VULTURE
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VULTURE is the name of a fictional international crime cartel in the DC Comics universe. It first appeared in House of Mystery #160 July (1966), created by Jack Miller and Joe Certa.
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[edit] History
The organization known as VULTURE (not an acronym) was a vast international crime cartel that was infiltrated, thwarted and eventually completely destroyed by J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter. Their secretive leader had a number of aliases: Mister Vulture, Mister V, and Faceless (a.k.a. Marco Xavier).
Shortly after retiring his John Jones persona, J'onn came into conflict with cartel operatives when he travels to the French Riviera. While in the Riviera he investigates Marco Xavier, an international playboy with supposed links to organized crime. He uses his shape-shifting powers to follow Xavier as he leaves his villa in a high powered sports car. But then Xavier loses control of his vehicle and it plunges off a mountain road, and apparently killed, his body quickly consumed by the blazing crash. J'onnz takes advantage of this accident by quickly transforming himself into a Xavier lookalike, and then dangles himself from the branch of a cliffside tree before the police arrive. The disguised "Marco Xavier" is taken to his villa to recover.[1]
Slowly but surely using his disguise as Marco Xavier the Martian Manhunter worked his way up through the cartel, while maintaining the original Marco's role as an outside contractor uninterested in joining VULTURE, he is eventually able to smash the group from the inside.
| “ | If I ever hope to smash VULTURE, I’m afraid I’ll have to go on masquerading as Marco Xavier for some time to come! J'onn J'onnz |
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J'onnz took over the Xavier identity in order to infiltrate VULTURE and they became his main adversaries for the thirteen issues spanning House of Mystery #160 through 173. After a string of adventures it was revealed that Faceless, the head of Vulture was actually the real Marco Xavier.[2]
[edit] Members of Note
- Marco Xavier - Secretly "Faceless" leader of the VULTURE cartel.
- Marco Xavier II - The Martian Manhunter in disguise.
[edit] Other DCU Criminal Organizations
- See also: List of criminal organizations in comics
