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Dagoth is a demon who clashes with Doctor Strange in the comics.
Dakimh is described as a wise but eccentric wizard that lived in pre-cataclysmic Atlantis, and who was the pupil of the sorceress Zhered-Na, who was banished from Atlantis by King Kamuu for prophesying that the continent would sink below the ocean. After starting a cult, Zhered-Na takes her favored disciple Dakimh and greatly extends his life span so that he ages at an extremely slow rate. While Zhered-Na perishes, Dakimh survives the cataclysm that sinks Atlantis and escapes, continuing to live for centuries and maintaining the teachings of his mentor as her only surviving disciple.
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Dansen Macabre is an exotic dancer and a devoted worshipper of the God Shiva. She first appeared in Marvel Team-Up #93 (May 1980).[1] She uses her powers to hypnotize Spider-Man into battling the Shroud in an attempt to kill both of them. The pair manage to overcome her dances and defeat her.[2] She briefly appears later as a captive of Locksmith, and is saved by Spider-Woman.[3] Eventually, the Shroud invites her to join the supervillain team Night Shift, which she accepts, later becoming co-leader of the group.[4] She serves in several missions, mainly facing the Avengers. She takes some time out to work with Superia and the Femizons as they battle Captain America.[5]
Dansen and the rest of Night Shift are hired by Snapdragon to kill Moon Knight on behalf of Count Nefaria who is operating as the Kingpin of Los Angeles. When they fail and are bailed out of prison by Snapdragon's lawyer, Count Nefaria reduces Dansen, Digger, Needle, Tatterdemalion, Tick Tock, and Misfit to ashes.[6]
During the "Spider-Geddon" storyline, Dansen and Digger turn up alive as they, Brothers Grimm, Skein, and new member Waxman rob a bus of people, only to be thwarted by Superior Octopus due to his goggles tuning out Dansen's hypnotism. Superior Octopus agrees to spare them more pain in exchange for the Night Shift becoming his paid agents. They agree to his terms and are ordered to return the stolen items. Superior Octopus leaves advising them never to cross him or they will not live long enough to regret it.[7]
Dansen has the mystical ability to hypnotize or kill anyone who witnesses her dancing. She can also make herself undetectable to the human senses.
Dar-Benn is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by Ron Marz and Ron Lim, first appeared in Silver Surfer vol. 3 #53 (June 1991). He was a male Pink Kree General who used a robot of the Silver Surfer to execute Clumsy Foulup and General Dwi-Zann during the Infinity Gauntlet. He was killed by Deathbird during the Kree-Shi'ar war.[8][9]
Randall Darby | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | Captain America Annual #4 (1977) |
Created by | Jack Kirby |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Randall Darby |
Species | Human mutant |
Team affiliations | Brotherhood of Mutants Mutant Force Secret Empire Resistants |
Notable aliases | Shocker, Paralyzer |
Abilities | Bio-EM generation / manipulation |
Paralyzer (Randall Darby), also known as the second Shocker, is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history of Randall Darby
Shocker II, created by Jack Kirby, first appeared in Captain America Annual #4 (1977). The character subsequently appears in The Defenders #78–80 (Dec 1979 – Feb 1980), 83 (May 1980), 87 (Sep 1980), 125–126 (Nov–Dec 1983), and 128–130 (Feb–Apr 1984). The character appears as Paralyzer in Captain America #343 (Jul 1988), 346 (Oct 1988), 368 (Mar 1990), 394 (Nov 1991), Midnight Sons Unlimited #3 (Oct 1993), and Captain America #426 (Apr 1994). The character returns to his Shocker identity, appearing in The New Warriors vol. 2 #6 (Mar 2000), X-Men #132 (Nov 2002), The Uncanny X-Men #442–443 (June 2004), Excalibur vol. 3 #2 (Aug 2004), and The New Avengers #16–19 (Apr–Jul 2006).
Shocker II appears as part of the "Mutant Force" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #9.
Fictional character biography of Randall Darby
Randall Darby is discovered and recruited by Magneto to become a member of his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, taking the code-name Shocker.[10] After being abandoned by Magneto, Darby and his teammates come to be known as the Mutant Force.[11] Under this name they work for the United States government[12] and later the Secret Empire.[13]
Darby changes his code-name to Paralyzer when the Mutant Force become the Resistants. The Resistants' protest against the United States' Mutant Registration Act is cut short by a clash with John Walker, who is Captain America at that time.[14][15] Later, the Resistants revert to their Mutant Force identities and costumes.[16] Their next clash is with the New Warriors.[17] Paralyzer later battles Spider-Man, subduing him with a lucky blow. Spider-Man later teams up with several members of the Midnight Sons who are investigating the activities of a demonic Spidey-doppelganger. While pursuing this creature, the heroes discover and stop Paralyzer's plan to recreate Zzzax.[18]
After the Sentinels destroy Genosha, Paralyzer, again called Shocker, helps Toad and other mutants create a statue of the island's former ruler Magneto. Unus becomes the leader of the group.[19][20] Shocker is seen during a meeting of Unus' people after Unus is swallowed by Freakshow, one of the other mutants on the island. The group is not sure they will take Unus back if he survives. He does return, prompting Shocker and the others into attacking him in order to prove he can still defend himself.[21]
Shocker loses his powers on M-Day and the energies that he used to control are drawn to The Collective.[22]
Powers and abilities of Randall Darby
Darby can generate powerful fields of bio-electromagnetic energy from his body. He also has cybernetic claws of unknown origin in lieu of his hands and feet, and can channel his electrical energy through them into shock bolts or high-voltage fields of electromagnetic energy.
Other versions of Randall Darby
Civil War: House of M
Randall Darby is among the mutants in Magneto's army in House of M. He is punished for wanting to kill an injured enemy.[23] Later, he is killed during the liberation of Genosha, an island that has mutant slaves.[24]
Dark Beast aka Black Beast is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. As an alternate reality version of Beast, he first appeared in issue #1 of X-Men: Alpha in 1995 and was created by Scott Lobdell and Roger Cruz.
In the "Age of Apocalypse" reality, Hank McCoy was a mad scientist and geneticist working for Mister Sinister in his breeding pens, intent on breeding more powerful mutants according to Apocalypse's "survival of the fittest" ideology. Because of Charles Xavier's death and without being taught ethical science while in the X-Men, McCoy became someone ruthless and evil. While Sinister was methodical and rational in his experiments, McCoy found sadistic delight in causing pain to his lab subjects. It was the cruelty of his experiments that caused him to be nicknamed "the Beast", both by prisoners and Sinister's Elite Mutant Force. McCoy also experimented on himself in order to further his mutation, and gained his ape-like bestial appearance. Any mutant that he deemed unworthy was turned into a component of a genetic stew that was used to create Apocalypse's army of Infinites.
Besides being one of the creators of the Infinites, the Dark Beast also experimented on Blink, Jamie Madrox (thus being one of the creators of The Madri), Impossible Man, merged all of the Power siblings into one hideous creature, created Tiger Shark, made Nemesis into Holocaust following his defeat at the hands of Magneto, and was also responsible for the creation of Holocaust's lead hunter Wolverine (not to be confused with the X-Men's Wolverine who was known only as Weapon X in that reality).
With the end of the Age of Apocalypse, the Dark Beast was able to escape into Earth-616 through the M'Kraan Crystal. He was believed to have died due to Quicksilver's interference in his set trajectory. However, the only damage was that he landed twenty years in the past of Earth-616 without any memory whatsoever. He soon met a young Emma Frost, who helped him to regain some of his scattered memories.[25] The Dark Beast then set base in Manhattan's subway tunnels, and was responsible for the creation of the Morlocks. The characteristics of the experimentation were later recognized by the 616 Mister Sinister as an unauthorized use of his own theories, leading him to order the elimination of the Morlocks. Fearing discovery, the Dark Beast continued his operations in secret. During this time he also trained Marshall Stone III how to control his powers, and set him up as the bounty hunter known as Random.[26]
The Dark Beast later kidnapped the real Beast and kept him a prisoner behind a brick wall. He infiltrated the X-Men in his place by altering his appearance to match the real McCoy's fur color, although he occasionally found himself at risk of discovery due to Hank possessing a broader range of knowledge than himself, requiring him to bluff his way through some of the questions he was asked.[27] He helped keep up the ruse by slaying many of Hank's childhood friends and teachers, although he found himself unable to kill Hank's parents. Angered at this emotional weakness, he decapitated a pedestrian as he left town. The Dark Beast was able to keep up his ruse until the Onslaught Saga, during which the Dark Beast joined Onslaught. Onslaught had, in fact, known from the beginning of Dark Beast's ruse and mentally shielded him from other telepaths at the mansion, intending to question him about the reality of his origin. However, upon learning what happened in Dark Beast's reality when mutants ruled, Onslaught decided to destroy both races rather than helping mutants take their place as the world's rulers, only just being defeated thanks to the sacrifice of the Avengers and Fantastic Four.
He also had a few run-ins with Generation X and Gene Nation.[28][29][30] There he was the leader of the newly revamped Gene Nation, although through the robotic body of Wynter, attempting to capture Generation X to experiment on them. The previous meeting between him and Emma Frost was also revealed. He also led an incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Right before House of M, the Dark Beast was in Genosha where he joined Xavier's team after being offered parole. It was confirmed in The 198 Files one-shot that he stayed powered after M-Day.
Dark Beast returns and finally confronts his counterpart in the Endangered Species storyline, where he ambushes him in Neverland, the extermination camp ran by Weapon X, to offer his services regarding finding a cure for M-Day. The two form an uneasy alliance to tackle the impending mutant extinction, but part ways due to their drastically different moral approaches to science.[31] During a trip to the Guthrie household aimed at requesting samples of DNA from the mother and father of several mutant, and non-mutant, children – the Dark Beast (without warning Henry) poisons one of the un-mutated Guthrie boys, Lewis, in a quick scientific experiment. He then carries the dying boy's body back to the house, suggesting that they should try one of the girls next. Shocked and enraged with his actions, Hank attacks the Dark Beast who, disgusted with Henry's inability to do all that is necessary to save their mutant species, beats him almost unconscious. The fight is interrupted by Mrs. Guthrie, who fires a round from a double-barrelled shotgun into Dark Beast's left shoulder. After scolding Mrs. Guthrie for thinking a round of birdshot would put him down, the Dark Beast is knocked unconscious by Henry.
