Miracle Machine
Encyclopedia
The Miracle Machine is a fictitious device in the DC Comics universe. The machine first appeared in Adventure Comics
#367, April 1968.
It was created by the Controllers
no later than 2960, and given as a gift to the Legion of Super-Heroes
in the late 30th century for their work in defeating a renegade Controller. It has the power to convert thoughts into reality.
Brainiac 5
has stated that the Machine's technology was reverse-engineered from that of the Guardians
' Green Lantern
tech (i.e. willpower in manipulable form), though this detail is only accurate in post-52
continuity. The dying New God Darkseid
mockingly describes the Miracle Machine as a cargo cult Mother Box
, highlighting the similarities between the two items in the DC Universe, able to provide seemingly limitless alteration of the most basic physics law at will.
The Miracle Machine had been featured in stories only four times in the pre-Crisis era DC Universe, and just twice in the post-Crisis era DC Universe, most recently at end of Final Crisis
.
#367 (April 1968), Brainiac 5
first discovered its function and used it to repel an invasion of Earth by the Dark Circle
and to create a new headquarters for the Legion. One of the Controllers briefly appeared and cautioned against its further use, saying a stray thought could cause catastrophe. The Legion sealed it inside an Inertron
block, vowing only to use it for the direst of emergencies, or at a future date when mankind can use it wisely.
In Superboy
#201 (March--April, 1974), the hero later known as Wildfire
used the Miracle Machine to defeat a would-be assassin and robber.
In Superboy
#213 (December 1975), a thief vows to steal the machine, brazenly informing the Legion that he would do so prior to the attempt. Such was his skill that the Legion prove unable to capture him. Facing the possibility of the Machine being stolen, they instead use it to capture the thief.
In DC Limited Collector's Edition #55 (1978), the Time Trapper has altered history such that the Earth and other planets have been warring factions for 1000 years. The Legion confronts the Time Trapper at the end of time, who attempts use the Miracle Machine to kill the Legion. The team combines their willpower against the Machine to defeat him and to restore the proper history. This was the same issue that featured the marriage of Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl.
In Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #250-251 (April-May 1979), it was used by an insane Brainiac 5 in a scheme to destroy the universe. As he can't imagine so grandiose a death, he uses the Machine to create a being which could, Omega
. In order to stop his creation, he has Matter-Eater Lad
consume the Machine, which drives M-E Lad insane for a number of years.
In DC Comics Presents
#50 (October 1982), the first fictional chronological appearance of the Miracle Machine, Superman
inadvertently used it to create a duplicate of himself as Clark Kent.
In Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #49 (early November 1993), after Matter-Eater Lad was cured, it is speculated that he still contains residue from the Machine. This might explain why he is always coming out of situations without much trouble from that point on, including his later career as a Senator. This leads Prince Evillo
to kidnap him to try and force him to use this power to create a monstrosity based on the most fearsome thing Matter-Eater Lad could imagine. This he does, after a fashion, though not quite what Evillo had hoped for — his "monstrosity" was based on a really bad date he once had.
In the Elseworlds
story "Castles in the Air" (Legionnaires Annual #1, 1994), a subplot involves a group of Legionnaires on a quest for the Miracle Machine, only to discover it was destroyed by Mordru
. (The story is a pastiche of the story of King Arthur
, with the Miracle Machine serving the role of the Holy Grail
).
In Final Crisis
#6 (January 2009), Brainiac 5
unlocks the Miracle Machine and allows Superman to memorize its construction, stating that Superman is the only being he would trust to look at it, the Legion being unable to use the original machine as it had been turned off. This enables Superman to construct a duplicate using 21st century materials in Final Crisis #7 (February 2009), recruiting multiple scientists to work on various components of the machine which he will then assemble himself to avoid giving anyone else the full picture. With the machine complete, Superman energizes it with the solar energy in his own cells, using it to restructure reality and remake the Universe without Darkseid, thus averting the end of creation as Darkseid's spirit attempted to drag reality down with his own death. Its name in Controller language is revealed as "Geh-Jedollah-The Absolute" (Brainiac-5 admits that the name does not translate well in any other language - but it has been proposed that it is pronounced the same as "Gadget-Allah" - the 'plaything of God').
It may or may not be significant that the machinery seems to subtly echo the pattern on Metron
's chest. The pattern on Metron's head is effective at blocking the Anti-Life Equation
.
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
#367, April 1968.
It was created by the Controllers
The Controllers
The Controllers are a fictional extraterrestrial race existing in the DC Universe. They first appear in Adventure Comics #357 , and were created by Jim Shooter, Mort Weisinger, and Curt Swan.-Pre-Crisis:...
no later than 2960, and given as a gift to the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
in the late 30th century for their work in defeating a renegade Controller. It has the power to convert thoughts into reality.
Brainiac 5
Brainiac 5
Brainiac 5 is a fictional character who exists in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe. He is a long standing member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Brainiac 5 is from the planet Colu...
has stated that the Machine's technology was reverse-engineered from that of the Guardians
Guardians of the Universe
The Guardians of the Universe, alternatively known as the Guardians or Oans are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 , and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane. Here they do not reveal their existence to Hal, bringing his...
' Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
tech (i.e. willpower in manipulable form), though this detail is only accurate in post-52
52 (comics)
52 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
continuity. The dying New God Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
mockingly describes the Miracle Machine as a cargo cult Mother Box
Mother Box
Mother Boxes are fictional devices in Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting in the DC Universe.-History:Created by Apokoliptian scientist Himon using the mysterious Element X, they are generally thought to be sentient, miniaturized, portable supercomputers, although their true nature and origins are...
