Ani-Mator | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | New Mutants vol. 1 #59 (Jan 1988) |
Created by | Louise Simonson and Bret Blevins |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Dr. Frederick Animus |
Species | human |
Team affiliations | Creatures of Paradise The Right |
Abilities | None |
The Ani-Mator (Dr. Frederick Animus) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
The Ani-Mator appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #59-60 (January-February 1988), and was created by Louise Simonson and Bret Blevins.
The Ani-Mator received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #1.
Dr. Frederick Animus was a geneticist employed by a university conducting medical research. Instead, he concentrated on research of mutation. When he falsified reports on the effectiveness of medication, several people died. The university investigated him, fired him, and he was sent to jail for his negligence. It was there he met Cameron Hodge.
Taking the name Ani-Mator, he was employed as a geneticist by Cameron Hodge's organization The Right to research a means of stopping the process that creates mutants. When the Right set him up on a deserted island in the North Atlantic, which he called Paradise, Dr. Animus instead created a race of "Ani-Mates" through gene slicing and selective breeding, which combined the characteristics of human beings and other animals, intending them to be a slave race for humanity.
One of the Ani-Mates, Bird-Brain, escaped the Paradise island and ultimately befriends the New Mutants. The New Mutants returned to the island with Bird-Brain to stop the mad scientist's experiments. They succeeded in defeating Animus' creations, but right afterwards they were captured by Hodge and agents of The Right, who had become suspicious of the doctor's activities. Bird-Brain subsequently rallied the surviving Ani-Mates to help rescue his human friends.
During the fight with the Right troopers, Animus broke free and procured a gun. He attempted to shoot and kill Wolfsbane, whom - due to her shape-shifting power - he considered too valuable a specimen to be captured by the Right. But as he fired, he instead hit and killed Cypher, who had pushed Rahne out of the way. In retaliation, Magik exiled the Ani-Mator to the dimension of Limbo, although she originally threatened to shoot Ani-Mator with his own gun until being talked down by Wolfsbane. There he was captured by S'ym, transferred into a demon of living circuitry, and forced to serve in S'yms army. Bird-Brain stayed on the island to help his animal friends.