Ellen Brandt

Real Name
Ellen Brandt 

Occupation
Espionage agent 

Citizenship
USA 

Place of Birth
Unrevealed city in Wisconsin 

Known Relative
Theodore Sallis (ex-husband) Job Burke (son)
 
Group Affiliation 
A.I.M. 

Education
University degree

Height
Unrevealed

Weight
Unrevealed

Eyes
Unrevealed

Hair
Brown

Powers
Ellen gained unspecified powers by merging with the Man-Thing, K'ad-Mon, and the Nexus of Realities. Her current level of ability is uncertain.

Abilities
None

Other Info
Ellen Brandt grew up in a loveless household with a father who was so emotionless and cold that the two never developed any sort of family bond. Such emotional detachment bred an instinctive distrust in Ellen--one that would govern her the rest of her life. 

When she was old enough, Ellen enrolled in a University where she met fellow student Theodore "Ted" Sallis. The two fell in love at the age of nineteen and ran off together and eloped. After their honeymoon, they visited the fortune teller Madame Swabada, who foretold of a great calamity that would soon effect both their lives. Ted went on to become a scientist and was reassigned to "Project Gladiator" (S.H.I.E.L.D. research program based in the Florida Everglades aimed at re-creating the "Super-Soldier Serum" that had originally created Captain America). (To learn about the characters and/or team above, just click on their highlighted names.)

Initially, Ellen and Ted were very much in love with one another; however, Ted soon became consumed by his work, and grew into a cold and detached human being. As he spent more and more time devoted to research, Ellen's feelings towards him began to change. She began to see him as the same sort of emotionless man that her father was.

At one point, A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) approached Ellen on a recruitment mission. They wanted someone to keep an eye on Ted and acquire the final serum of his research. Ellen agreed, striving for her revenge on her emotionless marriage, and at the same time gaining a new source of income. (To learn about A.I.M., click on the highlighted name above.)

As Ted's work drew closer to success, Ellen revealed her true colors. One night in his cabin, Ellen led Ted into an A.I.M trap. She held Ted at gunpoint, demanding him to surrender his research. Sallis tried to flee, but Ellen shot him several times in the back. Sallis fell into the swamp and injected the only existing sample of the serum into himself. Ted should have died but the magical energies of the swamp (containing the Nexus of Reality) combined with the serum transformed him into a hideous creature (later known as the "Man-Thing"). In his new form, Ted managed to slay the pursuing A.I.M. agents. The Man-Thing then found Ellen. Her fear of the creature prompted an emotional and chemical reaction in the Man-Thing's body and he viciously mutilated her face with his corrosive acid touch. Afterward, Ellen was found by Barbara Morse (a.k.a. Mockingbird), the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent attached to Project Gladiator. She was then transferred to the office of a local doctor. (To learn about Mockingbird, click on her highlighted name above. Note: Beware of the revealing outfit worn by Mockingbird on her bio page. Also, Ellen Brandt with her mutilated face is shown in the first, fifth, and sixth images posted above.)

After her recovery, Ellen returned to A.I.M. and went back to the swamps accompanied by an armed compliment of A.I.M. shock troops. They all hunted down the Man-Thing, even killing several innocent civilians in the process. What Ellen didn't know, however, was that the Man-Thing had a secret ally in the form of amateur sorceress Jennifer Kale. Kale weaved a spell of loathing that forced the A.I.M. agents to turn against one another. The Man-Thing encountered Ellen Brandt a second time and engulfed her within the bulk of his mass. However, Ellen survived the encounter and went on to live the life of a recluse. (Click on the highlighted name above to learn about Jennifer Kale. Note: Beware of the revealing clothing worn by Kale on her bio page.)

At this time, Ellen discovered that she was pregnant with Sallis' child. Ellen's soul was as scarred as her face, and she could not bring herself to raise a child. Therefore, Ellen placed her infant son (named Job) up for adoption where he was later raised by the Burke family. Ellen was tormented at the guilt for her own past actions and sought release through self-degregation. She surrendered herself to the influence of alcohol, and other drugs, all in an effort to punish herself. With her sanity eroding, Ellen ended up in the Rosewell Sanitarium in Charles, Massachusetts. It is unknown how long Ellen remained as a patient at Rosewell; however, it was during this time she met a mysterious mute woman named Sorrow. Sorrow helped give Ellen hope and strength, and eventually helped Ellen restore her sanity. (To learn about the above highlighted characters, just click on the theirs.)

