MAD THINKER's "MOST POWERFUL" ANDROID
Real Name: None
Identity/Class: Terrestrial android, mutated by extradimensional energies
Occupation: Defeat of the Fantastic Four
Group Membership: Formerly the Annihilation Wave
Affiliations: Former servant of Annihilus and Mad
Thinker;
former ally of Ravenous and his Currs, the
Delinquent, Paibok the Power-Skrull, Terrax
Enemies: Annihilus, Brute, Fantastic Four (Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Medusa, Mr. Fantastic, Thing), Thundra, Tigra, United Front
Known Relatives: None;
similar line as the Mad Thinker's battle droids, killer
androids, and super-androids
Aliases: Mad Thinker's "Monster" android, Scavenger; "Son o' Kong" (nickname from the Thing)
Base of Operations: Mobile
First Appearance: (Mad Thinker's "most powerful"
android): Fantastic Four I#70 (January, 1968);
(Scavenger) Fantastic Four Annual#6 (November, 1968);
(Mad Thinker's "monster android") Fantastic Four I#181
(April, 1977)
Powers/Abilities: The "most powerful" android was about 12 feet tall and possessed superhuman (Class 50) strength and durability, and was able to repair minor injuries. It could extend jets from its ankles to fly, as well as power jets from its back that could release powerful bursts of energy. It could release knock-out gas from its fingers, and it could drop its surface temperature to below freezing and cover itself with ice to protect it from heat attacks. Its "ultimate weapon" was a retractable disintegrator, which could also be extended from its face. It had magnetic shoes which allowed it to walk up the surface of metal walls.
It could be activated by remote control, and sent on an apparently pre-programmed mission to locate and attack the Fantastic Four. It possessed unspecified scanners which allowed it to locate its foes.
As the Scavenger, it possessed a pair of bat-like wings, extending from ankles to waist, that allowed it to fly. Its superhuman strength was presumably comparable to its original level, though it demonstrated no other offensive powers.
As the "monster" android, it was about 25' tall. It possessed great power, drawn from Annihilus' Cosmic Control Rod, granting it superhuman strength (Class 100) and durability. It had an immense tail, which could be used to strike as a fifth limb. It could fly unharmed through air or the "space" of the Negative Zone. It could release blasts of cosmic rays from its eyes. The "monster" presumably possessed other energy powers as well, though it did not demonstrate these.
Unlike its previous forms, the "monster" android had a more advanced intellect, enabling speech and apparently emotion (well, one emotion--rage).
Height: 12' - 25'
Weight: 4-10 tons
Eyes: None
Hair: None
History:
(Fantastic Four I#70 - BTS) - The Mad Thinker built his most powerful android and kept it hidden in one of his secret bases to be used in the event that he was captured.
(Fantastic Four I#70) - After the Mad Thinker was defeated by the Fantastic Four and sent to prison, he activated his most powerful android and sent it to destroy the Fantastic Four. It rampaged its way across the streets of Manhattan, scaled the Baxter Building, and confronted the Fantastic Four--the male members of which were unconscious as the result of a recent conflict.
(Fantastic Four I#71) - The pregnant Invisible Girl managed to avoid the attacks of the powerful android, until she could use Reed's Electri-Force Beam to both revive her teammates and briefly stun the android. The Thing was on his feet first, and with some shielding from Sue, he managed to smash the android out through the wall of the building, and it fell towards seeming doom to the streets below. However, the android repaired itself and flew back up for another round a short time later. It dropped the Thing with knockout gas and then froze a block of ice around the Torch, who exploded free but passed out from the strain. The exhausted Reed engaged the powerful android, but was clearly outmatched in power. However, he managed to dupe it into rushing him, and he side-stepped and tripped it, knocking it into the portal to the Negative Zone, where it was lost...forever! Or so it would seem...
(Fantastic Four I#183 (fb)) - Annihilus discovered the inert android floating through the Negative Zone, having apparently shut down after being unable to detect its foes. Annihilus used a gene transmitter from the Tyannan ship to transform the android into one of his Scavengers to better serve him.
(Fantastic Four Annual#6 (fb) - BTS) - The Scavenger continued to capture beings who strayed into Annihilus' domain, and return them to its master for study.
(Fantastic Four Annual#6) - With the cosmic radiation in her blood causing dangerous pregnancy complications for Sue Richards, the rest of the Fantastic Four ventured into the Negative Zone to procure anti-matter vital to her treatment. Spotting them, the Scavenger snatched Mr. Fantastic and began to carry him off. The others pursued, with the swifter Human Torch soon catching up, but though able to slow the Scavenger down as it sought to avoid his flames, the Torch couldn't risk attacking it for fear of injuring its captive. Deciding it was best to learn what was motivating its attack, Reed warned Johnny to back off. Seconds later the Scavenger delivered Reed to seemingly barren planetoid, and threw him to a magnetic trap that emerged from a hidden hatch and pulled him inside.
(Fantastic Four Annual#6 - BTS) - While the trap deposited Reed in Annihilus' cells within the hollow planetoid, the Scavenger used another hidden entrance. Having seen Reed and the Scavenger approach the planetoid but not enter it, the pursuing Thing and Torch landed on the surface and were swiftly captured by more traps.
(Fantastic Four Annual#6) - Within his base Annihilus congratulated the nearby Scavenger for continuing to procure him interesting specimens.
