Ready, A.I.M., Fire!, Part 3

Sean Madigan is the son of MODOK (George Tarleton), the mad cybernetic leader of Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM). He doesn’t know much about his father, except for he and his mother, Linda, had an affair when they were both in college. When Linda became pregnant, George abandoned her and she raised Sean by herself. Tarleton, meanwhile, became a lowly technician working for AIM. They chose him to become their Mental Organism Designed Only for Computing (or MODOC) to be a living computer for their organization. Instead, he became MODOK, killing instead of computing, and took over AIM for himself.[1] Now, the process that created MODOK is slowly killing him and Sean has decided to send his father off with a bang. He has rigged MODOK up with a DNA bomb that is primed to go off and dumped him in the middle of Times Square in New York.

When MODOK appears in the area, Iron Man (Tony Stark) issues a level three emergency and asks all Avengers to come to New York immediately. Getting the message is Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers), Wonder Man (Simon Williams), and her Operation: Lightning Storm team. They have just captured AIM’s Scientist Supreme Monica Rappaccini, but the DNA bomb slipped out of their hands. They fly their mini-carrier to New York where Carol and Simon head to the ground to get a sit-rep. They are horrified to learn that Sean Madigan loaded the DNA bomb into MODOK and primed it to go off. When MODOK spots Carol he approaches her and begins to laugh manically. Ms. Marvel then orders the area to be evacuated immediately before the bomb goes off and kills everyone in range. With no time to lose, Ms. Marvel grabs MODOK and flies high into the air just as the bomb is going off.

Meanwhile, back aboard the mini-carrier, Monica Rappaccini has deduced that Agent Banes is the spy working with Sean Madigan. When Banes tries to deny this, Monica uses her shackles to club her over the head. She then grabs Banes’ sidearm and fatally shoots her so she can escape and have a talk with her boss.

At the same time, the DNA Bomb begins painfully transforming Carol’s body as she carries it out of harm’s way. That’s when the voices she has been hearing in dreams begin talking about how this will kill them as it will kill her. As Ms. Marvel tosses MODOK into the upper-atmosphere, she begins screaming in pain as the alien voices take control and try to undo the damage being done to her body.[2] As Wonder Man catches her out of the sky, Carol has mostly returned to normal. She has blue skin and red glowing eyes and is speaking in an alien voice, talking about repairing damage to her DNA code. Simon is shocked to hear this and races her back to the Lightning Storm mini-carrier to have the doctor on board look at her. By the time they are on the ship, Carol is back to normal, but she suddenly vomits blood and blacks out.

Meanwhile, Sean Madigan is issuing a video message to all members of Advanced Idea Mechanics. He explains his whole plot and his desire to break AIM up into smaller terror cells to cause as much carnage and destruction as possible. However, he is shot right between the eyes by Monica Rappacini mid-rant, ending his ambitions before they can even begin.

One week later, Carol is still recovering and thinking about how her last mission went very poorly. Sean Mordigan is missing and presumed dead, MODOK has also gone missing but she hardly believes that he died in the explosion.[3] Meanwhile, AIM has splintered as Madigan hoped with infighting happening all over. Monica Rappacinni has managed to seize control of one quarter of the organization. SHIELD confirmed that Agent Banes was the spy in their group, and Carol has asked that this not be revealed and that she be buried with full honors. Carol attended the funeral and was the one who handed Banes’ mother the American flag. As for Agent Locke, the injuries she sustained in Seattle has put her on indefinite medical leave. Carol wants to go, but with her Locke’s psi-powers gone, she isn’t sure she’d be happy to see her.[4] Medical scans show that there is nothing wrong with her and that she is in perfect health, which frustrates her. The only positive thing is that Agent Sum has insisted as remaining a part of Operation: Lightning Storm, and Carol is glad to have him even though she has questions as to the nature of his superhuman abilities.[5]

Still, regardless of these set backs, she refuses to give up and keep on trying to do the best she can. This is made harder because William Wagner — the man she has been on a few dates with — has ghosted on her and she doesn’t know why.[6] When Simon comes to talk to her, Carol suggests that he takes a few days off. Since she doesn’t want to talk about the kiss they shared he decides to give her space.[7] Carol then cuddles her cat Chewie and rhetorically asks when things will get easier.

