Arsenal (Marvel Comics)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Arsenal | |
 Arsenal, as featured on the cover of Avengers Annual #9 (1979). Art by Don Newton. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Iron Man #114 (vol. 1, Sep. 1978) |
| Created by | Bill Mantlo and Keith Giffen |
| In story information | |
| Team affiliations | Mother |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength Durability Air Jets Laser Cannon Advanced Sensors |
Arsenal is a robot that exists in the fictional Marvel Universe. The character first appeared in Iron Man #114 (vol. 1, Sep. 1978) and was created by Bill Mantlo and Keith Giffen.
[edit] Fictional character biography
In the final days of World War II, a group of Allied scientists - led by Howard Stark, the father of Tony Stark (alias Iron Man) - developed "Project Tomorrow" - the creation of a robot called Arsenal; a prototype fighting unit to be deployed in the event of an Axis victory. The robot was also guided by an early computer program called "Mother." When the Allies won the war, Arsenal was placed in storage. The robot was activated for a military demonstration during a worsening Cold War, but was never used.
In the present day the superhero team the Avengers are battling the supervillain the Unicorn underneath Avengers Mansion, when Arsenal suddenly appears and attacks them. Iron Man manages to drive Arsenal off, [1] and shortly afterwards the Avengers learn the origin of the robot from their government liaison, Henry Gyrich. Arsenal then reemerges and captures Hawkeye and the Beast and stuns Yellowjacket with an electric shock. Yellowjacket, however, recovers and alerts the other Avengers, advising them that Project Tomorrow is directly beneath the mansion.
Guided by Mistress - who believes the Allies lost World War II - Arsenal defeats several Avengers, until confronted by Thor and the Scarlet Witch. On the verge of defeat, Arsenal apparently self-destructs while Iron Man confronts Mistress, who was programmed with the brain patterns of his deceased mother, Maria. Once Iron Man unmasks and explains that the Allies won the war, and that Mistress is simply modelled on his dead mother, the computer program wipes its own memory. [2]
Several months later She-Hulk and the Hulk are visiting Avengers mansion and are alerted to Arsenal's presence when it attacks Edwin Jarvis, the Avengers' butler. Arsenal then incapacitates She-Hulk, and in a rage the Hulk pummels Arsenal until it is destroyed. [3]
Iron Man eventually learns that only a "Beta" unit had been destroyed, and that an "Alpha" unit remained deactivated beneath Avengers Mansion. Homeland Security ask him to shut it down without informing the other Avengers due to the security risk it poses. Iron Man tracks the unit, but is unaware that the Avengers have followed him. The unit is activated when transmission codes are radioed to Iron Man, which results in a battle between the new Arsenal and the Avengers. Iron Man then realises that Arsenal was activated by interference with its signal, which was set to "inert." Iron Man occupies Arsenal while Warbird stops the source of the interference, causing Arsenal to deactivate. The unit is then dismantled. [4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Iron Man #114 (vol. 1, Sep. 1978)
- ^ Avengers Annual #9 (1979)
- ^ Hulk #282 (vol. 1, Apr. 1983)
- ^ Iron Man #84 - 85 (vol. 2, 2004)
