The organization started as a branch ofHydra founded byBaron Strucker.[4] Its most notable creations include theCosmic Cube,Super-Adaptoid, andMODOK, who has been depicted as a prominent member of A.I.M. and sometimes the organization's leader.[5]
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A.I.M. debuted inStrange Tales #146 (July 1966), created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.[6] It is revealed to be a branch of the organization known as THEM inStrange Tales #147 (August 1966). A large organization was mentioned inStrange Tales #142 (March 1966) and depicted inTales of Suspense #78 (June 1966) a few months earlier. It is later revealed inStrange Tales #149 (October 1966) that THEM is also a parent organization to theSecret Empire and is a new incarnation of the previously dissolvedHydra.
A.I.M. is described as an organization of scientists and their hirelings dedicated to the acquisition of power and overthrowing of all the world's governments through science and technology. Its leadership traditionally consists of the seven-memberBoard of Directors (formerly known as the Imperial Council) with a rotatingchairperson. Under the Directors in the hierarchy are various division supervisors, and under them are the technicians and salesmen/dealers.
The organization supplies arms and technology to variousterrorist and subversive organizations to foster a violenttechnological revolution and to generateprofit. A.I.M. operatives are usually involved in research, development, manufacturing, and sales of technology. Members of A.I.M. are required to have at least amaster's degree, if not aPhD, in an area ofscience,mathematics, orbusiness.
The greatest of A.I.M.'s major implements of deadly potential is theCosmic Cube, a device capable of altering reality.[7] However, A.I.M. does not realize that the cube is merely a containment device, in which the real power is an entity accidentally drawn into their dimension. The Cosmic Cube eventually evolves intoKubik.
Their second achievement is theSuper-Adaptoid, anandroid capable of mimicking the appearance andsuperpowers of other beings, which is made possible by incorporating a sliver of the Cosmic Cube into its form. When Kubik recovers the sliver after defeating the Adaptoid, the android is rendered inanimate.
A.I.M.'s third major achievement is the creation ofMODOK (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing), an artificiallymutated human with an enormous head accompanied by a massivecomputational brain andpsionic abilities.[8] MODOK is originally an A.I.M. scientist named George Tarleton, who is selected by A.I.M.'s leader at the time, theScientist Supreme, to be the subject of thebionic and genetic experiments that turn him into MODOK.[7][9] After his transformation, MODOK kills the Scientist Supreme and takes control of A.I.M., later taking advantage of the chaos within Hydra following Hydra Island's destruction and the deaths of Baron Strucker and most of Hydra's leading members to sever all of A.I.M.'s ties with Hydra. A.I.M. has remained independent ever since.
A.I.M. has made developments in fields such as advanced weaponry (plasma blasters, cryo-cannons, anti-charge bazookas, paralyzer rays, q-bombs, sonatrons),robots (synthoids, Adaptoids, robot duplicates, giant robots, etc.),cyborgs,artificial lifeforms, biologicalviruses (Omega Bacillus, Virus X), radio wave-transmitted "broadcast power," andmind control, cloaking, andteleportation technology. Its agents use a variety ofsubmarines,hovercraft,jets, ships, and other vehicles. A.I.M. has also attempted to recreate versions of MODOK, including transformingDr. Katherine Waynesboro into Ms. MODOK[10] and creating SODAM[11] (later revamped as MODAM).[12] Since A.I.M's establishment as an exotic arms dealer,[12] members have access to whatever exotic weaponry available in its warehouses.
A.I.M.'s leaders traditionally wear yellow three-piece business suits. Technical supervisors wear yellowjumpsuits, skull-caps, andgoggles. The organization is known for the "beekeeper"-like outfits of its underlings since their first appearance.
A.I.M.'s origins begin late inWorld War II with Baron Wolfgang von Strucker's creation ofHydra. Under the code name THEM, he creates two Hydra branches called Advanced Idea Mechanics and theSecret Empire. A.I.M.'s purpose is to develop advanced weaponry for Hydra. It is close to developing and attaining nuclear weapons when Hydra Island is invaded by American and Japanese troops. Although Hydra suffers a major setback, it survives and grows in secret over the following decades.
