SUNTURION
Real Name: Arthur Dearborn
Identity/Class: Human mutate
Occupation: Scientist (specializing in physics and mechanical engineering), Roxxon operative
Group Membership: Roxxon Energy Corporation
Affiliations: Brand Corporation, Jonas Hale, Todd Hamilton
Enemies: Anatoly, Avengers (Giant-Man/Hank Pym, Iron Man/Tony Stark, Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff, Vision), Bill, Black Panther (T'Challa), Ghost, Ivan, Iron Man (Tony Stark), Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Stratosfire, Ultron-13
Known Relatives: Mrs. Dearborn (ex-wife)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: New York City, New York
First Appearance: Iron Man I#143 (February, 1981)
Powers/Abilities: After being subjected to experiments at Roxxon, Arthur Dearborn became Sunturion, placed inside an energy suit that eventually became the form he took as his true appearance; initially, he could shift from human to energy form, but he eventually shifted completely to energy. Dearborn is now living sentient microwave energy that can solidify his form or grow incorporeal at will. Sunturion can teleport short or extremely far distances, within the same room or into outer space, and he can teleport others with him. Sunturion can fire microwave bursts, create illusions or holograms, and conjure energy shields. Sunturion can absorb energy and redirect it, and he can absorb solar energy as well. Sunturion can monitor radio signals and trace them, listening to hundreds at once if he wants to. He has no need to sleep, breathe, drink, or eat, Sunturion is effectively immortal. There have been times when he has dissipated into seeming non-existence until his matter has been reincorporated, times when he has reverted to human form with no powers, times when he has been driven mad by an overload of microwave energy, and times when his energy has begun to break down, threatening his long-term existence.
An educated physicist and mechanical engineer, Arthur Dearborn has impressive skillsets which he regularly uses to benefit Roxxon. He designed the Star Well I space station, and was key in helping develop NuForm, a synthetic Vibranium.
Height: (Dearborn) 6'2"; (as Sunturion) 6'8"
Weight: (Dearborn) 160 lbs.; (as Sunturion) Inapplicable
Eyes: (Dearborn) Blue; (as Sunturion) Silver
Hair: (Dearborn) Brown; (as Sunturion) Inapplicable
History:
(All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#11 (fb) - BTS) - Arthur Dearborn was born in Boston, Massachussetts. He got his PhD in Physics and Mechanical Engineering. An idealist dedicated to science, he was hired by Roxxon, and he was blinded to the corruptions of the company, believing in the greater good.
(Iron Man I#143 (fb) - BTS) - Sensing Earth's major crisis was the depletion of fossil fuels, Roxxon wanted to develop the ability to absorb solar radiation in massive amounts and then transform the energy into small microwave bursts which could then be beamed to Earth, using the power for heat and electricity. Dearborn was assigned to construct Star Well I, a space station set for this task. He designed the station to be invisible to detection by radar, and he created an extra-large and opulent living area for himself within. Roxxon realized that the costs of maintaining and securing the space station were simply too great, so Dearborn agreed to submit himself to experiments by the Brand Corporation that would give him super-powers, allowing him to have the ability to man and secure the space station itself. Sunturion was submitted to experiments in microwave energy and he eventually transformed into Sunturion, living sentient energy in human form. Able to convert the living quarters to extra energy storage, and no longer needing a crew at all, Dearborn convinced Roxxon to fund the project.
(Avengers Assemble Annual#1 (fb) - BTS) - Dearborn's wife divorced him after he became Sunturion, saying he was too married to his job.
(Iron Man I#120 (fb) - BTS) - Roxxon stole precious Vibranium to assist in the construction of Star Well I.
(Iron Man I#143 (fb) - BTS) - A malfunction in a relay station on Star Well I occurred, sending a microwave burst to Earth.
(Iron Man I#140 (fb) - BTS) - A few hundred people in Allantown, Iowa were killed by microwave radiation due to a malfunction during the construction of the space station.
