Detroit Steel first appeared in The Invincible Iron Man (vol 5) #25 (June 2010), the first part of the nine-part "Stark Resilient" storyline, which depicted Tony Stark's struggle to build his new company Stark Resilient,[1] whose signature product is a car powered by the same clean repulsor technology that powers his Iron Man armor.[2][3]
He is what follows in the hole left behind by Iron Man once Tony Stark leaves the world stage. Tony hasn't been around to protect the regular interests that he might have during his time running Stark Industries or running S.H.I.E.L.D. And now that he's back, he's made it clear he doesn't want to get back into the geo-political side of things necessarily. Detroit Steel is what happens in that absence. He is a sort of Blackwater-meets-NASCAR corporate-sponsored armored enhanced guy available for hire to the highest bidder for whatever cause around the round. Basically, Iron Man's worst nightmare of what he could become. An absolute perversion of everything he is.[3]
Though the Detroit Steel armor exhibits the American flag's colors, Fraction states that the Detroit Steel armor can repainted to reflect the colors of whatever country or corporation purchases them, from the JapaneseRising Sun Flag[3] (which makes an appearance in The Invincible Iron Man #27[4]) to the yellow and red colors of McDonald's. Fraction also contrasts Detroit Steel with Iron Man's Bleeding Edge armor, which debuted in the same issue, by describing the latter as "sleeker, slicker and pared down", whereas the former is "bigger and better and boisterous and loud and noisy and everything else. It's like the difference between a Porsche and a Mack Truck".[3]
Fictional history
Doug Johnson
United States Air Force Lieutenant Doug Johnson III was the Detroit Steel armor's first pilot.
First appearing during the "Stark Resilient" storyline, he underwent surgical modifications to operate the weaponized suit. Hammer Industries, led by the Hammer family, view Tony Stark as an obstacle for Detroit Steel in the hopes to market globally as a new soldier for the world as well as revenge for their patriarch's demise.[2][5] The Hammer family embark on a campaign to discredit Iron Man in the industrial market, conspiring with the corrupt Pentagon General Babbage, and staging civilian attacks in which Detroit Steel is arranged to intervene before Iron Man.[6] Shortly after, Detroit Steel launches a surprise attack on Stark Resilient. However, the combined efforts of Iron Man, War Machine, Rescue and Maria Hill stop the strike and shut down Detroit Steel.[7][8][6]
Detroit Steel next appears during the "Fear Itself" storyline.[9][10] Detroit Steel is deployed in Paris to confront the Asgardian demon Mokk who petrifies Detroit Steel to which the public believes him to be dead, but he recovers.[11][12][13] In the subsequent "Long Way Down" storyline, Johnson steals a Detroit Steel unit before he's killed by his employers.[14][15][16][17]
Detroit Steelcorps
The Detroit Steelcorps[18] (otherwise known as the Steelmechs[19] and Hammermechs[13]) are the mass-produced army version of Detroit Steel. The Hammer women orchestrated the first version as a fleet of unmanned flying drones aided in Detroit Steel's attack by anonymous gamers duped into believing that the missions carrying out on Hammer Industries' behalf were a playable video game via a cell phone application, in which they pretended to be Detroit Steel's "wingman". However, the combined efforts of Iron Man's allies stop the strike.[7][20][6] Manned versions of the Detroit Steelcorps, piloted by Jayce and Keaton, are seen in subsequent storylines.[12][13][18][14][21]
Sasha Hammer is the Detroit Steel armor's public face (in conjunction with her own biotech weapons thanks to Zeke Stane[6]) with her own team of Steelcorps.[12][18]
Justine Hammer utilizes a new Iron Monger armor which partially resembles Detroit Steel while involved in a conspiracy supported by Belasco, Roxxon and A.I.M. to take over Stark Unlimited.[22]
According to Hammer Industries, Detroit Steel represents "the most bleeding-edge research into man/machine spinal hybrid mechanics the world has ever seen", and incorporates technology, such as C.N.S. (Controlled Exo-Enhanciles), that would eventually be used to end paralysis caused by cervical, thoracic or corticospinalinjuries. Weighing four and a half tons,[2] the "oversized"[23] Detroit Steel towers over Iron Man,[24] at approximately twice his height.[25] The Detroit Steel suit affords its occupant considerable protection from automatic weapons and explosives,[2] though the magically-powered being Mokk was able to easily rip open the armor.[11]
