Klaw(Ulysses Klaue)[3]is asupervillainappearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byMarvel Comics.The character is depicted as a human physicist who has been transformed into solid sound, and who wears a sonic emitter on his right wrist as a prosthetic device. He is often in conflict with theFantastic Fourand theAvengers,and he is also an enemy of theBlack PantherandKa-Zar.[4]
| Klaw | |
|---|---|
 Klaw battles theFantastic Fouron the cover ofFantastic Four#56 (Nov. 1966). | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance |
|
| Created by | Stan Lee(writer) Jack Kirby(artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Ulysses Klaue |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Team affiliations |
|
| Notable aliases | Ulysses Klaw Master of Sound |
| Abilities |
|
The character is featured in other Marvel-endorsed products such as arcade andvideo games,animatedtelevision series,and merchandise such astrading cards.Andy Serkisportrays Klaue in theMarvel Cinematic Universe(MCU) filmsAvengers: Age of Ultron(2015) andBlack Panther(2018), and theDisney+seriesWhat If...?(2021).
Publication history
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The character first appeared inFantastic Four#53 (1966) and was created byStan LeeandJack Kirby.[5]
Fictional character biography
editUlysses Klaue is the son ofNaziwar criminal Colonel Fritz Klaue of the Blitzkrieg Squad led byBaron Strucker.He was sent byAdolf HitlertoWakandato learn their secrets. AfterWorld War II,he moved back toBelgium,later anglicized his name to "Klaw", and raised his son with tales of Wakanda.[3]
Klaw later becomes aphysicist,working in the field of applied sonics. To continue his design of a sound transducer which converts sound waves into physical mass, Klaw steals the metalvibraniumto power his device. This is a metal substance known to exist only in certain meteoric deposits in the small African nation of Wakanda. By stealing this rare mineral, Klaw comes into conflict with the Wakandan ruler/superheroT'Chaka,whom Klaw murders in cold blood. T'Chaka's adolescent sonT'Challa,who watched his father fall to the invaders, then attacks Klaw to avenge his father. Klaw manages to escape at the cost of his right hand.[6][7]
Years later, Ulysses resurfaces with a sonic emitter/gun on his right wrist as a replacementprostheticdevice for his missing hand, that can create any kind of object or creature he can conceive by only using sound. He has also created a device that turns him into a being composed solely of sound, making him immortal in the process.[8]Klaw as a professional criminal battles T'Challa (who has now officially become the newestBlack Panther) andsuperheroteam theFantastic Fourin New York state, but he is defeated.[9]
Klaw is imprisoned but freed by theCrimson Cowl,which turns out to be an alias ofUltron.Joining the second incarnation of theMasters of Evil,Klaw and the other villains battle superhero team, the Avengers. The Avengers, however, defeat them, with the Black Panther subduing Klaw.[10]Klaw would attempt to reform the second Masters of Evil to fight the Avengers, but his scheme would be foiled by the all-female team theLady Liberators.[11]
Managing to escape custody again, Klaw journeys back to Wakanda where he helps steal a device capable of augmenting the metal-disintegrating property of a vibranium alloy. Encountering theThing,theHuman Torch,and the Black Panther, Klaw is defeated.[12]
Klaw later joins forces with the murderousSolarrand traps the Avengers within a solid sound barrier. Klaw threatens to execute them if the Black Panther did not abdicate the throne of Wakanda to him. Realizing that Klaw himself is disguised as one of the hostages while using a sound creation of himself to appear outside the barrier, the Panther manages to expose and subdue Klaw and Solarr before he could make good on his threat.[13]
Klaw is later freed from prison by a member of the extra dimensional race ofSheenareans,who wish him to use his sonic powers to help open a dimensional portal big enough for their invading armada to enter Earth. Klaw agrees and after a skirmish withKa-ZarinLondon,he travels with the Sheenarean to theSavage Landwhere there is a vibranium deposit large enough to create the portal. After Ka-Zar repulses the invaders, Klaw flees into the Sheenarean dimension, and unable to salvage anything substantial from his allies, uses their technology to return to Earth.[14]
Materializing in theNexus of All Realitieslocated in the Florida Everglades, Klaw happens upon the wand of theMolecule Man.Helping the Molecule Man find a body to possess, Klaw and his new ally travel to New York to wreak revenge on their common enemy, the Fantastic Four. Klaw is subdued by the visitingImpossible Man.[15]