(Iron Man I#143) - Iron Man approached the satellite, able to see it with his eyes but not on radar. When a meteor shower bombarded the hero and the space station, Iron Man fired repulsor blasts to protect himself, and Sunturion destroyed as many of the meteors as possible, knowing the station was shielded well but that the solar panels were vulnerable. Sunturion invited Iron Man inside to speak with Dearborn, then he faded and disappeared from view. Inside, Iron Man met Dearborn, who was eager to see a fellow scientist, and gave him a tour of the facilities. Iron Man asked if the satellite was responsible for the deaths in Allantown, and Dearborn admitted that he didn't know, but he stated that the loss of hundreds was worth it for the saving of millions of lives. A Russian defense satellite, having followed Iron Man, determined Star Well I was a threat and fired destructive drones at it. Dearborn revealed he was Sunturion and teleported outside to fight the drones, with Iron Man soon joining him. During the fight, Sunturion absorbed laser energy and redirected it at other drones. Sunturion materialized on the Russian space station, confronting the humans on board, including Ivan and Anatoly, and Sunturion swiftly destroyed their equipment. Back on Star Well I, Dearborn received a confrontational call from his Roxxon supervisor, Jonas Hale. Hale was furious to see Iron Man on board and, without waiting for an explanation, he triggered the space station's self-destruct, but Iron Man had already removed the self-destruct component. Hale was furious and vowed revenge. Dearborn thanked Iron Man for his help, but still argued that the space station was more valuable than any single human life, and he told of his origins in becoming Sunturion. Iron Man was sympathetic to Dearborn's sacrifices, but still felt the greater good lay with protecting human lives. Sunturion attacked Iron Man outside the station, and the hero tried overloading Sunturion's suit with solar energy, but to no avail. Sunturion pressed his attack, not realizing that the station's core had broken loose until it was too late and the station was plummeting toward Earth.
(Iron Man I#144) - Sunturion was reluctant to destroy the station core until he realized that millions could be killed if it struck Earth. Sunturion rushed to the core, but discovered he couldn't slow it down. Sunturion used his energy to boost Iron Man's armor so they could alter the core, which had been projected to crash in Sarasota, Florida, but they managed to crash it in the Gulf of Mexico. Sunturion disappeared and was believed dead. Later, Roxxon cleared their name in Allantown by stating the deaths were caused by Anthrax.
(Iron Man Annual I#9 (fb) - BTS) - Roxxon tried to reincorporate Dearborn into an alternative Sunturion suit, but the experiment failed and the suit was lost at sea.
(Daredevil I#224 (fb) - BTS) - The new suit was found by Mike Stone, who became a new Sunturion.
(Daredevil I#224 - BTS) - The suit converted Stone's flesh to energy and, after a brief crime spree, Stone dissipated, seemingly dead, leaving the Sunturion suit empty again.
(Iron Man Annual I#9 (fb) - BTS) - Roxxon created a new superhuman based on the Sunturion experiments, a female operative named Stratosfire, who went mad with power and started endangering Roxxon itself. Roxxon recovered the core of the Star Well from the Gulf of Mexico and were able to reconstitute the energy form of Arthur Dearborn, who maintained his powers as Sunturion. He realized that he knew Iron Man's true identity, information he had garnered after merging with Iron Man's armor briefly in his last adventure. Dearborn learned about Stratosfire and the demise of Mike Stone.
(Iron Man Annual I#9) - Sunturion intervened in a fight between Stratosfire and Iron Man. Sunturion drained Stratosfire's energy, causing Stratosfire to flee. Sunturion explained to Iron Man how he had survived. Still loyal to Roxxon, Dearborn used Iron Man's computers, draining information from them in his energy form, and he determined that Stratosfire would be attacking a secret government rocket launch the next day. At Edwards Air Force base, Sunturion and Iron Man presented themselves to the military just before Stratosfire attacked, firing a deadly burst into Sunturion, but he was immune. Stratosfire tricked Iron Man and Sunturion into flying directly into a rocket blast, but Sunturion protected Iron Man with a microwave shield. Sunturion teleported Iron Man into the sky to fight Stratosfire, and they tried reasoning with her that the astronauts on board were innocent. In the end, Sunturion phased his hands into Stratosfire's form and activated a self-destruct switch that seemingly killed her, and the rocket was saved. The resulting energy blast left Dearborn in human form and unable to activate his powers. Iron Man caught Dearborn and returned him to Earth. Hale assured Dearborn that he still had a place at Roxxon.
(Iron Man I#248) - Dearborn testified in court on behalf of Iron Man, recounting their adventure against Stratosfire.
(Amazing Spider-Man Annual I#25 (fb) - BTS) - Dearborn, working for Roxxon, received a grant to do experiments at Empire State University. They worked on creating a synthetic Vibranium. They called the product NuForm, but soon realized the metal could degenerate into Antarctic Vibranium, which caused metal to melt. They discovered that by treating the NuForm with special microwaves, it would stabilize.
(Amazing Spider-Man Annual I#25) - Dearborn discovered that Spider-Man had assaulted men removing debris from the experiments, the hero having thought they were thieves; Dearborn chose not to press charges. Later, Dearborn was setting up for a Roxxon demonstration when Iron Man stopped by and greeted him briefly. Later, Jonas Hale revealed NuForm to the public, saying it would soon be available for a fraction of the costs of Vibranium. Dearborn reminded Hale that the NuForm was unsafe, but Hale pushed for the launch. Dearborn was working late when he heard a scuffle in the NuForm lab. He found Ghost, Black Panther, and Spider-Man battling, and Dearborn shoved Black Panther out of the way of a blast to protect him, and he ended up being bombarded with a microwave burst that transformed him into Sunturion. Overloaded with energy, Sunturion went slightly mad and vowed to kill everyone there.
(Spectacular Spider-Man Annual I#11) - Sunturion fired microwave blasts and absorbed machinery as he fought Black Panther, Spider-Man, Ghost, and the newly arrived Iron Man, but Spidey transformed him back to Dearborn using a dose of microwaves. Dearborn assured the heroes he was back in control of his powers and mind, and Ghost escaped. Dearborn was furious to see one of the security guards trying to sneak melted coins offsite, and he found himself hoping that Hale was right that the NuForm experiments wouldn't backfire. Later, when Dearborn tried asking Hale some questions, Hale cut him off. Later still, when Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Black Panther battled both Ghost and Ultron-13, as well as robot drones, at Roxxon, Dearborn sought to escape with Roxxon assets via helicopter, battling Iron Man as Sunturion when the hero tried stopping him. Sunturion fired an energy burst at Iron Man and accidentally hit the company helicopter, putting pilot Bill in danger, but Iron Man saved him. Dearborn thanked Iron Man, but was then furious when the heroes downloaded intel from Roxxon computers without authorization. Dearborn chose to let them go without calling the police.
(Web of Spider-Man Annual I#7) - Iron Man showed up to Roxxon with questions about NuForm, and Dearborn admitted there were things going on, but he had faith in the company. Just then, military security forces, authorized by Roxxon leadership, showed up to provide assistance, and Dearborn wondered why he wasn't told. Dearborn was assured by Hale that he had nothing to do with it. When Dearborn and Iron Man saw an energy field form around the building, Dearborn changed to Sunturion to investigate, and found Ultron stealing the NuForm. Teaming with Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Iron Man, Sunturion revealed the weakness of the NuForm, and helped fight Ultron's forces. Sunturion hit Ultron with a full blast, and the robot retreated, then they retrieved the stolen NuForm. Realizing that the dissolution of the NuForm could endanger the entire city, Iron Man suggested that Sunturion transport the NuForm to the center of the Earth, but Sunturion refused to destroy Roxxon property, so they sealed it in a tunnel instead. Hale lied to Dearborn, stating that rogue operatives had lied about the breakdown process, and Dearborn felt better, like he could keep believing in the company.
(Civil War: Battle Damage Report#1) - Sunturion was considered as a potential Initiative recruit.
