Melter

The character debuted in Tales of Suspense #47 (November 1963) and was created by Stan Lee and Sam Rosen.^[1]

He was an industrialist who specializes in providing munitions to the United States government. After an initial encounter with hero Iron Man, the character reappears in The Avengers #6 (Jul. 1964) as part of supervillain team the Masters of Evil. A version of the Masters of Evil return in The Avengers #15-16 (Apr.-May 1965), with the Melter being jailed. The Melter reappears to battle Iron Man in Tales of Suspense 89-90 (May-Jun. 1967), and then The Avengers #54-55 (Jul.-Aug. 1968) as part of the next version of the Masters of Evil (formed without the villains' knowledge by the robot Ultron) and again in The Avengers #83 (Dec. 1970). The character becomes a perennial villain in the title Iron Man, appearing in issues #72 (Jan. 1974); #92 (Nov. 1976) and #123-124 (Jun.-Jul. 1979) and #127 (Oct. 1979). After another attempt to sabotage the company Stark International in Iron Man #166 (Jan. 1983), the character reappears in Marvel Two-in-One #96 (Feb. 1983) before being assassinated during the Scourge of the Underworld storyline in The Avengers #263 (Jan. 1986). As writer Mike Conroy stated "Bruno Horgan was one of those villains who suited simpler times...Times moved on, though, and Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's creation didn't. Despite numerous upgrades to his weaponry, the Melter was never a major player."^[2]

Long-time Marvel writer Roger Stern recalled:

...Mark Gruenwald had compiled a list of villains who were either less than inspired or had outlived their welcome. I picked the Melter because he was such a doof. There had been maybe one good Melter story...which had been repeated over and over again by various writers. Mind you, there's nothing wrong with the name.^[2]

The character also made several posthumous appearances in the titles Fantastic Four;^[3] X-O Manowar/Iron Man: Heavy Metal;^[4] and The Avengers.^[5]

Another character using the name "Melter" debuted during the Dark Reign storyline in the limited series Dark Reign: Young Avengers #1 - 5 (July-Dec. 2009).

Bruno Horgan is driven into bankruptcy when a government safety inspection team proves that he is using inferior materials, with the defense contracts awarded to his competitor Tony Stark (the alter ego of hero Iron Man). Discovering that one of his faulty devices is capable of generating a beam capable of "melting" anything composed of iron, Horgan redesigns the device so that it can be strapped to his chest, and after donning a costume adopts the alias the Melter. As the Melter, Horgan becomes a professional criminal and embarks on a campaign of industrial sabotage against Stark, hoping to ruin him, eventually encountering Iron Man after Stark is told he could lose his government contracts, though when he first met Stark he succeeded in knocking him out. Despite damaging the hero's armor and forcing Iron Man back, the Melter is defeated when Stark builds a temporary duplicate armor composed of aluminium, but leaps into the sewer, though Stark is unaware whether he was killed or not.^[6]

The Melter reappears as an employee of master villain Baron Zemo (who has upgraded the melting beam to affect all metals) as part of supervillain team the Masters of Evil. He helps spray Adhesive X over the city. The Melter meets Iron Man as the Avengers first meet the Masters, but Iron Man knocks him away using his magnetic repulsor. The Masters were defeated with the Melter being jailed after Iron Man drenches him with water, preventing his beam from working.^[7] The Radioactive Man was deported back to China, while the Black Knight and Melter are placed in a cell with bars chemically treated so they cannot be melted. The Masters of Evil have a second encounter with the Avengers after the Black Knight and Melter are broken out of jail by the Enchantress and Executioner. The Melter nearly finishes Iron Man after welding his boots to a roof, but he is stopped by Thor using his uru hammer, which the Melter cannot melt. The Masters of Evil are eventually defeated after Thor transported them and the Avengers to another dimension, with different scientific laws which meant their weapons rebounded. The villains are bound and returned to Earth.^[8] The character upgrades his weaponry and battles Iron Man once again,^[9] before reappearing as part of the next version of the Masters of Evil, although the villains are defeated when betrayed by the Black Knight.^[10] The Masters of Evil - with the Melter - also accidentally encounter the Avengers during a parade and during the battle are defeated when surprised by the superheroines the Lady Liberators.^[11]

The Melter has several battles with Iron Man: at the direction of other-dimensional villain the Black Lama, the Melter joins fellow villains Whiplash and the Man-Bull to form the team the Death Squad and attempt to kill the hero;^[12] upgrades once again and attack before being defeated;^[13] and reappears, with many other villains, as an employee of criminal mastermind Justin Hammer. At Hammer's direction the Melter and fellow villains have a series of encounters with Iron Man in an unsuccessful attempt to neutralize the hero.^[14] After another attempt to sabotage the company Stark International^[15] the character makes a brief appearance with other villains in an unsuccessful attempt to kill Fantastic Four member the Thing.^[16]