During the "Dark Reign" story-line, Dark Beast later appears as a member of the Dark X-Men (a team of X-Men put together by Norman Osborn). He serves as the team's scientist.[32] He constructs a device known as the "Omega Machine" to experiment on mutants in Alcatraz for H.A.M.M.E.R. and starts testing on Beast, causing him great pain and torment as it begins slowly eating him away. Osborn is not impressed with the test results of the Omega Machine and wants Dark Beast to make sure the machine works in removing powers from mutants, not killing them. Dark Beast continues to experiment with his Omega Machine, using Beast as his key test subject. Each use of the device causes Beast to look more decrepit and weak. Deciding to use a new subject to test the device on, Dark Beast goes to collect the newly captured Mindee of the Stepford Cuckoos.[33] When he reaches the holding cell however, he discovers that Mindee's capture was done to allow X-Force to follow.[34] Dark Beast is then attacked and stabbed multiple times by both Wolverine and Warpath.[35]
Dark Beast recovered quickly from his injuries suffered by the hands of Wolverine and Warpath as he was sent by Norman Osborn as well as Mimic, Weapon Omega and Mystique under Jean Grey's form, to investigate the cause of several inhabitants of a small town to dream-walk and continuously repeat "I'm an X-Man". As they investigate, both Mimic and Omega are overwhelmed by some kind of energies and go on a rampage, leaving Mystique and Dark Beast alone with a patient that they were examining. Shortly thereafter the energies takes a humanoid form, and Nate Grey, best known as X-Man, once more takes physical form, much to Dark Beast's shock and horror.[36]
Dark Beast has since returned to the Morlock's Tunnels after the fall of Norman Osborn. He was able to capture the Lizard and began developing a means of enhancing the Lizard's control of the reptilian parts of the human brain in order to turn human beings into humanoid lizards. Dark Beast had been abducting victims of bullying or abuse from the streets, until the X-Men and Spider-Man found his base. Dark Beast locks Spider-Man out of the room and triggers the mutation in Gambit, Storm, Emma Frost and Wolverine, although Emma comes through the 'attack' unharmed as she is in her diamond form,[37] giving her and Spider-Man time to escape Dark Beast's minions and release the Lizard to knock him out. Later the X-Men and Spider-Man reverse the process and take Dark Beast into custody.[38]
While being transported, Dark Beast is approached by the Uncanny X-Force team, who wanted McCoy's help to find a cure for Archangel. As Warren succumbs to the darkness within him, Dark Beast confronted the team with the revelation that the only place left to turn for a cure is the Age of Apocalypse reality.[39]
They arrived ten years after the X-Men had defeated Mister Sinister, yet it appears that the X-Men still face enormous challenges in this harsh setting. As they follow Dark Beast, unknowingly followed by Wild Child and Sabretooth, to one of his labs, Dark Beast approaches one Gatekeeper, who reveals that no one has ever entered the lab after Dark Beast's disappearance. As they walk in they find a picture with Sinister, Dark Beast, Havok and Cyclops on it, with Dark Beast mistakenly revealing that Prelate Scott Summers is also dead. Dark Beast soon finds the life seed. Nightcrawler then teleports in and swipes the seed away, before he could give it to the X-Force, figuring that Dark Beast was up to some evil plot. After a brief quarrel which ended with the life seed destroyed by Sunfire and Psylocke recognizing Sabretooth from her time on the Exiles, Dark Beast sneaks over to the portal back to the main Marvel Universe, Earth-616, and walks in, leaving X-Force stranded in the Age of Apocalypse world. He then released the now fully evil Dark Angel from his prison and helped him form an army to destroy Earth.[40]
Following the events of the Dark Angel Saga, Dark Beast has assumed command over the Clan Akkaba of Earth 616 and relocated off world alongside Ozymandias, Famine, War, a pregnant Pestilence, and a badly injured Earth 295 Blob. It also appears he retrieved Sugar Man from Steve Rogers' custody, and together they have rebuilt the dimensional portal technology and returned to the Age of Apocalypse, where the two are using the energies of the life seed to aid Weapon Omega to resurrect a number of fallen mutants in order to provide Weapon Omega an army of powerful mutants.[41]
At an undisclosed time, Dark Beast leaves the Age of Apocalypse and returns to Earth-616 Universe. He is soon approached by the AoA version of Nightcrawler, who wants to return to their home dimension.[42] Using the Celestial Dreamer, Dark Beast once again opens a dimensional portal and returns to the Age of Apocalypse along with Nightcrawler. There, he discovers Weapon Omega's defeat at the hands of the human coalition and the capture of the Apocalypse seed. However, returning to the Age of Apocalypse with the X-Men and X-Treme X-Men in tow resulted in the release of evil beings known as the Exterminator which were trapped in the walls between realities by their creators, the Celestials, and destroy anyone they touch.[43]
In order to defeat these cosmic beings, the X-Men and X-Treme X-men decided to imprisoned them within that reality forever, otherwise, the Exterminators would destroy the whole multiverse.[44] AoA Nightcrawler teleports them to Earth-616 one at a time and Dark Beast goes with them. Dark Beast arrives on Earth-616 but is knocked out by Gambit. After the Age of Apocalypse reality is closed forever with AoA Nightcrawler's sacrifice, Dark Beast is taken away by the authorities.[45]
