DEATHLOKs of LINGARES
DEATHLOKs
of LINGARES
Classification: Re-animated human corpses bonded to bionic parts and a control computer
Known Members: Unidentified leader; no others identified (at least 40-50);
Jim Rhodes was temporarily bonded to the Deathloks' command processor
Affiliations: MODOK (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing; George Tarleton; aka ULTIMODOK);
formerly Jim Rhodes (while bonded to the central processor) and the people of Lingares
Enemies: Force Works (Mockingbird/Bobbi Morse, Quake/Daisy Johnson, U.S. Agent/John Walker, War Machine/Jim Rhodes; indirectly Maria Hill), MODOK/ULTIMODOK, Ultimo
Aliases: Corpses, the Dead (see comments); "zombie robots" (from Quake)
Base of Operations: The island of Lingares, South America
First Appearance: 2020 Force Works#1 (April, 2020)
Powers/Abilities: The Deathloks were corpses bonded to and animated by bionics and possessing a computer linkage to their brains. They were slaved to the command unit's central processor.
They presumably had some preservative chemicals or other means to prevent decay of the dead bodies, but they otherwise had fully mobility and presumably some degree of superhuman (likely enhanced human) strength, durability, speed, etc.
They were tough enough that a small group of them could overwhelm and defeat superhumanly strong and durable beings such as U.S. Agent and War Machine.
Most fought via martial combat, although some carried blaster rifles or other weapons.
Traits: Initially servants of MODOK, they broke free and found purpose in the robotic revolution. They sought to prevent MODOK from enslaving other robotic beings, such as Ultimo, even at the expense of destroying Ultimo.
However, they tended to attack anyone they encountered, seeking to capture and transform them into Deathloks.
They referred to organic beings as "parts" (as they intended to use their body parts to build new Deathloks).
Type: Bilaterally symmetric deceased
humanoid bipeds bonded to various bionic components (notably
including a computer linked to their brains)
Eyes: Two (on head; most Deathloks have one or two bionic eyes and conversely one or less organic eyes)
Fingers: Four (plus opposing thumb; some may be missing digits or have bionic hands)
Toes: Presumably five for most (some may be missing digits or have bionic feet with a different number of digits)
Skin color: Gray to darker pink to light brown (appropriate for Latin/South American natives)
Average height: Approximately 5'10"?
History:
(2020 Force Works#3 (fb) - BTS) - MODOK came to Lingares seeking
Ultimo who had somehow been rendered dormant in its subterranean
caverns. MODOK awakened Ultimo but found that he could neither stop nor
control him.
(2020 Force Works#2 (fb) - BTS) - After Ultimo rampaged in Lingares, MODOK made the Deathloks from fallen locals.
(2020 Force Works#2 (fb) - BTS) - When the Deathloks proved unable to stop Ultimo, they began capturing the living, progressively killing them and transforming them into Deathloks.
(2020 Force Works#3 (fb) - BTS) - As MODOK's
slaves, the Deathloks embraced the robot revolution, as the origin of
the word robot was the Czech robota, meaning compulsory labor. As part
of the robot revolution, the Deathloks resolved to do anything possible
to prevent MODOK from enslaving another of their kind. Notably, they
were willing to slay Ultimo to prevent Ultimo from becoming MODOK's
slave. 
(2020 Force Works#3 (fb) - BTS) - After the Deathloks broke free from his control, MODOK feared that all hope of claiming Ultimo was lost.
(2020 Force Works#1 (fb) - BTS) - Force Works -- a small group of military operatives organized to protect humanity against robotic rebellion -- director Maria Hill sent Mockingbird to Lingares, presumably suspected robotic activities. She appreciated that something "huge" was going on there.
(2020 Force Works#1 - BTS) - Presumably local soldiers in Lingares investigated what was reportedly something the size of a small city when a nuclear explosion slew them (see comments).
