Dreadnought (Marvel)
Dreadnoughts are robots that feature in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
Dreadnoughts were a type of non-sentient robotic combat machines that were developed by the subversive organization known as Hydra for use in a variety of commando operations. Such machines were first deployed in an attempted breaching mission against S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier where they were sent to assassinate Director Nick Fury. (Strange Tales v1 #154)
It came to be salvaged and repaired at some point where it remained within the Hydra arsenal. The machine was dispatched as part of a bid to kidnap Foggy Nelson when the district attorney was being considered a candidate or S.H.I.E.L.D.'s proposed oversight committee. This brought the robot into conflict with the Black Widow Natasha Romanoff and the vigilante Daredevil. Despite their efforts, the two heroes were overwhelmed by the Dreadought who nearly killed them until Foggy Nelson decided to surrender himself in exchange for their lives being spared. (Daredevil v1 #121) Dreadnought, Mentallo and Supreme Hydra Silvermane kept Foggy Nelson captive in the Hydra base underneath Shea Stadium and soon, Blackwing, Man-Killer and el Jaguar brought in the captive Daredevil and Black Widow. They battled S.H.I.E.L.D. Life Model Decoys which allowed the heroes to get free. Dreadnought blasted Daredevil with flame but then Black Widow disabled it with a blow to its cooling unit. (Daredevil v1 #123)
Madame Masque as the Director of the Maggia came to steal the Hydra's Dreadnought plans and began building her own. (Iron Man v1 #138) A Dreadnought later broke into the mountain-base Project 13 that was a S.H.I.E.L.D. site which contained a doomsday device. Nick Fury came to fight the Dreadnought which easily defeated him then moved toward the machine. Iron Man attacked and the Dreadnought used its various armaments against the hero, who fought back with repulsor rays. Iron Man turned the Dreadnought's power back on itself causing the robot to explod. The hero then realized Madame Masque was behind this attack. (Iron Man v1 #129) Still under the control of the Director, a Dreadnought was ordered to battle Wonder Man who ended up beheading the robot. (Marvel Premiere v1 #55) Madame Masque who was flanked by Dreadnoughts came to work with Spymaster in a plot against Iron Man. Later on, Madame Masque led her Dreadnoughts in to attack Tony Stark, as he changed to Iron Man, over the kidnapped and unconscious Bethany Cabe. (Iron Man v1 #138) With her two Dreadnoughts and Maggia men, Madame Masque confronted Iron Man and Bethany Cabe. When James Rhodes attacked on a forklift, the Dreadnoughts fought back. Iron Man destroyed two (one with concussive force, another with a Freon tube down its mouth) then an army of modified Dreadnoughts attacked. Modifications included electric rod hands, tank treads as legs and chainsaw hands. Iron Man crushed some with rolls of bulk paper then scrambled the electric signals of the others. Madame Masque soon retreated. (Iron Man v1 #139)
Maggia member Marcos Crusetti managed to obtain a Dreadnought to aid him in a personal matter. The 8-foot tall, 2200-pound Dreadnought was cast in Titanium where it successfully kidnapped the actress Julie Winston after fighting off Spider-Man by calculating his moves, firing sharp darts from its knuckles and battering the hero with concussive energy. Later, the Dreadnought remained inert on a yacht until Nick Fury approached then it attacked with liquid fire and knuckle darts. As Spider-Man took down the Maggia men who had opened fire on Fury and the Dreadnought both, the Dreadnought defeated Fury with an electric shock then Spider-Man with a punch to the face. Both heroes woke up later, tied up, and realized that Julie Winston had been behind her own kidnapping, working with Crusetti the entire time. Dino Manelli showed up and Crusetti ordered Julie killed by Dreadnought but Manelli intercepted the gunfire. The heroes escaped and fought the Dreadnought, soon defeating him by fusing his circuits with an explosive collar. (Marvel Team-Up v1 #139)
Hearing about an upswing in crime in the business district related to the Maggia, Iron Man investigated and found a pack of Dreadnoughts in a warehouse invasion. The hero easily destroyed them, realizing the Dreadnoughts were inferior copies of the original. (Iron Man v1 #245) The Maggia deployed dozens of Dreadnoughts against A.I.M. and Hydra at Sage Hills Mall in Los Angeles to save their leader Madame Masque. A.I.M. utilized their Dreadbusters against the Dreadnoughts while Mr. Fixit, who had been hired by A.I.M. and Hydra to kidnap Masque for them, also joined the battle. Iron Man arrived as well and fought Dreadnoughts and Dreadbusters alike. Most Dreadnoughts were destroyed in the battle and Madame Masque was saved by Iron Man from A.I.M. and Hydra. (Iron Man v1 #247)
Afterwards, the design and specifications were sold to the Maggia criminal cartel under the direction of Madame Masque who built the Silver Dreadnought.