Dark Beast was soon able to escape from the authorities and was revealed to be the mastermind behind the events that lead the Uncanny X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D. to war. He started hunting the X-Men affiliated with Cyclops by hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D. using classified research sources to upgrade his work and find the X-Men. He was the one to infect Cyclops, Emma Frost, Magik, Magneto and Colossus with nano-sentinels, which is the reason for their broken powers after the incident with the Phoenix Force. Beast finally launches a coordinated attack using a hijacked S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier to launch a nuclear strike, and new indestructible sentinels that have adapted to all the X-Men's powers. The only thing he didn't account for was the new X-Man David Bond, aka Hijack, who can control any electronic device. Dark Beast's body has been so weak after experimenting on himself, that he needed a life support suit, so after a short battle his suit was eventually punctured, and he set a bomb that caused his apparent death.[46]
During the "Last Days" part of the "Secret Wars" story-line, it was mentioned months ago that Dark Beast was among the scientists that Magneto's right-hand person Briar tried to contact in order to make a special cocktail to augment Magneto's powers for the upcoming incursion between Earth-616 and Earth-1610. This occurred sometime before he began suffering from his own genetic experiments.[47]
During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Dark Beast turns up alive and no longer having health problems. He is shown to have set up a laboratory under an outhouse somewhere in the mutant nation of New Tian following Hydra's takeover. He used this lab to experiment on Inhumans. While searching for an Inhuman named Leer, Quake and the Secret Warriors found Dark Beast's hidden lair. Quake confronted Dark Beast on the whereabouts of Leer, but Dark Beast claimed that he didn't know who Leer was. He continued to profess his ignorance even when tortured by Quake and Karnak. Then a team of New Tian mutants entered the laboratory to remove the Inhumans for intruding into New Tian, and Dark Beast was taken into the mutants' custody.[48]
Dark Beast's apparent resurrection was later revealed to be Mister Sinister's doing, who saw fit to save Dark Beast's head and attached it to a brand-new body that appeared to be Dark Beast's old self, but with some technological improvements like cannons in his arms and the ability to alter his body at will. He was eventually defeated and held prisoner at Harry's basement.[49]
Faced with a lack of resources, Cyclops agrees to let Dark Beast work on an "anti-vaccine" to neutralize Callahan's current mutant 'vaccine', with Warlock monitoring the process of creating the cure to ensure that it does only what Dark Beast says, Dark Beast defining it as a simple airborne virus that will feed the mutant vaccine's virus before it can smother the X-Gene, leaving them free to activate. However, after the anti-vaccine has been dispersed worldwide, it is revealed that Dark Beast, with some help from Mister Sinister, had in fact 'tricked' the X-Men as the serum indeed shuts the virus of the mutant vaccine's and is harmless to those who already had their X-Gene activated, but in the presence of a still inactive X-Gene, it works as a catalyst, becoming lethal for potential mutant children. Dark Beast reasoning that this will 'test' humanity's hatred of mutants by putting them in a position where they will risk their children dying to prevent them becoming mutants. As Dark Beast continues mocking them, Magik executes him with her teleportation discs to send part of Dark Beast into the ceiling, killing him.[50]
During the "Sins of Sinister" storyline, it is revealed that Dark Beast's head was retrieved and secretly kept alive and preserved in a tube by Mister Sinister which he uses for advice. When Dark Beast asks for Mister Sinister to let him out, Mister Sinister informs him that he's not the "darkest beast" anymore.[51]
Dark Beast in other media
- Dark Beast appears as a boss in X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse. After being captured by Mister Sinister and Apocalypse, Beast is brainwashed and forced to serve them as Dark Beast. While in this state, he believes himself to be one of their followers until he is defeated and cured by the X-Men.
- Dark Beast appears as an alternate skin for Beast in Marvel Future Fight.
The Dark-Crawler, formerly known as the Night-Crawler (unrelated to the X-Men superhero Nightcrawler), which first appeared in Incredible Hulk #126 (1970),[52] is a large extradimensional humanoid being with a tail. He is originally from a "dark dimension" (not related to Dormammu's dimension). He later becomes master of the Undying Ones' dimension after defeating the Nameless One.
Darter (Randy Vale) is a minor villain in Marvel Comics. The character, created by Bill Mantlo and Jim Mooney, first appeared in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #29 (April 1979).
Fictional character biography of Darter
Randy Vale is an undergraduate at Empire State University. One day, Randy accidentally stumbles across a clone casket that once belonged to Miles Warren. The casket opens to reveal a decayed clone named Carrion. Upon learning of his creator's death, Carrion offers a partnership with Randy to get revenge on Spider-Man. In return Randy is offered power, but it is not specified what exactly the power entails. Randy dons a high tech uniform and goes by the name Darter. As Darter, Randy can glide through the air and fire lasers at his enemies. His first fight is with White Tiger who he manages to knock down. Later, the two fight again in a gymnasium where Spider-Man and Carrion are fighting. When Carrion flees with Spider-Man, Randy realizes that he was betrayed by his master and swears revenge on Carrion. He encounters his master while trying to drain the life from Spider-Man. Randy tries to attack Carrion, but he is hit with the red death causing him to rapidly deteriorate and die.[53]
Darter in other media
Randy Vale appears in Spider-Man: Homecoming, portrayed by Christopher Berry.[54] This version is an employee of Adrian Toomes' salvaging company who becomes a criminal after the Department of Damage Control's formation causes the company to go out of business.
Further reading
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Jefferson Davis is the father of Miles Morales / Spider-Man. The character was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, and first appeared in Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 (November 2011) as part of Marvel Comics' Ultimate Marvel line of books set in a universe and continuity separate from the mainstream Marvel Universe.
