Sometimes, there are characters that you see that have a unique visual style. You know, the ones that make you go, how the heck is character X end up like THAT!? I happen to like those characters with the oh-so-odd appearances, like Ultra, The Multi-Alien. Today, I am featuring another of those weird-looking guys. Strap yourself into your rocket-powered chair and learn about the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing, M.O.D.O.K!
He wanted to call himself Uglor, but a Marvel Monster already took it.
As you can see, our tale begins with M.O.D.O.K. getting a bit irate at his A.I.M. (Marvel and their acronyms, amirite?) flunkies. He goes into full-on rant mode, as he kills the men in his immediate vicinity, saying he has no room for mercy after what his life has been like. He then monologues to himself about how much he hates Captain America. How he could destroy him easily, but wants him to suffer. You know, the usual. He goes on to say he hates Cap all the more for being so physically perfect, reminding him of his former life. He destroys his reflection in the mirror and starts to flashback…
I swear I have never seen anyone use "mustn't" outside of comics.
The man formerly known as George Tarleton is brought before the supreme scientist of A.I.M. George has been “volunteered” to be in a special experiment. He is placed into an “alteration chamber”. You might think he was chosen for this “honor” because he was wholly qualified, a paragon of mental acuity… Nope! In fact he was picked because he was a schlub, a nothing. So, in the machine, George is told he’ll become a living, breathing, computer. He is left in the chamber for a full day, but when the opened, it seems the experiment is a success.
"*Sniff* Mental Organisms still have feelings, you know!"
The newly christened M.O.D.O.K. is told his purpose, which is to serve A.I.M. as their greatest weapon. The eggheads at Advanced Idea Mechanics didn’t take one thing into consideration though, what if their greatest weapon doesn’t want to serve them? In fact, what if he’s just plain pissed at what you did to him? Well, the mental power of M.O.D.O.K. is such that he could easily destroy them all, but he settles for the scientist supreme, who honestly sounds like Dr. Strange’s atheist cousin. His story complete, M.O.D.O.K.’s thoughts return to the present.
"But I'm not bitter! I just hate that pretty-boy, Captain America!"
And well, that’s really it for M.O.D.O.K.’s origin. I wont leave you hanging though, the story itself continues. Using his vast mental powers, he pinpoints Cap, who is hanging out with The Falcon. With this, M.O.D.O.K. launches yet another plan for revenge. Using once again those much-vaunted (and vague) mental powers, our “hero” brings life to a massive golem-like monstrosity called the Bulldozer. A couple of A.I.M. flunkies load the Bulldozer into a plane, and through their dialogue learn that M.O.D.O.K.’s plan is to somehow discredit Captain America with a giant monster. Um, OK. Who are we to question the motives of a genius? They drop the Bulldozer off at the Lincoln Tunnel and it proceed to bash its way into Harlem. Cap and the Falcon are discussing a possible partnership, with Cap revealing his identity even! Their discussion is interrupted by the building being shaken to its foundations! Cap and the Falcon leave the scene together. Once they get outside, they realize M.O.D.O.K.’s plan.
I have to admit, that's a pretty clever plan.
Bulldozer even goes so far to say “Power to the People!”, which is laying it on a bit thick, but this is early 70’s Marvel. Amazingly, or maybe because the story needs it to be so, Cap realizes this has to be the work of M.O.D.O.K. Cap takes the fight to the Bulldozer, but this turns out to be the crux of the plan. Since the Harlemites forced to live in the slums, Cap fighting the guy wrecking them makes him out to be the oppressor! And because of these, there is derision in the crowd that has gathered. Everyone seems to be against Cap and the Falcon. The both try a different tack. The Falcon uses his pet falcon, Redwing to try and confuse the beast, but it doesn’t quite work. Cap, however, has a phone call to make… Meanwhile, M.O.D.O.K. is watching the scene, wallowing in his assumed victory. So happy is he that he decides he must be there in person to witness Captain America’s utter defeat!
Because sometimes, a rocket powered chair isn't enough.
While A.I.M.’s “glorious leader” is en route, Cap makes his phone call to one Tony Stark. He asks Tony to whip up a device that will detect the Bulldozer’s power source. Tony, being the Über -genius he is, does just that. M.O.D.O.K. arrives on the scene and starts directing the Bulldozer directly. The battle rages much like it has before, but with some in the crowd wrongly believing that A.I.M. has their best interests at heart. Just then, Redwing shows up with a package from Stark. With the device, Cap figures out that the Bulldozer’s power source is M.O.D.O.K.’s power of mental thinking itself. Apparently, Tony Stark makes some incredibly intuitive gadgets, because Captain America uses the device to jam the mental commands and cause the Bulldozer to do the exact opposite. Conveniently, the Bulldozer makes it way to M.O.D.O.K.’s makeshift lair. The fight between the two is actually going against Cap until the Bulldozer makes the scene. Captain America keeps M.O.D.O.K. distracted enough to keep him from commanding his creature. It causes the Bulldozer to go a bit berserk and the building they are fighting in collapses all around them. Cap gets out alright, but M.O.D.O.K. isn’t so lucky.
Why he doesn't use his mental power to command his golem to save him is beyond me.
And that’s the end. Don’t fret though. Our boy M.O.D.O.K. is undergoing quite a resurgence as of late. He’s had his own mini series, a prominent role in the hierarchy of smartest Marvel villains, and even gets to be a playable character in the new Marvel vs. Capcom 3. So while this may have been a setback for the villain with self-esteem issues, his current success probably has him on Cloud 9.
This story originally appeared in Captain America #133, January 1971 and is reprinted in Essential Captain America Vol. 3