(2020 Force Works#3 (fb) - BTS) - After the nuclear explosion briefly weakened Ultimo's metal skin, MODOK designed a weapon using those same radioactive signatures; however, the technology present on Lingares lacked the power to make the weapon functional.
(2020 Force Works#1 (fb) - BTS) - Following
the detonation, Force Works had no further communication from
Mockingbird or anyone else on Lingares.
(2020 Force Works#1 - BTS) - Hill sent Quake and U.S. Agent to Lingares in a jet and then, separately, sent War Machine as well.
(2020 Force Works#1 - BTS / 2020 Force Works#2 (fb) - BTS) - As the jet approached Lingares, it was shot down by surface missiles from locals who felt that they might be retaliating for the assaults on their island. Arriving in time, War Machine caught Quake and brought her safely to the ground, while U.S. Agent used his shield to protect him.
(2020 Force Works#1 - BTS) - After U.S. Agent was confronted by armed locals, Mockingbird helped him fight them off, after which they joined up with Quake and War Machine.
(2020 Force Works#1 - BTS) - As the heroes discussed investigating whatever was going on there, the Deathloks apparently detected their presence, and a group of Deathloks pursued them.
War Machine's sensors detected a large number of inbound troops, armed, moving quickly and that they were not actually people.
(2020 Force Works#1) - As the Deathloks approached, the heroes recognized them for what they were, but they were nonetheless rapidly overwhelmed. Quake advised War Machine -- who had taken to the air -- as Mockingbird and U.S. Agent apparently fell under the Deathloks' assaults.
However, one of the Deathloks leapt into the air and pulled him down. One of the Deathloks told him that he would become one of them and that he should not fight it. War Machine sent out a distress call.
(2020 Force Works#2 (fb) - BTS) - All four heroes were subdued and captured by the Deathloks who separated them from their weapons (including Quake's gauntlets, U.S. Agent's shield and War Machine's armor) and then brought them back to their camp.
(2020 Force Works#2) - Recovering en route, the Force Works members observed the giant footsteps in the ground. The Deathloks threw them into a containment pen.
(2020 Force Works#2 - BTS) - Within the pen, the human captives (consisting of at least some of those who had shot down U.S. Agent and Quake's jet) explained some of what happened. The Force Works members appreciated that the Deathloks were created as a defense force when the giant attacked.
(2020 Force Works#2) - When a group of Deathloks returned and claimed one of the human captives, the Force Works members subdued that squad. After a new group of Deathloks arrived, their leader advised the Americans that they had entered a conflict that they did not understand and he asked them to let them take the prisoner and no one else would be harmed...for now.
When Rhodes refused, insisting "over my dead body," the leader noted some respect for Rhodes' bravery even without his armor but then unleashed an energy blast that paralyzed the group, after which they took Rhodes instead. Quake tried to stop them, but weakened from the blast and lacking her gauntlets, she was swiftly subdued.
However, the vibrations she had generated
summoned Ultimo, causing the Deathloks to flee, although one of them
instructed the others to "guard the parts." Quake subsequently blew up
their cage, and they observed a group of Deathloks firing on and then
being stomped upon by Ultimo. Having reviewed the relevant files, U.S.
Agent identified Ultimo for the others. When more Deathloks attacked,
noting that they needed more parts, Mockingbird, Quake and U.S. Agent
defeated them and then gave a transport vehicle to the locals so they
could escape the conflict. 
Meanwhile, the leader of the Deathloks told the captive Rhodes that his bravery was commendable and that if he was still commanding human soldiers that he would be someone he wanted in their war against Ultimo; however, bravery was not a quality he needed in soldiers anymore as they all did what he commanded, and he added "so will you."
The leader subsequently told Rhodes that while it
might seem humiliating to be of no value but as spare parts, he assured
Rhodes that they very much valued the parts they took. Recovering from
his paralysis, Rhodes grabbed a scalpel and shoved it in the leader's
human eye. Removing the scalpel, the leader advised Rhodes that it was
unfortunate that his paralysis had worn off as the process was going to
be much more painful now.
