PROMETHEUS PITPROMETHEUS PIT
Classification: Technological item (interdimensional portal)
Creator: Philip Prometheus
User/Possessors: Alpha Flight (Flex/Adrian Corbo, Guardian/James Hudson, Manbot/Bernie Lachenay, Murmur/Arlette Truffaut, Puck/Eugene Judd, Radius/Jared Corbo, Vindicator/Heather Hudson), Baron Karza, Carnage (Cletus Kasady), Computrex, Department H's Prometheus Division (notably Myra Haddock), Human Torch (Johnny Storm), Dr. Ketola, Katy Kiernan, Marquis Radu's agents (Centivros, Krevius, Null-Tron, Raidus Dren, Verus, Xerxes), Micronauts (Acroyear, Biotron, Bug, Huntarr, Marionette, Microtron, Arcturus Rann), N.A.S.A. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), Professor Prometheus, Scarlet Spider (Kaine), SHIELD (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division), Venom (Flash Thompson)
Location: Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas;
formerly the Prometheus Division, Department H headquarters, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;
formerly the Human Engineering Life Laboratories (H.E.L.L.), Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida;
Karza's Pits were -- at least formerly -- located on various planetoids/spheres of Homeworld (and possibly other Microverse worlds as well)
First Appearance: Micronauts I#5 (May, 1979)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: The primary purpose of the Prometheus Pit is to safely breach the Spacewall separating the Microverse from Earth's dimension.
Beings entering the Pit from Earth being falling and then enter a transitional zone where they began shrinking in size; upon reaching sub-atomic size, they are then transported to the Microverse. The transitional zone is typically significantly disorienting.
Beings accessing the Prometheus Pit from Eartth do not necessarily arrive in the same location in the Microverse.
Microverse beings arriving on Earth from the Microverse via the Pit are sometimes relatively enlarged to human proportions, as compared to being a few inches tall when accessing the Earth dimension via other means.
Earth dimension/universe beings returning to Earth from the Microverse via the Pit generally appeared to maintain their normal/relative size.
Some beings entering the Microverse from Earth via the Prometheus Pit were significantly increased in size; this seemed to be most consistent with humans traveling from Earth to the Microverse, but this was not a consistent feature, however, and the circumstances that resulted in this are uncertain.
When deactivated, the Pit has a physical bottom, which can accumulate rainwater, for example.
Karza's Prometheus Pits traveled from planetoid/sphere to planetoid/sphere on Homeworld (and possibly to other planets), rather than from the Microverse to the Earth dimension. Beings traveling via these Pits did not appear to change in size. Karza used the Pits to access the Makers' energies, which maintained Homeworld's unique conformation.
History:
(Micronauts
I#5 (fb) - BTS) - Dead specimens of Microverse life (including at least
one Acroyear warrior, although no names of beings or races were known
on Earth at the time) were delivered to H.E.L.L. (Human Engineering Life Laboratories) from all over the
world.
(Micronauts I#5 (fb) - BTS) - Prometheus reasoned that these "sub-aliens" had died due to some barrier between Earth and their microscopic universe. As a result, he feared to personally travel through his Prometheus Pit.
(Micronauts
I#5) - Professor Prometheus showed his Microverse-natives data
collection and Prometheus Pit to his former co-worker retired
astronaut Ray Coffin, and his son, Steve, who had encountered the
Micronauts. Upon receiving proof of Steve's experiences,
Prometheus grabbed Steve and demanded further explanations. 
After the Micronauts Bug and Marionette arrived, Prometheus was
ecstatic, intending to use them to test the Prometheus Pit. As he
spoke, Prometheus activated equipment that began to tilt the floor,
forcing Steve, Bug, and Mari toward the Pit. Microtron
arrived next, extending a limb to stop Steve's progression toward the
Pit, after which Commander Rann entered the room.
The varied forms of these multiple specimens elated Prometheus, and he
couldn't wait to monitor their life functions as they descended into
the Pit to determine whether the Spacewall could be safely breached. Seeing the monster Prometheus had become and
wanting to protect Steve, Ray finally tackled Prometheus into the Pit; both men
fell in, with Prometheus calling Coffin a fool as they began their
fall.
Rann could only watch as the pair
began to shrink out of visibility into what he presumed to be
sub-molecular size. Meanwhile, the Humanoids prepared to carry out
Prometheus' last orders, that the sub-aliens be used to test the Pit.
(Micronauts
I#6) - As Prometheus and Ray plunged down the Pit and entered the
transition zone, Phillip told Ray they were shrinking and assured him there was not a way out; they were doomed.
After they plunged through the shifting subatomic cosmos for what
seemed a lifetime, Ray began to glow, and he vanished (summoned by one
of the Time Travelers). Phillip continued to fall and
shrink, emerging in the Microverse near Homeworld.
(Micronauts
I#7) - Microverse tyrant Baron Karza noted
that an object passing through the Prometheus Pit from Earth maintained
a much larger size in relation to the natives, and he reasoned that by
merging his consciousness with a suitable host body, such as Prometheus, he could stalk the Micronauts on
Earth as a giant among giants. 
(Micronauts
I#7 - BTS) - Karza performed the mind-merge, transforming Prometheus'
form into a giant duplicate of his own, after which he entered the
Prometheus Pit.
(Micronauts
I#7) - Karza/Prometheus emerged from the Prometheus Pit on Earth.
(Micronauts
I#8) - When the Micronauts used
the Prometheus Pit to travel back to the Microverse, planning to seal
the Pit behind them and strand Karza on Earth, Karza reversed the
mind-merge, reverting Prometheus back to his own form, and sent his
mental self back through the Prometheus Pit as well.
(Micronauts I#15 (fb) - BTS) - SHIELD reportedly sealed the Prometheus Pit on Earth's side.
(Micronauts
I#15) - Per a plan to confront their foe the Psycho-Man in the
Microverse and to investigate SHIELD's claims of the Pit having been
sealed, the Human Torch (Johnny Storm) traveled to HELL to investigate.
(Micronauts I#16
(fb) - BTS) - The Human Torch used the Prometheus Pit to access the
Microverse, arriving at immense size relative to the other natives.
(Micronauts
I#44 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, the inactive Prometheus Pit filled with water.
(Micronauts
I#44 (fb) - BTS) - Computrex took control of and restored HELL's
computers, reasoned that its enemies the Micronauts would one
day return there to access the Prometheus
Pit.
Computrex resolved to use the Prometheus Pit to travel to the
Microverse and dominate it by controlling its machines.
(Micronauts
I#44 (fb)) - Computrex reaminated the computer components bonded
to Professor Prometheus' corpse and summoned him back to HELL. 
(Micronauts
I#42 - BTS) - The
Micronauts sought the Prometheus Pit as a means to
return to the Microverse.
(Micronauts
I#43 - BTS) - The remaining Micronauts (Rann, Microtron, Nanotron, and
Devil) arrived at HELL.
(Micronauts
I#43) - Devil first arrived at the Prometheus Pit and was driven into
an animalistic frenzy by the scent of Prometheus' rotting flesh.
Computrex released and animated Prometheus to confront the Micronauts.
(Micronauts
I#44) - Computrex blasted Devil with
lasers, setting him afire. The pain- and fear-maddened Devil dove into the Prometheus Pit.
(Micronauts
I#44 (fb) - BTS) - With the Pit filled with water, Devil's flames were extinguished.
(Micronauts
I#44) - Still-maddened, Devil emerged from the Prometheus Pit, and attacked Prometheus, severing the computer-link that tied
Prometheus to Computrex.
Further injured, the thrashing/stumbling Prometheus was tripped by
Microtron and Nanotron and fell into the water-filled Pit. 
(Micronauts II#19 (fb)) - Baron Karza plotted to duplicate the Prometheus Pit in hopes of being able to penetrate the barriers of the Makers who had created the Microverse proper so that he might take their power.
(Micronauts II#19 (fb)) - Karza successfully duplicated the Prometheus Pit, and then he had his agents construct duplicates of the pit on every sphere in Homeworld, creating a network of links between the worlds.
(Micronauts I#59 / Micronauts II#19 (fb) - BTS) - Via the power he accessed from the Prometheus Pits, Karza destroyed all life on Homeworld.
(Micronauts II#19 (fb) - BTS) - As the pain and madness of Homeworld and its people threatened the Microverse and the Enigma Force with insanity, Arcturus Rann resolved to use the Pits to heal:
Connected by the Pits, Homeworld's spheres could be strung out across the Spiral Path, serving as a blockade against the advance of pain and fear.
(Micronauts II#19) - Rann led the Micronauts (Acroyear, Bug, Mari, Huntarr) and their allies Solitaire and Scion to the Prometheus Pit.
There Scion further explained that the Micronauts had slowly been transformed into Prime Beings like himself and Solitaire even since meeting his parent; as such, they would be able to bring new life to Homeworld's various worlds, ending the pain.
