I.C.O.N.

Membership: Berserker android, Cardinal, Dreadknight (Bram Velsing), Indigo, Lilac, Rainbow (Ludwig Frankenstein (see comments)), Werner Schmidt, Strand, Vermillion, Voltarr, Zandor

Purpose: World conquest

Affiliations: Operation: Marauder

Enemies: Ralph Caccone, Frankenstein Monster, Jigsaw Monster, Peregrine, Eric Prawn, Shamrock, Veronica von Frankenstein

Base of Operations: Headquarters located somewhere in Switzerland; unrevealed number of agents mobile throughout the world

Aliases: International Crime Organizations Nexus

First Appearance: Frankenstein Monster#14 (January, 1975)

History:
(Frankenstein Monster#14 (fb) - BTS) - The past of I.C.O.N. (International Crime Organizations Nexus) is largely unrevealed, but it was one of those evil organizations bent on world conquest. Their major plot observed thus far was to create an army of undead warriors, who would strike fear into their opponents just by their presence and appearance. I.C.O.N. developed Operation: Marauder in New York City, which was their primary center for creating these undead warriors. They were successful, but found that their creations lacked the capacity for independent thought -- the warriors were strong, and could follow orders, but I.C.O.N. wanted a little more bang for their buck. Learning of the existence of the Frankenstein Monster, they decided to seek him out, so that they might cut open his skull and examine his brain, to see why he worked so much better than their own creations.

(Frankenstein Monster#14 - 15) - Knowing that Veronica von Frankenstein had hired private investigator Eric Prawn to locate the Frankenstein Monster, I.C.O.N. agent Cardinal followed Prawn. Cardinal and Zandor waited for Prawn to locate the Monster, and then broke into Prawn's apartment; they waited for him there, and then Zandor grabbed Ralph Caccone, a teen who'd befriended the Monster, and used him to force the Monster to obey them. Prawn escaped in the initial struggle, but Cardinal and Zandor took Ralph and the Monster to the warehouse base of Operation: Marauder, where they were prepared to open up the Monster's head. However, Prawn then dropped through the skylight and attacked, at the same time that the Jigsaw Monster/Night Creature/Clone Creature burst in -- the creature had been following the trail of the Frankenstein Monster. In the ensuing battle, the Frankenstein Monster threw the Jigsaw Monster into some lab equipment, causing the entire warehouse to burst into flames. While the Frankenstein Monster, Prawn, and Caccone made it to safety, Cardinal was the only known member of I.C.O.N. to make it out alive.

(Frankenstein Monster#16 - 18) - Prawn took Ralph and the Frankenstein Monster to Veronica Frankenstein's castle in Switzerland, where she performed surgery to enable the Monster to speak again. Cardinal met up with Indigo, another I.C.O.N. agent, and traveled to Veronica's chalet as well; there, they sent an army of undead warriors to assault the chalet, in an effort to retake the Monster. During the surgery, Prawn and Caccone managed to fight off the undead warriors. Indigo then sent in the Berserker android, which quickly overpowered the two men. However, Veronica finished with the surgery, and the Monster recovered in time to incapacitate the Berserker. Indigo contacted I.C.O.N.'s leader Rainbow, who gave them new orders; Indigo followed up by contacting Werner Schmidt, secretly an I.C.O.N. agent who worked at Veronica's chalet, and gave him instructions on how to reactivate the Berserker. The android struck Prawn, then set out after the Frankenstein Monster, who had wandered out into the snow-covered mountains. Ralph realized that Schmidt had betrayed them, and as Schmidt got into the I.C.O.N. helicopter to escape, Ralph used the injured Prawn's machine gun and shot the helicopter's fuel tank, causing the aircraft to explode before it could take off.
   How many other agents of I.C.O.N. exist in the world is unrevealed, but their leader, Rainbow, remains at large. Cardinal had claimed that I.C.O.N. was the focal point for a great many globe-spanning operations.

(All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update#3) - At some point, the heroes Peregrine and Shamrock fought I.C.O.N. (see comments).

Comments: Created by Doug Moench and Val Mayerik.

The ties holding the stories of the Frankenstein Monster to the modern era are tenuous, but existent. Chief among these is the reference to Giant-Size Werewolf by Night#2, which occurred between issues 12 and 13.

So whatever became of I.C.O.N., and who was its secret leader, Rainbow?
Guess who knows?
You will if you're reading this profile. Jean-Marc Lofficier was kind enough to send me the unpublished plot intended for a Marvel Comics Presents story. You can read it HERE.
The identity of Rainbow from Lofficier's story was included in the Frankenstein Monster profile in OHotMU Horror 2005, and the encounter was also referenved in le Peregrine's profile in All-New OHotMU Update#3.
--Markus Raymond

Image additions and comments by Ron Fredricks.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
I.C.O.N., has no known connection to:

The Berserker android has no known connection to:

Cardinal has no known connection to:

Indigo has no known connection to:

Rainbow has no known connections to:

Werner Schmidt has no known connections to:

Zandor has no known connections to:

Berserker android

The Berserker android was sent into Veronica Frankenstein's chalet to bring back the Frankenstein Monster. The Monster, although physically outmatched (while recovering from anesthesia), managed to incapacitate the android by overloading its circuits with a live electric cable.

The android was revived by Werner Schmidt, after which it injured Eric Prawn before it forced its way out of the chalet, and then trailed and located the Monster. After a short battle, the Monster ripped off the Berserker's left arm. The Monster felt sympathy for the injured android, and the two established a rapport. Thereafter, the Berserker disregarded its programming, and accompanied the Monster on his wandering through the mountains.

