.gif)
Firepower (comics)
Encyclopedia
Firepower is the name of two Marvel Comics
supervillains.
(the rival businessman of Tony Stark
). The project was ostensibly designated by the U.S. Armed Forces, in conjunction with Senator Boynton, to serve as an ultimate deterrent against opponents of the United States. However, when Iron Man launched his "Armor Wars
", attacking armored villains and even government agents without provocation, the Firepower program was modified with the specific goal of stopping Iron Man.
While Taggert continued to train for the fight with Iron Man using a simulator rig, Boynton invited Tony Stark out to the first formal demonstration of the Firepower suit, believing that Iron Man would somehow find out from his "ex-employer", and hoping to lure the rogue Avenger into a trap. Stark chose to observe the tests from an SE helicopter, piloted by Jim Rhodes
, thus allowing Stark to slip away as Iron Man and attack Firepower without his absence being noticed by Boynton or the military. The tests against tank and jet drones proved so devastating, however, that Rhodey suggested aborting; however, determined to destroy every last bit of Iron Man technology not under his control, Stark joined the fight.
Iron Man found that the massive Firepower suit was able to withstand his attacks, and Firepower was even able to ambush Iron Man through a canyon wall. When Iron Man placed a Negator pack (the device he used to disable his armor technology) on Firepower, he was surprised to find out it didn't work - the government had studied the Negator pack that Iron Man had attempted to use on Stingray
, and found a way to shield Firepower's circuits from the pack's effects. Badly damaged and wounded, Iron Man retreated to the helicopter, hoping to buy some time. However, Stark and Rhodey quickly realized that the military would consider them "acceptable losses" in stopping Iron Man, so just as Taggert was being ordered to target the chopper, Iron Man flew away. Taggert launched the "Terminax", a low-power nuclear missile, and completely destroyed the Iron Man armor, leaving its bloody bits to fall to the desert floor.
Stark had faked Iron Man's death by sending out the "Silver Centurion" armor on autopilot, filled with the store of spare blood they had kept on board the chopper "just in case", so as to allow the world to believe that Iron Man was dead (Stark's injuries were blamed on the shockwave from the Terminax detination). Stark was content to leave Iron Man dead, but it was during this time that Edwin Cord took advantage. He blackmailed Boynton and the military into allowing him to keep Firepower, threatening to reveal to the press one of Firepower's "true" purposes - riot control. Cord then used Firepower to threaten the Marsten Manufacturing group to turn down a Stark bid, to attack SE division Accutech, and to personally attack and threaten Tony Stark and his workers.
Finally having had enough of Firepower, Stark locked himself inside his private laboratory to build a brand new set of armor, incorporating several improvements and new weapons, as well as the "classic" red-and-gold color scheme. Even as the new armor was completed, Firepower was attacking another Stark Enterprises-owned facility, so Stark quickly faced off against Firepower as the "new" Iron Man.
Taggert, convinced that he could dispatch this new Iron Man as quickly as he did the "first", was stunned to find the Firepower armor outclassed by his opponent. Iron Man was able to defeat or neutralize all of Firepower's main weapons. In a desperate, last-ditch attempt to win, Taggert activated the Terminax to launch without a set target, hoping that Iron Man would be vaporized in the attempt to stop or redirect the missile. However, the launcher backpack that housed the missile had been damaged by Iron Man's pulse bolts, trapping the Terminax and threatening everybody in the vicinity. Taggert pleaded with Iron Man to free him from the armor, but Iron Man told him that if the armor was magnetically sealed, there was nothing he could do to free him. Iron Man used an electromagentic pulse - a trick learned from Force
- to disable the Firepower armor (and his own) for six minutes. This bought Iron Man enough time to find a way to shut down the nuke's timer once the armors' systems came back online. Upon reboot, the timer had nine seconds left; Iron Man successfully stopped it in eight.
Taggert, now no longer fearing being blown up, told Iron Man that there would be others just like him that would be out to kill Iron Man just as he had, and destroy Stark Enterprises. With that, Iron Man ripped the Firepower armor apart. Stunned, Taggert stated that Iron Man had said he couldn't remove him from the armor. Coldly, Iron Man responded to him that he had lied. Taggert and Cord were taken into custody, while Stark decided that the world still needed an Iron Man.
