JOM, Vol. 64, No. 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1007/s11837-012-0256-x Ó 2012 TMS

Features Materials in Action

Lynne Robinson

Granted, in some circles, superhero comics are not considered high culture. )RU WKH PLOOLRQV ZKR ZLOO EH ÀRFNLQJ to local movie theaters this summer to catch the big-screen adventures of the Avengers, Spider-man or Batman, they are simply entertaining stories told with bigger-than-life characters and special effects. On a more resonant level, how- ever, these fantastic sagas have woven together a mythology for the modern age, tracing society’s perception of and UHODWLRQVKLS ZLWK VFLHQWL¿F DGYDQFH ment. Both brilliant and mighty, the he- roes and villains of these tales echo an- cient themes and struggles, told within WKH FRQWH[W RI H[WUHPH VFLHQWL¿F SRVVL bility. It’s also frequently the materials sci- HQFHLQYROYHGWKDWGH¿QHVWKHVHFKDUDF ters and the parameters of their power. $QGZKLOHVRPHVFLHQWL¿FGHVFULSWLRQV might seem to push the boundaries of plausibility, Suveen N. Mathaudhu, pro- gram manager, Synthesis and Processing of Materials, U.S. Army Research Of- ¿FHQRWHVWKDWDGYDQFHGSURFHVVLQJDQG characterization technologies, coupled with computational materials design tools and strategies, have closed the gap EHWZHHQFRPLF¿FWLRQDQGVFLHQFHUHDO ity. “There really is very little reason that we should not be able to microstructural- ly engineer whatever materials we want for the future,” he said. As a case in point, Mathaudhu recent- ly issued a request for white papers based RQWKHWKHPHRI³WKHPDNLQJRI&DSWDLQ $PHULFD¶V VKLHOG´ &DSWDLQ $PHULFD burst upon a frightened and war-torn world from the pages of his self-titled Figure 1. A wonder of materials science in the form of 0DUYHOFRPLFERRNLQUHDG\DQG KLVLQGHVWUXFWLEOHVKLHOGGHÀQHGWKHFKDUDFWHURI&DSWDLQ$PHULFD ,PDJH eager to vanquish the Axis powers with UHSULQWHGZLWKSHUPLVVLRQ7KH2ULJLQRI&DSWDLQ$PHULFD´7KH+HUR7KDW:DVµ VXSHULRUVWUHQJWKDQGVNLOOVJDLQHGIURP ,VVXH-DQ‹700DUYHODQGLWVVXEVLGLDULHV$OO5LJKWV5HVHUYHG an experimental “super soldier serum.”

13 14 Robinson

His weapon of choice was a shield ca- vibranium formed an indestructible al- pable of absorbing, storing, and redirect- loy that could only be reshaped by mo- LQJDOOWKHNLQHWLFHQHUJ\DQGYLEUDWLRQV lecular rearrangement. KXUOHGDWLW )LJXUH 7KHPRUHHQHUJ\ To Mathaudhu, the real hero of the it absorbed within the bonds between its &DSWDLQ $PHULFD OHJHQG LV 'U 0\URQ ´7KHVXSHUKHUR molecules, the more powerful the mate- MacLain, an American metallurgist. FRPLF³OLNHDQ\ ULDOEHFDPH7KH¿FWLRQDOHOHPHQWPDN At the urging of President Roosevelt, VFLHQFHÀFWLRQ³ ing these unique properties possible was MacLain was attempting to develop an “vibranium,” obtained from a meteorite LQGHVWUXFWLEOHWDQNDUPRUWRJLYHWKH$O LVWKHSXOVH that fell to Earth in Africa. When bonded OLHG IRUFHV DQ HGJH RQ WKH EDWWOH¿HOG RIVFLHQWLÀF ZLWKVWHHODQGDQXQNQRZQFDWDO\VWWKH SRVVLELOLWLHVµ

