Membership: "Aeristron", "Captiotron", "Ducotron", Electron, "Scyphozotron", Thermatron

Purpose: To keep Prince Namor on the throne of Atlantis

Affiliations: Atlanteans

Enemies: Invisible Girl (Susan Richards), Sub-Mariner (Namor McKenzie)

Base of Operations: Atlantis;
    briefly active in Hollywood, California

First Appearance: Fantastic Four I#195 (June, 1978)

Powers/Abilities: The six human-sized Retrievers possessed superhuman strength (Class 10-25) and durability, sufficient to trade a few blows with the Sub-Mariner. See the separate sub-profiles for individual powers.

History:
(Fantastic Four I#195 (fb) - BTS) - The origins of the Retrievers are unspecified, but they were androids designed to be Namor's imperial guard and keep the Atlantean monarch on the throne.

(Fantastic Four I#195 (fb)) - After the people of Atlantis were revived from their comatose state (@ Super-Villain Team-Up I#13), the Retrievers stood by Namor's throne. But when his royal subjects came to regard him as a god, Namor was unable to cope with their constant worship and continued requests for healing -- he became disgusted with his people and left Atlantis. Namor returned to Imperial Studios in Hollywood, where he made arrangements to employ Susan Richards for a movie.

(Fantastic Four I#195 (fb) - BTS) - Meanwhile, seeking to force Namor to return to Atlantis, the temporary ruling council of Atlantis dispatched the Retrievers.

(Fantastic Four I#195) - The Retrievers invaded Imperial Studios and made their demand for Namor to return home. When he refused, Captiotron ensnared him, but Namor kicked his way free. Electron then stunned him with a punch and Thermatron weakened him via a dehydrating heat blast, all guided by Ducotron. Electron continued the assault with an electrical attack, until Sue Richards contained Electron with a force field. The Retrievers then focused on Sue, who held her own against them by using her force field powers to knock a catwalk on top of Thermatron, then expanding and destroying a trap created by Scyphozotron (who was also shattered in the process). She duped Captiotron into incapacitating itself against a giant fish tank she had made invisible, and the tank shattered as well, reviving Namor with a deluge of water.

   Namor punched out Aeristron, then grappled with Ducotron, who directed Thermatron and Electron to fire upon Namor while he held him. However, Sue then made Namor invisible, and he escaped Ducotron's grasp, so that the blasts from the other two Retrievers struck Ducotron instead, damaging him. As Ducotron collapsed, the other Retrievers were left without a power source, and they collapsed as well.

   Nonetheless, their message was received, and Namor decided to accept his heritage and return to Atlantis.

Comments: Created by Marv Wolfman, Keith Pollard, and Pablo Marcos.

    Namor's powers are so inconsistent. Some writers use his undersea life powers (such as being able to absorb and discharge electricity, like an electric eel), while others--like Wolfman--do not.

    Only Electron and Thermatron were specifically named. I picked names for the remaining four...but they were weak. Skullogeist had the following recommendations:

• I was just looking over the RETRIEVERS OF ATLANTIS profile and noticed that the two officially named Retrievers both had the "-tron" suffix in common. Do you think this was intentional or just coincidence? In naming the unnamed Retrievers, wouldn't it be cool to follow through with the pattern that Wolfman may or may not have intentionally started nearly 26 years ago?
• "Therma" is the Latin root for "heat". There's no Latin root for "electricity", so Wolfman probably just went with "Electron" since that was a recognizable word in itself. So with the "Latin root + tron" theme in mind, my picks for the remaining Retrievers would be:
• Aeristron for Airship ("aeris" being the Latin root for "air" and "atmosphere")
• Ducotron for Generator ("duco" being the Latin root for "to lead" and "to bring"), or maybe Edicotron ("edico" meaning "to announce or declare") or Magnustron ("magnus" meaning "great")
• Tendril is a tough one. I'd go with either Captiotron ("captio" meaning "to capture"), Prehendotron ("prehendo" meaning "to lay hold of"), or Raptotron ("rapto" meaning "to seize or carry away").
• Captiotron may also be appropriate for Jellyfish (given his jellyfish-like traps), but I'd go with Scyphozotron ("Scyphozoan" being the class that jellyfish belong to).
  