The android was overwhelmed and decapitated when the Children of the Damned ambushed them suddenly.

--Frankenstein Monster#16 (Frankenstein Monster#16-18

Note: As implied by Indigo (see second image of his profile), the Beserker android was apparently programmed  with the mind of someone named "Legrand"; however, further details remain unrevealed at this time. Also, when it was first seen, a caption described the Berserker as "...an awesomely powerful being composed as much of metal as of flesh...", so perhaps it was actually Legrand rebuilt as a cyborg.

Cardinal

Cardinal was the agent in charge of the Frankenstein Monster's capture in Manhattan. He used Zandor as his muscle, and attempted to trick the Frankenstein Monster and Ralph Caccone into believing that Veronica Frankenstein wanted to kill the Monster. He escaped the destruction of Operation: Marauder's warehouse lab, and then met up with Indigo and flew to Switzerland. He appeared to direct the assault on Veronica's chalet, but it's unclear whether he or Indigo was in charge. He and Indigo were apparently killed when Ralph blew up their helicopter.

(Comments: Cardinal's hair-style, hair-color, and necktie color were inconsistent throughout his appearances; and his use of the phrase "How you say?" implies that English was not his primary language.)

--Frankenstein Monster#14 (Frankenstein Monster#14-18

Indigo

Indigo met up and flew with Cardinal to Veronica Frankenstein's chalet. He and Cardinal argued somewhat, but it appeared that Indigo was following orders from Cardinal.

After the deactivation of the Berserker by an electrical shock, Indigo took the initiative to contact Rainbow. He then contacted Werner Schmidt and directed him on the repair of the android.

When the reactivated Berserker pursued the Frankenstein Monster a second time, its transceiver was somehow deactivated, and Indigo was concerned that the android was unlikely to follow any further orders from them.

Eventually, Indigo met his end with Cardinal when Ralph Caccone blew up their helicopter.

--Frankenstein Monster#16 (Frankenstein Monster#16-18

Operation: Marauder

A secret laboratory based in a warehouse in Manhattan's South Ferry District, it was the main center for I.C.O.N.'s creation of undead warriors--the first success was Zandor (see sub-profile).

Although the reanimated corpses were obedient, they lacked the capacity for independent thought and self-determination; to solve this problem, the Frankenstein Monster was captured and brought to the lab, where the scientists wanted to examine his brain and find the source of his autonomy.

But before the planned surgery could take place, the lab was destroyed by a fire, as a result of the battle between the Frankenstein and Jigsaw Monsters.

--Frankenstein Monster#15

Werner Schmidt

He acted as both assistant and lover to Veronica Frankenstein, but was secretly an operative for I.C.O.N.. He broke his cover by following orders from Indigo and repairing the Berserker android. He tried to escape into Indigo and Cardinal's helicopter, but was discovered by Ralph Caccone, who blew up the aircraft before they could take off.

--Frankenstein Monster#16 (Frankenstein Monster16-18

Strand

He drove the van for Cardinal to transport dead bodies to the Operation: Marauder warehouse. It's unclear whether he was in the warehouse when it blew up.

--Frankenstein Monster#15

Zandor

He was the first undead warrior successfully created by Operation: Marauder. He was originally a professional wrestler who was killed in a match that got out of hand. They had restored life to his body, but unfortunately most of his intellect remained dead. He was obedient, but essentially stupid, lacking self-determination and autonomous thought... as were all of their subsequent experiments. He was presumed to have been destroyed in the explosion of the Operation: Marauder warehouse... although what it takes to kill the undead is uncertain.

Zandor possessed exceptional, if not superhuman (enhanced human) strength. He was not particularly quick, nor did he demonstrate impressive fighting skills. He knew that his master Cardinal wanted him to hit his enemies, but became very frustrated and wasn't sure what to do if they were too far away for him to hit.

--Frankenstein Monster#14 (Frankenstein Monster#14-15

images: (without ads)
Frankenstein Monster#17, p18, pan2 (I.C.O.N.'s headquarters)
Frankenstein Monster#16, p14, pan5 (Berserker android)
Frankenstein Monster#17, p12, pan5 (Berserker android)
Frankenstein Monster#14, p15, pan2 (Cardinal)
Frankenstein Monster#16, p13, pan7 (Indigo; Cardinal (background))
Frankenstein Monster#17, p18, pan4 (Indigo; Cardinal (foreground))
Frankenstein Monster#15, p7, pan4 (Operation: Marauder)
Frankenstein Monster#15, p8, pan2 (Cardinal explains purpose of Operation: Marauder; Zandor, Frankenstein Monster, Ralph Caccone (background))
Frankenstein Monster#17, p4, pan1 (Rainbow)
Frankenstein Monster#17, p5, pan2 (Werner Schmidt)
Frankenstein Monster#15, p6, pan4 (Strand)
Frankenstein Monster#15, p1, pan1 (Zandor; Cardinal (background))

Appearances:
Frankenstein Monster#15 (March, 1975) - Doug Moench (writer), Val Mayerik (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Frankenstein Monster#16-17 (May-July, 1975) - Doug Moench (writer), Val Mayerik (pencils), Bob McLeod (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Frankenstein Monster#18 (September, 1975) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Val Mayerik (pencils), Val Mayerik & Dan Adkins (inks), Len Wein (editor)

First Posted: 01/14/2002
Last updated: 11/05/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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