Ian Wajler is a cybernetic technopath mercenary who initially worked for Cybertek Systems, Inc. as a private contractor. Wajler developed the so-called Mainframe a remote technology to coordinate Cybertek technology, and eventually other technology, and in turn adopted Mainframe as his own alias. Cybertek head Harlan Ryker sent Mainframe to capture Deathlok, a Cybertek-built cyborg gone rogue, but Mainframe failed and was sent to prison; Cybertek was then dismantled due to its illegalities. Using his powers to control the security systems and escape the Vault, Mainframe then allied with former Cybertek weapon designer Ben Jacobs and gave Jacobs an armor to bypass the later's physical disabilities. Mainframe and Jacobs tried to control Deathlok and use it as a weapon for hire, but Deathlok recovered control and Jacobs proved too instable to be trusted in combat. Mainframe then allied with several former Cybertek workers in an operation in Paris to build an army of Cyberwarriors, cyborgs to be sold to the highest bidder, but they were opposed by Deathlok and his allies Siege, the Wild Pack, SHIELD, and the cyborg Coldblood, some of whom had been sent by Roxxon Corporation claiming that the technology belonged to Roxxon. Siege apprehended Mainframe and sent him to jail again.
Mainframe eventually left prison again and began working for whoever paid him the most, including being Maggia's Silvermane's computer expert in the later's attempt to recover his power and prestige, and helping Silvermane transplant his mind to Deathlok's body. While Mainframe did copied Silvermane's mind in Deathlok's body, that copy was soon afterward erased by Deathlok. During that encounter, Mainframe was opposed by Daredevil, Spider-man and Scorpia; and, while Mainframe could control Scorpia's technology-based powers, he was knocked down by Daredevil and sent to prison.
History
Origin[]
Ian Wajler[1][2] became a human[3] cybernetic technopath[2] after developing the very advanced[3] remote servo-technology called Mainframe for Cybertek Systems, Inc.,[1] the applied cybernetics division owned by Roxxon Oil Corporation[7] where he worked as a private contractor.[1] Wajler's brain was implanted[2] with the Mainframe technology, and he was outfitted with state-of-the-art gear,[3] after which he adopted Mainframe as his own nom de guerre.[1] As a contractor, Mainframe also developed and performed field tests of heavy armaments in the robotics and cybernetics department of Cybertek.[2]
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In civilian clothes
Mainframe was called when Cybertek's important venture, the super-soldier cyborg Deathlok, turned rogue and left escaped the company.[1][2] Cybertek's Division Head Harlan Ryker's men tracked the fugitive weapon Deathlok to a Jesus Badalemente's home in Coney Island, near the amusement park. Ryker provided Mainframe with a team of agents equipped with Terminal Armor, Dragonfly flying vehicles and the SQ1 submarine, along with a van from which Mainframe coordinated the operation. Although Ryker wanted the public to not be aware of the operation, Mainframe staged a spectacular attack in a full-of-people amusement park, his concession to the orders being trying to kill journalists on site. However, Deathlok saved many lives and, along with Badalamente who grabbed a discarded high-tech rifle, destroyed Mainframe's weapons.[1] After his failure,[1][2] Mainframe was apprehended by the police[1] and sent to the maximum security prison of supervillains the Vault,[3] although Cybertek covered up their involvement.[1] Soon afterward, however, Ryker's and Cybertek's illegal dealings were proved, and Cybertek was disbanded,[8] with many of their assets and designs ending up in the hands of criminal organization AIM.[3]
Alliance with Ben Jacobs[]
Mainframe spent months in the Vault, honing his skills in seizing control of the security systems in order to escape. He also contacted Ben Jacobs,[3] a former weapons designer for Cybertek who had worked on the Deathlok project and who, like Mainframe, had been defeated and humiliated by Deathlok,[7] to propose him an alliance. Jacobs couldn't move his legs and had only one arm, so Mainframe tempted him by offering him technology that would allow him to walk and use two hands, in exchange for Jacobs modifying the Mainframe's cybercontrol circuitry. Eventually, Mainframe escaped from prison (although Deathlok was monitoring activities related to him and his other enemies, and was informed immediately), and met with Jacobs in an abandoned Brooklyn warehouse to give Jacobs his new armor. Mainframe convinced Jacobs to control Deathlok's actions between the two of them (Mainframe provided cybercontrol technology, and Jacobs modified it so it could override Deathlok's operating system), and then rent Deathlok out for money. Jacobs temporarily agreed, making it clear that he wanted to finish off Deathlok afterwards.[3]
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Controlling a Guardsman to escape the Vault
