History
Origin and Deathlok Project[]
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Jacobs on his wheelchair.
One of these projects was the Cyborg Super-Soldier Program,[8] the creation of a cyborg named Deathlok that included the transplanted brain of a willing donor, Colonel John Kelly.[3] Jacobs was assigned to work designing the weapons system of this project, along with fellow scientists and developers Stanley Cross and William Hansen, cybersurgeons Dr. Kimble and Dr. S. Hu (for the wetware), and support from other Cybertek departments when needed, even though the project was secret.[2] The project was in the interest of Roxxon, that had a market to rent such a weapon and international interests that Deathlok had to safeguard. Clayton Burr, Roxxon's Vice President of International Development,[7] took a personal interest in the Deathlok project and closely followed Ryker's progress. Ryker demonstrated the cyborg to Burr at the Cybertek Weapons Development Testing Facility 4, also in Paterson, pitting Deathlok, armed only with paint pellets, against twelve armed mercenaries. Jacobs and the rest of the team went to the Facility 4 bunker to monitor the test run. However, midway through the exercise, the cyborg's computer took control of the machine,[3] killed Kelly[3][8] and entered the bunker; nonetheless, Deathlok was unable to shoot Ryker and the test ended in partial success: a new brain donor was needed[3] and the computer glitch had to be fixed immediately. Jacobs, differently, saw the test as a complete disaster, but said nothing to Burr.[2]
Burr demanded a new operational Deathlok urgently, and Ryker ordered his team to have everything ready for a brain transplant the next day. Jacobs tried to negotiate for more time, but Hansen was sure it was viable, if they could get a brain donor; in fact, Hansen found[2] and corrected the glitch,[8] but Jacobs was skeptical and believed that they would have problems again. Meanwhile, Jacobs again tried to convince Ryker of the advantages of his Cybertank, to no avail. Ryker obtained an involuntary brain donor: Michael Collins, a prosthetics programmer for Cybertek, who had discovered the secret Deathlok project and, being a pacifist, was threatening to go public with it. The Cybertek team then used Collins' amputated brain for the robot. The purpose of the brain was merely memory storage, so it shouldn't be a problem.[2] Jacobs had met Collins in the past, and was not sympathetic to him since Collins criticized Cybertek's weapons development work and Jacobs specifically on moral grounds; Jacobs, however, recognized Collins as an excellent computer scientist.[1]
Ben Jacobs with the Cybertank he used to confront Deathlok
Burr's plan was to use Deathlok in Estrella, a South American country where Roxxon was building a dam and using Cybertek weaponry to drive the natives off their land and crush local resistance movements whose attacks were making the project more expensive.[7] The Estrellan Armed Forces leased Deathlok to protect the workers. Cybertek's team traveled to Estrella, where they hid in a protected bunker and then launched Deathlok in a missile into an area where the guerrillas had been detected. Deathlok, controlled by his computer, detected the guerilla camp, with four dozen soldiers, women and children, and attacked with deadly force, leaving only three survivors; but then Collins's consciousness contacted the computer, and Jacobs and his colleagues detected it. Before shooting a girl at point-blank range, Collins' ethics imposed and he took control of the cyborg. Burr was pleased with the results, but Ryker realized the problem and had Deathlok brought back to Paterson, where Cybertek once again attempted to analyze the nature of the bug. As they did so, Collins retook control of the cyborg and attempted to escape the facility. Jacobs volunteered to stop him aboard his Cybertank. Although the Cybertank intercepted Deathlok, Deathlok managed to immobilize it by going for the tank treads, and then damaged the ground, causing the tank to collapse and disabling it. Deathlok then opened the burning tank, threatened Jacobs and immobilized him by embedding his own (Deathlok's) helmet on Jacobs' head. Several minutes passed before the rest of the Cybertek staff found Jacobs humiliated and defeated.[2] Jacobs did not forget his shame at Deathlok's hands, nor that Deathlok had destroyed Jacobs' work, and those feelings soon turned into a lust for homicidal revenge.[9]
