Publication history
Jonas Harrow's first appearance was in The Amazing Spider-Man #114 (October 1972), and he was created by Gerry Conway and John Romita Sr. Conway recounted that the idea for the character "derived from the first Spider-Stalker story [sic; Conway is referring to the Spider-Slayer story from The Amazing Spider-Man #25], with the scientist who provides Jonah a machine to attack Spider-Man himself. I thought, 'Let's extend that. What if there's a guy out there who basically provides the goods for these guys?' I also realized a lot of Spidey's villains themselves, unless they had been scientists, were not likely to come up with this stuff themselves. ... I thought of Jonas Harrow as a Tony Stark for bad guys". [1]
The character subsequently appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #126 (November 1973), #204 (May 1980), #206 (July 1980), #219 (August 1981), Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives #1-2 (January–February 1997), New Avengers #33 (October 2007), House of M: Avengers #1 (January 2008), and Spider-Man: Brand New Day - EXTRA!! (September 2008).
Jonas Harrow received an entry in the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #5 (2006).
Fictional character biography
Over two decades ago, Jonas Harrow was disgraced as a surgeon and expelled from the medical profession for unorthodox experiments. Happening upon a near-dead criminal in the Bowery, Harrow, entertaining half-hearted hopes of redemption, cybernetically restored the criminal, who became the gangster Hammerhead. [2] Harrow slid deeper into underworld research, eventually seeking mind-controlling technology.
In the present day, Harrow enhances criminals to superhuman status for a fee. [3] When Hammerhead rises to prominence, Harrow observed his ex-patient's battles with Spider-Man, whom he perceives as a challenge. He enhances another criminal, Kangaroo (Frank Olver), who ungratefully scorns Harrow's schemes. [4] Harrow continues providing services to villains like Living Laser. When Will o' the Wisp seeks to have his powers removed, Harrow implants a surgical device to extort him into theft. [5]
When the Wisp rebels while fighting Spider-Man, Harrow's device temporarily dissipates him. Using stolen information, Harrow develops a "variator ray" to control human emotion. By now obsessed with Spider-Man, he tested the device on J. Jonah Jameson, who has a nervous breakdown. After Spider-Man locates and destroys the ray, Harrow is imprisoned in Ryker's Island. [6]
Harrow accepted a Roxxon Oil contract to create synthetic automated soldiers; to this end, he extorts industrial crimes from Will o' the Wisp. Surreptitiously seeking Spider-Man's help, the Wisp instead encounters Spider-Man's clone Ben Reilly, who removes Harrow's implant. When Harrow releases Dragon Man from custody, Reilly and the Wisp follow and destroy Harrow's base. [7]
Jonas Harrow is hired by the Hood to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. [8] When the Hood is defeated by the New Avengers and loses his powers, Harrow attempts to use a power drainer he created as a bargaining chip to replace the Hood among Norman Osborn's Cabal. The Hood soon returns, having gained new powers from the Norn Stones, and blasts Harrow's head off with a magically-charged bullet. [9]
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