| Doc Samson | |
|---|---|
 Doc Samson as depicted in his debut appearance inThe Incredible Hulk #141 (July 1971). Art byHerb Trimpe. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Incredible Hulk #141 (July 1971) |
| Created by | Roy Thomas (writer) Herb Trimpe (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Leonard Skivorski Jr. |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Partnerships | Dr. Bruce Banner |
| Supporting character of | Hulk |
| Notable aliases | Dr. Leonard "Leo" Samson Dark Samson Doc Sasquatch |
| Abilities | (All):
(Both Doc & Dark Samson):
(Doc Sasquatch):
|
Doc Samson (Leonard Skivorski Jr.) is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as asuperhero and psychiatrist in theMarvel Universe, known as a supporting character in stories featuring theHulk.[1]
Ty Burrell portrayed Samson in the 2008Marvel Cinematic Universe filmThe Incredible Hulk. Additionally,Shadoe Stevens,Cam Clarke, andJ. P. Karliak have voiced Samson in animation.
Thomas spoke on the creation of the character stating,
I wanted a super-powered human with green hair to fightThe Incredible Hulk, and I showedHerb Trimpe copies of the "Captain Tootsie" comic strip ads that ran in 1940s comics, with a hero designed originally byFawcett Captain Marvel co-creatorC.C. Beck. I had Herb add the lightning bolt and different boots in honor of thatCaptain Marvel, but the basic look in Captain Tootsie, as Herb remembered and often stated.[2]
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Doc Samson debuted inThe Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #141 (July 1971), created by writerRoy Thomas and artistHerb Trimpe.[3] Since then he has also appeared as a supporting character in several different Marvel Comics titles, includingShe-Hulk,Uncanny X-Men, andAmazing Spider-Man. In 1996 Doc Samson starred in his first self-titledminiseries written byDan Slott. In 2006, Samson starred in a second miniseries, written byPaul Di Filippo and penciled by Fabrizio Fiorentino.
Leonard Skivorski Jr. was born inTulsa,Oklahoma. He was raised Jewish and attendedyeshiva.[4] His father, Dr. Leonard "Leo" Skivorski, was a popularpsychiatrist in his hometown who specialized in treating young women, often conducting extramarital affairs with them.[5] Mrs. Skivorski had nicknamed her husband "Samson" after his long hair. Leonard Jr. initially expressed disinterest in becoming a psychiatrist, perhaps because he resented his father's philandering. Despite this, he became a college professor and psychiatrist.
After Bruce Banner was temporarily cured of being theHulk by siphoning off the gamma radiation that caused his transformations, Samson, who had been working with Banner/Hulk in his job as a psychiatrist, exposed himself to some of the siphoned radiation, granting him superhuman strength and long hair similar to hisbiblical namesake.[6] Shortly afterward, his flirting withBetty Ross causes a jealous Banner to re-expose himself to radiation, becoming the Hulk once more to battle Samson.[7]
Samson is captured by theLeader. He joins forces with the Hulk against the Leader's Humanoids. He attempts a psychoanalysis of the Hulk through his dreams and diagnoses him withmultiple personality disorder.[8] Samson later quits Gamma Base and becomesThunderbolt Ross' psychiatrist.[9]
Vision later offers Doc Samson a position as the leader of a midwestern branch of theAvengers. Samson declines due to having accepted a position teaching atNorthwestern University and lacking the necessary skills to lead the Avengers.[10]
Samson, determined again to cure the Hulk, defeats him in battle by triggering the Banner personality to make illusions of various supervillains for the Hulk to fight. Convinced Samson is an illusion, the Hulk leaves himself open to being punched by Samson and rendered unconscious.[11] Samson succeeds in separating Bruce Banner and the Hulk, with the latter becoming nearly mindless.[12] Thunderbolt Ross sabotages the nutrient bath intended to reunite Banner and Hulk, causing theGrey Hulk personality to resurface.[13]
To "cure" the Hulk's multiple personality disorder, Samson hypnotizes Banner with theRingmaster's help and integrates the Banner, grey Hulk and green Hulk personalities. This creates a new, more stable personality referred to asProfessor Hulk.[14]
In "Civil War", Samson appears as a member ofIron Man's Pro-Registration team.[15] As part of this group, he helpsShe-Hulk andSpider-Man take down a rampaging robot. The Pro-Registration team ultimately wins whenCaptain America surrenders.[volume & issue needed]
In "Planet Hulk", Samson works with theIlluminati to exile the Hulk from Earth. In "World War Hulk", Hulk returns to Earth and battles Samson and other heroes before being subdued by Iron Man.[16][17]
