MODOK
MODOK is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #93. The first MODOK is George Tarleton, a former employee of Advanced Idea Mechanics, an arms-dealing organization specializing in futuristic weaponry, who undergoes substantial mutagenic medical experimentation originally designed to increase his intelligence. While successful, the experiments result in him developing an oversized head and a stunted body, causing the character's signature look and use of a hoverchair for mobility. After the experiments, he kills his creators and takes control of A.I.M. In Hulk, Amadeus Cho returns Tarleton to his human form, after which a MODOK clone dubbed MODOK Superior is created to replace him.
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books, MODOK has appeared in over four decades of Marvel continuity, and starred in the miniseries Super-Villain Team-Up: MODOK's 11 #1–5, the self-titled one-shot M.O.D.O.K.: Reign Delay #1 and the miniseries M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games #1–4, the last of which was released as a promotion for the eponymous animated series M.O.D.O.K., in which MODOK was voiced by Patton Oswalt.
A different depiction of the character made his live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, portrayed by Corey Stoll as Darren Cross.
Publication history
MODOK first appeared in Tales of Suspense #93–94, and became a recurring foe for the superhero Captain America, where he was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Writer Mike Conroy stated "Inevitably, he returned to plague Captain America, whose physical perfection he so resented." MODOK reappeared in Captain America #117–120, 124 and 130–133. The character also featured in a storyline in Sub-Mariner #47–49, before becoming the major villain in an extended storyline in The Incredible Hulk #167–170. MODOK also participated in "The War of the Super-Villains" storyline in Iron Man #74–75. MODOK had a series of encounters with the superheroine Ms. Marvel in Ms. Marvel #5, 7 and 9–10. Constant battles against the Marvel heroes followed, including Iron Man Annual #4 ; Marvel Team-Up #104 and Marvel Two-in-One #81–82. Following a failed bid to use fellow Hulk foe the Abomination to achieve his ends in The Incredible Hulk #287–290, MODOK is assassinated by the Serpent Society in Captain America #313. The character's body makes a ghoulish return in Iron Man #205.During the Taking A.I.M. storyline in Avengers #386–387, Captain America #440, The Avengers #388 and Captain America #441, MODOK is resurrected. More typical attempts to better the character's situation followed in Iron Man/Captain America Annual 1998; The Defenders #9–10 ; Wolverine #142–143 ; Captain America and the Falcon #9 and Cable & Deadpool #11. The character then made three humorous appearances, in Wha...Huh? #1 ; Marvel Holiday Special 2006 and GLA-Xmas Special #1. After appearing briefly in the mutant titles X-Men #200 and The Uncanny X-Men #488, MODOK was featured in Ms. Marvel #14–17 and appeared in two miniseries: Marvel 1985 #1–6 and Super-Villain Team-Up: MODOK's 11 #1–5. MODOK also featured in The Incredible Hulk #600 ; Astonishing Tales #2 and the one-shot issue M.O.D.O.K.: Reign Delay #1.
MODOK later gained a counterpart and successor in MODOK Superior, who first appeared in Hulk #29 and was created by Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman, who is depicted as the archenemy of Gwendolyn "Gwen" Poole in The Unbelievable Gwenpool #1–25, West Coast Avengers #4, and M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games #1–4.
Fictional character biography
George Tarleton
George Tarleton was a technician for the scientific criminal organization Advanced Idea Mechanics, founded by his father, Alvin. He was born in Bangor, Maine. Having recently created the Cosmic Cube, the A.I.M. scientists used advanced mutagenics to alter Tarleton and created the super-intelligent man-mind originally named MODOC to study and improve upon the object, alongside the JOD1E program. MODOC, however, becomes ambitious, kills his creators and takes control of A.I.M. Renaming himself MODOK, he comes into conflict with the hero Captain America, who is intent on rescuing S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter from A.I.M. MODOK becomes a recurring foe for Captain America, battling the hero on three more occasions, with the third and last encounter revealing the villain's origin. MODOK also battles Namor the Sub-Mariner and Doctor Doom, with the latter intent on claiming the Cosmic Cube for himself. MODOK reappears and abducts Betty Ross, changing her into the Harpy with gamma radiation at a higher level than that which turned Bruce Banner into the Hulk in a bid to destroy the monster. MODOK then follows the Hulk and the Harpy to a floating aerie, where Banner cures Ross of her condition. MODOK and a team of A.I.M. agents arrive in time to kill the creature known as the Bi-Beast, the guardian of the aerie, but not before activating a self-destruct mechanism, forcing everyone on board to flee. MODOK also accepts the offer of the extra-dimensional mystic the Black Lama to participate in the latter's War of the Super-Villains, but fails to gain the prize – a golden globe that is supposed to give the winner of the war ultimate power – after being defeated by Iron Man.A.I.M. becomes dissatisfied with the lack of scientific advancement under MODOK's leadership and MODOK's obsession with seeking revenge against metahumans, finally deposing him from power as a result. MODOK attempts to regain control of the organization and prove his worth by unleashing a nerve agent on New York City, which is prevented by Ms. Marvel and the Vision. MODOK next seeks revenge against Ms. Marvel, first attempting to mentally control the heroine and then hiring the Shi'ar assassin Deathbird to kill her; Ms. Marvel overcomes both of these obstacles and defeats both Deathbird and MODOK. MODOK's ambitions grow and he seeks world domination, but is thwarted by Iron Man and the superhero team the Champions. After an attempt to plunder the resources of the Savage Land and a battle with Ka-Zar and the Hulk, the character develops a new biological agent called Virus X. MODOK's attempts to test the agent on the homeless is prevented by the Thing, the Sub-Mariner and Captain America, although the villain escapes and the Thing almost dies when he is exposed to the virus.
