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Thunderball (comics)
Encyclopedia
Thunderball is a Marvel Comics
supervillain
and a frequent enemy of Thor
and a somewhat reluctant ally of the Wrecker
and the Wrecking Crew
. The character was created by Len Wein
and Sal Buscema
and first appeared in Defenders
#17 (November 1974).
. He became a brilliant physicist and engineer whose greatest claim to fame was inventing a miniature gamma-ray bomb, something that Dr. Robert Bruce Banner (better known as The Hulk
) was unable to do at that time. Dr. Franklin was often called "The Black Bruce Banner" because of his genius
-level intellect and his scientific knowledge in the field of gamma radiation. Franklin used his scientific genius in private employ, and built a miniaturized Gamma Bomb for Richmond Enterprises. However, Richmond executive J.C. Pennysworth informed Franklin that under the terms of their contract, all intellectual concepts developed by Franklin (including the Gamma Bomb) were the property of Richmond, and not his. Upset that he couldn't profit from his own genius, Franklin threw a fit and was fired by Pennysworth, and escorted from the building. He later attempted to steal back his plans for the Gamma Bomb, but was caught and sent to prison. It was there that he first encountered Dirk Garthwaite (also known as the Wrecker
, who was depowered at that time), Henry Camp, and Brian Philip Calusky.
One night during a thunderstorm, Garthwaite broke out of prison, along with his cellmates Henry Camp, Brian Philip Calusky, and Dr. Eliot Franklin. He recovered his magical crowbar and held it aloft, all four men placing their hands upon it. Lightning struck the crowbar, not only reactivating the enchantment but empowering the other three men as well. The four felons dubbed themselves the Wrecking Crew; Camp became Bulldozer
, Calusky became Piledriver
, and Franklin became Thunderball. Soon after, Thunderball took an ordinary wrecking ball for an offensive weapon which was energized by the Wrecker's crowbar, making it almost indestructible.
Thunderball then convinced his allies that they should capture the gamma bomb he had created and use it to ransom New York. They began to tear apart buildings owned by Richmond Enterprises to find the bomb, attracting the attention of the Defenders
, including Nighthawk
(Kyle Richmond himself). The Crew was defeated by the Defenders and dispersed to different prisons.
Thunderball later battled Captain America
and Iron Fist alongside the Wrecking Crew while trying to lure Thor
into battle. Thunderball later battled Thor alongside the Wrecking Crew. He also battled the second Iron Man, James Rhodes
. Thunderball was later taken to the Beyonder
's Battleworld during the Secret Wars
with the rest of the Wrecking Crew and various other criminals, where they were part of Doctor Doom
's evil alliance, and battled heroes such as the Avengers
, X-Men
, and Fantastic Four
.
The relationship between the Wrecker and Thunderball has always been somewhat strained at times. Dr. Franklin believes that he's superior to the Wrecker because he's smarter than the Wrecker is, thus causing him to be resentful that the source and total reliance of his power lies with the Wrecker. Thunderball has attempted to usurp the Wrecker's power many times, only to be eventually thwarted. Once, the Wrecker easily crushed Thunderball's hand after he tried to steal his crowbar. However, the Wrecker has always taken Thunderball back, because he considers Thunderball and the rest of the Wrecking Crew as the only family he truly has. On one occasion, the Wrecking Crew battled Spider-Man
and Spider-Woman while attempting to acquire the means to blackmail the federal government. Thunderball and the Wrecker fought for control over the Norn power, and Thunderball succeeded in stealing the crowbar and added it to his own powers, but he was defeated by Spider-Man and Spider-Woman.
As a member of the Wrecking Crew
, Thunderball has faced many of Marvel's superheroes, including Thor, Iron Man
, the Avengers
, and the Hulk
. They have also been part of other "Super Villain" organizations, but they always stayed together as a team. Thunderball has occasionally operated on his own, working as a scientist for criminal organizations.
Thunderball joined the Masters of Evil
alongside the Wrecking Crew, and took over Avengers Mansion
. The Wrecking Crew almost beat the Olympian demigod Hercules
and She-Hulk
within an inch of their lives. However, they were drained of their power by Thor in retaliation. Thunderball was later protected from the Wrecker's vengeance by the Thing
.
