The 1990s Iron Man cartoon was a rather... divisive take on the Armored Avenger. Known for the particularly poor quality of its first season, it was filtered with poor storytelling and sometimes laughable early attempts at CGI. Ironic given Iron Man's current mainstream status, the series gave an unflattering look at both its title hero and the cadre of cartoony villains that he fought. One such foe was the maniacal M.O.D.O.K., who is typically seen as being rather ridiculous even in the comics.
Despite his less than threatening appearance and equally as ridiculous voice, M.O.D.O.K. was the ultimate thorn in the Mandarin's side at a few pivotal points throughout the series. From protecting a lost love to saving his own miserable existence, M.O.D.O.K.'s greatest moments involved betraying Iron Man's arch nemesis.
The sixth episode of the show's horrid first season features one of several of the Mandarin's inane plots, with the green-skinned goon this time wanting to commandeer one of Tony Stark's advanced boats. To intercept the craft, as well as James Rhodes and Scarlet Witch inside, he has his minions attack a beach where a photoshoot is taking place. Turning the director into stone, the villains capture the supermodel and use her and another person as hostages.
M.O.D.O.K. realizes that this supermodel is none other than his former wife. Before he became M.O.D.O.K., he was a normal human scientist who was unwittingly transformed into the mechanical monstrosity as revenge. Thus, he was forced to join the Mandarin, as he was the only one capable of turning him back. Not wanting his wife to become harmed, he leaves the Mandarin and warns Iron Man of what's to happen, with the condition being that Iron Man will save the hostages.
This origin is different from M.O.D.O.K.'s origin in the comics, and ironically makes him one of the only tragic, in-depth villains in the series. It's worth noting, however, that the first season's episodic nature, and the second season essentially ignoring much of its predecessor, meant that this development for M.O.D.O.K. didn't amount to much down the road.
M.O.D.O.K.'s next betrayal would be in his final appearance, which was also the series finale as a whole. The two-part finale "Hands of the Mandarin" had the Mandarin, having regained the power of his alien rings, unleashing a reign of terror against the world's technology. In exchange for supposedly freeing the world of technology's grip, he asks only that those in power hand over such power to him.
The Mandarin's own base of operations is outfitted with an anti-technology field, rendering even the most advanced of machines inert. This includes the Mandarin's own lackey M.O.D.O.K., who is forced to wheel himself around to move with his rocket-powered jetpack rendered useless. M.O.D.O.K. attempts to apprehend an escaping Iron Man and War Machine, but they quickly point out how he's in even worse shape than either of them are.
M.O.D.O.K. allows them to escape, having been promised to be restored to full power when Iron Man inevitably defeated him. When power is finally brought back, M.O.D.O.K. strangely enough showcases that he was loyal to the end to the Mandarin. With the powerless Mandarin captured by mountain bandits before having his hands cut off, it's unknown what happened to his loyal, yet backstabbing associate.
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