Masked Marauder

Last updated
Masked Marauder
Maraudermarvel.jpg
Art by John Romita
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Daredevil #16 (May 1966)
Created by Stan Lee
John Romita Sr.
Frank Giacoia
In-story information
Full nameFrank Farnum
Species Human
Team affiliations Maggia
Notable aliasesMr. Dunn
AbilitiesSkilled inventor
Genius engineer
Trained martial artist
Wields various weapons

The Masked Marauder is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He briefly served as the central villain of the Daredevil title.

Contents

Publication history

The Masked Marauder first appeared in Daredevil #16-19 (May-Aug. 1966), and was created by Stan Lee, John Romita Sr., and Frank Giacoia. [1]

The character subsequently appears in Daredevil #22-23 (Nov.-Dec. 1966), #26-27 (March–April 1967), Iron Man #60-61 (July-Aug. 1973, Werewolf by Night #42-43 (Jan., March 1977), and Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #25-28 (Dec. 1978-March 1979). The character appears again many years later in Punisher War Journal #4 (April 2007).

The Masked Marauder received an entry in the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z: Update #3 (2007).

Fictional character biography

Versus Daredevil

Frank Farnum was the manager of the Manhattan building in which the law offices of Nelson and Murdock reside. How and why he became the Masked Marauder has never been revealed. He first appeared as an already successful crime leader with men, money, and resources at his command.

The Masked Marauder first came to the public's attention in a confrontation with Spider-Man; Spider-Man foiled his plans, but the Marauder himself escaped. [2] He later clashed with Spider-Man again, with the same result, when he launched a big attack on the World Motors Building in order to steal a new auto engine design, the XB-390, intending to modify it into a weapon. [2]

In order to prevent Spider-Man from stopping him a third time, he ordered a half dozen of his men to impersonate Daredevil and attack Spider-Man, hoping to draw the two superheroes into conflict. When he heard of a fight between Spider-Man and Daredevil through a live news broadcast, he executed a fresh assault on the World Motors Building and stole the XB-390. [2] However, J. Jonah Jameson set a trap by announcing the XB-390 is useless without the formula for fueling it. Falling for the deception, the Masked Marauder attacked the World Motors Building again, and his plans were yet again foiled by Spider-Man. Enraged, he defeated Spider-Man and tried to kill him, but was stopped by Daredevil. Once again, all of his men were captured. While fleeing the scene he overheard Foggy Nelson, a lawyer working out of an office in his building, insinuating to Karen Page that he is really Daredevil. [3] Days later, he noticed Page going into the law office late one evening; his suspicious aroused, he confronted her in his civilian identity in the hope she would let slip some of Nelson's secrets (due to an editorial oversight, he is referred to as "Mr. Dunn" in this scene). However, Page gave nothing away and collapsed into a faint during their conversation. [4] During this time he employed Nelson to draw up new leases for his building; [5] it is never revealed if this was genuinely a matter of business, or an excuse to more closely study the man that he believed to be Daredevil.

Taking on new men, culled from the New York City underworld, the Marauder arranged to have the Gladiator sprung from prison. He intended to use him as glorified muscle, but the Gladiator proved very hard to tame, and the Marauder was forced to take him on as his partner. Meanwhile, he ordered his men to attack Foggy Nelson in his office. Though they failed, their attack revealed that Nelson was not in fact Daredevil. [6] With the Gladiator, he hatched a plan to take over the Maggia by publicly defeating Daredevil, and sent an android called the Tri-Man against him. When this failed, he transported the Gladiator and Daredevil into a Colosseum movie set controlled by the Maggia. However, the Gladiator refused to continue fighting Daredevil after he saved him from the arena's lions. Bemused by his repeated failures, the Maggia told the Masked Marauder they "wouldn't even want you for a mascot". [7]

Still convinced there is some connection between Nelson and Daredevil, the Marauder teamed up with the Stilt-Man and kidnapped Nelson, his partner Matt Murdock (Daredevil's alter ego), and Karen Page, holding them captive in a helicopter surrounded by a force field that disintegrates anything it comes in contact with. Murdock told them Daredevil is his twin brother Mike and, while Stilt-Man searched for the non-existent Mike, changed into his costume. He fought the Marauder and unintentionally knocked him into the lethal force field. [8]

