H.U.B.E.R.T.
Real Name: Hyper-Ultronic Brain Employing Randomized Tracings
Identity/Class: Terrestrial robot
Occupation: Babysitter of Franklin Richards, servant of the Fantastic Four
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Fantastic Four (Human Torch/Johnny Storm, Invisible Girl/Susan Richards, Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards, Thing/Ben Grimm), Nova (Frankie Raye), Franklin Richards, Roberta, Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
Enemies: Trapster (Peter Petruski)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Baxter Building, New York
First Appearance: Fantastic Four I#238/2 (January, 1982)
Powers/Abilities: H.U.B.E.R.T. was designed to be the ideal companion for a child. It had the ability to fly, using three jets attached to its bottom. H.U.B.E.R.T. could also link to the computers of the Baxter Building, and was specially designed to monitor the status of Franklin Richards' mutant powers. H.U.B.E.R.T. also had infra-red sensors. H.U.B.E.R.T. was designed to be incapable of violence towards any member of the Fantastic Four's household.
Height: 2'6" (by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Inapplicable
History:
(Fantastic Four I#238/2) - Mr. Fantastic designed
H.U.B.E.R.T. to serve as babysitter for Franklin Richards, as Agatha
Harkness had recently given up that task. Franklin took an
immediate liking to the robot, but the Thing mistook H.U.B.E.R.T. for
H.E.R.B.I.E., and nearly smashed him until he was halted by the
Invisible Girl.
(Fantastic Four I#240) - H.U.B.E.R.T. kept watch over Franklin as he slept while the Fantastic Four journeyed to Attilan.
(Fantastic Four I#242) - H.U.B.E.R.T. watched as Franklin launched a toy rocket into the air-- even though it wasn't a flying toy.
(Fantastic Four I#244) - As H.U.B.E.R.T. watched Franklin play with a Rubix Cube toy, Franklin suddenly activated his mutant powers to solve the toy puzzle. The manifestation of Franklin's powers was so great that in analyzing it, H.U.B.E.R.T. exploded.
(Fantastic Four I#245) - H.U.B.E.R.T.'s remains were discovered by the Invisible Girl as she faced the now-adult Franklin, whose powers had gone out-of-control.
(Fantastic Four I#257) - Now rebuilt with a slightly different physical appearance (see main image), H.U.B.E.R.T. reminded Mr. Fantastic of his appointment at Avengers Mansion, to help treat the Vision.
(Fantastic Four I#265/1) - H.U.B.E.R.T. encountered the Trapster after the villain broke into the Baxter Building. The robot's appearance startled the Trapster, and H.U.B.E.R.T. offered to detain him, but the Baxter Building's secretary robot Roberta wound up defeating the Trapster.
(Amazing Spider-Man I#258) - H.U.B.E.R.T. greeted Spider-Man when he arrived at the Baxter Building to have his alien costume analyzed by Mr. Fantastic.
Comments: Created by John Byrne and Terry Austin.
H.U.B.E.R.T. may have been destroyed when "Dr. Doom" (Kristoff Vernard) used a Grabber to send the Baxter Building off into space, where the entire structure blew up (@ Fantastic Four I#279)... or perhaps the little robot was one of the devices preserved by Uatu, as seen in Fantastic Four Annual I#22/2.
Thanks to Chris Keels for locating the explanation of H.U.B.E.R.T.'s acronym from Fantastic Four I#270's letters page.
New and additional image by Ron Fredricks.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
H.U.B.E.R.T. should not be confused with:
images: (without ads)
Fantastic Four I#265/1, p9, pan2 (main image - rebuilt H.U.B.E.R.T. confronts Trapster)
Fantastic Four I#238/2, p1, pan1 (Mr. Fantastic building original H.U.B.E.R.T.)
Fantastic Four I#238/2, p2, pan5 (Thing tries to punch original H.U.B.E.R.T.)
Appearances:
Fantastic Four I#238/2 (January, 1982) - John Byrne
(writer/pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Fantastic Four I#240 (March, 1982) - John Byrne (writer/artist),
Jim Salicrup (editor)
Fantastic Four I#242 (May, 1982) - John Byrne (writer/artist),
Jim Salicrup (editor)
Fantastic Four I#244-245 (July-August, 1982) - John Byrne
(writer/artist), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Fantastic Four I#257 (August, 1983) - John Byrne
(writer/artist), Al Milgrom (editor)
Fantastic Four I#265/1 (April, 1984) - John Byrne
(writer/artist), Bob Budiansky (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man I#258 (November, 1984) - Tom DeFalco
(writer), Ron Frenz (pencils), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Danny
Fingeroth (editor)
First posted: 02/22/2004
Last updated: 09/15/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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