M-11 (comics)
Encyclopedia
M-11 is a fictional robot
in the Marvel Comics
universe. Originally known as the Human Robot, the character was given the name "M-11" in the 2006 to 2007 Agents of Atlas
miniseries
as an allusion to its first appearance in Menace
#11 (May 1954) from Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics
.
/horror
/crime
anthology title Menace
#11 (May 1954) from Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics
. He was revived by writer Don Glut, breakdown artist Alan Kupperberg
and finishing penciler Bill Black
, at the directive of editor Roy Thomas
, in a non-canonical, alternate-universe
story in What If?
#9 (June 1978), as part of a 1950s version of the later-created Marvel superhero
team the Avengers
.
In mainstream Marvel Universe
continuity, the robot, dubbed M-11, the Human Robot, becomes a member of the modern-day globetrotting adventuring team the "Agents of Atlas", first in the titular six-issue miniseries (Oct. 2006 - March 2007), and then in the ongoing series begun April 2009.
from mainstream Earth, a scientist's newly created robot is programmed by the scientist's greedy business manager to murder the scientist. The incomplete robot, however, continues through with his directive to "kill the man in the room", and kills the business manager when the man enters. The robot then leaves the house, programmed to "kill the man in the room". Sometime later, the robot is revived by a 1950s superhero team, which finds it laying at the bottom of the sea in a derelict state. After being repaired and dubbed the Human Robot, he joins this team of "Secret Avengers", assembled by FBI agent Jimmy Woo
to rescue President Dwight D. Eisenhower
, who has been kidnapped by the Yellow Claw
. After the successful mission, the team disbands and the Human Robot disappears.
Decades later, in mainstream Marvel Universe history, the robot — now dubbed M-11, the Human Robot — is tasked to serve with a collection of artificially or naturally long-lived 1950s superheroes known as the Agents of Atlas. M-11 is eventually exposed as a spy for the Yellow Claw, but after Woo asks that it sever that connection, M-11 complies. The team later learns that in this reality, M-11's "murder" of its creator took place at the scientist's order, as a way for the scientist to transfer his life force into his creation, thus making M-11 truly a "human/robot" hybrid.
M-11 returns in the ongoing series Agents of Atlas vol. 2 as an agent of Woo, who has left the law-enforcement/espionage organization, S.H.I.E.L.D.
to take over the Yellow Claw's operations and attempt to use their resources for good. In a supplemental story, he helps steal all the gold from Fort Knox
.
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
in the 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...
universe. Originally known as the Human Robot, the character was given the name "M-11" in the 2006 to 2007 Agents of Atlas
Agents of Atlas
Agents of Atlas is a fictional superhero team in comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is composed of characters originally appearing in unrelated stories published in the 1950s by Marvel's predecessor company, Atlas Comics....
miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
as an allusion to its first appearance in Menace
Menace (Atlas Comics)
Menace was a 1953 to 1954 American crime/horror anthology comic book series published by Atlas Comics, the 1950s precursor of Marvel Comics. It is best known for the first appearance of the supernatural Marvel character the Zombie, in a standalone story that became the basis for the 1970s...
#11 (May 1954) from Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics
Atlas Comics
Atlas Comics may refer to* Atlas Comics , one of the two comic publishing companies that would be the forerunner of Marvel Comics* Seaboard Periodicals, founded by Timely/Atlas /Marvel founder, a short-lived comic publisher that published under the Atlas Comics name and referred to as...
.
Publication history
The character's five-page origin story, "I, the Robot", appeared in the science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/horror
Horror comics
Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. Horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the imposition of the self-censorship Comics Code Authority contributed to...
/crime
Crime comics
Crime comics is a genre of American comic books and format of crime fiction. The genre was originally popular in the 1940s and 1950s and is marked by a moralistic editorial tone and graphic depictions of violence and criminal activity. Crime comics began in 1942 with the publication of Crime Does...
anthology title Menace
Menace (Atlas Comics)
Menace was a 1953 to 1954 American crime/horror anthology comic book series published by Atlas Comics, the 1950s precursor of Marvel Comics. It is best known for the first appearance of the supernatural Marvel character the Zombie, in a standalone story that became the basis for the 1970s...
#11 (May 1954) from Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics
Atlas Comics
Atlas Comics may refer to* Atlas Comics , one of the two comic publishing companies that would be the forerunner of Marvel Comics* Seaboard Periodicals, founded by Timely/Atlas /Marvel founder, a short-lived comic publisher that published under the Atlas Comics name and referred to as...
. He was revived by writer Don Glut, breakdown artist Alan Kupperberg
Alan Kupperberg
Alan Kupperberg is an American comic artist known for working in both comic books and newspaper strips.-Career:Kupperberg began writing and drawing for Marvel Comics in 1974, mostly doing fill-ins and one-shots...
and finishing penciler Bill Black
Bill Black
William Patton "Bill" Black, Jr. was an American musician who is noted as one of the pioneers of rockabilly music. Black was the bassist in Elvis Presley's early trio and the leader of Bill Black's Combo....
, at the directive of editor Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
, in a non-canonical, alternate-universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
story in What If?
What If (comics)
What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
#9 (June 1978), as part of a 1950s version of the later-created Marvel superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team 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...
.
In mainstream Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
continuity, the robot, dubbed M-11, the Human Robot, becomes a member of the modern-day globetrotting adventuring team the "Agents of Atlas", first in the titular six-issue miniseries (Oct. 2006 - March 2007), and then in the ongoing series begun April 2009.
Fictional character biography
In an alternate realityParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
from mainstream Earth, a scientist's newly created robot is programmed by the scientist's greedy business manager to murder the scientist. The incomplete robot, however, continues through with his directive to "kill the man in the room", and kills the business manager when the man enters. The robot then leaves the house, programmed to "kill the man in the room". Sometime later, the robot is revived by a 1950s superhero team, which finds it laying at the bottom of the sea in a derelict state. After being repaired and dubbed the Human Robot, he joins this team of "Secret Avengers", assembled by FBI agent Jimmy Woo
Jimmy Woo
Jimmy Woo is a fictional, Chinese-American secret agent in the Marvel Comics comic-book universe. Created by EC Comics great Al Feldstein and artist Joe Maneely, the character first appeared in Yellow Claw #1 Jimmy Woo is a fictional, Chinese-American secret agent in the Marvel Comics comic-book...
to rescue President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, who has been kidnapped by the Yellow Claw
Yellow Claw
The Yellow Claw is a fictional comic book supervillain in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Al Feldstein and artist Joe Maneely, the character first appeared in Yellow Claw #1 , published by Atlas Comics, the 1950s predecessor of Marvel.-Publication history:While the...
. After the successful mission, the team disbands and the Human Robot disappears.
Decades later, in mainstream Marvel Universe history, the robot — now dubbed M-11, the Human Robot — is tasked to serve with a collection of artificially or naturally long-lived 1950s superheroes known as the Agents of Atlas. M-11 is eventually exposed as a spy for the Yellow Claw, but after Woo asks that it sever that connection, M-11 complies. The team later learns that in this reality, M-11's "murder" of its creator took place at the scientist's order, as a way for the scientist to transfer his life force into his creation, thus making M-11 truly a "human/robot" hybrid.
M-11 returns in the ongoing series Agents of Atlas vol. 2 as an agent of Woo, who has left the law-enforcement/espionage organization, S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
to take over the Yellow Claw's operations and attempt to use their resources for good. In a supplemental story, he helps steal all the gold from Fort Knox
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet...
.