A.I.M. has numerous encounters with varioussuperheroes andsupervillains and is the subject of ongoing undercover investigations byS.H.I.E.L.D. It is responsible for reviving theRed Skull fromsuspended animation.[13] An A.I.M. android factory in aFlorida swamp is raided by S.H.I.E.L.D., which also involves Count Bornag Royale due to a weapons deal negotiation.[14] A.I.M. then raids S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New York City headquarters.[15] As a result of these events, Royale is discredited, and A.I.M.'s headquarters are destroyed.[16]
A.I.M. employsBatroc the Leaper to recover an explosive compound called Inferno 42[17] and dispatches a chemical android againstNick Fury andCaptain America.[18] A.I.M. also dispatches their special agent, the Cyborg, against Captain America.[19] A.I.M. is involved in a skirmish with theMaggia and its "Big M".[20] A.I.M. also capturesIron Man in an attempt to analyze and replicate hisarmor.[21] MODOK and A.I.M. are responsible for transformingBetty Ross briefly into thegamma-irradiated bird-woman called the Harpy.[22] A.I.M. dispatches their special agent theDestructor to captureMs. Marvel.[23]
During theTime Runs Out storyline, Sunspot reveals that he bought A.I.M and used their resources to investigate incursions threatening reality. Heroes working as part of Avengers Idea Mechanics includeHawkeye,Squirrel Girl,Songbird,Wiccan,Hulkling,White Tiger,Power Man andPod. Sunspot reveals he has fired much of higher management. Many heroes working in the primary Avengers team, such asThor andHyperion, work side by side with A.I.M.[24] When they create a machine to propel individuals across theMultiverse, some of the heroes who were helping A.I.M. offer themselves for a one-way trip to find the origin of the incursions threatening all reality.[25]
Following the fight againstMaker, Sunspot meets with thegovernment and they make plans to merge Avengers Idea Mechanics with the U.S. government. At the same time, Avengers Idea Mechanics defeats A.I.M's splinter groups.[26]
The merger between the U.S. government and Avengers Idea Mechanics results in the formation of American Intelligence Mechanics.[27] Since Da Costa had turned the organization into a force for good, rogue cells exist fighting for A.I.M.'s original goals on behalf of their former leaders, Andrew Forson and Monica Rappaccini. To tackle the nuisances caused by these cells, Da Costa's successor Toni Ho lets them reclaim the organization's acronym, while rebranding her own organization into R.E.S.C.U.E.[28]
Kenjiro Tanaka[40] – FormerS.H.I.E.L.D. agent who trained alongsideWendell Vaughn. Infiltrates IDIC and stays on as an employee after the break-up of SHIELD. Leaves to join Vaughn Securities and is promoted to partner and eventually CEO due to Vaughan spending less time on Earth.
Monica Rappaccini[45] – Mother ofCarmilla Black, Scientist Supreme, and an Italian national.PhD in biochemistry from theUniversity of Padua. Develops poisons for the Black Orchestra and A.I.M.. Seeks to reestablish contact with her daughter.
George Tarleton a.k.a. MODOK (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing)[46] – Former A.I.M. scientist and current leader of A.I.M. as Scientist Supreme. Mutated by George Clinton and driven insane by energies present at the creation of Earth's firstCosmic Cube. Was originally supposed to be called MODOC (Mental Organism Designed Only for Computing). Father of Head Case (Sean Madigan).
Valdemar Tykkio[52] – Scientist Supreme. Institutes a takeover of Boca Caliente. Brother of Yorgon Tykkio.
Wolfgang von Strucker (Baron Strucker)[53] –Nazi founder ofHydra.
Alvin Tarleton[54] – George Tarleton's father and one of the original founders of A.I.M. Got George a job with the organization as a custodian, then authorized his transformation into MODOK. Driven out by MODOK and forced to hide in the fake suburb of Butterville,Ohio. MODOK begins malfunctioning and experiencing false memories, which Tarleton uses to lure him to his base so he can capture him and reset his brain, hoping to repeat their initial experiment with more successful results. MODOK kills him by activating his Uru phone before the mind wipe can be completed and uploading his consciousness onto the phone so he can "swipe left" on him.
