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LODESTONE

Real Name: Andrea Haggard

Identity/Class: Human mutate, citizen of the United States

Occupation: Professional criminal 

Group Membership: Dr. Henry Pym's Lethal Legion (Black Ant/Eric O'Grady LMD, Blizzard/Donald Gill, Bullet/Buck Cashman, King Cobra/Piet Voorhees, Mortar/Liana Feeser, Oddball/Orville Bock, Piecemeal, Speed Demon/James Sanders, Sunstroke/Sol Brodstroke, Supercharger/Ronald Hilliard);
                                    formerly
Masters of Evil (Aqueduct, Bison, Black Mamba, Blackwing, Boomerang, Cardinal, Constrictor, Crimson Cowl/Justine Hammer, Cyclone, Dragonfly, Eel, Flying Tiger, Gypsy Moth, Hydro-Man, Icemaster, Joystick, Klaw, Man-Ape, Man-Killer, Quicksand, Scorcher, Shatterfist, Shockwave, Slyde, Sunstroke, Supercharger, Tiger Shark

Affiliations: Allegra Bazin, Philippe Bazin, Doctor Marin, Mark Twelve (Ultron Mark Twelve), Dr. Henry Pym;
formerly Ultron

Enemies: Darkhawk (Chris Powell), Headset (Steve Rubino), Thunderbolts (Atlas/Erik Josten, Charcoal/Charlie Burlingame, Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Jolt/Hallie Takahama, Moonstone/Karla Sofen, Songbird/Melissa Joan Gold), Ultron;
formerly Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Avengers Inc. ("Victor Shade" aka. Ultron Mark Twelve, possessing Whirlwind/David Cannon, Janet Van Dyne), Luke Cage, Stinger (Cassie Lang), Valkyrie (Jane Foster), Vision, Wasp (Nadia Van Dyne)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
                                   formerly Mount Charteris, Colorado;
                                   formerly Althea Island, the Caribbean;
                                   formerly New York City, New York;                                
                                   formerly Philippe Bazin's hidden lab, Brooklyn, New York

First Appearance: Darkhawk I#7 (September, 1991)

Powers/Abilities: Andrea Haggard initially possessed no superhuman abilities save for a latent magnetic resonance. As a subject of Project: Lodestone she gained control over electromagnetic energy. She could easily lift up and hurl objects as heavy as jeeps. She can manipulate all kinds of metal, including the iron in the blood of her enemies. By manipulating her mostly metal costume, she can fly or walk on air. Haggard suffers from mental and emotional problems that at times make her unstable, though she has been taught visualization techniques to help her manage some of her more violent outbursts. Bazin's scientists implanted control devices inside her head that can generate crippling pains via remote control.

Height: 5'9" (by approximation)
Weight: 125 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed, purple while using powers
Hair: Blonde (see comments)

History:

(Darkhawk I#6 - (fb) - BTS) - Mentally unstable criminal Andrea Haggard was noticed by crimelord Philippe Bazin after his associate Doctor Marin had concluded she possessed a latent genetical potential for manipulating electro-magnetic energies. She was recruited by Bazin for Project: Lodestone, which took place inside a hidden laboratory in Brooklyn.

(Darkhawk I#7 (fb) - BTS) - Prior to her transformation, Marin trained Andrea to improve her mental condition. He taught her visualization techniques to help control both her anger and her power. He also designed a damper coat for her, which doubled as a costume, that helped her regulate both her powers and her emotions.

(Darkhawk I#8 (fb) - BTS) - To make sure the unstable Haggard would be loyal, control devices were implanted inside her head that could be activated by remote control. If Andrea ever disobeyed an order or even displeased Bazin, he could subject her to torturous pains at a moment's notice. However, Bazin also had other, unrevealed, holds on her.

(Darkhawk I#6 - BTS) - After Bazin survived an attack by Darkhawk (Chris Powell), who invaded Bazin's home to kill the crimeboss for sending an assassin after his mother Grace, the crimeboss ordered the accelerated advancement of Project: Lodestone. Some time later, he was contacted by Doctor Marin, the project's lead scientist, who informed him they were ready to proceed.

