TheEnforcersare a team ofsupervillainsappearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byMarvel Comics,usually as adversaries of thesuperheroesSpider-ManandDaredevil.The original Enforcers consisted ofMontana(Jackson Brice), the Ox (Raymond Bloch), and Fancy Dan (Daniel Brito).
| The Enforcers | |
|---|---|
 Cover art forDaredevil(vol. 2) #102. Art byMarko Djurdjevic. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Amazing Spider-Man#10 (March 1964) |
| Created by | Stan Lee(writer) Steve Ditko(artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Base(s) | New York City |
| Member(s) | the Ox Montana Fancy Dan "Snake" Marston "Hammer" Harrison |
Publication history
editThe Enforcers first appeared inThe Amazing Spider-Man#10 (March 1964), and were created by writer-editorStan Leeand artist and co-plotterSteve Ditko.[1][2]
The Enforcers appear often in the early issues ofThe Amazing Spider-Man,debuting in #10,[3]and returning in #14 and 19, in the latter issue teaming with thesupervillaintheSandman.The team would go on to appear inDaredevil#356–357 andDazzler#7–8, and fight Spider-Man again inMarvel Team-Up#39–40 and 138,Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man#19–20,Spider-Man#94–95,Spider-Man(vol. 2) #28, and elsewhere.
Fictional team biography
editThe Enforcers are a group of hired hitmen and extortionists, each with an expertise in a different and unique area of combat, whose goal it is to aid various employers in the takeover of New York City's criminal gangs.[4]In their first appearance, the Enforcers aided theBig Man(Frederick Foswell) in his attempt to gain control of New York City's criminal gangs. They clashed with the superheroSpider-Manfor the first time, and are defeated by him.[5][6]
They were subsequently employed by paranoid industrialistNorman Osborn,hired them to shut down Malone's Flophouse in a bid to gain the land. However, the then-amnesiac Malone residentNamorthe Sub-Mariner thwarted them, later destroying Osborn's construction equipment.[7]They next aided the Green Goblin in his first unsuccessful attempt to eliminate Spider-Man, but were again defeated and jailed.[8]Soon after that, they joined forces with theSandmanto subdue theHuman Torchat a point where it was believed Spider-Man had become a coward, but are defeated by the combined might of Spider-Man and the Human Torch.[9]
The Enforcers clash repeatedly with Spider-Man and occasionally other heroes such asDaredevil.Foswell is eventually unmasked, but later reforms and is killed. Afterward, the Ox also appears to have been killed,[10]
Montana and Fancy Dan team with a newBig Man,as well as with the Sandman and a newCrime Master,Nick Lewis, Jr. son of the original. During a battle in which the team is defeated by Spider-Man, the Human Torch, and theSons of the Tiger,Crime Master shoots the new Big Man, learning belatedly that this "Big Man" was, in fact, a woman — Janice Foswell, daughter of the original and the younger Lewis' romantic interest.[11]
The Enforcers were hired byLightmaster,who introduced a new Ox, Raymond Bloch's twin brother Ronald Bloch, to the team. The Enforcers are once again defeated by Spider-Man.[12]They later battle the mutant superheroine theDazzler.[13]
The Enforcers return with new members "Snake" Marston and "Hammer" Harrison. The Enforcers come under the employ of theKingpin,but were defeated by Spider-Man and the then-reformed Sandman.[14]This lineup appears only once more to fight Daredevil.[15]
The original Ox (Raymond Bloch) returns, revived by the Kingpin.[16]It is unclear whether it is Raymond or Ronald Bloch who appears with Montana and Fancy Dan in subsequent battles with Spider-Man[17]and theShe-Hulk.[18]
During the events known as the superheroCivil War,either Raymond or Ronald Bloch and "Snake" Marston are recruited into theThunderbolts,a team of reformed villains.[19]
Later, they came back together to work forMister Fear,which pitted them directly against Daredevil.[volume & issue needed]After Mister Fear's arrest, the Enforcers are taken in to work for theHood's crime organization.[volume & issue needed]
Following the events of the storyline "Spider-Man: Brand New Day",the Enforcers are patrons at the Bar with No Name. They take bets with a person calling himself" the Bookie ", over whether Spider-Man will show up to battle" Basher ", an unknown villain who claimed to have fought Spider-Man. Spider-Man shows up, but is revealed to be Screwball in disguise when the real one shows up at the scene of the fight. The Enforcers decide to get revenge on the Bookie, capturing him. The Bookie's father calls Spider-Man for assistance and he agrees to help. Spider-Man defeats Fancy Dan and Montana and saves the Ox from being flattened by a falling roller coaster. Grateful for the save, the Ox agrees to come along quietly.[20]