Following "Secret Invasion", Doc Samson is shown leading a support group meeting with those who had been replaced bySkrulls.[18] In "Dark Reign", Samson attempts to expose the illegal activities ofNorman Osborn and theThunderbolts. Before Samson can show the evidence to thePresident, the Thunderbolts hijack the plane, during whichAnt-Man implants a gamma emitter on Samson's neck that causes him to attack the President.Ghost then phases Samson out of the plane. Osborn believes that Samson survived the fall and places a warrant for his arrest.[19]
InHulk (vol. 2), Samson appears in Russia alongside Iron Man, Thunderbolt Ross, and She-Hulk, investigating the murder of theAbomination at the hands of aHulk-like creature. After an altercation over jurisdiction with theWinter Guard, Samson and Ross return to the United States to consult an imprisoned Bruce Banner.[20]
InThe Incredible Hulk #600 (2009), Samson is brainwashed byMODOK and develops a malevolent split personality.[5][21][22][23] However, Samson later confronts and eliminates this personality. When theIntelligencia develops a Cathexis Ray to transform people into gamma mutates, Samson sacrifices himself to help Bruce Banner absorb its energy.[5][24]
During the "Chaos War" storyline, Doc Samson is temporarily resurrected afterDeath leaves the underworld, enabling its residents to escape.[25] InThe Immortal Hulk, Samson is permanently resurrected via the Green Door. He andSasquatch are killed in battle with theLeader and return to the mortal plane by possessing each other's bodies, respectively assuming the aliases of Doc Sasquatch and Walt Samson.[26][27][28][29][30]
Doc Samson possesses superior physical attributes as a result of bombardment to concentrated gamma rays. The gamma radiation mutated Samson's physique by adding considerable muscle and bone mass to his body, thus granting him immense strength. Initially, Samson's physical strength depends upon the length of his hair, though his mutation eventually stabilized, making the length of his hair no longer a factor. His strength is equal to that of the Gray Hulk, but less powerful than the latter in a calm emotional state. However, unlike the Savage Hulk, it does not increase due toadrenaline surges while getting angry.[7] Like other gamma mutates, Samson is also able to run at tremendous speeds. He can even leap incredible distances vertically and horizontally, though not nearly as far as the Hulk, Abomination, or She-Hulk.
Aside from more muscle/bone mass, his bodily tissues are fortified and considerably harder than to those of an ordinary human, thus granting him dynamic durability. Samson can withstand falls from great heights, extreme temperatures, high caliber bullets, and massive impact forces like being repeatedly struck by the Hulk without sustaining injury. Due to his advanced musculature, Samson's muscles produce considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than a normal human, and grant him unnatural stamina. He has demonstrated this to battle a mindless incarnation of the Hulk for more than six hours.[31]
InThe Immortal Hulk, it is revealed that Samson can resurrect himself after dying by passing through the Green Door, with certain limitations.[32][33][34] While in the body of Sasquatch, he has full access to his bestial abilities.[35]
Doc Samson is a skilled psychiatrist, theoretical technician, and inventor of various medical devices.[7][8][12] He has often called on to counsel several superhumans, such as the members of X-Factor. His powerful mind also permits him to block outpsionic attacks and manipulation. Samson is a formidable unarmed combatant, he has been able to briefly hold his own against the combined forces of Iron Man, Wonder Man, Namor, and Hercules, after they have first battled the mindless Hulk.[36] He sometimes uses psychology as a tool to get through a more powerful opponent's guard, including anInfinity Gem-empoweredTitania.[37]
An alternate universe variant of Doc Samson from Earth-1298 appears inMutant X. This version is a member of theDefenders who possesses a similar appearance to the Hulk while retaining his mind. He is later killed in the conflict between theBeyonder and theGoblyn Queen.[38]
An alternate universe variant of Doc Samson from Earth-2149 appears inMarvel Zombies: Dead Days.[volume & issue needed]
Doc Clamson, an alternate universefunny animal variant of Doc Samson from Earth-1611, appears inPeter Porker, The Spectacular Spider-Ham #16.[39]
An alternate universe variant of Doc Samson from Earth-1610 appears inUltimate Spider-Man #156 asNorman Osborn's psychiatrist.[40]
A character loosely based on Doc Samson namedLeonard Samson appears inThe Incredible Hulk (2008), portrayed byTy Burrell.[43] He is a Culver University psychiatrist who briefly datesBetty Ross untilBruce Banner resurfaces.
Doc Samson appears inThe Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, voiced byDaniel Riordan.[41]
Doc Samson's Jewish heritage is discussed in the nonfiction bookFrom Krakow to Krypton.[44]
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