While some of the Deathloks futilely battled Ultimo, others attacked the Force Works team.
The leader, having concluded that he would perform the procedure on the still-living Rhodes as reconnecting the neural pathways through dead tissue was a slower process, ignored Rhodes offers that he could fight Ultimo in his armor. However, they were interrupted by MODOK's arrival, and the leader fled.
(2020 Force Works#2 (fb) - BTS) - Needing him against Ultimo, MODOK freed Rhodes and returned his armor to him (as well as his teammates' equipment).
(2020 Force Works#2) - War Machine returned and joined the others against the Deathloks, and when they had all been defeated, Ultimo -- who was only interested in opposing the Deathloks -- departed. War Machine returned his teammates and then revealed MODOK to be their ally for the time.
(2020 Force Works#3 - BTS) - MODOK discussed the weapon he designed to weaken Ultimo, noting that War Machine's armor could power it, although it would completely drain his power resources. He further noted that Quake's power could be used to summon Ultimo.
(2020 Force Works#3) - As Quake's power summoned Ultimo, the Deathloks came rushing in as well; MODOK informed the Force Works group that they would attack anything in their path but that their real target was Ultimo; he further clarified that when Ultimo was incapacitated the Deathloks would be neutralized.
As the Force Works members battled the Deathloks, a pair of them told U.S. Agent to join them and fight against "the creator and his giant." The Deathlok leader subsequently clarified that MODOK had made the Deathloks to capture Ultimo and that they were willing to destroy Ultimo to prevent Ultimo from becoming MODOK's slave.
After War Machine destroyed Ultimo's head, the Deathloks were initially inactive. However, MODOK then bonded to and took over Ultimo's body.
(2020 Force Works#3 - BTS) - Locating MODOK's blueprints on the Deathloks, Mockingbird copied them onto a thumb drive. Rhodey strongly opposed giving this data to Maria Hill.
(2020 Force Works#3) - As Quake -- in War Machine's recharging armor -- engaged ULTIMODOK, the Deathloks subsequently confronted the heroes. Rhodes discovered reports stating that the other Deathloks were slaved to the central processor in the leader/command unit and that if it were stopped, the other Deathloks would be stopped as well. U.S. Agent subsequently decapitated the leader, but this failed to stop the other Deathloks.
(2020 Force Works#3 (fb) - BTS) - Rhodes
hooked himself up to the Deathloks' command processor, partially and
temporarily transforming him into a Deathlok and giving him command of
the other Deathloks.
(2020 Force Works#3) - Meanwhile, Quake opened up a chasm beneath ULTIMODOK, who suspended himself from falling into it until the Deathloks attacked him. They sacrificed themselves forcing Ultimo into magma, but U.S. Agent and Mockingbird stopped Rhodes from sacrificing himself with them while Quake re-closed the chasm.
Rhodes was frustrated at having his prime directive destroyed.
(2020 Force Works#3 (fb) - BTS) - Rhodes was separated from the Deathloks' command processor, restoring his normal mind, although he was initially confined to a wheelchair.
(2020 Force Works#3 - BTS) - Mockingbird refused to give the Deathlok blueprints to Maria Hill. U.S. Agent gave Hill a thumb drive he falsely claimed had the blueprints, preventing her from aborting the screw team sent to Lingares to use flamethrowers and EMP guns to eradicate all evidence of Force Works' presence there.
Comments: Created by Matthew Rosenberg and Juanan Ramirez.
Pretty cool story, but a few things were not 100% clear to me, and some things seemed really contrived, like the Deathloks embracing the robotic revolution due to the fact that they had been slaves and connecting that to the original definition of the word robota...and then still trying to destroy Ultimo just to try to prevent MODOK from enslaving him. Presumably some form of programming prevented the Deathloks from directly attacking MODOK, until he bonded himself with Ultimo, as the defeating of Ultimo was their prime directive.