Mainframe knew that Deathlok was hiding out at Badalemente's,[3] who worked making props for the Coney Island amusement park.[1] Mainframe used his powers to control an animatronics dinosaur and turn it into a threat, and later did the same with a crane, with which he attacked Deathlok without caring about collateral damage. Deathlok found Mainframe and Jacobs, and tried to go after them, but when he came within Mainframe's range, Mainframe controlled Deathlok's technology and immobilized him long enough for Jacobs to insert a disk into Deathlok that would place Deathlok under Mainframe's control.[3]
Jacobs and Mainframe then attacked AIM Research Facility #13 in Stamford, Connecticut, with Mainframe in the rear controlling Deathlok's movements, and Jacobs wearing even larger armor with heavy weaponry. Mainframe wanted to get advanced designs and technology that AIM had, and Jacobs wanted to take the opportunity to get back at AIM for a previous offense. The attack was so brutal that the authorities (police, SWAT and Army Reserve) felt overwhelmed and did not intervene. During the attack, Mainframe observed that Deathlok did not use lethal force because Deathlok's organic brain, Michael Collins, had installed a "no killing" parameter in his software; Mainframe attempted to remove it, but Collins confronted Mainframe in cyberspace to stop him, and Collins eventually prevailed, regaining control of the cyborg and ejecting the disk from his arm. Jacobs, seeing the problem, attempted to deal with Deathlok by physically destroying him, and in the process pushed Mainframe to the ground and injured his arm; meanwhile, the Army intervened, seeing that Deathlok was facing the other enemies. Mainframe however wanted to stop Jacobs from harming the cyborg because Mainframe hoped to regain control over Deathlok, but Jacobs was dominated by his thirst for revenge; therefore, Mainframe, seeing the operation ruined, controlled Jacobs' armor with his powers and forced him to escape from Stamford, carrying Mainframe and using jets from his boots, leaving Deathlok behind. Jacobs insisted that he would get his revenge on Deathlok soon, with or without Mainframe's help.[3]
Cyberwarrior Paris operation[]
Several former Cybertek employees wanted in the US[9] (Stanley Cross, Dr. Hu, Ben Jacobs, Dr. Kimble, Harlan Ryker, Mainframe and others)[10] teamed up with cybernetics specialists in an illegal project to develop, build and sell cyborgs called Cyberwarriors as weapons, from a secret underground base under Paris, France, pre-selling the Cyberwarriors[9] to various criminal[4] and military interests.[5] Released on bail, Mainframe joined them.[11][12] When Mainframe entered the base, Jacobs recognized him and attempted to physically attack him, but Mainframe stopped the armor dead in its tracks before Ryker's eyes. Mainframe then used Jacobs to carry heavy loads, as he could not count on Jacobs to keep a cool head in combat.[4] Ryker also warned Mainframe that Deathlok would possibly track them down to stop their operation, so Mainframe should be prepared for that enemy.[13]
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Stopping Jacobs mid-air
Roxxon Oil Corporation, Cybertek's former parent company, claimed ownership of the technology used for the Cyberwarriors, and they sent Deathlok to stop the operation, promising to return him to his original body that was supposedly in Hu's hands in Paris; Roxxon also hired the cyborg bounty hunter Coldblood.[9] Around this time, John Kelly's mind reactivated as software that only Deathlok could hear; and Deathlok teamed up with Silver Sable and the Wild Pack. Together, Deathlok and the Pack attacked the Paris base, breaking into the warehouse where Jacobs and Mainframe were. Mainframe quickly summoned a squad of Cyberwarriors to face the outnumbering enemy, while Jacobs faced Deathlok. Sable watched Mainframe's green glow and correctly deduced that he was controlling the Cyberwarriors, so she attacked him, but Mainframe's force field protected her.[4] However, when Deathlok connected to a Cyberwarrior in an attempt to override its programming and Mainframe's control, Kelly took the opportunity to flee through cyberspace and take control of the Cyberwarrior. Mainframe initially believed that he was dealing with a defective Cyberwarrior. The battle was also turning against Mainframe's side, so he informed Ryker that the enemy was destroying Cyberwarriors, which were their stock for sale. Ryker and Mainframe agreed that they should withdraw to protect their assets; and once again, Mainframe forced Jacobs to do it. In their flight, they opened a breach that caused a flood coming from the Seine River. Although they lost several Cyberwarriors and the main base,[13] Mainframe and his allies regrouped at a secondary underground headquarters outside Paris, Cyberbase.[5]
