RATTICUSRATTICUS
Real Name: Merced Everett
Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-7484) human mutate
Occupation: Warrior;
former research scientist
Group Membership: Formerly Project: Alpha-Mech;
presumably other groups before being pulled into the development of Deathlok
Affiliations: Janice Manning (now Janice Travers);
formerly Luther Manning
Enemies: Deathlok (Luther Manning), Simon Ryker
Known Relatives: Rachelle Everett (wife; apparent widow)
Aliases: "Rat-Man" (from Deathlok)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
apparently perished in the Flatiron Building, Manhattan, New York
formerly Rachelle's tower base in Manhattan, New York
Education: Presumably a Ph.D. in the field of prosthetics, bionics, and/or cybernetics
First Appearance: Deathlok 50th Anniversary Special#1 (November, 2024)
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He appeared to have completely mechanical legs (with three toes on each foot) and an approximately 4' long tail, the latter of which could be used as a weapon to strike or trip others, even a powerful being such as Deathlok. His torso and arms were
grossly humanoid in conformation, although they were covered in thick
fur. He has claws on each of his fingers and thumbs. His head was much more rat-like in form, notably in the shape of the maxilla and mandibles and the forms of the ears and teeth. His eyes were both bionic. Ratticus squeaked and
squealed. It is unrevealed whether he could speak, and it is similarly
unrevealed whether he had the intelligence to understand human language
or whether he only obeyed mental commands from Rachelle. He likely had
intracranial receptors s in his brain similar to those of the actual
rodents serving Rachelle. Prior to his death and reanimation, Merced was almost certainly a genius in the field of prosthetics, bionics, and/or cybernetics Merced was a kind and gentle man, dedicated to helping wounded veterans. Weight: Unrevealed (difficult to approximate due to unrevealed construction and mechanical content); originally likely 220 lbs. Eyes: Red; originally unrevealed (likely brown) Hair: Brown or gray; originally apparently black or dark brown (including mustache) |
.  History: (Deathlok 50th Anniversary Special#1 (fb)) - A kind gentle man, Merced sought to save soldiers from living with debilitating injuries. He worked for years to develop prosthetics to help veterans. He worked with his wife, Rachelle. (Deathlok 50th Anniversary Special#1 (fb)) - Prior to the war, Merced and Rachelle enjoyed dinners with Janice and Luther Manning; Merced later considered these to be some of her best memories from before the war. |
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(Deathlok 50th Anniversary Special#1 (fb) - BTS) - Pigeons and rats were the only animals left alive in New York City. (Deathlok 50th Anniversary Special#1 (fb) - BTS) - Rachelle blamed both Simon Ryker and Deathlok for Merced's fate, and she vowed revenge. She made do with what was available, and she rebuilt Merced as a cyborg rat-man. (Deathlok 50th Anniversary Special#1 (fb) - BTS) - Via faking an emergency beacon from Simon Ryker, Rachelle lured Deathlok to her tower base within the zoo (around the junction of West 57th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan). (Deathlok 50th Anniversary Special#1 - BTS) - After Deathlok had battled some cannibals, Rachelle dropped him with a tranquilizer dart. (Deathlok 50th Anniversary Special#1 (fb) - BTS) - Rachelle brought Deathlok to her base.(Deathlok 50th Anniversary Special#1 - BTS) - As Deathlok revived, Rachelle, appreciating that she had 53 seconds until his operating systems rebooted, quickly explained that Ryker had stolen technology from her and her husband to create Deathlok and that she wanted him to help her kill Ryker. After she called him Luther and noted how she had known him, Deathlok recognized her as Dr. Rachelle Everett, and she noted her fond memories of the dinners with his family. While she told him that she liked to think that Janice would have wanted him to help her, Deathlok told her to save the manipulation, as she had him at "kill Ryker." |
Rachelle them noted how she had wired technology into rat brains that was similar to what kept Deathlok going, and that she could control their movements with her thoughts. She further explained that she only had rats and pigeons to work with, and pigeons' brains were too small for the intracranial receptors.  Rachelle then noted that her rat assistants had scavenged the city for anything useful, and that they had determined that Ryker had taken over and was currently using the Flatiron Building. She additionally had found a schematic of the building in the wreckage of the city records building. Deathlok's computer detected subterfuge in Rachelle's statements. Deathlok pointed out the flaw in their plans in the two of them facing perhaps two platoons of goons and that he was aware she was setting him up but that he would help anyway so he could confront Ryker. While Rachelle sneaked in through the sewers, Deathlok took out a number of Ryker's agents at the front of the building and then scaled its wall and gained access to an upper level. Meanwhile, however, Ryker captured Rachelle, and Deathlok located the two of them. (Deathlok 50th Anniversary Special#1) - Responding either to the threat to Rachelle or to her telepathic/remote commands, Ratticus than shattered the wall and entered the room alongside a number of rats serving Rachelle. She told Ryker and Deathlok that everything and everyone she had ever loved lied in ruin because of the two of them and that she had waited years to have her revenge. She related how Ryker had taken Merced's research for himself to develop Deathlok and how Merced had been one of many scientists tragically killed when the program went online against expert advice. Deathlok apologized for his actions, noting that he had not been in his right mind when he was first activated, but Rachelle noted how she had rebuilt Merced better than before and that both Deathlok and Ryker would find their miserable ends at Ratticus' hands. Forced by his internal computer to protect Ryker, Deathlok engaged Ratticus while noting he would prefer to let him chew through Ryker. As Ratticus fought back, dropping Deathlok with his tail, Rachelle noted how the entire building had been wired with explosives (presumably via her rat assistants) and that they had 45 seconds. As she fled, Ryker rushed after her, but her rats attacked him, forcing him back.  Deathlok then approached Ratticus, telling him that he didn't want to hurt him and that he was never like Ryker; he had just wanted to serve his country a build a safe world for his family. Deathlok then extended his hand, offering a truce and suggesting that that they could rebuild civilization themselves. However, Ryker then shot Ratticus through the head, presumably killing him. Resisting his computer's control, Deathlok charged Ryker, planning to kill him, but he was then summoned into the modern era/heroic age of Earth-616 by Dr. Doom, who sought to use him for his own ends. |
Comments: Created by Justina Ireland and Luke Ross.
I am proud to have been a consultant for this issue. It was a lot of fun.
As far as I can tell, there's no reason this story can't take place in Reality-7484, at least up to the point of Deathlok being transported back in time to Earth-616's modern era by Dr. Doom. After that, we don't know whether a new reality diverges as Deathlok either doesn't returned or returns significantly changed; or if Deathlok is going to be returned to his own time essentially unchanged to live out his previously chronicled existence.
The Deathlok stories in Astonishing Tales were almost continuous. I think there are only two points chronologically in which this story could occur:
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Ratticus should be distinguished from:
First posted: 08/17/2025
Last updated: 08/23/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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Powers/Abilities: Ratticus was a murine (specifically rat)-humanoid cyborg.
(Deathlok 50th Anniversary Special#1 (fb)) - When their funding was repurposed for the
Deathlok program (Project: Alpha-Mech), Merced went along with it, but
all of his recommendations were ignored by Simon Ryker.
(Deathlok 50th
Anniversary Special#1 (fb)) - Merced and Rachelle were working in the
building when Deathlok (the deceased Luther Manning revived/rebuilt as
a cyborg) went online against expert advice. Rachelle watched in horror
as Merced was crushed by masonry as Deathlok rampaged.