FERRONAUT(Reality-7711)
FERRONAUT
(Reality-7711)
Real Name: Ferronaut
Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-7711) presumably extraterrestrial (possibly Astran) construct
Occupation/function: Warrior
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Metal Master-7711 (presumably named Molyb)
Enemies: Bereet, Hulk (Bruce Banner), Rick Jones, Sturky
- all from Reality-7711
Known Relatives: None;
the Metal Master was its creator
Aliases: None; it was described as "a juggernaut," a "titan" (both by narrative) and a "metal puppet" (by Rick Jones)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
last active within the space within Bereet's spatial distorter;
formerly the woods outside a village in southern France
First Appearance: Rampaging Hulk I#3 (June, 1977)
 |
It was described as being composed of solid
steel, rather than some extraterrestrial metal, but the Metal Master's
power was infused within it, rendering it immune to the
matter-converting abilities of Bereet's pet/creation Sturky. Massive and durable, the Ferronaut could deliver blows sufficient to challenge the Hulk, while the Metal Master could instantly reform Ferronaut to elimate any dents or damage. Its limbs curved and moved like tentacles without
specific joints, and it could whirl its arms at great speed to strike
with great force. The Metal Master could instill all of his power
and even apparently his own life force into the Ferronaut, further
increasing its power. However, this also left the Metal Master vulnerable to assaults of extreme force, such as from a sufficiently angry Hulk, which could force the Metal Master's energies back into his form and potentially cause an incapacitating backlash. The Ferronaut was dependent on the Metal Master's control. Deprived of this, the Ferronaut was instantly dormant, and without the Metal Master's power, the Ferronaut was subject to damage and destruction. |  |
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 10')
Weight: Unrevealed (it's "feet" and "hands" at least were solid
steel, but its torso and limbs, and head appeared to be hollow shells;
its "fist" is described as "one-half ton of solid steel"; if that is
accurate, its" feet" and "hands" alone weigh 4000s, and then perhaps
another couple thousands pounds for the rest of its hollow body, so
perhaps 6000 lbs. or 3 tons)
Eyes: None (solid white structures in the location of where eyes would be)
Hair: None
History:
(Rampaging Hulk I#3 (fb) - BTS)
- One Earth-7711, that reality's Metal Master sought an alliance with a
Krylorian force as they had similarly had trouble with the Hulk. The
Krylorian commander promised the Metal Master a metal-heavy portion of
the planet following their conquest if he destroyed the Hulk.
(Rampaging Hulk I#3 (fb) - BTS)
- Seeking to draw out the Hulk, the Metal Master had his Ferronaut
rampage the countryside of southern France for a week (as the Hulk had
been recently active in Paris, demolishing the Krylorians' genetics
base).
Banner and his allies Bereet and
Rick Jones were lying low in the Suckled Pig Inn to plot their next
move against the Krylorian invaders.
(Rampaging
Hulk I#3) - In the woods outside a small village in southern France, as
the Ferronaut tore apart a number of trees, the Metal Master determined
that the Hulk was nowhere nearby. As the Metal Master departed to
confront the Krylorian commander, the Ferronaut froze in mid-smash,
instantly dormant without the Metal Master's control.
When Banner transformed into the
Hulk in response to the innkeeper, Etoine, slapping his young ward,
Spirou, the Hulk's subsequent rampage drew the Metal Master's
attention. As the Hulk chased the innkeeper into the woods, the Metal
Master had the Ferronaut ambush him. The force of the Ferronaut's punch
nearly knocked the Hulk down, and when the Hulk struck back, he was
surprised as the dent/damage he did to the creature was instantly
repaired (by the Metal Master, unbeknownst to the Hulk).
As the Hulk struggled futilely
against the Ferronaut, Bereet (who had joined Rick in following Spirou
when he rushed toward the conflict) sent a series of techno-art
creations against the Metal Master. However, as these creations were
made of metal, he simply tore them apart. Intrigued by Bereet's
tesseract-like spatial distorter and the weaponry it contained, the
Metal Master exerted his mental control over the spatial distorter.
