Saturday Showcase: Silvermane

 

My Saturday Showcases are continuing to feature the characters announced for the Amazon Exclusive Marvel Legends Spider-Man Five Pack.  Today's showcase is on the mobster known as Silvermane.  

Silvio Manfredi, nicknamed "Silvermane" for his near-white hair, is a professional criminal originally from Corleone, Sicily that started his criminal career as a racketeer in the Maggia, eventually forming his own crime family and becoming a powerful Maggia Don.

In his first appearance, an elderly Silvermane forced Dr. Curt Connors to make a potion from an ancient clay tablet in order to grant himself immortality. He first crossed paths with Conners's alter-ego, the Lizard, and Spider-Man during this scheme. Drinking the serum made Silvermane younger, but its effects caused him to de-age further and further until he was a infant before completely disappearing.

 

Silvermane eventually reappeared, as allvillains do, revealing that he had mystically aged to his forties. He started a new career and again quickly rose through the Maggia's ranks until he regained control of his family, then sought to form an alliance with Hydra, determined to take over the world as their leader, the Supreme Hydra. He was defeated by Daredevil, Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.  

Silvermane reappeared in New York in an attempt to unite all of New York's gangs under his leadership and take over the criminal underworld, but his plans were complicated by the Green Goblin, who opposed him. During a confrontation between the Goblin, Silvermane and Spider-Man, Silvermane fell from a great height but survived.

In his old age, Silvermane's injuries caused his youth serum to wear off, rendering him an invalid. Though bedridden, he continued to run his criminal empire until Dagger nearly killed him. Silvermane attempted to prolong his life by transforming himself into a cyborg.  Kingpin gained control of his cyborg body until Dagger restored his life energy to him. His cyborg body was badly damaged by the first Jack O'Lantern during a gang war between Hammerhead and the Kingpin. 

Silvermane used a remote-controlled android doppelganger to battle Spider-Man. This was part of an attempt to boost the power of his remaining organic parts by harvesting new ones from Spider-Man's body. He attempted to drain his nemesis's radioactive blood to power a new, much stronger cyborg body.   

Silvermane has also had conflicts with Deathrock, the Punisher (on several occasions), and many rival "kingpins" of crime.  He has met death more than once but he always seems to find a way back.

Publication Information

Publisher: Marvel Comics

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #73 (June 1969)

Created by Stan Lee (writer) & John Buscema (artist)

Alter Ego: Silvio Manfredi

Team Affiliations:

• The Maggia

• HYDRA

Notable Aliases: Supreme Hydra

Abilities

• Superb hand to hand combatant

• Excellent marksman

• Brilliant strategist and organizer

• Superhuman strength and senses via cyborg body

• Use of various handguns

Until next time, get your READ on!!!

Saturday Showcase: Razorback

 
It has been a while since I have done a Showcase post due to work.  Hell, the last ones I did were on Sunday instead of Saturday, but now my schedule is clear to where I should be able to return to a somewhat regular schedule of Saturday Showcase posts.  With that said, I needed a post that packed a punch!  So, I decided to introduce you to a character I believe we could see make there appearance in the new hit series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.  That character is Buford Hollis aka Razorback.

Buford Hollis, a muscular truck driver and costumed adventurer from Texarkana, Arkansas, was in New York looking for his younger sister Bobby Sue who had joined a religious cult.  This cult was led by the villainous Man-Beast (disguised as the Hate-Monger).   During this struggle, Buford would develop a lifelong ally with the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.  The Man-Beast put up one hell of a fight, coming close to killing Spidey and Razorback on several occasions.  In the long run, our heroes won and Bobby Sue was saved. [Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #13-15]

Another one of Buford's adventures would have him team up with the sensational She-Hulk to stop the galactic villain known as Xemnu.  He was not alone when the two heroes joined forces.  Buford's original companion was Taryn O'Connell, a female truck driver, who spends some time searching for Razorback before he arrived in his oversized rig. They team up and use the rig itself to hijack NASA's experimental faster-than-light spacecraft, the Star Blazer. 

Their purpose is to find Taryn's lover, Ulysses Solomon Archer, who had left for deep space several years prior, establishing himself as a space trucker. They arrive (with She-Hulk as a stowaway, thanks to Mister Fantastic's assistance) only to discover that Archer had already married Mary McGrill, a woman who had traveled into space with him. Razorback assists She-Hulk and Archer in defeating Xemnu the Titan, who intended to transform Archer and Mary's as-yet-unborn child into a member of his own species. With the help of the She-Hulk's persuasion, NASA soon realizes that Razorback, with his mutant skill allowing him to drive anything, is the perfect pilot for their craft, and allows him and U.S. Archer to remain in space aboard the Star Blazer with NASA's approval. Taryn joins Buford on his travels, having fallen in love with him. Star Blazer is renamed the Big Pig III, which Razorback calls all his vehicles.  Razorback and Taryn eventually return to Earth. [The Sensational She-Hulk #6-7]

Publication Information

Publisher: Marvel Comics

First Appearance:

• In shadow: Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #12 (November 1977)
• Full appearance: Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #13

Created by Archie Goodwin, Bill Mantlo, & Sal Buscema

Alter Ego: Buford T. Hollis

Species: Human/Mutant

Team Affiliations: Fifty State Initiative

Abilities

• Skilled Mechanic
• Self-taught Engineer
• Excellent Street Fighter
• Considerable Strength and Endurance
• Innate Ability to operate, pilot, and drive any vehicle
• Costume has an electrically charged mane

Another reason I chose to do a post on Razorback is the fact that he is included in the upcoming Marvel Legends Amazon Exclusive Spider-Man Pack (Pack will also include Silvermane, the Human Fly, Molten Man, and a unique symbiote Spider-Man).

Well, I hope you enjoyed this backstory on Razorback. I believe I might feature either Silvermane or the Human Fly next.  We will have to see.  If you have a comic character you would like to see featured, just let me know who.

Until next time, get your READ on!

Year of the Shield (Unboxing)