—Suveen N. Mathaudhu, U.S. Army Research Offi ce

While experimenting with vibranium, he nodded off and the alloy mysteriously formed while he slept. MacLain was never able to recreate WKHPDWHULDOLQKLVODEDJDLQ )LJXUH  although Mathaudhu believes he would KDYHD¿JKWLQJFKDQFHZLWKWHFKQRORJLHV from the “real world” that have eclipsed LPDJLQDWLRQ )LJXUH   ³:HKDYH FRQ trol over the atomic world that we didn’t have 20 years ago,” he said. “Through high-end microscopy tools, we can vi- sualize and manipulate the very micro- structure of a material to achieve ultra- high strength and other truly amazing characteristics. The next frontier is the ability to accurately predict how we can FUHDWH PDWHULDOV ZLWK VSHFL¿F SURSHU ties—a true materials by design capabil- ity.”  (QFRXUDJLQJ EUHDNWKURXJKV WR WKDW next frontier was the intent of Mathaud- KX¶V &DSWDLQ $PHULFD FKDOOHQJH ³7KH VXSHUKHUR FRPLF²OLNH DQ\ VFLHQFH ¿F WLRQ²LVWKHSXOVHRIVFLHQWL¿FSRVVLELOL ties,” he said. “People relate to these sto- ries and can tie them uniquely to their RZQLGHDV,RIWHQXVHH[DPSOHVOLNHWKLV in presentations as a means of inspiring the next generation of engineers—to JHWWKHPWRWKLQNGLIIHUHQWO\DERXWZKDW could be possible and then push to that )LJXUH'U0\URQ0DF/DLQUHFDOOV KLVDFFLGHQWDOV\QWKHVLVRIYLEUDQLXPDOOR\WKDWHYHQWXDOO\EHFDPH next level.” &DSWDLQ$PHULFD·VLQGHVWUXFWLEOHVKLHOG$VQRWHGE\6XYHHQ10DWKDXGKX  /LNHWKH¿FWLRQDO0DF/DLQ0DWKDXG 86$UP\5HVHDUFK2IÀFH0DF/DLQ·VTXHVWWRUHFUHDWHWKHP\VWHULRXVDOOR\ KX¶V ZRUN IRFXVHV RQ GLVFRYHULQJ PD FRXOGEHIDFLOLWDWHGWRGD\E\DQDUUD\RIDGYDQFHGFKDUDFWHUL]DWLRQVLPXODWLRQ DQGFRPSXWDWLRQDOGHVLJQWRROVHQDEOLQJWKHDELOLW\WRHQJLQHHUWKHPLFURVWUXFWXUH terials technologies that will eventually RIPDWHULDOVWRDFKLHYHDOPRVWHTXDOO\DPD]LQJSURSHUWLHV ,PDJHUHSULQWHGZLWK SURWHFW VROGLHUV LQ WKH ¿HOG ³7KURXJK SHUPLVVLRQ&DSWDLQ$PHULFD990DU‹700DUYHODQGLWVVXEVLGLDULHV RXW KLVWRU\ WKH PLOLWDU\ KDV ORRNHG IRU $OO5LJKWV5HVHUYHG ZD\V WR PDNH EHWWHU VKLHOGV²VWURQJHU The Super Materials of the Super Heroes 15

and embodied the best American ideals.” Superman, when he debuted in Action &RPLFVLQDFWXDOO\UHVHPEOHG Hercules more than the high-tech ex- )LJXUH6XYHHQ WUDWHUUHVWULDOWKDWKHLVNQRZQDVWRGD\ 10DWKDXGKX86 He could “leap tall buildings in a single $UP\5HVHDUFK 2IÀFH FHQWHU .ULV ERXQG´ EXW GLG QRW À\ DQG ZKLOH KH 'DUOLQJ86$UP\ was very strong, many of his other traits 5HVHDUFK/DERUDWRU\ had yet to emerge. “In the early stages OHIW DQGHermes in both his powers and his cos- recent concept explored in the comic +HIRXJKWZKDWKLVUHDGHUVZHUH¿JKWLQJ

