Abner Jenkins

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See also Beetle for a complete list of references to clarify differences between these closely named or closely related articles.


Mach VI
Aliases:	The Beetle Abner Ronald Jenkins
Continuity:	Marvel Universe
Notability:	Antagonist
Type:	Supervillain
Gender:	Male
Race:	Human
Status:	Alive
First:	Strange Tales, Vol. 1 #123

Mach VI is a fictional anti-hero and former super-villain featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Originally known by the code name of the Beetle, he first appeared in Strange Tales, Volume 1 #123 in August, 1964.

Overview[]

Abner Jenkins was originally a costumed villain known as the Beetle. He wore a purple and green flying suit, which came equipped with a helmet and suction cup fingertips. As the Beetle, Jenkins had run-ins with the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and Daredevil. He eventually altered his armor and motif and changed his named to Mach-I. As Mach-I, Abner Jenkins was one of the founding members of the Thunderbolts. During his time with the Thunderbolts, his armor went through multiple iterations with upgraded tech, and he altered his code-name periodically from Mach-II to Mach-VI.

Biography[]

Abner Jenkins was a former mechanic and disenfranchised inventor. Frustrated over his inability to generate money in legitimate circles, he developed a flying suit and decided to commit crimes using the costumed identity of the Beetle. Abner's first foray into crime was to rob the New York World's Fair. His plot was thwarted by the arrival of the teen superhero, the Human Torch and his partner in the Fantastic Four, The Thing. ^[1]

Jenkins was sent to prison and served out his sentence. Upon release however, he wanted revenge against the Human Torch and decided to strike at him through his girlfriend, Dorrie Evans. He broke into Dorrie's home and abducted her, but this brought him into conflict with Spider-Man. After convincing the Human Torch of the reality behind the danger, Spider-Man and he double-teamed the Beetle and cornered him in an abandoned housing complex. Spidey webbed him up and left him for the police. ^[2]

The Beetle was one of numerous costumed villains who was manipulated by an emotion-changing device used by Doctor Doom. Along with Electro, the Mandarin, the Unicorn and Melter, he was part of a group aimed at destroying the wedding of Reed Richards and Susan Storm of the Fantastic Four. This particular cadre of villains were intercepted by the X-Men. ^[3]

The Beetle later attempted to steal valuable government printing plates that were on display at a museum in Midtown New York. There were several interested parties looking to abscond the plates, including the criminal cartel known as Black Spectre. The Beetle fought up against Daredevil at this time, who defeated the Beetle by using the villain's own suction-cup fingers to remove his helmet - the source of his power. ^[4]

Equipment[]

Beetle armor MK I: The MK I beetle armor was an insulated costume, helmet and set of wings. As a flying suit, it allowed Jenkins to fly through the air, perform aerial stunts and provided maneuverability. The gloves of the original armor had three extended finger tips equipped with suction cups, which aided him in acts of thievery. Jenkins wore this costume in the early years of his career during battles against the Human Torch, Spider-Man, and Daredevil.

Skills[]

Aerial combat
Mechanical engineering

Notes & Trivia[]

The character of Abner Jenkins was created by writers Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and artist Carl Burgos.

Abner Jenkins shucked the Beetle identity and first took on the first of many Mach code names beginning with Mach-1 in the pages of The Incredible Hulk, Volume 2 #449 in January, 1997.

Abner Jenkins first became Mach-II in Thunderbolts, Volume 1 #37 in April, 2000.

Abner Jenkins first became Mach-III in Thunderbolts, Volume 1 #57 in December, 2001.

Abner Jenkins first became Mach-IV in Thunderbolts, Volume 1 #144 in July, 2010.

Abner Jenkins first became Mach-VI in Superior Foes of Spider-Man #2 in October, 2013.

Is originally from Baltimore, Maryland.

The Beetle made his first small-screen appearance in the "Origin of the Spider-Friends" episode of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends in October, 1983. He was voiced by Christopher Collins.

External Links[]

References[]

↑ Strange Tales, Volume 1 #123; August, 1964; "The Birth of the Beetle!"
↑ Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 1 #21; February, 1965; "Where Flies the Beetle...!"
↑ Fantastic Four, Volume 1 Annual #3; October, 1965; "Bedlam at the Baxter Building!"
↑ Daredevil, Volume 1 #108; March, 1974; "Cry... Beetle!"

[1] Strange Tales, Volume 1 #123; August, 1964; "The Birth of the Beetle!"

[2] Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 1 #21; February, 1965; "Where Flies the Beetle...!"

[3] Fantastic Four, Volume 1 Annual #3; October, 1965; "Bedlam at the Baxter Building!"

[4] Daredevil, Volume 1 #108; March, 1974; "Cry... Beetle!"

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