MECHAMORPH


mechamorph-vandal-confront


Classification: Terrestrial robot

Creator: Vandal

Possessors: Nightwatch (Kevin Trench), Vandal

Affiliations: Gauntlet (Alfredo Morelli), Vandal;
    used as pawn by Nightwatch

Enemies: Nightwatch

First Appearance: Nightwatch#3 (June, 1994)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Mechamorph could transform to best function in a number of modes, including attack, hawk, mole, stalker, and stealth modes. 

    In any form, it is composed of an unidentified metal and can resist handgun fire, at least.

    However, the ventral surface of its abdomen was more vulnerable to assault. 

    Additionally, it was apparently much more vulnerable to internal attack, as Nightwatch completely incapacitated it by tearing his weight out from its interior.

mechamorph-vandal-attack

mechamorph-vandal-nw3-pindown

    Its attack mode can fire laser blasts from its eyes. It possesses numerous (perhaps eight) limbs, each having spikes along its length and ending in sharp points, and there are multiple spikey projections from its back and head, with such projections extending both ventrally (downward-facing) and dorsally (upward-facing).

mechamorph-vandal-nw3-hawkmechamorph-vandal-nw4-flight



    Its hawk mode seemed to function primarily in transport, allowing it to fly at unrevealed speeds to unrevealed heights and across unrevealed distances. It could evade gunfire from the ground.

mechamorph-vandal-mole-frontal
mechamorph-vandal-nw4-mole



    Its mole mode could rapidly tunnel through rock, concrete, and metal.

     It could also swim (I would think that any of its forms could function underwater, even under sea water).

mechamorph-vandal-stalkermechamorph-vandal-stalker-spikes

    Its stalker mode has significantly shorter limbs that its combat mode, but also appears to have eight limbs.

     It has a long tail, point-tipped tail that can strike rapidly as deadly weapon. It can fire spikes from its back at a target.



mechamorph-vandal-stealth



    Its stealth mode has four shorter legs (each with two longer nails and one shorter "dewclaw"/big toenails, all of which were sharp) that keep it low to the ground.

It has curved, pointed spikes extending from either side of its mouth, which has multiple sharp teeth. It apparently has a single eye between a pair of horn-like projections. Its back lacks spikes, but its tail seems to have them.

mechamorph-vandal-scan

   In any of these modes, it could apparently analyze distance, situation (such as privacy vs. number, nature, and value of witnesses) and target its victims/goals. 

    Its sensory abilities were apparently unable to scan beyond its exterior, such that objects or beings that entered its form could evade detection.

History:

(Nightwatch#4 (fb) - BTS) - Alfredo Morelli hired underworld inventor Vandal to free him from prison and to kill Nightwatch, and Vandal sent his Mechamorph to accomplish these tasks. 

(Nightwatch#3) - As Nightwatch was confronted by Paul Proust, the Mechamorph watched from a distance, analyzing the situation, reconfiguring into a weapon form and preparing to fire on Nightwatch (as Proust was considered expendable); however, Nightwatch departed before it could fire, and so it continued surveillance. Returning to stealth mode, it continued tracking him. 

    Later, as Kevin Trench visited his parents' graves, the Mechamorph confronted him, and he saw its shadow as it prepared to strike behind, narrowly evading its strike. As Trench dove for his knapsack containing his Nightwatch costume, the Mechamorph blasted the knapsack. However, his costume resisted the blast, and Trench grabbed it and dove into the bushes. mechamorph-vandal-nw3-undercarriage-exposed

The Mechamorph transformed into stalker mode, and as Nightwatch emerged from the bushes, it fired a number of spiked projectiles into him, although he was only superficially wounded. When Nightwatch closed in, the Mechamorph struck at him with its tail until he tore the tail off. 

    Reconfiguring back into attack mode, the Mechamorph surrounded Nightwatch with its spiked limbs, and -- seeking to learn who had sent it after him -- Nightwatch tore open a hole in its abdomen. It fired an energy blast, after which it considered its target disintegrated and departed to perform its secondary directive.

(Nightwatch#4 (fb) - BTS) - Nightwatch hid out inside the Mechamorph, where it was apparently unable to detect his presence. mechamorph-vandal-nw4-destroyed

(Nightwatch#4) - In hawk mode, the Mechamorph descended on Ryker's Island, minimally affected by the guards weapons after their spotlights identified it. The Mechamorph rapidly descended for the ground and reconfigured into mole mode, after which it tunneled through the ground and then emerged a short distance from Gauntlet's cell. After it electronically unlocked the cells, allowing Gauntlet and others to get out, it weathered the guards' hand gunfire, noting that there was no worthwhile threat. Nightwatch then forced his way out of the Mechamorph, shattering and incapacitating it.

    He considered that while he knew it wouldn't get violent until its target was sited, he hadn't figured that it could knock out the electronic cell lock or damage the prison, or he would have acted against it sooner.

Comments: Created by Terry Kavanaugh, Ron Lim, Al Milgrom & Keith Williams.

    This profile was completed 7/28/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Mechamorph should be distinguished from:

images: (without ads):
Nightwatch#3, pg. 11, panel 2 (stealth mode);
        pg. 17 (attack mode behind Kevin Trench);
        pg. 18, panel 1 (scan/analysis);
            panel 4 (attack mode confronting Trench);
        pg. 19, panel 4 (stalker mode);
        pg. 20, panel 1 (stalker mode firing spikes);
        pg. 22, panel 1 (attack mode pinning down Nightwatch);
            panel 5 (Nightwatch tearing into undercarriage);
        pg. 23, panel 2 (hawk mode);
    #4, pg. 1, panel 4 (hawk mode by searchlights);
            panel 5 (mole mode, diving into ocean);
        pg. 2, panel 3 (mole mode, frontal);
        pg. 3 (Nightwatch tearing out)

Appearances:
Nightwatch#3 (June, 1994) - Terry Kavanaugh (writer), Ron Lim (penciler), Al Milgrom & Keith Williams (inkers), Eric Fein (editor)
Nightwatch#4 (July, 1994) - Terry Kavanaugh (plotter), Joey Cavalieri (script), Mark Tenney (penciler), Thomas Florimonete & Timothy Tuohy (inkers), Eric Fein (editor)

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

First posted: 09/17/2021
Last updated: 09/16/2021

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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