George Tarleton was a lowly but smart technician for Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) and was part of the team that created the Cosmic Cube. A.I.M.’s ruthless pursuit of scientific advancement led George to be transformed into M.O.D.O.K. (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing). M.O.D.O.K. is one of the more visually fascinating characters as the experiments resulted in having a massively oversized head (a side-effect of his super intelligence) and a body bound to a life support system ironically called a “Doomsday Chair.”
M.O.D.O.K.’s intelligence is matched only by his outlandish ambition and murderous tendencies, exemplified by his early career and his clashes against some of Marvel’s premier heroes. In recent years, M.O.D.O.K. has been uniquely positioned with his super intelligence being seen more as a commodity, making his bristling personality cast him as the outlandish foil for some of Marvel’s (almost) equally outlandish heroes.
Related Reading Orders:
Enter the M.O.D.O.K.
Collects: Captain America (1968) #133, Incredible Hulk (1968) #287-290, Super-Villain Team-Up: M.O.D.O.K.’s 11 #1-5, Fantastic Four: Ataque del M.O.D.O.K.!, Marvel Adventures the Avengers #9, M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin #1-5, material from Tales of Suspense (1959) #93-94, Iron Man Annual #4.
Tales of Suspense #93-94 cover your initial appearances of M.O.D.O.K.
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MARVEL MASTERWORKS: Captain America, Vol. 4
Collects: Captain America (1968) #114-124.
M.O.D.O.K. creates a maybe too perfect android version of Bucky in an attempt to trip up Captain America.
Sub-Mariner Masterworks Vol. 6: The Sub-Mariner Volume 6
Collects: Sub-Mariner (1968) #39-49 and Daredevil (1964) #77.
Namor and Doctor Doom team up against M.O.D.O.K. – that’s when you know you are onto something good when those two put aside their massive egos.
Incredible Hulk Masterworks Vol. 9: The Incredible Hulk Volume 9
Collects: Incredible Hulk (1968) #157-170.
M.O.D.O.K dons a giant robot battle suit and attempts to crush the Hulk. This is unsuccessful. He also torments Betty Ross into becoming a Harpy which I guess you could say is kind of successful.
Collects: Iron Man (1968) #68-81.
M.O.D.O.K. is drawn into the “War of the Super Villains”.
Head back up to M.O.D.O.K.: Head Trips and read Incredible Hulk (1968) #287-290 and meet Ms. M.O.D.O.K.
Captain America: Serpents Unite!
Collects: Captain America (1968) #163, #310, #313 and #315.
The assassination of M.O.D.O.K. by the cowards in the Serpent Society.
Taking AIM (Surprisingly uncollected!)
Would collects: Captain America (1968) #441 and Avengers #367-368.
AIM finally gets around to resurrecting M.O.D.O.K.
Martha Marcy May M.O.D.O.K.
M.O.D.O.K. had a generally uneventful nine-year stretch from his 1995 resurrection until 2004. The US Government could not leave well enough alone.
Captain America & The Falcon by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection
Collects: Captain America (1968) #163, #310, #313 and #315.
The US Navy sees M.O.D.O.K. as a potential asset but only after lobotomizing him. M.O.D.O.K. responds by trying to turn himself into a virus while also body-swapping with a member of a cartel. He also mass-murders a bunch of A.I.M. Agents.
Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. Volume 2 – I Kick Your Face (2007)
Collects: Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. #7-12.
This book implies the existence of either an entire race of M.O.D.O.K.s, or else a potentially infinite amount of the one and only. The only thing we know for certain is that Elvis is clearly involved. I think I’m having a stroke.
Captain Marvel: Carol Danvers – The Ms. Marvel Years Vol. 1
Collects: Giant-Size Ms. Marvel #1, Ms. Marvel (2006) #1-17, Ms. Marvel Special #1.
M.O.D.O.K.’s body starts to fail as AIM splinters around him.
Head back up to M.O.D.O.K.: Head Trips and read Super-Villain Team-Up: M.O.D.O.K.’s 11 #1-5. M.O.D.O.K. assumes the George Clooney role for an Ocean’s 11 type heist. The Ocean’s 11 comparisons stop there as M.O.D.O.K.’s goal to steal a power source from a future version of himself. Also no Elliot Gould.
Also check out Fantastic Four: Ataque del M.O.D.O.K.! from M.O.D.O.K.: Head Trips to see M.O.D.O.K. create A.I.Monkeys because why not. M.O.D.O.K. is the best.
Incredible Hulks: Fall of the Hulks
Collects: Fall Of The Hulks: Alpha, Incredible Hulk (1968) #601-608 And Material From #600, Dark Reign: The List – Hulk, Fall Of The Hulks: Red Hulk #1-4, M.O.D.O.K.: Reign Delay, And Fall Of The Hulks: M.O.D.O.K.
It’s all hands on deck during the events of Fall of the Hulks, including all of Marvel’s big brains like M.O.D.O.K. The villain’s journey of detached awareness leading his apocalypse rocker to the next stage of destiny for such a strange, wonderful character: he moves back with his parents.
Collects: Hulk #25-30.
M.O.D.O.K. is transformed back into his original state: a traumatized George Tarleton. Meanwhile, M.O.D.O.K. Superior goes online.
The Very Model of a Modern Major M.O.D.O.K.
Secret Avengers Vol. 3: How to MA.I.M. a Mockingbird
Collects: Secret Avengers (2013) #12-16.
M.O.D.O.K.: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Secret Avengers Vol. 1: Let’s Have A Problem
Collects: Secret Avengers (2013) #12-16.
Secret Avengers Vol. 2: The Labyrinth
Collects: Secret Avengers (2014) #6-10.
Secret Avengers Vol. 3: God Level
Collects: Secret Avengers (2014) #11-15.
Gwenpool, The Unbelievable Vol. 1: Believe It
Collects: Unbelievable Gwenpool #0-4.
M.O.D.O.K. forms a cabal of assassins — the “Agents of M.O.D.O.K.” — who struggle to deal with Gwenpool.
West Coast Avengers Vol. 1: Best Coast
Collects: West Coast Avengers (2018) #1-4, Young Avengers Presents #6, and Gwenpool The Unbelievable #1.
West Coast Avengers Vol. 2: City Of Evils
Collects: West Coast Avengers (2018) #5-10.
I want to introduce everyone to BRODOK (Bio-Robotic Organism Designed Overwhelmingly for Kissing).
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 12: To All The Squirrels I’ve Loved Before
Collects: Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (2015B) #47-50.
Ryan North’s terrific Squirrel Girl run wraps up with M.O.D.O.K. serving as our big bad.
Collects: M.O.D.O.K. Head Games #1-?
A new series featuring the artwork of artist Scott Hepburn and written by Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt (the showrunners for Hulu’s animated M.O.D.O.K. series.)
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