Wikipedia

Thunderball (character)

Thunderball(Eliot Franklin) is asupervillainappearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byMarvel Comics.He is a frequent enemy ofThorand a reluctant ally of theWreckerand theWrecking Crew.

Thunderball
Thunderball.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceThe Defenders#17 (Nov. 1974)
Created byLen Wein
Sal Buscema
In-story information
Alter egoEliot Franklin
SpeciesHuman mutate
Place of originEarth
Team affiliationsWrecking Crew
Frightful Four[1]
Masters of Evil
Secret Empire
Illuminati
Lethal Legion
Abilities

The character made his live-action debut in theMarvel Cinematic Universetelevision seriesShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law,played by Justin Eaton.

Publication history

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Thunderball was created byLen WeinandSal Buscemaand first appeared inThe Defenders#17 (November 1974).

Phillip Lamarr Cunningham identifies how black supervillains are often forced to choose between great power and great intellect: "Thunderball, who despite his genius-level intellect relies primarily on his strength, has resorted to utilizing a ball and chain as a weapon, and commits crimes with his band of ruffians, The Wrecking Crew."[2]

Fictional character biography

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Dr. Eliot Franklinwas born inBuffalo, New York.He became a brilliant physicist and engineer, inventing a miniature gamma-ray bomb, a feat that Bruce Banner (better known as theHulk) had begun groundwork in but never finished. Franklin was often called "the Black Bruce Banner" because of hisgenius-level intellect and his scientific knowledge in the field ofgamma radiation.Franklin used his scientific genius in private employ and built a miniaturized gamma bomb for Richmond Enterprises. However, Richmond executive J. C. Pennysworth used a loophole in the contract to steal the gamma bomb intellectual property. Franklin threw a fit and was fired. He later attempted to steal back his plans for the gamma bomb, but was caught and imprisoned. In prison, he met Dirk Garthwaite (aka theWrecker,who was de-powered at that time), Henry Camp, and Brian Philip Calusky.

One night during a thunderstorm, Garthwaite broke out of prison, along with his cellmates Henry Camp, Brian Philip Calusky, and Dr. Eliot Franklin. He recovered his magical crowbar and held it aloft, all four men placing their hands upon it. Lightning struck the crowbar, not only reactivating the enchantment but also empowering the other three men as well. The four felons dubbed themselves the Wrecking Crew; Camp becameBulldozer,Calusky becamePiledriver,and Franklin becameThunderball.Soon after, Thunderball took an ordinary wrecking ball for an offensive weapon which was energized by the Wrecker's crowbar, making it almost indestructible.

Thunderball then convinced his allies that they should capture the gamma bomb he had created and use it to ransom New York. They began to tear apart buildings owned by Richmond Enterprises to find the bomb, attracting the attention of theDefenders,includingNighthawk(Kyle Richmond himself). The Crew was defeated by the Defenders and dispersed to different prisons.[3]

Thunderball later battledCaptain AmericaandIron Fistalongside the Wrecking Crew while trying to lureThorinto battle.[4]Thunderball later battled Thor alongside the Wrecking Crew.[5]He also battled the second Iron Man,James Rhodes.[6]Thunderball was later taken to theBeyonder's Battleworld during theSecret Warswith the rest of the Wrecking Crew and various other criminals, where they were part ofDoctor Doom's evil alliance, and battled heroes such as theAvengers,theX-Men,and theFantastic Four.[7]

The relationship between the Wrecker and Thunderball has always been somewhat strained at times. Dr. Franklin believes that he is superior to the Wrecker because he is smarter than the Wrecker is, thus causing him to be resentful that the source and total reliance on his power lies with the Wrecker. Thunderball has attempted to usurp the Wrecker's power many times, only to be eventually thwarted. Once, the Wrecker easily crushed Thunderball's hand after he tried to steal his crowbar.[8]However, the Wrecker has always taken Thunderball back, because he considers Thunderball and the rest of the Wrecking Crew as the only family he truly has. On one occasion, the Wrecking Crew battledSpider-ManandSpider-Womanwhile attempting to acquire the means to blackmail the federal government. Thunderball and the Wrecker fought for control over the Norn power, and Thunderball succeeded in stealing the crowbar and added it to his own powers, but he was defeated by Spider-Man and Spider-Woman.[9]

As a member of theWrecking Crew,Thunderball has faced many of Marvel's superheroes, including Thor,Iron Man,theAvengers,and theHulk.They have also been part of other "supervillain" organizations, but they always stayed together as a team. Thunderball has occasionally operated on his own, working as a scientist for criminal organizations.

