| Melter | |
|---|---|
.jpg) TheMelter. Art byBob Layton. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Tales of Suspense #47 (Nov. 1963) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Steve Ditko |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Bruno Horgan |
| Team affiliations | Masters of Evil Death Squad Lethal Legion |
| Abilities | Extensive knowledge of weapons and munitions Ability to melt iron and almost all types of substances via melting device |
TheMelter is the name of three fictional characters appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The original Melter,Bruno Horgan, first appeared inTales of Suspense #47 (Nov. 1963). He was both an enemy toIron Man and a founding member of theMasters of Evil.
The character debuted inTales of Suspense #47 (November 1963) and was created byStan Lee andSam Rosen.[1]
He was anindustrialist who specializes in providingmunitions to theUnited States government. After an initial encounter with heroIron Man, the character reappears inThe Avengers #6 (Jul. 1964) as part of supervillain team theMasters of Evil. A version of the Masters of Evil return inThe Avengers #15-16 (Apr.-May 1965), with the Melter being jailed. The Melter reappears to battle Iron Man inTales of Suspense 89-90 (May-Jun. 1967), and thenThe Avengers #54-55 (Jul.-Aug. 1968) as part of the next version of the Masters of Evil (formed without the villains' knowledge by therobotUltron) and again inThe Avengers #83 (Dec. 1970). The character becomes a perennial villain in the titleIron Man, appearing in issues #72 (Jan. 1974); #92 (Nov. 1976) and #123-124 (Jun.-Jul. 1979) and #127 (Oct. 1979). After another attempt tosabotage the companyStark International inIron Man #166 (Jan. 1983), the character reappears inMarvel Two-in-One #96 (Feb. 1983) before beingassassinated during theScourge of the Underworld storyline inThe Avengers #263 (Jan. 1986). As writerMike Conroy stated "Bruno Horgan was one of those villains who suited simpler times...Times moved on, though, and Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's creation didn't. Despite numerous upgrades to his weaponry, the Melter was never a major player."[2]
Long-time Marvel writerRoger Stern recalled:
...Mark Gruenwald had compiled a list of villains who were either less than inspired or had outlived their welcome. I picked the Melter because he was such a doof. There had been maybe one good Melter story...which had been repeated over and over again by various writers. Mind you, there's nothing wrong with the name.[2]
The character also made several posthumous appearances in the titlesFantastic Four;[3]X-O Manowar/Iron Man: Heavy Metal;[4] andThe Avengers.[5]
Another character using the name "Melter" debuted during theDark Reign storyline in the limited seriesDark Reign: Young Avengers #1 - 5 (July-Dec. 2009).
Bruno Horgan is driven intobankruptcy when a government safety inspection team proves that he is using inferior materials, with the defense contracts awarded to his competitor Tony Stark (thealter ego of heroIron Man). Discovering that one of his faulty devices is capable of generating a beam capable of "melting" anything composed ofiron, Horgan redesigns the device so that it can be strapped to his chest, and after donning a costume adopts the alias the Melter. As the Melter, Horgan becomes a professional criminal and embarks on a campaign of industrial sabotage against Stark, hoping to ruin him, eventually encountering Iron Man after Stark is told he could lose his government contracts, though when he first met Stark he succeeded in knocking him out. Despite damaging the hero's armor and forcing Iron Man back, the Melter is defeated when Stark builds a temporary duplicate armor composed ofaluminium, but leaps into the sewer, though Stark is unaware whether he was killed or not.[6]
The Melter reappears as an employee of master villainBaron Zemo (who has upgraded the melting beam to affect all metals) as part of supervillain team theMasters of Evil. He helps spray Adhesive X over the city. The Melter meets Iron Man as the Avengers first meet the Masters, but Iron Man knocks him away using his magnetic repulsor. The Masters were defeated with the Melter being jailed after Iron Man drenches him with water, preventing his beam from working.