Fictional character biography
Jefferson is an African-American man who is married to the Puerto Rican woman Rio Morales.[55] He does not get along with his criminal brother Aaron Davis. Things get out of control and Jefferson winds up in jail, only to be bailed out by Nick Fury. Impressed with his fighting skills, Fury has Jefferson join gangster Turk Barrett's gang for intel, eventually working his way up to Wilson Fisk's criminal empire. Afterwards, Jefferson is offered a spot in S.H.I.E.L.D. but chooses to live a simple life of being a husband to Rio and father to Miles.[56] Jefferson keeps Miles from ever interacting with Aaron and keeps a strict household in an attempt to lead his son on a clean path. Despite his overall dislike of Aaron's criminal activities, Jefferson is saddened by his brother's subsequent death.[57]
During the events of United We Stand, Jefferson is arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D. only to be attacked by Hydra, who attempt to get Jefferson to join. He instead kills his would-be recruiters and returns home to Rio. He tells his wife what happened and they go looking for Miles, finding their son at Ganke Lee's house.[58][59] Jefferson is later attacked by Conrad Marcus, putting him in the hospital. He is attacked again, but Spider-Man battles and defeats Venom at the cost of Rio's life.[60] One year later, Jefferson discovers that Miles is Spider-Man, angering him and blaming his son for the deaths of Aaron and Rio.[61] Jefferson apologizes and reveals his own past to his son.[62] Jefferson's undercover life impresses both Donald Roxxon and the Green Goblin.[63][64]
After the events of Secret Wars, Molecule Man thanks Miles by transferring him, Ganke and both their families to the mainstream Marvel Universe, with Jefferson being reunited with Rio, who is restored to life.[65] As they retain their memories from their original universe, restored by Gwenpool, he and Rio learn from Miles that Aaron was also resurrected when their families (alongside most of Miles' friends) were transferred to the main universe.[66]
Jefferson later reveals that he has legally changed his name to Jeff Morales,[67] as both to distance himself from his past life as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and because he felt the name was "tainted" due to the Confederate president of the same name.[68]
Alternate versions of Jefferson Davis
In the Spider-Gwen reality, his character is the Scorpion. Instead of a green suit with a large tail, he wears an electrically-charged suit and tie and wields a staff resembling a scorpion tail. Additionally, he works for the criminal organization S.I.L.K.[69][70]
Jefferson Davis in other media
- Jefferson Davis appears in Spider-Man (2017), voiced by Alex Désert.[71] Introduced in the first season, he is initially optimistic and has a healthy relationship with Miles. In the third season, Jefferson's desire to protect his neighborhood leads to him to become Swarm, utilizing mind-controlling nanotechnology-based bees. He subsequently allies with the Jackal and uses various formulas to amass an army of mutants for the "Underground Monster League" – an underground gladiatorial arena-based streaming show – for the criminal underworld before the Spider-Team dismantle it. Jefferson later confronts Miles on the Dark Goblin's behalf, during which the pair learn each other's secret identities. Realizing the error of his ways, Jefferson flees in shock.
- Jefferson Davis appears in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, voiced by Brian Tyree Henry.[72] This version is a PDNY officer who has a healthy relationship with Miles, but with high expectations of him. Additionally, Jefferson is initially unaware of Aaron Davis's criminal career as the Prowler, but is still not keen on Miles spending time with his brother. After Aaron is killed by the Kingpin, the distraught Jefferson initially believes his brother's killer to be the new Spider-Man. He reconciles with Miles, unknowingly inspiring him to become the new Spider-Man and avenge Aaron by defeating the Kingpin. Following the Kingpin's defeat and arrest, Jefferson accepts the new Spider-Man's heroic efforts.
- Jefferson appears in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, voiced again by Henry.[71] In between films, he began going by Jeff Morales and tolerates working with Spider-Man while he and his wife Rio struggle to raise Miles due to his work as Spider-Man.
- Jefferson Davis appears in Insomniac Games' Spider-Man series, voiced by Russell Richardson.[71] This version is a NYPD officer.
- Introduced in Spider-Man (2018), Jefferson aids in the original Spider-Man's investigation into the Kingpin's abandoned assets and prevents them from falling into Mister Negative's hands on Captain Yuri Watanabe's behalf. After rescuing Spider-Man and receiving public recognition for it, Jefferson and his family attend Norman Osborn's mayoral reelection rally, where Jefferson is lauded for his heroism until Mister Negative and the Inner Demons launch a terrorist attack, during which Jefferson sacrifices himself to save another officer from a suicide bomber. Miles eventually comes to terms with his father's death with help from Rio and accepts Peter Parker's offer to work part-time at a F.E.A.S.T. Center to further cope with the loss and honor his father's legacy.
- In Spider-Man: Miles Morales, it is revealed Jefferson had been estranged from his brother Aaron after discovering he was the Prowler. Jefferson agreed not to arrest Aaron, but demanded his brother stay away from his family. The brothers never reconciled before Jefferson's death, leaving Aaron deeply affected and overprotective of Miles. Jefferson also makes vocal cameos in a flashback in the main story, as well as a side mission, in which Miles goes on a scavenger hunt that Jefferson made for his birthday before his death.
- Jeff Morales appears in Spidey and His Amazing Friends, voiced by Eugene Byrd.
First appearance | Astonishing #54 (October 1956) |
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Created by | Carl Wessler, Bob Forgione |
Teams | Brotherhood of the Shield |
Abilities | Genius-level intellect |
Aliases | Aries, D.E.A.T.H. (Da Vinci Elevating Agents To Helm) |
Further reading
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Leonardo da Vinci is a fictional variation of the Italian polymath of the same name. He was created by Carl Wessler and Bob Forgione and first appeared in Astonishing #54.