  And from the horse's mouth, Marv Wolfman, himself:
  "I have no memory of these characters. Feel free to do whatever you want; it's fine with me. And good luck on the Appendices."

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Retrievers of Atlantis have no known connection to:

• Retrieval Squad (Mowat, MacGruder ) - assistants to USAgent, uncertain connection to STARS--Maximum Security#1
• any other characters or groups with similar names
  

"Aeristron" has no known connection to:

• Aerian - Pangea, winged humanoids race, most presumably killed when Terminus destroyed heat generators of Pangea --Ka-Zar the Savage#2
• Aeric - Inhuman child --Inhumans II#1
• Aerie - floating city of Bird People - aka Sky Isle--Red Raven Comics#1
• Aerie - New Jersey Palisades headquarters of the Owl--Daredevil I#3
• Aerie - Sh'iar heaven--Captain Marvel V#14
• Aerie - former Dallas penthouse of Forge--Uncanny X-Men I#184
• Aerie Shalan - Pangea, home of Aerians--Ka-Zar the Savage#2
• Aeroika - Winged Ones, Tunnelworld, actively fought the agents of the Unnameable--Defenders I#78
• Aerwan of Ultraverse (Karr, Shadowmage, Wynn) - race that dwell in the Wold--Solution#1
• any other characters with similar names
  

Electron has no known connection to:

• Electro - robot created by Professor Zog--Marvel Mystery Comics#4
• Electro (Ivan Kronov) - Soviet soldier mutated into electrical being by military--Captain America Comics#78
• Electro (Maxwell Dillon) - electrically-empowered criminal--Amazing Spider-Man I#9
• Electro (Francine Frye) - electrically-empowered criminal--Amazing Spider-Man III#17
• Electro-Man (Robert Turnstall) - electrically-empowered British hero--Super Spider-Man and Captain Britain Weekly#244
• Electron - Imperial Guard Royal Elite--Uncanny X-Men I#107
• Elektro - giant robot built by Wilbur Poole, gained intelligence in lab accident--Tales of Suspense I#13
• any other characters with similar names
  

"Scyphozotron" has no known connection to:

• "jellyfish" of Earth-Shadowline - attacked Powerline and ship of Mangler Mike--Powerline#7
• any other  characters with similar names
  

Thermatron has no known connection to:

• Thermal – Humanity's Last Stand's Mutant Liberation Front--Punisher III#15
• Thermal Man - android created by Professor Chen--Thor I#168
• Thermal Thief - Energy Drainers--Captain America and the Campbell Kids
• Thermite (Sam Yurimoto) - of Earth-712, Redeemers member--Squadron Supreme I#10
• Thermite (Sam Yurimoto) - New Enforcers--Web of Spider-Man I#99
• Thermo (Dr. Walter Michaels) - costumed criminal—Marvel Team-Up I#108
• Thermodynamic Man - see Equinox--Giant-Size Super-heroes#1
• Thermatronic Man - see Thermo--Marvel Team-Up I#108
• any other characters with similar names
  

"Aeristron" One of the Retrievers of Atlantis, this purple-colored android had fin-like projections upon its back, which gave it the power of flight. When it attempted to apprehend the Sub-Mariner at Imperial Studios, he punched  Aeristron into a section of the movie set. Following the destruction of Ducotron, the power source for the other Retrievers, Aeristron was permanently deactivated. --Fantastic Four I#195

"Captiotron" One of the Retrievers of Atlantis, this metallic blue-colored android had prehensile, tendril-like arms. Capiotron wrapped its extendable limbs around the Sub-Mariner, but he kicked himself free. Later, Capiotron tried to ensnare the Invisible Girl, but she tricked it into shattering a giant fish tank instead. Following the destruction of Ducotron, the power source for the other Retrievers, Captiotron was permanently deactivated. --Fantastic Four I#195