Arthur Shaman[59] – Hypnotist. Kidnaps Michael Barnett and attempts to force the Hulk to kill Ms. Marvel.
B'Tumba[60] – Wakandan, son of N'Baza, an old friend of T'Challa. Allies with A.I.M. to sellvibranium. Sacrifices his life to save T'Challa from A.I.M.
Bernard Worrell[62] – Member of A.I.M.'s Blue Faction. Former apprentice of George Clinton. Leads the capture of the Cosmic Cube/Kubik, but is unable to control it once it begins its metamorphosis into Kubik.
Carl Alexis Lombardi[65] – Seeks Uni-Power. Kills David Garrett when he has outlived his usefulness. Confesses after being captured by Daredevil.
Clete Billups[66] – Infiltrates S.H.I.E.L.D. Kills his "partners" to steal the body ofProtocide. Duped byCaptain America andSharon Carter into leading them to A.I.M.'s headquarters.
Clytemnestra Erwin[67] – InfiltratesStark Enterprises to gain revenge onTony Stark for causing the death of her brother Morley. Killed by an out-of-control A.I.M. missile.[68]
Commander Robert Cypher[58] – Seeks technology to take control of nuclear missiles.
David Garrett[65] – Ally of A.I.M. Funds Gilbert Wiles to monitor his tracking of the Uni-Power. Slain by Lombardi after outliving his usefulness.[65]
Destructor (Kerwin Korman)[23] – Former premier weapons-maker. Stumbles upon and unleashes the power core of Kree Psyche-Magnitron. Built into the Doomsday Man by A.I.M. technicians and used as its power source. Discovered and freed by Avengers. Requires continued connection to the remnants of the Doomsday Man for life support.
Doomsday Man[70] – Virtually indestructible robot created by Dr. Kronton to steal cobalt bombs and blackmail the U.S. Initially defeated by Silver Surfer, later revived by Kree Psyche-Magnitron. Battled and destroyed by Ms. Marvel, rebuilt by A.I.M. and merged with Kerwin Korman, whom it used as a power source. Battles Avengers, seeks Warbird as replacement when Kerwin begins to weaken. Destroyed by Justice, remnants used as life support for Korman.
Dr. Cristiano Ryder[71] – Poses as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to regain control of Android X-4.
Dr. Ralph Rider[72] – Brother of Charles Rider, uncle ofRichard and Robert Rider. Leading research scientist until killed by Photon (Jason Dean).[72]
Grizzly[75] – A.I.M. agent R-1. Used by MODOK in a plot to capture atomic scientist Paul Fosgrave. Not to be confused with the Spider-Man enemy or Cable's deceased teammate.
Jethro Prufrock[81] – Father of George and Martha Prufock. Perennial right-wingLibertarian candidate for president and a staunch advocate of arms-stockpiling. Slain by a mutated George.[81]
Julia Black[45] – Adoptive mother of Carmilla Black. Former ties to Symbionese Liberation Army. Currently deceased.[45]
Lifeform (George Prufrock)[81] – Mutated into a progressively larger carnivorous creature by exposure to an experimental virus developed by his father, Jethro Prufock, at A.I.M.
MODAM (Olinka Barankova)[44] – Creation of A.I.M. whose name is an acronym forMobileOrganismDesigned forAggressiveManeuvers. Also operates under the names"Maria Pym" andSODAM (SpecializedOrganismDesigned forAggressiveManeuvers). Killed by MODOK.[82]
Wakers[79] – A.I.M. deep penetration agents under the leadership of Scorpion (Carmilla Black) and four others. Genetically engineered to resist all chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons,
Lars Branco[93] – Waker agent. Currently deceased.
Warbot[59] – A.I.M. weapon. Used by Arthur Shaman to capture the Hulk to use against Ms. Marvel. Destroyed by Ms. Marvel.
