Dominic Fortune
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| Dominic Fortune | |
 Cover to Marvel Premiere #56 Art by Howard Chaykin and Terry Austin |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | David Fortunov: Marvel Preview #2 (1975) Jerry Fortunov: Marvel Team-Up #120 (Aug 1982) |
| Created by | David Fortunov: Howard Chaykin Jerry Fortunov: J. M. DeMatteis and Kerry Gammill |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Duvid Jerome T. "David" Fortunov |
| Notable aliases | Davey Fortunov, David Fortunoff |
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 is a 1930s costumed adventurer.
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[edit] Publication history
Dominic Fortune was created for Marvel's Code-free black-and-white magazine line. His first two appearances occurred in 1975's Marvel Preview #2 (no more specific date given) and Marvel Super-Action (one-shot magazine) #1 (January 1976). These stories were later reprinted in Marvel Preview #20 (Winter 1980).
A later run in the back pages of Hulk (a full-color magazine, formerly the b/w Rampaging Hulk) #21 (June 1980)--24 (December 1980), written by Denny O'Neil with fully-painted artwork by Chaykin, included a promise from the editor that a special finale to that series would appear in issue #25. This story was left unpublished due to the dropping of color from the magazine and has yet to be seen anywhere. During this time, a further appearance occurred in Marvel Premiere #56 (October 1980), in a story plotted by Len Wein and laid out by Chaykin for the never-published Super-Action #2, and finished years later by David Michelinie and Terry Austin.
Subsequently, a senior citizen version of the character interacted with modern Marvel heroes in Marvel Team-Up #120 (August 1982), Web of Spider-Man #s 10 (January 1986) & 71 (December 1990)--72 (January 1991), and Iron Man (first volume) #212 (November 1986)--213 (December 1986), with no involvement by Chaykin, except for drawing the cover for Web of Spider-Man #10.
[edit] 2006
Sable and Fortune, a 2006 limited series saw the return of the name Dominic Fortune to published work. In that series a new version of Dominic Fortune joins forces with Silver Sable to stop the plans of traitors from within Silver Sable's own Wild Pack.
In the back of issue #1, editor John Barber states:
| “ | What relationship, if any, the man in this magazine has to the original Dominic Fortune -- remains to be revealed. I know their relationship, but my lips are sealed | ” |
Sable and Fortune was originally solicited as a six issue series, but was shortened to four after the first issue was released. The story that would have revealed this relationship was never printed.
[edit] Fictional character biography
[edit] Duvid "David" Fortunov
Born in New York City, Duvid Jerome Fortunov grew up on that city's Lower East Side during the Great Depression. After ratting out Olga Cimaglia, a powerful gangster, Fortunov relocated to California where he changed his name to Dominic Fortune. Living aboard the Mississippi Queen, a floating casino moored just outside of US territorial waters, Fortune set up shop as an acrobatic costumed adventurer. He also enjoyed a romantic relationship with the Mississippi Queen's owner Sabbath Raven with whom he shared many of his adventures.
In 1937, he uncovered a Nazi propaganda plot in the comic book industry. He also broke up a cult of zombies, thwarted Baron Strucker's attempted assassination of a U.S. senator, exposed the phony "child star" Tina Timmons, and rescued the British ambassador from the terrorist Dominic.[1] In 1940, he was rejected as a subject for Project: Rebirth, but helped protect the man who was chosen, Steve Rogers, from Nazi agents.[2] Later, his break up with Sabbath Raven, experiences during World War II, and later life were revealed.[3]
After eventually retiring, Fortune returned to being Duvid Fortunov and established himself as a Pontiac salesman in Nassau County, New York where he married and had two children. Retirement didn't suit him very well and he reclaimed his identity as Dominic Fortune more than once. The first time he came out of retirement, he battled Turner D. Century alongside Spider-Man.[4] He began a search for Sabbath Raven, and alongside Spider-Man he battled the Shocker and Simon Steele.[5] He later aided Iron Man in his battle with the Iron Monger. Fortune's son Jerry witnessed the battle and swore vengeance when he was incorrectly told that his father had been killed. Donning his father's costume, Jerry Fortunov became the new Dominic Fortune, though he was killed by Simon Steele.[6]
Now seeking vengeance for his son's murder, Dominic Fortune tracked Steele to New York where he was hiding aboard the aging remains of the Mississippi Queen along with a new Sabbath Raven. Fortune captured Steele with help from Spider-Man along with Silver Sable and her Wild Pack, and he was reunited with the original Sabbath Raven.[7]
[edit] Jerry Fortunov
When Jerry Fortunov thought that his father had been killed, he swore vengeance on the Iron Monger. Donning his father's costume, Jerry Fortunov became the new Dominic Fortune.
Jerry Fortunov's career as Dominic Fortune was short. Discovering that his father was alive Jerry, with help from Iron Man, attacked the estate of Simon Steele -- the current Iron Monger. Jerry was fatally injured in the battle, shot by Simon Steele, and died in his father's arms.
[edit] The Initiative
A new Dominic Fortune is being considered as a "potential recruit" for the Initiative program, according to Civil War: Battle Damage Report.
Described as a Brigand-for-hire, this Dominic Fortune has also been shown to be working with a group of vigilantes, called the Vanguard.[8]
[edit] Abilities and equipment
In his prime, David Fortunov was an athletic man. He was also a superb hand-to-hand combatant and excellent boxer, and an expert marksman and swordsman. In modern times, despite being in excellent physical condition for a man of his age, Dominic Fortune is still quite elderly.
Jerry Fortunov was less physically skilled than his father. He has a law school degree and is a skilled tax lawyer, however.
Dominic Fortune uses a variety of handguns, especially German "broomhandle" Mauser using 9mm parabellum ammunition.
[edit] Sources
- Fan page
- Atlas Archives article about The Scorpion mentioning the connection to Dominic Fortune
- All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #3 (2006) Published by Marvel Comics
