History
Doctor Doom designed this metallic bracelet to use it on superpowered prisoners. When the device was cuffed around a captive's wrist and that person tried to use any kind of superpower, then the device released electric impulses causing intense pain on the victim's body.[2][1][3] Only people with great willpower were able to resist this pain and use their skills. Doom had not less than twelve units available at Castle Doom.[3]
Doctor Doom's clone once used these device on three of the Fantastic Four: Human Torch, Invisible Girl and the Thing; the fourth member, Mr. Fantastic, had lost his powers at that point and could only help by identifying the technology; besides, he was quickly relocated. Both the Thing and the Torch proved unable to overcame the pain. The Invisible Girl, however, was able to sabotage the shackle with a very thin force field and the exact pressure. Once free herself, she released her partners from the shackles. Unfortunately, when they tried to escape their cell, they were recaptured by Doom himself.[2]
Doom restrained them with different bindings[4] but resumed the Electronic Shackles when taking them to Latveria, where the Thing again tried vainly to overcome the shackles. He removed the Shackles when leading the priosners to a Power Transference Machine.[1]Trivia
- The book Machines of Doom #1 mistakenly lists this item's first appearance as Fantastic Four #198, while it was really Fantastic Four #196
- While Machines of Doom Vol 1 1 describes the device as a wrist-sized band, its appearance in Fantastic Four #198 is much bigger, holding both wrists of the Thing together.