Since Cybertek could not use Deathlok for military purposes on Estrella, they instead sent thirty-two Cybertek Worker Ants, unmanned robots with construction and military uses, which contributed to the protection of the dam along with the Estrellan Armed Forces. Jacobs was sent to the area, where he stayed in a bunker called Estrella Command to control the Ants using a Mainframe Carrier Wave; a Estrellan General also had access to the bunker. Meanwhile, Deathlok, freed from Cybertek's control, teamed up with the Estrella resistance and convinced them to launch an attack on the dam: if they succeeded in destroying it, then the costs would skyrocket so much that Roxxon would abandon the project. The guerillas and Deathlok attacked at night and, when Deathlok was detected, Ryker ordered Jacobs to prioritize protection of the prey, killing Deathlok only if possible; but Jacobs, embittered by his defeat at the hands of Deathlok, disobeyed the order and focused his efforts on killing Deathlok. Deathlok however escaped from the Ants and traced the source of their control signal back to Estrella Command. Although Jacobs tried to get the Ants to protect him, Deathlok jammed the signal, disabled the Ants and attacked the bunker. Jacobs attempted to punch Deathlok, but to no avail: Jacobs and the Estrellan General were taken prisoner. Deathlok also had Jacobs give him the control code for the Ants, and reveal where Ryker was. Following the victory, Estrella's resistance destroyed the dam and the Ants, eventually causing the collapse of the national government, as well as the withdrawal of Roxxon.[9] Deathlok's actions, combined with an investigation into Cybertek's illegal activities by law enforcement agency SHIELD,[10] also caused the closure of Cybertek shortly after.[11] Jacobs may have been arrested in Estrella or in the United States, or not.
Alliance with Mainframe and attack on Stamford, Connecticut[]
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Ben Jacobs attacks Deathlok in Stamford
Jacobs was seen again some time later in an abandoned warehouse in Brooklyn, where he met his new partner, Ian Wajler, aka Mainframe,[1] formerly private contractor to Cybertek, creator of Cybertek remote servo-technology also called Mainframe that allowed him to control armored battlesuits, and defeated by Deathlok on Coney Island shortly after the destruction of the Cybertank.[7] Mainframe had been sent to prison, but then he teamed up with Jacobs, whose knowledge he needed to modify his cybercontrol circuitry. Escaping from prison, Mainframe met Jacobs at the Brooklyn depot and provided him with armor that restored mobility to his limbs; believing that he would not need the wheelchair again, Jacobs crushed it with the armor's metal hands. Then Mainframe convinced Jacobs to ally with him against Deathlok: Mainframe would provide a cybercontrol, and Jacobs a way to override Deathlok's operating system, with which they could control Deathlok, then rent him out as a war machine for money. Jacobs temporarily agreed because he felt indebted to Mainframe for the prosthetics, but asked to be able to destroy Deathlok when they were done with him; Jacobs developed a disk that could be inserted into a unit in Deathlok's arm to control him. Mainframe knew where Deathlok was living in Coney Island at the time, and they went after him. Mainframe used his powers to stun Deathlok, and then Jacobs went after him and inserted the disk, preventing Collins or the computer from controlling the cyborg.[1]
Mainframe provided Jacobs with a mecha-like huge humanoid walking vehicle. Then Mainframe and Jacobs, with Deathlok, attacked AIM Research Facility #13 in Stamford, Connecticut, their goal being to steal AIM technology data, including the Cybertek data that had ended up in their hands. Jacobs however was more aggressive and used the occasion to assassinate several AIM agents in retaliation for AIM's treatment of him in the past. The attack was detected by the police, SWAT and the Army Reserve, but none of them had the means to stop Jacobs and his allies. However, during the battle, Collins managed to overcome Mainframe's control and remove Jacobs' disk. Jacobs took notice and decided to engage Deathlok directly to eliminate the threat; in the process he however hurt Mainframe, wounding him in the left arm. The Army decided that Deathlok was on his side and attacked Jacobs with heavy artillery fire, but his armor protected him. Mainframe was trying to regain control over Deathlok, but Jacobs was insisting on destroying Deathlok at the time. Mainframe decided that Jacobs was jeopardizing the entire operation, destroying a useful asset that could be recovered, and so Mainframe took control of Jacobs' armor. Enraged but helpless, Jacobs could only watch as Mainframe made him escape Stamford using his jets; Jacobs insisted that he would one day get his revenge on Collins, with or without Mainframe's help.[1]
From that encounter, Jacobs spent all day inside his main, smaller armor, which gave him more mobility than the wheelchair, occasionally climbing onto the giant armor if greater strength was required.[5]
The Cyberwarriors operation in Paris[]