During the "Origin of the Species" ' storyline, Spider-Man goes against the villains afterMenace's infant was stolen from him by theChameleon.The Enforcers were not actually part of this group, where they quoted "we're the Enforcers, not the Kidnappers". They got caught in the crossfire anyway when the Sandman tries to recruit them to team up with him again.[21]
Montana then started working for the Kingpin. During a fight which resulted in the Kingpin's office crumbling, the Hobgoblin lets him fall to his death in order to take his place as Fisk's right-hand man.[22]
The Enforcers (Fancy Dan, the Ox, "Snake" Marston and "Hammer" Harrison) are reassembled by the fourthCrime Master,who convinces them and theBlack Catto assist him with breakingHammerheadandTombstoneout of Ryker's Island. The attempted breakout is prevented by Spider-Man and theWraithand the Crime Master is revealed to be an impostor whoMister Negativehad instructed to assassinate Hammerhead and Tombstone.[23][24]
During the "Hunted"storyline," Snake "Marston is among the animal-themed characters that were captured by theTaskmasterand theBlack AntforKraven the Hunter's Great Hunt, which is sponsored byArcade's company, Arcade Industries. He was seen at a gathering held by theVulture.[25]
During the "Devil's Reign"storyline, the Enforcers members Fancy Dan, Ox, Montana, Snake Marston, and Hammer Harrison were shown as inmates of the Myrmidon. When8-Balloffered to sit with them, they turn him down.[26]
During the "Gang War"storyline, the Enforcers are shown to haveRidgewood, Queensas their territory.[27]HobgoblinandProwler(Aaron Davis) sway the Enforcers to their side by providing them with some weaponry. While Miles Morales and Cape Killers membersScorpionand Gust are investigating Hobgoblin activity inSheepshead Bay, Brooklyn,they are attacked by Prowler and the Enforcers. Despite the high-tech weaponry that they wielded, the Enforcers were defeated by Scorpion and Gust.[28]
Membership
editOriginal members
editThe group originally consisted of:
- Fancy Dan- Daniel Brito is a diminutivemartial artistfrom Brooklyn who is proficient in judo, karate, and kicking.
- Ox I- Raymond Bloch is a brutish strongman and the twin brother of Ronald Bloch.
- Montana- Jackson W. Brice is an expertlasso-wielder.
Later members
editThese members were later additions to the group. They consisted of:
- Ox II- A brutish strongman and Raymond Bloch's twin brother who temporarily replaced him following his death.
- "Snake" Marston- An expert contortionist.
- "Hammer" Harrison- An expert boxer who wields diamond-hard steel hammers.
Other versions
editEarth X
editAn alternate universe variant of the Enforcers from Earth-9997 appear inEarth X,consisting of Fancy Dan, Ox, Montana, and Vulture. These versions are Norman Osborn's bodyguards.[29]
Marvel Noir
editAn alternate universe variant of the original Enforcers from Earth-90214 appear inSpider-Man Noir.These versions are formercarniesand servants of Norman Osborn.[30]
MC2
editAn alternate universe variant of the original Enforcers from Earth-982 appear inMC2.[31][32][33]
Ultimate Marvel
editAn alternate universe variant of the original Enforcers from Earth-1610 appear in theUltimate Marveluniverse.[34]These versions are servants of the Kingpin. Additionally, Fancy Dan is a gunslinger namedDan Crenshaw,Ox is aBlack DominicannamedBruno Sanchez,and Montana is namedMontana Baleand wields a whip rather than a lasso.[35][36][37][38]
In other media
editTelevision
edit- The original Enforcers appear in theSpider-Manepisode "Blueprint For Crime", consisting of Ox and Montana, the latter of whom is known as "Cowboy".[citation needed]
- The original Enforcers appear inThe Spectacular Spider-Man,with Fancy Dan voiced byPhil LaMarr,the Ox byClancy Brownand later byDanny Trejo,and Montana byJeff Bennett.[2][39][40][41][42][43]This version of the group utilize modern weaponry, suits, and equipment. They debut in the series' pilot episode "Survival of the Fittest",whereTombstoneandHammerheadhire them to kill Spider-Man. However, Dan and Ox are captured while Montana escapes. In the episode "Market Forces",Montana becomes theShocker,only to be defeated and captured as well. In the episode "Group Therapy", the Enforcers are broken out of prison, though Montana joins theSinister Sixto kill Spider-Man alongside five of his previous enemies, only to be defeated once more. Montana rejoins the Enforcers in the episode "Probable Cause", Dan and Ox receive powered suits from theTinkerer,but are sabotaged by Hammerhead and incarcerated at theVault.