Thunderball joined theMasters of Evilalongside the rest of the Wrecking Crew, and took overAvengers Mansion.As part of this "Siege of Avengers Mansion", the Wrecking Crew, along with other Masters as Tiger Shark and Mister Hyde, beat a drunken Olympian demigodHerculesnearly to death. However, they were drained of their power by Thor in retaliation.[10]Thunderball was later protected from the Wrecker's vengeance by theThing.[11]

Thunderball developed something of a soft spot for the employees ofDamage Control,particularly account executive John Porter, after the firm helped him recover his lost wrecking ball.[12]During a massive supervillain breakout at the prison called theVault,the Wrecking Crew met up with a team from Damage Control led by Porter. To aid Porter without appearing to betray the Crew, Thunderball tricked his teammates into thinking John has superpowers (really, Thunderball hitting the Crew when the lights are out) and the Damage Control team manages to escape.[13]The Wrecking Crew battled the Avengers andFreedom Forceduring the breakout, and Thunderball battledVenomfor leadership of the convicts. Ultimately, Thunderball helped Iron Man andHank Pymdisarm a bomb that would have destroyed the Vault.[14]

The Wrecking Crew were broken out of prison and used by a group of villains during theActs of Vengeancestoryline. Thunderball was sent by Doctor Doom to help a group of villains assembled to defeat the Fantastic Four, although the villains were all defeated.[15]With the Wrecking Crew, Thunderball freed the Wrecker andUlikfrom police custody. They battled Hercules and Thor and then battled Thor,ExcaliburandCode: Blue.[16]Thunderball was freed from police custody by Jeff Wilde. Thunderball joined forces with theSecret Empire,creating many of the weapons systems that would be used to turn Jeff Wilde, son of the originalMidnight Man,into thecyborgwarrior Midnight. In a battle with the Empire againstSpider-Man,theMoon Knight,and their alliesDarkhawk,thePunisher,Nova,andNight Thrasher,Thunderball was one of the few Empire operatives to survive the destruction of the organization's base. He surrendered to the assembled heroes soon after.[17]

The Wrecking Crew with Thunderball once conquered an entire planet together, Polemachus, which was the home of sometime Avenger ally/adversaryArkon.They overthrew Arkon and his consort,Thundra,and ruled Polemachus with the help of Arkon's former Grand Vizier, who betrayed them.[18]This was after they briefly lost theirAsgardianpowers (whenLokitook the power originally meant for him from the Wrecker[19]) and obtained their powers from a totally different energy source. Part of that energy source wasMonica Rambeauherself, also known as the Avenger Pulsar (at the time, her codename was Photon).

During a battle in London, Thunderball tries to kill a woundedCaptain America.Kelsey Leighsaves him using the shield, but dies due to the shock of the impacts. Kelsey later returns as a new Captain Britain and seemingly kills Thunderball, but he survives. It is, however, revealed that this Thunderball is either Mordred, the ally of Morgana le Fay, or Franklin possessed by him.[20]

Later, the Wrecking Crew breaks into a bank in Los Angeles, where they are confronted by theRunaways,who defeat them. Thunderball gets chewed on by one of the team,Old Lace,a dinosaur from the future.[21]

Thunderball and the rest of the Wrecking Crew are forced into governmental service under theThunderboltsprogram.[22]

The Wrecking Crew with Thunderball have since been spotted in Canada fighting the newly createdOmega Flight.[23]

TheHoodhired Thunderball and the rest of the Wrecking Crew as part of his criminal organization to take advantage of thesplit in the superhero communitycaused by theSuperhuman Registration Act.[24]He helps them fight theNew Avengers,but is taken down byDoctor Strange.[25]

Thunderball was later seen with the Hood watching theSkrullinvasionon TV,[26]helping to ferret out Skrull infiltrators from their own ranks[27]and assisting in the Hood/hero alliance battle against invading Skrulls inCentral Park.[28]He joins with the Hood's gang in an attack on the New Avengers, who were expecting theDark Avengersinstead.[29]

During theSiegestoryline, Thunderball rebelled against his teammates' attitude, stating that looting Asgard was blasphemy. He was knocked out by the rest of the Wrecking Crew before they were eventually defeated by theYoung Avengers.[30]

Following theDeath of Wolverinestoryline in the pages ofWolverine,the Wrecking Crew hired out to Mister Sinister to recover the remains of Wolverine and encountered Mystique's team.[31]

As part of theAll-New, All-Different Marvelevent, Thunderball appears as a member of the Hood's incarnation of theIlluminati.[32]Titaniaasks about the rest of the Wrecking Crew and he replies "I ditched 'em. I needed a change, and the Hood offered it."[33]

During the "Search for Tony Stark" story arc, Thunderball and the rest of the Wrecking Crew rejoin the Hood's gang as they attack Castle Doom. Thunderball and the Wrecker are defeated by Doctor Doom in his Iron Man armor.[34]

Powers and abilities

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Thunderball possesses superhuman strength and a high degree of imperviousness to harm thanks to the Asgardian magic imparted by theWrecker's crowbar. He can withstand high amounts of concussive force and is virtually bulletproof. Thunderball's power augmented his entire body, strengthening his bones, muscles and flesh. His superhuman abilities are currently four times greater than when he originally shared the Wrecker's power, making him somewhat stronger than an average well-trainedAsgardianGod.[35]

Thunderball possesses a virtually indestructible wrecking ball attached to a 4-foot-long (1.2 m) chain, enchanted by the Wrecker's crowbar. The wrecking ball, when thrown, is capable of returning to Thunderball in a similar fashion as the Wrecker's crowbar and Thor's hammer. With effort, Thunderball can even control the path it takes on its return. Thunderball can spin the wrecking ball on its chain fast enough to deflect bullets and automatic gunfire. By slamming the wrecking ball on the ground, Thunderball can cause minor localized quakes, knocking his opponents off-balance. The wrecking ball is also durable enough to be thrown into vehicles, buildings, and other structures, knocking them down with no damage to itself. In the past, theHulkandHerculeshave both destroyed the wrecking ball. When this happens, Thunderball does not suffer any ill psychic effects from the wrecking ball's destruction. He can recreate the weapon by obtaining a new wrecking ball and having the Wrecker enchant it for him.

In addition, Thunderball is highly intelligent. He is a scientificgeniusin the field ofengineeringandphysics,specializing ingamma radiation.He is a gifted physicist with aPh.D.in physics as well as an experienced planner and tactician. On at least one occasion when he did not have access to the Wrecker's crowbar, he used his own engineering abilities to create an energized exoskeleton of power armor that simulated the abilities of the wrecking ball, albeit on a lesser scale.[volume & issue needed]The exoskeleton also gave Franklin the ability to shock foes on physical contact. He also engineered an energized wrecking ball capable of projecting electrical energy bolts.

Other versions

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House of M: Masters of Evil

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Thunderball (along with the rest of the Wrecking Crew) appears as a member of the Hood's Masters of Evil.[36]Before the Red Guard attacks Santo Rico, Thunderball leaves the team alongside the Cobra, Mister Hyde and Crossbones.[37]

Marvel Zombies

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At the beginning ofMarvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness,Ash Williamsaccidentally allows Thunderball to defeatDaredevilin combat. Thunderball thanks Ash for defeating Daredevil in the process by shaking his hand.[volume & issue needed]He is seen later by Ash andFrank Castlein the middle of a zombie riot on a New York street with tears running down his eyes as he tries to ward off the impending zombie hordes from overpowering him. Despite Ash's vocal concerns, Thunderball is gunned down by Frank for his past as a criminal shortly before Frank is overpowered and killed by the zombie masses.[38]

Ultimate Marvel

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Ultimate Thunderball appears inUltimate Captain America Annual#1, detailing the involvement of the Black Panther. His real name is Elliot Franklin, and he is described byS.H.I.E.L.D.as a criminal who has somehow been enhanced. Captain America, under orders fromFurysends theBlack Pantherto stop him as a trial for his inductance intothe Ultimates.He is visually still the same, a muscular African American who has a giant five-ton wrecking ball.[39]

In other media

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Television

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Video games

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References

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  1. ^Fantastic Four(vol. 5) #4
  2. ^Gibson, Mel; Huxley, David; Ormrod, Joan (22 March 2016).Superheroes and Identities.Routledge.ISBN9781317633280.
  3. ^Defenders#17-19
  4. ^Iron Fist#11-12
  5. ^Thor#304
  6. ^Iron Man#171
  7. ^Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars#1-12
  8. ^Thor#418
  9. ^Spectacular Spider-Man#125-126
  10. ^Avengers#273-277
  11. ^Fantastic Four#355
  12. ^Damage Control#1
  13. ^Damage Control(vol. 2) #1
  14. ^The Vault Graphic Novel
  15. ^Fantastic Four#335
  16. ^Thor#418, 426-428
  17. ^Amazing Spider-Man#353-358
  18. ^Avengersv3 #18
  19. ^Journey Into Mystery#505
  20. ^Avengersv3 #80
  21. ^Runawaysv2 #1
  22. ^Thunderbolts#103-104
  23. ^Omega Flight#1-5
  24. ^New Avengers#35
  25. ^New AvengersAnnual #2
  26. ^Secret Invasion#4
  27. ^The New Avengers#46
  28. ^Secret Invasion#7
  29. ^New Avengers#50
  30. ^Siege: Young Avengers#1
  31. ^Wolverines#1
  32. ^Illuminati#1
  33. ^Illuminati#2
  34. ^Invincible Iron Man#597
  35. ^Damage Control(vol. 2) #1 (1989)
  36. ^House of M: Masters of Evil#1
  37. ^House of M: Masters of Evil#4
  38. ^Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness#3
  39. ^Ultimate Captain America Annual#1, written byJeph Loeb:chapters "Favorite Son" and "Training Day"
  40. ^Comics Continuum
  41. ^abcde"Thunderball Voices (Thor)".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedFebruary 21,2024.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.
  42. ^Mathai, Jeremy (September 1, 2022)."Who Is The New Marvel Group Introduced In She-Hulk? The Wrecking Crew Explained"./Film.Archivedfrom the original on September 1, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
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