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| The Yellow Claw | |
|---|---|
 Yellow Claw #1, cover art byJoe Maneely | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Yellow Claw #1 (October 1956)[1] |
| Created by | Al Feldstein (writer) Joe Maneely (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Plan Chu |
| Notable aliases | The Golden Claw (his preferred transliteration from the Chinese characters of his title to English) Bhagwan Sri Ananda |
| Abilities | Telepathy Genius-level intellect Long lifespan |
The Yellow Claw is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by writerAl Feldstein and artistJoe Maneely, the character first appeared inYellow Claw #1 (cover-dated October 1956), published byAtlas Comics, the 1950s predecessor of Marvel.[2]
TheYellow Claw series chronicled the adventures of a Chinese-AmericanFBI agent,Jimmy Woo, and his battles against a "Yellow Peril" Communistmandarin known only as the Yellow Claw.[3] The title character was aFu Manchumanqué (indeed, Fu Manchu authorSax Rohmer had written a novel titledThe Yellow Claw) whose grandniece, Suwan, was in love with Woo.[citation needed]
While the short-livedespionage series named for him ran for only four issues (October 1956 – April 1957),[4] it featured work by such notables as writerAl Feldstein and artistJoe Maneely (who created the character),Jack Kirby, andJohn Severin, and introduced characters later integrated intoMarvel Comics continuity.[5] Kirby took over as writer-artist with issue #2 – his ownpencil art there and in the following issue representing two of the very rare occasions on which he did so. Unusually for a Kirby series, other artists drew the covers: Severin on #2 and 4, andBill Everett on #3.[5]
The series' influence was felt during the 1960sSilver Age of Comic Books, as writer-artistJim Steranko brought the Yellow Claw intoMarvel Comics continuity, beginning with the "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." feature inStrange Tales #160 (September 1967), which introduced a robot version of the character.[6] Woo was reintroduced that same issue, eventually joining the espionage agencyS.H.I.E.L.D. inNick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 (July 1968). The actual Yellow Claw resurfaced later, inCaptain America #164 (August 1973).[citation needed]
The Yellow Claw was born over 150 years ago in mainlandChina.[citation needed] He is both a genius in biochemistry and a brilliant scientist and inventor in many fields, in addition to being an expert in mysticism,alchemy, and the martial arts.[citation needed] The Yellow Claw has formulated elixirs that have prolonged his life span, enabling him to retain his physical vitality. Following hisNick Fury appearances, artists have depicted him with an unusualjaundiced-looking, yellowish skin tone, possibly as a side effect of his life extension elixirs.[citation needed]
The Yellow Claw has dedicated himself to achieving world domination and supplantingWestern civilization. He controls a worldwide criminal organization, along with a staff of research scientists and engineers. In 1942, the Yellow Claw encounteredLady Lotus in New York'sChinatown.[7] In the 1950s, aided by his second-in-command, theNaziwar criminal Karl von Horstbaden, alias Fritz Voltzmann, the Claw forged a pact withCommunist Chinese leaders including General Sung, whereby the Claw would seek to conquer the West for China. In fact, this was a ruse and he intended to conquer the world for himself. However, the Claw was continually foiled by FBI agentJimmy Woo and betrayed by his sole living relative, his grandniece Suwan, whom he could not bring himself to kill.[8]
Eventually, the Yellow Claw left the United States, placing the meddlesome Suwan insuspended animation. Decades later, after severing all of his ties with the People's Republic of China, the Claw fused Suwan's spirit with that of the conquest-minded ancientEgyptian Princess Fan-le-tamen. After the Claw was later betrayed by the vengeful Suwan, he transferred the spirit of Fan-le-tamen to himself, which caused Suwan to crumble into dust, and he escaped.[9] The Yellow Claw then took part in the Black Lama's War of the Super-Villains, apparently killing his major rival for world conquest theMandarin and battling thesuperheroIron Man.[10] He then attempted to destroy New York City using a tidal wave, but his effort was thwarted by Nick Fury and the teenage superheroNova.[11] A later plan to father sons by various genetically superior women, then sterilize mankind and rule the world, was foiled by the superhero team theAvengers.[12] The Yellow Claw again attempted unsuccessfully to destroy New York City.[13] He later named the secondMadame Hydra as his new heir.[14]
Sometime after the 1950s events, an entity believed to be the Yellow Claw sent troops to invadeLiberty Island and activate a powerful device there, but Nick Fury andCaptain America foiled his plans. However, this was a robot impostor created byDoctor Doom as part of an elaborate, potentially world-destroying game between Doom and another of his robotic creations, the Prime Mover. The "Suwan" and "Fritz Voltzmann" accompanying this Yellow Claw were also robot impostors.[15]
In a laterStrange Tales story, it is unclear if this Yellow Claw is a robot.[16][17]
The Yellow Claw appears as a character in the 2006–2007 Marvel six-issue miniseriesAgents of Atlas. He claimed that the title "the Yellow Claw" is actually a mistranslation of the Chinese characters and that his title is actually "the Golden Claw".[18] He revealed his real name to be Plan Chu,Khan of a secretMongol dynasty, who had chosen Jimmy Woo to be his heir. All his schemes to "conquer the world" had the secondary purpose of giving Woo an Asian menace to fight against and establish his credentials as an American hero. However, the plan did not succeed, as Woo was simply promoted to a bureaucratic desk job. Dispirited, the Claw established the Atlas Foundation. After revealing the truth to Woo – who accepted the role of Khan in order to turn the Atlas Foundation and the secret Mongol dynasty into a force for good – Plan Chu, like all the previous Khans, allowed himself to be eaten by Mr. Lao, a powerful immortal dragon, ensuring that there could not be two Khans.[19]
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Through manipulation of the forces of magic, the Yellow Claw is able to create certain effects, including reanimating the dead. He also has the ability to psychically influence the sensory perceptions of others, enabling him to cast extremely realisticillusions. As a result of ingesting chemical elixirs, he has extended his life span; the Yellow Claw's extended life-span is dependent on the continued efficacy of his life-prolonging elixirs.
The Yellow Claw is an extraordinary genius with extensive knowledge in various sciences, particularly biochemistry and genetics. He is also proficient in robotics and has considerable knowledge of black magical lore. He is a master of Chinese martial arts and is an expert hand-to-hand combatant.
The Yellow Claw wears body armor and has access to various weapons as needed. He has access to specialized technology, including an id paralyzer that creates slaves subject to his telepathic control and a mind-amplification helmet that harnesses the psychic energies of his mind-slaves as a destructive force. He also has access to gigantic and hideously mutated creatures of his own design, created by biologists in his employ.
In an alternate universe in the late 1950s, the Yellow Claw recruited a team of superhuman minions and abducted PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower. He battled and was defeated by the 1950s "Avengers" team.[20]
Some of the stories from theYellow Claw series have been reprinted in other publications.
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