- The original Enforcers appear in theUltimate Spider-Manepisode "Nightmare on Christmas", with Fancy Dan voiced bySteven Weber,Ox byMark Hamill,and Montana byTroy Baker.[40][41][42]
Video games
editThe Enforcers appear inMarvel Heroes.[citation needed]They kidnapSpeedballand almost kill him before being killed byJean DeWolff.
Footnotes
edit- ^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. 125.ISBN978-1-4654-7890-0.
- ^abBernstein, Leah (July 12, 2024)."10 Spider-Man Villains With Untapped Potential".CBR.RetrievedOctober 3,2024.
- ^Manning, Matthew K.; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2012). "1960s".Spider-Man Chronicle: Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging.Dorling Kindersley.p. 24.ISBN978-0756692360.
While never reaching the popularity of previous [Stan] Lee and [Steve] Ditko collaborations, the Enforcers managed to give the wall-crawler a run for his money in their first appearance.
{{cite book}}:|first2=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017).Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History.DK Publishing. p. 99.ISBN978-1465455505.
- ^The Amazing Spider-Man#10. Marvel Comics.
- ^Rovin, Jeff(1987).The Encyclopedia of Super-Villains.New York: Facts on File. p. 391.ISBN0-8160-1356-X.[1]
- ^Tales of the Marvels: Inner Demons.Marvel Comics.
- ^The Amazing Spider-Man#14. Marvel Comics.
- ^The Amazing Spider-Man#19. Marvel Comics.
- ^Daredevil#86. Marvel Comics.
- ^Marvel Team-Up#39-40. Marvel Comics.
- ^Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man#19-20. Marvel Comics.
- ^Dazzler#7-8. Marvel Comics.
- ^Marvel Team-Up#138. Marvel Comics.
- ^Daredevil#356-357. Marvel Comics.
- ^Spider-Man#94-95. Marvel Comics.
- ^Spider-Man(vol. 2) #28. Marvel Comics.
- ^She-Hulk(vol. 4) #1. Marvel Comics.
- ^Thunderbolts#103-104. Marvel Comics.
- ^The Amazing Spider-Man#563. Marvel Comics.
- ^The Amazing Spider-Man#645. Marvel Comics.
- ^The Amazing Spider-Man#648-651. Marvel Comics.
- ^Gerry Conway (w), Carlo Barberi (p), Juan Vlasco (i), Israel Silva (col), Joe Caramagna (let), Nick Lowe and Devin Lewis (ed). "Spiral: Part Three"The Amazing Spider-Man,vol. 3, no. 18.1 (3 June 2015). United States: Marvel Comics.
- ^Gerry Conway (w), Carlo Barberi (p), Juan Vlasco (i), Israel Silva (col), Joe Caramagna (let), Nick Lowe and Devin Lewis (ed). "Spiral: Part Three"The Amazing Spider-Man,vol. 3, no. 19.1 (1 July 2015). United States: Marvel Comics.
- ^The Amazing Spider-Man(vol. 5) #19. Marvel Comics.
- ^Devil's Reign: Moon Knight#1. Marvel Comics.
- ^Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War First Strike#1. Marvel Comics.
- ^Miles Morales: Spider-ManVol. 2 #14. Marvel Comics.
- ^Earth X#9. Marvel Comics.
- ^Spider-Man Noir#1. Marvel Comics.
- ^Tom DeFalco (w), Ron Frenz (p), Sal Buscema (i). "Broken Bonds"The Amazing Spider-Girl,vol. 1, no. 16 (Jan. 2008). Marvel Comics.
- ^Tom DeFalco (w), Ron Frenz (p), Sal Buscema (i). "A Matter of Trust"The Amazing Spider-Girl,vol. 1, no. 17 (April 2008). Marvel Comics.
- ^The Amazing Spider-Girl#30. Marvel Comics.
- ^Ultimate Spider-Man#9. Marvel Comics.
- ^Ultimate Spider-Man#8-12. Marvel Comics.
- ^Ultimate Spider-Man#47. Marvel Comics.
- ^Ultimate Spider-Man49. Marvel Comics.
- ^Ultimate Spider-Man#83-84. Marvel Comics.
- ^"Comics Continuum by Rob Allstetter: Monday, August 27, 2007".Comics Continuum. August 27, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-09-30.RetrievedFebruary 7,2011.
- ^ab"Fancy Dan Voices (Spider-Man)".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedOctober 3,2024.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.
- ^ab"Ox Voices (Spider-Man)".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedOctober 3,2024.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.
- ^ab"Montana Voices (Spider-Man)".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedOctober 3,2024.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.
- ^"Comics Continuum by Rob Allstetter: Monday, January 14, 2008".Comics Continuum. January 14, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-01-17.RetrievedFebruary 7,2011.