Select Page

Mauler (comics)

Not to be confused with Invincible (comics) § Mauler Twins.

Mauler (an acronym for Mobile Armored Utility Laser-guided E-beam, Revised) is an armored battle suit used by four fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history

The armor first appears in Daredevil #167 (Nov. 1980) and was created by David Michelinie and Frank Miller.[1] The first character to use the armor received an entry in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #18.

The second character to use the armor first appears in Iron Man #156 (March 1982) and was created by David Michelinie, John Romita Jr., and Pablo Marcos.

Fictional character biography

Aaron Soames

Aaron Soames is an elderly, former employee of Cord Conglomerate deprived of his pension benefits by a computer error. Soames steals the prototype suit of Mauler armor in the hopes of punishing Edwin Cord, who was indifferent to Soames' plight. Soames has two skirmishes with the hero Daredevil, and after humiliating Cord by symbolically erasing his existence as well by destroying his driver's license, credit cards and other means of personal identification (he did not intend to do him any actual harm), he is killed with advanced weaponry by Cord's men. Daredevil is one of the few mourners at Soames' funeral.[2]

Turk Barrett

Further information: Turk Barrett

The Mauler armor reappears when small-time criminal Turk Barrett steals the armor and attempts to kill Daredevil. Barrett is defeated in seconds by Daredevil.[3]

Brendan Doyle

Mercenary Brendan Doyle is hired by the now imprisoned Edwin Cord to steal the armor from Stark International (the company of Iron Man's alter ego Tony Stark) and destroy all records of the suit design and history. Doyle is prevented from reaching the records by former comrade Jim Rhodes, and decides to keep the suit.[4] As a soldier for hire, Doyle battles the heroes Spider-Man and Wonder Man,[5] and encounters Spider-Man once again while trying to retrieve his infant son.[6] Doyle reappears during the Armor Wars when the Mauler armor is confiscated by Iron Man, who was tracking down technology based on his stolen designs.[7]

Doyle gains a new Mauler suit and battles the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight.[8] Jim Rhodes briefly impersonates the Mauler.[9] Doyle returns during the Civil War caused by the Superhuman Registration Act,[10] and encounters the Avengers.[11]

Brendan Doyle is later recruited by Mandarin and Zeke Stane to join the other Iron Man villains in a plot to take down Iron Man.[12]

Following the death of his 5-year-old son Danny, who had been placed for adoption, in a car accident, Doyle kidnaps a young boy named Bobby Morris under the delusion that he is Danny. Doyle is found by Hyperion, and attempts to use the Mauler suit to kill him. Hyperion persuades him to stop and surrender to the authorities.[13]

Fourth user

Roderick Kingsley sells one of the Mauler armors to an unnamed criminal. This version of Mauler is seen on Kingsley's side at the time when the Hobgoblin (who was actually the butler Claude) is leading his forces into attacking the Goblin King's Goblin Nation. After Hobgoblin is killed by Goblin King, Mauler is among the villains that defect to the Goblin Underground.[14]

Powers and abilities

The Mauler armor provides heavy protection from physical and energy-based attacks, boosts the wearer's strength and courtesy of turbines allows flight. In addition to internal life support systems, a laser cannon that doubles as an electron particle gun is mounted on the left arm. The right palm of the armor can also generate a high-frequency electric shock.

In other media

Video games

  • The Brendan Doyle version of Mauler appears in the PSP and Wii versions of the Iron Man 2 video game, voiced by Steven Blum. Mauler appears on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier initiating Kearson DeWitt's plan to down the aircraft using bombs. Iron Man disarms the bombs and defeats Mauler. Mauler carries a bomb which Iron Man blasts to defeat Mauler. He then fights and defeats Mauler once again, disarming multiple bombs in the process.

References

  1. ^ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Super-Villains. New York: Facts on File. pp. 211–212. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.[1]
  2. ^ Daredevil #167 (Nov. 1980)
  3. ^ Daredevil #176 (Nov. 1981)
  4. ^ Iron Man #156 (March 1982)
  5. ^ Marvel Team-Up #136 (Dec. 1983)
  6. ^ Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #122 (Jan. 1987)
  7. ^ Iron Man #225 (Dec. 1987)
  8. ^ Alpha Flight #113 (Oct. 1992)
  9. ^ Iron Man Annual #16 (1995)
  10. ^ Civil War: War Crimes #1 (Feb. 2007)
  11. ^ Avengers: The Initiative #13 (July 2008)
  12. ^ The Invincible Iron Man #513
  13. ^ Avengers vol. 5 #34.1
  14. ^ The Superior Spider-Man #26