MODOK versus ABOMINATION
Yellow Fever?! (Marvel)
Where: Incredible Hulk #288 When: October 1983
Why: Bill Mantlo How: Sal Buscema & Jim Mooney
The Story So Far...
Left adrift in space by the mysterious entity known as Galaxy Master -- Abomination is discovered floating frozen in a block of ice by a passing space shuttle.
Where: Incredible Hulk #288 When: October 1983
Why: Bill Mantlo How: Sal Buscema & Jim Mooney
The Story So Far...
Left adrift in space by the mysterious entity known as Galaxy Master -- Abomination is discovered floating frozen in a block of ice by a passing space shuttle.
Retrieved by the astronauts and returned to Earth, the green gargantuan becomes a sleeping guest of the US military when the gamma-hunting expertise of General Thunderbolt Ross is called upon to deal with the situation.
Anticipating a lapse in the Presidentially pardoned calm of an intelligent Hulk -- Ross commits treason to form a pact with a meddling MODOK in order to turn Abomination into a living contingency. The only problem standing in their way is Abomination's total fear of fighting the Hulk. A fear MODOK intends to beat out of him!
Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Abomination 6 (Invincible)Intelligence: MODOK 5 (Professor)
Speed: Abomination 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Abomination 6 (Generator)
Agility: Abomination 2 (Average)
Fighting: Abomination 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: MODOK 3 (Explosives)
Total: Abomination 25 (Metahuman)
It's a classic case of brain versus brawn, and although the stats appear to favour muscle in the arena of combat -- that isn't necessarily an accurate indicator when one of these minds belongs to a Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing!
M.O.D.O.K. is a strange looking fellow, but don't let his proportionately tiny limbs fool you into thinking he can't handle himself.
From the massive mind of the man once known as George Tarleton springs forth the most deviously brilliant designs for dominating his foes - backed by an array of mental powers: a little mind control, telekinesis, and deadly brain-blasts!
We saw MODOK's mental beam unleashed against Cable during the pocket universe punch-up of Captain America (Vol.2) #6, and turn heroes against one another in the kid-friendly realm of Marvel Adventures: Avengers #9. The latter - a struggle with consequences that only got weirder from there!
MODOK was created deliberately by Advanced Idea Mechanics to serve as a super-intelligent living computer, but Emil Blonsky was accidentally transformed into the physically powerful living Abomination when he was bombarded with concentrated gamma radiation intended by Bruce Banner for suicide.
From his accident - the Russian saboteur was immediately & permanently mutated into a green-skinned goliath far more grotesque than the Hulk, but also physically stronger, without fluctuating power relative to his moods.
Abomination is famous for going head-to-head with the Hulk, often times leaving him the worse for wear, but that is simply the price for competing with one of the most powerful mortal beings on the Earth! Can MODOK match that?
At the time of today's featured story Abomination is leaving a state of suspended animation, having been floating through space in a chunk of ice. That's bound to take its toll, but it might not have the impact you're expecting...
The Tape: Abomination Ranking: MODOK (#386)
What Went Down...
At the bottom of a dark containment pit lies a whimpering wreck -- a former shell of the monster that was The Abomination!
Above: MODOK activates a control panel with a simple mental command, filling the void with dancing light as he unleashes a crackling forest of energy beams!
The jagged arcs inspire the Abomination to his feet -- terrified of the agony they might unleash. In his fear, he doesn't notice the "plasmifire" cannon lowering from the wall to blast him with searing flame!
Desperately fleeing from the fire, Abomination runs directly into the path of a massive spiked club mounted on a telescopic tentacle.
It rises from the ground and catches the running behemoth with a direct hit. The upward strike knocks Abomination off his thundering feet and into the waiting embrace of a tangle of mechanical tendrils!
The cold metal coils wrap around his body, binding Abomination's mighty form in mid-air and surging it full with electric shocks!
