LIFTER

Real Name: Ned Lathrop

Identity/Class: Human Mutant

Occupation: Mercenary-for-hire; (formerly) mutant rights activist

Group Membership: Mutant Force, (formerly) the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the Resistants

Affiliations: Cloud, Harridan, Leviathan, Mad Dog, Magneto, Professor Power, Red Skull (Shmidt), Secret Empire, Seraph

Enemies: Battlestar, Captain America (Rogers), Captain America (Walker), Code: Blue, Dead Ringer, Defenders (Angel, Beast, Gargoyle, Hellcat, Iceman, Nighthawk, Son of Satan, Valkyrie, Wasp, Yellowjacket), Freedom Force (Avalanche, Blob, Crimson Commando, Destiny, Mystique, Pyro, Spiral, Super-Sabre), Mandrill, Mister One and Mister Two, New Warriors (Aegis, Bolt, Namorita, Nova, Speedball, Turbo), S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Hazard Intervention and Espionage Logistics Directorate), Super-Patriot (Farrell), Joshua and Beatrice Walker

Known Relatives: None known

Aliases: Meteorite

Base of Operations: Unknown;
                                     (formerly) Resistant headquarters in Death Valley , California ;
                                     (formerly) Secret Empire headquarters in upstate New York ;
                                     (formerly) Magneto’s New York base

First Appearance: Captain America Annual I#4 (1977)

Powers/Abilities: "Lifter can give himself superhuman strength by increasing his body's density.  The full extent of his potential strength is as yet unknown.  By neutralizing the effect of gravity on objects he lifts, Lifter can lift (press) even more weight than his superhuman strength alone would enable him to lift.  Lifter can increase the density of his body, thereby giving himself superhuman strength and superhuman resistance to injury.  Lifter can also neutralize the effect of gravity on an object by touching it."  (This quoted from Lifter's OHOTMU entry).  As Meteorite, Lathrop lifted his team aboard a large rock and propelled them through the air to travel great distances.

Height: 6'1'' Weight: 220 lbs. Eyes: Blue Hair: Brown

History: Little is known about the background of Ned Lathrop.

(Captain America Annual#4 (fb)) - Lathrop was recruited, alongside four other mutant men (Burner, Peeper, Shocker, Slither), to serve in Magneto’s new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

(Captain America Annual#4) - Wanting to exploit a tiny spaceship he had found, Magneto ordered the Brotherhood to apprehend the tiny Mister One (who controlled the larger Mister Two).  Later, the Brotherhood attacked One and Two and Captain America in a park.  During the battle, Lathrop levitated a rock at Two, then lifted Two up before being struck in the head.  Soon SHIELD agents arrived.  The Brotherhood retreated, meeting Magneto back at their headquarters, with the captive Mister One.  The Brotherhood was shocked to see the tiny spaceship.  Captain America and Mister Two soon attacked.  Lathrop was attacked by Captain America and increased his body mass incredibly.  As he prepared to crush Captain America, Two threw Slither into Lathrop, incapacitating him.  The Brotherhood was forced to flee when Mister One set off a bomb on the space ship, blowing up the headquarters.

(Defenders I#78) - The five mutants, abandoned by Magneto, were hired by the Mandrill and given the team name of the Mutant Force, a name they kept in the following years.   They attacked a Coloradan Air-Force base with an army of female warriors (under the control of the Mandrill).   When the Defenders (Hellcat, Valkyrie, Wasp, Yellowjacket) attacked, Lathrop used his powers to negate the gravity of the tanks.  When things got out of hand, Burner, Lathrop, and Peeper were able to escape with a pile of stolen gold and an unconscious Yellowjacket, leaving Shocker and Slither behind.

