Marvel Comics and science fiction have gone hand in hand since the beginning. The first Marvel superhero – the original Human Torch – was a robot with the power of fire, created by Professor Horton to aid mankind. He was the first of many characters who would have a sci-fi tinged background in the Golden Age. The House of Ideas’ really leaned into the sci-fi in their Silver Age revival, with most of the then-new Marvel heroes having a scientific background of some sort. In fact, many of them became superheroes because of their scientific breakthroughs, using their creations to fight evil. Over the years, they’ve created upgrades that have made the lives of themselves and their fellow heroes way easier.
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Being a superhero isn’t an easy job. The villains are bloodthirsty and powerful, the government is often working against you, and the public can be convinced to hate you at the drop of the hate. The heroes’ technology have made it easier, allowing them to reach heights they couldn’t with it. These seven scientific upgrades have allowed Marvel heroes to keep fighting the good fight, making their heroism possible.
7) Unstable Molecules
Mister Fantastic has invented many amazing things over the decades, but one of the most useful to the entire superhero community are unstable molecules. See, Reed and the Fantastic Four had a problem. His powers, Invisible Woman’s, and Human Torch’s would wreak havoc on their clothes, so he came up with a formula that would make a new kind of fabric, one that was not only more durable but could react to various kinds of energies and superpowers: unstable molecules. So, Human Torch could flame on and his costume wouldn’t burn to shreds or Reed’s would stretch with him or Sue’s would turn invisible. Eventually, they made this invention available to their fellow superheroes and the public, making life easier for everyone with superpowers who wanted to wear clothes that wouldn’t fall apart immediately.
6) Cerebro
The Marvel Universe is full of powerful psychics, with the most powerful being Professor Charles Xavier. Xavier wanted to help the mutant race and could use his powers to sense them, but needed a better method. So, he created Cerebro. The system was able to detect mutants anywhere on the planet, also enhancing the power of any telepath who wore it. It’s become one of the most important pieces of machinery in mutant history; the X-Men have used it to save numerous lives over the years, and it was an integral part of Krakoan resurrection, allowing millions of mutants to be resurrected.
5) The Adamantium-Bonding Process
Adamantium is one of the strongest metals in the Marvel Universe, a virtually indestructible ore that is extremely difficult to work. Basically, you only get one shot with adamantium, as after it hardens, it’s almost impossible to get back to a molten state. However, Kenji Oyama was able to come up with a process where adamantium could be bonded to the human skeleton. The adamantium-bonding process was used by Weapon X to give Logan an unbreakable skeleton, and since then it’s been used several other times on other heroes and villains (Bullseye has adamantium bones as well, except his were actual replacement bones and not adamantium-bonded). It’s allowed Wolverine and the others to survive just about anything. The bonding process can be deadly, but it’s worth it for those who can survive it.
4) Web Shooters
Spider-Man is Marvel’s most relatable hero, but Peter Parker has always been more than your average Joe. Peter is something of a super-genius, having loved science since he was a child, and he used those smarts after he was bitten by the radioactive spider. Using materials that he had found around the house and school, Parker was able to create his web shooters and web fluid, which made his entire superheroic career possible. The fact that he was able to make them in his room, with just the things he could find as a 15-year old poor kid, is astounding and shows just how smart he really is.
3) Pym Particles
Hank Pym is one of the super-geniuses who helped make the Age of Marvels, that time after the Fantastic Four got back from their trip to space and the modern superhero community was born, into a reality, becoming one of its most important early members. Pym was studying insects and realized that if he was smaller, he could learn more about them. This led to the creation of the Pym Particles. At first, they only allowed him to shrink, while still keeping the same amount of mass, but as he experimented with them, he’d learn to make it so they could make people grow as well. He became Ant-Man, with his girlfriend Janet Van Dyne becoming the Wasp, and would go on to become Giant-Man, Goliath, Yellowjacket, and the Wasp. Other heroes would also use his particles, showing off just how useful they were in the battle against evil.
2) The Supersoldier Serum
Captain America is Marvel’s patriotic legend and it was all possible because of the supersoldier serum. It was the brainchild of Dr. Abraham Erksine, a Jewish scientist who escaped Nazi Germany. The serum, combined with Vita-Rays, made its recipient into the pinnacle of human achievement, giving them amazing strength and agility. The original serum died with Erksine did, killed by a Nazi saboteur after Steve Rogers was given it, as he never wrote down the formula, but new ones would be created over the years by people such as the Power Broker. They’ve become an important part of the Marvel Universe, allowing numerous soldiers to become super.
1) Iron Man’s Armor
Iron Man’s armor is one of the most important technological inventions in the Marvel Universe, if not the most important. The reason for this is simple – out of all the technology heroes have made over the years, it’s saved the universe the most times. Tony Stark was able to create the Mark I under the worst circumstances imaginable, half dead and with subpar tools and materials, spending the intervening years perfecting it in a number of ways. He’s created so many different armors and has upgraded all of their systems to levels that would have been a pipe dream to the arms dealer with shrapnel from his own weapons pushing towards his heart, forging his first suit in that cave with Yinsen all those years ago.
What’s your favorite Marvel scientific invention? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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