- "No, no, put that down. That is worth more than you or me."
- ―Happy Hogan to Dum-E[src]
Dum-E and U are a pair of hydraulic arm robots Tony Stark used as assistants in his workshop. He made Dum-E in his father's workshop. While Dum-E is generally used to help with Stark's creations, U is used to do the registration of Stark's work using a video camera. Despite Stark's irritation at the robots, they have saved his life on more than one occasion. Dum-E and U helped make some of Stark's armors.
History[]
Creation[]
Tony Stark creating Dum-E and U
In 1986, at the age of 16, Tony Stark created Dum-E and U in the basement of MIT's Homberg building, earning Stark his his fourth consecutive MIT Robot Design Award.[1] Stark later upgraded the pair with a small AI to recognize Stark's voice commands.[2]
Mark II[]
- "Good boy."
- ―Tony Stark to Dum-E[src]
Tony Stark having Dum-E help him make his second Iron Man Armor
Dum-E and U helped Tony Stark create the Iron Man Armor: Mark II in his workshop, helping with assembling the armor. When Obadiah Stane decided to steal his Arc Reactor, Stark almost died and went to his garage to get the arc reactor on a mantle that Pepper Potts made for him. He was unable to reach it and gave up, but Dum-E gave it to him and saved his life.[1]
The New Element[]
Tony Stark having Dum-E help find a new element for his Arc Rector
Tony Stark used U to serve champagne when he appointed Pepper Potts as his successor and new CEO of Stark Industries. After Stark learned of a new element discovered by his father, he decided to rebuild the element to fix his current arc reactor. Dum-E helped him make the element. Afterward, Stark tasked Dum-E with cleaning up the mess that the new element's creation caused.[3]
Mark XLII[]
Dum-E being taken to a new home by Tony Stark
While Tony Stark was testing the Mark XLII, he gave Dum-E a dunce cap for something it had done. When Tony Stark's Mansion was destroyed, both Dum-E and U were destroyed as well. When Stark returned to the ruins of his destroyed house, he recovered the robots' remains and parts of his workshop.[4]
Moving Day[]
Dum-E helping Happy Hogan move items at Avengers Tower
By 2016, Dum-E had been repaired and helped Happy Hogan and other workers pack various Avengers items and memorabilia from the former Avengers Tower into the Stark Cargo Plane.[5]
New Owner[]
Dum-E helping Peter Parker with his LEGO
By 2024, Dum-E was in Happy Hogan's possession and was taken to his condominium. Later that summer, Dum-E greeted Peter and May Parker when they took up temporary residence at the condominium due to the high-security features. Dum-E watched as Parker received college application letters while helping him built his LEGO Death Star. When Parker received his letter from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dum-E was in the process of finishing his assemble LEGO Death Star. However, due to Parker's excitement, Dum-E accidentally knocked the Lego's off the table.
Dum-E observed by Norman Osborn
Later that fall, when Parker brought the multiversal displaced people to the condominium, Dum-E was powered down when Norman Osborn took an interest in it as he attempted to see how it worked. When Parker sensed Osborn's shift into the Green Goblin persona, he webbed his hand to Dum-E.[6]
Alternate Universe Versions[]
Killmonger's Campaign[]
| This section requires expansion |
To be added
Capabilities[]
The robots were created by a teenage Tony Stark, so whilst they are impressive, they are still quite primitive when compared to Stark's later work. Their capabilities seem to be limited to performing basic tasks, such as holding/moving equipment or operating basic machinery, including fire extinguishers. Dum-E and U also cleaned up Stark's workshop whenever it was in disarray.
It would appear that the very basic A.I built into both robots is capable of understanding anyone, despite being made solely by Tony Stark. Also, Dum-E and U seemingly have emotions, often "reacting" to the people speaking to them. Dum-E especially seems to sulk a lot, as it was frequently scolded by Stark for its often clumsy nature.
Trivia[]
- Dum-E's and U's names are a play on the words "Dummy" and "You" respectively. In Iron Man: I Am Iron Man!, Dum-E's name is spelled as "Dummy."
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