Human Machine

The greatest mechanism ever assembled: The Human Machine. And you will be at the heart of it.

The Human Machine is an extraordinary, evolving device that explores and realizes the full potential of man.^[1]^[2] The Brotherhood of the Shield used it to stop the terrible ambition of Sir Isaac Newton: the end of the world in 2060 AD. After being perfected by Michelangelo, it was able to ascend Leonid, the Source of the Machine.^[3]

History

Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind. So we must stretch ourselves to the very limits of human possibility. Anything less is a sin against both God and man.

—Unidentified author^[src]

Michelangelo Buonarroti (Earth-616), Leonardo da Vinci (Earth-616), and Human Machine from S.H.I.E.L.D — Michelangelo giving Leonardo da Vinci the Human Machine

The exact origin of the Human Machine is unknown but it is hinted to be a creation of Michelangelo, the Forever Man.^[4]^[3] The omnitemporal Michelangelo recruited individuals that would be part of the Human Machine thoughout human history and orchestrated the events that would have them all gather in 1960.^[5]^[6]^[4]^[6]^[7]

Leonardo da Vinci (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D — Leonardo da Vinci arriving at 1956 with the Human Machine

Leonardo da Vinci, the patriach of the Brotherhood of the Shield, was given the Human Machine by Michelangelo in 1502,^[4] as well as the knowledge of Leonid and future events.^[5] Leonardo was already planning to go to the future to investigate the Sun;^[8] Michelangelo gave Leonardo several additional tasks he would have to complete before he leaves in order to save the world, including the building of the Immortal City and Iter, a door through space and time that cannot be opened, except with a special key.^[4] Once Leonardo's time-travelling, spacefaring suit was complete, he ventured off to the future in 1503 with the Human Machine in hand. He arrived at 1956 where he met Leonid, who had just opened Iter with the key.^[8]

Sir Isaac Newton observing the Human Machine

Leonardo and Leonid brought the Human Machine to the High Council of the Shield, and Leonardo confronted the Shield's new master, Sir Isaac Newton. Following this, Leonardo told Leonid to rescue Nostradamus from Newton's dungeon, another component of the Human Machine.^[6] From 1956 to 1960, the Human Machine grew increasingly more complex while the conflict between Leonardo, who believed in the Brotherhood's old ways of free will and human potential, and Newton, who believed in fate and the end of the world, escalated.^[9]

Michelangelo Buonarroti (Earth-616) and Human Machine from S.H.I.E.L.D — Michelangelo perfecting the Human Machine

Brotherhood of the Shield (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D — The Height of Modernity, 2060

After Newton escaped to 2060 AD, the year the world would end according to his Quiet Math, the Star Child found Newton's equations, went mad, and also went to 2060.^[10] The Brotherhood of the Shield retrieved the Last Caliphate, whom had been hidden at the request of Michelangelo, and assembled all the human components of the now enormous Human Machine. After going inside, Leonid activated the Human Machine with Michelangelo, the Last Caliphate, Howard Stark, Nikola Tesla, Mina, Nathaniel Richards, and Nostradamus beside him, while Leonardo da Vinci stayed behind. Travelling across time and timelines, they arrived at three different versions of 2060 simultaneously: a lush paradise ("The Rebirth of Man"), a technological utopia ("The Height of Modernity"), and a desolate wasteland ("The End of the World"). Newton assaulted them across all three timelines, with the Star Child by his side.^[11]

As the Brotherhood fought Newton and the Star Child, Michelangelo was perfecting the Human Machine in the background. Although most of Leonid's party got wiped out, Michelangelo completed the Human Machine and led Leonid inside it. The three Leonids across the three simultaneous timelines collapsed into one; Leonid teleported the surviving Michelangelo and Newton inside the womb of the deceased Celestial Modonna by the Sun and emerged out of the Human Machine as an ascended god-like entity.^[3]

Human Machine from S.H.I.E.L.D — The Human Machine's return

After easily subduing Newton, he offered him and Michelangelo the solution to appease both their respective philosophies. By collapsing time into a single forever moment, there was no separation between fate and free will, where all of man's choices were of his own making and the result of those choices is a destiny that he was always going to achieve. It would be a united, evolving history that would constantly rewrite itself, not to serve a singular truth but a greater universal one. When both parties accepted the proposal, Leonid made it so and restored everyone. He gifted his father and the Star Child with a second doomed Earth, destined to end as Newton desired. Meanwhile, on Leonid's Earth, the Brotherhood found themselves in present-day Italy and were welcomed by Leonardo da Vinci.^[2]

Human Components[]

While the Human Machine is powered by Leonid, it has many other human components divided into seven sections:^[11]

ONE: Leonardo da Vinci - The Anchor. The Sacrifice. The Man left behind. The Builder.
TWO: Michelangelo - The Engine. The Drive. Total Illumination. The Agent of Destiny.
THREE: Last Caliphate - The Navigator. What is, what has come before, and what we will be. The Last Caliphate.
FOUR: Leonid - The Source. The Water in the Well. The Generator. Hope.
FIVE: Howard Stark - The Mechanism. The Short End of All Possibility. Practical Application. The Work.
SIX: Nikola Tesla - The Conduit. The Change in Medium. The Measurement of Progress.
SEVEN: Nathaniel Richards & Nostradamus - The Path. The Death of Chaos. The Single Portion. Tomorrow.

