IRON CROSS

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human armor/exoskeleton wearer

Occupation: Warrior

Group Membership: Uberkommando (Master Man/Max Lohmer, Master Race, U-Man/Meranno, Warrior Woman/Julia Koenig/Lohmer?)

Affiliations: Former pawn of Shuma-Gorath

Enemies: Invaders (Captain America/James Barnes, Commander (Steve) Rogers, Human Torch/Jim Hammond, Namor, Spitfire/Jacqueline Falsworth, Toro/Tom Raymond, Union Jack/Joey Chapman), Vision (Aarkus)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    formerly Vliet village, the Netherlands

First Appearance: Invaders Now#2 (December, 2010)

Powers/Abilities: This Iron Cross armor was so large that the user was more of a pilot than a wearer. The armor looked to be perhaps 30' tall. As it was presumably based on the earlier Iron Cross armors, one might expect it to have Class 100 strength, though it did not have a chance to demonstrate its strength. It was highly durable, though certainly much less so than Captain America's virtually indestructible shield, which could be forced through its armor by a sufficient force (such as Namor flying at top speed). Additionally, it could generate a force field that rendered it largely immune to the Human Torch's fiery blasts (perhaps the field absorbed energy but not concussive force?).

    Its primary attack was powerful energy blasts it could fire repeatedly from both palms for an extended period of time. It could also discharge electrical blasts sufficient to stun Aarkus, as well as bursts of pressurized air able to dampen the Torch's flames or dispel Aarkus' smoke. It could take to the air via rockets in its boots, though their range, top speed, etc. are undefined.

    It is possible that some of its abilities, including its massive size, were enhanced by Shuma-Gorath's magical energies; if so, those abilities and properties presumably returned to their previous level.

 

 

 

Height: Approximately 5'8" (possibly smaller; he looked pretty puny next to the 6'2" Namor); (Iron Cross armor) approximately 30'
Weight: Approximately 145 lbs.; (Iron Cross armor) perhaps 30 tons, depending on how solid it was
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Apparently black (balding)

 

 

 

History:
(Invaders Now#3 (fb) - BTS) - The current Iron Cross received all of the combat records of the "original Iron Cross."

 

 

(Invaders Now#2) - When a modern day grouping of Invaders (Captain America/Barnes, Commander Rogers, Human Torch/Hammond, Namor, Spitfire/Falsworth, Toro/Raymond, Union Jack/Chapman), along with the Vision (Aarkus), traveled to Vliet to investigate a recurrence of the plague they thought ended in 1945, the Uberkommando confronted them. After accusing the Invaders of having slain the village's population, the Uberkommando threatened to kill them.

 

 

 

 

(Invaders Now#3) - During a prolonged struggle against Human Torch & Toro, Iron Cross informed the Torch that it was his force field resisting their flame, and he mocked the Torch as archaic. The Vision eventually noted that, of the Uberkommando, Master Man and Iron Cross were successors and not present during the previous struggle in Vliet, and thus were not being strengthened by the local magic as the others were. Iron Cross responded by using bursts of compressed air against both the Torch and the Vision, stunning the former and dispelling the smoke around the latter, and then releasing an electrical burst to drop the Vision as well. However, the Vision leapt into the air again, dodging another that nailed Master Man, instead. The Torch then flew behind the Iron Cross and pushed him forward as Rogers and Captain America hurled Master Man into his chest. Master Man struck with sufficient force to be imbedded in Iron Cross' chest, and both men collapsed, incapacitated.

(Invaders Now#4 - BTS) - The Netherlands mutate who had initiated the spell was convinced by ghostly images of his parents and sister to abandon his mad quest, but Zola then slew the mutate to prevent him from undoing the spell.

(Invaders Now#5) - The Netherlands mutate's ghost, and the ghost of the others who died in Vliet in the 1945 struggle helped oppose Shuma-Gorath's power, delaying its crossing into the Earthly plane. At the same time, the ghost instructed the Invaders to defeat Shuma-Gorath's minions in the physical world and close the gateway. Iron Cross again battled the Human Torch and Toro initially, until Namor borrowed Captain America's indestructible shield and flew it through Iron Cross' chest. The armor was incapacitated, and it collapsed, and the exposed, powerless armor wearer/pilot meekly surrendered to Namor.
    Ultimately, Captain America stole the Spear of Destiny from Zola, and gave both it and his shield to Aarkus, who stabbed Shuma-Gorath in the eye, driving the demon back to its realm and ending the threat.

 

 

 

Comments: Created by Christos Gage, Alex Ross, & Caio Reis.

    We don't know the circumstances, timing, or pretty much anything else at all about this unidentified man obtaining the Iron Cross.

  1. Did he obtain and modify Gruler's armor?
  2. Did he obtain and modify Mors' armor?
  3. Did he create or receive a copy made from original notes on Gruler's or Mors' armor?
  4. Was it just loosely patterned after one of the above?
  5. Something else?

    The Torch warns Toro that this was not the same Iron Cross they had fought before (Hammond had fought both Gruler and Mors, while Toro had only encountered Mors); and this Iron Cross specifically noted having obtained the original's combat notes -- this information essentially confirms this Iron Cross to have been a new incarnation.

    One shot that shoes part of one of his feet:

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The modern day Iron Cross should be distinguished from:

images: (without ads)
Invaders Now#2, last page (Uberkommando);
    #3, pg. 16, panel 3 (struck in chest by Master Man);
    #5, pg. 5, panel 2 (mostly full body, poor detail);
        pg. 8, panel 3 (foot);
        pg. 9, panel 1 (unarmored form)

Appearances:
Invaders Now#2 (December, 2010) - Christos Gage & Alex Ross (story), Christos Gage (writer), Caio Reis (artist), Rachel Pinnelas (assistant editor), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Invaders Now#3-4 (January-February, 2011) - Christos Gage & Alex Ross (story), Christos Gage (writer), Caio Reis (artist), Rachel Pinnelas (assistant editor), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Invaders Now#5 (March, 2011) - Christos Gage & Alex Ross (story), Christos Gage (writer), Caio Reis (artist), Rachel Pinnelas & John Denning (assistant editor), Bill Rosemann (editor)

First Posted: 01/29/2014
Last updated: 01/28/2014

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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