Studying the aftermath.
A secure location.
Input feeds on a massive scale. Monitoring the results of his latest efforts. Reflecting upon the outcome.
The former George Tarleton is once again at work gathering intelligence. The experiment that created the MODOC intended to transform the lowly A.I.M. agent into a living organic computer of massive power and ability. Emotional response was not factored in, which is why the experiment actually created the MODOK instead.
He has gotten quite efficient at killing.
Still, though, most of his prior plans had been high on arrogance and low on success. A lack of creativity, it had been said. Reliance on logic over the ability to react in the moment and adapt. These drawbacks - the emotional hampering of his effectiveness by the lingering resentment of being trapped in this grotesque form - they had become self-defeating. To the point where he was actually slain by the Serpent Society, in a nadir of ignominy.
Or so it seemed.
Advanced Idea Mechanics had, at one point, lost confidence in his leadership. Partially because of his seeming lack of focus - much of their resources were being diverted to his silent project: research into replicating the MODOC experiment, but adjusting the factors to allow him to exist in a normal, functioning human body without any loss of his considerable power. These attempted replications yielded similar results, but without Tarleton's willpower, most of the new MODOCs created resulted in comatose shells rather than active forces. Thanks to MODOK's planning, they served as replacements. Backups. To ensure he would continue to exist, with memories intact, even if a body were to meet its physical end. Organic downloading into new shells. Truly an advanced idea.
With a new form came a new dedication to purpose. A new focus, and a new determination to peel away the emotional factors that would constantly lead to his own undoing. Utilize his potential without seeking to publicly establish his own superiority so urgently. That will come in time. He was designed for computing, and there was no need to deny that any longer. To compute, one requires information. So began the slow, steady amassing of intelligence resources. The quiet, subtle infiltration of SHIELD that now numbered nearly 100 agents, some of them unaware of their own complicity. The underhanded turning of HYDRA agents to allow reporting of competing organizations, despite their loose alliances. The painfully complete subjugation of the Serpent Society, crushing their free will to punish them for his prior "death." The reclamation of SHIELD agent Kate Waynesboro, whose brief experience as a MODOC - Ms. MODOK, as she was dubbed - granted her just enough sympathy to exploit. The truly advanced thinking involved with manipulating the notoriously unmanipulatable Hulk - granting Banner and his wife a seeming peace to lull his emotional defenses, the chemical agent cocktails integrated subtly within his food to lull his biological defenses. Gathering data, analyzing the possibilities, and the potential long-term goals of gaining power.
Opportunity came with intercepting Ord from the barbaric Breakworld on his mission to Earth. He was relatively easy to control, through the combination of reasoning and mental coercion - the true genius of Charles Xavier, to MODOK's way of thinking. Less overt control is necessary when a victim's logical thought is appealed to as well. A mere nudge is required to bring them to agreement, rather than a forceful mental jackboot. A lesson well learned - it also results in more lasting fealty when there emotional dissonance is minimized.
Ord's intent to eliminate mutantkind shed light upon the real threats in this world. The Avengers are merely a line of defense against extraterrestrial and highly paranormal threats, and should be utilized and treated as such, rather than viewing them as archenemies in need of vanquishing above all else. Working AROUND the Avengers would work more efficiently than attempting to eliminate them. They will not act unless they are given threats to act upon. No, the true threat was mutantkind. It would be impossible to consolidate power when there was so much of it being spread around in seemingly random genetic patterns throughout the world. Ord's alien biological science resources enabled the A.I.M. scientists to develop the means to administer this genetic repression, while subtle lies enabled them to enlist Dr. Banner's unwitting help in developing the airborne delivery system. The 'cure bomb.'
Unfortunately, the beta test of the latter has seemed to only have a temporary effect. There is a modicum of demoralization remaining within the ranks of the X-Men and the Brotherhood, but it is evaporating. Still, the temporary effect could have been utilized to profound effect, were it not for unfortunate interventions that he could conceivably blame on others. The Absorbing Man, the Wrecking Crew and the Rhino failed to adequately hamper the Avengers' operations to keep them from interfering, despite having timed the assault on the Mansion when their defenses were at a low ebb. That infernal Thunder God's arrival was unexpected and unfortunate, as was Rhino's capture. Still, the Avengers interference could have been managed by the use of the Hulk.
The true undoing was the failure of the manipulation of Mystique and the Genoshan Magistrates to kill Xavier and Magnus there, which would have perfectly covered his tracks, as well as the subsquent failure of the White Wolf of Wakanda to eliminate them as the contingency. Had they been killed or at least detained as planned, the mutants in New Mexico could have all been slaughtered while they lay powerless, effectively crushing mutant activism, demoralizing both Xavier and Magnus to leave them much more vulnerable to later final defeat, and strengthening the need for the cure in the general mutant populace.
...
No. He must not fall victim to the patterns of the past. There was another reason for this setback, and the only one to blame is MODOK himself. The open, naked challenge to Xavier within the mind of the Wakandan ambassador is what brought the two mutant leaders to bear. They would not have known where to go were it not for the need to establish superiority. That foolish emotional response, when events were finally reaching their apex. Self-defeating. Arrogant.
Yet he remains a man of advanced ideas. There is much to salvage from this operation. Ord is lost, which means the Breakworld will eventually retaliate. This is what the Avengers exist to deal with. Overall, the operation was a qualified success. The cure will remain available on the black market, and while it was publicly administered, nearly 500,000 mutants worldwide have been treated with it. This clears the chess board considerably.
Then there is the greatest success, the matter of the Phoenix. Eliminated as a threat. However, Jean Grey will still prove useful. When Phase 2 begins.
For now, let the Red Skull play his hand. There is still much to do. Much to prepare.