Section ONE (Leonardo da Vinci) is not physically part of the Human Machine. Section THREE (the Last Caliphate) has three separate nodes. Section SEVEN (Nathaniel Richards & Nostradamus) has one node that can fit two people. In total, the Human Machine uses nine individuals (including Leonardo).^[11] However, it only needs Leonid to ascend him.^[12]

Stages[]

The Human Machine is unique in that it evolves over time, seemingly on its own or with the assistance of Michelangelo.^[9]^[13] It started developing when Leonardo da Vinci brought it to the Brotherhood of the Shield after time travelling to 1956,^[6] as it did not appear to go through any changes when Leonardo had it from 1502 to 1503.^[4]^[8] After four years, the Human Machine dramatically increased in both size and complexity, and it "flickered to life" in 1960.^[9]

Capabilities[]

The Human Machine has one purpose...exploring potential. [...] I have become the full measure of man--the pure potential of the Human Machine.

—Leonid^[src]

The Brotherhood of the Shield used the Human Machine to travel to three different possible futures of 2060 AD simultaneously in order to chase Isaac Newton and the Star Child. It is not clear if this is an inherent power of the Machine or if the Machine was utilizing its various human components, many of whom have temporal powers (Nathaniel Richards, Michelangelo, the Last Caliphate, and Nostradamus). The Machine travelled through both time and alternate timelines before arriving at its triple concurrent destinations.^[11]

Leonid (Earth-616) and Human Machine from S.H.I.E.L.D — Ascending Leonid

Leonid (Earth-616) from S.H.I.E.L.D — Leonid

After Michelangelo finished perfecting the Human Machine, he brought Leonid to it and had him enter it. Leonid described the Machine as intuitive. It ascended him into a godlike being that could collapse all of time, including alternate timelines, into a single moment and could seemingly alter the flow of time forevermore. Leonid was able to create a second Earth bound by fate to gift his father Newton and the radicalized Star Child. He gained cosmic awareness, the ability to teleport across space and time, invinciblity, and incredible command over matter, energy, space, and time. Also, he reversed the deaths of everyone who had died in the battle against Newton.^[12]

Trivia

The Source of the Human Machine, Leonid, is only half-human. He is half-Deviant.^[4]

Links and References

References

↑ S.H.I.E.L.D. #1–2
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #6
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #4–6
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 ^4.4 ^4.5 S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #1
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 S.H.I.E.L.D. #2
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 ^6.3 S.H.I.E.L.D. #4
↑ S.H.I.E.L.D.: Infinity #1
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 S.H.I.E.L.D. #1
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 S.H.I.E.L.D. #5
↑ S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #2–3
↑ ^11.0 ^11.1 ^11.2 ^11.3 S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #4
↑ ^12.0 ^12.1 S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #5–6
↑ S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #5

[SHIELD_Vol_1_1-2-1] S.H.I.E.L.D. #1–2

[SHIELD_Vol_2_6-2] 2.0 ^2.1 S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #6

[SHIELD_Vol_2_4-6-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #4–6

[SHIELD_Vol_2_1-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 ^4.4 ^4.5 S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #1

[SHIELD_Vol_1_2-5] 5.0 ^5.1 S.H.I.E.L.D. #2

[SHIELD_Vol_1_4-6] 6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 ^6.3 S.H.I.E.L.D. #4

[SHIELD_Infinity_Vol_1_1-7] S.H.I.E.L.D.: Infinity #1

[SHIELD_Vol_1_1-8] 8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 S.H.I.E.L.D. #1

[SHIELD_Vol_1_5-9] 9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 S.H.I.E.L.D. #5

[SHIELD_Vol_2_2-3-10] S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #2–3

[SHIELD_Vol_2_4-11] 11.0 ^11.1 ^11.2 ^11.3 S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #4

[SHIELD_Vol_2_5-6-12] 12.0 ^12.1 S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #5–6

[SHIELD_Vol_2_5-13] S.H.I.E.L.D. (Vol. 2) #5

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