, highlighting the similarities between the two items in the DC Universe, able to provide seemingly limitless alteration of the most basic physics law at will.
The Miracle Machine had been featured in stories only four times in the pre-Crisis era DC Universe, and just twice in the post-Crisis era DC Universe, most recently at end of Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
.
Appearances
In Adventure ComicsAdventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
#367 (April 1968), Brainiac 5
Brainiac 5
Brainiac 5 is a fictional character who exists in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe. He is a long standing member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Brainiac 5 is from the planet Colu...
first discovered its function and used it to repel an invasion of Earth by the Dark Circle
Dark Circle
The Dark Circle is a fictional criminal organization in publications from DC Comics.-Fictional history:The Dark Circle first appeared in Adventure Comics #367 as an insurgent group planning to conquer the United Planets in the 30th century. It was composed of only five people and armies of clones...
and to create a new headquarters for the Legion. One of the Controllers briefly appeared and cautioned against its further use, saying a stray thought could cause catastrophe. The Legion sealed it inside an Inertron
Inertron
Inertron is a fictional metallic chemical substance found in the DC Comics Legion of Super-Heroes universe. It is the hardest, densest substance in the DC universe, and is often used by the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century...
block, vowing only to use it for the direst of emergencies, or at a future date when mankind can use it wisely.
In Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
#201 (March--April, 1974), the hero later known as Wildfire
Wildfire (comics)
Wildfire is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero in that universe's 30th and 31st centuries. Created by Cary Bates and Dave Cockrum, the character debuted in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #195 .-Publication history:...
used the Miracle Machine to defeat a would-be assassin and robber.
In Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
#213 (December 1975), a thief vows to steal the machine, brazenly informing the Legion that he would do so prior to the attempt. Such was his skill that the Legion prove unable to capture him. Facing the possibility of the Machine being stolen, they instead use it to capture the thief.
In DC Limited Collector's Edition #55 (1978), the Time Trapper has altered history such that the Earth and other planets have been warring factions for 1000 years. The Legion confronts the Time Trapper at the end of time, who attempts use the Miracle Machine to kill the Legion. The team combines their willpower against the Machine to defeat him and to restore the proper history. This was the same issue that featured the marriage of Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl.
In Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #250-251 (April-May 1979), it was used by an insane Brainiac 5 in a scheme to destroy the universe. As he can't imagine so grandiose a death, he uses the Machine to create a being which could, Omega
Omega (comics)
Omega is a fictional DC Comics entity created to be the physical embodiment of universal hate. Omega first appeared in Superboy and the Legion of Super-heroes vol...
. In order to stop his creation, he has Matter-Eater Lad
Matter-Eater Lad
Matter-Eater Lad is a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes and possesses the power to eat matter in all forms, as do all natives of his home planet, Bismoll...
consume the Machine, which drives M-E Lad insane for a number of years.
In DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents was a comic book published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 featuring team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters of the DC Universe...
#50 (October 1982), the first fictional chronological appearance of the Miracle Machine, Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
inadvertently used it to create a duplicate of himself as Clark Kent.
In Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #49 (early November 1993), after Matter-Eater Lad was cured, it is speculated that he still contains residue from the Machine. This might explain why he is always coming out of situations without much trouble from that point on, including his later career as a Senator. This leads Prince Evillo
Prince Evillo
Prince Evillo is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #350 .-Fictional character biography:...
to kidnap him to try and force him to use this power to create a monstrosity based on the most fearsome thing Matter-Eater Lad could imagine. This he does, after a fashion, though not quite what Evillo had hoped for — his "monstrosity" was based on a really bad date he once had.
In the Elseworlds
Elseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
story "Castles in the Air" (Legionnaires Annual #1, 1994), a subplot involves a group of Legionnaires on a quest for the Miracle Machine, only to discover it was destroyed by Mordru
Mordru
Mordru is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics' main shared universe.Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard...
. (The story is a pastiche of the story of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, with the Miracle Machine serving the role of the Holy Grail
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail is a sacred object figuring in literature and certain Christian traditions, most often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers...
).
In Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
#6 (January 2009), Brainiac 5
Brainiac 5
Brainiac 5 is a fictional character who exists in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe. He is a long standing member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Brainiac 5 is from the planet Colu...
unlocks the Miracle Machine and allows Superman to memorize its construction, stating that Superman is the only being he would trust to look at it, the Legion being unable to use the original machine as it had been turned off. This enables Superman to construct a duplicate using 21st century materials in Final Crisis #7 (February 2009), recruiting multiple scientists to work on various components of the machine which he will then assemble himself to avoid giving anyone else the full picture. With the machine complete, Superman energizes it with the solar energy in his own cells, using it to restructure reality and remake the Universe without Darkseid, thus averting the end of creation as Darkseid's spirit attempted to drag reality down with his own death. Its name in Controller language is revealed as "Geh-Jedollah-The Absolute" (Brainiac-5 admits that the name does not translate well in any other language - but it has been proposed that it is pronounced the same as "Gadget-Allah" - the 'plaything of God').
It may or may not be significant that the machinery seems to subtly echo the pattern on Metron
Metron (comics)
Metron is a character created by Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series in DC Comics. He was "based on Leonard Nimoy as Spock", and designed as a character who "would frequently change sides [between New Genesis and Apokolips]"...
's chest. The pattern on Metron's head is effective at blocking the Anti-Life Equation
Anti-Life Equation
The Anti-Life Equation is the equation for total control over the free will of sentient beings, for which the DC Comics villain Darkseid is searching in the Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting. It is for this reason that he sends his forces to Earth, as he believes part of the equation exists in the...
.