Modular Man

Real Name: Modular Man

Identity/Class: Android

Occupation: Crimefighter and celebrity

Affiliations: Dr.Travnicek (creator)

Enemies: The Astronomer, the Swarm, Jumpers

Known Relatives: Dr.Travnicek (father), himself (his brother, kind of - see comments)

Aliases: Mod, Mod Man, Toaster (Dr.Travnicek's derogatory name for him)

Base of Operations: New York City

First Appearance: Wild Cards 2: Aces High "Unto the Sixth Generation"

Powers/Abilities: The Modular Man is able to fly, has superhuman strength, and is equipped with shoulder slots to mount a variety of weapons, which can be swapped around back at base, to make sure he carries to optimal armaments for any given situation - he has used shoulder-mounted cannons, grenade launchers, an x-ray laser and machine guns. He is equipped with the ability to turn insubstantial using his "flux capacitors". Mod has a computerised brain allowing him to process information at an accelerated rate, and records everything he sees and hears, for later playback. He can see in the infra-red and employs radar. He is, to quote another android, "fully functional".

Because of his artificial nature, Mod Man could be repaired from almost any imjury - even when he was completely destroyed, Travnicek was able to build him anew, and replace most of his memories, using the back-up tapes. Since he is not based on genuine science, but rather an Ace's powers to create pseudo-science, Travnicek was the only person who could carry out any major repairs, and since his re-infection with the Wild Card virus, Mod Man now faces the worrying fact that any damage he takes is now permanent.

History: Modular Man is a synthetic android built by Dr.Travnicek, an Ace with an inventive ability. Travnicek made his most basic programming "Obey my creator. Guard his identity and well-being. Test myself and my equipment under combat conditions by fighting the enemies of society in a way to gain maximum publicity for Modular Man Enterprises. Preserve my own existence and well-being.", and sent him out to fight crime, not out of a sense of altruism, but as a way of testing him and gaining good P.R. This soon made Mod Man somewhat uneasy, as he soon came to realise his owner was a selfish, materialistic individual - for example, after Mod Man discovered sex, Travnicek would treat his memory tapes as a form of private porn.

Mod Man participated in the battle with the Swarm, and the fight against the Astronomer's Masons. During the 1986 Wild Card Day attacks instigated by the vengeaful Astronomer, he was present in Ace's High restaurant when the villain attacked. He leapt into the fray...and was accidentally blown apart by the drugged-out-his-skull Croyd Crenson. Only his head remained, which was taken by a witness and sold to the Bowery Wild Card Dime Museum. Later it was found and claimed (read: stolen) by Thomas Tudbury, a.k.a. the Great and Powerful Turtle.

Travnicek meanwhile built a new Modular Man, and programmed him with the original's memories, up to the point of the last download he had made before being destroyed. Subsequent to this Travnicek was re-infected with the Wild Card virus, during the time when Croyd Crenson was in his "Typhoid Croyd" phase - unlike most, he survived, but was changed into a Joker with enhanced senses. Mod Man is all too aware that any damage he now suffers cannot be repaired.

Comments: Created by Walter Jon Williams.

Mod Man looks almost completely human, except for his lack of hair and transparent skull.

Thanks to Fernando Guedes for the picture of Mod Man on the left.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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