TIDAL-EXPANDER

Classification: Terrestrial technology (Atlantean)

Creator: Atlantean scientists (presumably)

User/Possessors: Attuma

Aliases: Flood-tide machine

First Appearance: Avengers I#26 (March, 1966)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Tidal-Expander was a large device resting on the ocean floor that could (by some means) cause the sea levels of the world to rise.

History:
(Avengers I#26) - After capturing the Wasp, Attuma told her of his plans to conquer the world by using the Tidal-Expander to flood the surface of the planet. The Wasp briefly escaped captivity and radioed a warning to the Avengers, three of whom -- Captain America, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch -- flew in rocket-jet to the coordinates of Attuma's giant submarine battlecruiser, located 300 miles due east of Cape Hattaras. Attuma captured their craft and engaged the three in personal combat, and defeated them; meanwhile, Hawkeye (who had been out enjoying a night on the town, and thus had not accompanied his teammates) returned to Avengers Mansion.

(Avengers I#27) - As the three Avengers continued to fight Attuma, Hawkeye found a message left behind by his teammates, so he borrowed an Aero-Sub from the Fantastic Four and flew out to the location of Attuma's vessel; along the way, he noticed how high the tides were getting. Meanwhile, the effects of the Flood-tide machine were felt world-wide, as newsman Chet Brinkley reported how fierce storms and floods were rocking coastal cities.

(Marvels I#3) - While spending a day with his family at the zoo, photographer Phil Sheldon noticed the sea level start to rise until the entire zoo was flooded in ankle-deep water -- as this was occurring, a religious fanatic warned that this was the first sign of the end of the world.

(Avengers I#27) - Quicksilver escaped from Attuma's battlecruiser and was rescued by Hawkeye in the Aero-Sub, then the two heroes prepared to launch a counterattack. Meanwhile, aboard the battlecruiser, Captain America goaded Attuma into revealing the location of the Tidal-Expander's control center. Attuma then displayed on monitors the effects that the Tidal-Expander was having on the world -- within a few hours, every coastal city would be flooded, and within a few days, all of Earth's surface would be underwater.

  Quicksilver and Hawkeye crashed the Aero-Sub through the bulkhead of Attuma's vessel and fought off his legions. As they picked up Captain America and the Scarlet Witch, Cap revealed that while the others were battling Attuma's forces, he had sabotaged the control panel of the Tidal-Expander.

  Attempting to stop the heroes from fleeing in the Aero-Sub, Attuma set the controls of the Flood-tide machine to increase the pressure of the waters nearby so the Aero-Sub would be crushed, but because of Cap's sabotage, Attuma's plans backfired and the increased pressure destroyed his vessel instead. With the threat of the Flood-tide machine ended, the flood waters around the world soon receded.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.

The Flood-tide machine was probably created by Atlantean scientists, and Attuma eventually stole/scavenged it.

I'd speculate that perhaps the Flood-tide machine could manipulate gravitational waves to redirect currents, and thus affect tidal activity.

Profile by John Kaminski

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Tidal-Expander or Flood-tide machine has no known connections to

• Flood of Ultraverse @ Flood Relief
• Flood, one of the imps of Pandora's box, used by the Sorcerer @ Strange Tales I#109
• Tidal Wave Device, invented by Dr. Sam Burley and Professor T'Kora for Yellow Claw @ Nova I#17
• or anything else with a similar names

images: (without ads)
Avengers I#26, p7, pan2 (Tidal-Expander)