Leonardo was born in Vinci,[73] as the son of Caterina and Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci.[74] He is one of the thinkers spawned by the Renaissance,[75] and becomes one of the most important polymaths of that era. He also works on other projects, including the steam engine.[76] During this time, he joins the Brotherhood of the Shield, a group of geniuses including Sir Isaac Newton, Imhotep, Zhang Heng, and Galileo Galilei.[77] This group is the first to defeat the Brood, Galactus,[78] and the Celestials.[79] After witnessing a dark spot growing on the Sun, Leonardo along with his two assistants build a suit capable of flight and go to deal with these dark spots.[80]
After that, he is approached by a messenger from K'un-L'un to ask Leonardo for help in training Fongji Wu, the next Iron Fist, who becomes the host of the Phoenix Force. He along with Yu-Ti and Lei-Kung are successful in manifesting the Phoenix Force within Fongji.[81] They then construct a telescope to watch the arrival of the Phoenix and give Leonardo an opportunity to study it.[82]
Leonardo eventually is able to time travel and leaves a robot to impersonate him in his mortal life. He travels to the 1960s, where he is confronted by the new leader of the Shield: Leonid, the son of Isaac Newton and the deviant Morda. Leonid promises that he will rescue all things, but comes to a disagreement with Isaac who had become the undying leader of the group.[83]
During this time, Leonardo forms the organization known as the Great Wheel of Zodiac, with its members including: Vasili Dassaiev, John Garrett, Shoji Soma, Cornelius van Lunt, Baron Strucker, Dum Dum Dugan, Nick Fury, Jake Fury, Daniel Whitehall, Viktor Uvarov, and Thomas Davidson, with each member being code-named after a sign of the zodiac. However, the organization falls apart, which leads to the creation of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, Leviathan, and the Zodiac Cartel. Leonardo states that the reason for forming the organization was to control its members.[84]
Leonardo is then a technical adviser of S.H.I.E.L.D., after the dismantling of H.A.M.M.E.R.,[85] and is seen again after the Secret Empire storyline, where he gathers different geniuses to build a new organization to replace S.H.I.E.L.D.[86]
- Other versions of Leonardo Da Vinci
In What If?: Nick Fury fought World War II in space, the Leonardo da Vinci of this reality not only designed his projects, but actually built them. Thanks to his legacy, the human race is able to reach the stars in the early 1900s.[87]
During the 2015 Secret Wars, a version of Leonardo appears as a member of the Hel-Rangers,[88] a team composed of people who have been exiled for their crimes against the Shield.[89] Leonardo spends most of his time building technology for the Hel-Rangers to use against those who attack the Shield. During the end of the event, Leonardo reveals to the Thing that he had built the Enlightenment Cannon which was fueled by Michelangelo's power. After the death of his friend, Michelangelo, and the discovery about the truth of life, Leonardo commits suicide.[90]
A version of Leonardo appears attacking Madison Jeffries and Broo during the Science Battle between the Avengers and X-Men.[91]
The Deacon is a Ghost Rider villain created by Jason Aaron. He is a zealot who believes he is doing the work of God.[92] He has been blessed with powers and weapons from Heaven. His sole weakness is that he will not destroy any holy object such as the Bible. He believes he was chosen by Zadkiel, but eventually he is captured and put in prison.
When Johnny Blaze learns the truth of his origin, he goes to the prison the Deacon is in to talk to a priest being held there for murder. One of the prison guards lets Deacon out of his cell and gives him two large knives and the stone serum, which gives him super strength. He fights Blaze and is winning until they enter the chapel, where Blaze beats him with a Bible.
Escaping from prison he slaughters the order of nuns that raised Caretaker, known as Sara, and continues to act as an agent of Zadkiel. When the Ghost Riders go to heaven through the gate guarded by the Gun Nuns, the Deacon shows up and slaughters the nuns. Before he can kill the last one, Sara arrives. The two fight and Sara slashes his back, severing his spine and crippling him. He is later seen in a hospital bed with the Orb. At some point, Deacon dies and his soul is sent to Hell, becoming a demon. When Blaze becomes the King of Hell, Deacon is one of the demons who attempts to usurp the Devil's Throne from him.
The Demon Bear is a character appearing in New Mutants and X-Force connected to Danielle Moonstar and the formation of the New Mutants. Its powers include teleportation, super strength, shapeshifting, negative emotion empowerment, and corruption of human souls.
As a child, Danielle Moonstar unintentionally used her emergent psychic powers to foresee the deaths of her parents, William and Peg Moonstar, in a vision that showed them being slain by a bear. When the couple disappeared on a hunting trip a week later, Dani believed her vision had come true.[93] It was later revealed, however, that Dani's vision had been metaphorical; in truth, her parents had been captured and transformed into a demonic bear spirit.[94] The identity of the being responsible for this transformation was never revealed in story, but the letters page of The New Mutants #24 would state that it was the ancient mystical entity the Adversary.[95]
In the early days of her time as a member of the New Mutants, as depicted in The New Mutants #3, Dani experienced a vision of the Demon Bear. Initially, she believed it was simply a nightmare, born of the childhood fear that the bear which had killed her parents would one day come to kill her too, but when she attacked the bear with her hunting knife, she drew blood and realized that the bear was both real, and no mere animal.[96] Increasingly troubled by her dreams of the Demon Bear, Danielle Moonstar ran various Danger Room scenarios against bears and then confronted the demon alone; it mauled her and severely damaged her spine.[97] The New Mutants rushed her to the Mid-County Medical Center. The Demon Bear infiltrated the hospital, transported the team to the Badlands, and turned nurse Sharon Friedlander and officer Tom Corsi into demonic Native American warriors under his control. They later reverted to normal humans but still kept the appearance of Native Americans. Here, the New Mutants fought and defeated the Demon Bear, disrupting it with Magik's Soulsword. Danielle's parents leaped from its body, returning them to normal.[98]
X-Force member Warpath encountered a Demon Bear of his own while on his way to visit his brother Thunderbird's grave and would have been killed were it not for the intervention of Ghost Rider who offered his assistance against the demon. Defeating this bear, they discovered it was the corrupted form of the Apaches' animal spirits, who had been driven mad by Eli Bard, who used a dagger full of black magic to do so.[99]
The Demon Bear later appears in possession of Bishop, before being driven out by Psylocke.[100] Once Bishop is freed, Psylocke takes on the now docile bear as a companion.[101]
Demon Bear in other media
Demon Bear appears in The New Mutants.[102] This version was manifested by Danielle Moonstar after her mutant powers first activated and subsequently destroyed the reservation that she lived on. In the present, Moonstar summons the Demon Bear again after Cecilia Reyes attempts to kill her. Subsequently, she battles the bear in her mind and dissipates it after confronting her past.
