Amazo
Amazo is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky and first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #30 as an adversary of the Justice League of America. Since debuting during the Silver Age of Comic Books, the character has appeared in comic books and other DC Comics-related products, including animated television series, trading cards and video games.
Traditionally, Amazo is an android created by the villain scientist Professor Ivo and gifted with technology that allows him to mimic the abilities and powers of superheroes he fights, as well as make copies of their weapons. His default powers are often those of the Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern. He is similar and often compared with the later created Marvel android villain Super-Adaptoid and Marvel's other robotic adapting supervillain, "Ultimo", which was introduced in.
In the New 52 timeline of DC Comics, Amazo begins as the A-Maze Operating System and then becomes an android capable of duplicating superhuman powers. Later on, a sentient Amazo Virus infects research scientist Armen Ikarus and takes over his mind. With Ikarus as a host, the Amazo Virus infects other people, granting them super-powers and controlling their minds before they die within 24 hours.
Amazo has been substantially adapted into media outside comics. Robert Picardo, Peter MacNicol, Thomas Lennon, and Nolan North, among others, have voiced the character in animated television series and films. Amazo also appears in the live-action Arrowverse crossover event "Elseworlds".
Publication history
Amazo first appeared in a one-off story in The Brave and the Bold #30 and returned as an opponent of the Justice League of America in Justice League of America #27 and #112, plus a briefer appearance in #65 when another antagonist weaponized Amazo and other items from the JLA trophy room. Other significant issues included an encounter with a depowered Superman in Action Comics #480-483, and in Justice League of America #191 and #241-243. Amazo also battles a fully powered Superman in Superman Special #3.A different Amazo model featured in Justice League Quarterly #12 and battled the hero Aztek in Aztek: The Ultimate Man #10 before being destroyed in Resurrection Man #2. An advanced version debuted in a one-off story in JLA #27, while another appeared in the limited series Hourman, specifically issues #1, #5-7, #17, and #19-21.
Amazo's origin is revealed in Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant #1. Another version is discovered to be part of a weapons shipment in Batman #636-637 and during the Villains United storyline in Firestorm vol. 2 #14-16, Villains United #5-6, and the Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special.
Amazo's consciousness returned in Justice League of America #1-5, planted in the body of fellow android Red Tornado. Ivo also created Amazo's "offspring" in JLA Classified #37-41. A story continuing the first Red Tornado storyline featured in Justice League of America vol. 2 #21-23.
Writer Mike Conroy noted: "Amazo was a persistent thorn in the JLA's side... although his programming and own sentience have displayed no ambition towards world conquest... His very existence is a hazard to all of humanity".
Fictional character biography
Modern Age
The android Amazo was created by Professor Anthony Ivo, a scientist with expertise in multiple fields who is obsessed with immortality. The original Justice League of America discover their powers are being drained and somehow then being used by a thief who is after animals known to have long lifespans. While attempting to discover the perpetrator, the League is confronted and defeated by Amazo, who has duplicated their powers using Ivo's "absorption cell" technology. Amazo brings the team to Ivo, who reveals he has created a means of extending his lifespan courtesy of the data obtained from studying the creatures Amazo captured. The League then defeats Ivo and the android. Ivo's immortality results in his body becoming monstrous in form, and the android is stored in the League trophy room.The android is temporarily re-activated twice to assist the League in regaining lost abilities. When red sun radiation reaches Earth, Amazo reactivates and engages in an extensive battle with Superman involving time-travel, only to be defeated before it can murder Ivo and the League. Later, the Key, having been shrunken in size, re-activates Amazo in a failed bid to return to normal. The League defeats Amazo, after which Zatanna restores the Key to his former state.
After the Justice League of America disbands and reforms as a small team of mostly new heroes based in Detroit, Ivo reactivates Amazo to attack this less experienced, "weaker" League. The android defeats all the new members but is finally stopped by Justice League founding members Martian Manhunter and Aquaman.