At Cyberbase, Jacobs explained to Mainframe and the others that the rogue Cyberwarrior was controlled by Kelly's mind. Ryker and Mainframe, far from worrying about having a homicidal enemy, considered the commercial potential of being able to microchip a human essence, possibly a soul, for transplantation into a cyborg body. The base was then attacked first by Kelly,[5] who had adopted the alias Siege[13] and easily defeated Jacobs, then immediately afterwards Siege was joined by his new allies Deathlok and Coldblood. Mainframe activated the Cyberwarriors to protect his group, and in the meantime Ryker assassinated Hu and set off a bomb inside Deathlok which, when detonated, would trigger a nuclear explosion.[5] In the skirmish, Coldblood captured Mainframe, but Ryker and his Jacobs teleported away, leaving Mainframe and their other allies behind. Deathlok and his allies stopped the nuclear explosion and soon after Ryker and Jacobs were arrested by SHIELD.[14] Mainframe was sent back to prison [6]
Mercenary work for Maggia's Silvermane[]
Once Mainframe escaped prison, and as Cybertek's former members were no longer reliable employers, he became an open mercenary and computer specialist for hire.[2] He began working as a computer expert for Silvermane, an elderly cyborg crime boss and prominent figure of the organized crime syndicate Maggia.[15][16][6] Unhappy at his own cyborg body, Silvermane wanted to electronically transfer his mind to Deathlok's more powerful cyborg body, and Mainframe was the man to do that. Mainframe had indeed developed such technology, this being an achievement he was particularly proud of - yet he was still to test it. Mainframe stayed at Silvermane's New York City estate[6] while Silvermane's superpowered agents took steps to force Deathlok's surrender.[17] Silvermane then strapped Deathlok to an operation table and let Mainframe in; both Silvermane and Mainframe gloated in front of Deathlok; yet Silvermane's second-in-command Caesar Cicero threatened Mainframe with violence should Silvermane was killed in the operation. Unable to open Deathlok's hatches or to simply replace the organic parts, Mainframe did his job - but Collins' consciouness escaped to the cyberspace during the process, so it was not erased. Mainframe noticed that, due to evolutive changes made by Deathlok on his own operating system, Silvermane's mind was not transferred, but only copied on Deathlok; the original Silvermane would remain in a comatose state for months, but he would eventually wake up to find a second person with his same mind. Mainframe informed Cicero, who was unsure about what to think. Still, the process was successful and Silvermane woke up controlling Deathlok's body. At that point, the Estate was attacked by Punisher and, in another area, by Spider-man and Daredevil, the later two being kept on hold by Silvermane's agent Scorpia. Silvermane apparently made Punisher escape and then shot Scorpia down in a failed attempt to convince Spider-man and Daredevil that he was the real Deathlok.[6]
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Controlling Scorpia
Silvermane then visited the Wesely Foundation in New Jersey, with Mainframe, Cicero and two thugs on tow. Silvermane wanted to steal government secrets stored there and, once physical security was defeated, Silvermane ordered Mainframe to cut off other security and communications. Wesley agents were storing combat armors based on illegal AIM technology, and they tried to use them against the intruders, but Mainframe turned the armors against one another while Silvermane also enjoyed attacking them. However, Spider-man and Daredevil tracked Silvermane there, and Scorpia followed them, wanting to get even on Silvermane for his betrayal.[18] As Scorpia was using cybernetic enhancements, Mainframe took control of her actions,[18][15][16] mocking her as she was vocal about hating being under a man's control,[18] and turned Scorpia against Spider-man[18][15][16] while Silvermane escaped.[18] However, Daredevil knocked Mainframe down with his billy club, and that released Scorpia from his control.[18][15][16] Soon afterward, Collins recovered control over Deathlok's cyborg body, apparently erasing Silvermane's copied mind, and Daredevil apprehended Cicero, Mainframe and the other Maggiosi, turning them to the authorities - although Mainframe and the Maggiosi refused to confess any crime. Scorpia however escaped.[18]
Some time later, when Norman Osborn was creating H.A.M.M.E.R., an authority-approved law enforcement agency, he compiled a number of secret files written by the living computer Quasimodo, as a list of potential allies and/or enemies and their capacities. Quasimodo wrote a file on Mainframe, reporting his powers (by Quasimodo's assessment, relatively uncommon thus valuable), his past and his behavior, and recommending to hire him for non-overt operations to either take care of robot or cyborg enemies, or to work on new developments of advanced weapon technologies such as LMDs or Mandroids.[2]Personality
Attributes
Powers
