Leo Zelinsky

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Publication information
Leo Zelinksy
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Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Amazing Spider-Man # 502
Created by	J. Michael Straczynski John Romita Jr.
In story information
Full name	Leo Zelinksy
Supporting character of	Spider-Man

Leo Zelinsky is a fictional tailor in the Marvel Universe, who owns Leos Tailoring on 23rd near Eighth in New York, first (named) appearance in Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man # 502. His police officer son was killed. He has a young grandson named Mikey.

[edit] Fictional Character Biography

He repairs ordinary clothes and as a sideline, patches costumes of both superheros and villains. His first customer was The Thing, whose clothes were burned off by a fire-wielding villain. After that, it snowballed.

Word got around, and eventually members of the Avengers began commissioning costumes. Then the X-Men. Costumes became his specialty. He described working for Captain America as an honor - Cap had taken a slash across the waist, but went to Zelinsky before seeing a doctor, stating that "The important things come first."

Then things got complicated - Doctor Doom shows up demanding repairs to his cloak, and soon a veritable rogues gallery formed in his shop. He got around this by serving heroes and villains on alternating days - heroes on Mondays, Wednesdays, villains on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. He even alternates his magazine rack - newspapers, Newsweek and Time for the heroes, Penthouse and Guns and Ammo for the villains.

This is how Leo overhears one of his customers, Killshot, planning a murder, possibly the local District Attorney. He does not wish to go to the police because his business might be ruined and also Killshot might hurt his grandson, Mikey in revenge.

Mikey pleads with his grandfather to do something, for he knows somebody is going to be killed. Leo takes a late night walk and encounters Spider-Man. He tells him everything. The next day, Killshot is prevented from killing the D.A. but escapes Spider-Man. He rushes back to Leo, intending to take revenge. Leo takes a bullet in his arm. Spider-Man rescues them both.

The District Attorney realizes that Leo and Spider-Man are responsible for saving his life and discreetly decides to leave the pair alone; he tells the uniformed officers that there is no need to deal with Leo anymore.

An unnamed character bearing a strong resemblance to Leo appears in Civil War Frontline #10, where he provides Robbie Baldwin AKA Penance (formerly Speedball) with a new armored costume. Leo expresses dismay when Baldwin asks for his help putting on the suit, as its interior is covered in sharp spikes. Leo mentions that he made Speedball's first costume.

[edit] Future Influence

After this is all over, Leo offers Spider-Man a new costume he's designed at a discount - a reversible jacket. Unbeknownst to Leo himself, this is a design that Spider-Man had seen in a mystically-charged 'flash-forward'. His future self was wearing the costume at what seems to be his death.