Ironclad (comics) - Fictional Team Biography

Fictional Team Biography

Simon Utrecht, a former politician and multi-millionaire, funded an operation to gain superpowers the same way the Fantastic Four had. He reviewed thousands of files, interviewed hundreds of applicants, and chose three other members: Ann Darnell, Jimmy Darnell, and Mike Steel. He even got the contractors who built the FF's ship to build his. His group flew a spaceship into outer space and was exposed to cosmic rays. What the group did not know was that they would be exposed to an even more massive amount than the Fantastic Four and that it would most likely kill them. The Hulk had wandered into the launching area and returned to human form, meaning that Dr. Bruce Banner was at the launch site, and upon gaining awareness of the situation, brought the ship down by reprogramming their computer before the group was exposed to the terminal levels of cosmic rays. The group, however, did gain their powers and the newly christened U-Foes attacked Banner for interfering in their affairs. Banner transformed into the Hulk and a large fight ensued, but the U-Foes ended up being their own worst enemies as they lost control of their own newly gained powers. They escaped from jail, though, and X-ray discovered a way to keep Bruce Banner as himself, enabling them to capture him. However, he was freed and defeated the team.

After several defeats at the hands of the Hulk and his allies, each of the U-Foes were banished to a different dimension. They managed to reunite and find their way back to Earth when the mutant Portal's powers began manifesting. The U-Foes attempted to murder Portal to keep him from opening another portal to banish them, until they were defeated by the Avengers. They would later attempt to kidnap Portal to exploit his mutant powers, and were defeated once again by Captain America, Darkhawk, and Daredevil.

Throughout the 1980s - 1990s the team generally worked alone, but occasionally were hired hands for other villains such as the Leader. They attacked the independent group, the Pantheon, injuring dozens of civilians. They were under the command of the Leader who wanted to get at the commander of the Pantheon itself. Despite the handicap of an orphan girl who had gotten mixed up in the battle, the Hulk and the Pantheon soldiers manage to subdue some of the U-Foes. The villains were tricked into hurting each other. Vapor, particularly, is defeated when she bragged ahead of time what form of gas she was taking and the Hulk and a Pantheon member used this against her. During the Acts of Vengeance, the U-Foes face the West Coast Avengers with the help of the Mole Man, but they are defeated.

Around this time, they play an important part in The Vault prison breakout in "Venom Deathrap; The Vault". The various U-Foes work together and with other villains to fight against the prison's security, its forces, Freedom Force and the Avengers. The U-Foes and other prisoners are neutralized by technological mind-control.

The team later encounters the Hulk in the Arctic ice fields outside the Leader's devastated sanctuary for cancer victims. The Hulk, believing he had just lost his friend, intimidated them into fleeing.

Both of the fights with the Hulk are part of manipulations by the Pantheon's ancient leader, Agamemnon. Neither side realizes the old man was secretly a power-crazed murderous psychotic who enjoys manipulation.

Later, the U-Foes are again part of a breakout from the Vault. During this, they manage to destroy the entire facility.

The U-Foes also are freed from the Raft, when Electro breaks them out in the New Avengers, but were distracted from escaping by a confrontation with Crossfire and his team of mind-controllers- including Mandrill, Mister Fear, Corruptor and the Controller- over technology that had been stolen from them, until Spider-Man, Captain America and Iron Man were able to capture them.