, an eco-terrorist who sought to make illegal dumping grounds on a property owned by Stane International
(used for government projects) and came to the attention of the media. A new Firepower was sent in by high ranking government officials that feared a scandal and ordered Atom Smasher eliminated. Sleeker than the original, this Firepower actually has less weapons but seems to pack a harder punch with the weapons still on board. Firepower engaged Atom Smasher and was holding his own. Then, War Machine
decided to end the fight with an EMP blast that rendered both inoperable until their systems Rebooted. Since Firepower's auto reboots after 14 minutes while War Machine's rebooted in 6 minutes, Rhodes carried the suit out to the army detail outside of the Stane Facility and ordered them off the property.
, the Ultimate Universe version of Armor Wars, Firepower is the codename for a London Metropolitan Police riot squad
in power armor based on Ultimate Iron Man
's stolen technology. Iron Man intervenes when the Firepower armor is used against peaceful protesters, and with Justine Hammer's help provides the British Government with proof that the designs the Government purchased were stolen, leading to them being recalled. Interestingly, the Firepower armor has a striking resemblince to the Halo
armor.
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...
supervillains.
Firepower I
Jack Taggert worked on an experimental pilotable suit for Project: Firepower for Edwin CordEdwin Cord
Edwin Cord is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He is created by David Michelinie, Bob Layton, and John Romita, Jr. in Iron Man #125 .-Fictional character biography:...
(the rival businessman of Tony Stark
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,...
). The project was ostensibly designated by the U.S. Armed Forces, in conjunction with Senator Boynton, to serve as an ultimate deterrent against opponents of the United States. However, when Iron Man launched his "Armor Wars
Armor Wars
"Armor Wars" is a seven-issue Iron Man story arc written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton with art by Mark D. Bright and Barry Windsor-Smith and published by Marvel Comics...
", attacking armored villains and even government agents without provocation, the Firepower program was modified with the specific goal of stopping Iron Man.
While Taggert continued to train for the fight with Iron Man using a simulator rig, Boynton invited Tony Stark out to the first formal demonstration of the Firepower suit, believing that Iron Man would somehow find out from his "ex-employer", and hoping to lure the rogue Avenger into a trap. Stark chose to observe the tests from an SE helicopter, piloted by Jim Rhodes
Jim Rhodes
James Allen Rhodes was an American Republican politician from Ohio, and one of only five US state governors to serve four four-year terms in office. As governor in 1970, he decided to send National Guard troops onto the Kent State University campus, resulting in the shooting of students on May 4...
, thus allowing Stark to slip away as Iron Man and attack Firepower without his absence being noticed by Boynton or the military. The tests against tank and jet drones proved so devastating, however, that Rhodey suggested aborting; however, determined to destroy every last bit of Iron Man technology not under his control, Stark joined the fight.
Iron Man found that the massive Firepower suit was able to withstand his attacks, and Firepower was even able to ambush Iron Man through a canyon wall. When Iron Man placed a Negator pack (the device he used to disable his armor technology) on Firepower, he was surprised to find out it didn't work - the government had studied the Negator pack that Iron Man had attempted to use on Stingray
Stingray (comics)
Stingray is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The character first appears as Walter Newell in Tales to Astonish #95 and as Stingray in Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #19 Stingray (Walter Newell) is a fictional character that appears...
, and found a way to shield Firepower's circuits from the pack's effects. Badly damaged and wounded, Iron Man retreated to the helicopter, hoping to buy some time. However, Stark and Rhodey quickly realized that the military would consider them "acceptable losses" in stopping Iron Man, so just as Taggert was being ordered to target the chopper, Iron Man flew away. Taggert launched the "Terminax", a low-power nuclear missile, and completely destroyed the Iron Man armor, leaving its bloody bits to fall to the desert floor.
Stark had faked Iron Man's death by sending out the "Silver Centurion" armor on autopilot, filled with the store of spare blood they had kept on board the chopper "just in case", so as to allow the world to believe that Iron Man was dead (Stark's injuries were blamed on the shockwave from the Terminax detination). Stark was content to leave Iron Man dead, but it was during this time that Edwin Cord took advantage. He blackmailed Boynton and the military into allowing him to keep Firepower, threatening to reveal to the press one of Firepower's "true" purposes - riot control. Cord then used Firepower to threaten the Marsten Manufacturing group to turn down a Stark bid, to attack SE division Accutech, and to personally attack and threaten Tony Stark and his workers.
