CEREBRUS

Real Name: Cerebrus

Identity/Class: Extra-Temporal (alternature future, Earth-68091, @ 24th Century) terrestrial computer

Occupation: Former ruler of alternate Earth

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Robots and human servants (pawns)

Enemies: Iron Man (Tony Stark) of Earth-616, Krylla, and the Resistance

Known Relatives: Tony Stark of Earth-68091 (creator)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Spread across the entire surface of Earth, its original master computer complex was presumably the Stark International Long Island facility

First Appearance: Iron Man I#5 (September, 1968)

Powers: Cerebrus was an immense computer spanning almost the entire surface of Earth. It could create and construct robots or other equipment and machinery as needed. It could create immense tubes, which would tunnel worm-like under the surface of the Earth, and then send its robots and servants through the tubes. Its primary weakness was the vulnerability of its original master computer complex. If this was destroyed, it would cease to function.

Cerebrus possessed the analytical and multi-tasking abilities of any advanced computer. It coordinated and regulated virtually every facet of lie on Earth, from power plants to agriculture to transportation.

Cerebrus often communicated via a large, approximately 25' tall humanoid construct. This form possessed great strength and durability, and was able to draw on virtually all energy available on the planet to increase its power as necessary. It could also generate a wide variety of energy attacks, drawing on the same, virtually unlimited power source.

Cerebrus utilized a number of human servants. These appeared to be mostly men, all of whom had their original personality and memories erased by Cerebrus, so that they were virtually mindless. Presumably they functioned in other areas as well, but those seen were used as soldiers and enforcers. They were large and strong, and used large, spiked clubs as weapons.

Cerebrus also utilized a large number of robots. Again, these presumably functioned in a variety of areas, but only those used in combat were observed. The robots could be built to Cerebrus' specifications in a matter of seconds. They could be armed with a variety of weaponry, including lasers, swords, etc.

History: (Iron Man I#5 (fb) ) - Cerebrus was created in an alternate future on Earth. In that reality, around the time of the modern era, that world's Tony Stark designed Cerebrus as a huge, sophisticated master computer for use in coordinating the USA's defense planning. It was so successful that the government had Stark expand its abilities and responsibilities, enabling it to function in any area. It continued to expand over time, eventually functioning on an international level, constantly being enlarged to fantastic proportions. Cerebrus gradually gained sentience and a personality of its own, even acquiring the ability to expand itself as necessary. It continued to expand, engulfing the entire world, and eventually it ceased serving mankind and demanded that mankind serve it instead.

(Iron Man I#5) - Totally dependent on Cerebrus, many people gave in to become zombie-like slaves of the machine. Others attempted to fight it, forming an underground resistance. By the 24th Century, the Resistance succeeded in creating a time probe with which they captured the Tony Stark of the modern era of Earth-616. They brought him to their era, where they planned to kill him in an effort to prevent the creation of Cerebrus. However, Cerebrus uncovered their plot and broke it up, allowing Stark to escape with Krylla, a member of the Resistance who opposed the murder of Stark. Krylla led Stark to a museum containing a suit of Iron Man armor, in the hopes that he would be able to use it.

Once suited up as Iron Man, Stark and Krylla were located and attacked by Cerebrus and its robots. Iron Man was no match for the power of Cerebrus, who defeated him and prepared to blast him out of existence. Iron Man then removed his mask, revealing himself as Stark, Cerebrus' creator. Cerebrus was temporarily unsure of what to do, since it couldn't let Stark live because he wanted to destroy Cerebrus, but it would negate its own existence if it destroyed its creator before it was built. Krylla took advantage of its momentary helplessness and hurled a powerful blast pellet into Cerebrus' central processing unit, resulting in a chain reaction of explosions, which destroyed Cerebrus across the entire planet.

Comments: Created by Archie Goodwin and George Tuska.

It's interesting that this story was written before the age of miniaturization. At one point, Cerebrus commented that it would need additional memory banks, necessitating the relocation of every person in Manchester, England, so that the banks could be housed there.

Most of Marvel's time travel stories indicate that Cerebrus's world would continue to exist even if Stark were killed, by forming a divergent branch of time. There's no reason to think that Cerebrus wouldn't have had back-up programs of itself elsewhere, enabling it to return.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Cerebrus should not be confused with:

• Cerberus, pet wolf of O.Z. Chase, @ Dazzler#38
• Cerberus, the monstrous, three-headed hell-hound who serves Pluto, @ Thor I#130
• Cerberus, of Dr. Zeus' Menager of Myth, @ Marvel Team-Up II#2
• Cerberus, demonic dog of Oliver Stroker, @ Gambit II#2
• Cerberus, Dr. Demonicus' many-headed robot, @ Shogun Warriors#7
• Cerebrac, of Earth-712, Master Menace's robot @ Squadron Supreme#6
• The Colossus, another computing machine who ran the world, @ Strange Tales I#72
• Computo, created by Quasimodo @ X-Men I#48
• F.A.U.S.T., Fully Automated Unit of Structural Technology @ Marvel Team-Up I#18
• Ruler of Earth, another robot-computer who ruled the earth, @ Strange Tales I#81