Battling other heroes

The Masked Marauder was presumed dead until he re-appeared in Detroit some years later. He revealed that his force field disintegrator was actually a teleportation device that allowed him to escape and start over again elsewhere. [Note 1] With his henchmen Steele and Hacker, he stole Tony Stark's experimental space shuttle and ran afoul of Iron Man, who defeated him. [10]

Later, the Marauder again encountered Iron Man along with Jack Russell, the Werewolf by Night. His plans (with his new henchmen Pardee, Creach, and Strenk) involved creating the Tri-Animan (an android created by the merging of three animals instead of three men) to aid in his revenge against the Maggia. He failed. [11]

When the Marauder next appeared, he had somehow become Big M, the leader of the Nefaria "family" of the Maggia. In battle with Spider-Man and Daredevil, he "permanently" blinded the web-slinger and threatened New York with his "bombdroid", a Tri-Man carrying a nuclear device. As a blinded Spider-Man succeeded in defusing the bomb, Daredevil defeated the Marauder. [12] [13]

Post-Civil War

The Masked Marauder, along with a number of low-level supervillains, was attending a viewing/funeral/barroom brawl for the Stilt-Man (killed by the Punisher), when the Punisher (posing as a bartender) poisoned their drinks before blowing the bar up. [14] They all had to get their stomachs pumped and be treated for third-degree burns. [15]

Secret Invasion

During the Secret Invasion storyline, the Masked Marauder was seen helping the Hood fight the Skrulls. [16]

Powers and abilities

The Masked Marauder is a costumed criminal scientist whose helmet projects "opti-blasts" which can temporarily or permanently blind a victim. He is an engineering genius, and his inventions include the Tri-Man, the Tri-Animan, the Bombdroid, a truck with a "hydraulic hoist", a helicopter with a force field, and a teleportation device which can affect even unwitting targets who are far away. He also has modest training in the martial arts.

His planning abilities and knack for inspiring trust have allowed him to command well-trained teams of henchmen. However, his plans are often spoiled by his mental quirks. He suffers from obsessive–compulsive personality disorder [ volume & issue needed ] and insists that his men execute his plans according to timetables that schedule each step down to the second. Even a few seconds' deviation from one of his timetables causes him to become extremely agitated. He is also excessively arrogant, and always assumes that his opponents will be rendered completely helpless by his opti-blasts, despite being repeatedly proven wrong on this point. [17]

Notes

  1. ↑ At this time, the media had long since reported Daredevil's death, [9] so the Marauder had no reason to resume his quest for revenge on him.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elektra (character)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Elektra Natchios is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in supporting roles featuring the superhero Matt Murdock / Daredevil, to whom Elektra has functioned as a villainous adversary, love interest, and later, a heroic ally. Created by Frank Miller, the character first appeared in Daredevil #168. Her violent nature and mercenary lifestyle has served as a divisive point of conflict between her and Daredevil, which, in 2020, culminated in her becoming the second Daredevil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingpin (character)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

The Kingpin is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #50. The "Kingpin" name is a reference to the crime lord title in Mafia slang nomenclature.

Benjamin "Ben" Urich is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character usually appears in comic books featuring Daredevil and Spider-Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owl (Marvel Comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

The Owl is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted usually as an enemy of the superheroes Daredevil, Spider-Man and Black Cat. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Joe Orlando, the character first appeared in Daredevil #3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Werewolf by Night</span> Comics character

The Werewolf by Night is the name of two werewolves appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of Werewolf by Night, Jack Russell, first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #2. The second incarnation, Jake Gomez, first appeared in Werewolf by Night #1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gladiator (Melvin Potter)</span> Comic book character

Gladiator is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Potter was initially depicted as a supervillain and one of the first enemies of the superhero Daredevil. In civilian life, he is a costume designer at the Spotlight Costume Shop in New York City. He eventually reformed and became a consistent supporter of Daredevil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hand (comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional group

The Hand is a supervillain organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Hand first appeared in Daredevil #174 and was created by writer/artist Frank Miller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silvermane</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Silvermane is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A notorious crime boss and prominent figure in the Maggia, a fictional organized crime syndicate, he is usually depicted as an adversary of the superhero Spider-Man and the father of Joseph Manfredi. Silvermane later became a cyborg in an attempt to extend his lifespan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stilt-Man</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Stilt-Man is the name of multiple different characters in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of Stilt-Man, Wilbur Day, first appeared in Daredevil #8. The second incarnation, Turk Barrett, debuted in Daredevil #69. The third incarnation, Callie Ryan, made her first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #611. Stilt-Man is generally depicted as a supervillain wearing a battle suit with extendable legs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanessa Fisk</span> Marvel Comics character

Vanessa Fisk is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is married to the crime boss the Kingpin and is the mother of Richard Fisk, although she herself is not portrayed as a villain, and does not approve of her husband's criminal activities. Vanessa has been featured in a number of stories about the Kingpin, usually in those revolving around the superheroes Daredevil and Spider-Man.

