Mandrill (comics)

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Mandrill

Mandril, from marveldirectory.com
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Shanna the She-Devil #4 (June 1973)
Created by Carole Seuling, Steve Gerber, and Ross Andru
In story information
Alter ego Jerome Beechman
Species Human Mutant
Team affiliations Former leader of the Black Spectre, Mutant Force, and Fem-Force
Partnerships Nekra
Notable aliases Hensley Fargus, Monkey Face
Abilities Sex pheromones generation and manipulation
Superhuman strength, speed, agility, dexterity, flexibility, reflexes, coordination, balance, and endurance

Mandrill is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. His first appearance was in Shanna the She-Devil #4.

Contents

[edit] Fictional character biography

Jerome Beechman was the son of Frederic Beechman, a physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, and Margaret Beechman. Before conceiving his son, an explosion breached the facility's nuclear reactor, bombarding Frederic and a cleaning woman with radiation. When Jerome was born a year later, he possessed black skin (despite both of his parents being Caucasian) and tufts of body hair. Jerome was despised by his family because of his freakish appearance, and when he was ten his father drove him out into the New Mexico desert and abandoned him.

While wandering the desert, Jerome encountered Nekra Sinclair, the daughter of the cleaning woman who had been bombarded by radiation in the same accident that had affected Beecham's father. Although her parents were black, she had been born albino white and had developed vampiric features. For six years they lived by theft and scavenging until they were attacked by a lynch mob that thought they were monsters. The hatred triggered by the attack manifested both Beecham's and Sinclair's powers, which the two used to kill some of their attackers and escape the rest.

Now possessing a more monkey-like appearance, Beecham became a professional criminal and took the name of Mandrill. Traveling to Africa, the two plotted to overthrow and seize control of three small nations through a cult of personality powered by the Mandrill's ability to control women with his pheromones, and create a society free of the values that had led them to be rejected when they were young. This effort was thwarted by Shanna the She-Devil after battling her, and they were captured by S.H.I.E.L.D.[1] The two eventually escaped, kidnapping Shanna's father in the process, and eventually killing him.

For their next plot, they acted as political subversives, using the Mandrill's powers to raise Black Spectre, a cult of black women committed to overthrowing America. As leader of Black Spectre, he battled the Thing and Daredevil.[2] Alongside Nekra and Black Spectre battled Daredevil, the Black Widow, and Shanna. Mandrill and his allies were defeated on the White House lawn by the heroes. Though Nekra was captured, Mandrill escaped the authorities.[3]

Mandrill then raised yet another army of women, called Fem-Force (unrelated to AC Comics' Femforce). He also recruited the Mutant Force to aid him in his takeover of the United States and attacked an air force base in Colorado. This adventure was brought to an end by the Defenders and Mutant Force was captured.[4] Mandrill then led Fem-Force against the Indian Point Energy Center, where his parents were now employed. The Defenders again swung into action against him, but in the end Mandrill was defeated when he was shot by his own mother. Surviving, he escaped with the aid of some Fem-Force members.[5]

Mandrill has made no secret of his misogyny, and has often taken sexual advantage of his slaves. He married some of his slaves, becoming illegally polygamous. In the pages of Daredevil, it was alluded that he had made the Black Widow one of his many conquests.[6]

Mandrill's next appearance was when he tried to get revenge on the Grim Reaper in Los Angeles, California, for killing Nekra, but was instead apparently slain himself.[7]

Mandrill somehow survived yet again and was later incarcerated in New York's experimental "Ant-Hill" prison, where all prisoners were reduced in size thanks to Hank Pym's Pym particles. An escape attempt was thwarted by She-Hulk. He then was incarcerated on The Raft, where he escaped during New Avengers #1 to join Crossfire's mind-controlling team of villains in Spider-Man: Breakout. He was recently captured by Spider-Man in the pages of Marvel's February romance specials [8]; Mandrill is one of the comparative few mutants who have retained their powers in the wake of Marvel's Decimation event.

[edit] Post-Civil War

When Alyosha Kravinoff, the son of Kraven the Hunter began collecting a zoo of animal themed superhumans, a Mandrill is clearly seen in one of the cages[9]. He later attacked the Punisher, who took him down with a series of punches. Mandrill's left eye was dislodged in the attack.

The Hood has hired him as part of his criminal organization to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. He helped them fight the New Avengers but was taken down by Doctor Strange.

[edit] Secret Invasion

He was one of many prisoners who escaped from the "Raft."[10]

[edit] Powers and abilities

The Mandrill is a mutant who exudes pheromones that give him the chemically-based ability to attract and enslave women. Certain women of heightened willpower can resist his control. A mild electrical shock can release victims from his control. His power is ineffective against males.

He also has superhuman strength, speed, agility, dexterity, flexibility, reflexes, coordination, balance, and endurance comparable to that of a great ape. He is a skilled acrobatic hand-to-hand combatant.

Mandrill has above normal intelligence, and is a gifted planner and strategist.

In at least once instance, the Mandrill used technological means to alter and augment his power so that the sight of him mesmerized the male Thing.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] References

  1. ^ Shanna the She-Devil #4
  2. ^ Marvel Two-in-One #3
  3. ^ Daredevil #110-112
  4. ^ Defenders #85
  5. ^ Defenders #89-91
  6. ^ http://www.geocities.com/daredevil_villains/mandrill/mandrill.html (see first illus)
  7. ^ Avengers West Coast #66
  8. ^ Mile High Comics: First Look - Marvel's I Heart Marvel: Web Of Romance #1
  9. ^ The Punisher War Journal Vol.2 #13
  10. ^ Secret Invasion #1

[edit] External links