UMBU the UNLIVING
Real Name: Umbu
Identity/Class: Extra-terrestrial Robot
Occupation: Protector of the Sagittarian Planet-Destroyer
Affiliations: Agent of Sagittarians (and indirectly, the Galaxy Master); Hulk and Ka-Zar enemy; Formerly worshipped by tribe of Swamp Men
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None. The Planet-Destroyer was also known as the Doomsday Machine and the Glowing Machine on Earth.
Base of Operations: The Savage Land
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#110 (December, 1968)
Powers: Umbu was an immense, approximately 50' tall robot. It possessed Class 100 strength, and self-repair circuits which enabled it to rebuild damaged portions of itself in seconds. It could fire powerful energy blasts from its staff capable of stunning the Hulk or incinerating an entire tree. It could release a potent knock-out gas from its mouth. Umbu was dependent on the Planet-Destroyer's Master Control Unit for activity. When it was deactivated, Umbu was as well.
The Planet-Destroyer was powered by atomic energy. It was capable of slowly altering a planet's rotation, sufficient to cause eventually worldwide havoc and destruction.
History: (Incredible Hulk II#110 (fb) ) - The extra-terrestrial race known as the Sagittarians had long ago pledged to serve the Galaxy Master in order to prevent him from destroying their own planet and race. To this end, they designed a machine known as the Planet-Destroyer capable of wreaking havoc across an entire planet. They would place this Planet-Destroyer on other planets to render them unable to resist the Galaxy Master, to make its destruction of them easier.
An undisclosed time period ago (likely centuries), the Sagittarians placed a Planet-Destroyer on Earth, hiding it in a cave in the Savage Land. They then placed an immense robot, Umbu, on a pedestal in the village of a tribe of Swamp Men, warning them that if the Glowing Machine was tampered with, Umbu would come to life and destroy whoever was responsible. The Swamp Men grew to worship the inanimate form of Umbu, and made an effort to prevent others from approaching the cave containing the Glowing Machine. The Swamp Men also would periodically offer a human sacrifice to keep their god, Umbu, appeased.
(Incredible Hulk II#109-110) - The Hulk inadvertently entered the Savage Land after being carried to Anarctica by a Chinese missile. Upon reverting to the form of Banner, he was captured by the Swamp Men, who planned to offer him up as a sacrifice to Umbu. Banner was saved by Ka-Zar, who, after learning he was a scientist, brought him to the Glowing Machine to explain its origins and purpose. Banner quickly determined its true intent, and the fact that it had recently activated, but before he could deactivate it, the Swamp Men attacked. Banner transformed into the Hulk to battle the Swamp Men, leaving the cave.
The Hulk was then confronted by Umbu, who had been activated after Banner tampered with the Planet-Destroyer. The Hulk attacked Umbu, but after a short battle, he was defeated by a gas from Umbu, which rendered him unconscious. The Hulk reverted to Banner, whom Umbu failed to recognize as the same being. Banner quickly ran back to the cave and worked to decipher the circuits as Umbu attempted to stop him. Banner succeeded in removing the machine's Master Control Unit, which rendered Umbu inert as well, causing it to collapse.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Herb Trimpe.
While not a particularly unique or interesting robot, Umbu remains, nonetheless intact and awaiting reprogramming and reactivation in the Savage Land should anyone desire to use it.
images:
Other appearances:
Incredible Hulk II#109 (November, 1968) - Stan Lee (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), John Severin (inks), Stan Lee (editor) - Planet-Destroyer only
Last updated: 08/01/02
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