(Darkhawk I#7) - Bazin was present when Doctor Marin subjected Haggard to the final stages of the Lodestone transformation process. As the power levels rose in her, the excited Andrea began to manipulate all the metal objects around her, gleefully killing two scientists by manipulating the iron in their bloodstream. She was then rocked by a sudden jolt of pain, generated by Dr. Marin's control device that Bazin was operating. Marin told her to use the techniques he taught her to regain her composure and also to put on the damper coat. She complied and, as her emotions were subsiding, she apologized to the men and announced Lodestone was ready for her first assignment. Bazin, satisfied, told Marin to quickly instruct and train her in the use of her powers before sending her after Darkhawk. Some time later, Lodestone was sent on her mission to retrieve Darkhawk's source of power: his chest mounted amulet. Somehow sensing its nearness, she zoned in on Chris Powell who had only moments earlier removed the amulet from his person in a failed attempt to use its regenerative properties to help his wounded, unconscious friend Headset (Steve Rubino). Before he could reclaim the amulet, he was ambushed by Lodestone who held him in her magnetic grasp and demanded Powell produce the Darkhawk or else he'd die in his place.

(Darkhawk I#8) - Powell lied to Lodestone, claiming he'd seen the Darkhawk run off westwards. Satisfied with the answer, Lodestone let the teenager go, but promised him she'd return to kill him if she found out he wasn't telling the truth. While the increasingly more erratic Lodestone headed west, walking on air and using her powers against everyone she encountered, Powell quickly recovered the amulet from Headset and became Darkhawk again. He tried to fight Lodestone, but was ill prepared for her magnetic powers throwing everything from cars to bent up lampposts at him. In the end, Darkhawk grew concerned for the wellfare of the bystanders which allowed her to pin him down. She proceeded to focus her magnetism on his chest amulet, trying to yank it out. Just as she felt the jewel budging, she was rocked with pain coming from her brain implants. Bazin had been monitoring the fight from his limo and decided to stop her from damaging Darkhawk and the amulet. With both superpowered opponents knocked out, Bazin took them to his Brooklyn laboratory where Doctor Marin and his team began their tests to find a way to safely remove the crystal. Lodestone visited with Darkhawk during a break and gloated over his present situation. She laughed off the hero's claims that the "pain-gizmo" inside her head made her as much Bazin's prisoner as he was. Haggard explained that even without Bazin's hold over her, she still wouldn't waste her power on doing good. Their conversation was cut short when an alarm blared, causing Lodestone to head up a security detail to see what was going on. It turned out to be the unexpected arrival of Bazin's daughter Allegra who had come to get some cash from her dad to buy a new car. The precocious teen flipped out over Lodestone's costume and asked if she was her father's girlfriend. "Hardly", scoffed the villainess only to be alerted to Darkhawk who had freed himself. Lodestone gleefully attacked, her electromagnetic powers scrambling the nearby machinery and erasing all the gathered data on the Darkhawk amulet. Bazin, remote control in hand, ordered Lodestone to quickly recapture him which she tried to do, even fighting on after a piece of flying shrapnel caused the crimeboss to drop the device. Lodestone overpowered the weakened Darkhawk who was ready to drop. But at the last possibe moment, Lodestone was overcome with pain and fell to the floor, completely unresponsive. Darkhawk quickly made his escape, but before he did he noticed that Bazin's daughter Allegra was responsible for taking the magnetic menace down.

(Darkhawk I#14) - Lodestone continued to work for Bazin. She acted as his bodyguard on Althea Island, a Caribbean vacation home for the world's wealthiest. Bazin had kidnapped Mike Powell and brought him there to settle a personal vendetta. Their dealings were interrupted by Mike's son Chris who, as Darkhawk, had come looking for his father. Seeing his old enemy was cause enough for Bazin to call in Lodestone who happily attacked Darkhawk. The hero was at a distinct disadvantage against her after having recently lost his armor's amulet. Lodestone threw a number of jeeps at him, which he was able to shred with his wrist mounted claws. She then tried to use the shrapnel he'd created to attack him. Lodestone was gaining the upper hand, thanks in no small part to the fact Darkhawk had fought Venom (Eddie Brock) only hours earlier. When Bazin decided he wanted to kill Darkhawk, grabbing a rifle from a knocked out guard, Mike Powell tried to stop him. In response, Bazin stabbed Powell with a knife and left him to die. Bazin then ordered Lodestone to keep Darkhawk steady while he aimed for the hero's chest. Lodestone cheerfully complied but before Bazin could fire, Mike Powell used his last strength to shoot the crimelord in the back, killing him. Seeing her boss get shot rattled Lodestone enough for Darkhawk to generate a darkforce blast, knocking the villain unconscious before he himself collapsed from the strain.