Several former Cybertek employees wanted in the United States settled in France, where they teamed up with other cybernetics specialists to execute a secret project of building an army of Cyberwarriors,[8] cyborg soldiers with advanced weaponry[4] and lobotomized organic brains,[12] mass-produced using Cybertek designs as a base and already pre-sold to the highest bidder.[8] The Cyberwarriors development team included Jacobs, Mainframe, Ryker, Hu, Kimble, Cross and others,[4][13] and they maintained an underground base under Paris[8] and another base, called Cyberbase, on the outskirts of Paris.[5] Jacobs was delighted to be working with Ryker again, and vice versa, especially without the Cybertek bureaucracy and without the wheelchair. However, when Jacobs saw Mainframe, he literally jumped on him to attack him; Mainframe froze Jacobs in midair, and Ryker admitted it was a shame having to keep the erratic and aggressive Jacobs in check with restrictive technology. Mainframe forced Jacobs to work as a forklift harnessing the strength of the giant armor; Jacobs claimed to be better than the Cyberwarriors because he had a creative mind, but Mainframe countered that Jacobs, being irrational and vehement, was useless in combat.[4]
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Jacobs with longer hair attacks Deathlok during his stay in Paris
Roxxon's Clayton Burr was interested in gaining control of the Cyberwarriors. When he discovered the operation to build cyberwarriors in Paris, he hired Deathlok to stop the rebels, promising in return to restore Collins to his original body;[8] and secretly hired another cyborg assassin, Coldblood,[4] to track down and kill Ryker[6] and his associates.[12] By this time, John Kelly's mind had been restored within Deathlok's consciousness as a voice only he could hear.[8] Deathlok teamed up with mercenary Silver Sable and her Wild Pack, and together they found the Cyberwarriors' lab and raided it, entering through the warehouse where Jacobs and Mainframe were. Jacobs quickly battered Deathlok, while Kelly asked Deathlok to forget his respect for human life, and kill Jacobs to get rid of the imminent threat. Instead, Deathlok managed to break a leg out of Jacobs' armor (but that wasn't enough to defeat him) while Sable tried to hold off Mainframe and the Wild Pack fought the Cyberwarriors.[4] Kelly managed to transmit her consciousness to a Cyberwarrior and took control over it, engaging the other Cyberwarriors, much to Mainframe's surprise. Jacobs ignored Mainframe's instructions and messages, focusing all of his attacks on Deathlok and putting him on the ropes. Mainframe communicated with Ryker and they both agreed that they should withdraw so that the enemy would not destroy Cyberwarrios that they intended to sell. Meanwhile, Crippler of the Wild Pack shot Jacobs, attracting the latter's attention; Jacobs attacked Crippler, but Crippler was saved by his teammate Battlestar. Following this interruption, Jacobs again focused on Deathlok, causing him to collide with the Cyberwarrior controlled by Kelly, renamed Siege. Siege fired at Jacobs so aggressively that Deathlok mistakenly believed Siege was attempting deadly force.[12] Overhearing the conversation between Deathlok and Siege, Jacobs understood that the Cyberwarrior was controlled by Kelly.[5] Once again, Mainframe took control of Jacobs' movements and locked him in a force field to retreat with the rest of his team, in the process causing a flood in the base in a futile attempt to kill off the attackers and destroy the facility.[12]
Jacobs regrouped with Cross, Hu, Kimble, Mainframe, and Ryker at Cyberbase. When the others believed that Siege was a flawed Cyberwarrior, Jacobs revealed that Kelly was controlling him; and added that, unlike Deathlok, Kelly had no problem shooting to kill. From Cyberbase, the group prepared to send a shipment of Cyberwarriors to Iraq; but then Siege invaded the base. Jacobs climbed onto his colossal armor to try and flank Siege, but Siege spotted and fired at him, damaging the armor with a single attack.[5] Jacobs was left lying on the ground, once again trapped in a gigantic wearable weapon[6] while Siege's allies Deathlok and Coldblood (who had recently joined them,[5] shortly after Sable left)[12] appeared as reinforcements. Ryker murdered Dr. Hu in an attempt to gain leverage over Deathlok,[5] then threatened to cause a nuclear explosion in the area to occupy his more moral enemies. Ryker then ordered Jacobs to teleport them (just Ryker and Jacobs) to a base under the desert[6] in Iraq,[14] leaving his enemies behind. Meanwhile, Deathlok and his allies stopped the nuclear detonation, though the Cyberbase was destroyed, and Siege offered to track down the Cyberwarriors.[6]
Attack on Kuwait[]
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Jacobs in his huge combat armor
Attributes
Abilities
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Ben Jacobs working for Cybertek
Jacobs is an accomplished weapon developer. He developed the weapons systems for the cyborg Deathlok,[2] and the strategic programming for the Cyberwarriors,[6] and designed and built the entire Cybertank.[2] Mainframe turned to Jacobs to modify his own cybercontrol circuitry, and to override Deathlok's operating system.[1]
Jacobs could also control robots in combat operations, including the Cybertek Worker Ants in the battle against the guerrillas at Estrella[2] and the Cyberwarriors in an attack on the Kuwaiti oil fields.[6] In both cases, Jacobs lost the battle.
Jacobs could use his gigantic battle armor to fight. Twice he managed to defeat Deathlok in combat,[1][4][12] but on the first occasion, Jacobs' overly aggressive moves caused injuries to his ally Mainframe.[1] Mainframe has accused Jacobs of being guided by his emotions in combat, which was a hindrance strategically;[4] and Jacobs was known to have disregarded direct orders in battle.[1]Paraphernalia
Equipment
Jacobs uses his huge armor against Deathlok
Huge combat armor: Mainframe provided Jacobs with a gigantic mecha-like huge humanoid walking vehicle that Jacobs could control by slipping his smaller armor on top of the larger armor. This armor was so immense that it could hold an adult human male in one of its three-fingered hands.[1] The armor gave Jacobs extraordinary strength, enough to break Deathlok's metal parts, and had weapon systems including projectiles and flamethrower.[1]
The giant armor moved by walking, but also had jets in its boots.[1] On one occasion, Jacobs used an electromagnetic transporation pulse on the armor to teleport himself, along with one predetermined ally, from the outskirts of Paris, France, to the Persian Gulf area.[6]
The giant armor had enough protection to withstand heavy artillery fire, Deathlok's pistol and Deathlok's physical attacks,[1] but a well-placed Cyberwarrior's plasma attack could damage it.[5] Deathlok once managed to break a foot off the large armor, but that didn't stop Jacobs.[4] The armor left Jacobs' torso exposed, but provided protection using force fields.[1]
Jacobs needed his small armor to move the large armor, thus, since Mainframe could override the control of the small armor, he could also control the large armor.[1]Transportation
Smaller armor: Mainframe developed armor for Jacobs that would allow him to walk (since Jacobs' legs were disabled) and use both arms (since Jacobs lacked a left arm). In this armor, Jacobs had greater-than-human strength, enough to crush a metal wheelchair with his bare gauntlets.[1] In the armor, Jacobs was taller and more imposing than an average human adult male, and Jacobs rarely removed it.[5] The armor exposed Jacobs' head and upper torso.[1]
Mainframe could control Jacobs' armor using remote servo-restraints, meaning that he could stop Jacobs in his tracks even in midair if Jacobs was jumping at that point (possibly by using a force field)[4] or decide what actions he Jacobs would take, causing the armor to move in directions Jacobs did not want.[4]
Before the smaller armor was available, Jacobs moved on a wheelchair and sometimes used a device available at Cybertek where he inserted his legs and allowed him to move in the facilities.[2]Notes
- Ben Jacobs' legs were inutilized and he moved using a wheelchair or other transportation technology. He is also lacking his left arm.[2] It has never been revealed for what reason Jacobs is disabled.
- Ben Jacobs sported a beard and short hair.[3] After leaving Cybertek, by the time he went to Paris, he had grown longer hair.[12]
See Also
- 11 appearance(s) of Ben Jacobs (Earth-616)
- 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Ben Jacobs (Earth-616)
- 11 image(s) of Ben Jacobs (Earth-616)
- 1 quotation(s) by or about Ben Jacobs (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #8
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 Deathlok #1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Marvel Comics Presents #62 ; "Test Run"
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #18
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #20
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #21
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Deathlok #2
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #17
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Deathlok #3
- ↑ Deathlok #4
- ↑ Deathlok (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #19
- ↑ Marvel Atlas #1 ; France's profile
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #1 ; Coldblood's profile