Finally having had enough of Firepower, Stark locked himself inside his private laboratory to build a brand new set of armor, incorporating several improvements and new weapons, as well as the "classic" red-and-gold color scheme. Even as the new armor was completed, Firepower was attacking another Stark Enterprises-owned facility, so Stark quickly faced off against Firepower as the "new" Iron Man.
Taggert, convinced that he could dispatch this new Iron Man as quickly as he did the "first", was stunned to find the Firepower armor outclassed by his opponent. Iron Man was able to defeat or neutralize all of Firepower's main weapons. In a desperate, last-ditch attempt to win, Taggert activated the Terminax to launch without a set target, hoping that Iron Man would be vaporized in the attempt to stop or redirect the missile. However, the launcher backpack that housed the missile had been damaged by Iron Man's pulse bolts, trapping the Terminax and threatening everybody in the vicinity. Taggert pleaded with Iron Man to free him from the armor, but Iron Man told him that if the armor was magnetically sealed, there was nothing he could do to free him. Iron Man used an electromagentic pulse - a trick learned from Force
Force (comics)
Force is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Prince Namor, the Savage Sub-Mariner #67 Force is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Prince Namor, the...
- to disable the Firepower armor (and his own) for six minutes. This bought Iron Man enough time to find a way to shut down the nuke's timer once the armors' systems came back online. Upon reboot, the timer had nine seconds left; Iron Man successfully stopped it in eight.
Taggert, now no longer fearing being blown up, told Iron Man that there would be others just like him that would be out to kill Iron Man just as he had, and destroy Stark Enterprises. With that, Iron Man ripped the Firepower armor apart. Stunned, Taggert stated that Iron Man had said he couldn't remove him from the armor. Coldly, Iron Man responded to him that he had lied. Taggert and Cord were taken into custody, while Stark decided that the world still needed an Iron Man.
Firepower II
A second Firepower is a government official who was sent to bring down Atom-SmasherAtom-Smasher (Marvel Comics)
Atom-Smasher is a name shared by three fictional characters in the .-Publication history:The first Atom-Smasher first appeared in Black Goliath #1 and was created by Tony Isabella and George Tuska....
, an eco-terrorist who sought to make illegal dumping grounds on a property owned by Stane International
Iron Monger
The Iron Monger is an identity used by several fictional supervillains published by Marvel Comics. The first and most notable person to take up the identity is Obadiah Stane...
(used for government projects) and came to the attention of the media. A new Firepower was sent in by high ranking government officials that feared a scandal and ordered Atom Smasher eliminated. Sleeker than the original, this Firepower actually has less weapons but seems to pack a harder punch with the weapons still on board. Firepower engaged Atom Smasher and was holding his own. Then, War Machine
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
decided to end the fight with an EMP blast that rendered both inoperable until their systems Rebooted. Since Firepower's auto reboots after 14 minutes while War Machine's rebooted in 6 minutes, Rhodes carried the suit out to the army detail outside of the Stane Facility and ordered them off the property.
Powers and abilities
Firepower’s armour provides him with a high degree of protection from energy and physical attacks. His strength, reflexes and endurance have all been enhanced by his armour and he can fly at sub-sonic speeds. The suit is also air conditioned to prevent discomfort for the operator. The Firepower armour contains a vast array of sensors and an impressive array of weapons including four back-mounted surface-to-air missiles (and additional missiles mounted on leg hardpoints), chest-mounted heat beam lasers, mini-grenades and arm-mounted concussive cannons. The armour also fire a small tactical nuclear missile known as ‘Terminax’ from a back-mounted launch tube. Described as a "two-ton tuxedo" by Jack Taggart, the suit was extremely large and its wearer had to be lifted into it with a special crane.Ultimate Firepower
In Ultimate Comics: Armor WarsUltimate 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....
