Enforcers (Marvel)
The Enforcers are a supervillain team that features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
Origin
The Enforcers were a team of highly skilled criminals that operated in the criminal underworld on Earth where they operated in New York City. Its members consisted of Montana, Fancy Dan and Ox who often worked on behalf of their employer. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #10)
The three were employed by the Big Man during his bid in taking over the city. They first tasked with helping him take care of the masked vigilante known as Spider-Man. During Operation Hi-Lift, they staged a burglar to draw out the Wall-Crawler in order to capture him in their helicopter. Spider-Man managed to escape but was debilitated by a gas attack where he seemingly fell to his death. With the hero out of the way, the Big Man then called a gathering of the various crime lords where he declared his intention to take over all the rackets in the city with himself the head of the syndicate. However, the crime bosses refused where they attacked him but he Enforcers easily dealt with the gathered criminals. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #10)
Following their release, they were approached by the Green Goblin who enlisted them in his plot against Spider-Man. The Enforcers travelled to Los Angeles after receiving an invitation from the Green Goblin to destroy Spider-Man. The group met the Goblin at a film studio, where they agreed to participate in a staged movie production designed to lure the hero into an ambush. During the filming of a scripted desert battle, the Enforcers transitioned from acting to a physical assault, with Montana using his lasso to entangle Spider-Man’s legs and Ox utilizing his superior strength to strike the hero. The trio then retreated into a nearby cave to draw Spider-Man into a confined space. Inside the cavern, the Enforcers engaged in a prolonged struggle against Spider-Man while the Green Goblin attacked from the air. During the combat, the Enforcers accidentally stumbled upon the secret desert hideout of the Hulk, who had been sleeping within the cave system. Following a brief three-way skirmish involving the Hulk and Spider-Man, the Enforcers attempted to flee the cave but were intercepted by the police. The authorities apprehended and arrested Fancy Dan, Montana, and Ox as they exited the cavern. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #14) The Enforcers, consisting of Montana, Fancy Dan, and Ox, collaborated with the Sandman to capture Spider-Man after the villain escaped from prison. The group lured the hero to a rooftop by staging a public disturbance, where Montana used his lariat to bind Spider-Man's arms while the Sandman pinned him against a chimney. Following the capture, the Enforcers transported the unconscious hero to an abandoned waterfront warehouse, where they confined him inside a high-strength steel cage. The trio stood guard and mocked the prisoner while awaiting the arrival of the Human Torch, whom they intended to trap using Spider-Man as bait. When the Human Torch arrived and melted the bars of the cage, the Enforcers engaged in a physical confrontation against both heroes simultaneously. Ox attempted to use his brute strength to strike the Human Torch, while Montana and Fancy Dan deployed their agility and lasso techniques to defend the warehouse floor. During the ensuing skirmish, the Enforcers were overwhelmed by the combined powers of their opponents, leading to their defeat and subsequent arrest by the police as they attempted to flee the burning building. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #19)
Civil War
During the superhuman Civil War, Ronald and Snake Marston were recruited into the latest incarnation of the Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts were apprehending established super-criminals and giving them the choice of joining the team or facing incarceration. The Ox and Marston apparently took the former choice, becoming Thunderbolts-in-training. The absence of the other Enforcers might be explained by the fact that all Thunderbolts recruits thus far all possessed some degree of superhuman or near-superhuman ability, or employed technology to simulate such powers; while the Ox and Marston fall loosely under that definition, Fancy Dan, Montana and Hammer Harrison do not. (Thunderbolts v1 #104)
Following the resurrection of Montana and the original Ox by the new Jackal, the Enforcers were reformed. During their involvement with the Jackal, they overheard the also-resurrected Ned Leeds tipping off his wife Betty Brant on a story he was working on before his death. The Enforcers warned the man the investigation would lead to, the Maggia leader Ernesto Karnelli, and worked with him to cover his tracks. They kidnapped Dr. Wayne Childs as well as Mr. Prescott, two of Ned's contacts, and eventually Brant herself. The Enforcers protected Karnelli as he escaped from the radius of a powerful explosive he was going to set off remotely, and confronted Spider-Man. When Karnelli decided to set off the explosive before being at a safe distance, Montana himself snatched the detonator from Karnelli's hands. All Enforcers were subsequently apprehended and imprisoned. (Amazing Spider-Man Annual v1 #42)
Overview
In appearance, the Enforcers were a team of skilled criminals that took jobs in the criminal underworld. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #10)
Members
- Montana : Jackson W. Brice was a man with a fedora who was skilled in the use of a lasso. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #10)
- Ox : Raymond Bloch was a tall brown haired man who was slow and ponderous but was quite strong. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #10)
- Fancy Dan : Daniel Brito was a man in a hat who despite his short stature had fast and dazzling footwork allowing him to easily evade attempts to grab him with him also being a master of judo who had a black belt. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #10)
- Snake Marston :
- Hammer Harrison :
Notes
- The Enforcers were created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko where they made their first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man v1 #10 (March, 1964).
Alternate Versions
- In Spider-Girl v1 #27 (2000), an alternate version of the Enforcers appeared in the Marvel Comics 2 reality that was designated as Earth-982 in the Multiverse.
- In Ultimate Spider-Man v1 #8 (2001), an alternate version of the Enforcers appeared in the Ultimate Marvel reality that was designated as Earth-1610 in the Multiverse.
- In Spider-Man Noir v1 #1 (2008), an alternate version of the Enforcers appeared in the Marvel Noir reality that was designated as Earth-90214 in the Multiverse.
- In Spider-Gwen v2 #25 (2017), an alternate version of the Enforcers appeared in the Spider-Gwen reality that was designated as Earth-65 in the Multiverse.
In other media
Television
- In the Spectacular Spider-Man, the Enforcers appeared as antagonists in the episode "Survival of the Fittest". They were hired by the Big Man with eliminating Spider-Man who had begun to affect their employers criminal operations. Their members included Montana, Ox and Fancy Dan.
Video games
Appearances
- Amazing Spider-Man v1: (1964)
- Daredevil v2:
External Links
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