(Avengers Assemble Annual#1 (fb) - BTS) - After years of defending Roxxon as a loyal employee, Dearborn learned that the living energy he had become was losing cohesion. He turned to Roxxon for support, realizing he was dying. When CEO Todd Hamilton told Dearborn they couldn't do anything to help him, Dearborn went mad. Sunturion gave the employees of Roxxon time to evacuate, then he attacked.
(Avengers Assemble Annual#1) - Sunturion attacked Roxxon in a fury, burning the building. The Avengers (Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Vision) responded and Sunturion fought back, discovering that Vision could physically engage with him, given his ability to alter his density. Sunturion fled, vowing to return. Vision found Dearborn watching his home in Greenwich, CT, grieving his human losses, and remembering how he had once killed Stratosfire for doing what he was trying to do now. Sunturion briefly attacked, but then agreed to accept help. He admitted that he was constantly tired despite his inability to sleep. At Avengers Tower, Iron Man, Giant-Man, and Vision studied Sunturion. They admitted they needed the Roxxon files on his physiology, but Roxxon had claimed that his intel had been destroyed in the Stratosfire attack years before. Sunturion was furious and tried to go after it, but discovered the Avengers had sealed the lab off from him being able to teleport out. Sunturion burned his way free instead and rushed to New Jersey, where he ordered 3000 Roxxon employees to evacuate. The Avengers attacked, including Quicksilver, and Sunturion exposed Roxxon's plans to build more Sunturions. He found Hamilton ready to experiment on more recruits and attacked, but the Avengers fought him. Sunturion teleported Captain Marvel into space, then Sunturion began approaching critical mass. Vision imbued Sunturion with solar energy, overloading him, and dissipating him, as Sunturion cried out that he only wanted his life to mean something. Hamilton agreed to turn over the Sunturion data, then Vision destroyed the Sunturion experiments as Dearborn reconstituted himself. When Hamilton offered to make the resources of Roxxon available to cure Sunturion, the Avengers were shocked when Sunturion accepted the deal, remaining loyal to Roxxon.
Comments: Created by David Michelinie, Bob Layton and John Romita Jr.
Sunturion has a handbook profile in All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#11 (January, 2007) and Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z HC#11 (2009).
Profile by Chadman.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Sunturion (Arthur Dearborn) is related to, but distinct from:
But has no known connection to:
images: (without ads)
All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#11, p15, pan1 (main)
Iron Man Annual I#9, p37, pan3 (Dearborn, draining computer intel)
Iron Man I#144, p3, pan6 (teleporting)
Iron Man Annual I#9, p42, pan1 (energy shield)
Avengers Assemble Annual#1, p18, pan3 (as microwaves)
Appearances:
Iron Man I#143-144 (February-March, 1981) - David Michelinie, Bob Layton (writers), John Romita Jr (penciler), Bob Layton (inker), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Daredevil I#224 (November, 1985) - Jim Owlsley (writer), Geof Isherwood (penciler), Bruce Patterson (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Iron Man Annual I#9 (December, 1987) - David Michelinie, Bob Layton (writers), Mark Bright (penciler), Bob Layton (inker), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Iron Man I#248 (November, 1989) - David Michelinie (writer), Bob Layton (writer/artist), Howard Mackie (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual I#25 (September, 1991) - David Michelinie (writer), Guang Yap (penciler), Bud LaRosa (inker), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Spectacular Spider-Man Annual I#11 (September, 1991) - David Michelinie (writer), Marie Severin (artist), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Web of Spider-Man Annual I#7 (September, 1991) - David Michelinie (writer), Guang Yap (penciler), Bud LaRosa (inker), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#11 (August, 2006) - various writers, Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Civil War: Battle Damage Report I#1 (May, 2007) - various writers, Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Avengers Assemble Annual#1 (April, 2013) - Christos N. Gage (writer), Tomm Coker, Mike Mayhew, Mike Deodato, Luke Ross (pencilers), Valentine De Landro (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First Posted: 02/25/2019
Last updated: 02/25/2019
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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