Super-Adaptoid
Encyclopedia
The Super-Adaptoid is the name of two fictional character
s that appear in comic book
s published by Marvel Comics
.
The first Super-Adaptoid appeared in Tales of Suspense
#82 (Oct. 1966) and was created by Stan Lee
, Jack Kirby
and Gene Colan
.
The character has appeared in over four decades of Marvel continuity and featured in other Marvel-endorsed products such as animated television series and merchandise such as trading cards.
, being created by scientific organization A.I.M.
. The character is an android containing a shard
of the artifact
known as the Cosmic Cube
, and is programmed to defeat the hero Captain America
, which it nearly does after infiltrating Avengers
Headquarters and copying the standout fighting abilities and respective traits of Captain America and his fellow Avengers (Goliath, Hawkeye, and Wasp). After a long battle between Captain America and the Adaptoid, the Adaptoid flees, believing - incorrectly - that it killed Captain America.
After an appearance in the title X-Men
the Adaptoid features in the title Iron Man
and is destroyed. The Adaptoid reforms in the title Captain Marvel, and after a brief battle with Iron Man follows the hero to Avengers Mansion, where the character battles the team and Kree
ally Captain Marvel. Mar-Vell tricks the Adaptoid into copying his nega-bands, which act as a portal to the alternate dimension the Negative Zone
. By striking the Adaptoid's nega-bands together, Mar-Vell banishes the character to the Negative Zone indefinitely.
The Adaptoid is retrieved in the title Marvel Two-in-One
and used unsuccessfully by villains Annihilus
and Blastaar
against the hero the Thing
and the Avengers in the Negative Zone. The Adaptoid reappears in the title Avengers and is revealed to be stored at Avengers Mansion, where it is found by the Fixer when the supervillains the Masters of Evil
storm the Mansion. The Adaptoid escapes, and after placing the Fixer in his containment unit, copies the powers of the villain Mentallo
. Uniting a team of artificial beings called Heavy Metal (consisting of the Awesome Android; Machine Man
; the Sentry 459
and TESS-One
), the Adaptoid directs them against the Avengers. While the heroes are distracted, the Adaptoid summons the entity Kubik
- a sentient Cosmic Cube - to Earth, so that the character can copy Kubik's powers and become all-powerful. Although successful, the Adaptoid is tricked into shutting down by Captain America.
The Adaptoid makes a brief appearance during the Acts of Vengeance
storyline in the title Fantastic Four
; the title Heroes for Hire
where the character is disabled, and the title Hulk
, with scientist Bruce Banner (the alter ego
of the Hulk) being blackmail
ed into repairing and activating the Adaptoid.
In a New Avengers annual, terrorist organization HYDRA
commission a new Adaptoid from A.I.M and deploy it to battle the New Avengers. A fusion of human (Yelena Belova
) and machine, the Adaptoid is eventually defeated when the powers "copied" from Avenger Sentry
cause the character the same psychological problems he experiences. HYDRA then destroys the Adaptoid via a remote-controlled self destruct device.
An "Ultra-Adaptoid" appears in the limited series Super-Villain Team-Up: Modok's 11. Created by A.I.M. to infiltrate a group of super-villains formed by MODOK
- a past A.I.M. creation himself - the character has no independent will and is remotely controlled. Courtesy of a satellite
relay, the Adaptoid has access to dozens of powers, but is eventually destroyed when released from A.I.M control.
The Super-Adaptoid features in the limited series Annihilation Conquest: Quasar, and is revealed to be a warrior in the employ of the Alien
Phalanx
. Claiming it left Earth after becoming disgusted with humanity's chaotic nature, the character attempts to destroy the new Quasar
, her companion Moondragon
and a reborn Adam Warlock
.
to use as a field agent. The inferior model, however, is eventually deactivated by crime boss Blood Rose
.
, although the shard was eventually removed by cosmic entity Kubik
. The character, however, has proven capable of continuing to function without the shard. The Adaptoid possesses exceptional artificial intelligence, but limited imagination and an inability to understand the human condition, which has led to defeat in the past. When Yelena Belova was given the power of the Super-Adaptoid, Spider-Man
had the idea to overload her ability to duplicate powers by having Iron Man
attack her with all of his armors
at once, overloaded the Adaptoid's copying ability as she only had the 'space' to copy one Iron Man rather than all of them.
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...
s that appear in comic book
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...
s published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
.
The first Super-Adaptoid appeared in Tales of Suspense
Tales of Suspense
Tales of Suspense is the name of an American comic book series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such artists as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Don Heck, then featured...
#82 (Oct. 1966) and was created by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
, 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....
and Gene Colan
Gene Colan
Eugene Jules "Gene" Colan was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series, Daredevil, the cult-hit satiric series Howard the Duck, and The Tomb of Dracula, considered one of comics' classic horror series...
.
The character has appeared in over four decades of Marvel continuity and featured in other Marvel-endorsed products such as animated television series and merchandise such as trading cards.