Klaw finds his powers waning, which results in him having to manipulate a group of street youths into helping him gain the material needed to restore his power. With Black Panther's help, Klaw's scheme backfires.[16]He finds himself imprisoned within his own gun-hand, stored at the research facilityProject Pegasus.InMarvel Two-in-One#57-58 (Nov.-Dec 1979), Klaw is freed by fellow villainSolarr,although both are defeated by a group of heroes, including theThing,Quasar,Giant-Man,andAquarian.[17]
After that, Klaw fights the Thing, Ka-Zar, andAmerican Eagle.[18]
Klaw's career soon takes a downward spiral, after an encounter with the mutantDazzlerresults in his humanoid form being dissolved and his sound energy being blasted out into space, where it ends up being collected byGalactus.[19]His energy is found byDoctor Doomduring thelimited seriesSecret Wars.Doom restores Klaw to normal. The loss of his physical form has had repercussions; Klaw now has the mind of a child and is quite insane, a symptom of which is speaking in rhyme. Doom exploits Klaw's madness, convincing the villain to re-dissect him as part of a mad gambit to steal the powers of both Galactus and theBeyonder.However, the Beyonder possesses Klaw after losing his powers, leading to Klaw tricking Doom into giving up his stolen Godhood and teleporting the two back to Earth, where Klaw's mental state slowly heals.[20]
Klaw fightsDaredevilandVision,before being recruited by theWizardto join his latest incarnation of the Frightful Four. Attacking the Fantastic Four while the group are performing a delicate scientific procedure on theHuman Torch(whose powers had gone out of control), Klaw throws The Thing into the medical pod that was attempting to drain the excess radiation from Torch, resulting in Ben Grimm being returned to normal. Klaw and his teammates, along with the Fantastic Four, are quickly captured by the rogueWatcherAron,who ultimately returns Klaw and his fellow villains to prison after the Fantastic Four break free.[21]
Klaw's imprisonment would not last. Escaping during theActs of Vengeancestory line, Klaw is taken in byA.I.M.,who plant a pain-control device into his gun-hand to control him. He is then sent to attack the reformed supervillainessVolcana,in hopes of luring out her loverMolecule Manbut abandons the battle when his gun-hand is destroyed.[volume & issue needed]Klaw is later recruited by the "Pacific Overlords"group, led byDoctor Demonicus,but turns against the group and instead aids theWest Coast Avengersin defeating them when it becomes apparent that Demonicus had become a thrall of a dangerous demon.[22]He later joinsJustine Hammer's version of the Masters of Evil, fighting theThunderboltson several occasions.[volume & issue needed]When Earth's vibranium deposits begin to explode due to a 'vibranium cancer' introduced into the world whenCaptain America's shieldwas broken and improperly repaired,[volume & issue needed]Klaw travels to Wakanda with the goal of absorbing the sound energy of the imminent explosion to become even stronger. Captain America is able to defeat him when he uses the damaged shield to absorb Klaw's attack. The blast realigns the shield molecules so that the shield is repaired and the vibranium cancer destroyed.[23]
Klaw features in the opening arc of the fourth Black Panther series, a flashback story that features the origin of the title character. The character ultimately resurfaces again, having (through unknown means) successfully uploaded his sound based essence onto theInternetand later been downloaded, viaBitTorrent,by the Wizard to fight the Fantastic Four again as part of a new incarnation of the Frightful Four.[24]
Klaw is later seen with Wizard's Frightful Four when it comes to helping Intelligencia capture Mister Fantastic.[25]
Chameleonlater poses as Klaw to infiltrate Intelligencia and be ready for theSinister Sixto attack them.[26]