)LJXUH0\WKDQGPDJLFVHUYHGDVWKHEDVLVIRU WKHHDUOLHVWVXSHUKHURHVZLWKVRPHRIWKHVHFKDUDFWHULVWLFVIDGLQJDZD\LQIDYRURIVFLHQWLÀF H[SODQDWLRQV ,PDJH$OH[5RVV-/$´7KH2ULJLQDO6HYHQµFRXUWHV\RIWKHDUWLVW683(50$1Œ ‹'&&RPLFV $OO5LJKWV5HVHUYHG'LVSOD\HGDVSDUWRI´+HURHVDQG9LOODLQV7KH&RPLF%RRN$UWRI$OH[5RVVµ 2FW²-DQ7KH$QG\:DUKRO0XVHXP3LWWVEXUJK 16 Robinson

IRONMAN: THE GREATEST MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING SUPERHERO OF ALL  ,URQPDQLVWKHDOWHUHJRRI7RQ\ IRUWKHSXUSRVHVRIFUHDWLQJDVXSHU  )URP,URQPDQ·VHDUOLHVWLQFDUQD 6WDUN D EULOOLDQW HQJLQHHU DQG H[ ZHDSRQ VXIIHULQJ D PRUWDO FKHVW LQ WLRQVKLVDUPRUFRQWDLQHGOLWWOHDF WUHPHO\ZHDOWK\LQGXVWULDOLVWZKRVH MXU\LQWKHSURFHVV$IHOORZSULVRQHU WXDO LURQ³KHDY\ GHQVH DQG SURQH VWRFNDQGWUDGHDUHWKHZHDSRQVRI DQGVFLHQWLVWVDYHG6WDUNE\GHYLVLQJD WRUXVWLWZDVQRWDVXLWDEOHPDWH ZDU )LJXUH $  0DQ\ RI WKH SORW PDJQHWLFFKHVWSODWHWRNHHSVKUDSQHO ULDOIRUKLVVXSHUKHURH[SORLWV2YHU OLQHVLQWKH,URQPDQFRPLFVH[SORUH IURPHQWHULQJKLVKHDUW7KHWZRWKHQ WKH\HDUV6WDUNKDVGDEEOHGZLWK WKH UROH DQG LVVXHV RI WHFKQRORJ\ VHWWRZRUNLQDSULPLWLYHZRUNVKRSWR YDULRXVWLWDQLXPDOOR\VFDUERQÀEHU UHODWHG WR QDWLRQDO GHIHQVH ÀUVW design and construct a futuristic suit DQG QDQRWHFKQRORJ\ IRU KLV DUPRU ZLWKLQWKHFRQWH[WRIWKH&ROG:DU RIDUPRUSRZHUHGWRÁ\DVZHOODVGH 7KHGHVLJQRIWKHDUPRUKDVHYROYHG ZKHQ,URQPDQEDWWOHGKLVDUFKIRH SOR\DQDUVHQDORIVRSKLVWLFDWHGZHDS DVZHOOIURPD´FKDLQPDLOµDSSURDFK 7LWDQLXP0DQ )LJXUH% DQGPRUH RQV6WDUNZDVXOWLPDWHO\DEOHWRXVH and transistor embedded motors to UHFHQWO\DJDLQVWWHUURULVP WKHVXLWWRHVFDSHDQGVLQFHWKHQKDV DLGLQKLVPRYHPHQW )LJXUHV&DQG  6WDUN ZDV FRPSHOOHG WR FUHDWH FRQVWDQWO\ XSJUDGHG LW WR PDWFK WKH ' WR´EOHHGLQJHGJHµDUPRUVWRUHG ,URQPDQ ZKHQ KH ZDV NLGQDSSHG WHFKQRORJLFDOZLWVRIKLVRSSRQHQWV HQWLUHO\LQKLVERQHV )LJXUH( 

