Ravage (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
Ravage is a fictional character
in Marvel Comics
. He is also one of the Hulk's
enemies.
professor at Desert State University who took undergraduate Bruce Banner under his wing and became his mentor. Years later, Banner went to his teacher for aid in finding a cure for the Hulk. At this time Crawford was a sick man, but he was nevertheless able to create a machine that could be used to filter the gamma radiation from Bruce's body. Crawford also saw this as a way to cure himself; by obtaining some of the Hulk's DNA
, he knew he would be able to use the Hulk's recuperative powers on himself. First Crawford reconfigured his own DNA so that it was a match with Banner's. This turned him into a stronger beast than the Hulk: the monster called Ravage.
Ravage is stronger than the Hulk and is slightly larger. The key element which makes Ravage such a dangerous enemy is that he still has Dr. Crawford's mind and a lust for power. Just after his first transformation, Ravage attacks Hulk, but he soon returns to being Crawford at sunrise, much like Banner initially transformed into the Hulk at sunset and returned to being Banner at sunrise. Crawford turns Banner over to General Ross
for fear of being stopped from becoming Ravage again.
Crawford adjusts his machine so that it will change him into Ravage permanently. He then as Ravage attacks the university and terrorizes those who had pitied him as Dr. Crawford. Ravage is only stopped when the Hulk and General Ross formed an unlikely alliance that allows the army to trap the villain in a state of suspended animation
.
Ravage was set to reappear in future issues and become a more monstrous creature. However, due to the cancellation of the Rampaging Hulk
title, this story never materialized.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in 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...
. He is also one of the Hulk's
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 ....
enemies.
Fictional character biography
Dr. Geoffrey Crawford was a physicsPhysics
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...
professor at Desert State University who took undergraduate Bruce Banner under his wing and became his mentor. Years later, Banner went to his teacher for aid in finding a cure for the Hulk. At this time Crawford was a sick man, but he was nevertheless able to create a machine that could be used to filter the gamma radiation from Bruce's body. Crawford also saw this as a way to cure himself; by obtaining some of the Hulk's DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
, he knew he would be able to use the Hulk's recuperative powers on himself. First Crawford reconfigured his own DNA so that it was a match with Banner's. This turned him into a stronger beast than the Hulk: the monster called Ravage.
Ravage is stronger than the Hulk and is slightly larger. The key element which makes Ravage such a dangerous enemy is that he still has Dr. Crawford's mind and a lust for power. Just after his first transformation, Ravage attacks Hulk, but he soon returns to being Crawford at sunrise, much like Banner initially transformed into the Hulk at sunset and returned to being Banner at sunrise. Crawford turns Banner over to General Ross
Thunderbolt Ross
General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross is a fictional character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as an adversary of the Hulk, sometimes as a supervillain. Ross is a United States military officer, the father of Betty Ross, ex-father in-law of Glenn Talbot and the father in-law...
for fear of being stopped from becoming Ravage again.
Crawford adjusts his machine so that it will change him into Ravage permanently. He then as Ravage attacks the university and terrorizes those who had pitied him as Dr. Crawford. Ravage is only stopped when the Hulk and General Ross formed an unlikely alliance that allows the army to trap the villain in a state of suspended animation
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
.
Ravage was set to reappear in future issues and become a more monstrous creature. However, due to the cancellation of the Rampaging Hulk
Rampaging Hulk
The Rampaging Hulk is a black-and-white magazine published by Curtis Magazines from 1977–1978. With issue #10, it changed its format to color, and title to The Hulk!, and ran another 17 issues before it folded in 1981...
title, this story never materialized.
Powers and abilities
Like Bruce Banner, Crawford was also exposed to gamma radiation. Like the Hulk, Ravage has superhuman strength, which he uses to battle the Hulk, although it would appear that he lacks the Hulk's ability to grow stronger as his rage increases. Ravage also possesses a healing factor similar to the Hulk, and it appears that he has strong leg muscles, also like the Hulk, which allow him to leap great distances.Ultimate Marvel
- In the Ultimate MarvelUltimate MarvelUltimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
universe, although Ravage/Dr. Gregory Crawford has never appeared, there are some links of him in other Hulk related characters. The character of Tyrone CashTyrone CashTyrone Cash is a fictional character in the Ultimate Marvel universe. He is a member of The Ultimates, and is described as being the first Hulk ..-Fictional character biography:In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Dr...
, a vicious mobster with Hulk abilities is portrayed as a former mentor of Bruce Banner, and once was a frail scientist, Dr. Leonard Williams with MSMultiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
, (much like Crawford) and the Ultimate Dr. Samuel SternsLeader (comics)The Leader is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #62, and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In 2009, The Leader was ranked as IGN's 63rd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.Actor Tim Blake...
is a bitter, old, wheelchair-using man who became a Hulk-like monster.
Video games
- Ravage appears in the 2003 video game adaptionHulk (video game)Hulk is a video game based on the 2003 movie of the same name. It was developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Games. A signature feature has Eric Bana reprises his role of Bruce Banner...
to the 2003 Hulk feature filmHulk (film)Hulk is a 2003 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name. Ang Lee directed the film, which stars Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner, as well as Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte...
voiced by Dion Luther. Crawford initially appears as Bruce Banner's old mentor. In the game, he finds a cure for the Hulk by using the gamma orb, which draws out the gamma energy that created the Hulk. Then, the military plans to use it to defeat the Hulk. Crawford tells Banner to get to his lab before the military does. This version of Crawford is similar to the original in that he is needs to use a wheelchair for mobility, but he attempts to regain his health to walk again; however, after arriving in the lab, it is revealed that Crawford is just using Banner to get gamma radiation for himself, using it to become Ravage. Over the course of the game, it is revealed that Crawford is working with the LeaderLeader (comics)The Leader is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #62, and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In 2009, The Leader was ranked as IGN's 63rd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.Actor Tim Blake...
, who seeks to use the gamma energy from the orb to create an army of gamma warriors. During his boss fight, Ravage battles the Hulk alone at first before he summons two armed gamma creatures to assist him. After being defeated by the Hulk, he reverts back to his human form and apologises for his actions, realising that his treachery has given the Leader all he needs to create an army. At the end of the game, Crawford is seen apparently trying to get more gamma radiation, using the orb once more, but his search fails as the orb has returned all its gamma energy to the Hulk.
External links
- Ravage at Marvel.com