To prove this point, Scion and Solitaire entered the Pit's flames, but they were instead wracked with agony, and the effect spread to the Micronauts.
As the Pit's controls proved ineffective, Rann donned Karza's armor -- which bonded Rann with Karza's residual energies, mind, and spirit -- and commanded the Pits obedience.
With Rann/Karza's guidance, Scion, Acroyear, Bug, and Huntarr entered the Pit's flames; Solitaire refused.
(Micronauts II#20) - Traveling via the Pits, the Micronauts and Scion arrived on the various spheres; Acroyear's emerged through a watery Pit, Huntarr's was atop a volcano, and Bug emerged in a world ravaged by atomic fire. Finally, Mari and Rann entered the Pit as well.
(Micronauts II#20 - BTS) - As Prime Beings, every cell in their bodies released life that repopulated the globes with new races of beings.
As new life outgrew of the
pain, the Pits and Karza's armor coordinated the growth and transmitted
those energies across the Spiral Path.
(Alpha Flight II#4 (fb) - BTS) - Canada's Department H formed the Prometheus Division, the one section where the work on the world's most interesting "appropriated" technologies never ceased.
(Alpha Flight II#4 (fb) - BTS) - Years ago, Myra Haddock acquired the Prometheus Pit, her first acquisition for the Prometheus Division.
(Alpha Flight II#4 (fb) - BTS) - Prometheus Division technicians (presumably including Larry) finally got the Prometheus Pit running.
(Alpha Flight II#4) - Larry informed Myra of the news and brought her to see the Pit. She congratulated Larry and told him he had finally made her a happy director: This meant new life and new power for the division.
(Alpha Flight II#5 (fb) - BTS) - As she prepared to access the Pit, Myra instructed one of her agents to bring her dry ice and water.
(Alpha Flight II#5) - When her agent returned, she informed him to just stand ready. The Pit soon pulsed with energy, causing a blackout on levels 20-47. Myra was pleased when she reached into the Pit and found it had brought forth the inert (dead?) form of a hand-sized Acroyear-like Micronaut.
When
General Jeremy Clarke video-called to check how the test had gone, Myra
had water dumped on the dry ice (causing steam to fill the room), after
which she accessed the call and told Clarke the Pit had overheated and
blown something. She assured him if they got the Pit working, he would
be the first to know.
(Alpha Flight II#6 - BTS) - During some testing/function of the Prometheus Pit, an alarm sounded, instructing all available Epsilon Units to the Pit, and telling them to stand by for bay door unlock. As energy glowed through a crack in the door, Myra sent a suspicious Puck away, telling him it was a secured area and to leave it to the guards assigned to it.
(Alpha Flight II#10 - BTS) - Myra Haddock alerted Vindicator (Heather Hudson) of a threat to the lives of Alpha Flight and instructed them to meet her in the Prometheus Division.
(Alpha Flight II#10) - Via manipulation from General Clarke, Haddock convinced Alpha Flight (Flex/Adrian Corbo, Guardian/James Hudson, Manbot/Bernie Lachenay, Murmur/Arlette Truffaut, Puck/Eugene Judd, Radius/Jared Corbo, Vindicator/Heather Hudson) to use the Prometheus Pit to hide out from a corrupt General Clarke and his forces; they would be retrieved via device affixed to Manbot.
They arrived in the Homeworld Jungle Zone of Ant Tica.
(Alpha Flight II#11 - BTS) - Manbot received an alert and informed Alpha Flight that their return was imminent; shortly thereafter, Manbot initiated the remote emergency retrieval sequence, transporting Alpha Flight back via the Prometheus Pit.
(Alpha
Flight II#12) - Alpha Flight emerged from the Prometheus Pit to find
the Prometheus Division and all of Department H under assault by the
Ecliptic's Zodiac. The Sasquatch creature, who had not accompanied them to
the Microverse, seemed to appear alongside them; or they emerged as he
stood over the Pit.
(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1) - Dr. Ketola was involved with the construction of a Prometheus Pit at NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She eventually solved the last algorithm to activate the Pit.
(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (fb) - BTS) - The Daily Inquisitor reported on the Prometheus Pit being built in Houston, Texas.
(Venom#27 (fb) - BTS) - Marquis Radu, a former apprentice to Baron Karza, sought to use symbiotes to destroy the Enigma Force so they he could remake/control the Microverse. To this end, Radu sent a group of his agents -- Centivros, Krevius, Null-Tron, Raidus, Veras, and Xerxes -- to Earth to bring Carnage (Cletus Kasady) to the Microverse via the Microverse.