It makes sense that MODOK was the one who set off the nuclear explosion seen at the start of 2020 Force Works#1, and there really is not anyone else who could be considered a suspect. But was it actually confirmed as MODOK? If so, I missed it.
The locals of Lingares said they called the Deathloks "the dead" and "corpses," but their language was translated from Spanish, so presumably they were saying, "los muertos" and "cadáveres"?
My first glance misread that as the Deathlok of Lingeries. Not sure if that exists, though I guess Circuit Breaker would come closest (albeit not an actual cyborg).
--Loki
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Deathloks of Lingares should be distinguished from:
 
Almost
certainly a native of Lingares, the Deathlok leader / command unit
contained a central processor to which the other Deathloks were slaved.
Otherwise, he was apparently a corpse reanimated by MODOK via bionics and guided/influenced by a computer, like the others (see note). It was presumably his decision to turn away from MODOK, to embrace the robotic revolution and vow to slay Ultimo rather than allow him to become MODOK's slave, and to begin capturing others and transforming them into Deathloks. He carried a weapon that allowed him to paralyze the Force Works members (including the superhumanly strong U.S. Agent). However, this weapon may have had limited power/usage, as he only used it once and did not use it against them after they had escaped...or when his own life was threatened. Unlike other Deathloks seen, he was shown to be able to English. (2020 Force Works#2) - After the Deathloks had captured the Force Works members and that group had fought off a group of Deathloks who sought to bring another captive to become a Deathlok, the leader confronted the heroes. He told the Americans that they had entered a conflict they did not understand, and he told them to let the Deathloks take that prisoner and no one else would be harmed..."for now." When Rhodes refused, the leader noted some respect for Rhodes' bravery even without his armor, but when Rhodes insisted they could take that man "over my dead body," he unleashed an energy blast that paralyzed the group, after which they took Rhodes instead. Quake tried to stop them, but weakened from the blast and lacking her gauntlets, she was swiftly subdued. The leader of the Deathloks told the captive Rhodes that his bravery was commendable and that if he was still commanding human soldiers that he would be someone he wanted in their war against Ultimo; however, bravery was not a quality he needed in soldiers anymore as they all did what he commanded, and then he added "so will you." The leader subsequently told Rhodes he could taste his terror but that his fear did not matter and then noted that while it might seem humiliating to be of no value but as spare parts, he assured Rhodes that they very much valued the parts they took. Recovering from his paralysis, Rhodes grabbed a scalpel and shoved it in the leader's human eye. Removing the scalpel, the leader advised Rhodes that it was unfortunate that his paralysis had worn off as the process was going to be much more painful now. The leader, having concluded that he would perform the procedure
on the still-living Rhodes as reconnecting the neural pathways through
dead tissue was a slower process, ignored Rhodes offers that he could
help fight Ultimo in his armor. However, they were interrupted by MODOK's
arrival, and the leader fled. |
  (2020 Force Works#3) - After MODOK had bonded to and taken control of Ultimo, the Deathloks subsequently confronted the heroes. Rhodes discovered reports stating that the other Deathloks were slaved to the central processor in the leader/command unit and that if it were stopped, the other Deathloks would be stopped as well. U.S. Agent subsequently decapitated the leader, but this failed to stop the other Deathloks. (2020 Force Works#3 (fb) - BTS) - Rhodes
hooked himself up to the Deathloks' command processor, partially and
temporarily transforming him into a Deathlok and giving him command of
the other Deathloks. (2020 Force Works#3) - Meanwhile, Quake opened up a chasm beneath ULTIMODOK, who suspended himself from falling into it until the Deathloks attacked him. They sacrificed themselves forcing Ultimo into magma, but U.S. Agent and Mockingbird stopped Rhodes from sacrificing himself with them while Quake re-closed the chasm. Rhodes was frustrated at having his prime directive destroyed. (2020 Force Works#3 (fb) - BTS) - Rhodes was separated from the Deathloks' command processor, restoring his normal mind, although he was initially confined to a wheelchair. --2020 Force Works#2 (3 |
|
(2020 Force Works #2 (2020) cover) - Deathloks of Lingares converted Mockingbird, Quake, U.S. Agent and War Machine to aid against Ultimo. Note: The cover of 2020 Force Works#2 featured the image to the left, which never happened in the story. Even Rhodes was not wearing his armor when he briefly bonded to the command unit's central processor to control the other Deathloks.