Betty Dean Prentiss is a fictional character from Marvel Comics. A policewoman, she is a supporting character of Namor and Namora in the Golden Age published by Timely Comics. First appearing in Marvel Mystery Comics #3 (January 1940), Betty Dean is one of the earliest recurring characters and romantic interests in Marvel Comics. She often advocates compassion for air breathers to Namor and urges him to help the Allied Forces battle the Nazis. Betty was a key figure in Marvel's first crossover Marvel Mystery Comics #8–10 where she helps Namor and the Human Torch come to terms after battling each other. Midway through World War II, she becomes a reporter whose scoops often lead Namor to adventures. After WWII, she reunites with Namor for several adventures in the 1950s Atlas Comics. Betty eventually marries and becomes Betty Dean Prentiss, after Namor returns to Atlantis. In the Silver Age, at Namor's request, the widowed Betty becomes the guardian for his young cousin, Namorita, during her surface world education. Betty is transformed into a green scaled amphibian by Namor's foe, Dr. Hydro. She is killed by Doctor Dorcas while saving Namor in Marvel Super-Villain Team-Up #2 (October 1975).
Personification
Sanjar Javeed
Roland Burroughs
Theodore Scott
Death-Dealer (Li Ching-Lin) is a supervillain and an enemy of Shang-Chi appearing in Marvel Comics. Created by Doug Moench and Gene Day, he first appeared in Master of Kung Fu #115 (August 1982).
Li is an MI6 agent known for his extremely brutal methods who is also working as a double agent for the criminal mastermind Zheng Zu, who is Shang-Chi's father. When Shang-Chi and MI6 discover Li's true allegiance, Li flees from them and rendezvouses with Zheng Zu at his secret base in London, where he is given the name Death-Dealer, provided with a masked costume and weapons, and ordered to eliminate Shang-Chi and his allies. Death-Dealer succeeds in capturing Shang-Chi and brings him to Zheng Zu. Despite his weakened state, Shang-Chi escapes capture and defeats Death-Dealer in combat. With their London base destroyed, Death-Dealer and Zheng Zu escape by helicopter to Zheng Zu's fortress in China.[103]
When Shang-Chi arrives at Zheng Zu's fortress, Death-Dealer is dispatched to take Shang-Chi's blood for Zheng Zu to preserve his longevity. Shang-Chi throws a brazier at him, which burns him to death.[104] Years later, Death-Dealer's son Huo Li confronts Shang-Chi to avenge his father's death but is easily defeated by the Master of Kung Fu.[105]
Death-Dealer in other media
Death-Dealer appears in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, portrayed by Andy Le.[106][107] This version is a member of the Ten Rings who serves under its leader Wenwu and personally trains Shang-Chi through cruel measures. Death-Dealer, Razor Fist, and a group of Ten Rings members travel to Macau to claim Xialing's pendant, only to encounter and fight Shang-Chi until Wenwu breaks up the fight. Death-Dealer later accompanies the Ten Rings to the village of Ta Lo, where the Dweller-in-Darkness' minions steal his soul.
Death Metal | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel UK |
First appearance | Death³ #1 (September 1993) |
Created by | Dan Abnett Dell Barras |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Death Metal |
Species | Robot |
Abilities | Shape-changing, superstrength, resistance to injury, ability to absorb memories and personalities of others |
Death Metal is a fictional robot appearing in Marvel Comics. The character appears in the Marvel UK imprint. He first appeared in Death³ #1 and was created by Dan Abnett and Dell Barras.
Fictional character biography
Death Metal was created by Doctor Evelyn Necker as part of the Minion project which also produced Death's Head II and Death Wreck. Necker sends Death Wreck through space and time, and he comes back with a magical semi-living metal that she calls "Promethium". Necker uses this metal to create a new cyborg, but she is unaware that the Promethium was created by the evil being called Charnel.[108] Death Metal later steals a time machine and flees to the parallel universe of Charnel.
There he is found by the alternate versions of several mainstream Marvel Universe supervillains, whom he kills, and several alternate versions of several superheroes, whom he tries to kill. However, Death's Head and Death Wreck also arrive in Charnel's universe and end up fighting Death Metal along with the heroes. When that universe's Ghost Rider uses his mystical Penance Stare on Death Metal, it causes him to see his own sins and realize the extent of Charnel's evil. The three cyborgs then team up and defeat Charnel. Death Metal is then thrown through a temporal warp to modern-day Earth. After going on a disoriented violent rampage in Toronto, he encounters a being called Argon, a warrior of pure spirit who has been sent from another dimension to end the threat of Death Metal. He absorbs Argon's mind and spirit, only to find that his purity counteracts Death Metal's violent rage. Now seeing himself as a monster, he begins to seek his own death.
Alpha Flight
When the superhero team Alpha Flight arrives in response to his rampage, he attempts to escalate the fight so that he might be killed. Unfortunately, this only restores his berserker rage, until Aurora uses her light powers to calm him. Realizing he is still a danger to others, he teleports away (see Death Metal #2 and Death Metal vs Genetix #1). In Death Metal vs. Genetix, Death Metal seeks to create a being that can destroy him. He takes cell samples from Alpha Flight's Madison Jeffries and Genetix's Vesper (both of whom can control technology) and creates an embryo which he surgically implants in empath Krista Marwan. Genetix rescues Krista, who inexplicably vows to have the child.
The first Death-Stalker was Philip Wallace Sterling. An enemy of Daredevil, he first appeared as the Exterminator in Daredevil #39 (April 1968), and as Death-Stalker in Daredevil #113 (September 1974).
