PROTECTROIDs

Classification: Extratemporal (Citadel at the End of Time) constructs

Creator: Possibly He Who Remains

User/Possessors: He Who Remains, Time-Twisters;
    presumably able to be summoned by the Time-Keepers

Purpose: Protecting "Those Who Sleep" (the future Time-Keepers or Time-Twisters)

Enemies: Fandral, Jane Foster, Hogun, Thor, Volstagg (all Earth-616)
    Dr. Doom of Earth-772 (Fantastic Five: Spider-Man), Irondroid successor of Earth-90110 (Ultravision, Cosmic Avengers), Thor of Earth-9260 (Earth-Thor: Thrall of Seth), Wolverine of Earth-9250 (Wolverine: Lord of the Vampires (Punisher defeated), Zarrko the Tomorrow Man and his Servitor

First Appearance: Thor I#245 (March, 1976)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Protectroids are a trio (at least) of humanoid forms possessing superhuman strength and durability, as well as the ability to project devastatingly powerful energy blasts. When first seen they appeared to be animated statues, but at least one of them was later shown to be robotic.

History: The origin of the Protectroids is unknown.

(Thor I#245) - Seeking to discover the secret of the Time-Twisters, Thor, Jane Foster, the Warriors Three, and Zarrko and his Servitor traveled to the Citadel at the End of Time. The group observed a trio of  statues standing before the dwelling's portals. When the group attempted to pierce the force field surrounding the Citadel, the statues came to life, proclaimed themselves the Protectriods, fired on the invaders, and instructed them to turn back or perish. When the invaders refused to leave, the Protectroids quickly scattered them and then prepared to destroy them. The Servitor leapt to Zarrko's defense, but its chest was blasted open and its circuitry badly damaged. Nonetheless, the loyal Servitor rushed forward, grappling with one of the Protectroids and destroying it when the Servitor self-destructed. Vowing not to allow the Servitor's sacrifice to have been in vain, Thor shattered the distracted two remaining Protectroids with a throw of his hammer.

(What If II#38) - The Time-Twisters (posing as their alternate dimensional counterparts, the Time-Keepers) conspired towards the death of Odin of Earth-9260, the nexus being of his reality, in order to assure their own existence. At the same time, Immortus (posing as the Whisperer) conspired to thwart the Time-Twisters efforts in order to destroy them. The Whisperer dispatched Dr. Doom of Earth-772, an Irondroid of Earth-90110, and Wolverine of Earth-9250 to aid the Thor of that reality in saving his father. To prevent this, one of the Time-Twisters sent one of the Protectroids to stop Thor and his new allies. While Thor battled Seth, and Doom and Wolverine battled Loki, the Protectroid fought the Irondroid. Though the Protectroid's technology far surpassed the 22nd century tech of the Irondroid, a wire was torn loose from its gauntlet as it fought, and the Irondroid channeled a last-ditch electrical assault through the wire, incapacitating the Protectroid.

Comments: Created by Len Wein, John Buscema, and Joe Sinnott.

By the way, the fact that the Thor from What If II#39 remembers the Protectroids and the Citadel at the End of Time from his adventures in Thor#245 is actually a mistake. When He Who Remains terminated the Time-Twisters-to-be before they were born, he retroactively erased all of their effects on history. As a result, Thor's teaming up with Zarrko to oppose the Time-Twisters in THOR #243-245 was an adventure which was made to unhappen and thus Thor should not have remembered it.
--Donald Campbell
I disagree....primarily because that's wrong.
;)
    The events happened, but were reversed. Throughout comics, characters have retained faint memories of events as they originally happened, despite reality changes. AND, despite the fact that the Time-Twisters appeared in the very issue of this profile I am supposed to believe that they just never existed?
    Here's the definitive answer: 

(What If II#39 (fb) - BTS) - It was revealed that in actuality, two final divergent branches of reality were created at the very end of time. In one branch, He Who Remains aborted the Twisters and created the Keepers. However, in another, he did not abort the Twisters, and thus never created the Keepers. The two divergent branches of reality have shifted back and forth in dominance ever since, with the Twisters and the Keepers competing for dominion at the end of time, and thus being able to shape the next reality.

Profile by Snood.

Clarifications:
No known connection to:

images:
Thor I#245, p9, panel 2 (statues)
    p11, panel 1 (in action)
What If II#38, p21, p4

What If? II#38 (June, 1992) - by Roy Thomas and Jean-Marc Lofficier (writers), Marshall Rogers & W.C. Wyman (penciler), Sam Delarosa w/ Rod Ramos (inker), Craig Anderson (editor)

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Last Updated: 08/03/05

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