MAMMOTH

Classification: Terrestrial Technology

Creator: HYDRA

User/Possessors: Supreme Hydra

First Appearance: Aurora Comic Scene Model Book#182, with the Hulk.

Powers/Abilities/Functions: Strong enough to knock the wind out of the Hulk, made of metal. It also possesses a 'neuron ray' that can sap the energy of the Hulk and add the stolen strength to its own power. It's unknown if this 'neuron ray' would work on any other super-humans.

Weaknesses: Requires a driver to operate. Also, vulnerable to being smashed by the Hulk (not that most things don't share this weakness...).

Physical Description: Mammoth is a forty-foot tall armored battlesuit. It has humanoid characteristics. The driver sits in a little bubble on top and operates it via two joysticks.

History: (Aurora Comic Scene Model Book#182) - Largely unknown. Apparently it was created in response to HYDRA's failure to capture the Hulk in Incredible Hulk I#132, in which the Supreme Hydra tried to kidnap and brainwash the Hulk, with predictable results. What appears to be the same Supreme Hydra commander leads this operation and presumably he ordered the construction of Mammoth.

A HYDRA assault force attacked the Hulk as he was jumping across an unspecified Western desert. The Hulk told them all to leave him alone, or he would smash, etc. when he was suddenly struck by a gigantic robotic fist. He looked up to see the Mammoth suit attacking him.

But "Hulk is stronger than stupid robot", and knocked it to the ground. This caused the HYDRA soldiers to start shooting at the Hulk. The bullets bothered him not in the least.

Mammoth recovered and used its "Special Neuron Ray" against the Hulk, which apparently was fine-tuned to steal the Hulk's power and give it to the battlesuit. It hurt the Hulk and made him feel weak, so he dug a giant hole in the bedrock, and then tunnelled over to where Mammoth was, and leapt out of the ground, smashing Mammoth to pieces from below. This was pretty impressive for a weakened Hulk. After Hulk smashed a few more HYDRA soldiers, and then did that "I hit the ground so hard violent shockwaves knock everyone off their feet" thing, and HYDRA wisely made their retreat.

It ended with this puzzling line: "The Incredible Hulk bounds off towards the setting sun, his dull, brute mind never realizing he leaves behind the wreckage of the Neuron Ray - a device designed to steal his gamma-spawned strength - and perhaps, to cure him!" Ok, so some HYDRA goon laser can instantly cure the Hulk? Whatever.

Comments: Created by Len Wein and Herb Trimpe.

Not too much more than your generic giant robot/battlesuit. I must admit though, it's always fun to watch the dumb Hulk destroy giant robots.

Mammoth was part of a "guess his first appearance" contest. The results:
Mammoth was harder, no one got it right. I did find a place on the web where you could have figured it out, over at big-tel.com, a site everyone should know. Back in the 70s, Aurora made plastic models of Superheroes (both Marvel and DC) and they always included an original comic. It's interesting because it's the sequel to an in-continuity story, which maybe makes it in-continuity if you squint.

Profile by: caliban

Clarifications: Mammoth has no known connection to:

• Mammoth, Willie Amos, of the Underground, @ Blackwulf#1
• Mammoth of the Power Pachyderms @ Power Pachyderms#1
• Mammomax, of Exodus' Brotherhood of Mutants @ X-Men II#161
• Mastodon, named after the same prehistoric creature, one of the original Weapon X experimental subjects, mentioned in Wolverine II#50, first appearance @Wolverine II#61
• Mastodon, David Landers of the New Universe @ DP7#1