Shockwave (comics)

Shockwave (real name Lancaster Sneed) is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe whose first appearance was in Master of Kung Fu vol. 1 #42.

Fictional character biography

Lancaster Sneed was born in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, and is the nephew of Sir Denis Nayland Smith. Before becoming an intelligence agent for the British agency MI-6, he was a carnival performer. After he stole an experimental exoskeleton, he became the professional criminal and mercenary known as Shockwave. He conspired to kill his uncle and Black Jack Tarr, and first battled Shang-Chi.^[1] He was revealed as Smith's nephew, and was defeated by Shang Chi.^[2]

He apparently returned later, and Shang Chi thought he was fighting the real Shockwave but was in fact it was a robot duplicate being controlled by Doctor Doom.^[3] The real Shockwave was later brainwashed by MI-6, and attacked his uncle, and battled Clive Reston and Shang-Chi.^[4] Alongside Brynocki, Shockwave battled Shang Chi and Leiko Wu on Mordillo Island. When Brynocki turns against him, Shockwave battled Brynocki and his robots alongside Shang Chi, Leiko Wu, and Black Jack Tarr.^[5]

Alongside Zaran and Razor Fist, Shockwave later attacked the West Coast Avengers on behalf of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Deltoids, but was defeated by Iron Man and escaped.^[6] Shockwave attended the AIM Weapons Exposition, and battled Captain America alongside the other costumed criminals there.^[7]

As Shockwave he has been a member of the Oriental Expediters and the Golden Dagger Sect. He has been the ally of many masterminds and criminals including Fah Lo Suee, Tarrant/Griswold, and Fu Manchu.

The second Crimson Cowl recruited Shockwave to join her incarnation of the Masters of Evil.^[8] He was later involved in a R.A.I.D terror plot in London, only to be foiled by Union Jack.^[9]

Civil War

During the height of the Civil War he was captured by Heroes for Hire. Lancaster has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who have registered as part of the Fifty State Initiative.^[10][11]

Post-Civil War and Secret Invasion

Someone that looks like Shockwave was among the members of Hood's Crime Syndicate.^[12] He was defeated by the New Avengers, however, he escaped from jail.^[13]

He's recently appeared in Brand New Day as one of the villains in the bar.

Shockwave is one of the villains incarcerated in the The Raft when the Skrulls strike.^[14] He is one among many supervillains who rejoined The Hood's crime syndicate and attacked an invading Skrull force.^[15] He joins with the Hood's gang in an attack on the New Avengers, who were expecting the Dark Avengers instead.^[16] The gang was then sent on a mission to kill Tony Stark, promised mountains of gold bars from Norman Osborn as reward for the first one who does. Shockwave is able to locate Tony in Bayeux, France but is incapacitated at close range.^[17]

He was seen during the Siege of Asgard as part of the Hood crime syndicate.^[18]

Powers and abilities

Lancaster Sneed is a master of various martial arts, especially karate. He was trained in armed and unarmed combat by British military intelligence. He is an expert on electrical devices, and skilled in demolitions work. His body was surgically rebuilt using metal plates, enhancing his strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility and reflexes, but not to superhuman levels. He wears a stolen exoskeleton body armor suit giving him enhanced strength; the suit is equipped with an apparatus generating electrical shocks on contact.

The suit is later waterproofed to prevent shorting out on contact with water.^[19]

Bibliography

• Captain America #411-414
• Heroes for Hire #4
• Heroes for Hire v2, #1
• JLA/Avengers #4
• Master of Kung Fu #42-45, 71-75
• New Avengers #1-4
• West Coast Avengers v2, #11
• Spider-Man #81
• Thunderbolts #24-25, 33
• Union Jack (2006–07) #2

In other media

Television

• Shockwave appears in the Iron Man: Armored Adventures episode "Armor Wars". This version is a member of Obadiah Stane's Guardsmen and was a former Maggia operative. His armor is a recolored version of Stark's Stealth Armor design.

DC Comics

A frequent agent of the 100, Arnold Pruett wears a suit of sophisticated armor that endows abilities such as super-strength and generating vibrations capable of leveling buildings. Initially facing Blue Devil, Shockwave would go on to battle Booster Gold and Superman. An action figure for Shockwave was in development for the Super Powers Collection before the line was cancelled.^[20] Shockwave first appeared in Blue Devil #2 (July 1984).

References

External links

• Shockwave at Marvel.com
• Shockwave at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe