Avengers #290
The World According to the Adaptoid!
Summoning Kubic — the former Cosmic Cube — to Earth, the Super-Adaptoid has copied its god-like power and intends to use it to make himself the master of all reality. [1] After making this proclamation he then uses his power to trap the Avengers and Machine Man in indestructible cubes. He then argues with Kubic in an alien language before seemingly destroying the former Cosmic Cube with a blast of energy. Resuming his original form and now calling himself the Supreme Adaptoid, the android tells the Avengers that he is about to remake the world in his image and leaves the room.
The captured Avengers and Machine Man then begin comparing notes, detailing how the Super-Adaptoid formed an army of robots called Heavy Metal to help him secure information to gain his new godly powers.[2] At that moment, Captain Marvel manages to return to her flesh and blood state after being trapped in her energy form by the Adaptoid. Unable to break free from their cube prisons, they use momentum to knock the cubes into one another so they can get outside and see what the Supreme Adaptoid is up to. There they are horrified to discover that he is creating an army of Adaptoids to replace every living person on Earth.
By this time, Doctor Druid and the Black Knight are returning to Hydrobase after being ambushed by the Super-Adaptoid earlier. When they arrive they are ambushed by two of the Supreme-Adaptoid’s creations which quickly begin copying their appearance and powers.[3] Although the pair easily slay the two Adaptoids, they too are trapped in impenetrable cubes and forced to join the Supreme-Adaptoid’s other prisoners. The Avengers continue to try to free themselves from their prisons to no avail.
Meanwhile, Kubic wasn’t destroyed, only sent into the heart of a black hole. Freeing himself from this prison, the god-like being returns to Earth to find an ally that can help him defeat the Supreme-Adaptoid. Remembering the nobility of Steve Rogers, Kubic appears before him while he is on the road as the Captain.[4] Hearing Kubic’s plight, the Captain agrees to be transported to Hydrobase to deal with the Supreme-Adaptoid. There, he is also taken prisoner but mocks the Adaptoid for not being able to go against his ultimate programming: To destroy Captain America. The Adaptoid refuses to sully its hands and frees the Captain so he can fight the Adaptoid created to replace him. As the Captain fights his double, Doctor Druid uses the situation to try and confuse the Supreme-Adaptoid. Druid points out that because of the limitations of its programming, the android will not be able to figure out what to do after replacing everyone on Earth.
The Adaptoid denies this but when it can’t think of its next move after this goal, it lashes out at Druid, knocking his cube away. By this time, the Captain has defeated its double, prompting the Supreme-Adaptoid to copy Steve’s appearance and fight the Captain himself. However, the Captain continues to chip away at the android’s confidence, pointing out that it is just a copy of humanity and that without mortality it has no worthwhile purpose because it is this mortality that gives humans the spirit to make the most of their lives. Defying this, the Supreme-Adaptoid tries to prove the Captain wrong by willing it self to die on the spot. After the Adaptoid collapses to the ground, Kubic reappears and drains the Adaptoid’s god-like powers.[5] It commends the Avengers for outsmarting the Super-Adaptoid before departing.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Black Knight, She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, Sub-Mariner, Doctor Druid), Super-Adaptoid, Marrina, Kubik, Machine Man, Stingray, The Captain
Continuity Notes
The narration here states that both the Cosmic Cube and Super-Adaptoid were created by Advanced Idea Mechanics. This happened in Tales of Suspense #79 and 82 respectively. It also states that Kubic had recently gained sentience, this happened in Captain America Annual #7.
The Avengers recount how the Super-Adaptoid took the Fixers place following the siege on Avengers Mansion in Avengers #273-277. His formation of Heavy Metal and attack on Hydrobase were chronicled over the course of issues #286-289.
The Black Knight says he doesn’t have to worry about the blood curse placed on his Ebony Blade. The Blade was cursed to make its wielder crave bloodshed until this curse was stripped from the weapon in Doctor Strange (vol. 2) #68-69. The spell could be broken if the sword is exposed to blood again, which will be the case in Avengers #293.
Steve Rogers recounts how he recently surrendered his Captain America identity to the government. This happened after he refused to work exclusively for them in Captain America #323 and will remain the status quo until issue #350 of that series.
This is not the end of the Super-Adaptoid as it will be reactivated in Captain America #354.
Topical References
This story states that the world population is five billion people. This should be considered a topical reference as the population has continued to grow since this comic was first published in 1988. At the time of this writing in September 2021, the world population is about 7.9 billion people and counting.
