By Ryan Penagos
I don't know when it hit me. I can't pinpoint the exact moment when I experienced pure comic book nirvana, when I said, "Yes,
M.O.D.O.K., you're my favorite Marvel character." But it's true, I love M.O.D.O.K.
Is it that he's giant head in a floating chair with tiny arms and legs? Yes, that's part of it. Quite simply, he's one of the most unique creations in all of comics, one of the many brilliant characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Is he goofy looking? Sure. Can he be creepy and terrifying and weird? Oh, hell yeah.
I'm also a big fan of his name. Whether he's designed for computing, conquering or killing, the fun never ends with M.O.D.O.K. He's a grade-A party animal, something you know because acronyms are the bomb.
Even outside of the standard Marvel Universe version of M.O.D.O.K., the character remains awesome. Ultimate M.O.D.O.K. pops up as a dismembered head on robotic legs. Marvel Super Hero Squad M.O.D.O.C. is goofy and funny and bumbling. D.O.K. is disturbingly used as a throne in EARTH X. The
Avengers were all turned into M.O.D.O.C. versions of themselves in a hilarious, crazy issue of MARVEL ADVENTURES THE AVENGERS. M.O.D.O.K. was an end-level boss in the "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance" video game. There's NEXTWAVE, in which the team battles not only a baby M.O.D.O.K., but Elvis/M.O.D.O.K. hybrids. Oh, and who can forget about
M.O.D.A.M. (Designed for Aggressive Manuevers), M.O.D.O.T. (Designed only for Talking) or M.O.D.O.G. (Designed only for Genocide)?
With all that in mind, I think M.O.D.O.K. grabs me because there are so many possibilities. He can be a joke or a major threat or provide a creepy vibe. He commands an army of scientists. He's really crazy smart and has sick brain blasts to boot. He can fly and plot and destroy and laugh and gross people out and GAH! Writing about M.O.D.O.K. gets me pumped.
In the end, I equate my love for M.O.D.O.K. to my love for comics: I look at him and it reminds me why I work in comics, why the medium makes me laugh and smile and want to keep reading. Wonderfully strange, wickedly fun, now and forever more, I say Make Mine M.O.D.O.K.*
Okay, so, what is M.O.D.O.K. Week, you may ask? We realized we had a whole bunch of cool M.O.D.O.K. projects at Marvel, and specifically at Marvel.com, so what better way to celebrate them than to dedicate an entire week to M.O.D.O.K.? Come back every day for news and articles about M.O.D.O.K., as well as a new, exclusive Marvel Digital Comic and a new episode of our "Marvel Super Heroes: What The?!" animated video series!
*Excuse my n00b design skills. I made the M.O.D.O.K. banner/collage up top. It may not be the prettiest, but it comes from the heart.
