SHELLHEAD THE IRON ANT
Earth-818

Identity/Class: Alternate reality (Earth-818) robot

Occupation: Bodyguard

Group Membership: The Multiversal Avengers (Ant-Man/Tony Stark, Avenger Prime/Loki Laufeyson of Reality-18201, the Infinity Thing/Ben Grimm, Moon Knight/Mariama Spector, Star Panther/T'Challa of Earth-41766, Thor/Thor Odinson of Reality-56337, Vision, Wonder Man/Simon Williams)

Affiliations: Deathlok (All-Rider ally), Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes of Earth-616), the Goddesses of Thunder of Reality-14412 (Atli, Ellisiv, Frigg), the Multiversal Avengers

Enemies: Black Skull (Johann Shmidt of Earth-21798), "Captain Red Skull" of Earth-63137, "Carnage Red Skull" of Earth-31911, "Holocaust Red Skull" of Earth-82197, Venom Ants, War Machines, "Warrior Red Skull" of Earth-51948

Aliases: "Buddy," "Shelly" (nicknames)

Base of Operations: Avengers Tower, the God Quarry, inside of a black hole;
    formerly mobile throughout the Multiverse; Tony Stark's headquarters, Earth-818

First Appearance: Avengers Forever II#1 (February, 2022)

Powers/Abilities: Shellhead is an armored robot equipped with strength allowing it to lift several times its own weight. It is also equipped with lights atop its antennae, laser projectors capable of burning through solid rock, flight-capable jets on its backside and internal communications systems allowing it to broadcast messages to other beings.

    It is also capable of changing its size, likely due to built-in Stark Particle generators.

Height: Various
Weight: Various
Eyes: Red
Hair: None

History:
(Avengers Forever II#1 (fb) - BTS) - Tony Stark began designs for an armored flying suit but grew bored and ultimately settled on a single, tiny prototype that became the robot Shellhead.

(Avengers Forever II#1) - After becoming the heroic archaeologist Ant-Man, Tony Stark brought Shellhead along for a dig deep down into a cave and he sent Shellhead to scout ahead. Ant-Man was soon attacked by the Black Skull's Venom Ants and he summoned Shellhead to him for assistance. Shellhead eventually arrived carrying a severed Celestial head that Stark had earlier excavated and the robot dropped the head onto Ant-Man's weapon, forming the Knowhere Gun that Ant-Man used to disperse the Venom Ants. The two then ventured further into the cave, where they discovered Mjolnir, the lost hammer of Odin. While Ant-Man was able to lift the hammer, he was unable to hold it indefinitely and after he was nearly crushed by the weight of the hammer, he had Shellhead burn a circle of land around the hammer and lift the ground under the hammer to move it back to his headquarters. On the way out of the cave, the two found the cave surrounded by the armored War Machines, only to watch them rush off. Secretly following the War Machines to learn why they left so abruptly, Ant-Man and Shellhead witnessed the War Machines' battle with Earth-616's Ghost Rider and Ghost Rider's subsequent freeing of the human-destroying Crematrain. Soon after returning to his headquarters, Ant-Man had Shellhead place Mjolnir with the other artifacts he had acquired and summoned his allies to discuss what he had seen.

(Avengers Forever II#2) - Ant-Man and Shellhead ventured into the Black Skull's dungeons in an attempt to rescue the captured Ghost Rider of Earth-616 and his Deathlok ally.

(Avengers Forever II#3) - Upon hearing that Ghost Rider refused to leave behind his destiny, Ant-Man shrunk back down in size to inform his allies outside that Ghost Rider didn't want to be rescued as Shellhead watched on. When the Deathlok tried to rally Ant-Man to help them avenge the Multiverse, Ant-Man struggled with the decision, ultimately deciding to go with Deathlok and Ghost Rider. Shellhead expressed love for Ant-Man and Ant-Man admitted that he also loved Shellhead before asking the robot not to make him cry, as he had to be tough. He then grew to his normal size to hear Deathlok and Ghost Rider out but when the Black Skull attacked them, Shellhead aided in their defense as they fought back. During the battle, Ant-Man shrunk down smaller than he ever had and when Ant-Man's allies outside communicated for a status update, Shellhead informed them of what had happened. Ant-Man soon grew to giant size and used the force of the growth to punch Black Skull out of the dungeon, leaving Shellhead to get the Deathlok to safety as Ghost Rider defeated the Black Skull. 