Klaw is enlisted by the Wizard to captureCarnage,so that he can be added to the latest version of the Frightful Four, alongsideKarl Malus.The Wizard's attempts to control the symbiote (which is in control of Kasady's lobotomised body) fail, so he decides to bond it to Malus, and subdue his mind. Klaw subdues Malus, and the operation is a success, creating "Superior Carnage". The "Frightful Foundation" then attack New York city hall, as part of Wizard's plan to get his clone son's attention. During a battle withSuperior Spider-Man,Wizard loses control of Superior Carnage, who stabs Klaw with a vibranium spear, causing him to detonate. The sonic explosion tears the symbiote away from Malus, and onto Wizard, but it then abandons him for Kasady (Whom Superior Spider-Man had brought to the scene). As Carnage attempts to kill Wizard, Klaw, whose consciousness had been projected onto the "sound wall" of the universe by the explosion, focuses the last of his strength into creating a bolt of lightning that brings down Carnage, separating the symbiote from its host. Klaw reflects that that could be his final act, as his essence spreads further into the sound wall, and will soon be too thin for him to retain his consciousness.[27]
During theAvengers: Standoff!storyline, Klaw is an inmate of Pleasant Hill, a gated community established byS.H.I.E.L.D.[28]
Powers and abilities
editCourtesy of avibranium-powered sonic converter, Ulysses Klaw was converted into a being composed of psionically "solidified" sound, giving him a somewhat inhuman appearance. The character is described as having superhuman durability and strength sufficient to lift tons of matter. The molybdenum steel sound generator that serves as a prosthetic appliance on Klaw's right wrist is able to transform ambient sound to perform a series of functions, including the projection of intense high-volume sonic waves and blasts of concussive force and the creation of mobile sound/mass constructs. The sound converter was invented by Klaw and later improved byAIMscientists and technicians.[volume & issue needed]Klaw can also sense his surroundings using sonar. When he fought Volcana while trying to abduct Molecule Man he demonstrated the ability to create "cohesive sound".[volume & issue needed]This was essentially an entangling/crushing construct that absorbed ambient noise to increase its size and strength. The noise from the target's struggles to remove the construct would make it larger and stronger. Volcana was only able to escape it by changing into her ash form.[volume & issue needed]After Klaw became temporarily commingled with the ship of the cosmic entityGalactusand reconstructed byDoctor Doom,he became able to create semi-autonomous creatures that he could direct to attack his foes and his creatures are similarly made of solidified sound and display a similar superhuman strength level as Klaw himself.[29]
Klaw is unable to regain his original organic form. He has a susceptibility to vibranium, which can cause his mass/energy form to temporarily collapse. He is also subject to temporary mild insanity when forced to exist as sonic energy without humanoid form for long periods of time. As a result of his transformation, Klaw was at first unable to exist outside a medium that allows the propagation of sound waves (i.e. in a vacuum) without the technological improvements made to his sonic converter by AIM. But after being reconstituted by A.I.M. his "solid sound" body has different properties than normal sound waves and is not affected by a vacuum.[volume & issue needed]It was demonstrated that in this form that Klaw could also generate and direct sonic attacks through physical objects without needing his emitter by merely touching the material.
Klaw holds a Ph.D. in physics and is an expert physicist specializing in applied sonics.
Reception
edit- In 2018,ComicBookranked Klaw 2nd in their "8 Best Black Panther Villains" list.[30]
- In 2020,Comic Book Resources(CBR) ranked Klaw 4th in their "Marvel: Ranking Black Panther's Rogues Gallery" list.[31]
- In 2022,Screen Rantincluded Klaw in their "15 Most Powerful Black Panther Villains" list.[32]
- In 2022, CBR ranked Klaw 2nd in their "10 Most Iconic Black Panther Villains" list.[33]
Other versions
editHeroes Reborn
editIn theHeroes Rebornuniverse, created byFranklin Richards,Klaw appears as a member ofLoki'sMasters of Evil.[34]
In other media
editTelevision
edit- Klaw appears inFantastic Four(1967), voiced byHal Smith.[citation needed]
- Klaw makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in theSpider-Man and His Amazing Friendsepisode "Attack of the Arachnoid".[citation needed]
- Klaw appears in theFantastic Four(1994) episode "Prey of the Black Panther", voiced byCharles Howerton.[citation needed]Years ago, he infiltratedWakandaand killedT'Chaka,but loses his right hand to T'Chaka's son, T'Challa, who goes on to become theBlack Pantherand seek revenge against Klaw. In the present, Klaw attacks Wakanda, having replaced his missing hand with a sonic inverter. He fights Black Panther and theFantastic Four,during which he is transformed into an entity made of solidified sound, only to be defeated when the heroes useVibraniumto absorb Klaw.
