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Grizzly is the name of four unrelated characters appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The first is a wild west villain, the second is anA.I.M. Agent, the third is a foe ofSpider-Man, and the fourth is a mutant and member ofSix Pack.
The third Grizzly is ex-wrestlerMaxwell "Max"Markham, one ofSpider-Man's enemies.[1] He first appeared inThe Amazing Spider-Man #139 (Dec. 1974) and was created byGerry Conway andRoss Andru.[2]
The fourth Grizzly is Theodore Winchester. He first appeared inX-Force #8 and was created byRob Liefeld.
| Grizzly | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Rawhide Kid vol. 4 #40 (June 1964) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Dick Ayers |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Ace Fenton |
| Species | Human |
| Abilities | Wears a steel-lined grizzly bear costume Ability to manipulate rifles with his paws |
Ace Fenton is a criminal in theOld West who went by the Grizzly name. As the Grizzly made off with money he robbed from the bank, he ran afoul ofTwo-Gun Kid and theRawhide Kid. After his rifle ran out, he ran off with his steel-linedgrizzly bear suit protecting him from their bullets. When Rawhide Kid was suspected of robbing a train, Two-Gun Kid advised him to turn himself over. Ace Fenton himself began stirring up the people of Tombstone to turn against the Rawhide Kid claiming that he trained the Grizzly to rob a train. On the day of the trial, Grizzly broke into the courtroom and abducted Rawhide Kid to make it look like they are partners in crime. He tried to kill Rawhide Kid, but this failed and his mask was removed. Rawhide Kid was not able to get a glimpse of the Grizzly's face when he ran off. Rawhide Kid and Two-Gun Kid found his empty costume and headed to a saloon that the Grizzly had made on mistake. When Ace Fenton revealed himself as the Grizzly, he and Rawhide Kid got into a gunfight. Rawhide Kid defeated Ace Fenton and handed him over to the authorities.[3]
| Grizzly | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Captain America #120 (Dec. 1969) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Gene Colan Joe Sinnott |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Unrevealed |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | A.I.M. |
| Notable aliases | Agent R-1 |
| Abilities | Use of a laser pistol |
A.I.M. had sentGrizzly and Agent R-2 to capture an atomic scientist named Paul Fosgrave at Manning University. Posing as students, they persuaded Mart Baker to help them by using the Hypno-Ray to turn protests into hostile activities as a cover to capture Paul Fosgrave. Mart Baker demanded that his committee be placed in control of the university and the student body divided against each other resulting in a massive fight.Captain America showed up at the scene andMODOK instructed Grizzly and Agent R-2 to capture Paul Fosgrave immediately. As they brought Paul Fosgrave to the roof where their portable copter was waiting, Captain America pursued them with the help of Mart Baker (learning that he was duped by them). Grizzly tried to escape on the copter with Paul Fosgrave, but Captain America shot the copter down with Grizzly's gun. Fosgrave was brought to safety, Agent R-2 was defeated, and Mart Baker and his followers were granted amnesty by the university. Grizzly's fate after the copter crashed is unrevealed.[4]
| Grizzly | |
|---|---|
 Grizzly as seen on the cover ofThe Amazing Spider-Man #139 (Dec. 1974) | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Amazing Spider-Man #139 (Dec. 1974) |
| Created by | Gerry Conway Ross Andru |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Maxwell "Max" Markham |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Legion of Losers Thunderbolts |
| Partnerships | Jackal Kraven |
| Notable aliases | "Crazy Max" Markham |
| Abilities | Adept wrestler Exoskeleton bear suit grants: Superhuman strength and durability Razor-sharp claws |
Maxwell Markham is aprofessional wrestler who competed using thenom de guerre of Grizzly. His violent actions brought him to the attention ofJ. Jonah Jameson, whose articles got Maxwell expelled from wrestling. Ten years later, he met with theJackal, who gave him a grizzly bear suit and an exoskeleton harness that amplified his strength and durability. He used this harness to attack theDaily Bugle in an attempt to get revenge against Jameson for ruining his wrestling career, but Spider-Man defeated him.[5] Grizzly then attempted to defeat Spider-Man alongside Jackal, but was defeated again by Spider-Man and went to jail.[6]
After his release, Markham took his grizzly suit and exoskeleton harness toTinkerer for them to be fixed and upgraded. Grizzly demanded a rematch with Spider-Man so that he could take revenge on Spider-Man and save face among his peers. Spider-Man faked defeat, allowing Grizzly to think he defeated him.[7]
He later joined up withGibbon,Spot, andKangaroo II to become theLegion of Losers. Planning only to get back at Spider-Man, Grizzly and Gibbon were shocked to see Kangaroo II and the Spot robbing a bank. They did capture Spider-Man, but released him, claiming that "He's an all-right guy".[8] The Grizzly and the Gibbon teamed up with Spider-Man to capture the Kangaroo II and the Spot. Grizzly and Gibbon later became crime-fighters and helped Spider-Man (disguised as the Bombastic Bag-Man) again to stopWhite Rabbit's bank robbery.[9][10]
At one point, out on probation, Grizzly tries to turn his life around. His desire to keep wearing the suit, several accidents and the interference of his criminal friends make his life that much more miserable.