(Fantastic Four I#183 (fb)) - Following a separate defeat of Annihilus by the Fantastic Four (FF#141), the Scavenger--who still apparently retained some of the Thinker's programming--stole the Cosmic Control Rod from Annihilus' throat. Possibly seeking power to complete its original mission, the Scavenger tapped into the Rod, which released its energy into him, transforming him into a gigantic monstrous form. The monstrous creature then took over Annihilus' domain.
(Fantastic Four I#181) - When Reed Richards was stranded in the Negative Zone by the Brute, Annihilus recruited Richards' help against his former servant. However, as they approached it, the Mad Thinker revealed that he had regained control of the monster android, and that he intended to use it to conquer the Negative Zone, and then Earth as well--after killing both Richards and Annihilus, of course.
(Fantastic Four I#182) - The Brute trapped the Thing and Human Torch in the Negative Zone, as well. They were drawn to the struggle against the monster android, and they engaged it, too, though their attacks failed to harm it. Reed had Johnny fly them off to regroup, but the monster then took off towards the Negative Zone's portal to the Baxter Building.
(Fantastic Four I#183) - The monster android smashed its way into the Baxter Building, where the Brute attacked it. Ranting that it would not be anyone's servant, the android pummeled the Brute, and then bombarded him with cosmic rays, transforming him back into human form. It was then assaulted by the Invisible Girl, Thundra, and Tigra, who held it long enough for the rest of the Fantastic Four to arrive through the portal. The Mad Thinker arrived in the Baxter Building as well, expecting to enjoy the culmination of his plot to take over the Baxter Building, but the number of unexpected variables had caused his plan to fall apart. As the android rampaged amok against the heroes, the Thinker fled. Minutes later, the combined power of the Fantastic Four and their allies knocked the monster off guard, and the Thing grabbed the Cosmic Control Rod from its neck, removing the source of its power and will. The android collapsed in a heap.
The Brute/Reed sacrificed himself to return the Cosmic Control Rod to Annihilus as the FF's Reed Richards had promised.
(Amazing Spider-Man I#242 - BTS) - When another of the Mad Thinker's killer androids, Battle Droid 12, faced Spider-Man the Mad Thinkerer was reminded of how his "most powerful" android had once nearly destroyed the Fantastic Four.
(Wolverine II#149 - BTS) - A robot resembling the "most powerful" android was seen in Reanimator's collection.
(Annihilation#2-3) - Placed under the control of Annihilus (possibly via worm-like parasites) and back in its original form, the "Most Powerful" android was made to fight alongside the Annihilation Wave accompanied by the Delinquent, Paibok, and Terrax. They fought the resistance forces led by Nova (Richard Rider) at Daedallis 5, ultimately driving the resistance off-planet as Galactus was forced by Annihilus to consume the world. As Galactus approached, the android flew away.
Comments: Created by Stan "The Man" Lee and Jack "King" Kirby. Android created by Roy Thomas, Ron Wilson & Joe Sinnott. Connection between the two characters established by Archie Goodwin, Len Wein, Jim Shooter, Roger Stern, Ralph Macchio, and Roger Slifer. And it was scripted by Bill Mantlo.
While the Scavenger was first seen in FF Annual#6, entire groups of Scavengers have been seen since. Fantastic Four Unlimited#3 confirms that Annihilus uses a gene transmitter from the Tyannan ship to evolve beings it captured into its servitors, aka the Scavengers.
Yet another example of how the "dump it in the Negative Zone" to resolve a problem will always come back and bite the FF in the butt.
The cover to FF#183 is clearly patterned after FF#71, which was the Monster Android's first story.
Thanks to Loki for providing texts for Fantastic Four Annual#6 and thanks to Roger Ott for noticing the android was mentioned in Amazing Spider-Man I#242. Profile updated by MarvellousLuke.
Profile by Snood
CLARIFICATIONS:
Mad Thinker's "Most Powerful" Android has no known connections to
Images: (without ads)
Fantastic Four I#71, p2, pan1 (main image)
Fantastic Four I#71, p16, pan3 (using his disintegrator)
Fantastic Four I#183, p5, pan4&5 (transformed)
Fantastic Four Annual#6, p9, pan1 (attacking Mister Fantastic)
Annihilation#2, p15, pan1 (alongside the Annihilation Wave)
Appearances:
Fantastic Four I#70 (October, 1968) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks)
Fantastic Four I#71 (February, 1968) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks)
Fantastic Four Annual#6 (August, 1968) - Stan Lee (writer), Jack Kirby (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Fantastic Four I#182 (May, 1977) - Len Wein, Jim Shooter, Archie Goodwin & Bill Mantlo (writers), Sal Buscema (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Fantastic Four I#183 (June, 1977) - Bill Mantlo, Jim Shooter, Roger Stern, Ralph Macchio, Len Wein & Roger Slifer (writers), Sal Buscema (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man I#242 (March, 1983) - Roger Stern (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Kevin Dzuban (inks), Tom DeFalco (editor)
Wolverine II#149 (February, 2000) - Erik Larsen (writer), Graham Nolan (pencils), Jimmy Palmiotti (inks)
Annihilation#2 (November, 2006) - Keith Giffen (writer), Andrea Divito (artist), Andy Schmidt (editor)
Annihilation#3 (December, 2006) - Keith Giffen (writer), Andrea Divito (artist), Andy Schmidt (editor)
First Posted: 01/03/2004
Last Updated: 08/22/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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