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These lovable robots actually house the complete mental blueprint of their former human selves. The robots began as an experiment by brothers Will and Mike Magnus. Efforts to mentally manipulate the robots failed repeatedly, until Mike decided to try using his wife, Sharon's, invention: the responsometer. To do this, he subjected himself to "deprivation rays." The rays suppressed human emotion and allow for the transfer of the mind to the responsometer. Though successful, Mike was wracked with pain. When he lashed out, the rays enveloped everyone present, except for Will, who escaped. Others present included fellow scientists Wilde and Pressman; pizza delivery man, Jack; and the janitor, Tinkham.
Will found that he could not return his friends' minds to their bodies, which lay comatose. Instead, he awakened them in the robot bodies, in which they lived with no knowledge of their former selves. They went to work, oblivious, for the U.S. government as the Metal Men. When destroyed, Will would initiate a transfer to new responsometers, a process which was traumatic to their still-comatose bodies. As a way of dealing with his grief and guilt, Will grew more cold and detached from his friends, emotionally. (Metal Men v.2 #2)
By no means did Will Magus stop at the original six. He continued to experiment with other metals (though, in light of the originals' origin, it is unclear how these other robots achieved sentience). They included Barium, Aluminum, Calcium, Zirconium, Sodium and Plutonium (Metal Men v.1 #3). Potassium and Technetium appeared in Metal Men v.1 #8. And Silver, Cobalt, Osmium, Gallium, Iridia. Tantalum, Osmium and Aluminum (Metal Men #31, Silver Age Secret Files #1, Doom Patrol v.2 #60 [Aluminum only]). Osmium returned with Chromium and Tungsten in Metal Men v.1 #47.
Tragically, their human bodies died in an attack on Magnus Robotics. The attack was precipitated when an alien ore (named veridium) fell to Earth and was recovered by the Metal Men. Their old enemies, the Missile Men, allied with a man named Tonegawa, who broke in and stole the meteor (Metal Men v.2 #1). With their bodies truly dead, the responsometers were their only link to life. In the following battle, Gold lost that life when the Missile Man, Z-1 crushed his responsometer. In desperation, his brother Will subjected himself to deprivation rays and transferred his mind to the veridium body fashioned by the Missile Men (Metal Men v.2 #4). Following his transformation, Magnus denounced the use of his given name, choosing to be called only Veridium. The metal's properties, he found, can store and channel heat and energy. Tonegawa is again at large; he sent Shrapnel after the Metal Men but the heroes were triumphant. (Showcase '95 #2)
Each robot displays the properties of the metal from which it's made. Each individual also assumed the general body shape of their original human body.
Each has a distinct personality: Mercury in insufferably arrogant, Platinum (the only female metal 'man') has long harboured a crush on Dr Magnus, and Tin is incredibly shy and self-effacing.
First Appearance: Showcase #37 (March-April 1962)
Metal Men v.1, 56 issues (1963-69, 1973-78)
Metal Men v.2, 4-issue mini-series (1993)
F- EX (20)
A- RM (30)
S- RM (30)
E- IN (40)
R- EX (20)
I- EX (20)
P- EX (20)
H- 120
K- 60
R- N/A
P- 15
Powers: Shapeshifting AM
Elongation MN
Regeneration GD
Body Armor TY
Talents: Leadership, Detective/Espionage, Pilot.
Contacts: Will Magnus.
F- EX (20)
A- GD (10)
S- MN (75)
E- AM (50)
R- GD (10)
I- GD (10)
P- EX (20)
H- 155
K- 40
R- N/A
P- 15
Powers: Shapeshifting MN
Elongation IN
Regeneration GD
Body Armor EX
WEAKNESS: Iron is at -3CS vs. Magnetic attacks
Contacts: Will Magnus.
F- EX (20)
A- TY (6)
S- AM (50)
E- MN (75)
R- PR (4)
I- TY (6)
P- GD (10)
H- 151
K- 20
R- N/A
P- 15
Powers: Shapeshifting IN
Elongation MN
Regeneration GD
Absorption AM (only works on radiation)
Resistance to Radiation AM
Contacts: Will Magnus.
F- GD (10)
A- IN (40)
S- EX (20)
E- EX (20)
R- TY (6)
I- TY (6)
P- GD (10)
H- 90
K- 22
R- N/A
P- 15
Powers: Shapeshifting MN
Elongation RM
Regeneration GD
Contacts: Will Magnus.
F- GD (10)
A- RM (30)
S- RM (30)
E- IN (40)
R- GD (10)
I- GD (10)
P- GD (10)
H- 110
K- 30
R- N/A
P- 15
Powers: Shapeshifting MN
Elongation MN
Regeneration GD
Contacts: Will Magnus.
F- GD (10)
A- EX (20)
S- GD (10)
E- RM (30)
R- TY (6)
I- TY (6)
P- GD (10)
H- 70
K- 22
R- N/A
P- 15
Powers: Shapeshifting AM
Elongation MN
Regeneration GD
Talents: Repair/Tinkering.
Contacts: Will Magnus.
The combined Metal Men form has a material rank equal to the highest participant's Endurance, +1CS for each additional Metal Man. Examples of various combined forms they can take include:
CANNON (Iron & Tin)
AM material strength
RM Agility
Projectile Missile AM
TANK (Gold, Iron, Lead)
MN material strength
Control EX
Speed RM
Projectile Missile IN
SUBMARINE (Gold, Iron, Lead, Platinum)
UN material strength
Control EX
Speed EX
Sonar AM
Talents: Robotics, Cybernetics, Artificial Intelligence, Engineering, Repair/Tinkering, Leadership.
Contacts: The Metal Men, The Doom Patrol, Stagg Industries, U.S. Government.
Alternately, the Metal Men can join or oppose the player characters. Since they will do whatever Magnus tells them, they sometimes end up at odds with other heroes. The Metal Men once clashed with the Justice League to protect Stagg Industries, because Simon Stagg is friends with Magnus.
