3-D Man
edit3-D Man was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Jim Craig. The character was originally created as a tribute to the unsuccessful Harvey Comics character Captain 3-D. 3-D Man was originally supposed to appear as the back-up feature in a stereoscopic comic book featuring Spider-Man, but the idea was cancelled and 3-D Man made his premiere in Marvel Premiere #35 (1977).[1] 3-D Man is described as having three times the strength, speed and physicality of an average man.[2] 3-D Man is the alternate persona of Chuck Chandler, a test pilot who was abducted by the Skrulls. Chandler was imbued with powers by a Skrull artifact during his escape, but the same incident connected him with his brother Hal Chandler, with Hal giving up his energy and going into a coma whenever Chuck needs to access the power of 3-D Man. The character retained his association with the Skrulls, and they became his main adversaries.[3] The original 3-D Man remained an obscure character.[2]
The character of Delroy Garrett was created by Kurt Busiek and George Pérez.[2] The character of Garrett is described as a former Olympic sprinter who joined a cult, the Triune Understanding, after he was disgraced for using steroids.[4] Originally known as Triathlon and first appearing in Avengers #8 (1988),[4] he is given the powers of 3-D Man by the Triune Understanding after they steal them from Chandler. Triathlon joined the Avengers as the new 3-D Man, but he believed himself to be a token hire as he was an African American and the team was being accused of racism at the time they allowed him to join. The character played a prominent role during the Kang Dynasty story arc, but he was unpopular with readers and was not heavily used.[2] He played another prominent role in Avengers: The Initiative #19, in which he joins the Skrull Kill Krew and uses his abilities to see through the disguises of shapeshifting Skrulls.[5] This ability brings him to kill a defecting Skrull who he believed to be hostile.[4]
An alternate version of Chandler's 3-D Man portrayed him as a hero in the 1950s who joined that world's version of the Avengers.[3]
8-Ball
edit8-Ball was created by Bob Budiansky and Bret Blevins, and first appeared in Sleepwalker #2 (1991).[6] 8-Ball has no superhuman powers.[7] Wearing a spherical helmet designed to look like a billiards 8 ball, he wields a concussive cue stick and exploding balls.[8] Screen Rant listed him among the worst Marvel Comics villains introduced in the 1990s.[7] Jeff Hagees is introduced as a defense contractor and engineer who is also a skilled pool player.[6][7] He develops problem gambling and adopts the villainous persona of 8-Ball to recoup his losses. Initially a Sleepwalker villain, 8-Ball goes on to fight various superheroes. He did not achieve popularity as a villain, and he was eventually killed off when he was murdered by the Wrecker.[6]
An unnamed character wearing the 8-Ball costume appears in a fight sequence in The Amazing Spider-Man #600. The third version of 8-Ball is introduced in The Superior Spider-Man #26. Created by Dan Slott, Humberto Ramos, and Victor Olazaba, this version of 8-Ball is created by the Hobgoblin when he forms a team of newly created supervillains.[9] The Hagees version of 8-Ball was later resurrected, and for a time he was the cellmate of Moon Knight, giving him another character to interact with and allowing for character growth.[10] Hagees questions his choices in Moon Knight #25 (2023) after luring Moon Knight into a trap: unhappy with his identity as a failed supervillain and the assumptions that this creates about him, he changes his mind and goes back to save Moon Knight.[6]
803
edit803 is a service robot who joins Agent Venom (Flash Thompson)'s crew.[11] He appears in the series Venom: Space Knight, where he plays a sidekick role. The character was created by Robbie Thompson, who described his history as if "C-3PO had stayed with Jabba for thousands of years", saying that this made the character "self effacing" and "somewhat suicidal".[12] To help Agent Venom move without his legs, 803 builds him a set of prosthetic legs. This idea inspired editor Jake Thomas to focus on the wounded veteran aspect of Thompson's character, including a partnership between Marvel Comics and the Wounded Warrior Project.[13]
References
edit- ^ Cronin, Brian (2022-02-05). "The Marvel Superhero Who Was Created For a Gimmick -That Was Never Used". CBR. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
- ^ a b c d Donohoo, Timothy (2022-07-28). "Triathlon: Will Avengers 5 Introduce the Most Three-Dimensional Avenger?". CBR. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
- ^ a b Christiansen, Jeff, ed. (2008). "3-D Man (Chandler)". Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A To Z. Vol. 12. Marvel Comics.
- ^ a b c Christiansen, Jeff, ed. (2008). "3-D Man (Garrett)". Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A To Z. Vol. 12. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Corley, Shaun (2023-03-19). "Secret Invasion Must Drop 1 Hero to Work in the MCU". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
- ^ a b c d Dodge, John (2023-07-28). "How Moon Knight Just Gave a D-List Marvel Villain a Shot at Being a Hero". CBR. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
- ^ a b c Chrysostomou, George (2023-01-11). "10 Worst Marvel Comics Characters That Debuted In The '90s". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
- ^ Stanford, Jerry (2021-10-09). "10 Marvel Villains Who Had No Business Being In The Sinister Six". CBR. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
- ^ Cronin, Brian (2020-01-10). "Eightball is an Oddly Popular Name for Comic Book Characters". CBR. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
- ^ Devil's Reign: Moon Knight #1. Marvel Comics.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Mike; Farmer, Carl, eds. (2021). King in Black Handbook. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Richards, Dave (2015-08-25). ""Supernatural's" Thompson Goes Errant in Marvel's "Venom: Space Knight"". CBR. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
- ^ Richards, Dave (2016-03-07). "Thompson's "Venom: Space Knight" Explores the Cosmos -- with Giant Alien Panda Bears". CBR. Retrieved 2023-09-26.