Thunderball cares about at least one person. During a massive supervillain breakout at the prison called the Vault
, the Wrecking Crew meets up with a team from Damage Control
. Thunderball did not want to see John Porter, the head of the team, hurt. He tricked the others into thinking John has superpowers (really, Thunderball hitting the Crew when the lights are out) and the Damage Control team manages to escape. The Wrecking Crew battled the Avengers and Freedom Force
during the breakout, and Thunderball battled Venom
for leadership of the convicts. Ultimately, Thunderball helped Iron Man and Dr. Pym
disarm a bomb that would have destroyed the Vault.
The Crew were broken out and used by a group of villains during the Acts of Vengeance
. Thunderball was sent by Doctor Doom to help a group of villains assembled to defeat the Fantastic Four, although the villains were all defeated. With the Wrecking Crew, Thunderball freed the Wrecker and Ulik
from policy custody. They battled Hercules and Thor, and then battled Thor, Excalibur
, and Code: Blue
. Thunderball was freed from policy custody by Jeff Wilde. Thunderball joined forces with the Secret Empire
, creating many of the weapons systems that would be used to turn Jeff Wilde, son of the original Midnight Man
, into the cyborg
warrior known as Midnight. In a battle with the Empire against Spider-Man
, Moon Knight
, and their allies Darkhawk
, Punisher
, Nova
, and Night Thrasher, Thunderball was one of the few Empire operatives to survive the destruction of the organization's base. He surrendered to the assembled heroes soon after.
They once conquered an entire planet together, Polemachus, which was the home of sometime Avenger ally/adversary, Arkon
. They overthrew Arkon and his consort, Thundra
, and ruled Polemachus with the help of Arkon's former Grand Vizier, who betrayed them. This was after they briefly lost their Asgardian powers (when Loki
took the power originally meant for him from the Wrecker) and obtained their powers from a totally different energy source. Part of that energy source was Monica Rambeau
herself, also known as the Avenger Pulsar (at the time, her codename was Photon).
During a battle in London, Thunderball tries to kill a wounded Captain America
. Kelsey Leigh
saves him using the shield but dies due to the shock of the impacts. Kelsey later returns as a new Captain Britain and seemingly kills Thunderball but he survives.
Later, the Wrecking Crew breaks into a bank in Los Angeles. They are confronted by the Runaways
, who defeat them. Thunderball gets chewed on by one of the team, Old Lace
, a dinosaur from the future.
Thunderball and the rest of the Crew are forced into governmental service under the Thunderbolts
program.
The Wrecking Crew with Thunderball have since been spotted in Canada fighting the newly created Omega Flight.
The Hood
has hired him as part of his criminal organization to take advantage of the split in the superhero community
caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. He helps them fight the New Avengers but is taken down by Doctor Strange
.
He was later seen with the Hood watching the Skrull
invasion
on television, helping to ferret out Skrull infiltrators from their own ranks and assisting in the Hood/hero alliance battle against invading Skrulls in Central Park
. He joins with the Hood's gang in an attack on the New Avengers, who were expecting the Dark Avengers
instead.
. He can withstand high amounts of concussive force, and is virtually bulletproof. Thunderball's power augmented his entire body, strengthening his bone, muscle, and flesh. His superhuman abilities are currently four times greater than when he originally shared the Wrecker's power, making him somewhat stronger than an average well-trained Asgardian male.
Thunderball possesses a virtually indestructible wrecking ball attached to a 4 feet (1.2 m) chain, enchanted by the Wrecker's power. The wrecking ball, when thrown, is capable of returning to Thunderball in a similar fashion as Wrecker's crowbar and Thor's hammer. With effort, Thunderball can even control the path it takes on its return. Thunderball can spin the wrecking ball on its chain fast enough to deflect bullets and automatic gunfire. By slamming the wrecking ball on the ground, Thunderball can cause minor localized quakes, knocking his opponents off-balance. The wrecking ball is also durable enough to be thrown into vehicles, buildings, and other structures, knocking them down with no damage to itself. In the past, the Hulk
and Hercules
have both destroyed the wrecking ball. When this happens, Thunderball doesn't suffer any ill psychic effects from the wrecking ball's destruction. He can recreate the weapon by obtaining a new wrecking ball and having the Wrecker enchant it for him.
Also, Thunderball is highly intelligent. He is a scientific genius
in the field of engineering
and physics
, specializing in gamma radiation. He is a gifted physicist with a Ph.D.
in physics, and is also an experienced planner and tactician. On at least one occasion when he did not have access to the Wrecker's powers, he used his own engineering abilities to create an energized exoskeleton suit of power armor that simulated the abilities of the wrecking ball, albeit on a lesser scale. The suit also gave Franklin the ability to shock foes on physical contact. He also engineered an energized wrecking ball capable of projecting electrical energy bolts.
, Ash Williams
accidentally allows Thunderball to defeat Daredevil in combat. Thunderball thanks Ash for defeating Daredevil in the process by shaking his hand. He is seen later by Ash and Frank Castle in the middle of a zombie riot on a New York street with tears running down his eyes as he tries to ward off the impending zombie hordes from overpowering him. Despite Ash's vocal concerns, Thunderball is gunned down by Frank for his past as a criminal shortly before Frank is overpowered and killed by the zombie masses.
sends the Panther to stop him as a trial for his inductance into The Ultimates. He is visually still the same, as in still muscular African American, who has a giant 5-ton ball.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
and a frequent enemy of Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
and a somewhat reluctant ally of the Wrecker
Wrecker (comics)
The Wrecker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Wrecker was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appears in The Mighty Thor #148 The Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
and the Wrecking Crew
Wrecking Crew (comics)
The Wrecking Crew is a team of four fictional supervillains — Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball, and the Wrecker — that appears in Marvel Comics. While not featured on the cover, the Wrecking Crew's first appearance is in Defenders vol. 1, #17 in November 1974.-Fictional biography:The Wrecking...
. The character was created by Len Wein
Len Wein
Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
and Sal Buscema
Sal Buscema
Silvio "Sal" Buscema is an American comic book artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk...
and first appeared in Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
#17 (November 1974).
Fictional character biography
Dr. Eliot Franklin was born in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. He became a brilliant physicist and engineer whose greatest claim to fame was inventing a miniature gamma-ray bomb, something that Dr. Robert Bruce Banner (better known as The Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
) was unable to do at that time. Dr. Franklin was often called "The Black Bruce Banner" because of his genius
Genius
Genius is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight....
-level intellect and his scientific knowledge in the field of gamma radiation. Franklin used his scientific genius in private employ, and built a miniaturized Gamma Bomb for Richmond Enterprises. However, Richmond executive J.C. Pennysworth informed Franklin that under the terms of their contract, all intellectual concepts developed by Franklin (including the Gamma Bomb) were the property of Richmond, and not his. Upset that he couldn't profit from his own genius, Franklin threw a fit and was fired by Pennysworth, and escorted from the building. He later attempted to steal back his plans for the Gamma Bomb, but was caught and sent to prison. It was there that he first encountered Dirk Garthwaite (also known as the Wrecker
Wrecker (comics)
The Wrecker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Wrecker was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appears in The Mighty Thor #148 The Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
, who was depowered at that time), Henry Camp, and Brian Philip Calusky.
One night during a thunderstorm, Garthwaite broke out of prison, along with his cellmates Henry Camp, Brian Philip Calusky, and Dr. Eliot Franklin. He recovered his magical crowbar and held it aloft, all four men placing their hands upon it. Lightning struck the crowbar, not only reactivating the enchantment but empowering the other three men as well. The four felons dubbed themselves the Wrecking Crew; Camp became Bulldozer
Bulldozer (comics)
Bulldozer is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Universe. He is a member of the Wrecking Crew. The character was created by Len Wein and Sal Buscema and first appeared in Defenders #17 ....
, Calusky became Piledriver
Piledriver (comics)
Piledriver is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a member of the Wrecker's Wrecking Crew...
, and Franklin became Thunderball. Soon after, Thunderball took an ordinary wrecking ball for an offensive weapon which was energized by the Wrecker's crowbar, making it almost indestructible.
Thunderball then convinced his allies that they should capture the gamma bomb he had created and use it to ransom New York. They began to tear apart buildings owned by Richmond Enterprises to find the bomb, attracting the attention of the Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
, including Nighthawk
Nighthawk (Marvel Comics)
Nighthawk is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. There have been five versions of the character: a supervillain-turned-superhero from the mainstream Marvel Universe continuity, Kyle Richmond, who belonged to the team Squadron Sinister;...
(Kyle Richmond himself). The Crew was defeated by the Defenders and dispersed to different prisons.
Thunderball later battled Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
and Iron Fist alongside the Wrecking Crew while trying to lure Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
into battle. Thunderball later battled Thor alongside the Wrecking Crew. He also battled the second Iron Man, James Rhodes
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
. Thunderball was later taken to the Beyonder
Beyonder
The Beyonder is a fictional character in . Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, the immensely powerful Beyonder first appeared in Secret Wars vol. 1 #1 as an unseen force. He reappears in Secret Wars II #1 , which was created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom.-Publication history:The Beyonder was a...
's Battleworld during the Secret Wars
Secret Wars
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
with the rest of the Wrecking Crew and various other criminals, where they were part of Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
's evil alliance, and battled heroes such as the Avengers
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...
, X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
, and 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...
.
The relationship between the Wrecker and Thunderball has always been somewhat strained at times. Dr. Franklin believes that he's superior to the Wrecker because he's smarter than the Wrecker is, thus causing him to be resentful that the source and total reliance of his power lies with the Wrecker. Thunderball has attempted to usurp the Wrecker's power many times, only to be eventually thwarted. Once, the Wrecker easily crushed Thunderball's hand after he tried to steal his crowbar. However, the Wrecker has always taken Thunderball back, because he considers Thunderball and the rest of the Wrecking Crew as the only family he truly has. On one occasion, the Wrecking Crew battled 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...
and Spider-Woman while attempting to acquire the means to blackmail the federal government. Thunderball and the Wrecker fought for control over the Norn power, and Thunderball succeeded in stealing the crowbar and added it to his own powers, but he was defeated by Spider-Man and Spider-Woman.
As a member of the Wrecking Crew
Wrecking Crew (comics)
The Wrecking Crew is a team of four fictional supervillains — Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball, and the Wrecker — that appears in Marvel Comics. While not featured on the cover, the Wrecking Crew's first appearance is in Defenders vol. 1, #17 in November 1974.-Fictional biography:The Wrecking...
, Thunderball has faced many of Marvel's superheroes, including Thor, Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
, the Avengers
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...
, and the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
. They have also been part of other "Super Villain" organizations, but they always stayed together as a team. Thunderball has occasionally operated on his own, working as a scientist for criminal organizations.
Thunderball joined the Masters of Evil
Masters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
alongside the Wrecking Crew, and took over Avengers Mansion
Avengers Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, Avengers Mansion has traditionally been the base of the Avengers. The enormous, city block-sized building is located at 890 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City.-Creative origin:...
. The Wrecking Crew almost beat the Olympian demigod Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
and She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
within an inch of their lives. However, they were drained of their power by Thor in retaliation. Thunderball was later protected from the Wrecker's vengeance by the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
.
Thunderball cares about at least one person. During a massive supervillain breakout at the prison called 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...
, the Wrecking Crew meets up with a team from Damage Control
Damage Control (comics)
Damage Control is a fictional construction company appearing in Marvel Comics, which specializes in repairing the property damage caused by conflicts between superheroes and supervillains...
. Thunderball did not want to see John Porter, the head of the team, hurt. He tricked the others into thinking John has superpowers (really, Thunderball hitting the Crew when the lights are out) and the Damage Control team manages to escape. The Wrecking Crew battled the Avengers and Freedom Force
Freedom Force (comics)
Freedom Force is the name of two teams within Marvel Comics' universe.The original was a supervillain team, though they occasionally acted in a heroic capacity as well. It was a government-sponsored team originally composed mainly of Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants...
during the breakout, and Thunderball battled Venom
Eddie Brock
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
for leadership of the convicts. Ultimately, Thunderball helped Iron Man and Dr. Pym
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
disarm a bomb that would have destroyed the Vault.
The Crew were broken out and used by a group of villains during the Acts of Vengeance
Acts of Vengeance
"Acts of Vengeance" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through several titles published by Marvel Comics from December 1989 to February 1990.-Publication history:...
. Thunderball was sent by Doctor Doom to help a group of villains assembled to defeat the Fantastic Four, although the villains were all defeated. With the Wrecking Crew, Thunderball freed the Wrecker and Ulik
Ulik
Ulik is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Ulik was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appears in Thor #137 ....
from policy custody. They battled Hercules and Thor, and then battled Thor, Excalibur
Excalibur (comics)
Excalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an off-shoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the original Excalibur first appeared in Excalibur Special Edition , also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.The...
, and Code: Blue
Code: Blue
Code: Blue is a fictional organization in the Marvel Universe.Code: Blue was a New York City police SWAT team that was specially trained and equipped to deal with super-powered criminals.-Publication history:...
. Thunderball was freed from policy custody by Jeff Wilde. Thunderball joined forces with the Secret Empire
Secret Empire
-Fictional organization history:This subversive organization has been headed by a number of different leaders, always known as “Number One,” with each iteration's goals following the desires of its current leader. The Secret Empire was originally founded by a scientist who felt like an anonymous...
, creating many of the weapons systems that would be used to turn Jeff Wilde, son of the original Midnight Man
Midnight Man (comics)
Midnight Man is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Midnight Man first appeared in Moon Knight #3 , and was created by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz....
, into the cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
warrior known as Midnight. In a battle with the Empire against 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...
, Moon Knight
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is a fictional character, a mercenary-turned-superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character exists in the Marvel Universe and was created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin...
, and their allies Darkhawk
Darkhawk
Darkhawk is a fictional comic book superhero who first appeared in his own self-titled series, Darkhawk #1...
, Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
, Nova
Nova (comics)
Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
, and Night Thrasher, Thunderball was one of the few Empire operatives to survive the destruction of the organization's base. He surrendered to the assembled heroes soon after.
They once conquered an entire planet together, Polemachus, which was the home of sometime Avenger ally/adversary, Arkon
Arkon
Arkon is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is the warlord and ruler of the extra-dimensional world of Polemachus.-Fictional character biography:Arkon was born of noble lineage on the extra-dimensional world Polemachus...
. They overthrew Arkon and his consort, Thundra
Thundra
Thundra is a Marvel Comics superheroine who is often aligned with the Fantastic Four. She is a powerful, red haired, amazon-like warrior, or Femizon, from a matriarchal, technologically advanced future timeline where men have been subjugated by women...
, and ruled Polemachus with the help of Arkon's former Grand Vizier, who betrayed them. This was after they briefly lost their Asgardian powers (when Loki
Loki (comics)
Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor. He is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology...
took the power originally meant for him from the Wrecker) and obtained their powers from a totally different energy source. Part of that energy source was Monica Rambeau
Monica Rambeau
Monica Rambeau is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. Initially known as Captain Marvel, the character became a leader of the Avengers...
herself, also known as the Avenger Pulsar (at the time, her codename was Photon).
During a battle in London, Thunderball tries to kill a wounded Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. Kelsey Leigh
Lionheart (comics)
Lionheart , formerly called Captain Britain, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero. She first appeared in The Avengers vol.3, #77 .-Fictional character biography:...
saves him using the shield but dies due to the shock of the impacts. Kelsey later returns as a new Captain Britain and seemingly kills Thunderball but he survives.
Later, the Wrecking Crew breaks into a bank in Los Angeles. They are confronted by the Runaways
Runaways (comics)
Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
, who defeat them. Thunderball gets chewed on by one of the team, Old Lace
Old Lace (comics)
Old Lace is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series Runaways. She was created by Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona and debuted attacking the other characters in Runaways vol. 1 #2...
, a dinosaur from the future.
Thunderball and the rest of the Crew are forced into governmental service under the Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
program.
The Wrecking Crew with Thunderball have since been spotted in Canada fighting the newly created Omega Flight.
The Hood
Hood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
has hired him as part of his criminal organization to take advantage of the split in the superhero community
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. He helps them fight the New Avengers but is taken down by Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
.
He was later seen with the Hood watching the Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
on television, helping to ferret out Skrull infiltrators from their own ranks and assisting in the Hood/hero alliance battle against invading Skrulls in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. He joins with the Hood's gang in an attack on the New Avengers, who were expecting the Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that have featured various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers...
instead.
Powers and abilities
Thunderball possesses superhuman strength and a high degree of imperviousness to harm thanks to the Asgardian magic imparted through the WreckerWrecker (comics)
The Wrecker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Wrecker was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appears in The Mighty Thor #148 The Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
. He can withstand high amounts of concussive force, and is virtually bulletproof. Thunderball's power augmented his entire body, strengthening his bone, muscle, and flesh. His superhuman abilities are currently four times greater than when he originally shared the Wrecker's power, making him somewhat stronger than an average well-trained Asgardian male.
Thunderball possesses a virtually indestructible wrecking ball attached to a 4 feet (1.2 m) chain, enchanted by the Wrecker's power. The wrecking ball, when thrown, is capable of returning to Thunderball in a similar fashion as Wrecker's crowbar and Thor's hammer. With effort, Thunderball can even control the path it takes on its return. Thunderball can spin the wrecking ball on its chain fast enough to deflect bullets and automatic gunfire. By slamming the wrecking ball on the ground, Thunderball can cause minor localized quakes, knocking his opponents off-balance. The wrecking ball is also durable enough to be thrown into vehicles, buildings, and other structures, knocking them down with no damage to itself. In the past, the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
and Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
have both destroyed the wrecking ball. When this happens, Thunderball doesn't suffer any ill psychic effects from the wrecking ball's destruction. He can recreate the weapon by obtaining a new wrecking ball and having the Wrecker enchant it for him.
Also, Thunderball is highly intelligent. He is a scientific genius
Genius
Genius is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight....
in the field of engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, specializing in gamma radiation. He is a gifted physicist with a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in physics, and is also an experienced planner and tactician. On at least one occasion when he did not have access to the Wrecker's powers, he used his own engineering abilities to create an energized exoskeleton suit of power armor that simulated the abilities of the wrecking ball, albeit on a lesser scale. The suit also gave Franklin the ability to shock foes on physical contact. He also engineered an energized wrecking ball capable of projecting electrical energy bolts.
House of M: Masters of Evil
Thunderball (alongside the other Wrecking Crew members) appears as a member of Hood's Masters of Evil. Before the Red Guard attacks Santo Rico, Thunderball leaves the team alongside, Cobra, Crossbones, and Mister Hyde.Marvel Zombies
At the beginning of Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of DarknessMarvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness is a five-issue 2007 comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in association with Dynamite Entertainment, an intercompany crossover in which Ash Williams, hero of the popular Evil Dead film and comic book, finds himself in the Marvel Zombies...
, Ash Williams
Ash Williams
Ashley J. "Ash" Williams is the protagonist in the Evil Dead horror film franchise, played by Bruce Campbell, and created by director Sam Raimi. Throughout the series, Ash has to face off against his loved ones inside an abandoned cabin as they are possessed by "deadites", the evil souls of the dead...
accidentally allows Thunderball to defeat Daredevil in combat. Thunderball thanks Ash for defeating Daredevil in the process by shaking his hand. He is seen later by Ash and Frank Castle in the middle of a zombie riot on a New York street with tears running down his eyes as he tries to ward off the impending zombie hordes from overpowering him. Despite Ash's vocal concerns, Thunderball is gunned down by Frank for his past as a criminal shortly before Frank is overpowered and killed by the zombie masses.
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Thunderball appears in the recent Ultimate Captain America annual. His real name is Elliot Franklin, and is described as a criminal who has somehow been enhanced. Cap, under orders from FuryUltimate Nick Fury
General Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. A reinterpretation of the character Nick Fury, one of the most notable differences between the two is that the mainstream Nick Fury is an Italian American colonel with graying brown hair, while this Nick Fury...
sends the Panther to stop him as a trial for his inductance into The Ultimates. He is visually still the same, as in still muscular African American, who has a giant 5-ton ball.
Television
- Thunderball appears in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
episode "To Err is Superhuman" voiced by Alimi BallardAlimi BallardAlimi Ballard is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as FBI agent David Sinclair on the CBS drama television series Numb3rs....
. - Thunderball appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series. A second season has been...
episode "Thor the Mighty", voiced by Gary Anthony WilliamsGary Anthony WilliamsGary Anthony Williams is an American screen actor who most recently appeared in Weeds and Boston Legal. Additionally, he is known for his recurring role on Fox's Malcolm in the Middle as "Abe" Kenarban. He has also been known for the comedy series Blue Collar TV as a regular cast member...
.
Video games
- Thunderball appears alongside the other Wrecking Crew members in Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
, voiced by Fred TatascioreFred TatascioreFrederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
. He and the Wrecking Crew are seen guarding the gates at Bifrost Bridge. A VS simulation disk has the heroes fighting Thunderball.
Toys
- Thunderball was released in a two-pack with Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-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...
in the first wave of Secret WarsSecret WarsMarvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
figures from HasbroHasbroHasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
's 3.75" Marvel UniverseMarvel Universe (toyline)Marvel Universe is a 3 3/4" action figure line manufactured by Hasbro, featuring characters from the Marvel Comics universe. It first hit stores in early 2009 and features detailed sculpting, multiple points of articulation, and accessories...
line.
External links
- World of Black Heroes: Thunderball Biography
- Thunderball at Marvel.com
- Thunderball at the Marvel Database Project