RECORDER#417RECORDER#417
Real Name: Recorder#417
Identity/Class: extra-dimensional (Earth-Hercules), extra-terrestrial (Rigellian) android
Occupation: recorder of significant events, specifically the exploits of Hercules of that timeline
Affiliations: Colonizers of Rigel (creators);
Arimathes, Eternals of Titan,
Mallax Fortnite, Hercules, Count Igwanis, ISAAC, Skyppi, Lucynda Thrust;
formerly Layana Sweetwater
Enemies: Assassins' Guild (especially
Viperius), Galactus, the Kawa, Last Disciple of Thanos, Stard,
Layana Sweetwater, Wilamean Space Pirates, Zeus;
formerly Arimathes
Known Relatives: one of a series of robots
Aliases: Recorder
Base of Operations: mobile throughout the Andromeda Galaxy, @ 24th Century, Earth-829
First Appearance: Hercules I#1 (September, 1982)
Powers/Abilities:
The Recorder is composed on an unspecified ferrous alloy. Its
information gathering instrumentation is located in its head
component, analogous to eyes, ears, nose, etc. Its eyes take in
data across the entire electromagnetic spectrum (radio to gamma
rays), not just the visible spectrum. Its ears can register
sounds from 0.3 to 150 deciBel. The sampling rate for average
events is every 0.01 second; for relatively more interesting
events it is every .001 second. The computer data-processing
system fills the entire chest cavity and has 40 terabytes (trillions
of bytes) of information storage capacity. It can dispense its
information in three-dimensional, audio (and probably tactile,
olfactory, and taste) -enhanced holograms
It is equipped with a vocoder permitting it to
communicate verbally, and it is able to understand and speak over
11,000 languages spoken throughout the Milky Way galaxy and
others explored by the Rigellians. It speaks be declaring the
type of sentence it will be using: i.e. "Interrogative:
What is the fairer sex?",
or "Statement: I believe my fluid systems will imbibe a
'Borrillian Gear-Slipper.' 30-weight, please.",
or "Stapment: Where ish the facilities? I beeleef I'm
about to spling a leek!"
Unlike other Recorders,#417 has been allowed to maintain its memory of events, rather being bulk-erased after data transmission to the Rigellians. In addition, Recorder#417 does have more or a personality and even a weak understanding of humor, unlike the others, which are virtually devoid of personality.
While the Recorder suffers relatively limited dysfunction from the total amputation of one or more limbs, his gyroscope is more sensitive, and a sufficient impact can knock it out of alignment such that he suffers from severe dis-equilibrium, or vertigo.
History: The Recorders are a series of androids built by the Rigellian Colonizers for the purpose of information gathering and analysis. It is
(Hercules I#1) - In
the 24th Century, after being banished into space by his father,
Hercules encountered the Colonizers of Rigel. Interested in his
exploits, the Rigellians sent Recorder#417 along with him so they
could add his adventurers to their recorder tapes. The Recorder
accompanied Hercules to Starharbor on the planet Petocco, where
he proceeded to become intoxicated on Borrillian Gear-Slipper.
While emptying his waste fluids, he missed Hercules unwittingly
try to start a friendly fighting bout with a pacifist Pheragot.
The Recorder returned in time to witness Hercules save Starharbor
when a starship crash-landed into it.
(Hercules I#2) - The Recorder was present
alongside Hercules when he lost his golden chariot to a rigged
race against Clide and Alpo. He accompanied to Wilamean where he
assisted in the rescue of Layana and encounter with Count Igwanis
in which he earned the money to regain his chariot. In the course
of the struggle the Recorder's right hand was blown off when he
pointed out to Hercules that the kidnappers were firing on them.
The Recorder was less than pleased with the Q-76 Baggage Handler
hand that Hercules--still tight on funds--purchased to replace it
for him.
Later, the Recorder was arrested for voyeurism
(specifically he was called a Peeping Cyber) when he fulfilled
his mission to record Hercules exploits by watching through a
window as Hercules...wooed Layana. He noted that this romance was
quite similar to the antler-dance ritual on Sirius-Four. The
Recorder spent a short time in Fort Anteris Detention Center,
consuming another inmate's whole stash of audio-tootski in the
process. After determining that audio-tootski was a narco-euphoric
producing cerebral dysfunction in humanoids, he told the inmate
that he should not put that substance in his body.
(Hercules I#3) - The Recorder accompanied Hercules as he destroyed the planet-towing device of the alien Kawa, who worshipped Galactus and had been stealing planets from the Omacran system system on an annual basis. The Recorder's gyro's damaged during a spacefight, and both of his legs were blown off by the Kawa. His legs were replaced in Starstation Raga.
(Hercules I#4 (fb)) - The Recorder accompanied Hercules to Ciegrem-7 for a celebration for saving them from the Kawa, and then aboard Galactus' ship, where the Prince of Power succeeded in amusing Galactus to the point that he spared Ciegrem-7. The Recorder caused a distraction so that Galactus appeared unaware when Hercules dumped an ultra-concentrated drug into the World-Devourer's wine goblet. Galactus trapped the Recorder within a plastoid constuct to prevent further distraction. Herc freed the Recorder, who was then confiscated by the Rigellians until Hercules could pay back the massive debt he had accrued due to the repetitive damage, etc.
(Hercules I#4) - The Recorder was restored to its initial form by the Rigellians while it dispensed its recorded information to them. He was then deactivated until his next mission.
BTS - Hercules paid back his debt and was again given the Recorder to accompany him on his adventures.
(Hercules II#1) - In 2385, the Recorder was present as Hercules helped squelch a rebel uprising against the government of the Omacran system. The Recorder's analytical abilities revealed the rebel leader, commander Stard, was a Skrull. He witnessed the death of their old friend commander Malin, and later, in the Deniciere Spaceport, revealed that the beautiful woman that Hercules was trying to...woo, was also a Skrull; and an old, male one at that. The Recorder and Hercules were then joined by this skrull, who was named Skyppi.
(Hercules II#2) - On Deneciere, when Hercules leapt off of his chariot to dissuade their attackers, the Recorder and Skyppi were still on board when the chariot crashed into an apartment. The Recorder was lodged face-first through the wall behind the hung-over resident's medicine cabinet, and he recommended two hundred milligrams of approline-cyclimate when the man opened the door. Hercules freed him from the wall, but his gyro's were again damaged by the collision. Hercules took the Recorder to another space station and left him for repairs while Hercules encountered and defeated the Red Wolf. The Recorder was completely repaired by the time they left.
(Hercules II#3) - The Recorder, Hercules, and Skyppi stopped off on Titan to receive information from the Eternals, and ended up fighting and defeat Dhielus Shreck, the Last Disciple of Thanos. The Recorder worked with Titan's world computer, ISAAC, guiding Hercules to overload Shreck with photonic energy and destroy him.
(Hercules II#4) - The Recorder, Hercules, and Skyppi arrived on Mt. Olympus, where they were attacked by the seemingly mad god Zeus, who animated a semi-equine biped statue to occupy the Recorder and Skyppi while he dealt with his son. The Recorder distracted the statue, leading it after him by taunting it thusly: "Declaration: Hello, Mr. Animated Mineral Being? Come grind my circuits into metal shavings, if you can catch me!" Skyppi surprised the statue by duplicating of its form, and the Recorder then got on his hands and knees behind the statue, so that the statue tripped over him when Skyppi pushed it. The statue fell into a deep well. The Recorder watched as Hercules chose to reclaim his immortality (a gift and choice granted by Zeus as he passed on), and they then headed back to the Andromeda Galaxy, where Hercules might spawn a new race of gods.
(Marvel Tales#197/2 - BTS) - Hercules and Skyppi earned money to pay for major repairs for the Recorder, who had been damaged by uncertain means.
(Marvel Graphic Novel: Hercules: Full Circle) - The Recorder witnessed as Hercules foiled another plot of Clide and Alpo, and he was then captured and imprisoned by Hercules' son, Arimathes alongside Herc and Skyppi. After they were freed by Count Igwanis, the Recorder appealed to an air lift computer's logic so that it took them to the main plaza rather than face destruction at Hercules' hands. It then accompanied Hercules, Skyppi, Igwanis, Mallox Fortnite, and Lucynda Thrust in infiltrating Arimathes army so that Hercules could confront Arimathes in single combat and convince him that he had been lied to by his mother, Layana Sweetwater. The Recorder remained with Hercules as he became Arimathes' new advisor.
(Marvel Comics
Presents I#39/3) - While Hercules defeated some Wilamean space
pirates, Skyppi tricked the Recorder into wearing a dress as a
disguise so that he might appear to be some captured...booty. He
was in the line of fire when Sweetwater sent the Assassins' Guild
targeted Hercules.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#40/3) - The Recorder took cover while the Guild fought Hercules and Arimathes. Hercules used his metal form as a shield and then as a club against Viperius. It was the Recorder who recognized when the cybernetic assassin activated its destruct mode, which Armiathes nearly sacrificed his life attempting to shield the others from the resultant explosion.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#41/3) - The Recorder accompanied Hercules as he brought Arimathes to a med-center and then confronted Layana. As Hercules chided Layana for nearly killing her own son in her agenda against him, the Recorder came up from behind and disarmed her. He was most pleased with his success in this endeavor.
Comments: Created by Bob Layton.
The timespan between the first and second series has been listed as both 30 years and 41 years. Forty-one was the timespan first described, but it was by Malin, who was dying. Thirty years was described repeatedly in the Full Circle graphic novel by Arimathes, Hercules, and Layana.
The specifications on the
Recorders are taken from the Official Handbook of the Marvel
Universe I#9, and refers specifically to their design in the
modern era. As the Recorder-417 was present in the 23rd century,
it may be that it was even more advanced and capable than its
predecessors. However, it also may be that the Rigellians,
extremely advanced in the modern era, did not better themselves
significantly in the following centuries.
Also keep in mind that OHotMU I#9's entry was
written based on perceived advancements in technology based on
the status quo for 1983, when the TRS 80 and Commodore 64 were
state of the art!
;)
I guess the Recorder is an it, but it's hard not to refer to him as...him. Well, maybe, not too hard. Look up and to the right!
CLARIFICATIONS:
This Recorder should be differentiated from:
Appearances:
Hercules I#2-4 (October-December, 1982) - Bob Layton (writer), Bob Layton & Luke McDonnell (#2-3) (pencils), Bob Layton & Sam De La Rosa (#4) (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Hercules II#1-4 (March-June, 1984) - Bob Layton (writer/artist), Bob Budiansky (editor)
Marvel Tales#197 (March, 1987)
Marvel Graphic Novel: Hercules: Full Circle (1988) - Bob Layton (writer/artist), Gregory Wright (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#39-41 (January, 1990) - Bob Layton (writer/artist), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
First Posted: 10/19/2003
Last updated: 10/24/2010
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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