Eventually, the Melter manages to augment his melting ray's power to its peak, but before he can employ it, he is surprised and murdered by the Scourge of the Underworld, who is disguised as the villain's laboratory assistant. The Scourge destroys the latest melting ray right afterwards.^[17]

The second Melter, Christopher Colchiss, first appeared in Dark Reign: Young Avengers #1 (July 2009) and was created by Paul Cornell and Mark Brooks. He is a mutant with similar abilities to the original Melter, but is able to affect organic matter.^[18] Throughout his appearances, he joins the Young Masters before being invited to live on the mutant nation of Krakoa.^[19][20][21] However, he is imprisoned for spying on Professor X before Sabretooth teaches him and the other prisoners to astral project into artificial bodies and escape.^{[22][23][24][25][26]} During this time, Melter befriends Orphan-Maker, who mistakes him for the Human Torch.^[27][28]

Roderick Kingsley later sold the original Melter costume and gear to an unnamed criminal. Melter was present with Hobgoblin (who was actually Roderick Kingsley's butler Claude) when he led his forces into fighting the Goblin King's Goblin Nation. After Hobgoblin was killed by Goblin King, Melter was among the villains who defected to the Goblin Nation.^[29]

Following Spider-Man's victory over the Goblin King, Melter was among the former Hobgoblin minions at the Bar with No Name where they encounter Electro.^[30]

Melter is among the villains at the Bar with No Name who convince Black Cat to lead them.^[31]

During the AXIS storyline, Melter was among the supervillains who Missile Mate assembled to join the side of Phil Urich (who was operating as Goblin King) and the remnants of the Goblin Nation upon claiming that Roderick Kingsley "abandoned" them.^[32]

Melter was among the villains who appeared as a member of Swarm's Sinister Six when they attacked Spider-Man and the students of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. After Hellion defeated Swarm, Melter and the other villains surrendered.^[33]

Melter and Killer Shrike later beat up Ringer to serve as Black Cat's warning to anyone who steals from her.^[34]

When Iron Man returns to his brownstone in his beaten-up armor, he finds that Melter has melted his Dodge Aspen and starts to taunt him. After punching Melter, Iron Man picks his body up and flies it into the sky. He tosses Melter and then rescues him, to the irritation of the bystanders.^[35]

The Bruno Horgan incarnation of Melter wields a ray gun that melts objects by disrupting their molecules. The second Melter possesses these abilities innately.

In the Heroes Reborn universe created by Franklin Richards, Bruno Horgan/Melter appears as a member of Loki's Masters of Evil.^[36]

Melter appears in JLA/Avengers #4 as a brainwashed minion of Krona.^[37]

In the unified reality of Earth-2099, an unidentified Melter appears as a member of the 2099 version of the Masters of Evil.^[38]

• Melter appears in the "Captain America" and "Iron Man" segments of The Marvel Super Heroes, voiced by Bernard Cowan.^[39] This version is a member of Baron Heinrich Zemo's Masters of Evil.
• Melter appears in The Super Hero Squad Show, voiced by Charlie Adler.^[40] This version is a member of Doctor Doom's Lethal Legion.
• Melter appears in the Iron Man: Armored Adventures episode "The Invincible Iron Man Part 2: Reborn".^{[citation needed]} This version is a Makluan Guardian created by the first Mandarin to guard one of his rings and test potential successors. His successor Gene Khan and Howard Stark arrive to claim the ring and pass the Melter's test, with the former trapping it in an amber-like substance.
• The Bruno Horgan incarnation of the Melter makes non-speaking cameo appearance in Ultimate Spider-Man.^{[citation needed]}
• The Bruno Horgan incarnation of the Melter appears in M.O.D.O.K., voiced by Eddie Pepitone.^{[citation needed]} This version is a self-proclaimed boomer who wants to open a food truck that serves specialized sandwiches. In the episode "If Saturday Be... For the Boys!", he is killed while helping MODOK steal Captain America's shield, leaving behind a widow and son who appear in the episode "What Menace Doth the Mailman Deliver!".^[41][42]

• The Bruno Horgan incarnation of the Melter appears as a boss in Iron Man, voiced by Gavin Hammon.^[40] This version is an A.I.M. operative in charge of developing a proton cannon.
• Melter appears in Marvel: Avengers Alliance 2.^[43]
• Melter appears in Lego Marvel's Avengers as a member of the Masters of Evil via the group's self-titled DLC pack.^[44]

Melter appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) tie-in comic one-shot Iron Man: Coming of the Melter. This version is a former inventor who failed to pitch a suit of armor to the United States military. After modifying the design, he attacks Tony Stark and War Machine in the hopes of using the publicity to sell his armor to the highest bidder. However, the pair defeat Melter and destroy his armor.^[45]

• Melter at Marvel.com
• Melter at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)