(Avengers Forever II#4) - When several Red Skull counterparts emerged from portals generated by the Black Skull, Shellhead aided Ant-Man and his allies in repelling the counterparts. Following the defeat of the Multiversal Red Skull counterparts and the liberation of Earth-818, Shellhead joined Ant-Man in watching as their newest allies, the three Goddesses of Thunder from Reality-14412, departed Earth-818 to continue their search for the pieces of the Old Man Phoenix scattered across the Multiverse. Once they had left, Ant-Man and Shellhead returned to Ghost Rider and the Deathlok, who announced it was time for them to continue their mission as well to stop the Multiversal Masters of Evil from destroying all realities. Having already decided to accompany Ghost Rider and Deathlok, Ant-Man had Shellhead climb into the back of Ghost Rider's Hell Charger.

(Avengers Assemble Omega#1) - Following the defeat of the Multiversal Masters of Evil and their ally, the Reality-616 demon Mephisto, a slightly altered Shellhead joined Avenger Prime of Reality-18201's Multiversal Avengers alongside Ant-Man, Moon Knight, Wonder Man, Vision and the Infinity Thing.

Comments: Created by Jason Aaron, Aaron Kuder and Cam Smith.

    There appears to be some confusion between Earth-21170 and Earth-818. I think, originally, Earth-21170 was designated as the divergent Earth from Earth-818 that Ant-Man/Tony Stark was native to because we see a flashback to the Avengers of 1,000,0000 B.C. being killed by the Multiversal Masters of Evil (which caused the reality divergence) but all stories kept referring to his reality as Earth-818. So the way I'm looking at it is that Earth-21170 was the original reality and when the Multiversal Masters of Evil arrived there in prehistoric times, their very presence diverged the reality into Earth-818 and it was indeed the diverged Earth-818 in which the Avengers of 1,000,000 B.C. were killed, ultimately leading to the wasteland that became the Earth-818 that Ant-Man/Tony Stark grew up and which Earth-21798's Black Skull ruled. When the reality to its original state at the Avengers Assemble Omega#1, I believe it was the original Earth-21170 that was restored, with the diverged Earth-818 remaining a recovering wasteland following its liberation. That was why Ant-Man & the other heroes of Earth-818 remained with Avenger Prime's Multiversal Avengers, as they felt the reality they knew no longer existed (though, in reality, it did as a divergent Earth).

    Shellhead appeared to be upgraded in Avengers Assemble Omega#1 (see above 2nd image in comparison to the other images). Since we didn't see Shellhead after it entered Ghost Rider's Hell Charger in Avengers Forever II#4 before Ant-Man, Ghost Rider and the Deathlok traveled the Multiverse recruiting aid against the Multiversal Masters of Evil, it's possible Shellhead was destroyed or at least heavily damaged while they were traversing the Multiverse (which would also explain its lack of participation in the final battle against the Multiversal Masters and Mephisto) and Ant-Man rebuilt (or upgraded) Shellhead after the final battle. That would at least explain the slightly different appearance...then again, it could just be artistic license.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Earth-818's Shellhead the Iron Ant should be distinguished from:

•  other "Shellhead" characters, groups, items, races or events
  

Venom Ants

Appearances:
Avengers Forever II#1 (February, 2022) - Jason Aaron (writer), Aaron Kuder (pencils), Cam Smith, Jason Keith, Triona Farrell (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers Forever II#2 (March, 2022) - Jason Aaron (writer), Aaron Kuder, Carlos Magno (pencils), Scott Hanna, Roberto Poggi, Cam Smith (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers Forever II#3 (May, 2022) - Jason Aaron (writer), Aaron Kuder (pencils), Cam Smith (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers Forever II#4 (May, 2022) - Jason Aaron (writer), Jim Towe (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers Assemble Omega#1 (June, 2023) - Jason Aaron (writer), Aaron Kuder, Dexter Vines, Ivan Fiorelli, Javier Garron, Jim Towe (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)

First posted: 07/15/2025
Last updated: 07/15/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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