Wikipedia

Justin Hammer

Justin Hammeris afictionalcharacterappearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byMarvel Comics.The character is depicted as a villainous entrepreneur, head ofHammer Industriesand a frequent adversary of thesuperheroIron Man.He is the reason why many of Iron Man's supervillain enemies have access to extremely advanced technology and why these foes use their equipment for violent crimes instead of profiting by bringing the designs to market. These villains are his underworld mercenaries, secretly armed and contractually obliged to fulfill missions against Hammer's competitors and enemies, such as Tony Stark. Justin Hammer is also the father ofJustine Hammerand the grandfather ofSasha Hammer.

Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer
Art byRon Lim
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceIron Man#120 (March 1979)
Created by
In-story information
SpeciesHuman
Place of originSurrey,England
Team affiliationsHammer Industries
AbilitiesGenius-level intellect
Expert strategist

Sam Rockwellportraysthe characterin theMarvel Cinematic Universe(MCU) filmIron Man 2(2010),[1]theMarvel One-Shotdirect-to-videoshort filmAll Hail the King(2014), and thesecond seasonof the animated television seriesWhat If...?(2023).

Publication history

edit

Justin Hammer first appeared inIron Man#120 (March 1979), and was created byDavid Michelinie,John Romita Jr.,andBob Layton.[2][3]Layton himself recalled in a 2014 interview that he and Michelinie originally created Hammer as the cautionary tale of what kind of personTony Starkmight have become if he stayed on his path as a global war profiteer, as well as a tribute to actorPeter Cushing;in Layton's words, Stark and Hammer are essentially in the same line of work, but with diametrically opposed moral views.[4]

Fictional character biography

edit

Justin Hammer was born inSurrey,Englandand later became a citizen ofMonaco.A rival of industrialist Tony Stark (Iron Man), multi-billionaire businessman Hammer later became a criminal financier through unethical methods whilst using his companyHammer Industriesas a front.[5]In exchange for fifty percent of the crime profits, he would pay bail for costumed criminals and finance the development and replacement of both their weaponry and equipment. In the event that a mercenary under his employ violated his contract, Hammer would send an enforcement unit, usually led by his most reliable supervillain employeeBlacklash,to attack the rogue and confiscate his assigned equipment.

At the start of theDemon in a Bottlestoryline, Hammer invented a device called the Hypersonic Scan Transmitter which allowed him to take control ofIron Man's armor.He tested this remote control affecting Iron Man's unibeam, sealing plates, and boot jets.[6]Angered that he had lost a lucrative bid to Stark International, he took control of Iron Man's armor and forced him to kill the Carnelian ambassador, and set an army of superhuman criminals consisting of theBeetleI,Constrictor,Discus,Leap-Frog,Man-Killer,PorcupineI,Stiletto,andWater Wizardagainst Iron Man. Ultimately, Stark not only cleared his name and destroyed the control device, but finally learned that a major enemy was behind multiple attacks on his interests for years.[7]

With help from the supervillainForceI, Hammer next hijacked yachts to smuggle opium into the United States. They battled Iron Man and were defeated.[8]When Stark lost his company toObadiah Stane,Hammer left the destitute Stark to his own devices while continuing with his own enterprises. Stark later recovered and re-entered the business world with Stark Enterprises so Hammer sent the Adap-Tor (a robotic attack drone disguised as a helicopter) to attack the company as a way of "welcoming" Stark back.[9]

For a time, Hammer frequently hired the villain group known as theDeath Squadin an attempt to kill both Stark and Iron Man, but fired the group after they constantly failed.[10]

When Force later attempted to go straight, Hammer sent the Beetle, Blacklash, andBlizzardII to retrieve Force, but they were defeated by Force with help from Iron Man andJim Rhodes.[11]

During the "Armor Wars"storyline, Hammer had Iron Man's technology stolen bySpymasterand sold it to a number of superhumans who wore powered armor, includingStilt-Man,theRaiders,theMauler,Beetle, theCrimson Dynamoand theTitanium Man.[12]Iron Man set about to disable the Stark-based technology in the suits in question, going so far as to also disablesanctionedtechnology in the armor ofS.H.I.E.L.D.'SMandroidsand theVault'sGuardsmen,leading him into conflict withThe Captainand theAvengers.

