Turner D. Century
Encyclopedia
Turner D. Century is a comic book
supervillain
in the Marvel Comics
universe. He was created by J.M. DeMatteis, Steve Leialoha
, and Bruce D. Patterson.
#33 (December 1980). The character later appeared in Marvel Team-Up
#120 (August 1982), and was killed by the Scourge of the Underworld
in Captain America
#319 (July 1986).
Turner D. Century received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
#16.
. His father's employer, Morgan MacNeil Hardy, had been responsible for rebuilding much of San Francisco after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
, and was disturbed by the alleged degeneration of manners and mores in subsequent decades. After a movement he started to turn the tide failed, he retreated, with young Clifford (whose father had died) as a surrogate son whom he sheltered from the current world and taught to idealize earlier times.
Turner D. Century was a young man with dark hair worn in the style of 1900, and a handlebar moustache
of the sort popular at that time. He wore a costume consisting of typical summer clothing as would be worn by a young man of the middle classes in the year 1900 in the United States — a straw boater
hat, a striped jacket, and white trousers.
His motivation was a hatred of the social changes that had come about since the time-period he idealized (the period just before World War I), and many of his crimes involved striking out at things or people that represented, in his view, these changes. To that end, he tried to eradicate the current population of San Francisco using a hyper-sonic weapon of his own design and rebuild the old society again. He was opposed by Spider-Man
and the aging adventurer Dominic Fortune
, and his scheme turned out to be in vain; although the weapon affected all within its range, it had only rendered them unconscious, not killed them.
Turner D. Century was killed by the assassin Scourge
along with several other villains in the "Bar with No Name". Later, he became one of the deceased people cloned and used as servants by Arnim Zola
. The clone was later killed by the mercenary Deadpool
.
Turner D. Century later appears among the eighteen criminals, all murdered by the Scourge
, at the Hood
's meeting of a squad assembled to eliminate the Punisher
.
that concealed a flamethrower
, and rode a tandem bicycle
(the rear seat was taken by a dummy wearing fashionable women's clothes of the pre-World War I era) that could fly by unknown means.
Turner also built a "time horn," a device intended to kill those under the age of 65 by ultrasonic waves, but instead induced unconsciousness.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
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...
in the Marvel Comics
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...
universe. He was created by J.M. DeMatteis, Steve Leialoha
Steve Leialoha
Steve Leialoha is an American comic book artist whose work first came to prominence in the 1970s. He has worked primarily as an inker, though occasionally as a penciller, for several publishers, including Marvel Comics and later DC Comics.-Biography:Leialoha's professional career began in 1975...
, and Bruce D. Patterson.
Publication history
Turner D. Century first appeared in Spider-WomanSpider-Woman (Jessica Drew)
Spider-Woman is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #32 , and 50 issues of an ongoing series titled Spider-Woman followed...
#33 (December 1980). The character later appeared in Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story...
#120 (August 1982), and was killed by the Scourge of the Underworld
Scourge of the Underworld
The Scourge of the Underworld is the name of a series of fictional characters that have appeared in various series set in the Marvel Comics universe....
in 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...
#319 (July 1986).
Turner D. Century received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#16.
Fictional character biography
He was born Clifford F. Michaels, the son of a millionaire's chauffeurChauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
. His father's employer, Morgan MacNeil Hardy, had been responsible for rebuilding much of San Francisco after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
, and was disturbed by the alleged degeneration of manners and mores in subsequent decades. After a movement he started to turn the tide failed, he retreated, with young Clifford (whose father had died) as a surrogate son whom he sheltered from the current world and taught to idealize earlier times.
Turner D. Century was a young man with dark hair worn in the style of 1900, and a handlebar moustache
Handlebar moustache
A handlebar moustache is a moustache with particularly lengthy, upward curved, extremities. It is named for its resemblance to the handlebars of a bicycle. It is also known as a "spaghetti moustache", because of its stereotypical association with Italian men...
of the sort popular at that time. He wore a costume consisting of typical summer clothing as would be worn by a young man of the middle classes in the year 1900 in the United States — a straw boater
Boater (hat)
A boater is a kind of men's formal summer hat....
hat, a striped jacket, and white trousers.
His motivation was a hatred of the social changes that had come about since the time-period he idealized (the period just before World War I), and many of his crimes involved striking out at things or people that represented, in his view, these changes. To that end, he tried to eradicate the current population of San Francisco using a hyper-sonic weapon of his own design and rebuild the old society again. He was opposed by 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 the aging adventurer Dominic Fortune
Dominic Fortune
Dominic Fortune is a fictional comic book character, owned by Marvel Comics.Created by Howard Chaykin and based on the Scorpion, Chaykin's character for the failed Atlas/Seaboard Comics company, Dominic Fortune was originally a 1930s costumed, fortune-seeking adventurer.-Publication history:Dominic...
, and his scheme turned out to be in vain; although the weapon affected all within its range, it had only rendered them unconscious, not killed them.
Turner D. Century was killed by the assassin Scourge
Scourge of the Underworld
The Scourge of the Underworld is the name of a series of fictional characters that have appeared in various series set in the Marvel Comics universe....
along with several other villains in the "Bar with No Name". Later, he became one of the deceased people cloned and used as servants by Arnim Zola
Arnim Zola
Arnim Zola is a fictional character a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a master of biochemistry, and frequent foe of Captain America and the Avengers.-Publication history:...
. The clone was later killed by the mercenary Deadpool
Deadpool (comics)
Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...
.
Turner D. Century later appears among the eighteen criminals, all murdered by the Scourge
Scourge of the Underworld
The Scourge of the Underworld is the name of a series of fictional characters that have appeared in various series set in the Marvel Comics universe....
, at 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:...
's meeting of a squad assembled to eliminate the 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,...
.
Powers and abilities
Century had no inherent superpowers. He owned and used an umbrellaUmbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
that concealed a flamethrower
Flamethrower
A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
, and rode a tandem bicycle
Tandem bicycle
The tandem bicycle or twin is a form of bicycle designed to be ridden by more than one person. The term tandem refers to the seating arrangement , not the number of riders. A bike with two riders side-by-side is called a sociable.-History:Patents related to tandem bicycles date from the late 19th...
(the rear seat was taken by a dummy wearing fashionable women's clothes of the pre-World War I era) that could fly by unknown means.
Turner also built a "time horn," a device intended to kill those under the age of 65 by ultrasonic waves, but instead induced unconsciousness.
External links
- An article on Turner D. Century
- Seanbaby's article on Turner D. Century
- http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/centuryturnerdsw.htm
- http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/preview2.php?image=previews/marvelcomics/punisher/villains/PunisherVillains-12.jpg