[7] TheRadioactive Man wasdeported back to China, while the Black Knight and Melter are placed in a cell with bars that have been chemically treated so they cannot be melted. The Masters of Evil have a second encounter with the Avengers after the Black Knight and Melter are broken out of jail by the Enchantress and Executioner. The Melter nearly finishes Iron Man after welding his boots to a roof, but he is stopped by Thor using his uru hammer, which the Melter cannot melt. The Masters of Evil are eventually defeated after Thor transported them and the Avengers to another dimension, with different scientific laws which meant their weapons rebounded. The villains are bound and returned to Earth.[8] The character upgrades his weaponry and battles Iron Man once again,[9] before reappearing as part of the next version of the Masters of Evil, although the villains are defeated when betrayed by theBlack Knight.[10] The Masters of Evil - with the Melter - also accidentally encounter the Avengers during aparade and during the battle are defeated when surprised by the superheroines theLady Liberators.[11]
The Melter has several battles with Iron Man: at the direction of other-dimensional villain theBlack Lama, the Melter joins fellow villainsWhiplash and theMan-Bull to form the team theDeath Squad and attempt to kill the hero;[12] upgrades once again and attack before being defeated;[13] and reappears, with many other villains, as an employee of criminal mastermindJustin Hammer. At Hammer's direction the Melter and fellow villains have a series of encounters with Iron Man in an unsuccessful attempt to neutralize the hero.[14] After another attempt to sabotage the companyStark International[15] the character makes a brief appearance with other villains in an unsuccessful attempt to kill theThing.[16]
Eventually, the Melter manages to augment his melting ray's power to its peak, but before he can employ it, he is murdered by theScourge of the Underworld.[17]
| Melter | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Dark Reign: Young Avengers #1 (July 2009) |
| Created by | Paul Cornell Mark Brooks |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Christopher Colchiss |
| Species | Human Mutant |
| Team affiliations | Exiles, formerlyYoung Masters |
| Abilities | Ability to mentally agitate the molecules in solid matter so that it loses cohesion |
The second Melter,Christopher Colchiss, first appeared inDark Reign: Young Avengers #1 (July 2009) and was created byPaul Cornell andMark Brooks. He is amutant with similar abilities to the original Melter, but is able to affect organic matter.[18] Throughout his appearances, he joins theYoung Masters before being invited to live on the mutant nation ofKrakoa.[19][20][21] InWolverine (vol. 7), Melter is killed byWolverine.[22]
Roderick Kingsley later sells the original Melter costume and gear to an unnamed criminal. Melter is present withHobgoblin when he battles theGoblin King'sGoblin Nation. After Goblin King kills Hobgoblin, Melter is among the villains who defect to the Goblin Nation.[23]
FollowingSpider-Man's victory over the Goblin King, Melter is among the former Hobgoblin minions at the Bar with No Name, where they encounterElectro.[24]
During theAXIS storyline, Melter is among the supervillains who Missile Mate assembles to joinPhil Urich (who was operating as Goblin King) and the remnants of the Goblin Nation.[25]
Melter is among the villains who appeared as a member ofSwarm'sSinister Six when they attack Spider-Man and the students of theJean Grey School for Higher Learning. AfterHellion defeats Swarm, Melter and the other villains surrender.[26]
When Iron Man returns to his brownstone in his beaten-up armor, he finds that Melter has melted hisDodge Aspen and starts to taunt him. After punching Melter, Iron Man picks his body up and flies it into the sky. He tosses Melter and then rescues him, to the irritation of the bystanders.[27]
The Bruno Horgan incarnation of Melter wields a ray gun that melts objects by disrupting theirmolecules. The second Melter possesses these abilities innately.
In theHeroes Reborn universe created byFranklin Richards, Bruno Horgan/Melter appears as a member ofLoki'sMasters of Evil.[28]
Melter appears inJLA/Avengers #4 as a brainwashed minion ofKrona.[29]
In the unified reality of Earth-2099, an unidentified Melter appears as a member of the2099 version of the Masters of Evil.[30]
Melter appears in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) tie-in comic one-shotIron Man: Coming of the Melter. This version is a former inventor who failed to pitch a suit of armor to the United States military. After modifying the design, he attacksTony Stark andWar Machine in the hopes of using the publicity to sell his armor to the highest bidder. However, the pair defeat Melter and destroy his armor.[36]
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