Shaggy Man (comics)

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Shaggy Man
JusticeLeague45.jpg
The Shaggy Man slamming Batman and Flash into each other as seen on the cover of Justice League of America #45 (June 1966).
Art by Mike Sekowsky.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Original:
Justice League of America #45 (June 1966)
Created by Gardner Fox (scripts)
Mike Sekowsky (pencils)
In-story information
Abilities

Shaggy Man is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Most of the Shaggy Men are depicted as artificial lifeforms with regenerating abilities and have been created by different people.

Contents

Publication history

The Shaggy Man debuted in Justice League of America #45 (June 1966) and was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky. [1] That story also introduced a second Shaggy Man created to combat the first. The original Shaggy Man returned in Justice League of America #104 (Feb. 1973). Its body returned in JLA #24 - 26 (Dec. 1998 - Feb. 1999) and was updated and rechristened "the General" after General Wade Eiling transplanted his mind into it. The General reappeared in the "World War III" storyline JLA #36 - 41 (Dec. 1999 - May 2000).

The second character reappeared in a one-shot story in Justice League of America #186 (Jan. 1981) and in Crisis on Infinite Earths #9-10 (Dec. 1985-Jan. 1986).

A Shaggy Man created by Lex Luthor debuted in Justice League of America Wedding Special (Nov. 2007), the first chapter of a storyline that continued in Justice League of America #13-15 (Nov. 2007 - Jan. 2008).

A Shaggy Man created by Professor Ivo debuted in Justice League of America Vol. 3 #4. He later returned as a tool of Black Manta and N.E.M.O. in Aquaman: Rebirth #8-9 (2016).

Writer Mike Conroy noted that the Shaggy Man was "a mountainous cross between Frankenstein's monster and the Sasquatch". [2]

Fictional character biographies

First Shaggy Man

The Shaggy Man is the creation of Professor Andrew Zagarian, a scientist who invented "plastalloy", a synthetic human tissue substitute similar to plastic that can be used for organ transplants. Professor Zagarian built the Shaggy Man by splicing the plastalloy with salamander DNA. As a result of a power surge, it transformed into an artificial lifeform resembling a hulking hairy giant human-shaped creature that can rapidly regenerate. Essentially mindless, the Shaggy Man then attacked anything that moved. The Justice League members Green Arrow and Hawkman attempted to stop the creature, but the Shaggy Man held them all off until the Flash suggests that Zagarian create a second creature to fight the first. The League then sealed the two monsters inside a deep pit that Flash dug to also contain the Moon Creature the other Justice League members were fighting. Once the Shaggy Men defeated the Moon Creature, they could battle each other indefinitely. [3] [4] [5]

Shaggy Man is eventually freed by villain Hector Hammond and transported to the JLA satellite; Green Lantern uses his power ring to shrink the monster to miniature size and imprison it. [6]

At the time when Professor Zagarian was imprisoned for causing the original Shaggy Man incident, Shaggy Man went on a rampage in Arizona. Professor Zagarian was visited by Flash and informs him that Shaggy Man's powers are tied to photosynthesis. As this came from Shaggy Man's fur, the Justice League shaved off Shaggy Man's fur and stranded Shaggy Man on the Dark Side of the Moon. [7]

At some point, Shaggy Man returned to Earth and was found to have been imprisoned in Atlantis by Aquaman during Green Lantern's visit to Atlantis. Shaggy Man's inert body is eventually recovered from the depths of the ocean by General Wade Eiling and his Ultramarine Corps. Diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, Eiling transfers his mind into the creature's body, shaves off the body hair, and refers to himself as the "General". [8]

Second Shaggy Man

At Flash's suggestion, Professor Andrew Zagarian created a second Shaggy Man to fight the first Shaggy Man. The Justice League sealed both Shaggy Men in a pit where they could fight each other. It was brought to life after it was placed in the pit. When the Shaggy Men defeated the moon creature that was sealed with it, they proceeded to fight each other. [4]

After getting free, Shaggy Man is later discovered to be rampaging across Russia and is finally tricked by Batman and, via a rocket, is sent into outer space. [9]

Shaggy Man eventually returns during the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" storyline where he is among the villains united under Brainiac. When on Earth-X, Shaggy Man fought Mento and Changeling. He is apparently destroyed by Green Arrow of Earth-Two with an explosive arrow as Green Arrow observed that since Shaggy Man isn't really alive, he has no problem using such otherwise lethal methods. [10]

Lex Luthor's Shaggy Man

A new version of Shaggy Man appears as a member of the Injustice League. [11] Shaggy Man joins Gorilla Grodd in assaulting the hero Geo-Force. Lex Luthor revealed that he created this Shaggy Man and states that he does not usually let it out except for when it is time for some exercising. Wonder Woman fought Shaggy Man during the fight against the Injustice League. [12]

During the holiday season, Green Lantern and Red Arrow thwart Shaggy Man's rampage at a Christmas parade where Red Arrow shoots him with a tranquilizer arrow loaded with 1500CCs which only placed him in a docile state. Not wanting to hand Shaggy Man over to S.T.A.R. Labs, Green Lantern and Red Arrow drag the drugged Shaggy Man with them due to the fact that they are late for the Justice League's Christmas party. When Shaggy Man comes out of his daze, the Justice League prevent him from attacking by giving him a Christmas present in the form of a teddy bear that appeases Shaggy Man. To place the star on top of the Christmas tree, the Justice League give the job to Shaggy Man as they all sing "Auld Lang Syne". [13]