(Defenders I#79) - The three members of the Mutant Force rescued their teammates and battled the three women again alongside Mandrill’s women warriors.  When Hellcat kicked Lathrop, he lifted up the pavement she was standing on and sent her scampering.  After the three women were captured, they returned to the Mandrill’s base.  The Mutant Force caroused with the women warriors; Lathrop enjoyed being complimented by one.  When the Valkyrie briefly escaped, she knocked Lathrop and Shocker to the side, but the Mandrill used his powers to make Hellcat and Valkyrie serve him, and put Valkyrie in charge of his forces, to Lathrop’s chagrin.  The Wasp later escaped.  The Mandrill ordered his forces to attack the air base again, and eliminate all opposition. 

(Defenders I#80) - In the battle with the army, Lathrop lifted tanks, turned them upside-down, and shook out their occupants.  After the battle was over, all the surviving soldiers were rounded up in one building and held under an electric field generated by Shocker.  Later, Nighthawk arrived, the field was soon shorted out and Valkyrie and Hellcat were freed.  The Mutant Force was quickly defeated.

(Defenders I#83) - The Mutant Force, still in custody, was brought before a special United States Intelligence Services branch.  They agreed to become special government operatives, their crimes to be pardoned in return.

(Defenders I#87 (fb)) - After the Hulk invaded Giants’ Stadium, the Mutant Force was sent in by the government to apprehend him.  The stadium was evacuated and the team did battle with the Hulk, with the army assisting them.  During the battle, Lathrop negated Hulk’s gravity, but the Hulk still smashed him.  Valkyrie and Hellcat intervened, knocked a structure down on the villains, the Hulk escaped.

(Defenders I#87) - The Mutant Force was called to testify against the Defenders in what they thought was a government inquisition (but was actually the alien Tribunal).   Lathrop testified about their recent battle with the Defenders.

(Captain America I#346 (fb)) - When the government lost its funding for the Mutant Force program, they were cut loose (coincidentally, another Brotherhood of Evil Mutants team would take their place as Freedom Force).

(Defenders I#125 (fb)) – The Mutant Force (minus Peeper) was recruited by the Secret Empire alongside several other operatives.   Mad Dog was put in charge of the Mutant Force.  

(Defenders I#125) - The Mutant Force (minus Peeper) was sent by the Secret Empire to aid Mad Dog in attacking the Defenders at the wedding of Patsy Walker and Daimon Hellstrom in Greentown, Ohio.  During the attack, Lathrop was quickly knocked aside by the Valkyrie.  He negated her gravity and tossed her aside, but she quickly returned and, with a wooden board, knocked him into a pig sty.

((New) Defenders I#126) - The Mutant Force was put into SHIELD null-fields where they were held for questioning.  They were released by Professor Power while Leviathan created a distraction.

((New) Defenders I#128) - Equipped with special strength-sapping devices, Lathrop fought alongside the other Secret Empire operatives (Mad Dog, Mutant Force, Leviathan, Seraph, and Harridan) against the Defenders, who were quickly captured.  

((New) Defenders I#129) - Mad Dog and the Mutant Force fought off the attacking Defenders while the Secret Empire launched a satellite that would start a world war.

(New) Defenders I#130) - The satellite exploded, and the Defenders quickly defeated the villains.

(Captain America I#426 (fb)) - The Red Skull offered to finance the Mutant Force members to form a pro-mutant terrorist group.   The team (minus Slither) reoutfitted as the Resistants, and changed their codenames.   Lathrop changed his name to Meteorite.

(Captain America I#343) - Lathrop, Burner (as Crucible), Peeper (as Occult), and Shocker (as Paralyzer), in their new Resistant costumes, flew on a rock toward a helicopter where Quill, a mutant, had been captured by Captain America (John Walker) and Battlestar.   The team rescued Quill; their purpose was a public statement against the Mutant Registration Act.