Fictional character biography
The Super-Adaptoid debuted in the title Tales of SuspenseTales of Suspense
Tales of Suspense is the name of an American comic book series and two one-shot comics published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such artists as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Don Heck, then featured...
, being created by scientific organization 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:...
. The character is an android containing a shard
Sherd
In archaeology, a sherd is commonly a historic or prehistoric fragment of pottery, although the term is occasionally used to refer to fragments of stone and glass vessels as well....
of the artifact
Magic item
A magic item is any object that has magical powers inherent in it. These may act on their own or be the tools of the person or being whose hands they fall into. Magic items are commonly found in both folklore and modern fantasy...
known as the Cosmic Cube
Cosmic Cube
The Cosmic Cube, called the Tesseract in the film Captain America: The First Avenger, is the name of a fictional object that appears in the Marvel Universe. The concept was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Tales of Suspense #79 .-Publication history:The first Cosmic Cube...
, and is programmed to defeat the hero 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...
, which it nearly does after infiltrating 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...
Headquarters and copying the standout fighting abilities and respective traits of Captain America and his fellow Avengers (Goliath, Hawkeye, and Wasp). After a long battle between Captain America and the Adaptoid, the Adaptoid flees, believing - incorrectly - that it killed Captain America.
After an appearance in the title X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
the Adaptoid features in the title 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,...
and is destroyed. The Adaptoid reforms in the title Captain Marvel, and after a brief battle with Iron Man follows the hero to Avengers Mansion, where the character battles the team and Kree
Kree
The Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud...
ally Captain Marvel. Mar-Vell tricks the Adaptoid into copying his nega-bands, which act as a portal to the alternate dimension the Negative Zone
Negative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
. By striking the Adaptoid's nega-bands together, Mar-Vell banishes the character to the Negative Zone indefinitely.
The Adaptoid is retrieved in the title Marvel Two-in-One
Marvel Two-in-One
Marvel Two-In-One was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that featured the Fantastic Four member, the Thing, in a different team-up each issue with a different character. The series continued from the team-up stories starring the Thing in the final two issues of Marvel...
and used unsuccessfully by villains Annihilus
Annihilus
Annihilus is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. In 2009, Annihilus was ranked as IGN's 94th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.-Publication history:...
and Blastaar
Blastaar
Blastaar, sometimes called the Living Bomb-Burst and Blasstaar, is a Marvel Comics supervillain. Blastaar is an opponent of the Fantastic Four and lives in the Negative Zone...
against the hero 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...
and the Avengers in the Negative Zone. The Adaptoid reappears in the title Avengers and is revealed to be stored at Avengers Mansion, where it is found by the Fixer when the supervillains the Masters of Evil
Masters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
storm the Mansion. The Adaptoid escapes, and after placing the Fixer in his containment unit, copies the powers of the villain Mentallo
Mentallo
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...
. Uniting a team of artificial beings called Heavy Metal (consisting of the Awesome Android; Machine Man
Machine Man
Machine Man is a fictional character, an android superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character was created by Jack Kirby for 2001: A Space Odyssey #8 , a comic written and drawn by Kirby featuring concepts based on the eponymous Stanley Kubrick film and Arthur C. Clarke novel...
; the Sentry 459
Sentry (Kree)
Sentry-459 is a fictional character that appears in the . It is one of series of giant humanoid robots built by the alien race the Kree. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four vol. 1, #64 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
and TESS-One
TESS-One
TESS-One is a fictional character, a robot in the .-Fictional character biography:Near the end of 1945 the United States government started to foresee the destructive potential of super heroes like Captain America and the Invaders. They grew concerned that after World War II they would not be able...
), the Adaptoid directs them against the Avengers. While the heroes are distracted, the Adaptoid summons the entity Kubik
Kubik
Kubik is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears as a Cosmic Cube in Tales of Suspense #79 , and as Kubik in Avengers #289...
- a sentient Cosmic Cube - to Earth, so that the character can copy Kubik's powers and become all-powerful. Although successful, the Adaptoid is tricked into shutting down by Captain America.
The Adaptoid makes a brief appearance during the Acts of Vengeance
Acts of Vengeance
"Acts of Vengeance" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through several titles published by Marvel Comics from December 1989 to February 1990.-Publication history:...
storyline in the title 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...
; the title Heroes for Hire
Heroes For Hire
Heroes for Hire is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54 , and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias.-Publication history and original concept:...
where the character is disabled, and the title 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 ....
, with scientist Bruce Banner (the alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
of the Hulk) being blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
ed into repairing and activating the Adaptoid.
In a New Avengers annual, terrorist organization 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...
commission a new Adaptoid from A.I.M and deploy it to battle the New Avengers. A fusion of human (Yelena Belova
Black Widow (Yelena Belova)
Black Widow is a fictional character, a spy in the . She first appears in Inhumans #5 and was created by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee.-Publication history:...
