INFERNO-42

Classification: Explosive weapon

Creator: A.I.M.

Users/Possessors: A.I.M., Sharon Carter, HYDRA, S.H.I.E.L.D.

First Appearance: Tales Of Suspense I#75/2 (March, 1966)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: Inferno-42 is an explosive so powerful that it could demolish an entire city if set off. All that is needed for Inferno-42 to become active is for the casing to be cracked.

History: (Tales Of Suspense I#75/2) - After stealing Inferno-42 from A.I.M., a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent passed it along to fellow agent Sharon Carter for safekeeping. However, A.I.M. had hired Batroc the Leaper to retake the explosive, and set after Carter. Sharon was assisted by Captain America, who was unaware what Inferno-42 was, until he was informed by Batroc that the casing was cracked during their fight, and that it would explode in 30 minutes.

(Tales Of Suspense I#76/2) - Batroc and Captain America searched for Sharon to retake the Inferno-42 and warn her of the danger, but as soon as Batroc had an opportunity, he stole the cannister for himself. He brought it to A.I.M., and they placed it inside of a protective receptacle to halt the explosion. Unknown to A.I.M., the sample of Inferno-42 they had taken was a phony, planted by Sharon Carter.

(Thunderstrike#13) - After suffering budget cutbacks, S.H.I.E.L.D. decided to destroy their supply of Inferno-42, but they were convinced by Alex DePaul to store it away instead. As part of Operation: Sinkhole, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Alex DePaul oversaw the placing of Inferno-42 deep beneath the remains of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s old Manhattan base. However, Seth learned of this, and sent the Bison, Quicksand and Mongoose to obtain it.

(Thunderstrike#14) - While Thunderstrike, Luke Cage, and DePaul fought off the villains, S.H.I.E.L.D. placed Inferno-42 deep beneath the earth, and then flooded their tunnels to prevent it from being recovered.

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Empyre) - HYDRA, in a plot with a Middle Eastern based despot, made extensive use of Inferno-42. The despot had surreptitiously started his own airline, with pilots all loyal to him. He had them fill their airplanes with Inferno-42. The pilots were to crash their planes in major cities, and the Inferno-42 would cause spectacular explosions.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.

The identities of Batroc's employers were not revealed in the original story, but were identified as THEM in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#16, and further elaborated in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition#3 as being A.I.M. -- the names THEM and A.I.M. were practically synonymous in their early appearances, with THEM used to identify their covert operations and A.I.M. as their public front. The OHOTMU later retconned THEM into being an administrative arm of HYDRA.

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Inferno-42 should not be confused with:

• Inferno, Slifer, demon, servant of Mephisto, @ Ghost Rider II#4
• Inferno, Joseph Conroy, fought Avengers, @ Avengers I#192
• Inferno, Samantha McGee, of the Exemplars, @ Iron Man III#21
• Inferno of Earth-2099, of the Triumverate, @ X-Men 2099: Oasis

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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