Captain America #133
Madness in the Slums!
MODOK, the ruler of AIM, is furious that his android duplicate of Bucky Barnes had failed to destroy Captain America.[1] Blaming his subordinates, MODOK incinerates them with a mind blast. He then goes back to monitoring Captain America, hating the hero for being everything MODOK is not. The evil genius then thinks back to how he became the entity he is today. Some time ago, MODOK was nothing more than a mere foot soldier in the army of Advance Idea Mechanics. At the time, the Scientist Supreme decided that he be forced into an experiment that would make him the most powerful mind in the world. This process turned MODOK into the creature he is today. However, instead of being a pawn of AIM itself, MODOK used his newfound power to kill the Scientist Supreme and take control of the organization.[2]
Tracking Captain America, MODOK discovers that the hero has returned to New York City to assist the Falcon with fighting crime in Harlem. Seeing a way to inflame racial tensions and ruin Captain America’s reputation, MODOK has his operative create a new android he calls the Bulldozer. With the massive android completed, AIM then drops their creation off in the New Jersey swamplands. Once activated, the android makes its way into New York City and up toward Harlem. When the authorities try to stop it, the android easily shrugs off their bullets. Once the Bulldozer arrives in Harlem, it begins tearing down buildings per MODOK’s commands.
Meanwhile, Captain America has revealed his true identity to the Falcon, as he wishes to work with Sam Wilson as crime-fighting partners.[3] That’s when the building begins to shake, prompting Captain America and the Falcon to go out and investigate. There they witness the Bulldozer tearing down buildings that belong to public housing. This has gained support from the locals as these buildings are slums that need to be torn down. When the police arrive on the scene, Captain America asks them to stand down hoping to stop Bulldozer and convince the residents of Harlem that AIM does not have their best interest in mind. At that same moment, MODOK watches gleefully, anticipating that Captain America will fail and have his reputation ruined. Wanting to be closer to his eventual victory, MODOK has his operatives move him from their headquarters to an abandoned church near the scene of the battle.
By this time, Captain America has put in a call to Tony Stark and has the inventor create a device that can determine what is powering the Bulldozer and track the energy signature back to its source. Stark manages to get the device to Cap in the nick of time and he determines that Bulldozer is being controlled by telepathy. Using the device, Cap causes the Bulldozer to stop wrecking the neighborhood and instead return to the church where MODOK and his men are hiding out. There, the confused android begins going on a rampage that causes the church to collapse, burying MODOK under a pile of rubble. With the battle over, Captain America and the Falcon both agree they work well together and that they should be partners from here on out.
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Falcon, AIM (MODOK)
Continuity Notes
At the time of this story, everyone believes Bucky to have died in 1945, as detailed in Avengers #4. In reality, he survived and was transformed into an assassin called the Winter Soldier by the Russians. Captain America will not learn this until Captain America (vol. 5) #14.
This origin story suggests that MODOK was always supposed to be a Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing. However, later stories have expanded on his origins:
MODOK’s real name is not revealed here. He is identified as George Tarleton in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #7.
Super-Villain Team-Up #17 and Captain America Annual #7 reveals that MODOK actually started his life as MODOC, a Mental Organism Designed Only for Computing. MODOC only became MODOK after he was used to punch a hole in the fabric of space and time to create the Cosmic Cube. This drove him mad.
While this story states that George was an unwilling test subject, Super-Villain Team-Up: MODOK’s 11 #1 reveals that he actually volunteered but got cold feet at the last minute and was forced into the experiment anyway.
One could assume that the missing details in this account, and MODOK’s different recollection could be attributed to the fact that he is insane.
Mention is made of the Falcon’s first meeting with Captain America. This happened in Captain America #117.
Topical References
This story depicts all of Harlem as being a slum. However, just like the rest of New York City, Harlem has undergone a lot of gentrification over the years since this story has been published. “Slums” as they are defined in this story no longer exist. However, a number of New York City housing projects still exist and are considered to be slums due to the city keeping the cost of renovations down in these affordable housing units. That said, any reference in this story to Harlem being a slum in its entirety should be considered topical.
One of the AIM technicians says that the androids “voice circuits” comprises of pre-recorded audio on a tape. This should be considered topical because this is laughably outdated. I have instead referred to these buildings a housing projects as this is the accepted nomenclature.
