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Arsenal (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
Arsenal is a fictional character
that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics
. The character first appears in Iron Man
#114 (Sep. 1978) and was created by Bill Mantlo
and Keith Giffen
.
#114 (Sept. 1978) and Avengers
Annual #9 (1979). The character made a final appearance in Hulk
#282 (April 1983). The Arsenal "Alpha" unit appeared in Iron Man vol. 3, #84-85 (Aug. 2004).
, a group of Allied scientists led by Howard Stark
developed "Project Tomorrow" and the creation of a robot called Arsenal; a prototype
fighting unit to be deployed in the event of an Axis
victory. The robot was also guided by an early computer program called "Mistress". When the Allies won the war, Arsenal was placed in storage. The robot was activated for a military demonstration during a worsening Cold War
, but was never used.
In the present day, the Avengers
are battling the Unicorn
underneath Avengers Mansion
, when Arsenal suddenly appears and attacks them. However, Iron Man
successfully drives Arsenal off.
The Avengers learn the origin of the robot from their government liaison, Henry Peter Gyrich
. Arsenal reappears and captures Avengers Hawkeye
and the Beast
and stuns Yellowjacket
with an electric shock. Yellowjacket, however, recovers and alerts the other Avengers, advising them that Project Tomorrow is directly beneath the mansion.
Guided by Mistress (who erroneously believes the Allies lost World War II), Arsenal defeats several Avengers, until confronted by Thor
and the Scarlet Witch
. On the verge of defeat, Arsenal apparently self-destructs while Iron Man confronts Mistress, who was programmed with the brain patterns of his deceased mother
. Once Iron Man unmasks and explains that the Allies won the war, and that Mistress is simply modelled on his dead mother, the computer program wipes its own memory.
Arsenal actually faked its own destruction, and when She-Hulk
and the Hulk
visit Avengers mansion it attacks Edwin Jarvis
, the Avengers' butler. Arsenal then incapacitates She-Hulk, and in a rage the Hulk pummels Arsenal until it is destroyed.
Iron Man eventually learns that only a "Beta" unit had been destroyed, and that an "Alpha" unit remained deactivated beneath Avengers Mansion. Homeland Security
ask him to shut it down without informing the other Avengers due to the security risk it poses. Iron Man tracks the unit, but is unaware that the Avengers have followed him. The unit is activated when transmission codes are radioed to Iron Man, which results in a battle between the new Arsenal and the Avengers. Iron Man then realises that Arsenal was activated by interference with its signal, which was set to "inert
". Iron Man occupies Arsenal while Warbird
stops the source of the interference, causing Arsenal to deactivate. The unit is then dismantled.
Arsenal, fully reassembled and under control, is later used as a test for a group of Avengers recruits, under the pretext that it is out of control.
Arsenal robots are shown and revealed to be created by Howard Stark Sr. for that continuity of Project Tomorrow in Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars
.
, the Arsenal robots were created as a Nazi weapon by Baron Zemo
, who in this continuity is revealed to be a mind-controlled Howard Stark
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The character first appears in Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
#114 (Sep. 1978) and was created by Bill Mantlo
Bill Mantlo
Bill Mantlo is an American comic-book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics, best known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: the Eagle Award-winning Micronauts and the long-running Rom. An attorney, he also worked as a public defender...
and Keith Giffen
Keith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
.
Publication history
Arsenal first appeared in a two-part storyline in Iron ManIron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
#114 (Sept. 1978) and Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
Annual #9 (1979). The character made a final appearance in Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
#282 (April 1983). The Arsenal "Alpha" unit appeared in Iron Man vol. 3, #84-85 (Aug. 2004).
Fictional character biography
In the final days of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a group of Allied scientists led by Howard Stark
Howard Stark
Howard Stark is a fictional person in the . He is the father of Tony Stark and the founder of Stark Industries. His name came from Howard Hughes, whom he was named after. -Biography:...
developed "Project Tomorrow" and the creation of a robot called Arsenal; a prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
fighting unit to be deployed in the event of an Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
victory. The robot was also guided by an early computer program called "Mistress". When the Allies won the war, Arsenal was placed in storage. The robot was activated for a military demonstration during a worsening Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, but was never used.
