Howard the Duck

Howard the Duck is a male comic character who features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Howard Duckson was a male anthropomorphic duck who was an inhabitant of Duckworld that was designated as Earth-791021 in the Multiverse.

Howard vanished from his home world when the power hungry demon Thog the Nether-Spawn used his magic to cause the interdimensional cosmic axis to shift. Howard was dislodged from his home dimension and dropped into the middle of the Florida Everglades on Earth-616 at the site of this world's Nexus of All Realities, a place from which travel to all other dimensions was said to be possible.

While relaxing in his apartment Howard was attacked by a salt shaker with arms and legs on a giant house fly, but they were unable to defeat him. Dakimh and Man-Thing arrived to ask Howard for his help and was reluctantly transported to to Land Between Night and Day, where they were reunited with Korek and Jennifer Kale. Dakimh brought them there to battle Bzzk'Joh. (Howard the Duck v1 #22) Bzzk'Jho attacked them and Jennifer was forced to use her power to bring Naac-P30, and Tutu, two Druid Droids that helped Howard, Korrek, and Man-Thing stop Jho. When Howard still refused to help, Korrek threatened Howard. Howard conceded when he tried to use the gun that was given to him by Dakimh and it turned out only to shoot a comedic flag. Riding Dakimh's ship, the Epoch Weasel, into the universe to get to Jho's base, the Imperium Emporium, the group escaped one of their delivery truck weapons. However, their ship was damaged, forcing them to land at the Hollywok Cantina. There they tried to find transport, dealing with Real Californians. Being told to speak to Big Mac about getting transport. Korrek tried to do so politely, however, he violently attacked Mac when he refused them transport, causing the Real Californians to attack them. Howard managed to dispel them using the Farce through his gun, incapacitating them all. Securing a new ship, the group managed to burst into Bzzk'Joh's Imperium Emporium, a giant spaceship themed after a box store. There they fought through Jho's army, and freed Jennifer, escaping just as the Emporium was set to explode, destroying Jho and all his followers. (Howard the Duck v1 #23) They returned Howard to Earth-616 New York, but he experienced nothing but trouble when he tried to help a few New Yorkers. (Howard the Duck v1 #24)

After finally meeting up with the cruise ship that rescued Paul and Winda, now befriended by socialite Iris Raritan, he attended her party on Long Island, where he was abducted by the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime. Paul was shot and left in a coma, and Winda, abandoned by Paul and Iris, was apparently assaulted by a hobo. (Howard the Duck v1 #26)

He battled Doctor Bong and teamed up with Claude Starkowski, a former Vietnam vet who believed that he was the genius behind the creation of Iron Man's Armor. Claude created for Howard a suit of Iron Man-inspired armor, with springs and built-in flame thrower, plus a device which hopefully would neutralize Bong's powers. Lee and Howard returned to the hospital where Bong appeared to challenge Howard just as they finished setting up. (Howard the Duck v1 #30) He used his bell to freeze everyone, however it did not effect Howard who was protected not only by his armor but by cotton balls stuffed in his ears. The two engaged in a battle across the hospital, where Howard, in spite of being greatly outmatched, was able to lure Dr. Bong to the device which negated his powers. However the device malfunctioned and Bong managed to grab Howard. With only one compartment untried, Howard opened up the armor's hip unit to find a small hammer. Remembering what happened to Bong last time he hit the bell on his head, Howard took the hammer and hit Bong on the head with it. The resulting peel from the bell transported both Bong and Howard away and freed everyone from Bong's paralysis. Howard and Bong rematerialized in Bong's castle, where Bong used his bell to strip Howard of his armor and removed his cotton balls. However, before Bong could finish Howard, Beverly stopped him, showing him cloned babies she made and threatened to send a letter to the media outing him as a negligent parent. Conceding and taking the cloned children, Dr. Bong angrily teleported Howard and Beverly back to the hospital. There they were reunited with Lee, and Winda who had come out of her coma. (Howard the Duck v1 #31)

When Howard was on his way home from the laundromat, he was attacked out of the blue by Dracula. Realizing Howard was not human he fled. Howard now started to display vampire like tendencies. He changed into traditional vampire garb and tried to attack Winda. Mistaking his bloodthirst for lust, Bev kicked Howard out of the house. The sometime vampire hunter Harold H. Harold came looking for Howard and explained that his affliction was purely a disillusion. After a few failed attacks due to not having any teeth, they found him and tried to snap him out of the disillusion. Dracula arrived and tried to turn Bev, but Howard staked him with a piece of a picket fence. Seeking immortality, Harold foolishly removed the stake, and Dracula turned him. Three days later Howard read of reports of Harold clawing his way out of his grave. (Howard the Duck v2 #5) Howard and Beverly arrived on Duckworld on Earth-791021. On this world, Beverly was considered the freak of the pair. Howard was eventually realized to have been the "Drake" who had vanished a few years back. Initially fleeing from overzealous worshipers, Howard led Beverly back to his former home, the base of the WACkies, and they learned what Rev. Godfrey Gander had done. Howard spoke up to the crowd, denouncing Rev. Godfrey and revealing the message he had intended for them. Though initially reluctant, the Duckworldians agreed to start thinking for themselves, while Gander vowed vengeance for losing his franchise. Howard worked to win his people over to Beverly, appearing with her on the Tonight Show with Johnny Quackson. In a "This is Your Life" pastiche, Howard was reunited with his parents and his sister Theresa, now a nun, and brother Orville, now a mortician. However, the next guest, Dr. Ludwig von Cluck, actually a paid agent of Gander, attempted to use his Surrogate Sniffer super-vacuum machine to expose Beverly as a robot. It instead exposed her by tearing off all of her clothes. The appearance of a naked human appalled the Duckworldians. Howard and Beverly fled alongside fellow guest Truman Capoultry. A former ally of Gander, Capoultry wished to follow Howard's word and helped them escape. To help them return to Earth, Capoultry brought them to Ducktor Strange, Mallard of the Mystic Arts, who was a drunk and living in an alley. Before Strange could do anything, Rev. Gander, Scrounge McDrake, and their allies showed up and attempted to gun down Howard, Bev, Capoultry, and Strange. Bev kicked a trash can into their attackers, after which they overpowered them one-by-one. Strange cast a spell sending them back to Earth-616, and while Gander saw this as a chance to revive the WACkies, Capoultry vowed to write a new book, telling the true story of Howard, which would foil Gander's plans. (Howard the Duck v2 #6)

Bev's terror attracted the Man-Thing until she passed out, and Howard's fear of the Man-Thing drew the muck-monster after him, though he got off with only a light singe and a toss into the swamp. By the time Howard had recovered--and escaped from an alligator, the Man-Thing was long gone, having taken Bev with him. Howard followed the Man-Thing into Swamp City where he was forced to play out its Monopoly game-like rules until being thrown in jail. There he met Jock Driscoll, who told him how the city was under the tyranny of Kong Lomerate. Howard faked hanging himself to facilitate a prison break-out, after which Jock led Howard back to his home, where they found that his empathic daughter Amy had guided the Man-Thing to bring Bev (to act as a surrogate mother). Howard, Bev, and the Driscolls tracked Kong Lomerate to his lair, and they were followed by the Man-Thing who terrified and then pursued Kong. Howard climbed Kong's Tower of Power to rescue Kong's hostage Amy. Driscoll generously paid Howard for his assistance, but upon leaving they found that it was Swamp City currency, useless outside of the city limits. (Howard the Duck v2 #7) As he lay in bed with Bev, Howard mused on super-powered versions of himself, such as Doctor Strange, Hulk (Bulky Duck), and Man-Thing, but ultimately decided that what he lacked in height and super-powers, he more than made up in fringe benefits. Hitching a ride in Miami, Howard met with limited success, but Bev showed a little leg and they were picked up by an agent of Dr. Atric, who had sent him to round up some young blood for his Wake No More nursing home. Howard and Beverly were hired as attendants at the home and hijinks ensured until Beverly was kidnapped and Howard nearly drowned by agents of the Grey Panther Dr. Atric. Howard was saved by Social Security agent Simon Sampson who had been hired to investigate Wake No More and who had been posing as a resident. Sampson led Howard to the Grey Panther and Howard confronted him, only to be overpowered by by the Panther's waldos, but Sampson shot the Panther's control console, destroying his machines, and Atric had a heart attack. Howard tried to at least get his pay, but Sampson told him that Atric's money had all been taken fraudulently from the social security checks of his patents and had been impounded. Sampson suggested that he instead seek out an undercover unemployment agent. While attempting to enjoy Miami Beach, Howard got in a fight with a fat woman who carried a lot of weight with the Beach Committee, after which he drove off a shark closing in on Beverly by shoving a Beach Ball in its mouth. His efforts impressed entrepreneur Spruce Payne who hired Howard and Beverly to play the role of heroes Duck-Man and Duck Girl in his Mammoth Mall commercial for Super-Scent perfume, in which they opposed the Puffin, Jokester, and Quizling. The first show went well, but when they showed up for the next, they found Payne dead, a victim of the criminal actors' boss, the Maller. Initially mistaken for the killers by head of mall security Captain Gordonski, Howard and Beverly leapt aboard the Duckmobile and took off, catching up to and taking out the Maller and his minions amidst a batch of over-sized kitchen appliances. Gordonski apologized and offered them jobs, but Howard refused. (Howard the Duck v2 #8)

As an interdimensional non-human being, Howard the Duck was compelled to register under the Superhuman Registration Act along with Beverly. (Civil War: Choosing Sides v1 #1)

Overview

Personality and attributes

Howard the Duck was the son of a Ronald and Henrietta who were a working class catholic couple living in New Stork. He was also noted to have had two siblings named Theresa and Orville.

Powers and abilities

As a child, he discovered an amazing potential intellect, however he was continuously bullied by other children as a result.

Claude Starkowsk came to build Howard a suit of Iron Man-inspired armor, with springs and built-in flame thrower. (Howard the Duck v1 #31)

At one point, he came to be an agent of A.R.M.O.R. that was tasked with defending realty from other dimensions. (Marvel Zombies 5 v1 #1)

Notes

• Howard the Duck was created by Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik where he made his first appearance in Adventure into Fear v1 #19 (December, 1973).

In other media

Video games

• In Marvel Heroes, Howard the Duck appeared in the setting of the MMORPG video game. Born on Duckworld, a strange planet in an alternate dimension, Howard the Duck found himself trapped on Earth after arriving through the Nexus of All Realities. Howard has teamed up with many of Earth's super heroes and also run foul of super villains. Although he possesses no superpowers, Howard the Duck is well versed in the art of Quack Fu and should never be underestimated or counted out.
• In Marvel: Avengers Alliance, Howard the Duck appeared in the setting of the Facebook video game. Howard the Duck is a master of Quak-Fu and possesses all the incredible powers of a duck. Howard hails from another dimension and another world known only as Duckworld. Little is known about Howard's origins other than that he was flung to our world when Thog the Nether-Spawn used his magic to create a rift that sent Howard spiraling into our world. Since then, Howard has done many things including attempting to join the Avengers, but eventually settled down into creating his own private detective agency.
• In Marvel Contest of Champions, Howard the Duck appeared as a playable character in the setting of the mobile video game. When Howard was whisked away from his detective agency in New York City to the battle realm, he came to find himself being made to organise the Collector's Crystals all day. Over time, he grew tired of the role and stole a spare ISO-Loader, made some upgrades, and attached an old friend; his famous Big Freaking Gun. This saw him participate in the multiversal contest where he used his world's ultimate fighting style Quack-Fu in combat. Having had enough of the Collector, Howard decided to use his detective skills to help Hyperion find the remnants of his reality, taking with him a spare ISO-Loader to allow him to fight alongside his companion against the threats they were ultimately going to find in their path.
• In Marvel Duel, Howard the Duck appeared as a playable card in the setting of the video card game.

Appearances

• Adventure into Fear v1: (1973)
• Howard the Duck v1:
• Civil War: Choosing Sides v1:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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