Abner Jenkins (Earth-616)
From Marvel Database
Contents |
History
The Beetle
Jenkins was a mechanic for an aircraft producer, but tired of not getting promotions he thought he deserved he decided to strike out on his own. Using a suit of armor, Jenkins became the Beetle. As the Beetle, Jenkins was often foiled by superheroes.His first battle was against the Human Torch and the Thing.[1] Spider-Man in particular was a constant problem, whom he first encountered while attempted to kidnap the Human Torch's girlfriend Dorrie Evans.[2] He was among the many costumed menaces assembled by Doctor Doom to disrupt the wedding of Reed Richards and Susan Storm.[3] At one point the Beetle was mentally dominated and recruited by the Collector to serve as his unwilling agent. Under the Collector's domination, the Beetle faced the Avengers.
After Jenkins and the Tinkerer made several armor upgrades and came up with schemes, he was targeted by Iron Man during the Armor Wars due to Justin Hammer providing stolen Stark technology.
He had somewhat better success in groups. While part of Hammer's 'hit squad' Jenkins murdered a scientist.
Thunderbolts
When Baron Zemo formed the Thunderbolts, Jenkins made a new armor, the Mobile Armored Cyber-Harness, and took on the name of MACH-1. Zemo's plan was to gain the favor or the citizens of New York, in need of heroes after the disappearance of the Avengers and Fantastic Four following Onslaught's attack in order to gain access to classified S.H.I.E.L.D. files and eventually control the world.
Jenkins and several of his teammates began to like the hero life, and decided to leave their villainous pasts behind. During this time Jenkins and his teammate Songbird began to develop feelings towards one another. Zemo instead outed the Thunderbolts as ex-Masters of Evil members to the public, leaving the new heroes with a public unwilling to trust them. Jenkins and other members decided to try making the Thunderbolts a legitimate team.
The murder he committed eventually came back to haunt Abe. When Hawkeye took over leadership of the team, he convinced Jenkins to serve out his prison sentence as a gesture of good will to the public. While in prison,Jenkins foiled a breakout, an act which brought him to the attention of the government's Commission on Superhuman Activities (CSA). They recruited Jenkins to participate in a sting operation aimed at Justin Hammer. Jenkins agreed, using a newly-designed armor to operate as the Beetle once more. Hawkeye blackmailed the CSA into allowing Jenkins to remain free, even though the government's records would continue to list Jenkins as incarcerated, in exchange for keeping the CSA's exploitation of Jenkins' secret.
To protect his identity, Abe was given a new face and appearance of an African American by the Fixer along with the alias of Matthew Davis. While this change made Songbird uneasy for a time, Jenkins himself adjusted quickly and reestablished himself as one of the team's most confident and capable members.
When the Thunderbolts uncovered and thwarted a CSA-connected conspiracy to exterminate all superhumans, Hawkeye blackmailed the CSA into giving the Thunderbolts full pardons in exchange for the group's silence. Abe and Songbird, along with most of the Thunderbolts, were pardoned and released. However, as part of the terms of their deal, they were forbidden from public use of superhuman powers or costumed identities. They started new civilian lives in Colorado. Their brief respite was shattered when Graviton attempted to take over the world.
Eventually Jenkins returned his features to normal and returned to prison to finish his sentence. Spending time as a hero seemed to change his outlook on life. After being released from prison, Jenkins reformed the Thunderbolts with the funding of Baron Strucker. When Songbird took charge of the team, Abe found himself working with Fixer once again.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Abe has no powers. He uses both the Beetle armor and the Mobile Armored Cyber-Harness or MACH armor.Abilities
Abe is a highly skilled aircraft mechanic. He is excellent at operating and working on powered armor. Although Abe lacks a formal university background, he has advanced enough knowledge of mechanical engineering, and advanced propulsion systems to have developed many of the original technologies that comprise his armor. Due to his association with the Fixer, he is also familiar with technologies that exceed the capabilities of conventional modern science. Abe's intellect is what would be considered unevenly gifted.Strength level
Abe possesses the normal human strength of a man of his age, height, and build who engages in moderate regular exercise. When using the Beetle armor, Abe could lift 1 ton with each arm.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Mobile Armored Cyber-Harness; Formerly Beetle armor
Links
- Appearances of Abner Jenkins (Earth-616)
- Character Gallery: Abner Jenkins (Earth-616)
- Images that feature Abner Jenkins (Earth-616)
- Fan-Art Gallery: Abner Jenkins (Earth-616)
- Quotations by Abner Jenkins (Earth-616)
- Thunderbolts: Justice Like Lightning TPB
- New Thunderbolts: One Step Forward TPB
- Marvel Directory
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