Mendel Stromm

Dr. Mendel Stromm
In his first appearance, Dr. Mendel Stromm watches as Spider-Man battles two of his robots. From The Amazing Spider-Man #37.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Amazing Spider-Man #37 (June 1966)
Created by	Stan Lee (Writer) Steve Ditko (Artist)
In-story information
Full name	Mendel Stromn
Team affiliations	Oscorp
Notable aliases	Robot-Master, Gaunt
Abilities	Cybernetic implants that provide superhuman strength and regenerative powers.

Dr. Mendel Stromm is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has also been known as Robot Master and Gaunt.

Stromm first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #37 (June 1966), and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Mendel Stromm was Norman Osborn's college professor and later became a partner in OsCorp Industries. His early research was on a chemical that would provide enhanced strength in its test subjects and would eventually turn Osborn into the Green Goblin. Osborn, wanting the formula for himself, discovered that Stromm had been embezzling funds from OsCorp. Stromm explained that he was merely borrowing but Osborn turned him over to the police. After several years in prison, Stromm was released and tried to kill Osborn for revenge using evil robots. He was stopped by Spider-Man and seemingly died of a heart attack when he was nearly shot.

Stromm had made plans for his death, however, by arranging to have his brain waves transferred to a robot double. Now calling himself "Robot Master", Stromm returned in Spectacular Spider-Man #68 (July 1982). Spider-Man defeated and destroyed the robot double.

In Spectacular Spider-Man #233 (April 1996), Stromm returned again, this time as a cyborg called "Gaunt". It was revealed that he survived through a cybernetic suit fused to his body - attached by none other than Osborn. Osborn had discovered that Stromm had survived his heart attack thanks to the Goblin Serum, but on a level of consciousness supported only by his suit. Eventually, via Seward Trainer, he was cured of his need for the suit and came back in a large suit of robotic armor, only for it to be destroyed by Ben Reilly and Peter Parker despite Stromm's attempt to defeat them both with two flying robots and three childlike androids attacking simultaneously. Shortly afterward, Norman Osborn knocked him out with a laser blast and left him for dead, though he survived and only had amnesia. He came back in yet another robot suit, only to be stopped by Spider-Man once again.

In Peter Parker: Spider-Man vol. 2, #27 (March 2001), Stromm tried to create a sentient robot to kill Osborn, but it turned on him and destroyed his body, keeping his severed head alive. This artificial intelligence then attempted to take over New York City's electrical grid, but was stopped when Spider-Man fought his way into its core processor and uploaded a computer virus into it, putting both the A. I. and Mendel into a comatose state.