Advanced Idea Mechanics

Advanced Idea Mechanics, better known by its acronym A.I.M., was originally a scientific research and development agency founded by Aldrich Killian and Maya Hansen, and funded by the United States government.

AIM developed the Extremis serum, intended to help with with serious muscular and skeletal disabilities recover. However, the serum was highly unstable, and caused spontaneous human combustion in many subjects.

In order to cover up the horrifying results of the serum, Killian created a fictional terrorist, The Mandarin, to take credit for the deaths. He even went so far as to begin looking for an actor to play the Mandarin, intending to create videos in the style of Al-Queida or ISIS propoganda. Before he could complete this stage of the plan, he was arrest by S.H.I.E.L.D on the advice of Tony Stark, and AIM fell into Hansen's hands.

Under Hansen, the organisation expanded its remit, but without funding, and with their name tarnished by association with Killian, they were not able to make a profit legally. Hansen converted the organisation to a purely criminal one, creating black-market weapons, especially biological weapons.

During a robbery of a Stark Industries site in New York City, AIM stole the prototype Ultron. They activated it, but unknowingly also activated its partially complete Artifial Intelligence. Ultron turned on them, killing most of the AIM scientists and forcing the survivors to begin fabricating the first Ultron Drones.

The Avengers were able to track Ultron to AIM's HQ, where they took Hansen into custody. While in prison, she agreed to sell the remains of AIM to Stark, who repurposed the organisation into Avengers Idea Mechanics.

After Hansen's escape from prison, she reformed AIM, and they are believed to currently be one of the world's most successful arms dealers. AIM have clashed with a number of heroes, including Lunella Lafayette and Ka-Zar in the Savage Land, the Thunderbolts, and Riri Williams.