Grizzly was brought in byS.H.I.E.L.D. at one point or another, and his interrogation yielded key information that would drive the events of the "Secret War".
Later, Grizzly is receiving legal services from the law offices that employShe-Hulk.[11] He had been accused of a robbery at Madison Square Garden, but his defense was to be that he had been seen fightingPower Pack in New Jersey at the same time.
Grizzly meetsStarfox moments later. Not understanding that Walter's employers have taken on villains for a client, he believes his old Avengers comrade is being menaced by supervillains. Grizzly is punched out by Starfox.
For a time, Maxwell works as an enforcer for the crime lordHammerhead. With a new costume and fangs, he teams with a stylizedBoomerang. At one point, he claims to have a child and that he used his child's college fund to pay for his fangs.[12]
Following the "Civil War" storyline, Maxwell is a self-confessed loser at the wake of theStilt-Man.[13] Almost all of the supervillains at the wake were the victims of murder/attempted murder: thePunisher disguised himself as a barman, poisoned the drinks, and then blew up the bar. Due to prompt medical attention, there were no actual fatalities.
Alyosha Kraven later began collecting a zoo of animal-themed superhumans,[14] includingBushmaster,Gargoyle,Tiger Shark, Kangaroo II, the VaticanBlack Knight'sAragorn,Vulture,Mongoose,Man-Bull,Dragon Man,Swarm,Mandrill,Frog-Man andRhino. In the end, the Punisher managed to sabotage this zoo; though Kraven himself escaped to theSavage Land.
Stephen Colbert's fear of bears is well known, so Grizzly was the natural choice for a villain when Colbert teamed up with Spider-Man[15] as part of a storyline where Stephen Colbert isa major candidate for the presidency in the fictional Marvel Universe.[15]
TheHood sends the Grizzly to take out the Punisher and anyone working with him. However, the Grizzly walked into a trap, with nothing but explosives waiting for him, which the Punisher's assistant then detonated.[16] The Grizzly somehow survived the explosion and was one of the criminals who later confronted the Punisher.[17]
Norman Osborn then appoints the Grizzly to theThunderbolts, sending him on a mission to aid them against theAgents of Atlas. During this time, the Grizzly started wearing a coat that has a bear-shaped hood on it instead of his usual exoskeleton bear suit.[18] The Grizzly is also made the commander of a squadron ofB.A.T.F.E. agents.[19] The Grizzly also joins the Thunderbolts in their mission to retrieve the Spear of Odin during theSiege of Asgard.[20]
During the "Heroic Age" storyline, Grizzly was shown as an inmate at the Raft whenHank Pym brings the students from theAvengers Academy over for a tour.[21]
Hobgoblin later gave an enhanced version of one of the Grizzly's old exoskeleton bear suits to an unnamed criminal who took on the name the Bruin in order to build his reputation. He, Blaze II, and the Devil-Spider II took part in a heist until they encountered theSuperior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus's mind in Spider-Man's body) in theVenom symbiote.[22]
Grizzly later attended a support group called Supervillains Anonymous that was held at a church and also attended byBoomerang,Doctor Bong,Hippo,Looter,Mirage,Porcupine II, and others.[23] At another Supervillains Anonymous meeting, Grizzly and Looter talk about their run-ins with Spider-Man.[24]
While sporting a new version of his exoskeleton bear suit, Grizzly travels toMiami and attacksScott Lang, mistaking him for his enemyEric O'Grady and unaware that Eric is dead. After the misunderstanding is cleared up, Scott offers Grizzly a job at the newly established Ant-Man Security Solutions.[25] On Scott Lang's behalf, Grizzly enlistsMachinesmith to help rescue Cassandra Lang fromCross Technological Enterprises,[26] and later aids him against a revenge attack byDarren Cross,Crossfire, andEgghead.[27]
