonate the Hulk's wife-killing father and bully him into submission.
His most recent major role 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 was using his telepathy as part of a conspiracy to break out of prison and acquire a device that would allow his employer to control all the supervillains who ever worked for Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer
Justin 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...
. Controlling the body of the villain Headlok
Headlok
Headlok is a fictional character from the Marvel Universe who first appeared in West Coast Avengers #10 in July 1986.-Publication history:...
, while Mentallo himself remained in prison, he freed several prisoners who came to be informally known as the Chain Gang. Hawkeye
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...
was included in the breakout, and led to the plan failing, following it up by forming a new team of 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:...
. He is one of the few mutants who retained their powers after the Decimation.
Mentallo plays a small role in the "Secret War
Secret War (comics)
Secret War is a five-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics. The series is written by Brian Michael Bendis and painted by Gabriele Dell'Otto...
" crossover event.
Shortly after the events of World War Hulk
World War Hulk
"World War Hulk" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self titled limited series and various other titles published by Marvel Comics in 2007, featuring the Hulk....
, Mentallo was among the members of Hood
Hood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
's Crime Syndicate. He remained with them until they were defeated by the New Avengers.
Some time after, Mentallo was hired by MODOK
MODOK
MODOK is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #93 MODOK (acronym for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
to be part of a supervillain heist squad. Due to his psychic powers, he realised MODOK was creating a psychic illusion of money to secure everyone's loyalty, and MODOK secretly told him the "full extent" of the plans would be revealed to him, and several other villains. Mentallo quickly decided that instead he was going to sell the villain out to whoever stumped up the cash. After noticing "the Chameleon
Chameleon (comics)
The Chameleon is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko; the Chameleon is the first member of Spider-Man's rogues' gallery, based on issue...
" had a telepathic shield and Spider-Man's powers & Spider-Sense, he went to him offering to betray MODOK's plans to the Avengers for cash. Unfortunately for Mentallo, it wasn't Spider-Man at all but A.I.M.'s Ultra-Adaptoid
Super-Adaptoid
The Super-Adaptoid is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first Super-Adaptoid appeared in Tales of Suspense #82 The Super-Adaptoid is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first...
which incinerated him to protect its cover. He was presumed dead, but Mentallo was revealed to be alive when he appeared at Ryker's Island to inform the Fantastic Four and S.H.I.E.L.D. about the New Defenders.
In Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
, a person who look likes Mentallo appears as part of the Hood's alliance with super-powered heroes. The group is intent on defeating the Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
invasion force of New York City. He was later seen, during an attack on the New Avengers.
During the Heroic Age
Heroic Age (comics)
"The Heroic Age" is a 2010 comic book branding that ran through a number of books published by Marvel Comics. It began in May 2010, marking a major change in the status quo of the Marvel Universe after the events of the "Siege" crossover event, much as "The Initiative" and "Dark Reign" dealt with...
, Mentallo once again encountered the Avengers. He attempted to control the mind of Reptil
Reptil
Reptil is a character from Marvel Comics. He is best known as a supporting member on The Super Hero Squad Show and a member of Avengers Academy in the comics.-Fictional character biography:...
, who transformed himself into a dinosaur, with Mentallo unable to control the reptillian mind. Reptil was unable to control himself either, and Mentallo was badly savaged as a result.
Mentallo psychically enslaved the Kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
monsters of Monster Island on behalf of the Roxxon Corporation, who attempted to seize control of the Island in order to drill for oil. He was stopped and defeated by the X-Men, after he double-crossed Roxxon and tried to flee with his professional fee of a billion dollars. Mentallo was killed as he was fleeing by being squashed to death when one of the giant monsters threw a cargo hold directly on top of him, which contained the entire billion dollars in cash.
Powers and abilities
Mentallo is a 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...
with limited psionic powers which can be augmented through scientific means (often provided by the Fixer). Mentallo has telepathy and can read the thought of any human mind within an approximate five mile (8 km) radius. He has the ability to project "mental bolts" at opponents, create psionic screens to protect himself from psionic assault, control the bodies and minds of other humans, communicate telepathically and cast mental illusions. Mentallo has difficulty focusing his powers on moving targets. He is unusually vulnerable to psionic attack unless he erects a mental screen.
Mentallo wears a modified 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....
battle-suit. He has used various weaponry, including conventional firearms, rocket-guns, and a "sonic whammer" which projects intense vibratory blasts. He usually wears a special helmet to protect him against telepathic feedback, background noise and psionic assault from other telepaths. The Fixer has supplied him with "electronic masks" (or "servo-pods") which adhere to victims' faces and places them under Mentallo's control. The Fixer's "mentascope" enables Mentallo to use his psionic power to locate and attack victims from afar. Mentallo is cabable of flight via the Fixer's "anti-grav propellant unit" or "flying discs" and a tank that can bore its way through the ground.
Mentallo also has the ability to send out mental probes to identify the shape and size of objects in his near vicinity, effectively creating some type of radar-sense. He can even locate invisible and intangible objects this way.
As the Resistants member Think Tank, he rode within a small tread-propelled vehicle in which he sat, with his upper body and head still exposed. This tank unit was armed with a wide range of weapons — machine guns, metal grappler arms etc. — which Mentallo directly controlled with his telepathic ability and a special interface helmet.
House of M
In the House of MHouse of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
reality, Mentallo (alongside Arclight
Arclight (comics)
Arclight is a mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Arclight first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #210-211 , and was created by Chris Claremont and John Romita Jr....
and Wild Child
Wild Child (comics)
Wild Child alternately spelled Wildchild and also known as Weapon Omega and Wildheart, is a fictional character appearing in Marvel Comics publications. The character has been active as both a superhero and a supervillain. He has been a member of Alpha Flight, X-Factor, and Weapon X...
) is a member of the Red Guard that was positioned in Australia to serve Exodus.
External links
- Mentallo at Marvel.com