| Justin Hammer | |
|---|---|
 Justin Hammer Art byRon Lim | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Iron Man #120 (March 1979) |
| Created by |
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| In-story information | |
| Species | Human |
| Place of origin | Surrey, England |
| Team affiliations | Hammer Industries |
| Abilities | Genius-level intellect Expert strategist |
Justin Hammer is afictionalcharacter appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The character is depicted as a villainous entrepreneur, head ofHammer Industries and a frequent adversary of thesuperheroIron Man. He is the reason why many of Iron Man's supervillain enemies have access to extremely advanced technology and why these foes use their equipment for violent crimes instead of profiting by bringing the designs to market. These villains are his underworld mercenaries, secretly armed and contractually obliged to fulfill missions against Hammer's competitors and enemies, such as Tony Stark. He is also the father ofJustine Hammer and the grandfather ofSasha Hammer.
Sam Rockwell portraysthe character in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) filmIron Man 2 (2010),[1] theMarvel One-Shotdirect-to-video short filmAll Hail the King (2014), and thesecond season of the animated television seriesWhat If...? (2023).
Justin Hammer first appeared inIron Man #120 (March 1979), and was created byDavid Michelinie,John Romita Jr., andBob Layton.[2][3] Layton himself recalled in a 2014 interview that he and Michelinie originally created Hammer as the cautionary tale of what kind of personTony Stark might have become if he stayed on his path as a global war profiteer, as well as a tribute to actorPeter Cushing; in Layton's words, Stark and Hammer are essentially in the same line of work, but with diametrically opposed moral views.[4]
Justin Hammer was born inSurrey,England and later became a citizen ofMonaco. A multi-billionaire businessman and rival of industrialist Tony Stark (Iron Man), Hammer later becomes a criminal financier through unethical methods while using his companyHammer Industries as a front.[5] In exchange for fifty percent of the crime profits, he pays bail for costumed criminals and finances the development and replacement of their weaponry and equipment. If a mercenary under his employ violates their contract, Hammer sends an enforcement unit, usually led byBlacklash, to attack the rogue and confiscate their equipment.
At the start of theDemon in a Bottle storyline, Hammer invents the Hypersonic Scan Transmitter, which enables him to take control ofIron Man's armor.[6] Angered that he had lost a lucrative bid to Stark International, Hammer forces Iron Man to kill an ambassador and set an army of superhuman criminals against him. Ultimately, Stark not only clears his name and destroys the control device, but finally learns that Hammer had been behind multiple attacks against him for years.[7]
During the "Armor Wars" storyline, Hammer hasSpymaster steal Iron Man's technology and sells it to a number of villains who wields powered armor, includingStilt-Man, theRaiders, theMauler, Beetle,Crimson Dynamo, andTitanium Man.[8] Iron Man sets about to disable the Stark-based technology in the suits in question, going so far as to also disable sanctioned technology in the armor ofS.H.I.E.L.D.'sMandroids and theVault'sGuardsmen, leading him into conflict withCaptain America and theAvengers.
Years later, it was revealed that Hammer had obtained Stane International after Obadiah Stane's death, causing problems for Stark through his old company. With operatives ofHydra, Roxxon Oil, Moroboshi International, and the Trinational Commission, he tricks the Masters of Silence into attacking Stark Enterprises. Even when forced to sell his stock in Stane International to Stark for the sum of one dollar,[9] Hammer had the last laugh when the shady dealings of Stane International pile up on Stark.
In the mini-seriesBad Blood, Hammer is diagnosed with incurable cancer and resolves to destroy his nemesis before dying. However, he inadvertently places himself in cryogenic stasis during a battle with Iron Man and is lost in space.[10]
Justin Hammer is a normal, middle-aged man. He has a degree in commerce and business, and is an extremely efficient administrator with a genius-level intellect. He has access to various forms of advanced technology designed by his technicians.
An alternate universe version of Justin Hammer appears inEarth X, where he is murdered byNorman Osborn.[11]
An alternate universe version of Justin Hammer from Earth-1610 appears in theUltimate Marvel universe. This version is an American namedJustin Hammer Jr. who is the son of Justin Hammer Sr. and a rival ofNorman Osborn. Hammer Jr. secretly funded superhuman testing violating the Superhuman Test Ban Treaty, contributing to the creation ofElectro andSandman.[12] He later dies from a heart attack duringDoctor Octopus' fight withSpider-Man.[13][14]
Justin Hammer appears in media set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), portrayed bySam Rockwell:
Tony Stark's billionaire nemesis Justin Hammer made his first appearance inThe Invincible Iron Man #120 by writer David Michelinie and artist John Romita, Jr. and Bob Layton.
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