Advanced Idea Mechanics later designed a new version of the robot designated Dreadnought 2000 that were stored at Target Technologies in Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Siege Engineers deployed newly redesigned Dreadnoughts that battled Iron Man who exploited a weakness in their frames. (Iron Man v3 #3) Another rebuilt version of this robot was used during an attack intended to destroy London where it fought against Union Jack.
Ezekiel Stane later built a number of new Dreadnought models that were used by the Mandarin to defeat Iron Man where they attacked the Three Gorges Dam in China.
After the rise of HYDRA's secret empire, Dreadnoughts were deployed in policing duties in the world where they were equipped with Adaptoid tech to allow them to combat superhumans. (Secret Empire v1 #1)
Overview
In appearance, the giant robot roughly was 8-foot tall. (Strange Tales v1 #154) These robotic war machines were constructed with a titanium steel alloy amongst its materials, design and construction. This provided the Dreadnought with superhuman strength, stamina, durability and reflexes. It possessed a limited artificial intelligence with no capacity for self-motivated activity. Amongst its programming included skills in hand-to-hand combat where it was knowledgeable in American boxing as well as combat usage of its in-built weapon sub-systems.
Internal mechanisms repaired any damage done to the Dreadnought immediately. (Daredevil v1 #121)
One problem in their programming was that they could not distinguish targets when in the middle of conflicts. In such situations, they targeted the first for that attacked them. (Iron Man v3 #3) Another noted fault in their design was that these machines utilised such intense energies that they tended to overheat unless it was vented. One redesign of these robots had cooling vents situated in the abdomen. (Iron Man v3 #3)
From its fingers, it could launch out spike projectiles referred to as the Darts of Doom. Among the most-deadliest weapons in its arsenal was its ability to release gamma rays whose bombardment could leave people lifeless. (Strange Tales v1 #154) In addition, they could generate intense cold and seek to freeze their targets. (Daredevil v1 #121) Earlier models had spiked gauntlets as their primary weapons that got replaced with powerful plasma charges. (Iron Man v3 #3)
Notes
- The Dreadnoughts were created by Jim Steranko where they made their first appearance in Strange Tales v1 #154 (March, 1967).
In other media
Television
- In The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Dreadnoughts appeared as antagonists in the animated series starting in the Iron Man mini-episode. Dreadnought class robots were used by Hydra that later utilized repulsor weapons along with shielding stolen from Tony Stark. They were equipped with a large drill on their left arm and were equipped with energy weapons, flame throwers along with missiles. After Iron Man routed the initial strike force on the U.N., a trio of Dreadnoughts were deployed to fight him. In "Gamma World", Hawkeye tracked Black Widow to a Hydra base that was building Dreadnoughts.
- In Avengers Assemble, Dreadnoughts appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "Crack in the System". Ultron activated them at an abandoned Hammer Industries factory where they attacked the Avengers.
Video games
- In Marvel Heroes, Dreadnoughts appeared as enemies in the setting of the MMORPG video game.
Appearances
- Strange Tales v1 (1967)
- Daredevil v1:
- Iron Man v3:
External Link
This article is a stub. You can help Multiversal Omnipedia by expanding it.