In the present day, the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
are battling the Unicorn
Unicorn (comics)
Unicorn is the codename of multiple supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The first Unicorn debuted in Tales of Suspense vol...
underneath Avengers Mansion
Avengers Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, Avengers Mansion has traditionally been the base of the Avengers. The enormous, city block-sized building is located at 890 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City.-Creative origin:...
, when Arsenal suddenly appears and attacks them. However, Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
successfully drives Arsenal off.
The Avengers learn the origin of the robot from their government liaison, Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers Vol. 1 #165 and was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
. Arsenal reappears and captures Avengers Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
and the Beast
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
and stuns Yellowjacket
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
with an electric shock. Yellowjacket, however, recovers and alerts the other Avengers, advising them that Project Tomorrow is directly beneath the mansion.
Guided by Mistress (who erroneously believes the Allies lost World War II), Arsenal defeats several Avengers, until confronted by Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
and the Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
. On the verge of defeat, Arsenal apparently self-destructs while Iron Man confronts Mistress, who was programmed with the brain patterns of his deceased mother
Maria Stark
Maria Stark is a fictional character in the . She is the mother of Tony Stark and the wife of Howard Stark.-Fictional character biography:Maria Stark was born Maria Collins Carbonell, although her young life is unknown. In her adulthood, Maria married Howard Stark and together they had a son:...
. Once Iron Man unmasks and explains that the Allies won the war, and that Mistress is simply modelled on his dead mother, the computer program wipes its own memory.
Arsenal actually faked its own destruction, and when She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
and the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
visit Avengers mansion it attacks Edwin Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis is a fictional supporting character in the Marvel Comics titles, The Avengers, Iron Man, and Spider-Man.-Publication history:...
, the Avengers' butler. Arsenal then incapacitates She-Hulk, and in a rage the Hulk pummels Arsenal until it is destroyed.
Iron Man eventually learns that only a "Beta" unit had been destroyed, and that an "Alpha" unit remained deactivated beneath Avengers Mansion. Homeland Security
Homeland security
Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect states against terrorist activity. Specifically, is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do...
ask him to shut it down without informing the other Avengers due to the security risk it poses. Iron Man tracks the unit, but is unaware that the Avengers have followed him. The unit is activated when transmission codes are radioed to Iron Man, which results in a battle between the new Arsenal and the Avengers. Iron Man then realises that Arsenal was activated by interference with its signal, which was set to "inert
Inert
-Chemistry:In chemistry, the term inert is used to describe a substance that is not chemically reactive.The noble gases were previously known as inert gases because of their perceived lack of participation in any chemical reactions...
". Iron Man occupies Arsenal while Warbird
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is the name of a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and designed by artist Gene Colan, the non-powered Carol Danvers debuted as a member of the United States Air Force in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 and as Ms. Marvel—a...
stops the source of the interference, causing Arsenal to deactivate. The unit is then dismantled.
Arsenal, fully reassembled and under control, is later used as a test for a group of Avengers recruits, under the pretext that it is out of control.
Ultimate Marvel
Several of the Ultimate MarvelUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
Arsenal robots are shown and revealed to be created by Howard Stark Sr. for that continuity of Project Tomorrow in Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars
Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars
Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars is an American comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics. The series is set in the Ultimate Universe, and is written by Warren Ellis and pencilled by Steve Kurth....
.
Marvel Noir
In Iron Man NoirMarvel Noir
Marvel Noir is a 2009-2010 Marvel Comics alternative continuity combining elements of film noir and pulp fiction with the Marvel Universe. The central premise of the mini-series replaces super powers with driven, noir-flavored characterization....
, the Arsenal robots were created as a Nazi weapon by Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo is the name of two fictional characters, both supervillains, in various Marvel Comics comic books, notably Captain America and the Avengers...
, who in this continuity is revealed to be a mind-controlled Howard Stark
Howard Stark
Howard Stark is a fictional person in the . He is the father of Tony Stark and the founder of Stark Industries. His name came from Howard Hughes, whom he was named after. -Biography:...
.