Ironclad (comics)
Encyclopedia
Ironclad is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe whose first appearance was in Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #254. He is a member of the super-villain group, the U-Foes
and he was created by Bill Mantlo
and Sal Buscema
.
, although during the battle Ironclad lost control of his powers and sank into the ground. Later, he rescued his teammate X-Ray
and was reunited with the U-Foes
. They again battled the Hulk and this time defeated him. In triumph, they exhibited the captive Bruce Banner on national television. However, Banner was freed by Rick Jones
, Betty Ross
, and the alien Bereet
, and Banner transformed into the Hulk and defeated the U-Foes. With the U-Foes, Ironclad later escaped a special government prison, but was accidentally "deflected" by team leader Vector
into the "Crossroads" dimension. There, he battled the Hulk and defeated him with the help of the alien "Puffball Collective
," though he became trapped in a dimension of quicksand. Ironclad later escaped back to the "Crossroads" dimension, and with the U-Foes he escaped back to Earth through a dimensional warp unintentionally opened by the mutant
Charles Little Sky
. The U-Foes battled the Avengers
and Puma
, and Ironclad was defeated by Captain America
and Gilgamesh
.
Some time later, alongside other superhuman criminals, Ironclad attempted to escape from the Vault
, and battled the Avengers and Freedom Force
. Alongside Electro, Ironclad sided with Thunderball
against Venom
for leadership of the convicts. Ironclad was later freed from the Vault, and with teammates Vapor
and X-Ray, Ironclad attacked the Avengers West Coast
, mistakenly believing they had killed Vector. Vector then reappeared alive and well, and led his teammates in a strategic retreat. With the U-Foes, Ironclad later attacked a New York hospital in search of Charles Little Sky (who was now known as Portal
), where they battled Darkhawk
, Daredevil
, and Captain America.
Ironclad, along with the other U-Foes were imprisoned in the Raft
when Electro broke the inmates out. Ironclad was seen fighting Captain America and even threw him up through a hole in the roof, only for Captain America to be rescued by Iron Man
.
On the cover of Avengers: The Initiative
#1, Mike was identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear to have registered as part of the Super-Human Registration Act.
Ironclad is later seen as part of the Hood
's criminal organization who plan to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act.
During the Dark Reign
storyline, Ironclad and the U-Foes are revealed as members of the Initiative's North Carolina team.
Ironclad is a good hand-to-hand combatant. He is also an experienced pilot and rocketry expert.
U-Foes
U-Foes are a fictional comic book supervillain team appearing in various series published by Marvel Comics. The group first appeared in Incredible Hulk #254...
and he 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 Sal Buscema
Sal Buscema
Silvio "Sal" Buscema is an American comic book artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk...
.
Fictional character biography
Mike Steel was an engineer, scientist, and pilot before gaining his superhuman powers. With his teammates, he attempted to duplicate the original rocket flight of the Fantastic Four through a cosmic ray belt, and gained superhuman powers just as the Fantastic Four did. His team then first battled the HulkHulk (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 ....
, although during the battle Ironclad lost control of his powers and sank into the ground. Later, he rescued his teammate X-Ray
X-Ray (comics)
X-Ray is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe whose first appearance was in Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #254, and who was created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema. X-Ray is a member of the villainous group, the U-Foes...
and was reunited with the U-Foes
U-Foes
U-Foes are a fictional comic book supervillain team appearing in various series published by Marvel Comics. The group first appeared in Incredible Hulk #254...
. They again battled the Hulk and this time defeated him. In triumph, they exhibited the captive Bruce Banner on national television. However, Banner was freed by Rick Jones
Rick Jones (comics)
Richard Milhouse "Rick" Jones is a fictional comic book character in the .-Publication history:Rick Jones first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1, as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk...
, Betty Ross
Betty Ross Banner
Betty Ross is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, and love interest of Bruce Banner...
, and the alien Bereet
Bereet
Bereet is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Bereet first appeared in Rampaging Hulk #1-2 , and was created by Doug Moench and Walt Simonson. She also appeared in Rampaging Hulk #9 ....
, and Banner transformed into the Hulk and defeated the U-Foes. With the U-Foes, Ironclad later escaped a special government prison, but was accidentally "deflected" by team leader Vector
Vector (comics)
Vector is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe whose first appearance was in Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #254. He is the leader of the villainous group, the U-Foes...
into the "Crossroads" dimension. There, he battled the Hulk and defeated him with the help of the alien "Puffball Collective
Puffball Collective
Puffball CollectiveFirst Appearance: Incredible Hulk #301Last Appearance: Incredible Hulk # 308Origin: Shortly after the Incredible Hulk was banished to the Crossroads by Doctor Strange...
," though he became trapped in a dimension of quicksand. Ironclad later escaped back to the "Crossroads" dimension, and with the U-Foes he escaped back to Earth through a dimensional warp unintentionally opened by the mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
Charles Little Sky
Portal (comics)
Portal is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. He first appeared as Charles Little Sky in Avengers #304 and as Portal in Darkhawk #5 ....
. The U-Foes battled 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...
and Puma
Puma (comics)
Puma is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe most closely associated with Spider-Man. While originally a villain, he gained a great respect for Spider-Man and became his occasional ally.-Publication history:...
, and Ironclad was defeated by Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
and Gilgamesh
Forgotten One (comics)
The Forgotten One is a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a member of the near-immortal hidden race known as the Eternals.-Publication history:...