Yorgon Tykkio[52] – Brother of Valdemar. Becomes a cyborg and leads a revolt against his brother's rule. Controls the body of MODOK and destroys it after he is defeated in battle against Iron Man. Allies with Clytemnestra Erwin against Iron Man. Killed by Clytemnestra when she is attempting to flee from him.[94]
Screen Rant included A.I.M. in their "Marvel: The 10 Most Powerful Henchmen In The Comics" list.[95]Comic Book Resources ranked A.I.M. 7th in their "10 Most Powerful Secret Organizations In Marvel Comics" list,[96] and 10th in their "10 Most Evil Teams In Marvel" list.[97]
Both A.I.M. and Hydra first appeared in the 1960s as analogues for the threat ofCommunism,[citation needed] but are also associated withNazism and resemble organizations fought byCaptain America inWorld War II. Political science professor Matthew J. Costello has pointed out that this conflation of communism and Nazism removes ambiguity from the threat and thus from America's moral superiority in the comics.[98] In contrast, in the post-9/11 context ofIron Man 3,Pepper says of Extremis' war profiteering, "That's exactly what [Stark Industries] used to do."[99] Whereas immediately after 9/11 Captain America was concerned withIslamic terrorism, by 2005–2007 he was primarily engaged withhomegrown terrorists: A.I.M. and A.I.D.[100]
A future (2020) version of A.I.M is featured heavily in theMarvel UK limited seriesDeath's Head II. This future organisation creates the cyborg Minion, which is later taken over by the personality of Death's Head. A.I.M's representativeEvelyn Necker became a popular character in the ongoing series that followed.
InAmazing Fantasy #16–20, set further in the same future, A.I.M is on the verge of making peace with the UN, when a renegade A.I.M. scientist unleashes Death's Head 3.0 on the peace conference.
In theMarvel Adventures version of Iron Man, A.I.M., through the use ofdummy corporations, acquires Stark International's hover platform and uni-beam technology in their invasion ofMadripoor.Gia-Bao Yinsen tries to tell the world about A.I.M.'s terrorist attacks on his country, but his message is dismissed. During Tony Stark's test of his new solar-powered glider, A.I.M. causes him to crash on their artificial island. Stark's heart is damaged, and A.I.M. forces him to build an EMP weapon for A.I.M.'s forces to finish their conquest of Madripoor, in exchange for A.I.M. repairing his heart.
In theUltimate X4 mini-series, A.I.M. commissionsMad Thinker to stealCerebro from theX-Men and frame theFantastic Four, as seen.[103] The miniseriesUltimateVision introduces A.I.M. as composed of several directorates spread across the globe, withGeorge Tarleton as an A.I.M. leader on an orbiting research facility. Tarleton and his team attempt to take control of aGah Lak Tus module that is left behind in orbit after the swarm is driven away. Being unable to do so on their own, they lure Vision to the station to help them by claiming they will use the knowledge to order the Gah Lak Tus swarm to self-destruct.
Though they go unnamed, a group of A.I.M. agents make a cameo in a flashback in theSpider-Man and His Amazing Friends episode "The X-Men Adventure".[citation needed] They attack the lab whereFirestar and Nathan Price worked at before the latter becomes the villain Cyberiad.
A.I.M. appears inSpider-Man.[citation needed] In the episode "School of Hard Knocks", A.I.M. uses an elite boarding school called the Bilderberg Academy as a front forMonica Rappaccini to experiment on students and grant them the combined powers of the capturedCaptain America,Captain Marvel, andHulk. Spider-Man andMs. Marvel infiltrate Bilderberg Academy and undo Rappaccini's experiments whileIron Man andBlack Widow capture the A.I.M. agents present. In the episode "A Troubled Mind", A.I.M. steals three mental projection devices and combines them with their robotics to create MODOK, only for both to be defeated bythe Superior Spider-Man, Iron Man, Black Widow, and Ms. Marvel. In the episode "Amazing Friends", A.I.M. collaborates withBaron Mordo to captureGroot and use him as a template for woodgolems, only to be stopped by Spider-Man,Miles Morales,Ironheart,Doctor Strange, and theTotally Awesome Hulk.