A different Amazo model is later activated and battles the superhero team the Conglomerate. This updated Amazo searches for Ivo and encounters the hero Aztek, who succeeds in reasoning with the android rather than overpowering it. This Amazo model also briefly battles the Resurrection Man before finally being destroyed. Before his destruction, the second model of Amazo is summoned into the future by the android hero Hourman, who wishes to meet his "ancestor". This Amazo copies Hourman's time-warping Worlogog, becoming "Timazo" in the process. Timazo wreaks havoc with his new ability to manipulate time, but is defeated and returned to the past so his history can run its course. Another, similar model of Amazo later has several more encounters with Hourman.
Another model of Amazo is activated that can wield multiple powers at once and is programmed to automatically upgrade its abilities to match those of all active Justice League members. Initially not understanding this upgrade, the Justice League calls in reserve members to help defeat Amazo, which only results in its power increasing. On the Atom's advice, Superman announces the League is officially disbanded. Programmed only to mimic the powers of active members, this Amazo is suddenly depowered and easily deactivated. Years later, Batman and Nightwing discover a partially built Amazo android in a weapons shipment and destroy it.
Another Amazo participates in a massive attack by a group of villains on the city of Metropolis, but is destroyed by Black Adam.
It is revealed that after perfecting Amazo's absorption cells, Ivo combined this technology with human ova and DNA to create a "son" of Amazo who grows up as Frank Halloran, unaware of his heritage. Years later, Frank is a philosophy student dating a young woman named Sara when his powers are awakened prematurely. Rather than emulate his villainous "father", Frank hopes to be a hero called "Kid Amazo". Slowly becoming mentally unstable, Kid Amazo discovers Sara is Ivo's daughter and was instructed to monitor Frank by posing as a girlfriend. Kid Amazo goes on a rampage. Batman deduces Kid Amazo has not only the powers of the Leaguers but also their contrasting personality traits. This is later used to cause greater internal instability, destroying Kid Amazo.
Ivo downloads Amazo's programming into the body of Red Tornado, the android villain-turned-hero created by Professor T. O. Morrow, another enemy of the Justice League. The League battles an army of Red Tornado androids before discovering that the villain Solomon Grundy intends to transfer his mind into the original android Tornado's body. Although this plan is defeated, the Amazo programming asserts itself and attacks the League until member Vixen destroys it. A new body is created to house Red Tornado's consciousness but the Amazo programming inhabits it instead, battling Justice League before he is defeated by being teleported into the gravity well of the red star Antares.
The New 52
As part of The New 52, the new origin story of the Justice League references the "A-Maze Operating System" and "B-Maze Operating System" designed by Anthony Ivo. The League later battles an android equipped with a corrupt version of this operating system.During the Forever Evil storyline, Amazo appears as a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains.
During the "Amazo Virus" storyline, a biotech pathogen is created based on the android's absorption cells. The first person to be infected by this virus is former LexCorp research scientist Armen Ikarus, whose mind is corrupted in the process and replaced by the virus's will. Now possessing power and driven to infect others, Ikarus's personality is replaced by the new Amazo. The Ikarus Amazo infects others, granting them super-powers based on desires and personality traits, but killing them within 24 hours. The Ikarus Amazo, able to enhance infected humans and control them through a "hive-mind" connection, is defeated by the Justice League. Young Reggie Meyer and his family are also affected. Influenced by technology from the original Amazo android, Reggie becomes the second Kid Amazo.
DC Rebirth
In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth" which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". In the storyline Outbreak, Amazo is one of the villains recruited by an A.I. named Genie, created by the daughter of computer technician James Palmer. His technology cells are later hacked and he briefly joins the Justice League's side.Amazo later appeared as a member of the Cabal, alongside Per Degaton, Doctor Psycho, Queen Bee, and Hugo Strange. Amazo re-appeared in the pages of Batman/Superman: World's Finest #16 with Metamorpho abilities labeled NewMazo with aide by Will Magnus of the Metal Men. It also created an ally in the form of Ultra-Morpho.