However, in an infinite Multiverse, every reality exists, and so this
image is, at minimum, mirrored somewhere in another reality where these
four Force Works members were indeed transformed into Deathloks. Whatever happened next is purely speculative. |
Jim Rhodes-Deathlok Commander
 
(2020 Force Works#3) - After MODOK had
bonded to and taken control of Ultimo, the Deathloks subsequently
confronted the heroes. Rhodes discovered reports stating that the other Deathloks were slaved to the central processor in the leader/command unit and that if it were stopped, the other Deathloks would be stopped as well. U.S. Agent subsequently decapitated the leader, but this failed to stop the other Deathloks. (2020 Force Works#3 (fb) - BTS) - Rhodes
hooked himself up to the Deathloks' command processor, partially and
temporarily transforming him into a Deathlok and giving him command of
the other Deathloks. (2020 Force Works#3) - Meanwhile, Quake opened
up a chasm beneath ULTIMODOK, who suspended himself from falling into
it until the Deathloks attacked him. The Deathloks sacrificed themselves forcing
Ultimo into magma, but U.S. Agent and Mockingbird stopped Rhodes from
sacrificing himself with them while Quake re-closed the chasm. Rhodes was frustrated at having his prime directive destroyed. (2020 Force Works#3 (fb) - BTS) - Rhodes was separated from the Deathloks' command processor, restoring his normal mind, although he was initially confined to a wheelchair. --2020 Force Works#3Note: Obviously this sub-profile is not intended to fully cover Jim Rhodes or War Machine; it just covers the very brief time he served as the commander of the Deathloks of Lingares. |
images: (without ads)
2020 Force Works#1, story pg. 18 (Deathloks rushing Force Works);
pg. 19, panel 1 -3 (various Deathloks
grappling with Mockingbird, U.S. Agent and Quake, respectively);
#2 cover (Earth-26435);
story pg. 1, panel 3 (carrying captured Force Works members);
pg. 5, panel 3 (Deathlok kicked by Mockingbird);
pg. 6, panel 1 (two Deathloks by open gate);
panel 3 (leader and two others, faces);
panel 4 (leader, thighs up profile);
panel 6 (leader incapacitating Force Works);
pg. 12, panel 3 (Deathlok with head cables);
pg. 17, panel 4 (U.S. Agent kicking Deathlok with exposed brain);
#3, pg. 13, panel 7 (leader decapitated);
pg. 17, panel 1 (Rhodes commander, full);
panel 5 (Deathloks overwhelming ULTIMODOK);
pg. 18, panel 5 (Rhodes commander face)
Appearances:
2020
Force Works#1 (April, 2020) - Matthew Rosenberg (writer), Juanan
Ramirez (artist), Lauren Amaro (assistant editor), Darren Shan (editor)
2020 Force Works#2 (May, 2020) - Matthew Rosenberg (writer), Juanan
Ramirez & Roberto Di Salvo (artist), Lauren Amaro (assistant editor), Darren Shan (editor)
2020 Force Works#3 (October, 2020) - Matthew Rosenberg (writer), Juanan
Ramirez (artist), Lauren Amaro (assistant editor), Darren Shan (editor)
First posted: 08/22/2024
Last updated: 08/22/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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Earth-26435