MODAM

Publication history

MODAM first appeared in West Coast Avengers #36 and was created by Steve Englehart and Al Milgrom.

Fictional character biography

A.I.M. mutated one of their female agents into a large-headed creature similar to MODOK. This agent claimed to be Hank Pym's deceased first wife Maria Trovaya. Pym took her in, believing she was his late wife, but she was secretly a spy and returned to AIM. There, she was further mutated into a being nearly identical in appearance to MODOK called SODAM (Specialized Organism Designed for Aggressive Maneuvers). In this new form, she opposed Hawkeye and Dr. Pym. Her code name was later changed to MODAM (Mental Organism Designed for Aggressive Maneuvers). Her first assignment as MODAM was acquiring Quasar's quantum bands. MODAM later appeared as one of Superia's Femizons.

Omega Red believed that MODAM was not Maria Trovaya, but Olinka Barankova, a woman who had once betrayed him. However, MODAM herself stated that "A.I.M. personnel files are routinely falsified".

She finally perished (or at least vanished) when A.I.M. sent her in to attempt to fix a breach in reality, caused by a defective Cosmic Cube.

Powers and abilities

MODAM was empowered through artificial acceleration of her brain tissue growth by means of mutagenic chemicals and radiation, plus cybernetic implants. As a result, she possesses a superhuman intellect, and the ability to project psionic force for a number of effects, including: concussive energy, generation of heat, and protective fields. She also possesses limited telepathy and imposition of her will upon others. MODAM's headband contains equipment which aids her in the focusing of her psionic powers.

MODAM is permanently encased within an exo-skeletal shell of life-supporting machinery which augments her musculature, provides mobility, and performs various bodily functions. Sensors equipped throughout the exoskeleton monitor both her body's functions and the system's mechanical functions and transmit this data telemetrically to AIM headquarters. Thus they monitor both her blood sugar level and her rocket fuel level. MODAM is equipped with two telescoping tentacle-like arms within which her own arms fit. Each terminates in a pronged "hand". Maximum elongation of these arms is 15 feet (4.6 m). MODAM's "hover-chair" contains anti-gravity generators enabling it to hover and chemically fueled rocket boosters to propel it. MODAM's musculature is atrophied (at least proportionally) while her head has been enlarged. Thus she is physically dependent on the exoskeleton provided by her hover-chair for physical support and movement.