The ’90s is the third decade that begins with MODOK supposedly dead. Guy’s got more lives than a cat.
Anyways, since he’s dead, at the top of the ’90s, we got MODAM. But only briefly.
MODAM “dies” and MODOK is resurrected in one of the worst major storylines Mark Gruenwald ever wrote. Mark has written many, many great Captain America stories—but “Taking AIM” isn’t one of them. In the tale, AIM tries to create a synthetic cosmic cube, brings back MODOK, and there’s all kinds of souped-up Red Skulls and Rhinos. It’s just awful. But the worst of it is, we don’t ever see MODAM die. I read every issue, carefully, and believe me it was painful, and the only reason I think she died in the story is because Wikipedia says so.
And because she never appears again.
But hey, at least it brought MODOK!
Although…So MODOK has returned to “life” and to Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM), the organization that created him to serve as its leader. He’d been dead for awhile and MODAM, a really ugly chick version of him, had been operating in his place. Well, maybe he should have stayed dead. It was the ’90s, and Marvel Comics were mostly terrible. In the late 1990s, Marvel didn’t make great use of ol’ MODOK.
He made a non-canonical appearance in the Amalgam Comics’ Iron Lantern #1, which should answer your question whether that old line of Marvel/DC mash up comics brought their A-list talent. It didn’t. But there was this badass action figure that came out of it.
Anyway, other than that he appeared in a bunch of one shots and stuff. Nothing really worth mentioning.
He did make the cover of Wolverine #142, though, in 1999. That should up his fame rating, no?
It’s best we never speak of these issues again.
Next: MODOK’s role in the end of the universe.