(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (fb) - BTS) - Daily Inquisitor reporter Katy Kiernan informed Venom
(Flash Thompson) about the Pit as a possible connection to murders
involving tiny beings (Radu's agents). Katy traveled to Houston's Space
Center to interview Dr. Ketola about the purposes of contructing the
Prometheus Pit in Houston.
(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (fb) - BTS) - The Scarlet Spider (Kaine) traveled to Houston's Space Center to interview Dr. Ketola to follow up on an assault on her husband (by Carnage in the process of seeking her).
(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (fb) - BTS) - Allying with Radu's agents, Carnage traveled to Houston's Space Center to access the Prometheus Pit.
(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1) - As Katy Kiernan questioned Dr. Ketola regarding the Prometheus Pit, Carnage arrived and told Ketola he wanted to access the Pit. The Scarlet Spider arrived to stop Carnage, but he was stunned by Radu's agents. Krevius and Null-Tron then interfaced with Ketola's mind, accessing the algorithms she had solved, and activated the Prometheus Pit. Intrigued with the Inquisitor reporter Katy Kiernan, Carnage pushed her into the Pit before entering alongside Radu's agents. Almost immediately thereafter, Venom (Flash Thompson) arrived as well.
(Scarlet Spider#10) - The Prometheus Pit was left aflame following Carnage and his associates' passage. 
(Scarlet Spider#10 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Ketola repaired the Pit to a functional state.
(Scarlet Spider#10) - Warning that they may not end up in the same location Carnage arrived and that there would be a size differential on transit, Dr. Ketola sent Venom and the Scarlet Spider through the Prometheus Pit.
Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo, Michael Golden, and Josef Rubinstein.
Carnage, the Scarlet Spider, and Venom all returned to Earth via directly traversing the Spacewall under various means. The Prometheus Pit did not appear again in Minimum Carnage after the Scarlet Spider and Venom used it to travel to the Microverse.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Prometheus Pit should be distinguished from:
Karza's Prometheus Pits traveled from planetoid/sphere to planetoid/sphere on Homeworld (and possibly to other planets), rather than from the Microverse to the Earth dimension. Beings traveling via these Pits did not appear to change in size. Karza used the Pits to access the Makers' energies, which maintained Homeworld's unique conformation.(Micronauts II#19 (fb)) - Baron Karza plotted to duplicate the Prometheus Pit in hopes of being able to penetrate the barriers of the Makers who had created the Microverse proper so that he might take their power.
(Micronauts II#19 (fb)) - Karza successfully duplicated the Prometheus Pit, and then he had his agents construct duplicates of the pit on every sphere in Homeworld, creating a network of links between the worlds.
(Micronauts I#59 / Micronauts II#19 (fb) - BTS) - Via the power he accessed from the Prometheus Pits, Karza destroyed all life on Homeworld.
(Micronauts II#19 (fb) - BTS) - As the pain and madness of Homeworld and its people threatened the Microverse and the Enigma Force with insanity, Arcturus Rann resolved to use the Pits to heal:
Connected by the Pits,
Homeworld's spheres could be strung out across the Spiral Path, serving
as a blockade against the advance of pain and fear.
(Micronauts II#19) - Rann led the Micronauts (Acroyear, Bug, Mari, Huntarr) and their allies Solitaire and Scion to the Prometheus Pit.
There Scion further explained that the Micronauts had slowly been transformed into Prime Beings like himself and Solitaire even since meeting his parent; as such, they would be able to bring new life to Homeworld's various worlds, ending the pain.
To prove this point, Scion and Solitaire entered the Pit's flames, but they were instead wracked with agony, and the effect spread to the Micronauts.
As the Pit's controls proved ineffective, Rann donned Karza's armor -- which bonded Rann with Karza's residual energies, mind, and spirit -- and commanded the Pits obedience.
With Rann/Karza's guidance, Scion, Acroyear, Bug, and Huntarr entered the Pit's flames; Solitaire refused.
(Micronauts II#20) - Traveling via the Pits, the Micronauts and Scion arrived on the various spheres; Acroyear's emerged through a watery Pit, Huntarr's was atop a volcano, and Bug emerged in a world ravaged by atomic fire. Finally, Mari and Rann entered the Pit as well.
(Micronauts II#20 - BTS) - As Prime Beings, every cell in their bodies released life that repopulated the globes with new races of beings.
As new life outgrew of the pain, the Pits and Karza's armor coordinated the growth and transmitted those energies across the Spiral Path.
Note: The images in this sub-profile are of the Pit entrances/exits on three Homeworld realms.