The Eel is an alias used by two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first character to take up the identity was Leopold Stryke who first appeared in Strange Tales #112 created by Stan Lee and Dick Ayers, while his successor, Edward Lavell, first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #92. Both Eels were at one point members of the Serpent Squad even though the character they portray was not actually based on a snake, but on a fish that resembled a snake. Neither Eel has ever been featured as a regular character in any of Marvel's ongoing or limited series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggia (comics)</span> Fictional organization

Maggia is a fictional international crime syndicate appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The organization exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as Earth-616, as well as other Marvel universes. Its structure is somewhat similar to the real-world New York Mafia, but the Maggia differs in that it frequently hires supervillains and mad scientists to work for them. Some of the prominent Maggia members are supervillains themselves, such as Hammerhead, Silvermane, Count Nefaria and his daughter Madame Masque. The Maggia has come into conflict with various superheroes, including Spider-Man, Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the Avengers.

The Emissaries of Evil is a name used by three teams of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daredevil (Marvel Comics character)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Daredevil is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Daredevil #1. Writer/artist Frank Miller's influential tenure on the title in the early 1980s cemented the character as a popular and influential part of the Marvel Universe. Miller introduced elements of film noir and ninja films, and subsequent writers for the title have continued these themes and imagery.

<i>Shadowland</i> (comics) 2010 Marvel Comics limited series featuring Daredevil

"Shadowland" is a 2010 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, focusing on Daredevil and other "street-level" superheroes in the Marvel Universe. The storyline started in the Daredevil comic and was expanded upon in the Shadowland five-issue mini series as well as four tie-in mini series, four one-shots, and two issues of Thunderbolts. The storyline was collected into seven individual hard cover and soft cover Trade paperbacks in 2011.

Benjamin "Big Ben" Donovan is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Depending on his appearance in the comics, he can be depicted as either a lawyer or a criminal who has appeared in the comics that starred Daredevil and Luke Cage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Murdock (Marvel Cinematic Universe)</span> Character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Matthew "Matt" Murdock is a fictional character primarily portrayed by Charlie Cox in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name—commonly known by his alias, Daredevil. In the MCU, Murdock is a lawyer by day who specializes in legal defense alongside his colleagues Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, while also aiding other superpowered individuals within New York City. He further pursues a personal crusade to inflict his own brand of justice at night, masquerading as a masked vigilante hoping to remove the corruption facing Hell's Kitchen following the Battle of New York from The Avengers (2012). Murdock is blind, which with training enabled him to develop his other senses to superhuman levels. His activities would eventually bring him into conflict with enemies such as businessman Wilson Fisk and the Hand organization in the process, the latter of which he combatted alongside the Defenders when they successfully resurrected and weaponized a former ally and lover from his past, Elektra Natchios. Following Fisk's defeat, Murdock returns to his law practice, successfully defending Peter Parker against criminal charges pressed against him as well as entering a romantic relationship with fellow superhuman lawyer Jennifer Walters.

References

  1. ↑ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Super-Villains . New York: Facts on File. p. 208. ISBN   0-8160-1356-X.
  2. 1 2 3 Daredevil #16
  3. ↑ Daredevil #17
  4. ↑ Daredevil #18
  5. ↑ Daredevil #18, 22
  6. ↑ Daredevil #19
  7. ↑ Daredevil #22-23
  8. ↑ Daredevil #26-27
  9. ↑ Daredevil #41-42
  10. ↑ Iron Man #60
  11. ↑ Werewolf by Night #42-43
  12. ↑ Peter Parker, the spectacular Spider-Man #22-28
  13. ↑ Cowsill, Alan; Manning, Matthew K. (2012). Spider-Man Chronicle: Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. DK Publishing. p. 106. ISBN   978-0756692360.
  14. ↑ Punisher War Journal #4
  15. ↑ She-Hulk vol. 2 #17
  16. ↑ Secret Invasion #6
  17. ↑ Daredevil #17 and 19, The Spectacular Spider-Man #228
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.