Masters of Evil

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Masters of Evil (Zemo)

The original Masters of Evil on the cover of The Avengers #6 (Aug. 1964)
Art by Jack Kirby and Chic Stone.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance The Avengers #6 (July 1964)
Created by Stan Lee
Jack Kirby
In story information
Base(s) Various
Roster
See:List of Masters of Evil members


The Masters of Evil is a name used for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic book published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years.

Contents

[hide]

[edit] Publication history

The original Masters of Evil, consisting of existing Marvel Comics supervillains, was gathered by former Nazi scientist Baron Heinrich Zemo in The Avengers #6 (July 1964). He led the team until his accidental death when in battle with Captain America in issue #15 (April 1965).

The next version, organized by the villainous android Ultron under the alias of Crimson Cowl, debuted in The Avengers #54 (July 1968) and consisted of Klaw, the Melter, the Radioactive Man, Whirlwind, and the Dane Whitman Black Knight, who joined with the intention of betraying the Masters.[1] This version continued into the following issue and returned in #83 (Dec. 1970).

Criminal scientist Egghead organized a third version, consisting of the Beetle, Moonstone, the original Scorpion, the original Shocker, Tiger Shark, and longtime members Radioactive Man and Whirlwind, in The Avengers #222 (Aug. 1982). This team returned in Avengers #227 (Jan. 1983).

A fourth version was formed by Baron Helmut Zemo, the son of the original. This team uses over a dozen villains (including the Wrecking Crew, the Erik Josten Goliath, and Mister Hyde), and engages the Avengers in a story arc running from issues #270-277 (Aug. 1986 - March 1987) and in the spinoff title West Coast Avengers #16 (Jan. 1987).

The fifth team is organized by Doctor Octopus, but bears little resemblance to previous incarnations. Its roster includes Gargantua; Jackhammer and Oddball. The Guardians of the Galaxy, a superheroic group from an alternate timeline, battle and defeat the team in Guardians of the Galaxy #28-29 (Sept.-Oct. 1992).

The sixth incarnation is again assembled by the second Baron Zemo, and poses as heroes under the alias the Thunderbolts in the 1990s comic-book series. In addition to Zemo, the team consists of the Beetle (as MACH-1); the Fixer (as Techno); Goliath (as Atlas); Moonstone (as Meteorite) and Screaming Mimi (as Songbird). With the exception of Zemo and the Fixer, all eventually become heroes and renounce their villainous ways as of Hulk #449 (Feb. 1997).

Main article: Thunderbolts

The seventh and eighth incarnations are recruited by the second Crimson Cowl (Justine Hammer) in Thunderbolts #3 (June 1997) and #24 (March 1999). These versions consist of villains including Aqueduct, Bison, Blackwing, Boomerang, the third Cyclone, Dragonfly, and the second Eel.

[edit] Membership

[edit] Other media

[edit] Television

[edit] Video Games

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^  Roy Thomas (w),  John Buscema (p),  George Tuska (i). "...And Deliver Us from — the Masters of Evil!" The Avengers  #54 (July 1968)  Marvel Comics

[edit] External links