(Darkhawk I#15) - While Lodestone and Darkhawk were unconscious, local authorities reached the scene of the crime. They decided to lock up the metal manipulating menace by placing her in plastic restraints.

(Darkhawk I#29 (fb) - BTS) - During a mission on behalf of Zarrko the Tomorrow Man in transtemporal Chronopolis, Darkhawk thought back to his fight against Lodestone and Bazin during which his father had died. The whistful hero thought to himself he'd do anything to go back in time and prevent Bazin from killing his father.

(Thunderbolts I#24 (fb) - BTS) - Lodestone was recruited into the Crimson Cowl's new, army like incarnation of the Masters of Evil. She moved to the team's base in Mount Charteris, Colorado.

(Thunderbolts I#24) - Lodestone attended the meeting of the Masters in Mount Charteris where the Crimson Cowl presented her plan to use weather manipulation technology to extort the world's governments. Unbeknownst to the Masters of Evil, Hawkeye and the Thunderbolts had infiltrated their base, but seeing all the Masters together gave the heroes considerable pause.

(Thunderbolts I#25) - Lodestone was ambushed by Hawkeye who shot her from behind with an electro-arrow which short-circuited her armor, knocking out Haggard in the process. She was then stripped of her armor and placed with Man Ape, Joystick, Shatterfist and the Constrictor. The Thunderbolts used their costumes to disguise themselves, with Songbird hiding her sonic carapace's flangs under Lodestone's shoulderpads.

(Thunderbolts I#25 - BTS) - Lodestone remained incapacitated for the remainder of the Thunderbolts' fight against the Masters of Evil, which ended in the villains' defeat. She was arrested and incarcerated along with the other Masters.

(Dark Reign Files#1) - Acting on orders from Norman Osborn, the living computer Quasimodo analyzed a wide variety of villains, compiling files on their possible uses in Osborn's new organization. After going over Lodestone's file, the cybernetic creature concluded she was an aimless, power-seeking and mentally unstable individual that could easily be manipulated to serve Osborn if he so desired. He also reminded Osborn of Haggard's control device that could easily be used to keep her in check if she proved difficult.

SECRET WARS III HAPPENED

(Avengers Inc.#5 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Henry Pym, still partially influenced by Ultron, created robotic ants with each possessing part of Ultron's code inside them. He sent these ants to a list of criminals, including Lodestone, to temporarily place them in a state of seeming death and play a sound file that made it seem like they were victims of the Scourge of the Underworld. As a consultant coroner Pym then picked up Lodestone and gained his cooperation after he regained consciousness 40 hours after his seeming demise. She became part of Pym's new Lethal Legion, who were assembled to destroy Ultron. She was unaware that Pym had actually been duped by Ultron into creating the team so Ultron could use their bodies as hosts.

(Avengers Inc.#4) - Avengers Inc. (Janet Van Dyne and "Victor Shade") and Moon Knight found Pym's hideout and were introduced to his new Lethal Legion, including Lodestone. In front of the Lethal Legion "Shade" seemingly turned on Pym by sticking his arm through him because "Shade" was Ultron.

(Avengers Inc.#5) - "Shade" aka. Ultron Mark Twelve purged Pym's system from Ultron's code because he felt that Ultron was sending a signal to take him over. He couldn't prevent the takover of the assembled Lethal Legion, including Lodestone. Vision, Valkyrie (Jane Foster), Luke Cage, Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Stinger (Cassie Lang) and Wasp (Nadia Van Dyne) joined the battle against the Lethal Legion, but Lodestone was kept out of the fight by Ultron and instead used to build a body from scrap metal for Ultron. Ultron Mark Twelve purged the Ultron code from her to free her and took over the body she had formed for the evil Ultron to become Mark Twelve. Because the threat was still not over Pym took the Lethal Legion to Sub-Atomica to keep planning the destruction of Ultron.

Comments: Created by Danny Fingeroth, Mike Manley & Ricardo Villagran.

What is it with magnetically empowered women and the color green? Taking a page from Polaris' fashion guide, Lodestone decided on a swanky green and purple outfit, with a stylized version of Magneto's helmet to boot. She's only made a handful of appearances to date, which is somewhat of a shame considering her power levels. Also, just how a woman who manipulates metal and is basically a walking EMP could ever be held in check by a piece of electronics inside her head is a mystery for the ages...

A lodestone is a piece of iron ore that is naturally magnetic (the mineral magnite for the geologically enthused among us). A fitting name, given the fact Haggard already had the latent potential to control magnetic forces. Just what does Lodestone look like without her armor? In her origin story, she is shown to be greenish and bald but when she was stripped off her costume in Thunderbolts I#25, she turned out to be a blonde, caucasian woman.

Also, though completely unconfirmed, I'd like to offer that Lodestone's alleged mental instability might have been caused by her (latent) magnetic powers. Both Magneto and Polaris have been known to suffer psychological problems and bouts of irrationality linked to their mutant abilities messing up their brain's neuro-electrical make up.

Profile by Norvo. Updates by Markus Raymond & Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Lodestone should not be confused with


Doctor Marin

Doctor Marin was a brilliant scientist and surgeon in the employ of crimelord Philippe Bazin. After he detected the latent potential to manipulate electromagnetism in Andrea Haggard, he worked with her in Project: Lodestone. This Bazin backed operation got fast tracked when the crimeboss wanted a superhuman operative to help him claim the power of the vigilante hero Darkhawk. Haggard was eventually transformed into Lodestone, though Marin had also implanted a control device inside her head that could give off intense pain via remote control should she disobey orders. After Bazin was satisfied Lodestone's transformation had succeeded, he ordered Marin to quickly train her in the use of these newfound abilities. Later, after Lodestone had captured Darkhawk for Bazin, Marin and his team worked to discover the secrets of the hero's semi-mystical amulet. However, all their findings were accidentally erased when Lodestone used her electromagnetic powers in close proximity to the machinery fighting the escaped Darkhawk.

--Darkhawk I#6 (Darkhawk I#6-8










images: (without ads)
Darkhawk I#8, p3, pan4 (main image)
Darkhawk I#7, p11, pans 1&2 (moments after transformation)
Darkhawk I#8, p17, pan 1&2 (is not Philippe Bazin's girlfriend)
Thunderbolts I#25, p15, pan4 (taken out by Hawkeye)
Thunderbolts I#25, p17, pan6 (without costume)
Darkhawk I#7, p10, pan6 (Doctor Marin)


Appearances:
Darkhawk I#6 (August, 1991) - Danny Fingeroth (writer), Mike Manley (pencils), Ricardo Villagran, Bob Wiacek & Bud LaRosa (inks), Nel Yomtov (editor)
Darkhawk I#7 (September, 1991) - Danny Fingeroth (writer), Mike Manley (pencils), Ricardo Villagran (inks), Nel Yomtov (editor)
Darkhawk I#8 (October, 1991) - Danny Fingeroth (writer), Mike Manley (pencils), Mike Manly & Ricardo Villagran (inks), Nel Yomtov (editor)
Darkhawk I#14 (July, 1992) - Danny Fingeroth (writer),  Mike Manley (pencils), Ricardo Villagran (inks), Nel Yomtov (editor)
Darkhawk I#15 (May, 1992) - Danny Fingeroth (writer), Mike Manley (pencils), Ricardo Villagran (inks), Nel Yomtov (editor)
Darkhawk I#29 (July, 1993) - Danny Fingeroth (writer), Tod Smith (pencils), Ian Akin (inks), Nel Yomtov (editor)
Thunderbolts I#24 (March, 1999) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Thunderbolts I#25 (March, 1999) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Dark Reign Files#1 (April, 2009) - Michael Hoskin (head writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Avengers Inc.#4-5 (February-March, 2024) - Al Ewing (writer), Leonard Kirk (Artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)


First Posted: 04/18/2015
Last updated: 03/08/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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