| Aarn Munro | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Aarn Munro |
|
First Appearance |
"The Mightiest Machine: Part 1" in Astounding Stories, December 1934 |
|
Original Publisher |
Streets and Smith |
|
Created by |
John W. Campbell |
Origin[]
Aarn Munro is a genius physicist born on Jupiter, where extreme gravity has shaped his physical and intellectual abilities. Munro was raised in an environment of intense gravity, which has resulted in extraordinary physical strength. Under terrestrial conditions, he can lift over 2.5 tons with ease, and he also possesses agility, endurance, and reflexes far superior to those of an ordinary human being. His superhuman body is a rare combination of exceptional physical abilities and advanced intellectual capabilities. Munro is a genius physicist who works for Spencer Rocket Co., where he designs and commands the Sunbeam spacecraft, the first interstellar spacecraft to explore space beyond the solar system. The Sunbeam is powered by the Sun's energy and incorporates three of Munro's main inventions: the "momentum wave" engine, the anti-gravity field used to lift and protect the ship (also to store energy), and the transpon beams, which are conductive space beams capable of traversing unlimited distances in space, allowing access to the immense energy of the Sun.
During their travels, Munro and his crew, composed of Don Carlisle, Director of Chemical Research, and Russ Spencer, President of Spencer Rocket Co., stumble upon an alternate universe while crossing the space of the Sun Anrel. In this new universe, they discover that they have been preceded by the survivors of the lost continent of Mu and their ancient enemies, the Tefflans, a race of red-skinned, horned and tailed beings who inhabit underground caverns on Earth.
The civilizations of the Magyans and Tefflans, separated by centuries of development, enter into a violent interplanetary conflict. The Magyans are an advanced humanoid civilization, and the Tefflans, more savage, are armed with powerful technologies. The confrontation is marked by a devastating war, where supernatural forces are employed, and the scientific inventions of the Earthmen play a crucial role, generating catastrophic consequences.
Public Domain Appearances[]
- The Mightiest Machine (1934)
Notes[]
- Aarn Munro was adapted into a comic book in 1940 for Shadow Comics, with scripts by Otto Binder and Theodore Sturgeon. He was called Iron Munro.
- Campbell returns to Munro's adventures in The Incredible Planet, released in 1949, this book is a fix-up novel containing three linked novelettes: The Incredible Planet, The Interstellar Search, and The Infinite Atom. These stories were initially rejected for publication in Astounding Science Fiction magazine.
- Aarn Munro's powers were explained as the result of growing up on Jupiter, where the stronger gravity made him far more powerful when he returned to Earth. This same idea was previously used for John Carter, who gained enhanced abilities on Mars, and was later applied to early versions of Superman.
- In 1987, Roy Thomas adapted Aarn Munro as Hugo Danner's son, Munro uses the codename Iron Muro and is part of the Young All-Stars, in the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths timeline, Munro and Danner are the first metahumans to replace Superman.