Hammer later sent theRhino(who Hammer once provided a removable version of the Rhino armor to) to break Blizzard out of prison.[13]He sent his "B-Team" (Blacklash, Blizzard, andBoomerang) to battleGhostand Iron Man.[14]

Hammer redesigned theScorpion's tail and sent him to abduct General Musgrave. When Scorpion refused to complete his mission, Hammer sent Blacklash and the Rhino to retrieve the tail.[15]Hammer later learned that Stark had been shot, and ordered a batch of orchids to be sent to Stark with a card expressing condolences should Stark live.[16]He sent Boomerang to raid a Stark Enterprises security office,[17]and hiredTaskmasterto train the second Spymaster.[18]

Later, Hammer agreed to design a new costume for the Rhino.[19]He sent the Rhino and Boomerang to battleCardiac.[20]With theLife Foundation,Roxxon Oil,Stane International and theBrand Corporation,he abducted a number of superhuman beings to analyze their abilities. He also helped the firstSphinxto reclaim the Ka-Stone.[21]

Years later, it was revealed that Hammer had obtained Stane International after Stane's death, causing problems for Stark through his old company. With operatives ofHYDRA,Roxxon Oil, Moroboshi International and the Trinational Commission, he tricked the Masters of Silence into attacking Stark Enterprises. Even when forced to sell his stock in Stane International to Stark for the sum of one dollar,[22]Hammer had the last laugh when all the shady dealings and irresponsible, or even criminal actions of Stane International came back to bite Tony later.

Hammer later sent Barrier, Blacklash, and Ringer to recruit Luis Barrett to become the newThunderbolt.The three villains were foiled by thePantheon.[23]

In the mini-seriesBad Blood,Hammer is diagnosed with incurable cancer and resolves to destroy his nemesis before dying. However, he inadvertently places himself in cryogenic stasis during a battle with Iron Man and is lost in space.[24]

Powers and abilities

edit

Justin Hammer is a normal, middle-aged man. He has a degree in commerce and business, and is an extremely efficient administrator with a genius-level intellect. He has access to various forms of advanced technology designed by his technicians.

Family

edit

Justin is later revealed to be the father ofJustine Hammerand the grandfather ofSasha Hammer,both of whom have simultaneously run Hammer Industries in his absence.[25]

Other versions

edit

Earth X

edit

In theEarth Xreality where Terrigen Mist mutates most of the world population, Hammer is murdered byNorman Osbornon his rise to beingPresident of the United States.[26]

Ultimate Marvel

edit

An alternate universe variant of Justin Hammer from Earth-1610 appears in theUltimate Marveluniverse. This version is an American namedJustin Hammer Jr.who is the son of Justin Hammer Sr. and a rival ofNorman Osborn.He later dies from a heart attack duringDoctor Octopus' fight withSpider-Man.[27][28]

Justin Hammer Jr. also secretly funded superhuman testing violating the Superhuman Test Ban Treaty, contributing to the creation ofElectroandSandman.[29]

Justin Hammer Jr. is also responsible for the tech changes made on his daughterJustine Hammer.[30]

In other media

edit

Television

edit
  • Justin Hammer appears inIron Man(1994), voiced byTony Steedmanin the first season andEfrem Zimbalist Jr.in the second.[31]This version is an ally of theMandarinwho seeks to profit off of his plans to defeat Iron Man.
  • Justin Hammer appears inIron Man: Armored Adventures,voiced byMichael Adamthwaite.[31]This version is the 21-year-old owner of Hammer Multinational and primary operator of the "Titanium Man"armor.[32]After inheriting his family's fortune and company, Hammer arrives in New York to buyStark International,but fails to and resorts to criminal means. Throughout the series, Hammer displays vast influence in the criminal underworld and eagerness to take down the Stark company. After Hammer turns his accompliceMr. Fixinto an A.I., the latter seeks revenge by driving Hammer mad with paranoia and eventually exposing his criminal activities. Desperate to maintain power, Hammer attempts to disperse a zombification gas throughoutManhattan,but Iron Man defeats him before Mr. Fix uses the gas on Hammer who is taken intoS.H.I.E.L.D.custody.
  • Justin Hammer appears inAvengers Assemble,voiced byJason Spisak.[31][33]This version is modeled after Sam Rockwell's portrayal fromIron Man 2(see below) and is the designer of various technological innovations such as theSuper-Adaptoid,DreadnoughtsandMandroids.Throughout the series, he makes failed attempts to join theCabal,has his technology hijacked byMODOKandUltron,and battles theAvengersandThunderboltsas theMega-Mandroidbefore being defeated and arrested.
  • Justin Hammer appears inLego Marvel Avengers: Climate Conundrum,voiced by Bill Newton.[31]This version operates theDetroit Steelarmor.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

edit

Justin Hammer appears in media set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe(MCU), portrayed bySam Rockwell:

  • Early stages ofIron Man(2008) had Hammer appear as an ancillary villain operating under Howard Stark /War Machine.[34]
  • Hammer makes his first official appearance inIron Man 2.[1]This version is an American defense contractor and rival toTony Stark,who he appears closer to in age. Hammer attends Stark's Congress hearing to discuss sellingIron Man's armors,where Stark mocks him for his inability to recreate his technology. In his quest to best Stark, Hammer recruitsIvan Vankoto build armored suits for him after breaking the latter out of prison and modifiesJames Rhodes's stolen Iron Man armor into the War Machine armor. While displaying Vanko's creations at theStark Expo,Vanko betrays Hammer to pursue his own revenge against Stark while Hammer is arrested for his involvement with Vanko.
  • Hammer appears in the mid-credits scene of theMarvel One-ShotAll Hail the King.Having been incarcerated atSeagate Prison,he has entered a same-sex relationship with a younger inmate and criticizes fellow inmateTrevor Slattery.[35]
  • An alternate timeline variant of Hammer appears in theWhat If...?episode "What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?".[31]After breaking out of prison, he mounts a siege onAvengers Towerwith his henchmen Sergei and Rusty to steal Stark's technology and a sample ofBruce Banner's blood, but loses the latter toHappy Hoganwho is accidentally injected with it transforms into a Hulk-like monster that Hammer dubs "Freak". Despite hijacking Stark's Hulkbuster armor, Hammer is defeated by Hogan who saved him from falling off of Stark Tower and is returned to prison.

Video games

edit

References

edit
  1. ^abRappe, Elisabeth (January 16, 2009)."Sam Rockwell Confirms Himself For 'Iron Man 2'".Cinematical.RetrievedApril 20,2013.
  2. ^Sanderson, Peter;Gilbert, Laura (2008). "1970s".Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History.Dorling Kindersley.p. 189.ISBN978-0756641238.Tony Stark's billionaire nemesis Justin Hammer made his first appearance inThe Invincible Iron Man#120 by writer David Michelinie and artist John Romita, Jr. and Bob Layton.
  3. ^Betancourt, David (February 22, 2016)."Frank Miller on his 'Dark Knight Returns' 30 years later: 'I was rooting for Batman all the way'".The Washington Post.Washington, D.C.
  4. ^García, Vicente (April 2014)."Interview with Bob by Dolmen Magazine".Dolmen Magazine.
  5. ^Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017).Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History.DK Publishing. p. 189.ISBN978-1465455505.
  6. ^Iron Man#118, 120, 123
  7. ^Iron Man#124–127. Marvel Comics.
  8. ^Iron Man#140–141. Marvel Comics.
  9. ^Iron Man#217. Marvel Comics.
  10. ^Iron Manvol. 3 #1. Marvel Comics.
  11. ^Iron Man#223–224. Marvel Comics.
  12. ^Iron Man#225. Marvel Comics.
  13. ^Iron Man#238. Marvel Comics.
  14. ^Iron Man#239–240. Marvel Comics.
  15. ^The Amazing Spider-Man#318–319. Marvel Comics.
  16. ^Iron Man#243. Marvel Comics.
  17. ^Avengers Spotlight#27. Marvel Comics.
  18. ^Iron Man#254. Marvel Comics.
  19. ^The Deadly Foes of Spider-Man#4. Marvel Comics.
  20. ^The Amazing Spider-Man#344–345. Marvel Comics.
  21. ^The Amazing Spider-ManAnnual #26;The Spectacular Spider-ManAnnual #12;Web of Spider-ManAnnual #8;The New WarriorsAnnual #2. Marvel Comics.
  22. ^Iron Man#281–283. Marvel Comics.
  23. ^The Incredible Hulkvol. 2 Annual #17. Marvel Comics.
  24. ^Iron Man: Bad Blood#1-4. Marvel Comics.
  25. ^Matt Fraction(w),Salvador Larocca(a). "Stark Resilient Part 1"The Invincible Iron Man,vol. 5, no. 25 (August 2011). Marvel Comics.
  26. ^Earth X#5. Marvel Comics.
  27. ^Ultimate Spider-Man#16 (February 2002). Marvel Comics.
  28. ^Ultimate Spider-Man#20 (June 2002). Marvel Comics.
  29. ^Ultimate Spider-Man#17 (March 2002). Marvel Comics.
  30. ^Ultimate Comics Armor Wars#1 (Dec. 2009). Marvel Comics.
  31. ^abcdefg"Justin Hammer Voices (Iron Man)".Behind The Voice Actors(A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information).
  32. ^"Marvel Animation Age - the Marvel Animation News Resource".Archived fromthe originalon 2018-07-30.Retrieved2011-07-08.
  33. ^Schedeen, Jesse (July 29, 2013)."Marvel's Avengers Assemble:" Super Adaptoid "Review".IGN.RetrievedSeptember 22,2024.
  34. ^"What if Robert Downey Jr. Were Never Iron Man?".The Hollywood Reporter.2 May 2018.
  35. ^Costain, Kevin (February 7, 2014).""Marvel One-Shot: All Hail The King" – Review ".Movie Viral.Archivedfrom the original on February 8, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 8,2014.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Justin_Hammer&oldid=1275771751"