The Detroit Steel suit allows its users to fly, and usually is seen with a rotary cannon mounted on its right arm, and a specialized chainsaw on its left,[2] which can penetrate Iron Man's Bleeding Edge Armor.[25] There are rocket-powered munitions on the suit's shoulders.[2] The rotary cannon can be dismounted so that the soldier can carry and fire it as a traditional handheld weapon,[26] and the Detroit Steel armor's users have been seen outfitted with other types of weapons in this manner, including both directed-energy weapons and scaled-up rifles.[13] Sasha Hammer's Detroit Steel armor has also been depicted with a directed-energy weapon in palm of its hands.[26] Those who pilot the Detroit Steel armor are required to undergo considerable surgical modifications, which leave implants visible on the pilot's chest, which Doug Johnson felt "turned him into a monster". According to Justine Hammer, the company designed models for different environments and hot zones, including arctic climates and urban encounters.[2] Suits of different heights and designs have also been depicted.[12][14]
Reception
Alex Evans, reviewing Invincible Iron Man #33 for Weekly Comic Book Review, while praising the "Stark Resilient" storyline (which he gave a B-), found Justine Hammer and Sasha Hammer to be more effective villains than Detroit Steel, which he found to be "bland" and "boring". Evans also disliked the lack of a resolution to Detroit Steel and Iron Man's battle in Invincible Iron Man #33,[27] though he later praised Iron Man #505, which he felt tied up that loose end.[10] Evans was more receptive to the character's use in the subsequent storyline "The Long Way Down", saying of Invincible Iron Man #518, "The manner in which Fraction and Larroca depict the fight between Detroit Steel and his replacement was brilliant, alternating panels between the fight itself (at night) and the aftermath (the broken apartment in the daylight). It created almost a police procedural, detective feel that also served to make the whole thing a bit haunting and unsettling, which is great given how creepy 'Detroit Steel' already is".[28]
In other media
Television
The Detroit Steel armor appears in the Avengers Assemble episode "Dehulked", in which it's utilized by Igor Drenkov (voiced by André Sogliuzzo).[29] Additionally, the Steelcorps are depicted as enforcers.
The Detroit Steel armor appears in Lego Marvel Avengers: Climate Conundrum, in which it's operated by Justin Hammer (voiced by Bill Newton).[30][31][32]
^DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 109. ISBN978-1-4654-7890-0.
^ abcdefgFraction, Matt (w), Larocca, Salvador (a). "Stark Resilient Part 1: Hammer Girls" The Invincible Iron Man, vol. 5, no. 25 (June 2010). Marvel Comics.
^Fraction, Matt (w), Larocca, Salvador (a). "Stark Resilient Part 3: This Is What We Do" The Invincible Iron Man, vol. 5, no. 27 (August 2010). Marvel Comics.
^Fraction, Matt (w), Larocca, Salvador (a). "Stark Resilient Part 7: Sabot" The Invincible Iron Man, vol. 5, no. 31 (December 2010). Marvel Comics.
^ abFraction, Matt (w), Larocca, Salvador (a). "Stark Resilient" The Invincible Iron Man, vol. 5, no. 29-33 (October 2010-February 2011). Marvel Comics.
^ abFraction, Matt (w), Larocca, Salvador (a). "Fear Itself Part 2: Cracked Actor" The Invincible Iron Man, vol. 1, no. 505 (August 2011). Marvel Comics.
^ abcdFraction, Matt (w), Larocca, Salvador (a). "Demon Part 2: Exposure" The Invincible Iron Man, vol. 1, no. 511 (February 2012). Marvel Comics.
^ abcdFraction, Matt (w), Larocca, Salvador (a). "Fear Itself Part 4: Fog of War" The Invincible Iron Man, vol. 1, no. 507 (October 2011). Marvel Comics.
^ abcFraction, Matt (w), Larocca, Salvador (a). "Long Way Down: Part 1: Night of the Long Knives" The Invincible Iron Man, no. 516 (July 2012). Marvel Comics.
^Fraction, Matt (w), Larocca, Salvador (a). "Long Way Down: Parts 3-5" The Invincible Iron Man, no. 518-520 (August–September 2012). Marvel Comics.
^Fraction, Matt (w), Larocca, Salvador (a). "Fear Itself Part 3: The Apostate" The Invincible Iron Man, vol. 1, no. 506 (September 2011). Marvel Comics.
^Fraction, Matt (w), Larocca, Salvador (a). "Stark Resilient Part 4: Grand Mal Tokyo Moron Party" The Invincible Iron Man, vol. 5, no. 28 (September 2010). Marvel Comics.
^ abFraction, Matt (w), Larocca, Salvador (a). "Stark Resilient Part 8: Drones Scream Down" The Invincible Iron Man, vol. 5, no. 32 (January 2011). Marvel Comics.
^ abFraction, Matt (w), Larocca, Salvador (a). "Fear Itself Part 5: If I Ever Get Out Of Here" The Invincible Iron Man, vol. 1, no. 508 (November 2011). Marvel Comics.
^"Dehulked". Avengers Assemble. Season 3. Episode 8. May 1, 2016. Disney XD.
^"Detroit Steel Voice - LEGO Marvel Avengers: Climate Conundrum (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on July 25, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023. 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
