Humbug (character)

Humbug
Humbug as depicted in Heroes for Hire (vol. 2) #11 (August 2007). Art by Clayton Henry.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Web of Spider-Man #19 (October 1986)
Created by	David Michelinie Marc Silvestri
In-story information
Alter ego	Buck Mitty
Species	Human mutate
Team affiliations	Heroes for Hire Empire State University
Abilities	Superhuman strength, speed, agility and senses Use of some audio tapes and a series of amplifiers Ability to communicate with all insectoids on a planetary scale

Humbug (Buck Mitty) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Humbug was originally a supervillain but later became a superhero and a member of the Heroes for Hire. ^[1]

Publication history

Humbug first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #19 (Oct 1986). ^[2]

Fictional character biography

Humbug's debut appearance in Web of Spider-Man #19 (October 1986). Art by M. D. Bright (penciler) and Josef Rubinstein (inker).

Buck Mitty was a senior entomology professor at Empire State University until his funding was cut off. ^[3] Desperate to prove the value of the insect world, as well as to gain enough wealth to continue his research, Mitty designs the Humbug costume to achieve his goals by whatever means necessary.

After learning that Humbug plans to attack the New York Museum of Natural History, Deadpool is hired to stop him. Deadpool attacks Humbug in his lab, douses him with honey, and then hurls fire ants on him. The ants eat Humbug's skin, with Deadpool believing him to be dead. ^[4] However, he is later revealed to have survived. ^[5]

Heroes for Hire

Following the events of "Civil War", Humbug reforms and joins Heroes for Hire. ^[6]

In World War Hulk , Humbug betrays Earth's insect hive and the Heroes for Hire to serve the Brood. ^[7] It is later revealed that Earth's hive knew that Humbug would turn on them and used him to transport their agents into the Brood hive. Humbug's body is altered to allow him to carry a clutch of Brood eggs, giving him a deformed, insect-like appearance. Humbug begs Shang-Chi to kill him, to which he complies. ^[8]

Powers and abilities

Humbug uses some audio tapes and a series of amplifiers to broadcast the noises of various insect species, which can incapacitate others or damage materials. In Deadpool , Humbug is revealed to be able to communicate with insects.

In Heroes for Hire, Humbug utilizes an exo-suit that grants him superhuman strength and speed.

References

1. Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Super-Villains . New York: Facts on File. p. 159. ISBN   0-8160-1356-X.
2. Cowsill, Alan; Manning, Matthew K. (2012). Spider-Man Chronicle: Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. DK Publishing. p. 158. ISBN   978-0756692360.
3. Sanderson, Peter (2007). The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City. New York City: Pocket Books. pp. 30–33. ISBN   978-1-4165-3141-8.
4. Deadpool (vol. 3) #42 (July 2000)
5. Daughters of the Dragon #1 (March 2006)
6. Heroes for Hire (vol. 2) #1 (October 2006)
7. Heroes for Hire (vol. 2) #13 (October 2007)
8. Heroes for Hire (vol. 2) #15 (December 2007)