Technopathy:[2] Mainframe is a cyborg, his brain implanted[2] with the most advanced remote servo-technology[3] developed by Mainframe himself,[1] outfitted by Cybertek Systems, Inc. with quality components, then evolved by weapon designer Ben Jacobs, not to mention that Mainframe himself improved his abilities with effort and practice.[3] With it, Mainframe can manipulate electronic devices from a distance,[2][3][6] using just the power of his mind to control each movement of the machine. This allows him to control inanimate machines,[3] such as advanced weaponry worn by a person[18] and combat armors,[3][18] but also cyborgs[3][2] and robots,[2] including sentient ones if he manages to override their operating systems.[3] As he is an expert engineer, he can also take over electronic-based systems, such as the security of a facility.[18] When using this power, a green glow surroundes parts of Mainframe's body,[4] and sometimes parts of the controlled machine.[3]
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In cyberspace
Mainframe must concentrate to use his power, but he is skilled enough to coordinate, at once, a multi-pronged attack made by several devices.[1] If Mainframe falls unconscious, however, his control over the machines dissipates immediately, and any controlled item is released.[18] If a sentient system (e.g. a cyborg) is controlled by Mainframe but manages to release itself, Mainframe suffers physical pain.[3]
Cyberspace Runner: Thanks to his cybernetic implants, Mainframe can connect to the cyberspace in a virtual reality-like environment, interacting with other cyberspace runners in an almost-physical way. As a cyberspace avatar, Mainframe is a better fighter than in the real world, as the conflict is based on his computing skills instead of his fighting prowess.[3]Abilities
Mainframe is an excellent developer of technology, being the main responsible behind the Cybertek Systems, Inc. remote servo-technology that allow him to control any device built by Cybertek Systems,[1] including Deathlok to some extent,[3] and to a lesser degree any other machine.[3][6] Nonetheless, some systems resist Mainframe's approach: He was unable to open Deathlok's hardware hatches even in the best conditions,[6] even if he could control cranes and automatons with ease.[3]
He was also able to develop a technology to electronically transfer a human mind (or more specifically a copy of a human mind) to another man's brain, at least under some circumstances. This process took time and required all of his attention.[6]
Mainframe has some detective skills that allowed him to discover Deathlok's hideout in Coney Island[3] - admittedly, it had been Deathlok's base of operation in their previous encounter,[1] but Deathlok may have abandoned it.
Apparently, Mainframe could drive a van, either manually or by controlling it, as he used one as his mobile base in Coney Island.[1]Weaknesses
Paraphernalia
Equipment
When working for Cybertek Systems, Inc., Mainframe had access to several of Cybertek's devices which he could control in a coordinated attack, including the Terminal Armor, the flying manned vehicles Dragonfly and the SQ1 Deep Sea Attack Craft.[1]
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Hovering platform
Transportation
While working for Cybertek Systems, Inc., he was provided a van to move around, as well as the SQ 1 Deep Sea Attack Craft, while on missions.[1]
Working in the Paris base, he used a hovering platform with a force field to move around.[4]Notes
- In Spider-Man: Power of Terror #3, Mainframe tells Deathlok "I told you I'd control your destiny again." This seems to be a reference to Deathlok Vol. 2 #8, where Mainframe controlled Deathlok, then Deathlok recovered and Mainframe said that "I could've gotten back in!" (referring to Deathlok's operating system) - but Deathlok was not in hearing range when Mainframe said this. During the Paris operation, Mainframe did not talk directly to Deathlok.
Trivia
See Also
- 8 appearance(s) of Ian Wajler (Earth-616)
- 2 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Ian Wajler (Earth-616)
- 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Ian Wajler (Earth-616)
- 10 image(s) of Ian Wajler (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 1.21 Deathlok #2
- ↑ 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 Dark Reign Files #1
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #8
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #18
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #20
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 Spider-Man: Power of Terror #3
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Deathlok #1
- ↑ Deathlok (Vol. 2) #1
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #17
- ↑ Marvel Atlas #1 ; France's profile
- ↑ All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #3 ; Deathlok (Collins)' profile
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #3 ; Deathlok (Collins)'s profile
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Deathlok (Vol. 2) #19
- ↑ Deathlok (Vol. 2) #21
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Spider-Man: Brand New Day Yearbook #1 ; Scorpia's profile
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #10 ; Scorpia's profile
- ↑ Spider-Man: Power of Terror #2
- ↑ 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 18.12 Spider-Man: Power of Terror #4