Java

During the "Brightest Day" storyline, Simon Stagg performed an unknown experiment that enabled Java to transform into a Shaggy Man. He only agreed to the experiment due to the fact that Java was still devastated at the death of Sapphire Stagg. Java's Shaggy Man form was defeated by Simon Stagg's former minion Freight Train who defected to the Outsiders. [14]

Professor Ivo's Shaggy Man

In 2011, "The New 52" rebooted the DC universe. A Shaggy Man appeared as a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains. Created by Professor Ivo, this version is a creature wearing a furry humanoid costume over it's robotic body who battled the Justice League of America and helped capture them upon their defeat as his suffered some damages to his hairy humanoid costume. [15] After it was revealed that Catwoman was actually Martian Manhunter in disguise, Shaggy Man fought the Justice League of America when they infiltrated the Secret Society of Super Villains' mansion where he was defeated by Stargirl. [16]

In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth" which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". This Shaggy Man reappears as a pawn of villain Black Manta. After a brutal battle, Aquaman finally defeats the creature by attaching his Justice League membership card to the Shaggy Man and ordering the Justice League satellite to transport it beyond Earth's orbit. [17]

In a flashback, Shaggy Man's rampage in St. Louis where it fought the Justice League led to an unnamed man getting paralyzed from the waist down. This led to the man becoming the obsessive supervillain Fan. [18]

Shaggy Man was later shown to be an inmate of Monster Rock which is inhabited by other monsters that resided there. He was among the monsters that fell under the control of the sorceress Echidna. Damage and Congorilla defeated Echidna enough to free the monsters from her control. [19]

During the "Dark Crisis" storyline, Shaggy Man appeared as a member of Deathstroke's Secret Society of Super Villains and joined them in a memorial for the presumed deceased Justice League members. [20] Shaggy Man later attacked Donna Troy during the group's attack on Titans Academy before they are all repelled by Jon Kent. The Secret Society of Super Villains then attacked different heroes with Shaggy Man fighting Black Adam and Doctor Light. [21] Shaggy Man is among the villains possessed by the Great Darkness where they are added to Pariah's Dark Army where he fought Wonder Girl. They are all defeated by the different superheroes. [22]

Powers and abilities

The Shaggy Man is super strong and impervious to physical harm. In courtesy of retro-engineering with "plastalloy" and salamander DNA, the creature can regenerate itself almost spontaneously and does not need sustenance or rest. [4] Thanks to its synthetic physiology, the monster could adapt in harsh environments (such as both outer space and underwater). It was able to smell the adrenaline from its opponent's sweat. As a bio-organic lifeform, it no longer ages. Its mindlessness can be a disadvantage. [6]

Professor Ivo's Shaggy Man is a robotic creature dressed in a hairy humanoid costume that has adaptation abilities as seen when he developed fire-breathing abilities when fighting Martian Manhunter.

Other versions

In DC Super Friends #20 titled "A Hair Raising Tale", Dr. Andrew Zagarian creates the Shaggy Man, but he immediately breaks free from the lab and goes on a rampage. The Super Friends try to fight him, but find they are no match for his strength and resilience, not even Superman. Wonder Woman then realizes that the Shaggy Man is essentially a newborn who is lashing out, due to being frightened by his surroundings and constantly being attacked. She convinces the Shaggy Man to stand down by being nice to him. After letting the Shaggy Man enjoy a parade, the Super Friends send him to a wilderness area to live peacefully.

In other media

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References

  1. ↑ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 113. ISBN   978-1-4654-8578-6.
  2. ↑ Conroy, Mike. 500 Comicbook Villains, Collins & Brown, 2004.
  3. ↑ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Supervillains. New York: Facts on File. p. 314. ISBN   0-8160-1356-X.
  4. 1 2 3 Justice League of America #45 (June 1966). DC Comics.
  5. ↑ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 268. ISBN   978-1-4654-5357-0.
  6. 1 2 Justice League of America #104 (Feb. 1973). DC Comics.
  7. ↑ General Mills Presents: Justice League #1. DC Comics.
  8. ↑ JLA #24 - 26 (Dec. 1998 - Feb. 1999). DC Comics.
  9. ↑ Justice League of America #186 (Jan. 1981). DC Comics.
  10. ↑ Crisis on Infinite Earths #10 (Jan. 1986). DC Comics.
  11. ↑ Justice League of America Wedding Special #1 (Nov. 2007). DC Comics.
  12. ↑ Justice League of America (vol. 3) #14 (July 2014). DC Comics.
  13. ↑ DC Universe Holiday Special #1. DC Comics.
  14. ↑ Outsiders (vol. 4) #35 (Feb. 2011). DC Comics.
  15. ↑ Justice League of America (vol. 3) #4 (July 2013). DC Comics.
  16. ↑ Justice League of America (vol. 3) #5. (August 2013). DC Comics.
  17. ↑ Aquaman (vol. 8) #7-9 (Sept.-Oct. 2016). DC Comics.
  18. ↑ Justice League (vol. 3) #37 (May 2018). DC Comics.
  19. ↑ Damage Vol. 2 #15-16. DC Comics.
  20. ↑ Dark Crisis #1. DC Comics.
  21. ↑ Dark Crisis #2-3. DC Comics.
  22. ↑ Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #6-7. DC Comics.
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