Responsometer

Latest revision as of 06:24, 22 September 2020

Responsometers are devices that feature in DC Comics.

History

Origin

Magnus came to perfect the microscopic nuclear-powered activator which he tested to create the robot Platinum who he intended to donate to the Museum of Science. (Showcase v1 #37)

Whilst in the past, the Legion of Super-Heroes came into possession of a Mother Box and sought to use it to find a means back to their time. This saw him combining the Mother Box with one of Will Magnus's Reponsometers where they combined with Veridium to form C.O.M.P.U.T.O. (Legion of Super-Heroes v4 #98)

At Helfer University, Professor Miklos Rumpus was involved in creating a new generation of robotics where he created prototype responsometers. He attempted to convince Dean Schlemmer to continue to provide support for the project as he intended to outdo Will Magnus’s work but the head of the Illinois university refused. Professor Rumpus thus felt that his project would be shut down and never manifest. Unknown to him, the responsometers he had installed in a trio of mannequins were secretly active with three using the brain templates of student volunteers. The three then departed where they wanted to gain their freedom and conquer the world as the mannequins formed the Clique. (Doom Patrol v5 #4)

Post-Flashpoint

Following the Flashpoint, a new version of history was created with a different series of events.

Around six months ago, the U.S. Department of Defense engaged several people in developing a smart rescue and repair robot with Magnus being among these individuals. He came to head Project: Metal Men and developed the Responsometer where he created six such machines to make the advanced androids known as the Metal Men. The military then intended to deploy them for use in Kahndaq but the Metal Men refused to be involved in acts that killed people and escaped where they secretly took shelter in Magnus's home. Elsewhere, someone stole the prototype Responsometer and dropped it into toxic waste thus creating Chemo who was sent to kill Will Magnus. The Metal Men saved his life at the cost of their own to neutralise Chemo with Magnus guilty over their deaths. He managed to salvage their Responsometers but was reluctant about giving them form again as he feared that the would die once more as they intended to be heroes by saving people. (Justice League v2 #28)

The Mother Machine sought to acquire the Responsometer technology for herself. To achieve that, she hired the Calculator who engaged in a scheme whilst disguised as a masked hacker called the Nameless. (Legends of Tomorrow v1 #6)

Afterwards, the Brimstone Brotherhood as part of their quest at resurrecting the Apokoliptian weapon Brimstone began to seek out a Responsometer. From A.R.G.U.S.'s destroyed server, they came upon the prototype designs of Will Magnus that became Chemo and managed to acquire the device. The cult then looked to deploy it in a volcano creating an incarnation of Chemo born of lava that battled Superman and Batman who managed to defeat it. They took the Responsometer with them to the Batcave for study where a Brainiac virus subverted control of it and the Batcomputer causing all technology at the site to run amok. The debris was then merged with the Responsometer creating a Chemo from the refuse technology which fought Batman and Superman once again whilst activating the self-destruct in the Batcave. Batman managed to shutdown the self-destruct and the two heroes rendered the Responsometer inert once more where they came to learn of the nature of the threat facing them. (Batman/Superman v2 #12)

Overview

An early incarnation of the device was said to animate robots via a nuclear-powered microscopic activator. (Showcase v1 #37) It was described as the most advanced thinking device created on Earth at the time that after programming were ready to be deployed. Once within a substance, the spherical machine sent out an electrical signal of the material around it and permanently bonded itself to it. This allowed the artificial intelligence based in the Responsometer to manipulate it atom-by-atom to form any shape needed for its tasks. (Justice League v2 #28)

They operated based on the principle that certain metals had their own personality traits such as the harmonious experience of gold manifesting into selflessness, nobility and heroism. (52 v1 #49)

Users

• Will Magnus :

Notes

• Responsometers were created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru where they made their first appearance in Showcase v1 #37 (April, 1962).

In other media

Video games

• In DC Legends, Respensometers were referenced in Chemo's gear icons in the setting of the mobile video game.

Appearances

• Showcase v1: (1962)
• Legion of Super-Heroes v4:
• 52 v1:
• Doom Patrol v4:
• Justice League v2:
• Legends of Tomorrow v1:
• Batman/Superman v2: (2020)

External Links

• DC Database Entry

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