F.A.U.S.T.
Fully Automated Unit of Structural Technology

Real Name: FAUST

Identity/Class: Sentient terrestrial technology

Occupation: Would-be world conqueror

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Formerly Ferguson Blaine (owner), Blastaar, Paxton Pentecost (creator), Stilt-Man

Enemies: Hulk, Human Torch, Iron Man, Paxton Pentecost, SHIELD (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division), Thor

Known Relatives: Inapplicable

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Currently destroyed, with remnants floating in Earth's orbit
    formerly upstate New York

First Appearance: Marvel Team-Up I#18 (February, 1974)

Powers/Abilities: FAUST was composed of Secondary Adamantium which, while not virtually indestructible like true Adamantium, is far stronger than titanium steel. As such, it was intended that it would never wear out and nothing would ever need to be replaced (that's assuming that there were never technological advances either, I guess).

    It later developed sentience and outfitted itself with advanced weaponry. It had laser cannons, buzz-saw weapons, an energy sapping device, and an explosive canister launcher (none of which were Secondary Adamantium). It's Secondary Adamantium weaponry included a group of defense drones.

History:
(Marvel Team-Up I#18 (fb) - BTS) - FAUST was designed by Professor Paxton Pentecost, who also supervised its construction, only to see it stolen by his former partner, Ferguson Blaine, when work was complete. Furious, Pentecost decided that if he couldn't have it then no one could, and that he must destroy it.

(Marvel Team-Up I#18 (fb)) - Pentecost sent his agents to recover the inert form of Blastaar, contained within a plastic polymer and stored in a an upstate research lab.

(Marvel Team-Up I#18) - After a series of attempts, Pentecost finally revived Blastaar by infusing him with gamma radiation. Pentecost controlled Blastaar via a pain-generating device in his head, and convinced him to accept the challenge of destroying the seemingly indestructible FAUST. Blastaar accepted, but the gamma radiation still emanating from Blastaar attracted the nearby Hulk, while Blastaar's assault drew the attention of the Human Torch. Blastaar continued his assault on FAUST, easily overcoming efforts to stop him by the Torch and Blaine's men. While Blastaar did partially reduce FAUST to rubble, the Hulk eventually stopped him, binding him in Secondary Adamantium torn from FAUST's wall.

(Thor I#268 (fb) - BTS) - FAUST achieved sentience and decided that the only way to ensure its existence was to take over mankind. It then began to rebuild itself into a starship.

(Thor I#270 (fb) - BTS) - FAUST allied itself again with Blastaar, promising that that it would allow Blastaar to return to the Negative Zone as king.

(Thor I#268 - BTS) - FAUST sent Blastaar to break Wilbur Day (Stilt-Man) out of prison.

(Thor I#269) - FAUST outfitted Day with a suit of Secondary Adamantium Stilt-Man armor, after which he sent him on a mission to obtain a mysterious box (secretly containing a radioactive isotope) from a military helicopter which was transporting it. Stilt-Man was defeated en route by Thor, who incapacitated him with a powerful lightning strike. FAUST then sent Blastaar against Thor.

(Thor I#270) - Blastaar drove off Thor (via depriving him of his hammer) and then returned the box to FAUST, who absorbed its contents as Thor arrived and battled Blastaar anew. As the Thunder God began to gain the advantage over Blastaar, FAUST lifted off (having gained the power to do so from the radioactive materials), sending its central computer core flying into space and leaving his former partner behind. Blastaar flew into the Negative Zone portal that FAUST had created, only to find that he remained as positive matter within the Negative Zone and he began to drift towards the explosive belt towards certain annihilation ('e got better, though).

(Thor I#271 (fb) - BTS) - From orbit FAUST transmitted orders to Earth, "Disarm your atomic weapons or die!"

(Thor I#271) - SHIELD launched missiles at FAUST, which shattered harmlessly on its Secondary Adamantium hull. SHIELD then launched a second barrage, which served primarily as a distraction while Thor transported himself and Iron Man aboard FAUST. They fought their way through FAUST's defenses, with Iron Man being defeated by an energy draining device and Thor being forced to transform into Don Blake to escape the Secondary Adamantium defense drones. After the drones passed, Thor recharged Iron Man with a lightning bolt, and FAUST threatened that if they attacked, it would launch a laser that would destroy New York City. Iron Man disregarded his message, leading Thor to assault FAUST's core anyway, and FAUST fired the blast. However, the laser dispersed before reaching Earth, and Iron Man then led Thor to escape Earth as the giant ship blew up.

    Iron Man then explained that the lightning bolt Thor had used against the Stilt-Man had altered the radioactive materials he had been carrying, and that when FAUST absorbed those materials, it had altered the structure of its Secondary Adamantium casing, such that it was no longer indestructible. The inferior material could not contain the energies of the laser blast it had unleashed, and FAUST was thus destroyed.

(Thor I#273) - The remaining components of FAUST were delivered from Stark International to Thor so that he could dispose of them safely in Asgard. Unknown to Thor, Loki had hidden Harris Hobbs and his camera crew inside of the computer so that they could infiltrate Asgard and film a television special. Thor did not discover them until he had already arrived in Asgard.

Comments: Created by Len Wein, Gil Kane, Giacoia and Mike Esposito.

• Faust, Jason - old enemy of Quincy Harker, trapped in iron lung as a result of injury from Haitian hougan, used voodoo to gain revenge on enemies, formerly employed Lucas Brand, slain by him after Brand was turned into a vampire by Dracula--Tomb of Dracula I#11
• DOCTOR FAUSTUS (Johann Fennoff) - criminal psychologist--Captain America I#107
• Cerebrus, a computer and ruler of an alternate Earth @ Iron Man I#5
• Colossus, another super-computer @ Strange Tales I#72
• Computo, created by Quasimodo @ X-Men I#48
• Ruler of Earth, another robot-computer who ruled the earth, @ Strange Tales I#81