Blacklash
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Blacklash | |
 Blacklash, as featured on the cover of Marvel Team-Up #145 (vol. 1, Sep. 1984). Art by Greg LaRocque |
|
| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Tales of Suspense #97 (vol. 1, Jan. 1968) (as Whiplash) Iron Man #146 (vol. 1, May 1981) (as Blacklash) |
| Created by | Stan Lee and Gene Colan |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Mark Scarlotti |
| Team affiliations | Maggia Death Squad Sinister Syndicate |
| Notable aliases | Whiplash, Marc Scott |
| Abilities | Weapons master |
Blacklash (Mark Scarlotti), formerly known as Whiplash, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #97 (vol. 1, Jan. 1968) and was created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan.
Contents |
[edit] Fictional character biography
Mark Scarlotti is originally a gifted electrical technician at Stark International's Cincinnati branch, but desires a life of luxury and becomes a professional criminal. With a costume and a sophisticated metal whip of his own design, Scarlotti becomes Whiplash, a weapons designer, special agent, and assassin for the criminal organization the Maggia. On behalf of the Maggia, Whiplash then fights to a standstill the hero Iron Man - secretly inventor Tony Stark and Scarlotti's former employer. He also battles AIM agents attacking a Maggia gambling ship. [1] Scarlotti is later assigned to work undercover for the Maggia at Stark International's Cincinnati plant and becomes the head of research. As Whiplash, Scarlotti then has another inconclusive battle with Iron Man and flees the scene, quitting the Maggia. [2]
Whiplash - along with fellow supervillains the Melter and Man-Bull - is recruited by other-dimensional villain the Black Lama to form the team the Death Squad and fight Iron Man. They enter a "super-villain war" to win the Black Lama's Golden Globe of Power; they are, however, defeated. [3] Whiplash rejoins the Maggia and battles Spider-Man and Iron Man in New Jersey, but is then defeated by the Wraith. [4] Several years later criminal mastermind Justin Hammer hires Whiplash to join an army of supervillains. Whiplash, Melter, and the original Blizzard attempt the robbery of an Atlantic City casino and battle Iron Man. [5] Whiplash is released from prison by Hammer and battles Iron Man again as one of Hammer's costumed operatives. Iron Man beats Whiplash a second time in a matter of days. [6]
Several months later Scarlotti is re-employed by an unnamed consortium, financed by Hammer, to kill Stark employee Vic Martinelli, and is provided with an upgraded costume and weaponry and the new alias Blacklash. Despite the upgrades, however, Scarlotti is defeated by Iron Man and humiliated by being literally dragged before his employers. [7] Scarlotti makes a very brief appearance as Whiplash once more as a paid employee of the Mad Thinker in a failed attempt to kill the hero the Thing who was recuperating at a New York hospital. [8]
After this, Scarlotti is diagnosed as manic-depressive by prison psychiatrists. He attempts to reform, but his criminal record makes this difficult. Rejected by his parents and mocked by the residents in his home town of Cleveland, Scarlotti becomes Blacklash again. Blacklash then attempts an assassination for the Maggia but instead battles the second Iron Man and Spider-Man, who defeat him. [9] After being apprehended by Captain America while committing several robberies [10] and joining the supervillain team the Sinister Syndicate in a failed attempt to kill Spider-Man, [11] Blacklash is then rehired by Justin Hammer who sends him, the Beetle, and the second Blizzard to assassinate Hammer's former agent Force. However, they are defeated by Iron Man, Jim Rhodes and Force. [12]
Soon after this, at Hammer's request, Blacklash, Boomerang, and the second Blizzard stop industrial sabotage by the vigilante the Wraith. Blacklash is almost driven insane courtesy of the Wraith's mental powers. Blacklash is sent to work with Iron Man and Jim Rhodes against the saboteur, but he turns against Iron Man. [13]
After recovering, Blacklash accepts a new assignment from Hammer. Together with the Rhino, he hunts down fellow rogue agent the Scorpion, who fails to return stolen weaponry to Hammer. Despite opposition from both the Scorpion and Spider-Man, they are successful. [14] Scarlotti gives up his criminal identity and marries and has a child. A lack of money forces Scarlotti to assume his identity once more, and he becomes the target of an assassin, who kills his wife when she returns to their apartment. As Blacklash, Scarlotti then finds and kills the assassin, and then vows to abandon the identity of Blacklash forever. [15]
After several months of inactivity and depression, Scarlotti is hired by a rival of Stark and returns as Whiplash, with an upgraded costume and new weaponry. Whiplash manages to battle Iron Man to a standstill in their first encounter, but is killed several weeks later by Iron's Man new sentient armor, which beats Scarlotti to death against Stark's wishes. [16]
[edit] Powers and abilities
Crimelord Justin Hammer had a pair of cybernetically-controlled titanium whips built for Blacklash. The whips can extend to be swung fast enough to deflect bullets, or become rigid and be used as nunchaku or vaulting-poles. Blacklash also carries a variety of devices in a weapons pouch, including anti-gravity bolas and a necro-lash which releases electrical energy generated by his gauntlets. Blacklash's costume is also bulletproof. Scarlotti was a research engineer and weapons design specialist, with a college degree in engineering.
[edit] In other media
[edit] Television
Blacklash appears in the 1994 Iron Man animated series voiced by Dorian Harewood.
[edit] Video games
Blacklash appears as a boss in the Iron Man video game.
[edit] References
- ^ Tales of Suspense #97 - 99 (Jan. - Mar. 1968); Iron Man and Sub-Mariner #1 (Apr. 1968); Iron Man #1 (vol. 1, May. 1968)
- ^ Iron Man #62 (vol. 1, Sep. 1973)
- ^ Iron Man #72 (vol. 1, 1974)
- ^ Marvel Team-Up #72 (vol. 1, Aug. 1978)
- ^ Iron Man #123 - 124 (vol. 1, Jun. - Jul. 1979)
- ^ Iron Man #126 - 127 (vol. 1, Sep. - Oct. 1979)
- ^ Iron Man #146 -147 (vol. 1, May - Jun. 1981)
- ^ Possibly a continuity error - See Marvel Two-In-One #96 (Feb. 1983)
- ^ Marvel Team-Up #145 (vol. 1, Sep. 1984)
- ^ Captain America #319 (vol. 1, Sep. 1986)
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #280 (vol. 1, Sep. 1986)
- ^ Iron Man #223 - 224 (vol. 1, Oct. - Nov. 1987)
- ^ Iron Man #239 - 240 (vol. 1, Feb. - Mar. 1989)
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #319 (vol. 1, Sep. 1989)
- ^ Elektra #5 - 7 (vol. 2, 1996)
- ^ Iron Man #8 (vol. 2, Sep. 1998) + 26 & 28 (Mar. + May 2000)
[edit] External links
|
||||||||||||||||||||
