History[]
"You promised me suits in exchange for me promising you freedom. That was the deal. I've lived up to my end of the bargain so far, it's high time you four started living up to yours!"
Justin Hammer was born in 1980. Little is known about his early life, other than he grew up in New Jersey and he claims to have had three dogs in his childhood. Many of the claims he has made over the years can be dismissed as mere fabrications, given his propensity of lying.
What is known is that by the mid-2000s he had launched his own startup weapons company as a side from his e-business that he had made money on prior to the dot com bust in the early part of the decade. Hammer Industries was a low-level competitor to Tony Stark and his company, until Tony suspended all weapons manufacturing for the US Government. Hammer took advantage of this action to seize the military contracts himself, and began building his own company's portfolio.
Hammer was called as an expert witness during the Senate Hearings on Iron Man, testifying to the nature of unforseen threats by Tony Stark and encouraging that his company be allowed to duplicate the Iron Man technology. However, his company was embarrased by Stark when it was shown that their own attempts at replicating the armored suit were woefully incomplete, resulting in the mutilation of at least one soldier. With Hammer thoroughly discredited, he retreated to try and salvage the situation with the government and get back at Stark. He was in Monte Carlo for the Grand Prix (and for a story with Christine Everhart) when he witnessed the attack by the Wrecking Crew on Tony Stark. Hammer immediately made a connection with the tech expert of the group, Leila Davis, and arranged to get the other three members released from prison.
Hammer set up the four in a workshop of his own design, funding their development of both his own set of armored suits (later drones) as well as upgrades to their own technology. He seemed pleased with their progress until fate handed him a present in the form of Tony Stark's Mark II armor, delivered by Col. James Rhodes. Hammer was tasked by military brass to reverse engineer the armor and outfit as a Mobile Threat Response Platform. Taking this data, along with his Hammer Drones, Hammer made the mistake of making it clear to the Wrecking Crew that their services might not be required any longer, enticing them to go out on their own and take control of the Drones and the War Machine Armor.
At the Stark Expo, Hammer surprised everyone with the unveiling of the Hammer Drones, as well as the Mobile Threat Response Platform, piloted by Rhodey. Hammer's presentation was interrupted by the arrival of Iron Man, though, who had found out about Hammer working with the Wrecking Crew and springing them from jail. The confrontation was interrupted by Leila Davis taking control of Rhodey's suit as well as deploying the Hammer Drones in an attempt to kill Tony Stark. Justin was forced to take cover as the fight transferred to the outside of the complex. He attempted to break the hacking that Davis had used, but failed miserably. Hammer was then taken into custody by NYPD, saying he'd get revenge on Pepper Potts and Tony Stark for all this.
Many years later, sitting in prison on the Raft in SHIELD's custody as well as having his company bought out in his absence by Oscorp, Hammer was unexpectedly freed from prison by The Mandarin. The head of the Ten Rings ordered Hammer to build cybernetic enhancements for the dragon Fin Fang Foom in an attempt to make him into Mandarin's Chariot of War. Hammer did as he was told, begrudgingly, and threw himself onto Tony Stark's mercy when Stark and Rhodes arrived at the Mandarin's palace. However Hammer was not entirely aware of the Mandarin's plan, so he proved to not be very useful yet again. Hammer was last seen being thrown aside by the Mandarin and was, presumably, arrested by SHIELD agents when they swept through the palace later and returned to prison.
Powers & Abilities[]
- Genius Intellect: Hammer possesses a scientific accumen that, while it is not on the equal of Tony Stark, is far more gifted than the average human being.
- Mechanical Engineering: Hammer has full capability and building and outfitting numerous mechanical devices. These have included improving upon the designs of the Wrecking Crew, basic military armaments, and cybernetic enhancements for the Kun-Lun dragon Fin Fang Foom.
Weaknesses[]
Hammer's primary weakness is his own ego, which causes him to highly overestimate his value and his position in any given situation. While his intelligence makes him capable of usually talking his way out of a sticky situations, the fact that he gets in them more often than not usually is a defining trait of his.
He is also severely outclassed in any form of physical combat, compared to the enemies he usually deals with. As such, any sort of physical confrontation will end badly for him.
Film Details[]
Hammer has appeared in the following films within the Earth-11584 continuity. In all instances, he is played by actor Sam Rockwell.
- Iron Man 2
- Captain America: Civil War
- Iron Man 4