Metlar

Metlar is the leader of the Inhumanoids and a main villain of the cartoon series, Inhumanoids.

Past
Millennia ago, Metlar was the slave of Sslither, who ruled over Inhumanoids and humans alike and was forced to build numerous structures in honor of his master. However one day, Metlar overthrew Sslither by covering in lava that imprisoned him when it hardened into unbreakable rock. After placing him in one of the temples he’d built, Metlar became the Inhumanoids’ new leader. He led them against the Mutores in a war that ravaged the planet, but eventually Metlar was defeated and trapped in the city of the Granites via the magnetic field of Magnokor.

The Evil That Lies Within
But after Tendril and D'Compose were released, they set out to free Metlar as well. They attacked Granite City and managed to fight their way through the Granites, reaching the area where Crygen and Pyre, the two halves of Magnokor, kept Metlar imprisoned. He told the two that if they released him, he’d spare their lives and though Pyre told him not a chance, Crygen argued they could capture him another day. The two combined into Magnokor and Metlar took him prisoner, handing him over to Tendril and commanding him to bring the lava monster to his lair. As the Granites retreated, Earth Core fired their weapons at Metlar, but it did nothing against him. He redirected their laser fire back at one of their vehicles and used the grappling hook of their other one to swing it into a wall, wrecking it as well. Metlar then flung a lava blast at their last vehicle destroying it and managed to get Herc Armstrong, Derek Bright, and Sandra Shore in his grasp. He said they should be quite a delicacy, but before he could eat them, Jonathan “Liquidator” Slattery, sprayed him in the face. Metlar threw Herc, Derek, and Sandra away and went after Liquidator, but the hover vehicle he was riding kept him out of the Inhumanoid’s grasp. While Metlar was distracted, Eddie “Auger” Auguter threw an explosive, which the monster stepped on, making him fall on his back. He yelled at the other Inhumanoids to get him off his back and after they did so, they and Metlar pursued the retreating Earth Core. As they continued to chase the humans, Metlar remarked he’d never seen creatures like them before. D’Compose explained their metal outsides were only a shell and inside were “flesh-slugs” (the Inhumanoids and Mutores name for humans). Metlar then commanded Tendril to hunt down the Earth Core but Blackthorne Shore showed up and used magnetic waves from his armor suit to immobilize the fire monster. Blackthorne declared that he was Metlar’s master, planning to use the Inhumanoids to take over the world, when Earth Core showed up. Metlar had Tendril catch Blackthorne off guard and break the magnetic hold. After Blackthrone and Earth Core retreated, Metlar noted that the humans fought amongst themselves. He then had Tendril steal a bunch of statues of Civil War soldiers to bolster his army of statues. After Auger and Liquidator entered Infernac, Metlar’s kingdom, Metlar appeared to attack them. He smashed open a volcano, unleashing a wave of lava on the two and declared this would mark the end of their world and the beginning of his. When Liquidator managed to save himself and Auger, Metlar noted that they showed unusual courage for humans and in a way he’d be sorry to see their kind obliterated. After Tendril failed to acquire the human’s primal energy, which Metlar sent him to get, the fire monster scolded him for doing so as he animated his statue army. He then commanded D’Compose to succeed where Tendril failed and reminded him that failure wasn’t a word he understood. D’Compose succeeded and Auger and Liquidator found their way to the Earth’s elemental core, where they discovered the imprisoned Magnokor. But before they could free him, Metlar showed up and grabbed the pair, saying their will to survive was unique amongst lower animals. Liquidator agreed, saying they would make fascinating study subjects, but Metlar laughed and said maybe in another time. He then prepared to finish off Auger and Liquidator, but Blackthorne showed up again, immobilizing Metlar with his magnetic waves. He commanded Auger and Liquidator to pledge their allegiance to him or he’d make Metlar finish them off. However Magnokor used the magnetic waves to break free and though Blackthorne was able to hold him back with the magnetic waves, this freed Metlar. He told the human to choose his demise since he couldn’t hold them both back and while Magnokor escaped with Auger and Liquidator, Metlar nabbed Blackthrone. He tried to use his suit’s magnetic powers again, but it had been damaged and didn’t fucntion and Metlar laughed, asking Blackthorne where he would go even if he got away. D’Compose and Tendril arrived and D’Compose presented the electrical generator he’d stolen, before Metlar introduced them to Blackthorne. He then made the human tell him about nuclear weapons and Metlar and the other Inhumanoids attacked a Soviet air base to steal a number of nuclear missiles. They retreated back down into the Earth and Metlar had Blackthorne lure Earth Core and the Mutores into a trap to blow them up. Believing they were destroyed, Metlar prepared to blow up Earth’s elemental core and ordered his army to safety. He commanded D’Compose and Tendril to guard the entrance to Infernac and D’Compose asked how they were to survive. Metlar just snarled at the undead monster if he questioned him and commanded everyone to get to their positions. However Earth Core got D’Compose and Tendril to let them into Infernac by convincing them Metlar’s plan would destroy them. Earth Core managed to disable half of the missiles, which prevented the elemental core’s destruction. Metlar angrily attacked them along with his statue army. While his statues fought Earth Core, Metlar angrily reprimanded D’Compsoe and Tendril for their betrayal, angrily asking if they feared death more than him. He commanded them to get Earth Core, but the two ended up imprisoned once again by the Mutores. Pyre and Crygen managed to trap Meltar again with their magnetic powers, despite Blackthrone’s attempt at interference.

Cypheroid
However the A.I. program, Cypher, joined forces with Tendril (who’d regenerated from a sample of Tendril Earth Core possessed) and went to Granite City to join forces with Metlar. Pyre and Crygen refused to free him no matter what, but Cypher blasted Crygen away, releasing Metlar and the two left as part of a deal Cypher made with the Granites. As they walked, the fire monster asked the A.I. program why it had freed him and Cypher explained it had a plan to make them the most powerful beings on Earth. Cypher went on to say it had heard impressive things about Metlar and found him to be a most fitting ally. However the Inhumanoid snarled that he was amazed at Cypher’s arrogance and stupidity for thinking it could be his equal and threw it into a wall. Metlar was then led by Cypher to Earth Core and tried to eat Herc, but Blackthrone showed up, immobilizing Metlar with magnetic waves as part of a deal he made with Cypher. After Cypher was destroyed by Liquidator, Metlar was released when Tendril showed up and knocked Blackthorne away, allowing the fire monster to chase him.

The Surma Plan
Blackthorne eventually escaped Metlar by crossing a chasm that his pursuer couldn’t get over. The fire monster told him not to gloat over his victory and as Blackthrone ran away, yelled that he should savor his life now. Meanwhile the Soviet Union initiated a plan to flood Infernac and the Earth’s elemental core in order to remove the threat of Metlar. However this would destroy the planet and Earth Core was unable to stop them, so they asked Pyre and Crygen (who’d recaptured Metlar) to free the Inhumanoids, deciding he was the only one who could stop them. They refused to let him go and Earth Core blasted the pair, releasing Metlar and he commented that war made strange bedfellows. He went to attack the Soviet forces after they had just blown up the gates of Infernac and released the water to flood it. After driving them away, Metlar began using rocks to block the entrance of Infernac, telling Earth Core to help him. After blocking the entrance, Metlar began placing lava on the barricade to seal it, but double-crossed Earth Core and dropped lava on them, sealing them as well. However one of the Soviets, Anatoly Kiev, who’d turned against the Soviet Union, threatened to blow up the barricade with a tank if he didn’t free Earth Core. Metlar placed them on high ground, out of harm’s way, then climbed to safety himself as the water approached. Magnokor helped Anatoly to safety with his magnetic powers, but Metlar slipped away before he could be re-imprisoned.

Negative Polarity
Kiev, who’d received an armor suit from Earth Core and had been nicknamed “Tank”, teamed up with Pyre and Crygen to defeat Metlar. They used galvacite to increase their powers and attacked Metlar in his throne room in Infernac, but he managed to escape. The fire monster returned with his statue army and took on Pyre and Crygen, but they generated an extremely powerful magnetic field. However they lost control of it, reversing their polarities and turning Pyre and Crygen evil, while Metlar became evil. He fled and found his way to the Granites’ city, asking to see Granok, despite the Granites attacking him. Metlar managed to find Granok and apologized for tricking him into setting him free, which led to him being exiled by his own people. He went to Earth Core next as the Van Allen Belt was pulled to Earth due to the polarity reversal, saying he came in peace. Metlar explained what had happened and for now, they were allies, before he headed back into Earth, saying he’d meet them at Infernac. After Earth Core reformed the galvacite and everything was returned to normal, Metlar returned with his statue warriors and reclaimed his kingdom.

The Evil Eye
Tendril informed Metlar that Blackthorne and Nightcrawler had unleashed the monster Gagoyle, much to Metlar’s rage. He said the Gagoyle was much too dangerous and he would not allow them to use it. Nightcrawler, with D’Compose on his side, brought Gagoyle to Infernac and after the cyclopean monster defeated his statue guards, Metlar came out to deal with them. Nightcrawler said there was no need for hostility and they could all be allies, but Metlar just angrily attacked Gagoyle and grappled with the creature. After Auger, who’d been swallowed by Gagoyle earlier, broke out of the cyclopean monster’s stomach, Metlar knocked it into a chasm, presumably to its demise. Metlar asked what the rest of them had to say and when D’Compose couldn’t think of what to say, Tendril laughed, but this earned him a slug to the face from Metlar.

Primal Passions
Metlar asked D’Compose how he should punish his treachery, but Tendril and D’Compose managed to get mercy from their leader. He revealed he had a plan to get rid of the Earth Core, but if the two failed to implement it, he would give them a punishment that would make an acid bath look like a massage. Metlar got the Langastoids to pretend Tendril had attacked their city to draw the Earth Core into an ambush. He managed to imprison them in a cage of bone and the Langastoids came up to demand their reward. Metlar replied they were lucky he and the Inhumanoids didn’t destroy their city, but had D’Compose give them their reward of junk food from the surface. However Liquidator sprayed Metlar and the other Inhumanoids with a new formula, but due to a miscalculation, it caused them to fall in love. Metlar left and headed to New York, where he stole the Statue of Liberty, it having becoming the object of his affections. He brought it back to Infernac and called his statue army before him to introduce them to his “fiancé”. Metlar proceeded to animate the statue, but the minute he did, the Statue of Liberty started complaining and nagging at him about everything.

The Masterson Team
Despite his affection for the statue, her carping was starting to wear down Metlar’s patience. Later on, his statue warriors were defeated by the beast man warriors of Sslither (who’d been freed by Blackthorne) trying to ambush the Masterson Team, who’d headed into the Earth to retrieve the Statue of Liberty. The statue started nagging at him something fierce, saying he couldn’t do anything right and Metlar stormed off to find someone to pound on. He appeared as Earth Core and the Granites fought Sslither and his forces and threw a lava blast at Blackthorne. Metlar proceeded to engage Sslither, saying he’d never again be the snake monster’s slave. Eventually, he threw his former master into a wall and said the next time they met would be the last, before throwing a lava blast that caused a pile of rubble to fall on Sslither. Metlar left and returned the Statue of Liberty, having apparently lost his patience and his affection for her.

Auger… For President?
After Senator Masterson’s campaign for presidency started to go badly, Metlar showed up at his house with Blackthorne, Tendril, and D’Compose. He said he wanted to help Masterson’s campaign and not to worry, since it would be an “underground campaign”. Metlar attacked one of Masterson’s opponent while he was in his plane and D’Compose told the other to resign or else. However their tactics failed them when Auger actually won and became the new president. Tendrol kidnapped him and Metlar announced to the humans that he wanted their world and commanded Earth Core, the humans, and the Mutores to come face them. Metlar and the other Inhumanoids began readying their forces and Metlar told Auger he should count himself lucky, as he would not live to see the destruction of his friends. Eventually Earth Core, the army, and the Mutores arrived and D’Compose’s undead army, Meltar’s statue warriors, Tendril, and the Langastoids engaged them. After their forces were beaten, Metlar himself came out to fight, assaulting his enemies with lava blasts. But Magnokor immobilized him with magnetic waves and took control of Metlar, Pyre, and Crygen with the magnetic waves from his suit, sending them against Earth Core. However Tank appeared and made Blackthorne release Metlar and the two halves of Magnokor. The Inhumanoid told Earth Core to abandon hope, as Auger was about to be launched into the Earth’s elemental core. But Brad Armbruster, who’d also received an armor suit from Earth Core and been dubbed “Sabre Jet”, showed up and saved Auger just in time. Metlar then slipped away, along with the other Inhumanoids.

Powers
Metlar has enormous strength and durability, thanks to his enormous size, and has a number of fire based powers. He can pulls balls of lava out of his mouth that he throws, breath fire, and on one occasion, blow hot steam out of his ears in anger. Metlar is not bothered at all by being in lava or high temperatures and apparently has a hypnotic gaze that renders his enemies docile. He also commands an army of statue warriors that he animates with lava from his lair in the Earth’s elemental core. However Metlar has a weakness to magnetic waves, which render him immobile. According to an Inhumanoids storybook and the bio of his action figure, he also has an aversion to water

Trivia

 * Metlar’s voice actor was Ed Gilbert, the voice of Blitzwing from Transformers.