- Klaw appears in theFantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroesepisode "Frightful", voiced by an uncredited actor.[citation needed]This version is a member of theFrightful Four.
- Klaw appears inThe Super Hero Squad Show,voiced byA. J. Buckley.[35][36]This version is a member ofDoctor Doom'sLethal Legion.
- Klaw appears inBlack Panther,voiced byStephen Stanton.[36]This version has a cybernetic hand that can convert into a variety of tools.
- Klaw appears inThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes,voiced byMark Hamill.[36]He assistsMan-Apein killing T'Chaka to seize control of Wakanda's Vibranium deposits before being transformed into a sound-based entity after theGrim Reaperblasts him into Wakanda's Vibranium mound. He attacks the Reaper until Ant-Man andIron Manuse Vibranium to absorb him.
- Klaw appears inUltimate Spider-Man,voiced byMatt Lanter.[36][37]This version is a member of the Frightful Four.
- Ulysses Klaue appears inAvengers Assemble,voiced byDavid Shaughnessyin the third season andTrevor Devallin the fifth season.[36]This version wields a sonic converter in place of his left hand.
- Ulysses Klaue appears inLego Marvel Super Heroes - Black Panther: Trouble in Wakanda,voiced again by Trevor Devall.[38]
- Ulysses Klaue appears in theMarvel Future Avengersepisode "Black Panther", voiced byTaketorain Japanese andPatrick Seitzin English.[36]
- Klaw appears inLego Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition,voiced again by Trevor Devall.[36]
Marvel Cinematic Universe
edit
Ulysses Klaue appears in media set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe(MCU), portrayed byAndy Serkis.This version is anAfrikanerarms dealer and an old acquaintance ofTony Starkwho was literally branded a thief after stealing Vibranium from Wakanda. Klaue first appears in the 2015 live-action filmAvengers: Age of Ultron,[39]and makes a subsequent appearance in the 2018 live-action filmBlack Panther.[40]Additionally, Serkis voices an alternate timeline version of Klaue in theDisney+animated seriesWhat If...?episode "What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?".[41][42][43][44]
Video games
edit- Klaw appears as a Boss inCaptain America and the Avengers.[45]
- Both the comics and MCU incarnations of Klaw appear as playable characters inLego Marvel's Avengers,voiced again byMatt Lanter.[citation needed]
- Klaw appears as a Boss and playable character inLego Marvel Super Heroes 2.[46]Additionally, his MCU counterpart appears as a playable character via theBlack PantherDLC.[47]
- Klaw appears as a playable character inMarvel: Future Fight.[48]
- Klaw appears as a Boss inMarvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order,voiced again by David Shaughnessy.[49][36]
- Klaw appears as the final Boss of the "War for Wakanda" DLC story expansion forMarvel's Avengers,voiced bySteve Blum.[50]He andCrossbonesare hired byMonica RappacciniofA.I.M.to steal Vibranium from Wakanda, only for the pair to run afoul of the Black Panther and the Avengers. In the ensuing fight, Klaw becomes exposed to raw sonic energy-infused Vibranium and transforms into a being of pure sound, but eventually dies as a result of the mutation.
References
edit- ^Misiroglu, Gina Renée; Eury, Michael (2006).The Supervillain Book: The Evil Side of Comics and Hollywood.Visible Ink Press.ISBN9780780809772.
- ^Conroy, Mike(2004).500 Comicbook Villains.Collins & Brown.ISBN1-84340-205-X.
- ^abFantastic Four Unlimited,no. 1 (1993).Marvel Comics.
- ^Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017).Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History.DK Publishing. p. 118.ISBN978-1465455505.
- ^DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019).The Marvel Encyclopedia.DK Publishing. p. 205.ISBN978-1-4654-7890-0.
