Mendel Stromm
Mendel Stromm is a male supervillain who features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
He grew up an unhappy and sickly child with his sole source of comfort growing up was his interest in robotics and gadgetry. (Spider-Man Unlimited v1 #17)
Stromm won the award for outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship while Norman Osborn sat at a table seething because his partner was overshadowing him. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 #72)
Professor Stromm later struck a partnership with Osborn with the two building a business together with Mendel designing many of the inventions. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #40)
Stromm had tested his formula on himself with his notes relating to his experiment being kept in his lab, but separated from the notes related to the development of his formula. (Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal v1 #1) The formula was noted to had exacerbated his scoliosis. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 #4)
He borrowed some money from the company's account with Osborn declaring it as a theft and had the police arresting Stromm who was sent to prison. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #40) Osborn used the arrest to frame Stromm for additional embezzlement charges. (Peter Parker: Spider-Man v1 #-1) In the aftermath, his partner Osborn had stolen Mendel's inventions whilst he was in prison. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #27) Though Osborn assumed control of Stromm's inventions following his arrest, he failed to locate Stromm's concealed notes. Stromm's hidden notes were uncovered during a fight between Van Adder after he mutated into the Proto-Goblin and Osborn Industries Security guard Arthur Stacy alongside his brother, NYPD officer George Stacy. (Peter Parker: Spider-Man v1 #-1) This earned Stromm's hatred where he languished in prison for the next ten years. He was eventually allowed release due to model behavior whilst in prison. Despite his behavior, he had secretly been planning to get his revenge against Osborn upon his release. With his henchman Max Young, he had his caches of money used to set up a laboratory for equipment that began the construction of robots. These machines were then deployed to attack Osborn but he was saved by the intervention of Spider-Man leading to Stromm's capture. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #27)
After falling into madness, Harry Osborn assumed the identity of the Green Goblin and looked to get revenge against all those that wronged him including his own father and Spider-Man. For this, he formed alliances with other supervillains including Mysterio and Mendel Stromm. The latter was hired to use his scientific knowledge to create fake cloned children of Norman Osborn and Gwen Stacy. These clones were Gabriel Stacy and Sarah Stacy who suffered from accelerated aging and decay causing them to die quickly. Multiple clones were made that were designed to be vessels for an A.I. based on Harry Osborn who would become Kindred in the future. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 #73)
Meanwhile, Norman Osborn leading the ancient Cabal of Scrier and living in European exile, sent several operatives to investigate Stromm's so-called resurrection. Finding notes indicating Stromm tested an early version of his formula on himself, Osborn ordered Stromm exhumed and transported to Europe for further study. Inspecting Stromm's body, Osborn surmised that Stromm's state of suspended animation was the effect of the early version of the formula. Desiring to take advantage of Stromm's expertise and knowledge, Osborn revived him. Although active once more Stromm considered himself a living corpse, and offered a chance at rejuvenation, Stromm, seeing little alternative, agreed to Osborn's terms. Stromm stood by Osborn's side when he chose to avenge his son Harry's near-death experience after ingesting an experimental version of the Goblin formula. Sent to enlist the aid of Dr. Seward Trainer, one-time assistant to geneticist Dr. Miles Warren, Stromm instructed Trainer to work with Spider-Man and his clone, Ben Reilly, and alter any tests stating Spider-Man was the original Peter Parker and Reilly the clone into claiming the opposite. Forcing a reluctant Trainer to comply by threatening to leak the truth about his association with Scrier to Reilly and then throw him to the Jackal, Stromm's last order for Trainer was to begin work on the restoration of his withered form. (Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal v1 #1)
Stromm and Osborn had Osborn Industries subsidiary Multivex take care of the bills when Trainer was hospitalized. (Spectacular Spider-Man v2 #233) Contacting Trainer in his hospital room, Stromm told him it was time to begin work on the regeneration process. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #410) Stromm saw to it that Trainer went about his work without distraction, turning away Daily Bugle photographer Peter Parker and having the Multivex staff deny Trainer's affiliation with them. (Spectacular Spider-Man v2 #233)
Confronted by Trainer following the attack on Reilly, Stromm dismissed the Doctor's protests that Reilly be spared further injury, once more threatening to reveal Trainer's background with Jackal and himself. (Spectacular Spider-Man v1 #234) Trainer finished work on the equipment needed to restore Stromm's body and the rejuvenation process commenced. While Stromm's rejuvenation process continued, a fight between Spider-Man and Molten Man in the upper Multivex building collapsed through the floors, bringing Spider-Man, Molten Man, and Parker crashing into Trainer's lab. (Sensational Spider-Man v1 #5) While Stromm's guards held Spider-Man, Molten Man, and Parker back, Stromm left the rejuvenation process to handle Molten Man himself. Defeating him with ease, Stromm moved onto Spider-Man, making passing reference to their encounter years earlier. Activating a gas spray on his armor to subdue Spider-Man, Stromm returned to Trainer's regeneration process, but a stray laser beam blast caused Trainer's equipment to explode. Surviving the destruction, Stromm met with Trainer and Osborn in the latter's Manhattan headquarters to discuss the incident at Multivex and it's effects on Osborn's long-term plan. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #412)
