Fictional character biography
Drake Shannon
| The Orb | |
|---|---|
 Cover art to Ghost Rider (vol. 6) #30, art by Richard Corben | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Marvel Team-Up #15 (November 1973) |
| Created by | Len Wein Ross Andru |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Drake Shannon |
| Partnerships | Justin Hammer |
| Abilities | Expert stunt motorcyclist Rides a specially modified motorcycle Via helmet: Laser blast projection Hypnosis |
Drake Shannon was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. An accomplished motorcycle stunt rider, he owned one-half of the traveling motorcycle stunt show starring Johnny Blaze (who would later become Ghost Rider). The other half of the show was owned by Blaze's mentor, Crash Simpson.
While the partnership was initially amiable, the two men grew apart and eventually an intense rivalry developed. Neither wanted to work with the other, but neither wanted to sell their half of the show. To settle the dispute, the two men agreed to a lengthy race, with the winner receiving full ownership of the traveling show. During the race, Shannon deliberately swerves towards Simpson in an attempt to force Simpson to crash. Simpson manages to avoid crashing, while Shannon loses control of his motorcycle and crashes, leaving his face disfigured.
After recovering, Shannon is given a powerful motorcycle helmet by They Who Wield Power. The helmet, which is modeled to resemble a giant eyeball, could hypnotize people. A later version could shoot powerful laser beams from its "pupil".
Calling himself "the Orb", Shannon attempts to take over the traveling motorcycle stunt show which he had once half-owned. He puts dozens of civilians at risk, but informs Johnny Blaze (now the sole owner of the stunt show) that he would let them go unharmed in exchange for him gaining sole ownership. Although Blaze surrenders, Shannon instructs his minions to kill the hostages regardless. At this point, Ghost Rider and Spider-Man team up to defeat Orb. [3] [4]
Becoming a professional criminal, he returned several times, always plotting to get revenge on the Ghost Rider. [5]
Agent of Zadkiel
| The Orb | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Ghost Rider (vol. 6) #26 (October 2008) |
| Created by | Jason Aaron Tan Eng Huat |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Unknown |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Partnerships | Zadkiel Doctor Midas Exterminatrix |
| Abilities | Use of ray gun Possesses an eye of Uatu |
A successor to the original Orb, he was born with a head that resembled a giant eye. He was abandoned at a young age and grew up in a freak show. [6] [7] After performing a number of unidentified jobs, Orb begins working for Zadkiel. [8]
Orb appears in the miniseries Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine , where he is sent skipping through time by some glowing diamonds. Eventually, he gains some understanding of time travel, but is apprehended by the Minutemen before he can put this knowledge to use. [9]
Orb later appears with a group of minions in eye-based masks, having stolen the eyes of a group of people at a bank. He claims that he rolls around naked in eyeballs, regarding the eyes as 'windows to the soul' that he can gather power from before his rematch with Ghost Rider. He claims that he could see the true selves of the Hulk and Red She-Hulk when he looks into their eyes, describing Betty's conflicting relationship with her father Thunderbolt Ross and recognizing that a 'monster' was behind Hulk's eyes that was not the Hulk himself. [10]
In the wake of Uatu the Watcher's murder in the 2014 miniseries "Original Sin", Orb and Exterminatrix are discovered to be in possession of one of Uatu's gouged-out eyes. [11] After he is captured, Orb maintains that he did not kill Uatu. [12] As the storyline concludes, Orb has merged with one of Uatu's eyes, which now resides in his chest. [13]
Orb witnesses the arrival of the Multiversal Masters of Evil. When he declared his intention to watch their actions, he was immediately killed by their leader Doom Supreme. [14]