) and machine, the Adaptoid is eventually defeated when the powers "copied" from Avenger Sentry
Sentry (Robert Reynolds)
The Sentry is a fictional character in the . The character first appears in The Sentry #1 and was created by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee, with uncredited conceptual contributions by Rick Veitch.-Creation:...
cause the character the same psychological problems he experiences. HYDRA then destroys the Adaptoid via a remote-controlled self destruct device.
An "Ultra-Adaptoid" appears in the limited series Super-Villain Team-Up: Modok's 11. Created by A.I.M. to infiltrate a group of super-villains formed 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...
- a past A.I.M. creation himself - the character has no independent will and is remotely controlled. Courtesy of a satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
relay, the Adaptoid has access to dozens of powers, but is eventually destroyed when released from A.I.M control.
The Super-Adaptoid features in the limited series Annihilation Conquest: Quasar, and is revealed to be a warrior in the employ of the Alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
Phalanx
Phalanx (comics)
The Phalanx are a fictional cybernetic species in the Marvel Comics universe. They have come in conflict with the X-Men and related groups on several occasions. They form a hive mind, linking each member by a telepathy-like system....
. Claiming it left Earth after becoming disgusted with humanity's chaotic nature, the character attempts to destroy the new Quasar
Phyla-Vell
Phyla-Vell is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. She has gone by the names Quasar, Captain Marvel and Martyr. She was created by Peter David and Paul Azaceta in Captain Marvel Phyla-Vell is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics...
, her companion Moondragon
Moondragon
Moondragon is a fictional character in Marvel Comics Universe. A vastly powerful telepath, master martial artist, minor telekinetic, and highly skilled geneticist, Moondragon's most notable characteristics are her shaved head, superiority complex, and gruelling elite excellence in virtually every...
and a reborn Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #66 and #67 Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel...
.
Super-Adaptoid II
A Super-Adaptoid using the alias of "Alessandro Brannex" provides a new but inferior model of itself to the villainous group the New EnforcersNew Enforcers
The New Enforcers is a supervillain team in Marvel Comics.-Fictional team biography:After the fall of the Kingpin, the New Enforcers were one of the groups contesting for control of the remains of his empire. Their main adversary was Spider-Man, but they also contended with Blood Rose, a.k.a....
to use as a field agent. The inferior model, however, is eventually deactivated by crime boss Blood Rose
Richard Fisk
Richard Fisk is a fictional character, a criminal in the , featured in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the son of the Kingpin and his wife Vanessa Fisk...
.
Powers and abilities
Created by A.I.M, the first Super-Adaptoid is an artificial construct capable of copying or mimicking the powers and skills of numerous super beings, including specific equipment and clothing. This ability to adapt was originally courtesy of a shard of the artifact the Cosmic CubeCosmic Cube
The Cosmic Cube, called the Tesseract in the film Captain America: The First Avenger, is the name of a fictional object that appears in the Marvel Universe. The concept was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Tales of Suspense #79 .-Publication history:The first Cosmic Cube...
, although the shard was eventually removed by cosmic entity Kubik
Kubik
Kubik is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears as a Cosmic Cube in Tales of Suspense #79 , and as Kubik in Avengers #289...
. The character, however, has proven capable of continuing to function without the shard. The Adaptoid possesses exceptional artificial intelligence, but limited imagination and an inability to understand the human condition, which has led to defeat in the past. When Yelena Belova was given the power of the Super-Adaptoid, Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-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...
had the idea to overload her ability to duplicate powers by having 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,...
attack her with all of his armors
Iron Man's armor
Iron Man's armor is the fictional powered exoskeleton worn by the fictional Tony Stark when he assumes his superhero role of Iron Man. The first version of the armor was created by Stark with the help of Ho Yinsen....
at once, overloaded the Adaptoid's copying ability as she only had the 'space' to copy one Iron Man rather than all of them.
Television
- The Super-Adaptoid appears in the animated television series The Marvel Super Heroes (1966)
- The Super-Adaptoid has two cameo appearances in the X-MenX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
TV series (1992).
Video games
- It is the final boss in the video game Spider-Man: Web of FireSpider-Man: Web of FireSpider-Man: Web of Fire is a video game released for the Sega 32X and based on the popular Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The game was one of the last games released for the 32X system and thus is hard to find, commonly selling on eBay for well over 100 US dollars.In the game, the player...
for the Sega 32XSega 32XThe Sega 32X, codenamed Project Mars, is an add-on for the Mega Drive/Genesis video game console by Sega. Its aim was to increase the lifespan of the aging Mega Drive/Genesis system, which was facing stiff competition from the SNES...
. The Adaptoid takes on the forms of several previous bosses, making it something of a boss rush.
External links
- Super-Adaptoid at Marvel.com
- New Enforcers' Super-Adaptoid at Marvel.com
- Super-Adaptoid Spawns at Marvel.com