Awesome Android

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Awesome Android
The Awesome Android on the cover (background) of Rom #14 (Feb. 1981). Art by Dave Cockrum.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceThe Fantastic Four #15 (June 1963)
Created byStan Lee (writer)
Jack Kirby (artist)
In-story information
SpeciesRobot
Team affiliationsA.I. Army
Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg, & Holliway
Heavy Metal
Intelligencia
PartnershipsMad Thinker
Notable aliasesAwesome Andy
Abilities

The Awesome Android (also briefly known as Awesome Andy) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #15 (June 1963) and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby.

Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books, the character has made appearances in Marvel titles for over four decades, and also appeared in Marvel-related products including animated television series and trading cards.

Publication history

[edit]

The Awesome Android debuted in Fantastic Four #15 (June 1963) as the creation of the Mad Thinker.[1] "Since then, [the Mad Thinker] and his 15-foot-tall (4.6 m) artificial being ... have had run-ins with most of Marvel's major superheroes.[2]

The pair reappeared in Fantastic Four #28 (July 1964) to battle both the titular superhero team and the mutant superheroes the X-Men. The Android continued in the role of antagonist, appearing in Tales of Suspense #72 (Dec. 1965) as an opponent for Iron Man; Rom #14 (January 1981) against the Parker Brothers-licensed hero Rom; and in Captain America #311 (Nov. 1985). The Android reappeared as part of a supervillain team in The Avengers #286-289 (Feb.-May 1988); featured in the Acts of Vengeance storyline in Avengers Spotlight #27 (Mid-Dec. 1989); battled several Marvel heroes in Thunderbolts #2 (June 1997) and Heroes for Hire #1 (July 1997) and had two further encounters with the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four vol. 3, #23 (Nov. 1999) and #43-44 (July-Aug. 2001). The Android was reclaimed and upgraded by the Thinker in a humorous storyline in the 2004–2005 series She-Hulk; and made a brief appearance in Exiles vol. 2 #4 (Sept. 2009).

Fictional character biography

[edit]

The Awesome Android was created by the Mad Thinker using Mister Fantastic's research, incorporating ape DNA and unstable molecules into an almost indestructible body with a microcomputer and a solar-power source.[3] It battles the Fantastic Four and the mutant team the X-Men before being deactivated by X-Men leader Professor X.[4]

The Awesome Android's subsequent appearances see it battle Iron Man, Rom the Space Knight, and Captain America, and join an assault team of advanced robots called Heavy Metal alongside the Super-Adaptoid, Machine Man, Sentry-459, and TESS-One.[5][6][7] It is seemingly destroyed by Namor in the "Acts of Vengeance" storyline, but is repaired by the Machinesmith.[8][9]

The Mad Thinker upgrades the Android to absorb additional abilities, which inadvertently gives him sentience. Subsequently, he rebels against the Thinker and joins Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway, the law firm that employs Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk. However, he returns to the Mad Thinker after being rejected by his coworker Mallory Book.[10][11] In Iron Man 2020, the Awesome Android joins Iron Man's A.I. Army.[12][13]

Powers and abilities

[edit]

The Awesome Android is created when the Mad Thinker steals and uses a technique invented by Mister Fantastic, involving splicing unstable molecules into the DNA patterns of an ape. It has limited artificial intelligence and no capacity for self-motivated activity, and is totally dependent on its programming or the programmer's spoken commands, and usually deactivates itself when inactive.

The Android has inhuman physical attributes and can mimic an ability (one at a time) after touching an opponent. It can also emit close-range blasts of gale-force wind from its mouth. The Android is given one weakness by the Thinker: a collection of nerves underneath its arms that will deactivate it if struck.[8]

Reception

[edit]

Accolades

[edit]
  • In 2017, Screen Rant ranked the Awesome Android 10th in their "15 Best Thors In Marvel Comics" list.
  • In 2018, Comic Book Resources (CBR) ranked the Awesome Android 12th in their "20 Most Powerful Androids Of The Marvel Universe" list.[14]
  • In 2021, CBR ranked the Awesome Android 6th in their "10 Strongest Robots In The Marvel Universe" list.[15]

Other versions

[edit]

Ultimate Marvel

[edit]

An alternate version of the Awesome Android named Bobby Burchill appears in Ultimate Fantastic Four. He is the younger brother and slave of Rhona Burchill.[16]

JLA/Avengers

[edit]

The Awesome Android appears in JLA/Avengers #4 as a brainwashed minion of Krona.[17]

In other media

[edit]

Television

[edit]

Miscellaneous

[edit]

The Awesome Android appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes #2.[20]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  2. ^ Conroy, Mike. 500 Comicbook Villains (Collins & Brown, 2004), p.#179, ISBN 1-84340-205-X, ISBN 978-1-84340-205-3
  3. ^ Fantastic Four #15 (June 1963)
  4. ^ Fantastic Four #28 (July 1964)
  5. ^ Tales of Suspense #72 (December 1965)
  6. ^ Rom #14 (January 1981)
  7. ^ Captain America #311 (November 1985)
  8. ^ a b Avengers #286-289 (February-May 1988)
  9. ^ Avengers Spotlight #27 (December 1989)
  10. ^ She-Hulk (vol. 2) #2 - #14 (January 2006 - February 2007)
  11. ^ Exiles (vol. 2) #4 (September 2009)
  12. ^ Captain America: Steve Rogers #12 (April 2017)
  13. ^ Iron Man 2020 (vol. 2) #1 - #6 (March - October 2020)
  14. ^ Walker, Gary (December 25, 2018). "Epic Synthetics: The 20 Most Powerful Androids Of The Marvel Universe, Ranked". CBR. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  15. ^ Faraci, Derek (January 26, 2021). "Heavy Metal: 10 Strongest Robots In The Marvel Universe, Ranked". CBR. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  16. ^ Ultimate Fantastic Four #19-20 (July-August 2005)
  17. ^ JLA/Avengers #4 (February 2004)
  18. ^ "Marvel Animation Age - The Marvel Animation News Resource". Archived from the original on October 29, 2013.
  19. ^ "Awesome Android Voice - Ultimate Spider-Man (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors (A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.).
  20. ^ "Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes #2 - Obsession; Mutual Respect (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Awesome_Android&oldid=1284969445"