- ^Fantastic Four#53 (August 1966)
- ^Rovin, Jeff(1987).The Encyclopedia of Super-Villains.New York: Facts on File. p. 180.ISBN0-8160-1356-X.[1]
- ^Fantastic Four#53
- ^Fantastic Four#56
- ^The Avengers#54-55
- ^The Avengers#83
- ^Fantastic Four#119
- ^The Avengers#126
- ^Ka-Zarvol. 2 #16-20
- ^Fantastic Four#187
- ^Black Panther#14-15
- ^Marvel Two-in-One#57-58
- ^Marvel Two-in-OneAnnual #6
- ^Dazzler#9-11
- ^Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars#6-12
- ^Fantastic Four#326-333
- ^Avengers West Coast#93-95
- ^Captain Americavol. 3 #22
- ^Fantastic Four#547
- ^Hulkvol. 2 #19, March 2010
- ^The Amazing Spider-Man#676
- ^Superior Carnage#1-5
- ^Avengers Standoff: Assault on Pleasant Hill Alpha#1
- ^Secret Wars#8 (Dec. 1984)
- ^"The 8 Best Black Panther Villains".Marvel.21 February 2018.RetrievedOctober 16,2022.
- ^Epps, De'Angelo (December 7, 2020)."Marvel: Ranking Black Panther's Rogues Gallery".CBR.RetrievedOctober 16,2022.
- ^Harn, Darby (September 25, 2021)."15 Most Powerful Black Panther Villains".Screen Rant.RetrievedOctober 16,2022.
- ^Eckhardt, Peter (November 30, 2022)."10 Most Iconic Black Panther Villains".CBR.RetrievedJanuary 3,2023.
- ^The Avengersvol. 2 #8
- ^"Marvel Super Hero Squad Voice Cast".Comics Continuum. July 28, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 2009-07-31.RetrievedJanuary 6,2011.
- ^abcdefgh"Klaw Voices (Black Panther)".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedJanuary 27,2024.A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
- ^"SNEAK PEEK: 'ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN' ON DISNEY XD (STILLS, VIDEO)".Archived fromthe originalon March 8, 2012.RetrievedMarch 6,2012.
- ^Goldman, Eric (May 25, 2018)."Okoye Works to Help Save Shuri in New 'LEGO Marvel Super Heroes – Black Panther: Trouble in Wakanda' Short".Marvel Entertainment.Archived fromthe originalon July 10, 2018.RetrievedJune 4,2018.
- ^"'The Avengers: Age of Ultron' New Stills, Behind-the-Scenes in High Resolution; Serkis Confirmed as Klaw ".Stitch Kingdom. February 3, 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 2015-02-04.RetrievedFebruary 4,2015.
- ^Gonzalez, Umberto (September 28, 2016)."'Black Panther' Hires 'Person of Interest' Star Winston Duke as Villain ".TheWrap.Archivedfrom the original on October 3, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 28,2016.
- ^Mancuso, Vinnie (July 20, 2019)."Marvel's 'What If?' Announces Massive Voice Cast of MCU Stars & Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher".Collider.Archivedfrom the original on July 21, 2019.RetrievedJuly 27,2019.
- ^Campbell, Scott (August 1, 2021)."Here Are All the Marvel Actors Doing Voices in 'What If...?'".Collider.Archivedfrom the original on August 2, 2021.RetrievedAugust 1,2021.
- ^Hermanns, Grant (July 12, 2021)."Andy Serkis Confirms Return as Black Panther Villain In Marvel's What If".Screen Rant.Archivedfrom the original on July 12, 2021.RetrievedJuly 12,2021.
- ^Jasper, Gavin (September 15, 2021)."What If…? Episode 6 Review: Killmonger to the Rescue".Den of Geek.Archivedfrom the original on September 15, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 15,2021.
- ^"Throwback Thursday: Captain America and the Avengers Arcade Game".ComicBook.
- ^"Characters".IGN Database.19 May 2017.Retrieved28 January2018.
- ^"LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 Adds 'Black Panther' DLC Pack Inspired by Marvel Studios' Upcoming Film".Marvel Entertainment.Retrieved2021-08-18.
- ^"The King of Wakanda Rules Marvel Games - News - Marvel".
- ^"Enemies – MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3: The Black Order for Nintendo Switch™".marvelultimatealliance3.nintendo.
- ^"Everything We Revealed In Our War Table for Wakanda".Marvel's Avengers.16 August 2021.Retrieved2021-08-18.