He was later at a bar where he approached the recently unemployed Clayton Cole where he tried to convince him to betray his former employers at Parker Industries. (Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man v1 #2) Cole in his identity as Clash met with the Robot Master who revealed his scheme to get rich. However, Clayton attacked Stromm as he intended to use the opportunity to capture the supervillain but was he was overwhelmed by his foes numerous robots. It was only the arrival of Spider-Man who worked with Clash did they succeed in defeating Stromm. (Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man v1 #3)
Stromm later broke into an old abandoned Life Foundation bunker in the hopes of finding the Tri-Sentinel which he intended to use but found the giant robot had already been activated. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 #4) He was met by a mysterious being who granted his wish in having an army of Tri-Sentinels that he dispatched again Spider-Man to eliminate him. Upon the completion of his wish, he was brutally killed by his benefactor with him dying as Spider-Man arrived at the scene. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 #5)
Overview
Personality and attributes
To his henchmen, he made it a point for them to refer to him as the Professor. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #37) After being further cybernetically augmented, he began to operate under the name of Gaunt. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #411)
Mendel was noted for his hatred of Norman Osborn due to his theft of his inventions and sending him into prison leading to him seeking revenge against his former colleague. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #37)
It was noted that he had an unhappy childhood and had been a sickly child. His love of robots and gadgets was that helped him survive that period of his life. (Spider-Man Unlimited v1 #17)
So deeply rooted was his hatred of Osborn that it even when suffering from amnesia he was able to recall that Norman was an enemy that had wronged him. In fact, it was noted by Dr. Kafka that Stromm was obsessed and fixated with Norman. This enmity extended to all those that he felt were associated to Osborn. (Spider-Man Unlimited v1 #17)
Powers and abilities
From childhood, he had a talents towards gadgets and robotics. (Spider-Man Unlimited v1 #17) He was noted for being smart and being an engineering genius. (Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man v1 #2)
Mendel had tested his formula on himself where he kept his notes related to this test in his lab that were separated from the notes related to the development of his formula. (Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal v1 #1) It was noted that the resultant formula exacerbated his scoliosis. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 #4)
Stromm created a helmet that allowed him to electronically control robot and command them to follow his commands. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #37)
Further upgrades gave him the power of flight, laser projection, and electric discharging. (Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man v1 #3)
Notes
- Mendel Stromm was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko The Amazing Spider-Man v1 #37 (June, 1966).
In other media
Television
- In Spider-Man, a character named Dr. Wardell Stromm in the setting of the 1990s animated television series in the episode "Enter the Green Goblin" where he was voiced by actor Philip Abbott. He was Norman Osborn's assistant and one of the few who knows of Oscorp's connections to the Kingpin.
Film
- In Spider-Man, Mendell Strom appeared in a minor role in the 2002 movie where he was portrayed by actor Ron Perkins. He was shown as being a scientist employed by Oscorp and responsible for developing the Human Performance Enhancers. Stromm expressed doubts on the Enhancer's effectiveness as initial tests on mice showed the subjects succumbing to violent insanity. Despite his concerns, Norman Osborn wanted to test the Enhancer on himself as he feared that the failure meant he could possibly lose a contract to his competitors and thus Oscorp itself. As such, Stromm assisted Norman in the testing of the unstable serum with Osborn being exposed to the gas. After exposure, Osborn gained enhanced powers but suffered from a split personality with a psychopathic 'Green Goblin' persona emerging in his psyche. The insane Norman then killed Mendel Stromm by grabbing his throat and throwing him through a glass window into some lab equipment.
Video games
- In Spider-Man, a Dr. Stromm appeared in the video game adaptation of the Sam Raimi movie with the character voiced by actor Peter Lurie. He was a scientist at OsCorp working under its head Norman Osborn with them working on a military contract to produce the human performance enhancers. However, they were unable to perfect the formula which meant that the contract would fall to OsCorp's competitor Quest Labs. After discovering Spider-Man, Osborn desired to study his abilities in order to improve upon the formula. Thus, he had Dr. Stromm dispatch the hunter-killers to find arachnid DNA and bring him back to OsCorp. Afterwards, Osborn faced expulsion by OsCorp's Board of Directors and intended to test the formula on himself against Dr. Stromm's advice. Following exposure, Osborn was driven insane and threw Dr. Stromm violently to the side after the scientist checked his vitals.
- In The Amazing Spider-Man, Mendel Stromm appeared in the setting of the video game tie-in where he was voiced by actor Fred Tatasciore. He was an Oscorp scientist responsible for the Cross-Species experiment that resulted in a red-bellied piranha/human hybrid codenamed Nattie. Stromm was later infected by the Cross-Species Virus and attacked by one of Alistair Smythe's Combat Sentries.
Appearances
- Amazing Spider-Man v1: (1966)
- Spider-Man Unlimited v1:
- Civil War II: Amazing Spider-Man v1:
- Amazing Spider-Man v5:
External Links
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