As Bereet mentally opposed the Metal Master's efforts, her spatial distorter destabilized, it it began to expand, its exterior seeking to match its interior and enveloping all around it. After enveloping Bereet, Rick, the Metal Master, the Hulk, and the Ferronaut, it's expansion ceased and it reverted to its normal size, but with all of the above trapped within it.
As the Metal Master took control
of all of the metallic creations within the spatial distorter and sent
them to attack the others, the Hulk, who had been lost and otherwise
leaping randomly, crashed into him. The Metal Master then reactivated
his Ferronaut and sent it to attack the Hulk anew.
The Hulk continued to fight
futilely against the Ferronaut who recovered from his every assault,
while Bereet's matter converter pet/creation Sturky converted Bereet's
other techno-organic creations to wood, stone, or other things the
Metal Master could not control. However, the Ferronaut proved resistant
to such conersion, and it continued to batter the Hulk relentlessly.
With no other weapons, the Metal
Master channeled every last bit of his psychic power into the
Ferronaut, filling it completely with his life force, and it delivered
a powerful double-barreled punch. Pained and enraged, the Hulk grew
even stronger and he retaliated with a punch so powerful that its
animating force of psychic energy was pounded back into the Metal
Master. Reeling, the Metal Master lost control of the Ferronaut, which
shattered under the Hulk's attack.
(Rampaging Hulk I#3 - BTS) - As
the Metal Master's mind exploded with a "backlash frisson" of his own
forcefed mental powers, Sturky, who had sought to aid against the Metal
Master, was caught in and destroyed by the energies.
The energies also released the
inhabitants/captives from the spatial distorter, while the Metal Master
was left powerless, and the Hulk hurled him far away.
Comments: Created by Doug Moench, Walt Simonson, and Alfredo Alcala.
All beings, places, and objects in this profile are native to Reality-7711, which was mirrored by the techno-art films produced by the Krylorian Bereet.
These stories were originally intended as
"Untold Tales" of the Hulk, picking up after Incredible Hulk I#6. Just five
years later, Bill Mantlo ret-conned them into being fictional stories from
Bereet's
movie, "The Life and Times of the Incredible Hulk." While we could infer the
involvement of anyone involved in the Hulk's early stories, or the early days of
Marvel in general, this profile will only reflect those beings actually seen or
referenced in this series.
With the next issue (#10), the series became "HULK!" and told
modern (at the time) Hulk stories in full-color. Though generally forgotten,
these stories have not been ret-conned out of continuity. Some of the events
from HULK! are occasionally referenced in handbooks, etc.
The nature of the omniverse is such that every reality exists, fictional or otherwise. Thus every dream, imaginary tale, etc. represents a reality somewhere. Whether Bereet somehow glimpsed this reality or whether she just wrote the story by coincidence is unrevealed.
This story took place
chronologically shortly after the Hulk's initial encounter with the
Metal Master (which presumably paralleled the events of Incredible Hulk
I#6).
Molyb (Metal Master)
This profile was completed 2/07/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Ferronaut should be distinguished from:
Rampaging Hulk I#3, pg. 9, panel 4 (punching Hulk, mostly full);
pg.10, panel 1-2 (punched by Hulk; undented);
pg. 11, panel 3 (punching whirlwind);
pg. 24, panel 1 (leaping toward Hulk);
panel 3 (swung overhead by Hulk);
pg. 28-29 (smashed by Hulk)
Appearances:
Rampaging Hulk I#3 (June, 1977) - Doug
Moench (writer), Walt Simonson (penciler), Alfredo Alcala (inker), Len
Wein & Roy Thomas (consulting editors), Ralph Macchio (associate
editor), John Warner (editor)
First posted: 09/24/2021
Last updated: 09/23/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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