THE ETHICALS

Membership: Akra, Kora, other 3 unnamed

Purpose: To explore the ethics which underly all transactional behavior

Affiliations: Machine Man, Quasar, Overmind

Enemies: Stranger

Base of Operations: Mobile in outer space

First Appearance: Machine Man I#12 (December, 1979)

Powers/Abilities: The Ethicals possesses the ability to manipulate cosmic energy, allowing them to fly, travel through space, create force fields and paralyzing rays, and dissipate energy-based attacks. They also possess some degree of precognition, having seen the future of humanity.

History: (Machine Man I#12)- The Ethicals were originally five normal human beings who were struck by an electrical discharge caused by Machine Man, who was frustrated with the intolerance of humanity. One of the victims had been working in a lab, and his chemicals had an unknown effect upon the energies Machine Man released. The five humans were transformed into superhuman entities, and set out to find their "father."

The Ethicals caught up to Machine Man as he was just about to murder a criminal for shooting a man. The Ethicals informed Machine Man that taking a life would be unethical, and refused to allow him to commit murder. Machine Man was confused by the Ethicals and attacked them, but they proved to be immune to his powers. The Ethicals informed Machine Man that using his power to take lives would be to squander his power, and that his power would be better used to help uplift humanity to greater place, a future which the Ethicals had forseen. The Ethicals now decided that they would have to judge whether Machine Man should live or die, and it was left to one of the five to cast the deciding vote.

However, the son of the man shot by the criminal Machine Man had threatened to murder spoke up in Machine Man's defense, testifying to how Machine Man had saved his father's life, and noted that if Machine Man were truly undeserving of life, he wouldn't help people who hated him. The Ethicals were impressed with this defense, and asked the child what he wanted done with the criminal; the child answered that the criminal didn't deserve to die either, as there must be a way to help people without hurting them. Machine Man was touched by the child's compassion, and came to comprehend the lesson the Ethicals had wanted to teach him. Their work done, the Ethicals set off into space to find a new home for themselves.

(Quasar#14 (fb, BTS))- The Ethicals were later found and captured by the Stranger, who placed them in his laboratory world. He employed the Ethicals to design for him a universal code of ethics for all sentient beings in return for their release.

(Quasar#14)- The Ethicals encountered Quasar during his visit to the laboratory world. He offered to set them free from their cell, but they did not consider that to be ethical.

(Quasar#15)- The Ethicals subsequently escaped the Stranger's laboratory world during a mass break-out by several of the planet's inmates.

Comments: Created by Marv Wolfman and Steve Ditko.

The Ethicals appeared in a hologram created by Prosh in X-Men Forever#1, among other cosmic entities Prosh identified as keeping an eye upon humanity to see how they develop.

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Ethicals should not be confused with:

• Ethan, lab partner of Chip at Empire State University, @ Amazing Spider-Man Annual#25

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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