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George Tarleton (Earth-616)

From Marvel Database

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Real Name
Current Alias


Identity

Alignment

Affiliation
A.I.M.

Universe

Characteristics
Gender

Height
12' 0" (as MODOK); 5'8" (as Tarleton)

Weight
750 lbs (341 kg) (as MODOK); 165 lbs (as Tarleton)

Eyes
White, (as MODOK); Brown (as Tarleton)

Hair

Status
Citizenship


Contents

History

Scientists at Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM) created MODOK to analyze and probe the cosmic cube and to improve the organization's productivity in its scientific endeavors, while still being subservient to the higher echelons of the organization. To that end they mutagenically altered one of their technicians of average intelligence, George Tarleton, into the super intelligent being, MODOC (Mental Organism Designed Only for Computing). These scientists unwisely did not take into consideration the theory that superior ability naturally leads to superior ambition.

It did not take long for MODOC to turn on his former masters and overthrow AIM. He adopted the new acronym for his title: MODOK (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) at this time as he was more of a ruthless killer than a bean counter in his own estimation. MODOK and AIM frequently came into conflict with the Avengers and many other superheroes.

AIM was not happy with MODOK's megalomaniacal and short-sighted leadership and he was frequently ousted only to return to power again. MODOK was so focused on his personal grudge with various superheroes that he ignored the scientific aspect of the organization and allowed it to become stagnant. The other AIM leaders eventually hired assassins to eliminate him. The George Tarleton variant of MODOK was killed by the Serpent Society during that group's first mission[1].

Ms. MODOK and MODAM

Dr. Katherine Waynesboro, an associate of Bruce Banner (the Hulk), was briefly transformed into a female MODOK counterpart called Ms. MODOK. This occurred prior to MODOK's death and she nearly married MODOK until he tried to disintegrate the Abomination, which appalled her. Crestfallen, MODOK decided she wasn't the one for him after all, and forcibly returned her to normal.

Subsequently, a different female counterpart of MODOK was created. She had been mutated into a large headed creature, and she was believed to be Henry Pym's first wife, Maria Troyvana. She first appeared in West Coast Avengers #36. Pym took her in, believing she was his late wife, but she was secretly a spy and returned to AIM. There, she was further mutated into a being nearly identical in appearance to MODOK called SODAM (Specialized Organism Designed for Aggressive Maneuvers), which later was changed to MODAM (Mental Organism Designed for Aggressive Maneuvers). Omega Red believed that MODAM was not Maria Troyvana, but Olinka Barankova, a woman who had once betrayed him. However, MODAM herself stated that "AIM personnel files are routinely falsified".


Return of MODOK

AIM used a Cosmic Cube to revive MODOK in order to repair the damage to reality that the uncontrollable Cosmic Cube had wrought. The breach was sealed by the sacrifice of an Adaptoid, but not before MODOK was lost in a mysterious dimensional rift opened by the unleashed energies of the Cube.[2]

In this other dimension, MODOK found himself overwhelmed and stranded. The Headmen inadvertently recovered MODOK, who agreed to help them use Orrgo to conquer the world. MODOK took advantage of his unexpected return and once again took control of AIM. However, after battling the Defenders, MODOK withdrew the support of AIM, lest the organization suffer another defeat. AIM, now described as a "technology-worshiping cult", ran afoul of various heroes.

On one occasion, MODOK attempted to use the invention of the brilliant doctor Mark Cushing, who had developed a way to utilize the dormant mental powers of humans to turn the weak, the sickly, the handicapped, into super-people, and had created a Utopian society. AIM of course wanted this discovery, but was thwarted by Captain America and Iron Man. On this occasion, MODOK utilized the pooled psychic power of the super-society to create a giant humanoid body for himself, made up out of pure energy.

Later MODOK had been captured by a US Naval intelligence/drug cartel alliance, who lobotomized him and used him to tap spy satellites and manipulate stock markets. Unknown to them, MODOK regained consciousness and swapped his mind with the human Damocles "The Saint" Rivas as well as developing the ability to convert his original form to data and "e-mail" it around the world. His original body, acting off old instincts, murdered every AIM agent who had created MODOK while MODOK himself battled Captain America, the Falcon and the Anti-Cap in a takeover attempt. He was finally trapped in stasis (by interrupting a teleportation sequence) and taken into SHIELD custody.

MODOK escaped custody and either expelled or subverted the personality of Rivas and took command of an AIM research lab in India. There, he was attacked by Deadpool, who was searching for a sample of the Phalanx. He was later defeated by Squirrel Girl when attempting to take over one of Maelstrom's old labs. Some time later he faced off against Ms. Marvel and Wonder Man, and has now regained a massive organization after a daring caper involving several villains such as Mentallo, Chameleon and Spot.

MODOK was among the nine criminal geniuses that Beast sought out to help him reverse the effects of M-Day. As with many of the others, MODOK rebuffed the Beast.[3]

MODOK's 11

Left impoverished and isolated after Monica Rappaccini took full control of AIM, MODOK came up with a new plan to regain power. Assembling a team of current and former super-villains — Puma, Mentallo, Armadillo, Chameleon, Nightshade, Living Laser, Rocket Racer, and Spot - using a psychic illusion of cash, he plotted to steal a living star called the Hypernova. Able to be used as a power source or ultimate weapon, it belonged to the Infinicide, a race of naturally-evolved MODOKs from the end of time. He repeatedly tried to focus on being Designed Only for Computing, and had to struggle not to say "Killing" instead.

MODOK's team was infiltrated by Rappaccini's Ultra-Adaptoid and two of its members were working for other beings, but MODOK secretly took and replaced the Hypernova while it was being handed to the Spot via the Dark Dimension (MODOK had kept one of Spot's portals around for this). He then sold the Hypernova to AIM for a billion dollars and paid off his minions that remained loyal (with increased cuts due to only three remaining in the end). It turned out the Hypernova was unstable away from the Infinicide — which MODOK had known, and his plan all along had been to get Rappaccini to give him money for something that would destroy her and AIM's HQ (although it bears to be seen whether this was the real Hypernova and not another imitation; an actual hyper-nova explosion would completely destroy the entire solar system rather than just a single AIM base). MODOK now had a base and an army of minions once more.

The themes in MODOK's 11 include internal struggle and being trapped due to bad decisions. Many of the villains (including MODOK himself) showed conflict over their actions, and most of the group were in desperate situations and needed to work for MODOK — they had "used up all [our] second chances" (Nightshade in #3). Treachery was another theme: several members of the team were working to back-stab the rest (and suffered for it) and MODOK was betraying everyone (and succeeds).

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Super-intelligence Psionic powers: -Telekinetic Force Blasts -Ability to calculate probability that borders on clairvoyance.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Doomsday Chair: Due to M.O.D.O.K.'s mutated size, he is no longer capable of unassisted physical movement. M.O.D.O.K.'s body is housed within a technologically advanced device which he refers to as his "Doomsday Chair". The Doomsday Chair, in addition to providing structural support or M.O.D.O.K.'s frame, also magnifies his psionic capabilities to the Nth degree. Though primarily a self-sufficient device, the Doomsday Chair can also be connected to a special energy cradle that provides it with an endless supply of power. Empowering both the chair and the cradle requires massive amounts of energy. Charging it up once caused the entire city of Los Angeles to black out. [4]

Links

Discover and Discuss

  1. ↑ Captain America #313
  2. ↑ During the "Taking AIM" crossover
  3. ↑ In X-Men: Endangered Species
  4. ↑ Iron Man Annual #4
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