)LJXUH&UHSULQWHG ZLWKSHUPLVVLRQ 7DOHVWR$VWRQLVK9 10D\‹70 0DUYHODQGLWVVXE VLGLDULHV$OO5LJKWV 5HVHUYHG )LJXUH$5HSULQWHGZLWKSHUPLVVLRQ7DOHVRI 6XVSHQVH91$SU‹700DUYHODQGLWV VXEVLGLDULHV$OO5LJKWV5HVHUYHG

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)LJXUH%5HSULQWHGZLWKSHUPLVVLRQ7DOHVRI 6XVSHQVH916HSW‹700DUYHODQGLWV )LJXUH(5HSULQWHGZLWKSHUPLVVLRQ,QYLQFLEOH,URQ0DQ91 VXEVLGLDULHV$OO5LJKWV5HVHUYHG 1RY‹700DUYHODQGLWVVXEVLGLDULHV$OO5LJKWV5HVHUYHG The Super Materials of the Super Heroes 17

)LJXUH,QWKH0DUYHO FRPLFVXQLYHUVHWKH adamantium bonded to WKH:ROYHULQHFKDUDF WHU·VERQHVLVDFWXDOO\D IDLOHGDWWHPSWWRUHFUH ´+HKDVVFLHQWLÀF DWHWKHYLEUDQLXPDOOR\ ZHDSRQV,QHYHU LQ&DSWDLQ$PHULFD·V VKLHOG/LNHPDQ\FRPLF GUHDPHGH[LVWHGµ PDWHULDOVLWH[KLELWV SHFXOLDUSURSHUWLHV PRVWQRWDEO\VHWWLQJDV DSHUPDQHQWPROHFXODU structure eight minutes DIWHUEHLQJFDVW ,PDJH UHSULQWHGZLWKSHU PLVVLRQ7KH8QFDQQ\ —Titanium Man ;0HQ911RY ‹700DUYHODQGLWV VXEVLGLDULHV$OO5LJKWV He and his crew were accidently bom- 5HVHUYHG barded with “cosmic rays,” giving them DOOVXSHUSRZHUVEXWKRUULEO\GLV¿JXULQJ tume. Sub-Mariner protected the under-  ,QUHÀHFWLQJWKHGRXEOHHGJHGVZRUG the pilot, Ben Grimm. “Most of the Mar- VHD NLQJGRP RI $WODQWLV DQG :RQGHU WKDWZDVVFLHQWL¿FSURJUHVVQHZFRPLF vel characters in this new era of com- Woman was born of the mythical race FKDUDFWHUVZHUHGHYHORSHGDVÀDZHGLQ ics started out as scientists—and they of Amazonian women to battle evil with dividuals wrestling with a multitude of weren’t the stereotypical ‘mad genius- her Lasso of Truth—an interesting char- demons, many of them brought on by es,’” Wise said. “Reed Richards was the acteristic, considering that her creator, VFLHQWL¿FKXEULVRUIROO\0DUYHO&RPLFV smartest man in the world and used his William Moulton Marston, also invented is credited with introducing this contem- VFLHQFHIRUJRRG%XWWKHUHZDVDGDUN the polygraph. porary breed of superhero when Reed side to his story, as well. He symbolized That approach changed with the out- Richards, the brilliant, but arrogant, the overall mood of the country toward EUHDNRI:RUOG:DU,,DQGWKHULVHRID leader of the Fantastic Four, launched science.” PXFK PRUH WHFKQRORJLFDOO\ SUR¿FLHQW KLVVWROHQURFNHWVKLSLQWRVSDFHLQ  2OGHU FKDUDFWHUV ZHUH OLNHZLVH XS threat than the street criminals typically vanquished in the comic pages. Super- KHURHVOLNH&DSWDLQ$PHULFDZHUHWKHQ FUHDWHGRUPRGL¿HGWRUHÀHFWWKHLPSRU tance of technology to the war effort. The years following World War II were quiet ones for superheroes, noted Wise. A few of the most popular ones remained, conquering crime bosses and landlords once more, while the rest faded DZD\IRUODFNRIWUXO\WHUULI\LQJYLOODLQV 7KH &RPLF &RGH RI  DOVR SODFHG VLJQL¿FDQWUHVWULFWLRQVRQWKHZRUGVLP ages, and relationships that could be por- trayed, while also feeding the perception WKDW FRPLFV ZHUH GDQJHURXV LQÀXHQFHV on the nation’s impressionable youth. An emerging anxiety, however, was SULFNLQJDWWKH$PHULFDQVXEFRQVFLRXV offering a new, albeit faceless, enemy IRUWKHVXSHUKHURHVWR¿JKW³7KHSURJ )LJXUH-LP .DNDOLRVH[DPLQHV UHVV RI WKH V ZDV SURPRWHG XQGHU ZKHUHFRPLFV´JRWLW the shadow of the atomic bomb,” said ULJKWµLQWHUPVRIWKH Wise. “Americans embraced technology VFLHQFHXQGHUSLQQLQJ WKHLUXQLYHUVHVLQKLV DVDZD\WRPDNHOLIHEHWWHUEXWLWFRXOG 7KH3K\VLFVRI6XSHU also be the means of wiping us out. The +HURHV and its superheroes and their villains that came IROORZXS7KH $PD]LQJ6WRU\RI up through this time were metaphors for 4XDQWXP0HFKDQLFV WKDWFRQÀLFW´ 18 Robinson

8QLYHUVLW\ RI 0LQQHVRWD .DNDOLRV ¿UVW but when he pulls her up, realizes that started examining the science behind she has died. He blames the Green Gob- WKH VXSHUKHURHV DV D PHDQV RI PDNLQJ lin for her death, and Green Goblin glee- ´3ODXVLEOH his freshman physics seminar fun and IXOO\WDXQWVKLPLQNLQG%XW.DNDOLRV science makes the relevant for non-physics majors. “I grant applying the laws of physics, proved and VWRU\OLQHVWURQJHU each character that I use as an example published that the sudden stop caused and more engaging. a ‘miracle exemption’ from the laws of by Spider-Man’s webbing snapped her nature,” he said. “We assume, for in- QHFNNLOOLQJKHULQVWHDGRIWKHSXUSRUWHG ,WFUHDWHVWKH stance, that it is possible to catch bullets ³VKRFNRIWKHIDOO´Thor )LJXUH DQGWKHXSFRP- com/watch?v=zmj1rpzDRZ0  ³, FRXOG a small army of scientist volunteers, the ing Avengers among its projects, much JLYHWKHVDPHWDONRQTXDQWXPPHFKDQ- ([FKDQJH ¿HOGV UHTXHVWV IURP ZULWHUV RI WKH RUJDQL]DWLRQ¶V ZRUN IRFXVHV RQ ics in a lecture hall for several centuries, producers, and directors for insights on helping shape ideas, concepts, and uni- and still not reach that many people,” he how science can accurately and appropri- YHUVHVWKDWPD\EH\HDUVLQWKHPDNLQJ said. “The interest in comics and their ately inform their creations. The consults ³:HNQRZWKDWRIVFULSWVPD\QHYHU ¿OPVLVDSRZHUIXOSODWIRUPWRWDONDERXW DUHJHQHUDOO\IUHHUDQJLQJIURPDTXLFN PDNH LW WR WKH VFUHHQ´ VDLG 3HUUHDXOW science to a broader audience.” IDFWFKHFNWRDQH[WHQGHGEULH¿QJ7KH ³%XW ZH QHHG WR EH DYDLODEOH WR WKH  “There are a real desire and a real Exchange also regularly arranges invited VRWKDWZHFDQHQVXUHWKDWWKHWKDWXOWL- need for science outreach,” he continued. information sessions where creative peo- PDWHO\GRHVJHWSURGXFHGLVVFLHQWL¿FDOO\ “Part of the problem that we, as scien- SOH FDQ OHDUQ DERXW WKH ODWHVW VFLHQWL¿F accurate. By helping portray science in tists, have had historically in communi- EUHDNWKURXJKVIURPWKHH[SHUWVZKRDUH a great manner, our intent is to inspire a cating with the general public is that we researching them. (See the sidebar: Get curiosity about it that will help produce explain things in such a stilted manner Out of the Audience: Be a Science and the next generation of scientists and en- and with so many provisions—We come (QWHUWDLQPHQW([FKDQJH9ROXQWHHU gineers.” off as pedantic and inaccessible. I be- “What we have found is that the sci- Mathaudhu agrees, both from his per- lieve that, generally, the public is on our ence is much further ahead of what en- sonal experience as a comic fan and in his side. People are not anti-intellectual, but tertainers usually envision. The creative DWWHPSWVWRLQVSLUHQHZWKLQNLQJWKURXJK WKH\DUHDQWLVQREEHU\&RPLFVDQGRWKHU people who attend these sessions come comic mythology, that the colorful tales popular culture give us the opportunity to away inspired and excited to use these of good and evil are powerful tools for WDONDERXWVFLHQFHLQDQRSHQDQGDFFHV- FXWWLQJ HGJH LGHDV LQ WKHLU ZRUN´ VDLG shaping perception of what can be scien- VLEOHZD\²&KDQFHVDUHWKDWSHRSOHZLOO Loverd, Exchange director of develop- WL¿FDOO\SRVVLEOH³(YHQWKHVXSHUKHURHV relate to and remember concepts present- ment. “Many in the entertainment indus- born with powers have the technical acu- ed through these stories. That’s impor- try feel an imperative to ‘get the science men to augment them,” he said. “The fo- tant because, as citizens and voters, we ULJKW¶´KHVDLG³7KH\NQRZWKDWDOPRVW cus in most superhero comic stories is a are being called upon more and more to everyone in the audience now has a su- problem or puzzle that requires science PDNH LQIRUPHG RSLQLRQV DERXW WHFKQRO- SHUFRPSXWHU LQ WKHLU SRFNHWV$XGLHQF- to resolve. The hero is always the person ogy issues. This is an effective way of es are more savvy to science than they ZKRFDQ¿JXUHLWRXWDQGFUHDWHWKHWHFK- arming people with a basic understand- were in the past, and more questioning nology that saves the day.” LQJRIVFLHQWL¿FSULQFLSOHVDQGLVVXHVVR of some of the ideas. If what they see on “And, doesn’t everyone want to be a WKDWWKH\FDQPDNHWKRVHGHFLVLRQV´ the screen doesn’t mesh with information superhero, when you come down to it?” WKDWWKH\KDYHDFFHVVWRRQOLQHLWWDNHV KEEPING THE SCIENCE WKHPRXWRIWKHVWRU\²,IWKH\DUHWKLQN- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS HONEST—AND FUN LQJDERXWZK\WKHVFLHQFHGRHVQ¶WPDNH JOM extends a special thanks to Su- According to Marty Perreault and VHQVH WKHQ WKH\ DUH QRW WKLQNLQJ DERXW veen Mathaudhu for sharing his knowl- 5LFN /RYHUG RI WKH 1DWLRQDO $FDGHP\ the characters. edge, enthusiasm, and support in devel- RI 6FLHQFHV¶ 1$6  6FLHQFH DQG (QWHU- “That’s not to say that everything in oping this article, as well as researching tainment Exchange, many of the creators a movie needs to be deadly accurate,” and obtaining the many Marvel images RI¿FWLRQDOXQLYHUVHVWDNHWKLVUHVSRQVL- Loverd said. “The story will always that illustrate the piece. bility for accurately portraying science trump the science, but plausible science Lynne Robinson is a news and feature writer for TMS.