Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics (Earth-616)

From Marvel Database

Contents 1 History 2 Ultimate Fantastic Four 3 Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius 4 Character history 5 Powers and Abilities 5.1 Powers 5.2 Abilities 5.3 Strength level 5.4 Weaknesses 6 Paraphernalia 7 Notes 8 Trivia 9 See Also 10 Discover and Discuss 11 Links and References

History

H.E.R.B.I.E. was created by Mister Fantastic and Master Xar of the Xandarians, who hoped that the robot could aid their search for Galactus, who they sought for aid in defeating the villain known as the Sphinx.

What neither of the creators realized, however, was that Doctor Sun, an enemy of Master Xar who had his consciousness trapped within Xandarian computers, was able to escape by jumping from the computer to H.E.R.B.I.E.'s body. The little robot was his sleeper agent, whom he could control whenever he wished. Although an alien pirate mysteriously died in H.E.R.B.I.E.'s presence, and the villain Blastaar suddenly escaped from the Negative Zone, nobody suspected that H.E.R.B.I.E. was responsible.

After Sun's attempt to assassinate the Fantastic Four with Blastaar failed, Dr. Sun revealed himself at last, trapping the Invisible Woman and the Human Torch within the Baxter Building's security system and besting Mister Fantastic and the Thing with H.E.R.B.I.E.'s weapons. He then abandoned H.E.R.B.I.E.'s body and transferred his consciousness into the Baxter Building's main computer, which would allow him to control the entire building, and all of the weaponry within. Fortunately, Mister Fantastic was able to lock Dr. Sun away from the rest of the computer system, but H.E.R.B.I.E., now himself again, realized that Dr. Sun could always simply return to his body. Not wanting the villain to cause any more trouble, the little robot heroically threw himself into the computer, destroying it, Dr. Sun, and himself.

Other H.E.R.B.I.E. robots were eventually built throughout the years, serving general duties around the Baxter Building. Most recently, on the pages of Marvel Knights Fantastic Four, H.E.R.B.I.E. has served as the guardian and companion for young Franklin Richards.

Ultimate Fantastic Four

In the alternate universe setting of Marvel's Ultimate comics, versions of H.E.R.B.I.E. appear as a numbered series of small, hovering helper robots in the series Ultimate Fantastic Four.

Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius

In the humorous, out-of-continuity series Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius, H.E.R.B.I.E. is portrayed as the fully intelligent and beleaguered nanny of a mischievous, Calvin-esque Franklin Richards, and is forced to aid Franklin in stopping/cleaning up after any number of fiascoes caused by Franklin's use without permission of his father's (Mister Fantastic) hi-tech inventions. This H.E.R.B.I.E., despite being part of a humor story, seems to have a more developed personality than other incarnations of the character. Though this H.E.R.B.I.E. can be high-strung and even neurotic at times (personality quirks no doubt developed from dealing with the incorrigible Franklin), it is also capable of level-headed thought and quick action in an emergency; H.E.R.B.I.E.'s efforts are often all that keep Franklin from punishment for abusing his father's equipment.

Character history

When the Fantastic Four was made into an animated series in 1978, the character of the Human Torch was unable to be used, as at the time the character had been optioned separately for use in a solo movie (which never in fact materialized). A popular urban myth contends that the Torch was replaced due to fears that children might attempt to emulate him by setting themselves on fire, but this is not true.

Needing a fourth member to round out the team, Stan Lee pitched the idea for a cute robot sidekick, and artist Dave Cockrum was commissioned to design it. However, Cockrum disliked the character so much he was eventually replaced by Jack Kirby, who first designed and illustrated the Fantastic Four a decade previous. On the Fantastic Four cartoon, H.E.R.B.I.E. was voiced by Frank Welker. Shortly after the cartoon premiered, the little robot was introduced to the comics continuity by writer Marv Wolfman and artist John Byrne. As within the Marvel Universe the Fantastic Four have marketed their likenesses for a successful in-universe comic series, H.E.R.B.I.E.'s physical appearance was likewise explained as being based on the animated series based on that comic.

H.E.R.B.I.E. is largely disliked by many Fantastic Four fans, not only because he replaced a major character, but because he was designed to be "cute" (and many consider him more annoying than cute). This is often considered an incidence of jumping the shark.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Cybernetic interface that can connect to any computer system, electricity generators, lasers, various hidden tools and features

Abilities

None known.

Strength level

Unknown.

Weaknesses

None known.

Paraphernalia

Equipment: None known.
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.

Notes

• No special notes.
  

Trivia

• No trivia.

See Also

• Appearances of Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics (Earth-616) (Chronological)
• Appearances of Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics (Earth-616) (Unordered)
• Character Gallery: Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics (Earth-616)
• Fan-Art Gallery: Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics (Earth-616)
• Quotations by Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics (Earth-616)

Discover and Discuss

• Search News for: H.E.R.B.I.E. · Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics · Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics (Earth-616)
• Search Forums for: H.E.R.B.I.E. · Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics · Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics (Earth-616)
• Discuss this and other characters on the forums

Links and References

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.E.R.B.I.E.
  

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