Gremlin (comics)
{{Short description|Fictional character appearing in Marvel Comics}}
{{Infobox comics character
|character_name = Gremlin
|image = Kondrati Topolov (Earth-616) from Iron Man Vol 1 229 0003.jpg
|caption = The Gremlin as Titanium Man II in Iron Man #229 (April 1988)
|real_name = Kondrati Yurivich Topolov
|species = Human mutant
|publisher = Marvel Comics
|debut = Incredible Hulk #163 (May 1973){{cite book |last1=Misiroglu |first1=Gina Renée |last2=Eury |first2=Michael |title=The Supervillain Book: The Evil Side of Comics and Hollywood |date=2006 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |isbn=9780780809772 |url=https://archive.org/details/supervillainbook0000gina/page/148/mode/2up |language=en}}
|creators = Steve Englehart
Herb Trimpe
|alliances = Soviet Super-Soldiers
Assembly
Hydra
|aliases = Titanium Man
Titan
|powers = *Superhuman intelligence
- Use of advanced devices and weapons
- Armored suit grants:
- Superhuman strength
- Damage resistance
- Flight
- Energy blasts and constructs
}}
The Gremlin (Kondrati Topolov)Iron Man Manual Mark 3 (June 2010). Marvel Comics. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #163 (May 1973).{{cite book |last1=DeFalco |first1=Tom |last2=Sanderson |first2=Peter |last3=Brevoort |first3=Tom |last4=Teitelbaum |first4=Michael |last5=Wallace |first5=Daniel |last6=Darling |first6=Andrew |last7=Forbeck |first7=Matt |last8=Cowsill |first8=Alan |last9=Bray |first9=Adam |title=The Marvel Encyclopedia |date=2019 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-7890-0 |page=158}}
Although initially an adversary of the Hulk, the Gremlin is apparently killed in battle with Iron Man during the Armor Wars.
Concept and creation
Co-creator Steve Englehart recounted, "I’ve always treated the entire run of a book, up to the point that I took it over, as worthy of respect. So I was always interested in where series started out, and how they developed in their early days. The Gargoyle had indeed been in Hulk #1, so I thought it would be fun to connect to him—but I had to make something interesting for my time, not just wave at the past. I thought, ‘Gargoyle + Kremlin = Gremlin’."{{cite journal|last= Buttery|first= Jarrod|date= February 2014|title= Hulk Smash!: The Incredible Hulk in the 1970s|journal= Back Issue!|issue= 70|page= 8|publisher = TwoMorrows Publishing}}
Fictional character biography
Kondrati Topolov is the son of Russian scientist Yuri Topolov, also known as the Gargoyle, and inherited his grotesque appearance and superhuman intelligence. Following Yuri's death, Kondrati creates a high-tech armor and becomes an enemy of the Hulk.Incredible Hulk #1. Marvel Comics. He additionally created Droog, an intelligent Triceratops-like monster, via genetic engineering.Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #163. Marvel Comics.
The Hulk and Thunderbolt Ross later invade the Gremlin's base in Siberia to rescue the captured Glenn Talbot. The Gremlin and Droog contend with the Hulk, but Bitterfrost was destroyed by S.H.I.E.L.D.Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #187-188. Marvel Comics. Later, the Gremlin helps defeat the alien Dire Wraiths before joining Soviet Super-Soldiers.Rom #44. Marvel Comics.
The Gremlin next appeared as the second Titanium Man, wearing a new suit of the power armor he had originally created for Boris Bullsky. With the other Soviet Super-Soldiers, he contended with the X-Men and the Avengers in an attempt to capture Magneto.X-Men vs. the Avengers #1-3. Marvel Comics.
In Armor Wars, the Gremlin battles Iron Man before apparently being killed when his armor explodes.Iron Man #229. Marvel Comics.
Gremlin later appears alive, having ejected from his armor prior to its destruction and worked with Hydra to kidnap and brainwash several children, including Spider-Woman's son Gerry. He blended in with Assembly by operating an armor called Titan. When Spider-Man defeated Gremlin at Alcatraz, he activated Titan's self-destruct sequence. Spider-Woman and the Assembly got away as it exploded. Liberty assumes that Gremlin might've gotten away from the explosion in time.Spider-Woman Vol. 8 (2024) #7-#10. Marvel Comics.
Powers and abilities
The Gremlin is a mutant who has inherited the immense intelligence of his father, the Gargoyle. He had completed doctoral programs in various sciences and attained mastery over many areas of technology.
=Equipment=
Gremlin wore the Titanium Man battlesuit that granted him tremendous strength, physical resistance, hypersonic flight, and the ability to utilize energy as weapons.Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #5 (November 2008). Marvel Comics.
Gremlin's Titan armor resembles an armored Hulk and possesses super-strength.
Other characters named Gremlin
- An unrelated character named Gremlin appears in Sub-Mariner #61 as an agent of Doctor Hydro and a member of the Hydro-Men who wields mind-controlling disks.Sub-Mariner #61. Marvel Comics.
- An unrelated character named Gremlin appears in Avengers Icons: The Vision as a synthezoid and enemy of Vision.Avengers Icons: The Vision #1. Marvel Comics.
In other media
Gremlin makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the X-Men: The Animated Series episode "Beyond Good and Evil (Part 4): End and Beginning" as one of Apocalypse's prisoners.{{Cite episode | title=Beyond Good and Evil, Part 4: End and Beginning | series=X-Men: The Animated Series | series-link=X-Men: The Animated Series | season=4 | number=15 | airdate=November 25, 1995}} Redistributed in X-Men: Volume 4 (Marvel DVD Collection).
References
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{{Hulk}}
{{Iron Man}}
{{Spider-Woman}}
Category:Characters created by Steve Englehart
Category:Comics characters introduced in 1973
Category:Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities
Category:Fictional Russian people
Category:Fictional Soviet people
Category:Marvel Comics characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability
Category:Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength
Category:Marvel Comics mutants
Category:Marvel Comics scientists