Vault (Marvel)
The Vault is a prison that features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
The Vault was a an immense maximum security facility built by the United States government with it being based in a mountain in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. (Avengers Annual v1 #15) It was said that one of its chief designers was Andrew Lewis. (Fantastic Four: Foes v1 #2) Initially, it was constructed in secrecy and a week after it came into operation it was looking to have its cells filled with super-criminals from across the country. (Avengers Annual v1 #15)
A large scale sabotage of the Vault was conducted by a group of supervillains for their employer who was the Master of the World. This led to a large scale escape from the superpowered in-mates who fled the prison. (Heroes for Hire v1 #1)
In the aftermath, the Federal Commission on Superhuman Activities had chosen not to rebuild the Vault after its recent destruction. Instead, they decided to build enhanced-security wings in various penitentiaries around the country. It was believed that the large number of facilities would lead to a correspondingly higher risk of escapes but that a mass escape could not occur again. (Maximum Security v1 #1)
Overview
In appearance, the Vault was a large prison facility designed to serve as a containment centre for super-powered criminals. (Avengers Annual v1 #15) Formally, it was known as the Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals. (Avengers: Death Trap, The Vault v1 #1)
The facility was largely located within the mountain and stretched deep underground. It contained prison cells that could be tailor-made to counteract the powers of specific in-mates. (Avengers Annual v1 #15) The security systems for the Vault were said to had been designed by Rand-Meachum. (Heroes for Hire v1 #1)
It was manned by a large crew of highly trained Guardsmen. (Avengers Annual v1 #15) An automated security feature were a series of drone-bots that were flying spherical robots. (Avengers: Death Trap, The Vault v1 #1)
Within the prison, the in-mates were cocktail of various drugs to deprive them of their powers and keep them docile. Among these included metabolic mitigators, anti-depressants and inhibitor enzymes that was placed in the food. (Spider-Man: Breakout v1 #1)
The Vault was designed with a doomsday option which was a bomb planted in the deepest sub-basement. A remote detonator connected it to the Oval Office to ensure no mass-assault by supervillains on the country. (Avengers: Death Trap, The Vault v1 #1)
Inhabitants
Staff
- Howard G. Hardman :
- Truman Marsh :
- Andrew Lewis : a grey haired male who was the designer behind the Vault after which he formed Lewis Security Systems that was based at the Baxter Building. (Fantastic Four: Foes v1 #2)
Prisoners
- Absorbing Man :
- Controller :
- Rhino :
- Hydro-Man :
- Mentallo : Marvin Flumm was a telepathic male Mutant criminal who was registered as Inmate #B15226. (Avengers: Death Trap, The Vault v1 #1)
- Venom :
Notes
- The Vault was created by Danny Fingeroth and Steve Ditko where it made its first appearance in Avengers Annual v1 #15 (July, 1986).
- On Usenet, writer Kurt Busiek commented on the destruction of the prison, "And we chose to establish a new, decentralized penal system for super-types, largely because I think the Vault is a dramatically-flawed idea -- either villains escape a lot (which is what happened) and the result is that this supposedly-cool place looks like it's made of cardboard, or they don't, in which case villains get captured and vanish from the Marvel U. forever, since Marvel time mitigates against their sentences ever being naturally completed."
Alternate Versions
- In Mutant X v1 #8 (1999), the Vault appeared in the alternate reality of Earth-1298 in the Multiverse. The Vault housed the containment unit of Dracula until it was stolen by the Marauders.
In other media
Television
- In Iron Man, the Vault made an appearance in the 1994 animated television series in the episode "Armor Wars". It was described as being a high security prison for super-criminals and was staffed by armored Mandroids. After Tony Stark learnt his technology had been stolen, he began going around the world and destroying traces of the copied Iron Man Armor. Among his targets were the armored Mandroid agents at the Vault.
- In The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Vault made an appearance in the animated television series starting with the Iron Man mini-episodes. It was said to be the first of the government run supervillain prisons specifically created to hold tech based villains along with their gears. It was designed by Tony Stark until he stopped working for S.H.I.E.L.D. Among its various prisoners included Crimson Dynamo, Technovore, M.O.D.O.K and Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker. The Grim Reaper managed to infiltrate the base where he attempted to free Baron Strucker but the Hydra leader was thwarted from escaping. During "The Outbreak", all the supervillain prisons were deactivated allowing their prisoners to escape with Iron Man battling a number of his villains inside of it. To trap them inside, he activated the Vault's self-destruct sequence thus destroying the prison.
- In Avengers Assemble, the Vault was mentioned in the setting of the animated television series starting in the episode "Avengers Underground". After the Squadron Supreme's defeat, Nick Fury had the villains placed at the Vault where a new wing was built to contain them. In the episode "Prison Break", it was shown to contain numerous supervillains including the Red Skull and the Leader. Crimson Widow was being escorted there by Captain Marvel and Wasp when she broke out where she freed Zarda along with Typhoid Mary. A team of Guardsmen attempted to apprehend the escaped prisoners only to be defeated.
Video games
- In Fantastic Four, the Vault made an appearance in the 2005 video game adaptation to the film. It was described as a prison that was used to hold super-human criminals. The Fantastic Four were arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D. who placed them there until they were freed.
- In Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, the Vault appeared in the setting of the video game where the Hulk was temporarily imprisoned in the facility.
- In Marvel: Avengers Alliance, the Vault was referenced in numerous entries in the setting of the Facebook video game.
Appearances
- Avengers Annual v1: (1986)
- Avengers: Death Trap, The Vault v1:
- Heroes for Hire v1:
- Maximum Security v1:
External Links
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