"Ducotron" The leader of the Retrievers of Atlantis, this violet-colored android was the only one that could speak (he's also the only one with a functioning mouth), but never joined the battle in any other way. He was their power source, data processor, and strategist of the group. Ducotron was accidentally damaged and incapacitated by misdirected blasts from Electron and Thermatron, and all the other Retrievers collapsed; but it would seem likely that Ducotron could be rebuilt. --Fantastic Four I#195

Electron One of the Retrievers of Atlantis, this yellow-colored android fired bolts of electricity from its hands. After Thermatron hit the Sub-Mariner with a dehydrating fire blast, Electron attacked him with an electrical discharge to sap his strength. But the Invisible Girl protected Namor by containing Electron inside a force field bubble. Later, when the Sub-Mariner grappled with Ducotron, the violet-colored android ordered Electron and Thermatron to combine their powers against him; but the Invisible Girl made the Sub-Mariner disappear, and he escaped from Ducotron's grasp. Subsequently, the combined blasts hit Ducotron instead and incapacitated the Retrievers' leader. Immediately following the destruction of Ducotron, the power source for the other Retrievers, Electron collapsed and was permanently deactivated. --Fantastic Four I#195

"Scyphozotron" One of the Retrievers of Atlantis, this green-colored android could form its body into a jellyfish-like trap. Scyphozotron leapt upon the Invisible Girl and engulfed her with its body, but she employed her force field around herself and expanded it; despite the strain, she was able to stretch Scyphozotron beyond its limits, and the android was torn to pieces. --Fantastic Four I#195

Thermatron One of the Retrievers of Atlantis, this red-colored android could project a fiery blast of heat from its non-speaking circular "mouth". Thermatron first hit the Sub-Mariner with a fiery blast that dehydrated him. It then directed another blast at the Invisible Girl, but she used her force field to weaken an overhead catwalk, causing the structure to fall upon Thermatron. Later, when the Sub-Mariner grappled with Ducotron, the violet-colored android ordered Thermatron and Electron to combine their powers against him; but the Invisible Girl made the Sub-Mariner disappear, and he escaped from Ducotron's grasp. Subsequently, the combined blasts hit Ducotron instead and destroyed the Retrievers' leader. Immediately following the destruction of Ducotron, the power source for the other Retrievers, Thematron collapsed and was permanently deactivated. --Fantastic Four I#195

images: (without ads)
Fantastic Four I#195, p11, pan1 (Main Image - Retrievers of Atlantis)
Fantastic Four I#195, p6, pan1 (in flashback, Retrievers by Sub-Mariner's throne)
Fantastic Four I#195, p16, pan2 ("Aeristron" flying towards Sub-Mariner)
Fantastic Four I#195, p16, pan3 (Sub-Mariner punches "Aeristron")
Fantastic Four I#195, p12, pan2 ("Captiotron" captures Sub-Mariner)
Fantastic Four I#195, p12, pan4 (Sub-Mariner kicks "Captiotron")
Fantastic Four I#195, p14, pan1 ("Ducotron"; Thermatron (background))
Fantastic Four I#195, p17, pan4 ("Ducotron" struggling with Sub-Mariner)
Fantastic Four I#195, p13, pan3 (Electron blasts Sub-Mariner)
Fantastic Four I#195, p17, pan6 (Electron)
Fantastic Four I#195, p14, pan5 ("Scyphozotron" leaps upon Invisible Girl)
Fantastic Four I#195, p14, pan6 ("Scyphozotron" traps Invisible Girl)
Fantastic Four I#195, p13, pan1 (Thermatron)
Fantastic Four I#195, p14, pan2 (Thermatron blasts Invisible Girl)

Appearances:
Fantastic Four I#195 (June, 1978) - Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), Keith Pollard (pencils), Pablo Marcos (inks), Phil Rachelson (colors), Denise Wohl (letters)

First Posted: 01/07/2004
Last updated: 04/05/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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