NM-E (comics)

NM-E
cover to Hardcase #16, Cover Art by Greg Luzniak
Publication information
Publisher	Malibu Comics
First appearance	Hardcase #1
Created by	James Hudnall
In-story information
Alter ego	Nanotech Mechanized Entity
Abilities	Regeneration, durability, weapon generation.

NM-E is a comic book villain that appeared in the Malibu Comics' Ultraverse book Hardcase, created by James Hudnall.

Plot

NM-E, short for Nanotech Mechanized Entity, was created by Rex Mundi for one purpose...to destroy all Ultra-humans. NM-E was the ultimate killing machine, able to create any weapon by converting matter, it was also able to regenerate itself from any damage given enough time and available matter (in this way NM-E was similar to the X-Men's foe, the super-sentinel, Nimrod).

Throughout the ages, Rex Mundi had NM-E assassinate any ultra that appeared, ensuring that there was never anyone to oppose him. These ultras were being created by the Entity on the moon in attempts to create a being that would free it. As the 20th century approached, the Entity starting creating ultras in greater number, causing Mundi to have them attacked in secret as to not call attention to himself.

This changed in the 1990s, when the Entity "Jumpstarted" a number of people in Los Angeles. Many kept their abilities secret, but four of them went public, forming the Ultra-Team the Squad. The team consisted of D.J. Blast, Forsa, Hardcase and Starburst. The Squad was very successful at fighting crime, and subsequently became celebrities. Rex Mundi had to make an example of them.

Mundi first unleashed NM-E on some of the ultras that had chosen to remain hidden. As the bodies were discovered, the police had no idea who was doing the killings, but pieced together that the victims were all ultras. Contacting the Squad, the police informed them that there was an Ultra-Killer on the lose.

Though warned, the Squad thought they would be able to protect themselves; They were wrong. NM-E attacked the Squad without warning, during a party at Forsa's house in Encino. Within minutes, NM-E had killed several of the partygoers, before Forsa threw it into a nearby aqueduct. The Squad attacked it, but were no match for NM-E. Forsa was impaled, Starburst unconscious, Hardcase suffered from multiple broken bones, and D.J. Blast was near death. In a desperate measure, D.J. Blast created his most powerful explosion, vaporizing himself and NM-E in the blast, while Hardcase lept away carrying Starburst. Hardcase retired from ultra-heroics soon after, though his retirement was only for a short time.

Believed to have been destroyed by the explosion, enough of NM-E survived to reconstitute itself years later. Regenerating enough of itself, NM-E made its way back to Rex Mundi, who repaired it so it could continue its mission. After several months, Mundi sent NM-E to kill Hardcase, the one mission it had failed. It attacked Hardcase, and would have killed him if Prime had not intervened. Though Prime was unable to stop NM-E, he was able to weaken the creature and allow a recovered Hardcase to demolish it. Before Hardcase was able to completely destroy NM-E, the Alternate took possession of its pieces.

Months later, when Harcase confronted Rex Mundi in his underground lair, the Alternate attacked Mundi, wearing NM-E as pieces of armor. Hardcase was sent away before this battle was decided, and no clear victor was revealed.

Black September

After the Black September Event struck the Ultraverse and rewrote reality, a version of NM-E, created by Aladdin and named NM-E Mark II appeared in Mantra Vol.2.

Appearances in other Media

NM-E appeared in the short-lived Ultraforce cartoon.

NM-E was one of the action figures produced for Galoob's Ultraforce line

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