During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Grizzly and Machinesmith join the Army of Evil duringHYDRA's rise to power.[28]
| Grizzly | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | X-Force #8 (March 1992) |
| Created by | Fabian Nicieza Rob Liefeld |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Theodore Wyatt Winchester |
| Species | Human Mutant |
| Team affiliations | Six Pack Weapon P.R.I.M.E. |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, senses and size Razor-sharp claws and fangs Use of conventional firearms |
Theodore Winchester was one of the members ofCable's mercenary group originally named the Wild Pack. Grizzly participated in the Wild Pack's raid on a HYDRA base ten years ago.[a] Grizzly also participated in the Wild Pack's mission in Iran. Because of conflicts withSilver Sable's group of the same name, they later changed their name to theSix Pack instead. Grizzly participated in the Six Pack's confrontations withStryfe in Afghanistan and Uruguay. During a mission for the arms dealerTolliver, the Six Pack fell apart.[29]
Years later,G. W. Bridge, another Six Pack-member, asked Grizzly to joinWeapon P.R.I.M.E., a group created to capture Cable. Weapon P.R.I.M.E. attacked Cable and his team, X-Force. Grizzly was defeated byWarpath, and the mission failed.[30]
Grizzly left the team, then teamed up withDomino in her search for X-Force.[31] Grizzly is then reunited with fellow former Six Pack memberHammer.[32] Grizzly, Domino, and Hammer then captured the shape-shifter,Vanessa.[33] Domino joined X-Force shortly afterwards and Grizzly went home to lead a quiet life.[34]
Some time later, he became a serial killer while under mind control fromGenesis, Cable's son. Domino investigated the deaths and fought with Grizzly. She was forced to kill him, but promised the dying Grizzly not to tell Cable about his son's actions.[35]
Grizzly reappeared alive inDeadpool & Cable: Split Second.[36]
Ace Fester wore a grizzly bear suit that is lined with steel to protect him from bullets. He can use his paws to manipulate rifles.
The A.I.M version uses a laser pistol in combat.
Maxwell "Max" Markham wears an exoskeleton bear suit which grants him superhuman strength and durability, designed by Professor Miles Warren and later modified by the Tinkerer. The Grizzly suit also has razor-sharp claws. As a former professional wrestler, he is adept in hand-to-hand combat.
Theodore Winchester is amutant who possesses a bear-like body with superhuman physical abilities and powerful claws and fangs.
In 2022,CBR.com ranked the Max Markham incarnation of Grizzly 4th in their "Spider-Man's 10 Funniest Villains" list.[37]
An alternate universe variant of Theodore Winchester / Grizzly from Earth-295 appears inAge of Apocalypse. This version is a mass murderer and servant ofApocalypse who is later killed byForge.[38][39]
An alternate universe variant of Grizzly from Earth-1610 appears inUltimate X-Men. This version is a Native American student of theXavier Institute who can transform into an anthropomorphic bear. Additionally, an alternate universe variant from Earth-2107 appears as an ally ofCable and member of the Six Pack.[40][41]
An alternate universe variant of Maxwell Markham / Grizzly appears in theSecret Wars tie-in1872. This version is a mercenary in the Valley of Doom, aWild West-themedBattleworld domain formed from the remnants of Earth-51920.[42][43]
With every bit of order in Spider-Man's life came a fair amount of disorder, and in this [Gerry] Conway/[Ross] Andru issue, that chaos came in the form of another new Spider-Man villain, the Grizzly.
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