Abomination does not struggle, though. He would rather choose death than living to fight, refusing to invite the pain a life of combat has wrought. A choice MODOK refuses to accept, matching his indifference with the very torture Abomination fears.
Realizing he faces the threat of an endless torture, Abomination rips himself free and asks: "What kind of sadist are you ?!!"
A massive, mechanically reinforced battering ram answers with a mighty slam -- while MODOK's cold, distant voice remains trained on his mission to unlock Abomination's destructive potential so he may avoid fighting his own equal.
The ram slams Abomination against a wall and pins him there, while another metal tendril emerges from a trapdoor in the floor, snaking a laser cannon toward his helpless person.
A precision beam burns at Abomination's face as he squirms beneath the massive crushing weight of the battering ram.
The clarity of understanding MODOK's mission to turn him loose against AIM, and service a deal with General Ross, inspires Abomination to at last push back against the ram and rip it from its base.
He will smash MODOK's enemies -- as long as he doesn't have to face the Hulk!
In his anxious desperation, Abomination uses the crumpled battering ram to smash the laser and then reduce everything to twisted scrap!
Alone in the middle of the wreckage the monster pleads to fight anyone but the stronger, more savage Hulk. The opponent he cannot win against.
MODOK hovers over his tearful minion and informs him that he will fight the Hulk: "-- And you will triumph over him! Much has changed while you floated frozen in space! The Hulk is dominated by Bruce Banner's mind now!"
If his words failed -- MODOK's mindbeam successfully dominates the tortured Abomination, driving him to agonized knees. He cries "NO!" to deaf ears as his new master callously commits him to the very thing he fears most.
The Hammer...
This is much less a fight than a total domination of body and spirit. MODOK is like a well resourced little league father, pushing Abomination to absolute breaking point in pursuit of unleashing the destructive potential he's holding back.
It's an interesting scenario all around. A contextual rethink of The Abomination, who perhaps remains the greatest equal sparring partner for Hulk, but is also therefore destined to face recurring defeat, pitted against his nemesis all over again in the endless dance of classic comic book arch-rivalries.
Abomination was left adrift in the cold of space after his most recent defeat in Incredible Hulk #270. Retrieved by astronauts, and thawed from a block of ice by MODOK and General Ross, he's now subject to a conceptual shakeup, developing the unlikeliest of inverse characteristics to the Hulk's rage-induced strength -- he's controlled by fear.
More accurately: Abomination appears to be in the grip of a crippling anxiety, perhaps brought on by post-traumatic stress rather than simple performance anxiety. A predicament that makes this issue read quite modern, not that the substance of such maladies were completely unknown to 1983, or earlier. It's just treated with a great deal of understanding, presenting Abomination not just as a pathetic figure for derision, but as a mistreated soul, tortured by unreasonable expectation, and the callous, selfish indifference of agencies neglecting a duty of care for their own self-interest.
Bill Mantlo's script marries these everyday issues with the explosive, big action you expect of superhero comic books, serving psychological torture with a healthy helping of explosions and lasers. A palatable way of digesting heavy, psychological subject that is otherwise the bedrock of Incredible Hulk comics.
Admittedly, it's a bit of an atypical place to start with Abomination, whose only prior appearance on the site was an inter-company cameo menacing Elektra and Catwoman, but in truth his journey has actually come to have many of these kinds of detours, and I fully intend to look closer at more of his exploits.
This entry also goes some small way to challenging the modern conception of MODOK. Known for the unusual appearance of a large floating head with tiny limbs, we've seen MODOK be a subject for comedy, but here we're reminded that MODOK is also a force to be reckoned with, capable of defeating powerful foes!
Who will he dominate next? Follow links throughout this post to connect with more entries from your favourite characters -- or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fight articles in order of publisher, series, and issue.
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Winner: MODOK
#132 (+254) MODOK
#627 (-179) Abomination
#132 (+254) MODOK
#627 (-179) Abomination
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