.
Some time later, alongside other superhuman criminals, Ironclad attempted to escape from the Vault
Vault (comics)
The Vault is the widely used nickname of a fictional defunct prison facility for technological-based superhuman criminals in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. The prison's full official name is the United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals.It first...
, and battled the Avengers and Freedom Force
Freedom Force (comics)
Freedom Force is the name of two teams within Marvel Comics' universe.The original was a supervillain team, though they occasionally acted in a heroic capacity as well. It was a government-sponsored team originally composed mainly of Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants...
. Alongside Electro, Ironclad sided with Thunderball
Thunderball (comics)
Thunderball is a Marvel Comics supervillain and a frequent enemy of Thor and a somewhat reluctant ally of the Wrecker and the Wrecking Crew. The character was created by Len Wein and Sal Buscema and first appeared in Defenders #17 .-Fictional character biography:Dr. Eliot Franklin was born in...
against Venom
Eddie Brock
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
for leadership of the convicts. Ironclad was later freed from the Vault, and with teammates Vapor
Vapor (comics)
Vapor is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe who first appeared as a member of the villainous group, the U-Foes. She is the sister of teammate, X-Ray.-Publication history:...
and X-Ray, Ironclad attacked the Avengers West Coast
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
, mistakenly believing they had killed Vector. Vector then reappeared alive and well, and led his teammates in a strategic retreat. With the U-Foes, Ironclad later attacked a New York hospital in search of Charles Little Sky (who was now known as Portal
Portal (comics)
Portal is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. He first appeared as Charles Little Sky in Avengers #304 and as Portal in Darkhawk #5 ....
), where they battled Darkhawk
Darkhawk
Darkhawk is a fictional comic book superhero who first appeared in his own self-titled series, Darkhawk #1...
, Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
, and Captain America.
Ironclad, along with the other U-Foes were imprisoned in the Raft
The Raft (comics)
The Raft is a fictional island prison facility in New York City for psychopathic superhuman criminals appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
when Electro broke the inmates out. Ironclad was seen fighting Captain America and even threw him up through a hole in the roof, only for Captain America to be rescued by 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,...
.
On the cover of Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
#1, Mike was identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear to have registered as part of the Super-Human Registration Act.
Ironclad is later seen as part of the Hood
Hood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
's criminal organization who plan to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act.
During the Dark Reign
Dark Reign (comics)
"Dark Reign" is a 2008–2009 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. It deals with the aftermath of the "Secret Invasion" storyline, which led to a shift of power in the Marvel Universe toward Norman Osborn. The title "Dark Reign" refers to Osborn's rise to national power and the...
storyline, Ironclad and the U-Foes are revealed as members of the Initiative's North Carolina team.
Powers and abilities
Exposure to cosmic radiation gave Mike Steel a shiny silver metal form which gives him tremendous durability and resistance to most forms of injury, and also incredible superhuman strength. He can also increase or decrease his own density, to hover in the air, or crush an opponent or object with the force of a mountain. An influx of cosmic radiation can cause a temporary loss of his control of his density, causing Ironclad to increase in density until he sinks into the ground. Ironclad cannot resume his normal human form at will.Ironclad is a good hand-to-hand combatant. He is also an experienced pilot and rocketry expert.
Other comics characters named Ironclad
- In the UltraverseUltraverseThe Ultraverse was the name given to a comic book imprint published by the American company Malibu Comics. The Ultraverse was a shared universe in which a variety of characters — known within the comics as "Ultras" — acquired super-human abilities.-History:...
, Spencer Collins was known as Ironclad. He was a member of UltraforceUltraforce (comics)The Ultraforce is a fictional superhero group that appears in comic books published by Malibu, and later Marvel, as well as an animated series produced by DIC. Their purpose was to protect the public and keep other Ultras from getting out of line...
and first appeared in Firearm #11. He was killed by RaffertyRafferty (comics)Rafferty was a fictional assassin from the Malibu Comics' Ultraverse imprint. He was a foe of Firearm , first appearing in Firearm #12 , written by James Robinson.-Fictional biography:...
in Ultraverse Premiere #5 and revived in Prototype #13.
Television
- Ironclad (alongside the other U-Foes members) appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series. A second season has been...
. In the episode "Hulk Vs. The World," a blood-containing red vial labeled with the name Ironclad is featured. In the episode "Gamma World" Pt. 1, he alongside the U-Foes attack the Avengers in the Cube, and attacks Thor. He is defeated by a combined strike from Mjolnir and Captain America's shield.
Video games
- Ironclad is a boss and recurring enemy in The Incredible HulkThe Incredible Hulk (2008 video game)The Incredible Hulk is a video game based on the Marvel superhero Hulk and the 2008 film. The console versions were released on June 5, 2008 and the PC version was released on June 10, 2008...
video game voiced by Mitch Lewis. However, the character acts almost exactly like the Hulk, but is programed to constantly use a shield, and is only open for attack when dazed. The similarities allow Players to dress Hulk as him as an extra. Ironclad, like the rest of the U-Foes, sometimes appear randomly in between missions to cause panic. However, in at least some experiences, the U-Foes seem more interested in attacking the area, and will only attack Hulk if he approaches. Ironclad can be unlocked by having one of the U-Foes members attack him by accident.
External links
- Ironclad at Marvel.com