Meanwhile, at a secret AIM laboratory, some operatives have used Targoth technology to rebuild Sean Madigan as a cyborg — like father, like son. The experiment is a success and they decide to call him Head Case after the glass cylinder that contains Sean’s skull.[8]

Recurring Characters

Ms. Marvel, Operation: Lightning Storm (Agents Banes, Locke, and Dave Sum), Wonder Man, AIM (MODOK, Monica Rappaccini, Head Case), Iron Man, William Wagner, Chewie

Continuity Notes

1. The basic origins for MODOK were originally told in Tales of Suspense #94. However, there are conflicting accounts as to what Tarleton’s role was within AIM prior to his transformation. This story states that he was a lowly technician, while Captain America #120 and The Marvels #3 depict him as a highly skilled scientist. Conversely, MODOK: Head Games #4 depicts George as being unintelligent and that he was hired as AIM’s janitor. For more on this, see below.

2. Carol has been hearing these strange voices in her dreams in Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #6 and 10. As will be explained in issue #21, she has been linked to Cru, and alien warrior she fought in Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #1-3.

3. Carol’s bet would prove to be correct. MODOK does indeed survive, chronologically he appears next in flashbacks in Incredible Hulk #600 and Fall of the Hulks: Red Hulk #3. Publication wise, he’ll be back in Super-Villain Team-Up: MODOK’s Eleven #1-5.

4. Agent Locke’s mind was severely damaged by a neural disruptor beam last issue.

5. We never get clear answers about Agent Sum. In Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #26 we learn that he has been alive since at least the 13th century and not much else.

6. Carol first met Wagner in Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #9 and they have gone on two dates in issues #11 and 15. Last issue, Sarah Day (Carol’s publicist) dug up dirt on William and told him she would expose his secrets if he continued dating Carol. In issue #25 we’ll learn that he was a Kree sleeper agent.

7. When Simon was mentally controlled by MODOK, Carol kissed him to snap him out of it. This also happened last issue.

8. As of this writing (May, 2024), this is the last we see of Head Case. His subsequent fate is unknown. The Targoths are genetically engineered soldiers that AIM created for the Sloranean army. See War Machine #14 and Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #11-12.

Topical References

• Carol refers to MODOK as Mr. Potato Head, a children’s toy that was first made in 1952. Originally, children would place plastic parts on a real potato to make it look like a goofy person. But you know, potatoes rot and push pins are dangerous so complaints and toy regulations forced toymaker Hasbro to make a plastic version instead. It has been a staple of children’s toys ever since. However, this wouldn’t necessarily be a topical reference as it would be hard to find a more contemporary example and the joke still working.

Conflicting MODOK Backstories

This issue like all prior versions of MODOK’s origins state that George Tarleton was a low ranking AIM technician. However, MODOK: Head Games #4 states that George was developmentally delayed and was hired as a janitor by his father, Alvin, who claims created AIM to begin with. These memories were revealed when they were downloaded into MODOK’s mind by Alvin. As such, their validity is questionable because they could have been false. Still, if Alvin really was the creator of AIM, then he’s a mad scientist. It’s not impossible to believe that the depiction of George as low functioning could be based on arrogant perceptions. As someone who allegedly created AIM, its entirely possible that seeing his son grow up to be a low level technician could be perceived by Alvin as such a disappointment that his views of his son in an uncharitable fashion. Perhaps this is less the absolute truth and more how Alvin perceives his son. It’s not a stretch to assume that Alvin would have higher aspirations for his son, given his supposed position.

The Initiative Reading Order

Civil War: The Initiative #1, Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #13, 14, 15, 16, 17, Thunderbolts #112, 113, 114, 115, Omega Flight #1-5, Moon Knight (vol. 3) #13, Captain America (vol. 5) #26, 27, 28, 29, 30, New Avengers #27, 28, 29, 30, 31, New Warriors (vol. 4) #1-8, Black Panther (vol. 4) #27, 28, 29, 30, Iron Man: Agent of SHIELD #15, 16, 17, 18, Avengers: The Initiative #1, 2, 3, Fantastic Four #547, 548, 549, 550, Punisher: War Journal (vol. 2) #6-11, Mighty Avengers #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Sub-Mariner (vol. 2) #1-6, The Order (vol. 2) 1-4, Penance: Relentless #1, 2, 3, 4, 5