Motherbox

Vykin's Motherbox.

A Motherbox is a "living" computer from New Genesis created by Metron and used primarily by the New Gods of New Genesis. Motherboxes have vast undefined abilities which range from teleportation via boom tubes, to matter manipulation.

Design

A Motherbox is a rectangular handheld device. The casing is black, with a red, orange and yellow interface.

History

Inception and nature

Motherboxes were created by Metron, at some unspecified time in history, as a tool to tap into the Source of All Life and draw energy from it. As such, these devices are sentient and possess wondrous capabilities; albeit somewhat limited due to the built-in technological safeguards. As a tool of the benevolent New Gods of New Genesis, Motherboxes are likewise benevolent in nature. They care greatly for the beings under their charge but will also seek to help others who are not their owners. Its counterpart is the Apokoliptan Fatherbox, but unlike them, a Motherbox will not try to corrupt or subvert the bodies or minds of other creatures. They act as protectors and guides to their owners and their owner's friends.

2010

The Forever People used a Motherbox to help them track down stolen Genesian technology on Earth. When they encountered Superboy, they assumed he had stolen the New Genesphere, but Sphere attested his innocence. Together, they confronted Intergang, the true thieves. The Forever People used their Motherbox to combine into Infinity-Man and subdued the criminals for questioning.

After discovering Bruno Mannheim's whereabouts, the Forever People attempted to transform into Infinity-Man once more. However, Desaad gave Mannheim a Fatherbox to bewitch Infinity-Man mid-transformation, and ordered it to kill Superboy. Sphere was able to cleanse Infinity-Man of their control but sustained critical injuries in the process. As a sign of gratitude, Vykin used the Motherbox to repair her.

2018

The Markovian scientist Simon Ecks managed to get a hold of a Motherbox and attempted to learn its secrets, but only succeeded in destroying it. As its dying act, the Motherbox transferred its spirit into the corpse of Gabrielle Daou, which effectively resurrected her from the dead, creating Halo. Sometime later, Superboy and Black Lightning discovered the Motherbox in pieces, which upset Superboy enough that he called it murder.

2019

Dreamer lent her Motherbox to Superboy so that he and his teammates could tack down Metron in the hopes of enlisting his help to save Victor Stone. The same Motherbox was later used by Nightwing to investigate Gretchen Goode's home. This led to the Motherbox being attacked by Overlord. Motherbox's distress was detected by Halo and Vic, leading them to come to the rescue. The Team used the same Motherbox to travel to the Orphanage to rescue a captive Halo.

2020

Orion used a Motherbox to translate as he welcomed the Javelin to New Genesis. The Motherbox later alerted him to the unfamiliar tech in Rocket's belt and that a theft was in progress in the secure warehouse of Supertown. Motherbox opened a boom tube for Orion and Rocket to investigate. When Orion became overwhelmed after Rocket put them in a force-bubble, his Motherbox pinged to help calm him. Later, when Orion became enraged, Lightray used the Motherbox to calm him, with pings and flashes of light. When it was necessary to defend potential power sources for the Phantom Zone Projector, the Forever People's Motherbox joined with them to form Infinity-Man, while Orion used another Motherbox to bbom tube his squad to Boiling Lake Crater. The Source energy emitted by the lake interfered with the Motherbox's functions while there, leaving Orion to manage his anger on his own.

Orion brought a Motherbox to the Justice League to help them in their search for Superboy. They boom tubed to Trombus where the Motherbox interfaced with Danny Chase, who had the trans-dimensional signature of the Phantom Zone. This allowed them to open a boom tube to the Zone. The combined "Mother-Thrall" fell under Ma'alefa'ak's control, and boom tubed to Earth with its captors. It was used to open another boom tube to the Zone, though no Kryptonians were able to escape. The Zods then had the group boom tube to Metropolis. After Kaldur'ahm separated the Thrall from Ma'alefa'ak, Motherbox restored Danny's consciousness, and they opened a boom tube to the Phantom Zone to send Zod and his followers through. Once the battle was over, Danny and Motherbox decoupled.

Capabilities

• Boom tube generation
• Artificial intelligence: Motherboxes possess an unknown degree of sentience. They usually communicate with a repetitive "ping!" which can be understood by their users.
• Cloaking: Motherboxes can cloak its user's energy signatures from detection.
• Sensory tracking: Motherboxes can scan anywhere on a planet for Genesian and Apokoliptan technology. Its sensors can be blocked by Radion particles.
• Gesalt form: By access the energy of the Source, Motherboxes can merge the Forever People into the gestalt form Infinity-Man when they shout the word "Tarru!".
• Universal translator: Motherboxes can act as a universal translator between two different species.
• Healing: Motherboxes can repair damaged technology, regardless of the severity. This was used by Vykin to repair Sphere.
  • Reanimation: When destroyed, Motherboxes can impart their spirits into deceased individuals, bringing them back to life with an all-new consciousness. One such box was able to resurrect the deceased Gabrielle Daou, also granting her light-based abilities.
• DNA Analysis: Motherbox can identify DNA from unknown substances.
• Holographic display: Motherbox can create three-dimensional holographic images from its database.

Weaknesses

A Motherbox's functions can be impaired by certain radiation, including Radion particles, and the Source energy emitted at Boiling Lake Crater.

Background information

• This is the fourth depiction of Motherboxes in animation. The first was in Superman: The Animated Series, followed subsequently by Batman Beyond, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.
• Motherboxes (also spelled "Mother Boxes") first appeared in Forever People #1 (March 1971) by Jack Kirby. Their name derives from the fact that they act as caretakers to their users, and provide them with love, in a sense becoming a "mother" to them.

Sightings

• Season 1
  • 17. "Disordered"
• Season 3
  • 02. "Royal We"
  • 05. "Away Mission"
  • 12. "Nightmare Monkeys" ^(flashback)
  • 20. "Quiet Conversations"
  • 21. "Unknown Factors"
  • 23. "Terminus"
  • 24. "Into the Breach" ^(flashback)
• Season 4
  • 18. "Beyond the Grip of the Gods!"
  • 21. "Odyssey of Death!"
  • 24. "Zenith and Abyss"
  • 25. "Over and Out"
  • 26. "Death and Rebirth"