A.I.M. appears inM.O.D.O.K.[107] This version is entirely founded and led by MODOK, although he eventually causes the organization to go bankrupt and allows the rival company GRUMBL to buy it out. Throughout the series, MODOK continually schemes to reclaim his position as A.I.M.'s leader and eliminate GRUMBL CEO Austin Van Der Sleet, although these attempts continually end in failure and lead to him being demoted and replaced by Monica Rappaccini as Scientist Supreme. Meanwhile, Van Der Sleet uses A.I.M.'s resources and technology to further the plans of his superior, Hexus, the Living Corporation. By the end of the first season, MODOK sells his A.I.M. shares to Iron Man, enabling him to buy out A.I.M. from GRUMBL, while MODOK, Rappaccini, and A.I.M. subordinate Gary go on to establishA-I-M-2 independently.[108]
A.I.M. appears in the 2008Iron Man film tie-in game. They work withObadiah Stane to develop an army of Iron Men based on Tony Stark's original prototype suit. Although their attempts to develop an effective power source fail, they are able to createTitanium Man. However, Iron Man defeats him before thwarting A.I.M.'s attempt to generate power using a solar collection satellite grid.[111]
A.I.M., hybridized withResident Evil'sUmbrella Corporation to create "A.I.M.brella", appears as a stage inMarvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. Unlike other fused locations, which were created byUltronSigma after they fused their respective universes together, A.I.M.brella is the result of a company merger, as both A.I.M. and Umbrella are led by evil scientists who choose to pool their resources.[112]
A.I.M. is referenced inSpider-Man, providing funding toOtto Octavius when the city rescinds his development grant.[113]
A.I.M. appears inMarvel's Avengers.[114] Founded by Dr. George Tarleton after the events of "A-Day", this version is a powerful multinational corporation made to protect the world through science as opposed to "fallible" heroes. They also develop robotic synthoids for public service duties, security forces, and to manage the growing population ofInhumans. Five years after A-Day, A.I.M. has established apolice state in the U.S. Additionally, a young Inhuman namedKamala Khan discovers that the company's leaders are experimenting on Inhumans rather than curing them and harvesting their powers to create an army of Adaptoids to replace theAvengers. After that, a warped Tarleton, now MODOK, intends to wipe out all Inhumans and superpowers on Earth with DARK Terrigen mist, but he is defeated by Khan and the Avengers. After he is presumed dead,Monica Rappaccini assumes control of A.I.M. and its assets. Realizing that the company is still an active threat, the Avengers partner withS.H.I.E.L.D. to locate and take out A.I.M.'s remaining facilities around the world.[115]
^abJohn P. Doucet, "Chapter One: On the Design of Mental Organisms", in: Marie Hendry and Jennifer Page, eds.,Media, Technology and the Imagination, Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars, 2013,ISBN978-1-4438-4850-3,pp. 19–20.
^Matthew J. Costello,Secret Identity Crisis: Comic Books and the Unmasking of Cold War America, New York: Continuum, 2009,ISBN9780826429971,pp. 70–71.
^ab"Chapter 5: 'Nothing's been the same since New York': Ideological Continuity and Change inIron Man 3 andThor: The Dark World", in: Terence McSweeney, ed.,Avengers Assemble!: Critical Perspectives on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, London/New York: Wallflower-Columbia University, 2017,ISBN9780231186254,n.p..
^Christian Steinmetz, "A Genealogy of Evil: Captain America vs. the Shadows of the National Imagined Community", in: Robert G. Weiner, ed.,Captain America and the Struggle of the Superhero: Critical Essays, Jefferson, North Carolina / London: McFarland, 2009,ISBN978-0-7864-3703-0,p. 199.
^Towner, Eric and Alex Kramer (director); Geoff Barbanell and Itai Grunfeld (writer) (May 21, 2021). "What Menace Doth the Mailman Deliver!".M.O.D.O.K. Season 1. Episode 9. Hulu.
^Martin Flanagan, Mike McKenny, and Andrew Livingstone,The Marvel Studios Phenomenon: Inside a Transmedia Universe, New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2017,ISBN9781501338533,n.p..
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