Human Fly (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Human Fly is the name of two comic book
characters in the Marvel Comics
universe
, one a super-villain that was an occasional antagonist
of Spider-Man
, and the other a superhero
. Additionally, Human Fly was the title of a short-lived series in the late 1950s reprinting some of Fox
's Blue Beetle
strips from the 1940s. It was published by Super Comics.
Annual #10 (1976), and was created by Len Wein
, Bill Mantlo
, and Gil Kane
.
The character subsequently appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #192-193 (May–June 1979), Spider-Woman #30 (September 1980), Moon Knight #35 (January 1984), Spectacular Spider-Man #86 (January 1984), and Amazing Spider-Man #276 (May 1986), in which he was killed by the Scourge of the Underworld
. The original story of the Fly was drawn by Fred Hembeck
in Spectacular Spider-Man #86, who (in his cartoon form) had a guest appearance in that particular issue.
The Fly received an entry in the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
#4, and The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man #1 (2005).
, was a small-time criminal who was shot by the police and left for dead after an unsuccessful kidnapping attempt, which was foiled by Spider-Man
. Stumbling into the laboratory of Dr. Harlan Stillwell (whose brother Farley Stillwell
created the Scorpion for J. Jonah Jameson
), Deacon coerced the scientist into saving his life. Overhearing an offer Jameson made with Stillwell to fund the creation of a new super hero, Deacon insisted he be the subject of the experiment. Stillwell imprinted the genetic coding of a common fly onto Deacon, empowering him and healing him of his bullet wounds. Deacon killed Harlan Stillwell and used his newfound powers to further his criminal ambitions. He first used Jameson as bait to get revenge on Spider-Man, but due to his inexperience he was no match for the web-slinger and was defeated.
It was some time later when the Fly began to display fly-like tendencies (like eating garbage). This later developed into a fully physical mutation which made him eventually look like a humanoid fly, including antennae and facet eyes. Sometime later, the Fly attacked Spider-Man after Spencer Smythe
had handcuffed him — along with Jameson — to a bomb. The Fly hurled the two from a rooftop and left them for dead. Once freed from the shackle, Spider-Man tried to stop the Fly from stealing an art exhibit, but the villain knocked him down and escaped. Soon afterwards, however, the police caught the Fly using S.H.I.E.L.D.
equipment.
Traveling to San Francisco, the Fly sought out Dr. Karl Malus
, a criminally inclined scientist. Malus planned to augment Deacon's powers with a blood transfusion from Spider-Woman. The Fly attacked her unsuccessfully. Malus then suggested that he kidnap her associate, Scotty MacDowell. Spider-Woman followed the Fly to Malus' headquarters and, after a brief fight, defeated him. Afterwards, Malus used some of the Fly's DNA to temporarily mutate Scotty into the similarly powered Hornet.
The Fly subsequently battled Moon Knight
, leaving the hero temporarily paralyzed, and again tried to seek revenge against Jameson and Spider-Man. Partnered with the Black Cat
, Spider-Man once more defeated the Fly.
Over time, Deacon's mutation increased. After escaping from a mental institution, Deacon was killed by Scourge of the Underworld
(who was disguised as a sanitation worker) while trying to take revenge on Spider-Man.
The Fly was later among the eighteen criminals, all murdered by the Scourge, to be resurrected by Hood
using the power of Dormammu
as part of a squad assembled to eliminate the Punisher
. He now has acid vomit that can melt steel, and wings that are strong enough to deflect cannon fire and sharp enough to cut a dump truck in two. The Fly, now craving human flesh (which he prefers over eating garbage), devours a prostitute in a private room, and then fights a group of armed guards who burst in, vomiting deadly acid on them. When he assaults another woman in the hallway, the Punisher confronts him. After spewing acid on the woman, Punisher assaults the Human Fly. Punisher uses his knife to cut one of Human Fly's wings in half. Before he could land a final blow on Human Fly, a group of his fellow criminals (disguised as Avengers from another time and place) intervene as Bird-Man manages to get the Human Fly to safety. His wing did regenerate rather quickly. He battled the Punisher again with Letha and Lascivious, and is defeated when the Punisher throws him into Lascivious.
His activities often drew him into conflict with criminals, who were often seeking to rob the charity events at which he performed. Additionally, he drew the attention of Spider-Man
, who thought he might be the villain of the same name.
The character was based on real-life stuntman
Rick Rojatt. The comic book carried the tag line "The Wildest Super-Hero Ever — Because He's Real!", and photographs of someone in a Human Fly costume appeared in the books. Jim Shooter
, a high-ranking member of Marvel's editorial staff at the time of publication, said in 2007 that the photos were indeed of Rojatt.
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...
characters 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
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...
, one a super-villain that was an occasional antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of 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 other a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
. Additionally, Human Fly was the title of a short-lived series in the late 1950s reprinting some of Fox
Fox Feature Syndicate
Fox Feature Syndicate was a comic book publisher from early in the period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. Founded by entrepreneur Victor S...
's Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes that appear in American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939.-Publication history:...
strips from the 1940s. It was published by Super Comics.
The Human Fly (Richard Deacon)
Publication history
The Human Fly first appeared in The Amazing Spider-ManThe 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...
Annual #10 (1976), and 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...
, Bill Mantlo
Bill Mantlo
Bill Mantlo is an American comic-book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics, best known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: the Eagle Award-winning Micronauts and the long-running Rom. An attorney, he also worked as a public defender...
, and Gil Kane
Gil Kane
Eli Katz who worked under the name Gil Kane and in one instance Scott Edward, was a comic book artist whose career spanned the 1940s to 1990s and every major comics company and character.Kane co-created the modern-day versions of the superheroes Green Lantern and the Atom for DC Comics, and...
.
The character subsequently appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #192-193 (May–June 1979), Spider-Woman #30 (September 1980), Moon Knight #35 (January 1984), Spectacular Spider-Man #86 (January 1984), and Amazing Spider-Man #276 (May 1986), in which he 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....
. The original story of the Fly was drawn by Fred Hembeck
Fred Hembeck
Fred Hembeck is an American cartoonist best known for his parodies of characters from major American comic book publishers. His work has frequently been published by the firms whose characters he spoofs. His characters are always drawn with curlicues at the elbows and knees...
in Spectacular Spider-Man #86, who (in his cartoon form) had a guest appearance in that particular issue.
The Fly received an entry in the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
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...
#4, and The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man #1 (2005).
Fictional character biography
Richard Deacon, born in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, was a small-time criminal who was shot by the police and left for dead after an unsuccessful kidnapping attempt, which was foiled 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...
. Stumbling into the laboratory of Dr. Harlan Stillwell (whose brother Farley Stillwell
Farley Stillwell
Farley Stillwell is a fictional scientist in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:When J. Jonah Jameson first hired Peter Parker, he was amazed at how he managed to obtain the pictures. He hired private investigator Mac Gargan to look into this. When J...
created the Scorpion for J. Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson
John Jonah Jameson Junior is a supporting character of Spider-Man in the .Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and now serves as the mayor of New York City...
), Deacon coerced the scientist into saving his life. Overhearing an offer Jameson made with Stillwell to fund the creation of a new super hero, Deacon insisted he be the subject of the experiment. Stillwell imprinted the genetic coding of a common fly onto Deacon, empowering him and healing him of his bullet wounds. Deacon killed Harlan Stillwell and used his newfound powers to further his criminal ambitions. He first used Jameson as bait to get revenge on Spider-Man, but due to his inexperience he was no match for the web-slinger and was defeated.
It was some time later when the Fly began to display fly-like tendencies (like eating garbage). This later developed into a fully physical mutation which made him eventually look like a humanoid fly, including antennae and facet eyes. Sometime later, the Fly attacked Spider-Man after Spencer Smythe
Spencer Smythe
Spencer Smythe is a fictional character, a comic book villain in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #25 . He is the father of Alistair Smythe.-Fictional character biography:...
had handcuffed him — along with Jameson — to a bomb. The Fly hurled the two from a rooftop and left them for dead. Once freed from the shackle, Spider-Man tried to stop the Fly from stealing an art exhibit, but the villain knocked him down and escaped. Soon afterwards, however, the police caught the Fly using S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
equipment.
Traveling to San Francisco, the Fly sought out Dr. Karl Malus
Karl Malus
Dr. Karl Malus is a fictional mad scientist and criminal in the Marvel Universe, created by Michael Fleisher, Steve Leialoha and Jim Mooney. He first appeared in Spider-Woman # 30, in September 1980.-Fictional character biography:...
, a criminally inclined scientist. Malus planned to augment Deacon's powers with a blood transfusion from Spider-Woman. The Fly attacked her unsuccessfully. Malus then suggested that he kidnap her associate, Scotty MacDowell. Spider-Woman followed the Fly to Malus' headquarters and, after a brief fight, defeated him. Afterwards, Malus used some of the Fly's DNA to temporarily mutate Scotty into the similarly powered Hornet.
The Fly subsequently battled 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...
, leaving the hero temporarily paralyzed, and again tried to seek revenge against Jameson and Spider-Man. Partnered with the Black Cat
Black Cat (comics)
The Black Cat is a fictional character, a superheroine in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 ....
, Spider-Man once more defeated the Fly.
Over time, Deacon's mutation increased. After escaping from a mental institution, Deacon was killed by 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....
(who was disguised as a sanitation worker) while trying to take revenge on Spider-Man.
The Fly was later among the eighteen criminals, all murdered by the Scourge, to be resurrected by 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:...
using the power of Dormammu
Dormammu
Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a...
as part 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,...
. He now has acid vomit that can melt steel, and wings that are strong enough to deflect cannon fire and sharp enough to cut a dump truck in two. The Fly, now craving human flesh (which he prefers over eating garbage), devours a prostitute in a private room, and then fights a group of armed guards who burst in, vomiting deadly acid on them. When he assaults another woman in the hallway, the Punisher confronts him. After spewing acid on the woman, Punisher assaults the Human Fly. Punisher uses his knife to cut one of Human Fly's wings in half. Before he could land a final blow on Human Fly, a group of his fellow criminals (disguised as Avengers from another time and place) intervene as Bird-Man manages to get the Human Fly to safety. His wing did regenerate rather quickly. He battled the Punisher again with Letha and Lascivious, and is defeated when the Punisher throws him into Lascivious.
Human Fly (superhero)
Publication history
The superhero the Human Fly starred in Marvel Comics' The Human Fly #1–19 (Sept. 1977 — March 1979).Fictional character biography
The second Human Fly was a young man of unknown identity who was severely injured during a car crash. After a long hospitalization, including a number of reconstructive surgeries in which much of his skeleton was replaced by steel, he took on the masked identity of the Human Fly. As the Human Fly, he performed daredevil stunts to benefit various charities, especially those helping children with disabilities.His activities often drew him into conflict with criminals, who were often seeking to rob the charity events at which he performed. Additionally, he drew the attention of 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...
, who thought he might be the villain of the same name.
The character was based on real-life stuntman
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
Rick Rojatt. The comic book carried the tag line "The Wildest Super-Hero Ever — Because He's Real!", and photographs of someone in a Human Fly costume appeared in the books. Jim Shooter
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
, a high-ranking member of Marvel's editorial staff at the time of publication, said in 2007 that the photos were indeed of Rojatt.
Television
- In the Spider-WomanSpider-Woman (TV series)Spider-Woman is an animated television series, based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Woman. The series was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and Marvel Comics Animation, and aired on September 22, 1979 to January 3, 1980, one season of sixteen episodes, on the ABC-TV network...
episode "Spider-Woman and the Fly", a crazed scientist named Dr. Hagel became a giant fly. The Fly was able to find out 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...
's alter-ego. However, when he was turned back to normal, he forgot everything about Spider-Woman's true identity.
- The super-villain Human Fly made a cameo appearance on 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". He was seen in Ryker's IslandRyker's IslandRyker'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"....
with Electro, Klaw, and 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...
.