Damage Control Vol 1 1

On a Spring Day in Manhattan, Spider-Man, Thor, She-Hulk & Black Knight battle a gigantic humanoid robot built by the Tinkerer (apparently dubbed the Alternator Bug-Bot), capable of changing shape and size, as well as instantly repairing or reforming damaged parts. A Mr. John Porter -- now running late for his first day of work as Account Executive at Damage Control as a result of the heroes' battling with the Bug-Bot -- opts to walk the rest of the way, as a fallen building now blocks the main roads.

There at the Flatiron Building, Mr. Porter introduces himself to the secretary at the front desk, who points him in the direction of Mrs. Hoag's office. En route he runs into Thunderball (whom he mistakes for "Wrecking Ball"), who has come to check the company’s lost and found for his wrecking ball, which he had lost during a bank robbery. Afterward, Porter is shown around the building by a Mrs. Hoag, whereupon he meets Traffic Manager Robin Chapel (whose prospective position he had taken). Chapel shows him to his office. He meets with his first client, Robert Washington from the Port Authority, who is rather distraught over the fact that the aforementioned giant robot (now 3x its original size) had been toppled over and damaged the World Trade Center (which he designed).

Spider-Man, having located a control room inside the Alternator Bug-Bot’s head, has managed to temporarily disable the mechanical monstrosity. The Black Knight’s Ebony Blade and Thor's Mjolnir both prove ineffective in piercing the robot's metallic shell. Spider-Man remains trapped inside. Dr. Druid deduces that the Terrible Tinkerer had rebuilt the robot for a man named Virgil Starkwell in order to rob an auto show; the Avengers leave Spider-Man to pursue this lead.

Sometime later, Damage Control holds a meeting regarding the World Trade Center. Thereafter, Mr. Porter visits a man wearing mechanical stilts (named Gene) in a sub-basement beneath the Flatiron building. He explains to Porter that the robot “appears to use a sophisticated dimensional interface to store and retrieve mass.” and that “Felix the Cat’s magic bag works on a similar principle.” (As well as a number of superheroes’ powers) Meanwhile, another super battle has destroyed a warehouse; Damage Control is already on the scene. One of the repairmen discovers a glowing, green orb in the rubble which causes his muscles to grow “as if millions of cells were forming at incredible speed”. He then turns green and discovers that his “destiny lies elsewhere” and flies off into the sky, much to the dismay of his boss.

Twenty minutes later Porter, Gene & Damage Control Comptroller Albert Cleary arrive at the main disaster site to talk with Lenny Ballinger, head foreman for Damage Control Inc. to figure out how to get Spider-Man out of the robot’s head before demolishing it. Porter uses a device that tech expert Gene has created in order to reawaken the robot and walk it over to the road by remote control. He then commands the Bug-Bot to transform (by way of mass transfer via cross-dimensional shunt, one might surmise) into an automobile (more specifically a Volkswagen Beetle). Spider-Man pops out of the trunk and promptly makes his exit with a sling of his web. The Damage Control team then drives the ‘Alternator Bug-Bot car’ back to the Flatiron Building.

Notes

Takes place prior to the events of Avengers #294.

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References

Damage Control Vol 1 1

Appearing in "A Restoration Comedy!"

Synopsis for "A Restoration Comedy!"

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See Also

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