This is not over.
Input feeds on a massive scale. Monitoring the results of his latest efforts. Reflecting upon the outcome.
The former George Tarleton is once again at work gathering intelligence. The experiment that created the MODOC intended to transform the lowly A.I.M. agent into a living organic computer of massive power and ability. Emotional response was not factored in, which is why the experiment actually created the MODOK instead.
He has gotten quite efficient at killing.
Still, though, most of his prior plans had been high on arrogance and low on success. A lack of creativity, it had been said. Reliance on logic over the ability to react in the moment and adapt. These drawbacks - the emotional hampering of his effectiveness by the lingering resentment of being trapped in this grotesque form - they had become self-defeating. To the point where he was actually slain by the Serpent Society, in a nadir of ignominy.
Or so it seemed.
Advanced Idea Mechanics had, at one point, lost confidence in his leadership. Partially because of his seeming lack of focus - much of their resources were being diverted to his silent project: research into replicating the MODOC experiment, but adjusting the factors to allow him to exist in a normal, functioning human body without any loss of his considerable power. These attempted replications yielded similar results, but without Tarleton's willpower, most of the new MODOCs created resulted in comatose shells rather than active forces. Thanks to MODOK's planning, they served as replacements. Backups. To ensure he would continue to exist, with memories intact, even if a body were to meet its physical end. Organic downloading into new shells. Truly an advanced idea.
With a new form came a new dedication to purpose. A new focus, and a new determination to peel away the emotional factors that would constantly lead to his own undoing. Utilize his potential without seeking to publicly establish his own superiority so urgently. That will come in time. He was designed for computing, and there was no need to deny that any longer. To compute, one requires information. So began the slow, steady amassing of intelligence resources. The quiet, subtle infiltration of SHIELD that now numbered nearly 100 agents, some of them unaware of their own complicity. The underhanded turning of HYDRA agents to allow reporting of competing organizations, despite their loose alliances. The painfully complete subjugation of the Serpent Society, crushing their free will to punish them for his prior "death." The reclamation of SHIELD agent Kate Waynesboro, whose brief experience as a MODOC - Ms. MODOK, as she was dubbed - granted her just enough sympathy to exploit. The truly advanced thinking involved with manipulating the notoriously unmanipulatable Hulk - granting Banner and his wife a seeming peace to lull his emotional defenses, the chemical agent cocktails integrated subtly within his food to lull his biological defenses. Gathering data, analyzing the possibilities, and the potential long-term goals of gaining power.
Opportunity came with intercepting Ord from the barbaric Breakworld on his mission to Earth. He was relatively easy to control, through the combination of reasoning and mental coercion - the true genius of Charles Xavier, to MODOK's way of thinking. Less overt control is necessary when a victim's logical thought is appealed to as well. A mere nudge is required to bring them to agreement, rather than a forceful mental jackboot. A lesson well learned - it also results in more lasting fealty when there emotional dissonance is minimized.
Ord's intent to eliminate mutantkind shed light upon the real threats in this world. The Avengers are merely a line of defense against extraterrestrial and highly paranormal threats, and should be utilized and treated as such, rather than viewing them as archenemies in need of vanquishing above all else. Working AROUND the Avengers would work more efficiently than attempting to eliminate them. They will not act unless they are given threats to act upon. No, the true threat was mutantkind. It would be impossible to consolidate power when there was so much of it being spread around in seemingly random genetic patterns throughout the world. Ord's alien biological science resources enabled the A.I.M. scientists to develop the means to administer this genetic repression, while subtle lies enabled them to enlist Dr. Banner's unwitting help in developing the airborne delivery system. The 'cure bomb.'
Unfortunately, the beta test of the latter has seemed to only have a temporary effect. There is a modicum of demoralization remaining within the ranks of the X-Men and the Brotherhood, but it is evaporating. Still, the temporary effect could have been utilized to profound effect, were it not for unfortunate interventions that he could conceivably blame on others. The Absorbing Man, the Wrecking Crew and the Rhino failed to adequately hamper the Avengers' operations to keep them from interfering, despite having timed the assault on the Mansion when their defenses were at a low ebb. That infernal Thunder God's arrival was unexpected and unfortunate, as was Rhino's capture. Still, the Avengers interference could have been managed by the use of the Hulk.
The true undoing was the failure of the manipulation of Mystique and the Genoshan Magistrates to kill Xavier and Magnus there, which would have perfectly covered his tracks, as well as the subsquent failure of the White Wolf of Wakanda to eliminate them as the contingency. Had they been killed or at least detained as planned, the mutants in New Mexico could have all been slaughtered while they lay powerless, effectively crushing mutant activism, demoralizing both Xavier and Magnus to leave them much more vulnerable to later final defeat, and strengthening the need for the cure in the general mutant populace.
...
No. He must not fall victim to the patterns of the past. There was another reason for this setback, and the only one to blame is MODOK himself. The open, naked challenge to Xavier within the mind of the Wakandan ambassador is what brought the two mutant leaders to bear. They would not have known where to go were it not for the need to establish superiority. That foolish emotional response, when events were finally reaching their apex. Self-defeating. Arrogant.
Yet he remains a man of advanced ideas. There is much to salvage from this operation. Ord is lost, which means the Breakworld will eventually retaliate. This is what the Avengers exist to deal with. Overall, the operation was a qualified success. The cure will remain available on the black market, and while it was publicly administered, nearly 500,000 mutants worldwide have been treated with it. This clears the chess board considerably.
Then there is the greatest success, the matter of the Phoenix. Eliminated as a threat. However, Jean Grey will still prove useful. When Phase 2 begins.
For now, let the Red Skull play his hand. There is still much to do. Much to prepare.
This is not over.