The Fixer
Real Name: Paul Norbert Ebersol
AKA: Mister Fix. Techno
First Appearance: Strange Tales 141 as Fixer; Incredible Hulk 449 as Techno.
What's His Problem? P. Norbert Ebersol was simply too smart -- and too arrogant -- for his own good. An inventive child prodigy with great mechanical aptitude, he dropped out of high school due to boredom and drifted from job to job, often fired by employers because of his unorthodox methods and superior attitude. Desperate for real challenges and a lifestyle that rewarded ability rather than conformity, Ebersol turned to crime as The Fixer. More recently, a restless Fixer has sought new challenges as a key member of the Thunderbolts, a team of super-criminals posing as super-heroes. As a Thunderbolt, Ebersol adopted the alias of Techno and enjoyed both the resultant media spotlight and his role as the technical linchpin of the group. When he was...well, killed by one of the Elements of Doom, Ebersol simply transferred his thought patterns into an android, and has carried on without missing a beat.
Abilities: Though possessed of little formal education, the Fixer is an intuitive mechanical genius with an almost limitless capacity for invention and innovation. He can repair or reconstruct any mechanical device given the right tools, and has created thousands of devices of his own design. Long a physical pushover, Ebersol became more athletic in keeping with his role as the action hero Techno, probably through the use of an automated aerobic exerciser he invented. Now, of course, Techno has cast off his mortal flesh and reverted to being a public villain.
Weapons: As the Fixer, Ebersol always carried a variety of high-tech tools and weapons on his person, as well as many more devices in his various headquarters. Some of his more common accessories included an anti-grav harness and anti-grav discs (for flight), bombs, missiles, jamming devices, a brain scanner, mind control pods and assorted handguns. As Techno, he relies primarily on a portable "techno-pack" worn on his back. The techno-pack transforms and reconstructs itself according to Techno's thoughts through a cybernetic link, enabling Techno to reconfigure it as virtually any tool or weapon within the limits of the techno-pack's existing mass. The techno-pack can also interact with other mechanical devices or integrate them into its systems.
Favorite Quote: "Brute strength simply cannot triumph over high technology!" (Marvel Team-Up 118. Says Fixer, shortly before Spidey lays him out with a boot to the head.)
Heroes He Keeps Running Into: As a freelancer in subversive circles, The Fixer has fought Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Captain America. His other foes have included Spider-Man, the Micronauts, Iron Man, Ka-Zar, the Black Knight and the late Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara), whom he romantically pursued without success. As a member of the Masters of Evil, the Fixer earned the enmity of the Avengers.
People Who Think He's Not So Bad: Ebersol's assorted employers appreciate his considerable talents. HYDRA employed him on and off from the start, even making him a section chief within their organization for a time. Professor Power, Baron Zemo and Zemo's Masters of Evil have all made use of the Fixer's skills, too. Since Zemo's Masters regrouped in the guise of the Thunderbolts, the Fixer has been absolutely indispensable to their operations -- several of the Thunderbolts owe their powers, appearance, equipment or even their very existence to Techno's skills; however, his colossal ego and increasingly frequent grandstanding have kept his teammates from becoming too fond of him. Fixer's closest friend was probably his long-time criminal partner Mentallo. Even though the two quarreled incessantly whilst together, when a battle with the Micronauts blew out Mentallo's mind the Fixer brought him to Professor Power, apparently trading his professional services in an attempt to rehabilitate his partner. The two went their separate ways after that and have been apart for quite some time now.
Most Despicable Act: The Fixer's more grandiose crimes have generally been team efforts; with Mentallo, he stormed and almost took over SHIELD's New York headquarters, shackling SHIELD director Nick Fury to a bomb in the process; with the Masters of Evil, Fixer was instrumental in the capture of Avengers Mansion and the torture of its occupants. On a more personal level, his attempts to force his affections on Yellowjacket revealed the Fixer to be a misogynist creep.
by Sean McQuaid
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