Machine Man was built by the government. The Modular Man was built by a renegade scientist. And nobody has the slightest idea what the deal is with Bird-Boy. Welcome to Ten Things: Ten Artificial Beings!

Whooshman-Bicarbonate Films, in conjunction with An Amateur Comics Historian and Bozo, The Iron Man, probably comics’ first robot superhero, Presents:

TEN THINGS: TEN ARTIFICIAL BEINGS!

10) IRONHORSE, THE HUMAN LOCOMOTIVE

Making his debut circa 1862, the steam-powered hero called Ironhorse first appeared to protect the laborers on the Transcontinental Railroad. One-hundred-plus years later, he is one of the heroes of Astro City, standing among the most physically powerful, especially once he builds up a head of steam. Ironhorse’s builders are as yet unknown, but if there’s one thing I know about Astro City, it’s that there’s always some sort of a twist.

9) POD 2

The Planetary Operational Defense system, version 2 was regrown/reforged/reincarnated from the first POD, a technological seedling created by a cosmic being called Ex Nihilo. Like the first POD, POD 2 was bonded with a young Icelandic woman named Aikku Jokinen, working as an agent of G.I.R.L. (Genius In Action Research Labs). The whereabouts of both Aikku and POD 2 are currently unknown.

8) KARIMA SHAPINDAR

Once an officer in the Indian National Police, Karima was infected with Omega Sentinel technology, which has slowly turned her into a being of pure technology. Her new computerized nature left her susceptible to mind control and possession, as no less than THREE different beings have supplanted her consciousness, including her own future self. Once an X-Man, Karima is one of the prime forces that created ORCHIS, the anti-mutant organization that (at the time of this writing) has just murdered most of the mutants on Earth and destroyed the mutant stronghold of Krakoa.

7) RAMPAGE

An android from the faraway future of 2030 (which was much more remote back in 1997), R-192 is the personal majordomo of Doctor Deidra Dey, AKA Doomsday. After traveling back in time, Rampage and their family were dubbed ‘The Doom Patrol’ for trying to warn the people of Earth-9 of a coming worldwide crisis, eventually staying to fight off the end of the world. Doomsday manages to warn The Atom, their world’s greatest hero of the threat to the future, unaware that his memory was being wiped by the very chronal rift that they used to travel in time.

It’s all very bleak.

6) PULSAR STARGRAVE

A Coluan android being who claimed at various times to be Brainiac 5’s father and also the original Brainiac, Pulsar Stargrave claimed that his powers came from being fired into a star that subsequently went supernova. Powerful enough to manipulate Mordru and the Time Trapper, Pulsar Stargrave was reckless and prone to “dying” dramatically, once at the hands of Superboy and Wildfire, once by his own hubris, and finally at the hands of a high-speed, plummeting Stone Boy.

That last one seemed to take, though it may just be that he’s afraid to show his face again after such an ignominious defeat.

5) TRASHCAN

Speaking of the Legion, Trashcan is one of the hypothetical Legionnaires created by Calamity Jon Morris, the author of The League of Regrettable Superheroes and The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains.  A living robot from the planet known as the Cosmobot World Engine, 0-B 7 Delta CC has unlimited energy (which I presume comes from burning and/or atomizing refuse), powering his ever-morphing robot shell. Morris’ weirdo Legionnaires are very Silver Agey, and if I ever have my way, will be made canon eventually.

Or not, I mean it’s not like I have any pull at DC Comics.

4) RADIO SPACEMAN

In a world that is either IN the past or has technology at a level where it might have been the past, circa the Victorian Era, Radio Spaceman is a strange synthetic creature animated by the spirit of an elderly, Earth-bound man. His one adventure thus far reported involved killing alien vampires, with the assistance of a beautiful vampire space archaeologist, which is pretty awesome.

3) SUPERMAN

Another reimagining by a talented artist, this take on Superman by Cliff Chiang combines the classic Man of Steel with an actual man of steel. Merging a little Mazinger Z with a little Giant Robo (known in the U.S. as Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot) this charming concept art makes me want to read the finished product, and the Justice League of Japan stories that it was conceptualized to be a part of.

2) BINARY

An energy being created of Carol Danvers photo-energy, Binary took the form of Carol’s previous super-identity during her time with the Starjammers. Possessed of her own will thanks to the Phoenix Force and the DNA of Mar-Vell, Binary became an independent being and ally of Carol as Captain Marvel.

Sadly, her story has a rather tragic end.

1) FRANKENSTEIN

Look, I don’t care what Internet pedants have to say. Victor Frankenstein created a monster, who said his name ought to be Adam, but otherwise never had a name. Marvel Comics, on the other hand, whose version we see here in PHENOMENAL art by Pablo Marcos, was called Frankenstein, legally, in the indicia of the comic. Since that indicia was used by the government for U.S. Mail purposes, QED, his name is Frankenstein, and he was pieced together from many sources, much like my justification here.

Honestly, if correcting a random writer about the name of a fictional flesh golem is the biggest problem you have to face today, I want you to know you are a lucky being. Now, go touch some grass or something.

Once again, this week’s topic, Ten Artificial Beings, is all me, but feel free to follow along on social media to suggest a topic of your own! There’s always more Ten Things madness on my X-Twitter (@MightyKingCobra) or check out the full Ten Things Nerdery™ archive here! As with any set of like items, these aren’t meant to be hard and fast or absolutely complete, especially since something like one in seven superhumans is a robot, just like Red Tornado, The Vision, and Nightwing’s butt. Either way, the comments section is below for just such an emergency, but, as always: Please, no wagering!

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