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Encyclopedia > Guardsman (comics)

Guardsman was the name of a superhero in the Marvel Universe, but was later applied to a small squad of agents. He/they wear suits of power armor while working security at the Vault; the suits were designed by Tony Stark, better known as the superhero Iron Man. For the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode, see Super Hero (Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode). ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Powered armor (also mechanized, battle, personal armor and suits) is a science fiction concept referring to a type of armored self-powered exoskeleton that is typically intended for use in battle, construction and survival in dangerous enviroments. ... The Vault is the widely used nickname of a defunct prison facility for super-human criminals (predominantly supervillains) in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Iron Man (Anthony Tony Edward Stark) is a fictional comic-book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ...

Contents

Guardsman (Kevin O'Brien)

Guardsman


The Guardsman armor Image File history File links Guardsman. ...

Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Iron Man #31 (Nov 1970)
Created by Allyn Brodsky and Don Heck
Characteristics
Alter ego Kevin O'Brien
Affiliations Stark Industries
Abilities Powered armor grants:
Superhuman strength and physical resistance,
Flight,
Repulsor rays

Marvel Comics (Stan Lee is behind many of the superheros) is an American comic book line published by Marvel Publishing, Inc. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... Iron Man (Anthony Tony Edward Stark) is a fictional comic-book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Don Heck (January 2, 1929-1995) was a comic book artist best known for co-creating the character Iron Man, and for his long run penciling The Avengers in the 1960s. ... Stark Industries- the home base for Tony Starks operations. ...

Fictional character biography

The first Guardsman was Kevin O'Brien. He was an engineer working for the newly-opened Lakani Island plant of Stark Industries who came to the attention of Tony Stark when he invented a stun-ray that managed to harmlessly disperse a crowd of violent protestors. Stark invited O'Brien to transfer to Stark's main plant on Long Island, New York, and he accepted. Despite a careless streak that once caused the laboratory he was working in to explode, he became a close friend of Stark, and was soon appointed head of Stark's research department. On several occasions, O'Brien assisted Stark and his supposed bodyguard Iron Man (really Stark himself), notably against the Spymaster and his assistants the Espionage Elite, saving Stark's life on more than one occasion. Stark then decided to reveal to O'Brien that he was secretly Iron Man, and to build for him a second suit of armor for use in the event of an emergency. That emergency came a short time later, when Iron Man and his girlfriend Marianne Rogers were taken captive by the superhuman madman Mikas the Soulfather. Putting on the armor before it was fully tested, O'Brien fell prey to a malfunction in the cybernetic circuitry controlling the armor which apparently stimulated the regions of the brain where rage and jealousy originate. Spymaster is a supervillian from Marvel Comics. ...


O'Brien found himself seized with sudden attraction for Stark's girlfriend Marianne Rogers, and became extremely jealous of Stark's power, looks and fortune. At the same time Simon Gilbert, then chairman of the board of Stark Industries' stockholders, grew alarmed that Stark was moving out of munitions production and mapped strategies with the board to seize controlling interest in the firm from its principal stockholder, Stark himself. O'Brien, clad in armor and calling himself the Guardsman, offered to aid the board in their plot against Stark. As a show of support, he agreed to quell a protest rally outside the plant. The Guardsman aimed his repulsor rays at the crowd, injuring four protestors. Sickened by what he did, O'Brien turned on the renegade board members, roughing them up. But seeing Tony Stark with Marianne Rogers caused him to once again become unbalanced and he went outside to vent his rage on the growing crowd of protestors. Stark donned his Iron Man armor and engaged the Guardsman in battle to prevent him from doing more damage. Losing, the Guardsman sought refuge in an experimental tank. In an attempt to stop him without hurting him, Iron Man trained his repulsor rays on the vehicle and accidentally hit its fuel supply. The tank exploded, killing O'Brien. The phrase Chairman of the Board has several meanings: Chairman of the Board is the term used to denote the leader of a corporations board of directors. ...


Other Guardsmen

  • Other known Guardsmen working at the Vault besides the O'Briens include Curtis Elkins aka Sentry and Scott Washington aka Hybrid. Many of the other members of the vigilante group The Jury were also former Guardsmen working at the Vault.

Sentry (real name Curtis Elkins) is a member of a band of armored vigilantes named The Jury. ... // Curtis Elkins was a Guardsman at the Vault a prison for super powered criminals. ... Hybrid is a fictional antihero of the Marvel Universe. ... The Jury is a fictional group of armored vigilantes in the marvel comics universe. ...

Guardsman (Michael O'Brien)

Guardsman
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Iron Man #82 (Jan 1976)
(as Guardsman II) Iron Man #97
Created by Len Wein and Herb Trimpe
Characteristics
Alter ego Michael O'Brien
Affiliations Avengers
Iron Man
The Vault
Project: Pegasus
Abilities Powered armor grants:
Superhuman strength and physical resistance,
Flight,
Repulsor rays

Marvel Comics (Stan Lee is behind many of the superheros) is an American comic book line published by Marvel Publishing, Inc. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... Iron Man (Anthony Tony Edward Stark) is a fictional comic-book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Len Wein (born June 12, 1948, New York City, New York) is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics Swamp Thing and for reviving Marvel Comics X-Men. ... The Incredible Hulk #181 (Nov. ... The Avengers are a fictional superhero team that appear in the Marvel Universe. ... Iron Man (Anthony Tony Edward Stark) is a fictional comic-book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The Vault is the widely used nickname of a defunct prison facility for super-human criminals (predominantly supervillains) in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Cover to The Project Pegasus Saga TPB Project: Pegasus is a fictional scientific base in the Marvel Comics universe which has been the location of a variety of stories for superheroes and supervillains, most notably in the title Marvel Two-in-One. ...

Fictional character biography

Michael O'Brien was born in Chicago, Illinois. Some months after his brother Kevin's death, when the details of the incident came to public light, Michael, a sergeant on the New York City police force, decided that the official investigation exonerating Iron Man's actions was a cover-up. Reopening the investigation without official sanction, O'Brien confronted Stark, interrogated several of his employees, and finally hired an unscrupulous private investigator to get him inside the Long Island plant. There O'Brien located the Guardsman armor and put it on, determined to use it to bring Iron Man to justice. However, the malfunction in the cybernetic circuitry that affected his brother also affected Michael's brain and he flew into a rage seeking to kill Iron Man. Iron Man confronted his attack and finally convinced him that the armor was causing him to act insanely. Stark took O'Brien into custody rather than press criminal charges, hoping to convince the man of his innocence in Kevin's death. While Stark worked on a new set of armor, the Japanese mutant Sunfire attacked the plant. Stark was unable to put on his new armor since it had not yet cooled, and unable to find any of his spare suits of armor since a saboteur had stolen them. Hence he was forced to put on the Guardsman armor to fight off Sunfire. O'Brien witnessed Stark's heroic attempts to save lives over a video monitor, aware that Stark was risking a major heart attack by the strenuous activity. Escaping confinement, O'Brien decided he was wrong about Stark and determined to help him by donning the now-cooled Iron Man armor. Thus clad, he was mistaken for the real Iron Man and kidnapped by the Mandarin. Stark discovered an old set of Iron Man armor that the saboteur had overlooked and went to China to rescue O'Brien. Upon rescuing him, Stark chose to reveal his true identity to O'Brien before he went off to battle the Mandarin. O'Brien flew back to New York where he took custody of the Guardsman armor once more. Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... Sunfire (Shiro Yoshida )) is a Marvel Comics superhero,and former member of the X-Men. ... The Mandarin is a Marvel Comics supervillain and archenemy of Iron Man. ...


After Iron Man defeated the Mandarin, Stark fixed the malfunction in the Guardsman armor's circuitry so it was safe to wear. Michael O'Brien was determined to use the armor to vindicate both his brother's and his own senseless actions. When Stark International was taken over by the criminal Midas, the Guardsman joined with a number of Stark's other friends and allies to battle Midas's men. He was turned to gold by Midas's power, but was later restored to flesh. Having quit the police force, O'Brien interviewed for the position of security director at Project: Pegasus, the government energy research facility, after its previous director, Quasar, quit. With a high recommendation by Tony Stark, O'Brien got the job. Some time later, while guarding the Project, O'Brien's Guardsman armor was damaged in a battle with the subhuman Lava Men. It was later repaired at the Project's expense. O'Brien, as the Guardsman, has been living and working full-time in the Project since his appointment and has performed his duties capably. In Greek mythology, Midas (in Greek, Μιδας, often referred as King Midas) is popularly remembered for his ability to turn everything he touched into gold: the Midas touch. Midas was king[1] of Pessinus, a city of Phrygia, who as a child was adopted by the king Gordias and Cybele, goddess... Cover to The Project Pegasus Saga TPB Project: Pegasus is a fictional scientific base in the Marvel Comics universe which has been the location of a variety of stories for superheroes and supervillains, most notably in the title Marvel Two-in-One. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Subterranea is a fictional realm beneath the earths surface in the Marvel Comics universe. ...


Powers and abilities

Both Guardsman wore powered armor designed by Tony Stark. The Guardsman armor gave the wearer superhuman strength allowing the operator to lift 40 tons under optimal conditions (for about 3 minutes). The armor's high-carbon steel alloy mesh and radiation shielding also offers protection from most ballistic and even energy weapons. The armor can fly via boot jets at a maximum speed of 250 mph for 3 hours, and contains 30 minutes air supply for submersion or high altitude flight.


Each palm of the Guardsman armor contains a charged ion "repulsor ray" emitter capable of 45 seconds continuous discharge at a range of 40 feet before irregularities in plasma cone diffuse the beam.


External links


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