The Forgotten & The Forsaken: Awesome characters sadly unremembered or demoted

[Michael Watkins]

The Beasts of Berlin, a squad of gorillas thanks to experiments by the Hungarian Communist government with a radiation treatment, gave them human level intelligence. Foes of Hank Pym during his Giant-Man days, and returned years later in WEST COAST AVENGERS. A group of intelligent gorillas, trained in Russian military tactics , one would think they'd get more use in the MU. Heck, after seeing some of the combat scenes in the trailers for some of the Apes prequel flicks, and how well they were done. A cameo or two in the Ant-Man films featuring going up against Hank and Janet during their S.H.I.E.L.D. days would seem nice.

pretty sure that they (or a variant) appeared in one of Winter Soldier's books.

[The One and Only]

pretty sure that they (or a variant) appeared in one of Winter Soldier's books.

Those were the Red Ghost's Super-Apes.

[Montressor]

Sub-Mariner #19 Nov 1969
1st appearance of Sting Ray in "Support Your Local Sting-Ray"



Script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Marie Severin, inks by Johnny Craig
http://comicsalliance.com/marie-severin-art-gallery/
http://13thdimension.com/kirby-100-m...e-to-the-king/

I think I've read a total of one story featuring Stingray in my entire life--a random issue of Marvel Two In One, the original run--but I've always felt he has one of the coolest looking costumes in the Marvel universe.

[Sutekh]

I think I've read a total of one story featuring Stingray in my entire life--a random issue of Marvel Two In One, the original run--but I've always felt he has one of the coolest looking costumes in the Marvel universe.

Oh, I love Stingray. I'm still salty about Iron Man kicking his butt during the Armor Wars. (Apparently, Tony thought that Stingray's battlesuit, *made with electrically-enhanced shark cartilage,* was somehow using stolen Stark technology. Tony was clearly not been written as a smart guy, at the time...)

There are a few complete C-list heroes I love, including Stingray, Texas Twister, Jocasta and other oddballs like Will O' Wisp, Sunturion, Windshear, etc.

[Montressor]

Big Jocasta fan here, also. Looking forward to what Slott does with her.

I also love Sunturion (cool look) and Will O' The Wisp. These characters take me right back to specific points in my childhood.

[danielsan52]

Star Sign , I think she'd make a cool Avenger.

[Nomads1]

The Beasts of Berlin, a squad of gorillas thanks to experiments by the Hungarian Communist government with a radiation treatment, gave them human level intelligence. Foes of Hank Pym during his Giant-Man days, and returned years later in WEST COAST AVENGERS. A group of intelligent gorillas, trained in Russian military tactics , one would think they'd get more use in the MU. Heck, after seeing some of the combat scenes in the trailers for some of the Apes prequel flicks, and how well they were done. A cameo or two in the Ant-Man films featuring going up against Hank and Janet during their S.H.I.E.L.D. days would seem nice.

That arc in WCA, Tales to Astonish, was so camp. Instead of updating Pym's gallery of foes (many of them could have been quite intrestingly modernized) Englehart prefered to homage them by showing how anachronistic and sillt they were, in appearence, motivations and everything. A real shame. It was a great missed opportunity.

Big Jocasta fan here, also. Looking forward to what Slott does with her.

Slott seems quite fond of Jocasta also. He used her quite often in his Avengers Innitiative and Mighty Avengers runs, but I felt he never got just how really powerful she could be. In MA, she was basically Hank's girl friday and house cleaner, when she could have been quite useful in the field. Hope he gives us a different take on her now.

Peace

[j9ac9k]

Oh, I love Stingray. I'm still salty about Iron Man kicking his butt during the Armor Wars. (Apparently, Tony thought that Stingray's battlesuit, *made with electrically-enhanced shark cartilage,* was somehow using stolen Stark technology. Tony was clearly not been written as a smart guy, at the time...)

I always thought that was an awesome design. Iron Man should wipe the floor with him though - he's mostly a scientist with an enhanced suit more than he ever was a super-hero.

Did anyone buy those issues where he was in "Deadpool and the Mercs for Money?" I almost picked it up just for him, but I couldn't get past the whole "Deadpoolness" of it all. Did Stingray have a good showing there? (and he didn't get killed or anything did he?)

[Sutekh]

Did anyone buy those issues where he was in "Deadpool and the Mercs for Money?" I almost picked it up just for him, but I couldn't get past the whole "Deadpoolness" of it all. Did Stingray have a good showing there? (and he didn't get killed or anything did he?)

I picked it up pretty much entirely for him, wondering what a more heroic person like him was doing on a sketchy team like that. Turns out he was spying on them for more heroic types (Captain America, IIRC) and he left pretty quickly, from what I remember, which is probably for the best, for him.

I liked his appearance in the AXIS storyline, flying off to save some people against USAgents orders to stay on task (although USAgent later admitted that he did the right thing, and thanked him for it). That 'Avengers' group, including Stingray, USAgent, Valkyrie and Elsa Bloodstone, was heaven for me, since I love all four of those characters.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Ka-Zar #11 Mar 1998
Garden of Evil!
Upon returning to the Savage Land,

Ka-Zar realizes that he holds the key to defeating Thanos.


Script by Mark Waid http://www.comicsreporter.com/index....day_mark_waid/, pencils by Andy Kubert, inks by Jesse Delperdang

[Sandy Hausler]

Well Shanna the She-Devil (with or without Ka-Zar). They have a kid, I think. Hope he doesn't slow them down.

Sandy Hausler

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Solo Avengers #3 Feb 1988
"Tower of Shadows" Guest-starring the Shroud
In search of Cornelius Van Lunt, Moon Knight visits an old castle in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Van Lunt is not there, but the leader of the Night Shift is!

It's a great battle between Moon Knight and the Shroud!


Script by Roger Stern. Pencils by Bob Hall. Inks by Stan Drake.

[The One and Only]

Shadowmasters, a clan ,family of ninjas who carried on the family tradition of defending their province in Japan. Became entangled with a group of ultranationalist Imperial Japanese soldiers who refused to surrender after the war ended. That group became the Sunrise Society ,who planned to conquer Japan from within ,and make it a world power. The Shadowmasters teamed up with the Punisher, and the Black Widow in the course of their war with the Society. And those stories are being collected in TPB in a few months under the title PUNISHER:Shaowdowmasters. Also a spin off character, Mace, created by the co-creator of the Shadowmasters, Punisher writer Carl Potts. Who debuted in the limited series, VENOM:The Mace, on the run from the Sunrise Society. Maybe a comeback is waiting in the wings for the Shadowmasters in the future with the TPB release ?

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

I remember the Shadowmasters! I also know of Mace but did not realize the character is a spin off from them. Thanks for the info.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Machine Man #1 Apr 1978
"Machine Man" Mr. Machine renamed Machine Man, continued from 2001: A Space Odyssey #10.
While Machine Man is busy saving the life of a hiker in danger, he is unaware that Dr. Broadhurst is receiving a government agent

who is informing him that Colonel Kragg has been assigned to terminate the last surviving X-51 unit;
Machine Man walks deeper into the forest where he comes across Peter Spalding, whose van is struck behind a fallen tree;
After MM moves the tree out of the way, Peter offers Machine Man a lift;

They make small talk in the van until Machine Man learns that Peter is a psychiatrist and becomes uncomfortable and exits the van in traffic;
Using a skateboard built into his feet, Machine Man attracts the notice of the police, who in turn alert the troops of Col. Kragg.

Script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Mike Royer