Ryker's Island
Encyclopedia
Ryker's Island is a fictional prison
facility for both conventional criminals, and superhuman
criminals
in the Marvel Universe
. It first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man
#4 called simply "Island Prison".
It is the Marvel Universe counterpart to the real-world Rikers Island
.
. The Riker family produced a military leader of their own in the person of John Lafayette Riker (1822–1862) who led the 62nd New York Volunteer Regiment and was killed at the Battle of Fair Oaks.
In 1884, the Riker's family sold the island to New York City and it was converted into a jail farm. In 1932, New York City converted it into a prison for men on it. The original penitentiary building was completed in 1935, remaining in use to 2000. Since the island was only 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) in size, by the 1950s the facilities were overflown with prisoners.
By 1954, landfill had been added to the island artificially expanding it 415 acres (1.7 km²) in size with its jail facilities expanded accordingly. Ryker's Island now held prisoners of both sexes. By the early 1990s, Ryker's Island had been overflown with prisoners again. This time, the authorities added a barge that will be able to accommodate 800 prisoners.
Ryker's Island has a long history of corrections officials abusing their authority. There were illegal strip-searches of nonviolent inmates, beatings, indifference or encouragement of violence among inmates have all been reported over the years. Repeated indictments or convictions of the prison personnel have failed to resolve the problem.
Ryker's Island has plenty of security cells so that each one is designed specially for each super-prisoner ranging from Spider-Man
's enemies, the Avenger
s' enemies, and the Fantastic Four
's enemies. This was where supervillains were held before constructions of the Vault
and the Raft
.
reality, Ryker's Island was used to imprison apprehended mutants.
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
facility for both conventional criminals, and superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
criminals
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. It first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
#4 called simply "Island Prison".
It is the Marvel Universe counterpart to the real-world Rikers Island
Rikers Island
Rikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...
.
Fictional location history
Ryker's Island is named after Abraham Rycken (a Dutch settler in the 17th century) and was owned by his family up to 1884. The name of the Island ended up evolving to Ryker's Island. The island was then converted into a military training ground during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The Riker family produced a military leader of their own in the person of John Lafayette Riker (1822–1862) who led the 62nd New York Volunteer Regiment and was killed at the Battle of Fair Oaks.
In 1884, the Riker's family sold the island to New York City and it was converted into a jail farm. In 1932, New York City converted it into a prison for men on it. The original penitentiary building was completed in 1935, remaining in use to 2000. Since the island was only 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) in size, by the 1950s the facilities were overflown with prisoners.
By 1954, landfill had been added to the island artificially expanding it 415 acres (1.7 km²) in size with its jail facilities expanded accordingly. Ryker's Island now held prisoners of both sexes. By the early 1990s, Ryker's Island had been overflown with prisoners again. This time, the authorities added a barge that will be able to accommodate 800 prisoners.
Ryker's Island has a long history of corrections officials abusing their authority. There were illegal strip-searches of nonviolent inmates, beatings, indifference or encouragement of violence among inmates have all been reported over the years. Repeated indictments or convictions of the prison personnel have failed to resolve the problem.
Ryker's Island has plenty of security cells so that each one is designed specially for each super-prisoner ranging from Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
's enemies, the Avenger
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
s' enemies, and the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
's enemies. This was where supervillains were held before constructions of the Vault
Vault (comics)
The Vault is the widely used nickname of a fictional defunct prison facility for technological-based superhuman criminals in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. The prison's full official name is the United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals.It first...
and the Raft
The Raft (comics)
The Raft is a fictional island prison facility in New York City for psychopathic superhuman criminals appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
.
Known inmates
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reality, Ryker's Island was used to imprison apprehended mutants.
Television
- Ryker's Island is featured in the Spider-Man and His Amazing FriendsSpider-Man and His Amazing FriendsSpider-Man and His Amazing Friends is an animated series produced by Marvel Productions starring established Marvel Comics characters Spider-Man and Iceman and an original character, Firestar...
episode "Attack of the Arachnoid." Spider-Man is incarcerated there when Dr. Zoltan Amadeus copied his powers and framed him. Unfortunately for Spider-Man, Scorpion was also at Ryker's Island and attacked Spider-Man. BlastaarBlastaarBlastaar, sometimes called the Living Bomb-Burst and Blasstaar, is a Marvel Comics supervillain. Blastaar is an opponent of the Fantastic Four and lives in the Negative Zone...
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made cameos as inmates. - Ryker's Island is referenced in the Fantastic FourFantastic Four (1994 TV series)Fantastic Four is the third animated television series based on Marvel's comic book series of the same name. Airing began on September 24, 1994, until ending on February 24, 1996...
episode "Now Comes the Sub-Mariner." After catching Warlord Krang, Human Torch mentions to Mister Fantastic that he dropped Warlord Krang off in a "swimming pool" at Ryker's Island. - Ryker's Island is featured in the Spider-ManSpider-Man (1994 TV series)Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated series starring the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The show ran on Fox Kids from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998. The producer/story editor was John Semper, Jr. and production company was Marvel Films...
episode "Guilty." It is where Robbie Robertson is sent after being mind-controlled and set-up by the Kingpin. Originally, Robbie was supposed to be sent to New York State Penitentiary but Kingpin and Alistair Smythe hacked the computers so that Robbie would be sent to Ryker's Island. Once there, Robbie ended up cellmates of Richard FiskRichard FiskRichard Fisk is a fictional character, a criminal in the , featured in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the son of the Kingpin and his wife Vanessa Fisk...
and TombstoneTombstone (comics)Tombstone is a supervillain in the fictional Marvel universe. The character was created by Gerry Conway and Alex Saviuk and first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #36 .-Fictional character biography:...
. Both villains ended up using Robbie as a hostage to make their escape only to be thwarted by Spider-Man who manages to expose Richard's part in framing Robbie. - Ryker's Island first appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man episode "Group Therapy." After being released from Ravencroft, Electro shuts down the power there enabling Doctor OctopusDoctor OctopusDoctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...
, VultureVulture (comics)The Vulture is the name of six comic book supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The best known Vulture in the Marvel Universe is Adrian Toomes, an elderly enemy of Spider-Man created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in The Amazing Spider-Man #2 .-Golden Age Vulture:In Young Men #26, a scientist...
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(OxOx (comics)Ox is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain, and he usually works for the Kingpin, Mister Fear or Hammerhead.-Publication history:The original Ox, Raymond Bloch, first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #10 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko...
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, and Fancy DanFancy DanFancy Dan is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Fancy Dan first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #10 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko....
) to escape. Ox and Fancy Dan left with Hammerhead while Montana (upon donning his ShockerShocker (comics)The Shocker or just Shocker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #46 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr.-Fictional character biography:Herman Schultz was born in New York...
outfit) remained with the other villains and escaped on a motorboat to form the Sinister Six to attack Spider-Man. The villains that fought Spider-Man were defeated and sent back to Ryker's Island while Doctor Octopus and Electro were sent to Ravencroft. In "Reinforcement," Vulture, Sandman, and Rhino escaped again while the MysterioMysterioMysterio is the name of three fictional characters, all of which are supervillains and enemies of Spider-Man in the . The original Mysterio was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #13, although it was later retconned that the aliens seen in Amazing...
the cops had arrested earlier was revealed to be a robot. In "Identity Crisis," Ned Leeds visits the real Mysterio at Ryker's Island for his opinion if Peter Parker and Spider-Man are one and the same.
Film
- In the film Spider-Man 3Spider-Man 3Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
, another police officer tells Captain George Stacey that Flint MarkoSandman (Marvel Comics)Sandman is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A shapeshifter endowed through an accident with the ability to turn himself into sand, he eventually reformed, and became an ally of Spider-Man...
has escaped from Ryker's Island. - In the film DaredevilDaredevil (film)Daredevil is a 2003 American superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film stars Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights for justice in the courtroom and out of the courtroom as the masked vigilante Daredevil...
, Daredevil mentions Ryker's Island to Kingpin at the very end of the film.
Video games
- In a level in the PunisherThe Punisher (1990 video game)The Punisher is a 1990 video game developed by Beam Software and released by LJN, which stars the Marvel Comics anti-hero, the Punisher. It is one of the few NES rail shooters....
video game, the Punisher is fighting villains in a prison. It is assumed that is Ryker's Island. - Ryker's Island is featured in The PunisherThe Punisher (2005 video game)The Punisher is a 2005 action game which stars the Marvel Comics antihero, The Punisher. After his family was murdered by the mafia, Frank Castle devoted his life to the punishment of criminals. Players take control of the vigilante hero to track down criminals and kill them...
video game. - Ryker's Island appears as a level in Spider-Man: Web of ShadowsSpider-Man: Web of ShadowsSpider-Man: Web of Shadows is a video game title encompassing three versions: a full-3D action game for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360; a 2.5D sidescrolling beat em up action game for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2 , and a 2.5D side-scrolling brawler/platformer for...
. Spider-Man arrives there in order to spring the TinkererTinkererThe Tinkerer is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics Universe...
from jail. - Ryker's Island appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2. The heroes that were rescued by Nick FuryNick FuryColonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
following the incident at the Geffen-Meyer Chemicals plant infiltrate Ryker's Island to get to the portal leading to Prison 42Negative Zone Prison AlphaNegative Zone Prison Alpha is the name of a fictional prison in Marvel Comics. It is also referred to as Prison 42, Wonderland, and Fantasy Island.-History:...
in the Negative ZoneNegative ZoneThe Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
.
External links
- Ryker's Island at Comic Vine
- Ryker's Island at Marvel Wiki