Sunturion

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caption=Sunturion, in a panel from "Iron Man" #143 (Feb. 1981)
Art by Bob Layton.
character_name = Sunturion
publisher = Marvel Comics
debut =("Arthur Dearborn") "Iron Man" #143 (Feb. 1981)
("Mike Stone") Daredevil #224 (Nov. 1985)
creators = David Michelinie and Bob Layton
alter_ego = Arthur Dearborn
alliances = Roxxon Oil
powers = Microwave energy projection, force field generation, flight, teleportation, flight, intangibility.

Sunturion is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original Sunturion first appears in Iron Man #143 (Feb. 1981) and was created by writer David Michelinie and penciller Bob Layton. The second Sunturion first appears in Daredevil #224 (Nov. 1985) and was created by writer Jim Owsley and pencillers Daniel Jurgens and Geof Isherwood.

Fictional character biography

Arthur Dearborn

The Sunturion suit is originally developed by the company Roxxon Oil in conjunction with their genetic research division, the Brand Corporation. It is bonded to Roxxon employee Arthur Dearborn, who serves as guardian and crew for "Star Well I", a Roxxon orbiting solar satellite that transmits microwave energy to Earth. An accident on Star Well I results in the death of the entire town of Allentown, Iowa, and as a result the hero Iron Man arrives to investigate. Iron Man and Sunturion battle, and after Roxxon attempts to destroy the satellite they manage to drive Star Well I out of orbit into the Gulf of Carpentaria. In the act of powering up Iron Man's armor to deflect the crashing space station, Dearborn apparently sacrifices himself. ["Iron Man" #143 - 144 (Feb. - Mar. 1981)]

Several years later Roxxon re-integrated Dearborn's energy form, intending to use Sunturion against Stratosfire, a former Roxxon employee with abilities almost identical to those of Sunturion. Stratosfire is originally a corporate symbol for Roxxon (as Iron Man is for Stark International), but turns against the company when asked to destroy the refineries of competing oil companies. Sunturion battles Stratosfire and activates her "Zed Control" - a Roxxon-implanted self-destruct device that dissipates her microwave energies and returns Dearborn to human form. ["Iron Man" Annual #9 (1987)]

Mike Stone

Several months after Sunturion's sacrifice in space, a truck driver called Mike Stone found the armor while on a fishing trip in Florida. Stone donned the suit to have revenge on a former employer, as he lacked Dearborn's mutagenic modifications; consequently, he was soon absorbed by the armor. The vigilante Daredevil battles Stone and manages to open the armor, causing Stone to dissipate into the atmosphere. ["Daredevil" #224 (Nov. 1985)]

Powers and abilities

The Sunturion armor is a high-quality plastic-metal all-environment construct powered by microwave energy generated by the user. While Arthur Dearborn underwent mutagenic modification to convert him into microwave energy, the suit can apparently convert non-modified wearers into microwave energy to power itself. When powered, the suit can be used to project microwave energy blasts; create force fields; allow teleportation and fly at velocity speed and replenish energy stores via solar absorption.

Other media

Television

Sunturion appears in the "Iron Man" episode "Cell of Iron" with Arthur Dearborn voiced by David Warner and Sunturion voiced by Tom Kane.

References