LUTHER MANNING

Real Name: Luther Manning

Identity/Class: Human, mutated by temporal energy into a cyborg

Occupation: former soldier in the US Army

Affiliations: pawn of Timestream, allied with Deathlok the Demolisher and a group of extra-temporal cyborgs;
    former ally of Mike Travers

Enemies: Deathlok (Michael Collins), Deathlok the Demolisher, Godwulf

Known Relatives: Janice (wife); may have had a son named Richard

Aliases: Deathlok; Manning-616 (for the purpose of clarification in this profile)

Base of Operations: formerly Fort Banning, Georgia and the Timestream; possibly Philadelphia, PA

First Appearance:
(Manning) Deathlok II#25 (July, 1993);
(Deathlok) Deathlok II#31 (January, 1994)

 

 

 

Powers/Abilities: Manning was trained in various military forms of strategy and armed and unarmed combat. His body was remade into a near duplicate of the original form of Deathlok of the Demolisher. As such he had superhuman strength (Class 10), enhanced human speed, stamina, durability, etc. His brain was most likely augmented by a computer which could allow him to perform complex maneuvers and actions with precision accuracy. He was also armed with an energy pistol, knives, and various other forms of weaponry. Unlike the Demolisher, however, he was not dependent on the nutrient tube connected to his chest, and severing this tube caused him no significant harm.

 

 

History: Definitely check out the clarifications on this one to keep them all straight!
(Deathlok II#33 (fb) - BTS) - Colonel Luther Manning claimed to have done seven tours of duty in Viet Nam, one in el Salvador, Iran, and the Persian Gulf.

(Deathlok II#27 (fb) -BTS) - Manning was offered the chance to participate in Cybertek's Deathlok project, but he declined.

(Deathlok II#25) - A year later, Manning spoke to a military psychiatrist at Fort Benning about nightmares of being Deathlok.

(Deathlok II#27, 29, 31-34 ) - Luther Manning was serving in Fort Benning alongside his long time friend, Mike Travers. He was considering quitting the military to learn to do something other than kill for a living. Manning was confronted by the being Timestream, who originated from an alternate timeline (Earth-Deathlok), and who sought his aid in altering his own past. Timestream told Manning that he was meant to have become Deathlok, and then he infused him with a burst of temporal energy and told him that things would be set right.

    Timestream returned a short time later and used his powers to place Manning within an internal time warp, which somehow shifted his form into a near replica of the original cyborg form of Manning's counterpart in Timestream's continuum--Deathlok the Demolisher. Timestream then inserted a program disk into the drive in Manning's hand, insuring his cooperation.

    Manning then joined forces with Timestream and his band of alternate dimensional cyborgs, a group which included Deathlok the Demolisher. Timestream led them into the past of Earth-616, and kill Captain America and Deathlok the Demolisher (during the events detailed above for Captain America I#286+287), to prevent them from stopping Operation: Purge (This was the point from which Earth-616 diverged from Earth-Deathlok). Timestream's agents were opposed by Godwulf--who was another native of Earth-Deathlok--as well as Michael Collins--a then current version of Deathlok on Earth-616, and Siege. These men successfully delayed them long enough to allow that past era's Cap and Deathlok to continue on with their mission.
    Manning-616 then tried to replace the past era's Deathlok the Demolisher, hoping that he would be transported to see Godwulf (@ Captain America#288)and could stop Cap and Deathlok at that juncture. Manning-616 was stopped by Deathlok/Collins, who enabled Cap and Deathlok to continue on to Earth-Deathlok. Timestream then created a vortex that warped everyone into the timestream itself.
    Deathlok the Demolisher began to question Timestream's actions and the truthfulness of his promises, but Manning-616 continued to defend him. Godwulf's agents confronted them again, and Manning-616 fought Deathlok/Collins again. Manning badly injured Collins, despite Collins' form being more powerful, because Collins was a pacifist at heart, and was reluctant to using lethal force. Collins appealed to Manning's mind, allowing him to throw off Timestream's programming. Feeling that he was trapped in some horrible dream, Manning turned his own weapon on himself, blowing a hole in his head.
With his death, Manning reverted to his human form. Justice Peace, an agent of the Time Variance Authority, appeared and promised to take Manning's body back to Earth-616 and see that he got a proper burial.

Comments: Created by Gregory Wright and Kevin Kobasic.

Timestream duped Deathlok the Demolisher into believing that Manning-616 was actually his own past self.

CLARIFICATIONS:

Luther Manning, of Earth-616, should be distinguished from

The Timestream, the physical nexus of all time and dimension, @ Deathlok II#32, should be differentiated from:

 

Appearances:
Deathlok II#25 (July, 1993) - Dwayne McDuffie (writer), Chris Wozniak & Pete Garcia (pencils), Brad Vancata, Al Vey & Greg Adams (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Deathlok II#27 (September, 1993) - Gregory Wright (writer), Kevin Kobasic (pencils), Greg Adams (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Deathlok II#29 (November, 1993) - Gregory Wright (writer), Kevin Kobasic (pencils), Greg Adams (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Deathlok II#31-33 (January-March, 1994) - Gregory Wright (writer), Kevin Kobasic (pencils), Greg Adams (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Deathlok II#34 (April, 1994) - Gregory Wright (writer), Kevin Kobasic & Anthony Williams (pencils), Greg Adams (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)

Last updated: 05/07/04

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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