(Captain America I#346) - Lathrop, Crucible, Quill, and Mist Mistress (another Resistant) moved to rescue Mentallo (who they believed to be a mutant) from a Vault transport van.   Mentallo (now going by Think-Tank) returned to the Resistant headquarters in Death Valley , California , with the villains.   Another Resistant mission, this time with more members, moved to rescue Quicksilver before realizing it was a trap set by Freedom Force.   As the two teams battled, Captain America attacked ( Walker ).   During the battle, Crucible almost fell to his death, but was rescued by Lathrop.  Lathrop also rescued Occult from falling once, but Occult was later severely electrocuted..  When Think-Tank fired on Captain America, Lathrop took three bullets and the rock he'd been floating on crashed to the ground.  Captain America beat on the unconscious Lathrop before he was stopped by Battlestar.  The Resistants were decisively beaten.

(Captain America I#426) - Months later , Lathrop (obviously recovered), Occult, and Crucible flew in on a flying rock to attack the Mutant Liberation Front when they saw Captain America and the Night Flyer (Super-Patriot and the Dead-Ringer in disguise) trying to rob an armored car.  They switched their plans, and decided to attack the heroes.  Meteorite caused a rock to smash into the ground, scattering them.  Meteorite was hit by “Captain America’s” shield, then he lifted the two enemies into the air and smashed them together repeatedly with the intention of killing them.  He focused on “Captain America” and prepared to remove his mask, but then Dead-Ringer changed his form to that of Death-Adder and attacked Meteorite.  After all three of the Resistants were defeated, Code Blue arrived and arrested them.  The two “heroes” framed the three villains for robbing the armored truck.

(New Warriors II#6) - Back together as the Mutant Force, the villains attacked an armored truck for money.   The New Warriors noticed and attacked.   Turbo distracted Lathrop with a wind-tunnel while the other villains were defeated.  Lathrop threatened the heroes with his powers, causing Nova to ask, "What're you gonna do, lift us to death?"  Lathrop promptly surrendered.

Comments: Created by Jack Kirby.

Lifter is the character out of the Mutant Force to have the least exposure.  He has had very little character development despite almost thirty years of existing in the MU.  His powers could rank on a Graviton level, I suppose, if treated right.

Profile by Chadman.

Clarifications:

Lifter/Meteorite has no known connections to

  • Meteorite, Karla Sofen's (Moonstone) heroic guise @ Incredible Hulk I#449
  • Meteorite, Valeri Barnhardt of the Redeemers @ Thunderbolts I#48
  • Meteor Man, guise of the Looter @ Marvel Team-Up I#33
  • Meteor Man, Jefferson Reed, an MU hero of a possible alternate Earth (and a really bad movie) @ Meteor Man I#1
  • or anyone else not mentioned in this profile.

images:
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe II#9, p20, pan3
Defenders I#87, p26, pan4
Captain America I#346, p19, pan4 (as Meteorite)

Captain America Annual#4 (1977) - Jack Kirby (writer/pencils), John Verpoorten & John Tartaglione (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Defenders I#78-80 (December, 1979 - February, 1980) - Ed Hannigan (writer), Herb Trimpe & Ed Hannigan (#79) (pencils), Mike Esposito (#78-79) & Dan Green (#80) (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Defenders I#83 (May, 1980) - Ed Hannigan (writer), Don Perlin (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Defenders I#87 (September, 1980) - Ed Hannigan (writer), Don Perlin (pencils), Pablo Marcos (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Defenders I#125-126 (November-December, 1983) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Don Perlin (#125) & Alan Kupperberg (#126) (pencils), Kim DeMulder (#125) & Paul Becton (#126) (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Defenders I#128 (February, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Alan Kupperberg (pencils), Mike Mignola (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Defenders I#129-130 (March-April, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Don Perlin (#129) & Mike Zeck (#130) (pencils), Kim DeMulder (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Captain America I#343 (July, 1988) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Kieron Dwyer (pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#346 (October, 1988) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Kieron Dwyer (pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#426 (April, 1994) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
New Warriors II#6 (March, 2000) - Jay Faerber (writer), Jason Armstrong (pencils), Walden Wong (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)

Last updated: 09/27/05

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com/

Back to Characters