MECHADOOM

Real Name: doombot# (serial number unknown)

Identity/Class: sentient robot

Occupation: None

Group Membership: Doombots

Affiliations: Kristoff Vernard/Dr. Doom (creator); Led an army of Doombots and Capturebots of its own creation; Deathlok and Reed Richards assisted it in coming to terms with its existence.

Enemies: Bushwacker, Forge, Jocasta, Machine Man, Ruby Thursday, Ultron-11 (former captives); Coldblood (escaped capture); Deathlok, Fantastic Four, Misty Knight, Vision, X-Men (Jubilee, Storm, Wolverine)-all opposed it until it ceased its hostile activities.

Known Relatives: other Doombots

Aliases: Doombot, "Dr. Doom" (all Doombots are programmed to think of themselves as Dr. Doom, except when around the original or other Doombots)

Base of Operations: an unidentified underground base @ Manhattan, New York City

First Appearance: Deathlok II#2, 3 (September, 1991)

Powers: Mechadoom could project powerful energy blasts and shield, it could control local machinery, as well as use it to add to or rebuild itself as desired. It possessed a large, external power battery which made its power seem virtually limitless. However, when this battery was destroyed, it was dramatically reduced in power. Presumably it at least had remaining abilities along the lines of the other Doombots. It was sentient,a lthough it initially contained programming that would force it to serve Doom or Kristoff if in there presence.
Mechadoom controlled a series of Doombots, which, while inferior to the originals, still possessed a level of standard powers. These included Class 5 strength, armor plating, short-range flight, force fields, and energy blasts.
The Capturebots were capable of high speed flight, highly maneuverable, possessed powerful tentacles, were resistant to injury, and could fire a variety of energy blasts.

History: (Dlok#4(fb))-After Kristoff Vernard usurped the identity of Dr. Doom and ousted him from the throne, he decided to create his own Doombots, which could never be used against him. Using a line of research long abandonned as too dangerous by Doom, Kristoff began work on the first of these. For reasons unknown, Kristoff stopped and left before completing it. Somehow possessing the initiative to complete its construction in a manner it hoped would please its creator. As it continued to wait for its creator, it continued to improve itself. Eventually it somehow developed enough intelligence to resent being abandonned and it came to realize it no longer wished to please its creator. It fled Castle Doom, hiding out to avoid encountering the masters who could control it.
The Doombot, now calling itself Mechadoom, made a base outside Manhattan. It attempted to alter its own programming to prevent future control, but found it was unable to do so. It then began creating Doombot after Doombot, attempting to impart in them the independence it could not give itself. It was unsuccessful in doing this, as well.
Mechadoom came to realize that there were a number of intelligent and independent robots and cyborgs out there it could learn from. It created the Capturebots, which it sent to...capture these beings. They succeeded in capturing Bushwacker,Forge, Jocasta, Machine Man, Ruby Thursday, Ultron-11, while others, including Coldblood escaped them.
([Dlok#2],3-5)-Two other cyborgs, Forge and Misty Knight were attacked by the Capturebots. Forge was taken, but Misty escaped and recruited Deathlok to help her. The two overpowered and reprogrammed a Capturebot to take them to its base. There they found the captives, but were also attacked by Dr. Doom. Misty's cybernetic arm was blown off, before Deathlok learned it was a Doombot, changed tactics, and destroyed it. When he saw the hundreds of other Doombots present he fled. He went to Reed Richards, who reparied Misty's arm, but neither he nor his teammates were immediately available to assist, so Deathlok returned to attempt the rescue by himself. He was instantly ambushed by Mechadoom who blasted him with a beam that severed Deathlok's brain/body connection, rendering him inert.
Mechadoom linked to Deathlok to learn his origins, and then explained its origins. This gave Deathlok enough time to reboot his systems, and about the same time, Misty returned, bringing the Fantastic Four, the Vision, and several X-Men with her. As the others battled the army of Doombots, Deathlok battled Mechadoom. Deathlok eventually managed to destroy Mechadoom's primary power battery, and it surrendered, deactivating its army of Doombots.
As Deathlok and his allies freed the captives, Mechadoom activated its own self-destruct mechanism, threatening to destroy everyone present. Deathlok talked him down, convincing it that its fears and feelings were normal, and then Reed Richards removed its unwanted programming, freeing it from further control by Doom. As everyone got ready to leave, Mechadoom revealed that it would remain in that base, acting as a clearinghouse of information and technical support for cyborgs and intelligent machines. Its purpose would be to serve their community and work to bring about the day when they would be accepted into society...and everyone was happy, and all was right with the world
And then Ultron blasted Mechadoom, disintegrating it as punishment for daring to have captured and experimented on him.

Comments: Created by Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan.

This issue gave us the Politically Correct term "Cybernet" which referred to both Cyborgs (a Cybernetic Organism) and sentient Robots (Cybernetworks)...what a load of...

Clarifications:

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Deathlok II#3, p22 (main image)