Years later, Ellen found herself once again encountering the Man-Thing. She believed that some aspect of Ted Sallis' humanity might still exist in the creature. When local sheriff's opened fire on the Man-Thing, Ellen stood in front of him, ready to sacrifice her own life to save the monster. She likely would have died in a hail of bullets if it had not been for the timely intervention of Doctor Strange. Strange explained to Ellen that the Nexus of All Realities, which Man-Thing was chosen to protect, had been shattered and that she had to help guide Man-Thing towards putting it back together or all of reality would unravel. Ellen accepted the role. (To learn about the above highlighted characters, just click on their names.)

Over time, Ellen traveled between realities/dimensions to protect the Man-Thing and the Nexus of All Realities. She even at one point had to merge with the Man-Thing. When this happened, she was granted unspecified mystic powers.

More recently, Ellen continues to protect the Man-Thing and the Nexus of All Realities. 

There is nothing there, but here is the link to Ellen Brandt's bio on Marvel.com, http://marvel.com/universe/Brandt,_Ellen.

In the film Iron Man 3, Ellen Brandt has a different story line. She does have some similarities with the comicbook version; however, in the movie, she is a war veteran who is injected with the Extremis virus to help grow back an arm. But, she still does have a connection with A.I.M. 

Aldrich Killian

Real Name
Aldrich Killian

Occupation
Geneticist

Citizenship
USA
 
Place of Birth
Unrevealed

Known Relative
Unrevealed

Group Affiliation
FuturePharm

Education
Unrevealed

Height
Unrevealed

Weight
Unrevealed

Eyes
Brown

Hair
Brown

Powers
None

Abilities
Aldrich Killian was a talented geneticist.

Other Info

Dr. Aldrich Killian was a brilliant scientist working for the FuturePharm Corporation in Austin, Texas alongside Dr. Maya Hansen. Together they developed Extremis, an attempt to create a new super soldier. The Extremis is a techno organic virus that completely rewrites the body’s genetic code. It replaces entire organs making them more efficient. The virus also gives the body a sort of healing factor. The original Extremis grants super human strength, speed, endurance, reflexes and the ability to project electricity and breathe fire. (To learn about Dr. Hansen and/or the Extremis virus, click on their highlighted names above.)

Maya learned that the military was pulling her funding before she could try Extremis on a live subject. She and her partner at Futurepharm, Aldrich Killian, decided that they should put Extremis into the hands of criminals, then involve Tony Stark's creation, Iron Man, against the Extremis-enhanced criminal. She figured that if they could thus prove the value of Extremis, it would help her save countless human lives after her funding was restored. She and Aldrich stole Extremis and put it into the hands of terrorists. 

Killian stole a sample and sold them to a terrorist group. The group based in a slaughterhouse in Bastrop, Texas, inject a willing test subject called Mallen. A bizarre physical change overtakes him; his horrified compatriots flee the room but lock him in it. The injected man's body, still lying in the Bastrop warehouse, is now covered completely in a bizarre layer of scar tissue. (To learn about Mallen, just click on his highlighted name above.)

Days later at Futurepharm Corporation offices, Dr. Aldrich Killian commits suicide at his computer; his suicide note informing co-worker Maya Hansen that he has stolen the Extremis serum for an undisclosed purpose.

There is nothing there, but here is the link to Aldrich Killians' bio on Marvel.com, http://marvel.com/universe/Aldrich_Killian.

Firepower

Real Name

Jack Taggert 

Occupation

Mercenary 
 
Citizenship USA, with a criminal record 

Place of Birth
Unrevealed 

Known Relative 
Unrevealed 

Group Affiliation 
Mandarin; formerly Edwin Cord, Cordco, Incorporated 

Education
Military training 

Height 
5'9" (Armored) 15' 

Weight 
230 lbs; (Armored) 2 tons

Eyes
Brown

Hair
Black (shaved bald)

Powers 
None

Abilities 
Taggert is a skilled pilot and is capable of maneuvering the Firepower armor. Due to his military training, he is also a very skilled at hand-to-hand combat. Aside from his armor's weaponry, he is a very good marksman. In addition, Taggert is a skilled tactician and is capable of creating strategies in order to win. The Firepower armor grants Jack superhuman strength and durability.

Other Info 

Jack Taggert was the pilot of an experimental heavily-armed and -armored battle suit in Project: Firepower--a program created by Edwin Cord of Cordco, Incorporated (a rival businessman of Tony Stark). Project: Firepower was sponsored by the U.S. government to create a new generation of armored soldiers and to control rogue super-humans. The suit contained a particle cannon on it’s wrist as well as heat beams, lasers, mini-grenades and surface-to-air missiles. The suit’s main weapon is the high energy, low radiation missile know as the "Terminax." Taggert trained on a simulator learning to operate the suit and take down Iron Man. During a test run of the suit, Taggert took down two tanks and jet fighters with ease. (To learn about the characters above, just click on their highlighted names above.)
  
Later, in the deserts of Arizona, Firepower was confronted by Iron Man (who recognized that the Firepower armor was made from Stark technology). The two battled, and Iron Man fired everything he had; however, Firepower was unharmed. Surprised at this, Iron Man then hid in a canyon hoping that he could detect any attacks coming at him. Firepower, however, succeeded in a sneak attack by breaking through the solid rock of the canyon to approach Iron Man from behind. In defense, Iron Man placed a Negator pack (the device he used to disable his armor technology) on Firepower. But, it didn't work (the government had studied the Negator pack that Iron Man had attempted to use on Stingray, and found a way to shield Firepower's circuits from the pack's effects). So, a badly damaged and wounded Iron Man flew back to the Stark Enterprises helicopter hovering overhead (piloted by James Rhodes). Just as Taggert was ordered to fire at the helicopter, Iron Man flew away. Firepower then launched the Terminax missile and seemingly killed Iron Man as the armor fell to the ground in pieces. (Click the names above to learn about the highlighted characters and/or company.)

Afterward, Cord blackmailed the military into allowing him to keep the Firepower armor, threatening to reveal to the press the "true" purposes of the armor: riot control. During the next few days, both Firepower and Cord seemed determined to sabotage Stark Enterprises. They intimidated the Marsten Manufacturing group into not accepting a Stark contract bid, they blow up a shipment for Accutech Research and Development (a subsidiary of Stark Enterprises), and they even attacked Tony and his workers.

All of Firepower's actions led to Iron Man confronting Firepower once again. However, this time, Iron Man came to battle with an upgraded suit. With all of Stark's new upgrades, Firepower was defeated. However, in a last ditch attempt to win, Firepower set the Terminax missile to explode in thirty seconds, hoping Iron Man would try to stop it or redirect it, and be killed. But, the backpack that housed the missile was damaged and missile could not exit, threatening everybody in the vicinity. This resulted in Taggert pleaded with Iron Man to free him from the armor, but Iron Man told him that if the armor was magnetically sealed, there was nothing he could do to free him. Iron Man used an electromagentic pulse (a trick learned from Force) to disable the Firepower armor (and his own) for six minutes. This bought Iron Man enough time to find a way to shut down the missile's timer once their armors' systems came back online. Upon their armor rebooting, the missile's timer had gone down to just nine seconds left; Iron Man successfully stopped it in eight. Now, no longer fearing of being blow up, Taggert went on to tell Iron Man that there would be others just like him that would come to kill Iron Man just as he had and destroy Stark Enterprises. Iron Man then ripped the Firepower armor apart, stunning Taggert into silence. Afterward, both Taggert and Cord were taken into custody. (Click on the highlighted name above to learn about Force.)

Years later, Jack Taggert reappeared in a new Firepower armor. He was one of many Iron Man foes that were assembled by Mandarin to take down Tony Stark once and for all. (To learn about the Mandarin, click on his name above.)

To learn a little more about Firepower, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Firepower_%28Jack_Taggert%29.

In the comics, Jack Taggert is African American. However, in Iron Man 3 he is not. And in the movie, the spelling of his last name is "Taggart" rather than "Taggert."