Abandoned by A.I.M. for these failures, MODOK resurrects the Abomination, planning to use him against his former organization. The plan fails when the Abomination is revealed to be mentally unstable to the point of sheer cowardice whenever he even hears the Hulk's name mentioned, although during the course of the storyline MODOK transforms Katherine Waynesboro into Ms. MODOK, a female counterpart of himself. Horrified by MODOK's callous disregard for life, Waynesboro demands to be returned to human form and MODOK willingly complies. Wishing to disassociate themselves from MODOK for good, A.I.M. hires the Serpent Society to assassinate the villain. They succeed, with Death Adder striking the killing blow. The Serpent Society returns MODOK's corpse to A.I.M., with the organization using it as a supercomputer. A rogue A.I.M. agent remotely operates MODOK's corpse in a bid to destroy Iron Man, with the battle ending with the corpse's destruction. Although MODOK had died, A.I.M. temporarily replaced him with his more loyal, and in some ways more effective, second female counterpart MODAM.
During the Taking A.I.M. storyline, MODOK is resurrected solely because A.I.M. needs him to assist in the creation of another Cosmic Cube. In one of the attempts to create the Cube, MODAM is killed. Eventually it is revealed that MODOK has actually been stranded in an alternate dimension, but manages to return to Earth with the unintended help of the supervillain team the Headmen. After attempting to steal a device that boosts mental power, MODOK agrees to aid the Headmen in their plans of conquest, but after taking control of A.I.M. once again he reneges on the agreement to avoid an encounter with the superhero non-team the Defenders. MODOK next clashes with the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight before being captured by a group composed of U.S. Naval Intelligence and a drug cartel. MODOK is then lobotomized and employed to infiltrate spy satellites and manipulate the stock market, but he recovers from the lobotomy and exploits the situation to his own benefit until he is captured and taken into custody by S.H.I.E.L.D.
In GLX-Mas Special #1, MODOK and A.I.M. fought Dum Dum Dugan and his S.H.I.E.L.D. squad, but were defeated by Squirrel Girl and her squirrel sidekick Tippy-Toe. MODOK then seeks a sample of the cybernetic species the Phalanx, and after brief encounters with the mutant superhero team the X-Men, battles Ms. Marvel once again, with the heroine this time aided by fellow Avenger Wonder Man during an elaborate scheme by renegade A.I.M. branches to kill MODOK, with one of the rogue A.I.M. agents being MODOK's long-lost son, who seeks revenge for his abandonment. Employing an elaborate scheme and double-cross involving several supervillains, MODOK restores his personal wealth and power and re-establishes himself as the leader of A.I.M. once again. MODOK was then seen in Puerto Rico attempting to create an army of genetically enhanced monkeys called A.I.Monkeys to eliminate the recession in A.I.M., until he was defeated by Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman and the rookie Puerto Rican superhero known as El Vejigante. It is revealed that MODOK was involved in the creation of both the Red Hulk and the Red She-Hulk and is a member of the Intelligencia, a secret organization of genius-level supervillains.
During the "Fall of the Hulks" storyline, the Intelligencia captures some of the smartest men in the world and brought about the events that would lead up to the "World War Hulks" storyline. When several heroes are subjected by the Intelligencia to the Cathexis ray, which can transfer radiant energy from one subject to another, Amadeus Cho is affected as well. Cho gains the ability to warp reality within a 10-foot radius and restores MODOK to his human form, leaving him amnesiac.