Torgo (robot)

Torgo is a fictional character, an alien robot appearing in the Marvel Comics universe.

Publication history

Torgo first appeared in Fantastic Four #91 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

Fictional character biography

Torgo is from the planet Maarin (where all life is robotic) where it was one of the first robots created by its inhabitants. That race died out due to a deadly spore virus centuries ago. It was Torgo who buried the last inhabitant and renamed the planet Mekka.^[1]

Torgo was captured by the Skrulls of Kral led by Boss Barker where they forced him to serve in their gladiatorial pens under the threat that they would use to destroy Mekka if he refused to do what they say. Torgo's power and skill enabled him to become champion of the contest under the mob boss Lippy Louie. He was undefeated in a lengthy string of combat.^[2]

In the slave pens of Kral, Torgo met Thing and told them that he would kill them when it came to their fight.^[3] Torgo attempted to convince Thing that it was useless to oppose the Skrulls since their hypno-rays and slave collars made him helpless. Thing even tried to get Torgo to join him against the Skrulls only for Torgo to attack him until the Skrull slavers had to break up the fight. As the Skrull slavers approached, Torgo revealed the threat of the Sonic Disruptor aimed at the home planets of the slaves. Thing and Torgo then watched the first contest which was between a Primitoid and a Cat-Man.^[2] Then it came to the fight between Thing and Torgo where Thing tried to get Torgo to fight the Skrulls who are the real enemies. During the fight, Thing was at a disadvantage since Torgo was more skilled at weapons than Thing. Thing managed to get Torgo at his mercy and refused to kill him. When Torgo took advantage of that, Torgo also refused to kill Thing. In the nick of time, the rest of the Fantastic Four arrived on Kral as Human Torch destroyed the Sonic Disruptor. Afterwards, Torgo led the slaves in a rebellion against their former masters.^[4]

Torgo's rebellion led the slaves to victory. Returning to Mekka, Torgo was named a hero and named "First Among the Equals of Mekka." Thing and Mister Fantastic were sent by High Evolutionary to find a potential world for Galactus in exchange that Galactus doesn't consume Counter-Earth. Although Mekka was the first choice, Mister Fantastic and Thing couldn't let Galactus consume Torgo's planet since it was filled with intelligent robots. Torgo couldn't allow Thing and Mister Fantastic to leave out of fear that they'll tell Galactus of Mekka. Torgo's kind overpowered the two since Thing was in his Ben Grimm form at the time and wearing a Thing exosuit and Mister Fantastic's powers were fading.^[1] Torgo revealed his plan to turn Ben Grimm and Mister Fantastic to turn them into Mekkans and force them to stay. He was also brilliant enough to reveal the Tower of Life (which is the source of power for all Mekkas). After Torgo left, Ben and Mister Fantastic escaped. While Ben fought Torgo and the Mekkans, Mister Fantastic made it to the Tower of Life. After Ben defeated Torgo, Mister Fantastic revealed that he had turned off the Tower of Life. After reactivating the Tower of Life, Torgo took their act of good faith as a reason to trust them and allowed them to leave.^[5]

Having survived by impersonating a corpse, Boss Barker got revenge on Torgo and beheaded him where he took his head as a trophy. Then Boss Barker tried to get revenge on Thing. This time, Thing was assisted by Captain Mar-Vell where Torgo's head fired a laser which dropped Boss Barker. Thing and Captain Mar-Vell took Torgo's head back to Mekka where he was rebuilt.^[6]

Torgo was recruited by Empress Dayda of the Sagittarians to fight off Galaxy Master and his Ravager of Worlds (who was Abomination in disguise). Before leaving, Torgo had the computers redesign his frame to make him strong enough to confront his foes. Torgo was joined by Amphibion and Dark-Crawler where they are unable to defeat Abomination (whose strength was doubled by Galaxy Master). Empress Daydra then brought Torgo, Amphibion, and Dark-Crawler to Earth where they became "Hulk-Hunters" so that they can find Hulk and enlist his help to fight Galaxy Master. When they found Hulk, Torgo, Amphibion, and Dark-Crawler found themselves on the losing end of the battle. With help from Empress Daydra, the "Hulk-Hunters" enlisted Hulk's help to fight Galaxy Master.^[7] Torgo later renamed the group the "Horror-Hunters" where they fought Galaxy Master while Hulk fought Abomination. When Hulk was able to defeat the empowered Abomination, it weakened Galaxy Master's shields enough for the "Horror-Hunters" to penetrate it. When Galaxy Master teleported Hulk and Abomination so that the "Horror-Hunters" can be defeated, Hulk got angry enough to destroy Galaxy Master and send Abomination into the void of space.^[8]

Torgo later allied with Collector who had created a special ship to be shielded from the detection of Galactus. There were other aliens that joined them on that ship. The alien Aria brought Wolverine to the ship with the intent of freeing its "prisoners." Torgo was sent by the Collector to stop Wolverine and he led a pair of Sidrian Hunters.^[9] The Sidrian Hunters captured Aria as Torgo smashed Wolverine aside to keep him from helping her. Torgo convinced Wolverine that he had perhaps heard a skewed version of what was really going on. Torgo was called back to Collector's side as Torgo left Wolverine with the other inhabitants who are quite hostile towards Wolverine.^[10] After Wolverine broke out, Torgo accompanied the Starjammers in an effort to recover him. Wolverine and Aria's efforts ended up breaking the ship's main power grid which enabled Galactus to discover the ship.^[11] When a mass exodus occurred on the ship, Torgo remained on Collector's ship in hopes that he can slow down Galactus. Wolverine and Aria joined Torgo in an effort to destroy Galactus' energy converter. Even when Galactus foiled all other efforts, Torgo refused to leave with the Starjammers and continued to pound at the energy converter until Galactus blasted him into space.^[12]

Powers and abilities

Torgo possesses superhuman strength and durability where he is composed of an unknown metal. As an experienced fighter, his weapon of choice is a combat staff which has a rectangle on one end that can be used to choke his opponents or electrocute them.

In other media

Television

• Torgo appears in the Avengers Assemble episode "Mojo World", voiced by Roger Craig Smith.^[13] He is shown as a gladiator on Mojo's spaceship where he is the top fighter. He fought Hawkeye and Hulk twice during these fights. He punches Hulk through a wall and into space, rendering the Hulk trapped in the vacuum and gasping for air; a few minutes later, when Hulk returns, Torgo knocks him completely unconscious with one punch. After the Avengers freed the slaves and Mojo retreats upon his defeat, Torgo states to the Avengers that he will take his fellow prisoners back to their worlds and then head home so that he can have a bounty placed on Mojo.

References

External links

• Torgo at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe