Doc Samson
Doc Samson is a male comic superhero who features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Leonard Skivorski, Jr. was a male human who was born in the modern age and was the son of Leo Skivorski. (Hulk v2 #18) It was known that his father Dr. Skivorski had a PhD where he was noted for being a psychologist who was successful and had gained some recognition. He mostly dealt with young women whom he had affairs with and had later written a number of books as well as had done comprehensive studies on a variety of eating disorders. It was said that his father wanted Leonard to enter into the same career as himself. (Hulk v2 #18)
Most of the psionic energy drained from Banner remained within the cathexis ray projector. Motivated by scientific curiosity, and probably by a subconscious desire to gain superhuman powers for himself, Samson irradiated himself with the energies remaining within the projector. The result was that the slim, brown-haired psychiatrist was transformed into a massively-muscled, green-haired superhuman with Gamma-boosted strength. Banner himself seemed permanently cured, but he broke emotionally under the strain of seeing Betty, the woman he loved, being romanced by Samson. Banner then exposed himself to Gamma radiation, thereby undoing the cure. Samson then fought the Hulk, being defeated in his first real superhero combat, but Betty sympathized with the weaker Samson much to the Hulk's chagrin. (Incredible Hulk v1 #141) Samson later lost his superhuman physique and power when he took a blast of concentrated gamma radiation intended for the Hulk. (Incredible Hulk v1 #147) However, months later Samson regained his gamma-mutated form and superhuman strength when he was bombarded by intensive radiation from an exploding gammatron, an experimental gamma-ray generator. (Incredible Hulk v1 #193) He has remained in this form ever since. "Doc" Samson, as he has been nicknamed, has long sought to capture and permanently cure the Hulk. Samson worked as a teacher at the Evanston campus of the Northwestern University during the recent time that the Hulk was traveling through different dimensions, unable to return to Earth. However, Samson often neglected his academic duties and returned to his pursuit of the Hulk once the monster reappeared on Earth. (Incredible Hulk v1 #314) Doc Samson was also briefly the Director of Ravencroft Institute, a facility for the criminally insane, following the removal of Doctor Ashley Kafka as head of the facility. (Spectacular Spider-Man v1 #246)
During a theory session with Penance, he registered a psychics presence in the mind and used his talents to eject the person from his thoughts. In the session, they experienced a breakthrough when Robbie's former powers seemingly manifested once again. (Thunderbolts v1 #119) They were then attacked by a mind controlled Moonstone who attacked Samson though his gamma-enhanced strength allowed him to survive her onslaught and fight back. In the fight, Karla unleashed a blast against Robbie Baldwin though his powers came to reflect it back at her. Leonard though told Penance not to kill her and Baldwin's powers cushioned her fall allowing her to survive the encounter. It was discovered that the chaos in Thunderbolt Mountain was caused by captive telepaths who were using their abilities to destroy the Thunderbolts but they were all eliminated before they could accomplish their scheme. With the crisis over, Doc Samson concluded his therapy session with Robbie Baldwin and believed that he could recover but that he could not do so among the Thunderbolts. However, Robbie was committed to serving on the team as he believed he could do the most good there and that this would be his penance for the Stamford accident. (Thunderbolts v1 #121)
Though deceased, a fragment of Leonard's darker essence managed to separate from him becoming Dark Samson who desperately sought to live. He sensed the presence of the Red Hulk and latched onto his form where he secretly fed on his gamma energy. This came across as Ross being tormented by ghosts of his former soldiers and he went into the Monster Metropolis looking to end whatever spirit was plaguing him. Doctor Strange and the Legion of Monsters aided him where they discovered that it was Dark Samson that was the entity haunting him and wanting to be reborn by feasting on the Red Hulk's power. The Red Hulk and the Legion combined their efforts to contain Dark Samson but the attempt simply splintered the spectral entity's form and it was believed destroyed in the process. Doctor Strange consoled everyone stating that this was only a dark shade of the try Doc Samson who was likely living peacefully in the afterlife. (Hulk v2 #52)
During the Chaos War, Doc Samson was a number of people that were brought back to life when the veil between the living and dead was torn open by Amatsu-Mikaboshi. By this point, he was cured of his earlier insanity and worked along with the Hulk as well as their allies against the Chaos King. (Incredible Hulks #619)
Around this time, a new Hulk persona arose as a result of exposure to Extremis with this becoming known as Doc Green. This version sought to eliminate all gamma weapons and mutations from the world where he created a serum to strip gamma power from superpowered beings. He began then targeting any such people and using the serum on them to turn them back to normal. Part of this goal led to him digging up the grave of Leonard Samson to check if he was indeed still dead as he intended to use the serum on him. After finding that Samson still deceased, Doc Green restored his grave and departed to continue his mission. (Hulk v3 #8) Despite his death, he was resurrected with the opening of the Green Door that made all gamma-empowered beings immortal. S.H.I.E.L.D. helped conduct tests to explain his return but could find no clues to his resurrection but confirmed that he was free of the influences of the Leader and M.O.D.O.K. Rather than return to his life, he decided to keep a distance and only informed a select number of people of his return. Samson did not approach his old friends and instead observed at a distance their lives. (Immortal Hulk v1 #15)
After the death of Rick Jones, he decided to break his silence and approached Betty Ross in order to speak about the loss of their friend. Afterwards, Bruce himself was killed with Samson operating more in the open. This was until he heard talks of the Hulk's return and went to check on Betty to stop the Jade Giant from killing Bushwacker. (Immortal Hulk v1 #15)
Hiding at a safehouse, the group debated on their next course of actions where the large majority of the team looked to help other gamma mutates in the world. Gamma Flight then responded to an incident when a gamma mutate named Stockpile was on a rampage. Using a teleporter, they arrived on the scene to help curb her actions where they came to learn that she was on the run from the people at Greenspring who experimented on her. Dr. McGowan looked to teleport everyone back but ended up getting a few members back before the machine broke down leaving Doc Sasquatch, Titania and Stockpile behind. (Gamma Flight v1 #1) They were then confronted by an agent of Greenspring with this being Skaar who looked to take Stockpile back to headquarters. This led to a fight against him where Samson was easily overpowered but their battle was interrupted by Hulkbusters that arrived on the scene. This allowed a teleporter to be used to send Gamma Flight back to their base along with Stockpile. (Gamma Flight v1 #2)
Overview
Personality and attributes
His was nicknamed Samson by his wife because of his long hair. (Hulk v2 #18)
Powers and abilities
As one of the best psychiatrists in the world, he was trained enough to detect a psychic probe into his mind. However, he was not psychic himself and thus could not talk back to a person intruding on his mind. Instead, he was able to channel his gamma-changed rage and direct the thoughts to the front of his mind. Upon sensing the other person, he then mentally stepped aside and let the full force of the rage hit the psychic with a force that could hurt them as well as knock them back. (Thunderbolts v1 #119)
However, unlike the Savage Hulk, it does not increase due to adrenaline surges while angry. (Incredible Hulk v1 #141) Aside from more muscle and bone mass, his bodily tissues are fortified and considerably harder than to those of an ordinary human, granting him dynamic durability. Samson can withstand falls from great heights, extreme temperatures, high caliber bullets, and massive impact forces like being repeatedly struck by the Hulk without sustaining injury. Due to his fully advanced musculature, Samson's muscles produce considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than a normal human, granting him unnatural stamina. He has demonstrated this to battle a mindless incarnation of the Hulk for more than six hours. (Incredible Hulk v1 #317)
Similar to other Gamma-empowered beings, he had become immortal in the sense that he always resurrected sometime after a physical death of his body. (Immortal Hulk v1 #15) According to Gen. Fortean, the time it takes for Samson to resurrect himself shortens after every death. (Immortal Hulk v1 #22)
Notes
- Doc Samson was created by Roy Thomas and Herb Trimpe where he made his first appearance in Incredible Hulk v1 #141 (July, 1971).
Alternate Versions
In other media
Television
- In The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Doc Samson appeared in the animated television series where he was portrayed by actor Cam Clarke. When Hulk and Absorbing Man were captured and placed in their specialized cells in the Cube, Doctor Samson had his conversation with Bruce that he will find a cure for the Hulk despite Banner's protests and pleas. In the Breakout Part 1, he is seen observing Bruce Banner right before the Breakout. As he talked more about the other gamma villains' condition, Banner had warned him that S.H.I.E.L.D. and the military were lying to him, and explained that they don't want cures, they only want to know how to control the powerful villains. He even mentioned about the Cube is that it's a gamma bomb waiting to go off. When the Breakout occurred, Samson had been exposed to gamma radiation and caught by the blast. As he approached Banner, the latter became worried of his condition and told him to help him out of the rubble so he can turn into the Hulk and get them out of this abandoned prison. Agreeing to that, Samson had lifted the boulder as he gained super strength, before got zapped by Zzzax's electrical blasts, leaving him a scar on his left eye. Right after Banner turned into Hulk and smashed Zzzax, he carried him to safety to the local diner where he dropped him off there and told the owner to take care of him, then he leaves to fight Graviton with the Avengers. During Gamma World he tells the Avengers what is happening at the Cube and the situation and helped in taking down the Gamma villains inside the Cube, he is offered a membership on the Avengers, but turns it down. When Piledriver took out his suit, he remain unchanged since he was already exposed to the gamma rays. As the second Gamma Dome which turned the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents again into Gamma Monsters, leaving Thor and Samson outnumbered. As a result, Samson was knocked unconscious by Gamma Black Panther and Thor was overwhelmed by many Gamma Monsters running to him. After the Leader's defeat, Samson was seen in a bed with his thumbs-up hand. Doc Samson went with General "Thunderbolt" Ross and Glen Talbot to the SHEILD Helicarrier and talked about why Ross wanted the Hulk blood SHEILD had. Later, Samson is seen with Falcon, Winter Soldier, Red Hulk, and a government fellow named "Dell Rusk". When a Virus spread all over the city, Samson fought Ms. Marvel, but was defeated. After Captain America found out that Dell Rusk was the Red Skull, Samson, along with Falcon, was treated for the mind-control the Skull had on them. When Galactus tried to eat the planet, Doc Samson united with Iron Man, Yellowjacket, Ms. Marvel, and Mr. Fantastic on the special team assigned to the flagship. He destroyed some doors blocking their path, using his strength. When Yellowjacket shrunk Galactus, he returned to normal size and was about to eat the Earth, when the team built a portal to the Negative Zone and sent the world-devouring creature into the Negative Zone. Doc Samson left while the Avengers were hailed as Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Films
- In The Incredible Hulk, Leonard Samson appeared in the 2008 live-action film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where he was portrayed by actor Ty Burrell.
Video games
- In The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, Doc Samson appeared in the setting of the video game where he was voiced by actor Daniel Riordan.
Other
Appearances
- Incredible Hulk v1: (1971)
- Hulk v2:
- Incredible Hulks v1:
- Hulk v3:
- Thunderbolts v1:
- Civil War II:
- Immortal Hulk v1:
- Gamma Flight v1: (2021)
External Links
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