Fictional character biography of Death-Stalker
Death-Stalker | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | (as the Exterminator) Daredevil #39 (April 1968) (as Death-Stalker) Daredevil #113 (September 1974) |
Created by | (the Exterminator) Stan Lee, Gene Colan; (Death-Stalker), Steve Gerber, Bob Brown |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Philip Wallace Sterling |
Team affiliations | Unholy Three |
Notable aliases | the Exterminator, Death's-Head II |
Abilities | Interdimensional travel Death-grip gloves grant ability to kill a person upon contact |
Philip Wallace Sterling was born in Riverdale, Bronx, New York. He was a wealthy man prior to embarking on a career as a professional criminal. When he first appears as the Exterminator, he recruits the Unholy Three. He constructs a "time displacer ray" ("t-ray") which can teleport its target into another dimension (possibly the Limbo from which Immortus hails). The Exterminator leads the Unholy Three in a series of criminal activities and battles Daredevil. When Daredevil defeats the Exterminator and his agents, he also destroys the t-ray, accidentally bombarding the Exterminator with its strange energy and seemingly killing him.[109]
Sterling finds himself trapped between two dimensions, able to return to Earth at will but only for a few hours at a time; furthermore, the mutation causes his skin to become chalk-white. He steals a pair of gloves from A.I.M. that give him a death-grip, and begins calling himself Death-Stalker.[110] He tries several times to kill Daredevil and build a new t-ray machine, but most of his battles with Daredevil end in a draw.
He is allied with the Gladiator against Daredevil. Death-Stalker travels to the Florida Everglades in search of papers relating to Ted Sallis' experiments and encounters the Man-Thing.[111] He later steals a set of ancient Lemurian mirror lenses from various museums and uses them to create a powerful gun to destroy Daredevil. However, Daredevil destroys the gun, and in the midst of their battle, Death-Stalker is mysteriously discorporated by the Sky-Walker.[112] He reappears in a third costumed guise as the second Death's Head, gifting an enforcer called the Smasher with superhuman strength and kidnapping Karen Page to force her to give him the original Death's Head's research. He is defeated by Daredevil and Ghost Rider, killing the Smasher with his touch during the battle.[113]
Sterling resumes the Death-Stalker identity and assembles a large gathering of criminals to take part in an undisclosed theft, presumably of t-ray components. Daredevil finds out about the gathering, and in the resulting confrontation Death-Stalker touches (and thus kills) one of his underlings, frightening the others away. Seeing no point in battling Daredevil at this time, he teleports away.[114] Angered at this latest interference with his plans, he creates another Smasher and sends him to kill Daredevil. The new Smasher fails and Daredevil refuses to imprison him, knowing that Death-Stalker would enter the prison and kill him for his failure.[115] Turning to a new plan, he steals a newly developed scientific apparatus from Stark International.[116]
Death-Stalker attempts to kill Daredevil while the crime-fighter is hospitalized, but is stopped by the Avengers.[117] He creates a new Unholy Three and has them kidnap Matt Murdock, whose secret identity as Daredevil he learned by observation from between dimensions. Daredevil is taken to St. Stephens Cemetery, where Death-Stalker kills two of the Unholy Three and attacks Daredevil. Unable to overcome Death-Stalker's superior abilities, Daredevil knocks out the nearby street light, thus enclosing the cemetery in darkness. Fighting blindly, Death-Stalker rematerializes while his body is phasing through a tombstone, which kills him instantly.[118]
Death-Stalker is, for a brief time, survived by his mother, Elizabeth Dawes Sterling. Lying on her deathbed, and in her hatred for Daredevil for the death of her son, she has her house converted into a deathtrap and builds child-like androids fitted with self-destruct devices constructed to lure him to his demise. Daredevil just barely manages to escape her deadly revenge, and she dies before Daredevil can be lured into the trap.[119]
A new female Death-Stalker appeared in the first issue of Villains for Hire (the villain counterpart of Heroes for Hire). This Death-Stalker's true identity is unknown. She is among the villains hired by Purple Man to help him start his new criminal empire. Death-Stalker is almost shot in the head by Crossbones and shrugs to him, stating "you can't kill what is already dead." Death-Stalker later survives an explosion of the boat she is on.[120]
Powers and abilities of Death-Stalker
Accidental exposure to an overdose of "t-radiation" alters Sterling's physiology, making it so that he normally exists in a dimension congruent to Earth. While in this realm, he can watch and listen to events on Earth without being observed from Earth by any means. By willing himself to do so, he can shift into Earth's dimension to varying degrees. He can become visible but intangible, or visible and tangible as he desires. He can shift from one state to the other instantaneously. While completely in his interdimensional state, he can cover distances more rapidly, enabling him to disappear from one Earth location and reappear at another far sooner than if he had traversed that same distance on Earth. Death-Stalker cannot continuously manifest in Earth's dimension for more than several hours at a time.
His "cybernetic death-grip" devices, stolen from A.I.M., are worn in his gloves, which emit a dose of microwave radiation when activated by mental command, crippling or killing (depending on the duration of contact) any living creature who comes into contact with them. This self-described "touch of death" energy has been described as microwaves, but seems to have properties of both lightning and intense cold. However, Death-Stalker has to fully materialize on Earth for the device to be effective – his "lone weakness",[111] which Daredevil learns he can exploit to attack Sterling. On several occasions Death-Stalker also appears to possess superhuman strength, although its extent is unknown and it is unclear whether it is a physical ability (via his radiation mutated form) or via his cybernetic death-grip devices. Philip Wallace Sterling is a brilliant criminal mastermind – running a global "espionage syndicate"[111] – in addition to being an accomplished inventor and scientist with extensive knowledge of advanced scientific apparatus.
Death Wreck is a fictional cyborg created by Craig Houston and Stewart "Staz" Johnson, first appearing in Death Wreck #1 (January 1994). Death Wreck is a prototype built by A.I.M. scientist Evelyn Necker in 2018 as part of the Minion project. Constructed at short notice and considered entirely expendable, Death Wreck contains the "brain of a wino" housed within a body powered by a car engine.