Images of Karza's construction of the Pits and the Micronauts approaching the "main" pit are contained in the main profile here.
images: (without ads)
Micronauts
I#5, pg. 7, panel 4 (Prometheus standing over Earth's Prometheus Pit entrance);
#6, pg. 7, panel 1 (Prometheus & Ray Coffin falling through Pit);
#7, last page, last panel (Karza emerging from Pit);
#44, pg. 24, panel 1 (Devil emerging from Pit);
pg. 27, panel 4 (Rann watching Prometheus cyborg/corpse falling into Pit);
Micronauts II#19, pg. 16, panel 1 (Karza's fiery pit);
pg. 6, panel 1 (Pit duplicates constructed)
#20, pg. 5 (Karza Prometheus Pit emerging through water - Acroyear);
pg. 7, panel 1 (Karza Prometheus Pit emerging through volcano - Huntarr);
pg. 9, panel 1 (Karza Prometheus Pit emerging in atomic wasteland - Bug);
Alpha Flight II#4, pg. 16, panel 3 (Pit activated in Department H's Prometheus Division)
#10, pg. 11, panel 6 (Alpha approaches);
pg. 12, panel 1 (Alpha travels)
Minimum Carnage Alpha#1, pg. 20, panel 2 (Prometheus Pit in Houston);
panel 4 (Carnage and associates accessing Houston Prometheus Pit);
Scarlet Spider#10, pg. 14, panel 2 (Pit glowing);
panel 5 (Scarlet Spider and Venom accessing the Pit)
Appearances:
Micronauts I#3-7 (March-July, 1979) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Michael Golden (penciler), Josef Rubinstein (inker), Al Milgrom (editor)
Micronauts I#8 (August, 1979) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Michael Golden (penciler), Bob McLeod (inker), Al Milgrom (editor)
Micronauts I#15 (March, 1980) - Bill Manto (writer), Howard Chaykin (breakdowns), Al Milgrom (finisher/editor)
Micronauts
Annual#2 (1980) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Rich Buckler (penciler) &
Steve Ditko (penciler & inker), Al Milgrom (editor)
Micronauts I#42-43 (June, 1982) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Gil Kane (penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker), Al Milgrom (editor)
Micronauts
I#44 (August, 1982) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Gil Kane (penciler), Danny
Bulanadi, Carl Potts, & Al Milgrom (inkers), Al Milgrom (editor)
Micronauts
II#19 (April, 1986) - Peter B. Gillis (writer), Howard Bender
(penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Micronauts II#20 (May, 1986) - Peter B. Gillis
(writer), Kelley Jones (penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker), Ralph
Macchio (editor)
Alpha
Flight II#4 (November, 1997) - Steve Seagle (writer), Scott Clark &
Martin Egeland (pencilers), Chris Carlson & Howard H. Shum
(inkers), Jaye Gardner (editor)
Alpha Flight II#5 (December, 1997) - Steve Seagle
(writer), Brian Denham & Scott Clark (pencilers), Chris Carlson (inker), Jaye Gardner (editor)
Alpha Flight II#6 (January, 1998) - Steve Seagle
(writer), Bryan Hitch (penciler), Paul Neary (inker), Jaye Gardner (editor)
Alpha Flight II#10 (May, 1998) - Steve Seagle
(writer), Anthony Winn (penciler), Aaron Sowd (inker), Jaye Gardner (editor)
Alpha Flight II#11 (June, 1998) - Steve Seagle
(writer), Joe Casey (plot assist), Ariel Olivetti (penciler), Pier Brito (inker), Jaye Gardner (editor)
Alpha Flight II#12 (July, 1998) - Steve Seagle
(writer), Duncan Rouleau (penciler), Troy Hubbs, Robert Hunter, & Aaron Sowd (inkers), Jaye Gardner (editor)
Minimum
Carnage Alpha#1 (December, 2012) - Cullen Bunn & Chris Yost
(writers), Lan Medina (penciler), Karl Kesel, Cam Smith, & Walden
Wong (inkers), Stephen Wacker (editor)
Scarlet Spider#10 (December,
2012) - Chris Yost (writer), Khoi Pham & Reilly Brown (pencilers),
Tom Palmer & Chris Sotomayor (inkers), Tom Brennan (editor), Stephen Wacker (senior editor)
Venom#27 (January, 2013) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Declan Shalvey (artist), Tom Brennan (editor), Stephen Wacker (senior editor)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
First Posted: 11/13/2017
Last Updated: 11/13/2017
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