, the Ultimate Universe version of Armor Wars, Firepower is the codename for a London Metropolitan Police riot squad
Riot Squad
Riot Squad were a second-wave punk rock band from Mansfield, England, initially active between 1981 and 1984.-History:Riot Squad formed in 1981, with an initial line-up of Duncan "Dunk" Mason , Nigel "Nello" Nelson , and Paul "Pommi" Palmer , Nelson the only one of the three with any musical...
in power armor based on Ultimate Iron Man
Ultimate Iron Man (character)
Ultimate Iron Man , is the Ultimate Marvel version of the fictional superhero Iron Man that first appeared in Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #4, written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Mike Allred. He later appeared in the Ultimates and often appears in the same titles they do...
's stolen technology. Iron Man intervenes when the Firepower armor is used against peaceful protesters, and with Justine Hammer's help provides the British Government with proof that the designs the Government purchased were stolen, leading to them being recalled. Interestingly, the Firepower armor has a striking resemblince to the Halo
Halo (series)
Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
armor.
Television
- In the two-part animated "Armor Wars" adaption of Iron ManIron Man (TV series)Iron Man, also known as Iron Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series based on Marvel Comics' superhero Iron Man...
, Firepower (voiced by Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. is an American actor known for his starring roles in the television series 77 Sunset Strip and The F.B.I. He is also known as recurring character "Dandy Jim Buckley" in the series Maverick and as the voice behind the character Alfred Pennyworth in Batman: The Animated Series...
) was an automaton built by Justin HammerJustin HammerJustin Hammer is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. As a frequent adversary of the superhero Iron Man, Justin Hammer exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
to take down Iron Man. Because it was Hammer Industry Property, Iron Man's Negator Pack doesn't work on it. Iron Man faked his death, but returned in a new armor when it started to attack properties of Stark Industry. After preventing its missile from going off, Iron Man used his suit to hack into the remains of Firepower to learn that Justin Hammer was behind the armored villains using his Stark Armor designs.
- Firepower appears in the Iron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored AdventuresIron Man: Armored Adventures is a 3D CGI cartoon series based on the Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man. It debuted in the USA on the Nicktoons on April 24, 2009, and has already begun airing on Canadian network Teletoon. The series is story edited by showrunner Christopher Yost, who also worked on...
episode "Armor Wars." At the Stark International Guardsmen Expo, Firepower is introduced as the third GuardsmenGuardsman (comics)Guardsman was the name of a superhero in the Marvel Universe, but was later applied to a small squad of agents. He/they wear suits of power armor while working security at the Vault; the suits were designed by Tony Stark, better known as the superhero Iron Man....
who was made from the designs of the Hulkbuster Armor. After Iron Man hacks into the televised screen revealing Force and Shockwave's identities, Firepower, Shockwave, and Force end up attacking Iron Man. Iron Man manages to take down Firepower by deactivating the cables in his armor.
Film
- In Iron Man 2Iron Man 2Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
, Justin Hammer hires Ivan VankoWhiplash (comics)Whiplash is the name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Each Whiplash is a minor supervillain in the Marvel Universe, with the first and latest appearing as prominent members of Iron Man's rogues gallery.-Mark Scarlotti:...
to build manned suits similar to the Iron Man armor. The Hammer Drones were (much to Hammer's dismay) but robotic drones controlled by Vanko consisting of an Army branch, a Navy branch, a Marine branch, and an Air Force branch (all of which shared a lot of similarities to the Firepower 1 droid) that were used against both Iron Man and War Machine in the penultimate fight of the movie.
Video games
- Firepower appears in the PSP, Wii, and mobile versions of the Iron Man 2Iron Man 2 (video game)Iron Man 2 is a 2010 video game loosely-based on the film of the same name. It was released on May 4, 2010, days after the film's international release and days before the film's domestic release. The game was published by Sega and developed by Sega Studios San Francisco , High Voltage Software ...
video game voiced by Cedric YarbroughCedric YarbroughCedric Yarbrough is an American comedian and actor.Yarbrough was born in Burnsville, Minnesota. Yarbrough attended Burnsville Senior High School and later Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is also an alumnus of Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis.Yarbrough starred on the Comedy...
. He appears to be working with Advanced Idea MechanicsAdvanced Idea MechanicsA.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
, joins the attack on BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and wears a big blue suit with more strength and weapons than the player (hence the name). He fights War Machine outside a hotel. War Machine already identifies Firepower to be a mercenary.
External links
- Firepower I at Marvel.com