MODOK is an interesting character as he is overflowing in symbolism. Have you ever taken a moment to think about the deeper meanings behind the character? Did you realize MODOK is more than just a giant head floating around?
MODOK
MODOK Symbolizes Dangers of Science
When MODOK first hit the scene in 1967, science fiction writers were returning to the sub-genre of sci-fi which warned about what could happen if technology went unchecked. With MODOK, we see a program which went unchecked and ran amok to the point in which it overwhelmed its creators and turned towards evil. Could our “thinking” appliances emerging on the market right now become sentient and attempt to control us?
MODOK Symbolizes Dangers of Mixing Man with Machine
MODOK is a classic example about what might go wrong if we were to intermingle man directly with a machine. Cyborg technology was a long way off in the late 1960s (and it still is today), but could the technology do more harm than good? Good the direct intermingling of man and machine cause the human side to lose the connections with humanity?
The Perfect Weapon
Over the centuries, counties have attempted to dehumanize the enemy. Adolf Hitler tried to portray non-Aryans as sub-quality humans. The Japanese portrayed Americans as people that would overwhelm the country with the sole purpose of raping the women, torturing the men, and enslaving the children. On the flip-side, the American government portrayed all Germans, Italians, and Japanese (not just their leaders) as soulless people who only cared about world domination.
Be separating humanity from a villain, the character becomes a symbol of pure evil. Without a grasp on humanity, a character appears as an agent of unwavering evil and infallible to any discussion. Essentially, our governments revert to the medieval technique of comparing anything evil to Satan or the demonic. Since MODOK is devoid of any emotion other than hate, he does not have a hold on humanity and would be a perfect representation of the demonic – which makes him even scarier.
