Super-Adaptoid
The Super-Adaptoid was an artificial lifeform created by AIM that was an enemy of the Avengers.
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Biography
The Super-Adatoid was a mechanical Adaptoid created by Advanced Idea Mechanics who came to empower this particular version with a sliver of the Cosmic Cube. The Adaptoid was originally designed to replicate and destroy Captain America. However, while he was able to gain the Captain's abilities, he was unable to mimic his fighting spirit, and lost to the Tumbler.
Undaunted, the Adaptoid bided its time and mimicked the combined powers of Captain America and his fellow Avengers, becoming the "Super-Adaptoid." Now more than powerful enough to defeat the Captain, he did so (thinking him dead) and set out on his own. After an encounter with the X-Men, the Adaptoid learned that Captain America yet lived, and returned to New York. Mimicking all the Avengers present on "Avenger Day," the Super-Adaptoid gained (literally) god-like power, but was defeated when he overloaded himself.
The Super-Adaptoid clashed with the Avengers numerous times over the years, finally gaining the powers of the Cosmic Cube embodiment Kubik. Renaming himself the Supreme Adaptoid, he created an army of lesser adaptoids, each designed to copy one human being on Earth and then slay them. However, Captain America (then calling himself just "the Captain") was able to goad the Adaptoid into battle, and taunted it with the fact that it could never truly copy him completely, that he couldn't even die. Infuriated (and obviously irrational), the Adaptoid proved him wrong- he died. Inert, the Adaptoid's Cosmic Cube sliver was removed by Kubik.
However, the Adaptoid was somehow revived by Doctor Doom to fight the Fantastic Four, ushering in an era of increasing instability for the Adaptoid. Over the next few years, he battled groups such as the Heroes for Hire and the Thunderbolts. When last seen, he had been repaired again by Bruce Banner in exchange for information about his wife's killer. He battled the Hulk, took pre-programmed revenge on Banner's forced employer, then left for parts unknown.
The Super-Adaptoid resurfaced alive afterwards with a new form in the the wake of a pro-robots countermovement that emerged to fight the increased oppression suffered by artificial life forms across America by the hand of the government. During this conflict, the Super-Adaptoid joined the A.I. Army, a consolidation of this countermovement dedicated to fighting for their cause, often through terroristic means. (Iron Man 2020 v2 #1) AIM continued to improve the Super-Adaptoid. It auctioned a new model at the Criminal Technology Expo in Las Vegas, with a starting bid of $200 million. Hate-Monger won the auction among several interested buyers. (M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games v1 #2)
Overview
Personality and attributes
Powers and Abilities
The Adaptoid's powers have increased over time- at first, he could copy six beings at a time and use two sets of powers at once, but his range of "templates" and limits on simultaneous power use have expanded steadily since then. According to Banner, his latest configuration allows him to use any template he has ever copied; whether that will turn out true remains to be seen.
The Adaptoid's "typical" set of powers includes those of Captain America, Giant-Man/Goliath/Henry Pym, the Wasp, Thor, Hawkeye, and Iron Man, but he has imitated everyone from Captain Mar-Vell to the Vision over the years. Recently, he even held the combined powers of the Heroes for Hire, Thunderbolts, and Avengers at the same time, only stopped by his accidental merger with Ant-Man's daughter Cassie Lang. When copying multiple targets, the Super-Adaptoid resembles a merger of their appearance and turns green, but when imitating a single person he can match their appearance and mannerisms perfectly.
Notes
- Super-Adaptoid was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby where he made his first appearance in Tales of Suspense v1 #82 (July, 1966).
Alternate Versions
- In Avengers v2 #9 (1997), the Super-Adaptoid appeared in the alternate reality setting of the Heroes Reborn world in the Multiverse. After the Avengers and company returned to the normal Earth, the Adaptoid suffered an identity crisis and transformed itself into Amazo-Maxi-Woman.
In other media
Television
- In X-Men: The Animated series, the Super-Adaptoid appeared in the setting of the animated television series. He was shown in a flashback sequence where it battled against an early incarnation of the X-Men.
- In Avengers Assemble, the Super-Adaptoid appeared in the setting of the animated television series starting from the episode "The Super-Adaptoid". The robot appeared as a creation of Justin Hammer who challenged the Avengers to battle his machine as part of a weapon's test. The Adaptoid seemingly gets destroyed but regenerates after the heroes leave whereupon its shown that it was a ploy set up by Hammer to get the robot to copy all their powers and moves after seeing them in action. He later takes remote control of it and deploys it against Avengers Tower where its revealed that he intended to use the Super-Adaptoid as a means of proving his worth to join the Red Skull's Cabal. It gets destroyed by Captain America in orbit where it falls onto Earth but gets recovered by M.O.D.O.K. who observes it repairing itself and the Red Skull determines that it has a place within the Cabal. In "Adapting to Change", it was revealed that A.I.M. had recovered the Adaptoids and under the new Scientist Supreme had improved the technology whereby they developed three Super-Adaptoids. These machines were able to copy powers instantly from superpowered beings around them and were constructed from advanced space-metals. They were destroyed by the Avengers but one had its components scavenged by Ultron who recreated a body for himself.
- In M.O.D.O.K., Super-Adaptoid appeared in the setting of the animated television series where he was voiced by actor Jon Daly.
Video games
- In Marvel: Contest of Champions, Adaptoids made an appearance in the iOS video game where they served as antagonists in the Battlerealm.
- In Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers - Ultimate Heroes, the Super-Adaptoid appeared in the setting of the video game tie-in.
- In Marvel's Avengers, the Super-Adaptoid appeared in the setting of the 2020 action adventure brawler video game in its "Taking AIM" DLC.
Appearances
- Tales of Suspense v1: (1966)
- Avengers v1:
- Iron Man 2020 v2:
- M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games v1:
