Cell-Stimulator

This technology was developed by US government scientists at the Oceanographic Research Center,^[1] an underwater research laboratory, off the Maryland coast.^[2] Doctor Doom theorized that American scientists had made the discovery underlying this technology by accident, without really understanding the fundamental principles behind it (although Doom himself couldn't figure out this mystery either without accessing the finished machine).^[1]

Newly designed,^[2] the development had been discovered anyway by the intelligence services of other powers, including the Soviet Union and the Atlantean Empire.^[3] Atlantean Warlord Attuma, would-be world conqueror, planned to steal the device to make structural alterations to the chloro-beam and use it as a weapon,^[2] though their plan was also discovered by Soviet intelligence (The Russians, however, did not take action to stop Attuma).^[3] Fearing intervention from their nemesis personal Namor the Sub-Mariner, Attuma intended to capture him before launching his plan; and, as he also wanted to keep his involvement a secret for as long as possible, Attuma chose not to send his super-strong henchman Tyrak after Namor, since Namor would have recognized Tyrak as Attuma's minion.^[1] Instead, and following a plan he had long been preparing,^[4] Attuma sent Tyrak to capture the Avengers, whose minds he controlled using Slave-Collars (except for Avenger Beast, who escaped and gathered reinforcements in the form of Whizzer and Wonder Man), and then Attuma sent the Avengers to Hydrobase, where he expected the Sub-Mariner to be; but instead of finding the Sub-Mariner, the Avengers found Doctor Doom, who defeated and captured them.^[5][4] Meanwhile, Sub-Mariner accidentally found Soviet military, who informed him of Attuma's plan to steal a weapon at a Maryland research facility, prompting him to go there to confront Attuma.^[3]

Believing that the Sub-Mariner was not a threat for his plan, Attuma and his troops (including Lord Arno) raided the Research Center. Divers were testing the device on the field and, seeing the attackers, they tried to protect themselves in their base, but the Atlanteans broke in. The Beast, the Whizzer and Wonder Man tried to defend the Research Center; but then the Sub-Mariner arrived.^[2] Cunningly, Attuma convinced the Sub-Mariner that the three superheroes were really Attuma's allies, so that the Sub-Mariner would fight the heroes, and meanwhile Attuma stole the device. The Sub-Mariner was defeated,^[2][4] and the Beast sneaked into Attuma's command ship Squid when he escaped^[2][1] and beaconed his allies to Attuma's position - but was soon captured. Attuma travelled to his own underwater citadel^[1] where he planned to modify the technology for its own purposes,^[2] namely to give superhuman strength and endurance along with size-shifting capacities.^[1]

One of the Avengers, Vision, convinced Doctor Doom to ally with the Avengers against Attuma, arguing that Attuma was a threat to all, including Doom.^[1][4] Doom released the Avengers from both his own bindings and Attuma's slave-collars, and tracked Attuma to his underwater base; at the same time, the Sub-Mariner had also reached Attuma's headquarters. However, by that point, Attuma had already modified the cell-stimulator and used it to increase Tyrak's power. Tyrak, while being bombed by the machine's rays, defeated the Sub-Mariner.^[1] However, Tyrak and Attuma failed to defeat the Avengers, who arrived soon after with Doctor Doom. After the battle, Doom escaped with the Cell-stimulator to the Hydrobase, intending to reverse-engineer the machine. The Avengers tracked him there and, while most of the heroes confronted him to keep him busy, the Vision destroyed the cell-stimulator. Enraged, Doom left the Hydrobase, swearing that he would live to see Vision dismantled for this affront.^[1][4]

• Theoretically, the Oceanographic Research Center should be able to build another cell-stimulator after the destruction of the first unit; but the story seems to assume that they didn't - Apparently the Avengers convinced them that the cell-stimulator had a great potential to be used as a weapon in the wrong hands, and the Research Center discarded the whole project.
• When the Vision destroyed the cell-stimulator, Doom swore to see the Vision destroyed ("That will cost you your inhuman existence, android! Doom will live to see you uncreated!"). Domains of Doom speculates that Vision's dismantling in West Coast Avengers (Vol. 2) #42-45, arranged by several of the world's governments, may have been due to a directive coming from Latveria's government.