Wrecking Crew (comics)
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The Wrecking Crew are a team of four fictional supervillains - the Wrecker; Thunderball; Bulldozer and Piledriver that appear in the Marvel Universe. While not featured on the cover, the Wrecking Crew's first appearance is in Defenders vol. 1, #17 November 1974.
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[edit] Fictional character history
The Wrecking Crew are formed when Dirk Garthwaite - the Wrecker - is approached by Dr. Eliot Franklin in prison and asked to retrieve a gamma bomb Eliot had designed, with the intent of ransoming New York for millions of dollars. Garthwaite manages to retrieve his enchanted crowbar, and during a lightning storm tells Franklin and fellow prisoners Henry Camp and Brian Calusky to grip the weapon simultaneously. A lightning bolt then strikes the crowbar and transforms the four men into the Wrecking Crew. They promptly escape from prison and in the course of searching for the gamma bomb are defeated by the Defenders and Luke Cage. [1]
Over the years the Wrecking Crew have perpetuated a very familiar cycle - escape prison, fight and subsequently lose to superheroes, and return to prison. The Wrecking Crew fight Captain America; Iron Fist; Spider-man; the Sub-Mariner; the Thing; the Avengers and of course their main foe - Thor. When the Wrecking Crew first battle Thor, they are confident that it will be a quick victory. Thor, however, defeats them all in moments and critically injures the Wrecker: being infuriated by the fact that one of the Wrecker's offensives has killed an innocent bystander. [2] Thunderball escapes and several weeks later recovers the Wrecker's crowbar, going on to form his own gang before being defeated by Spider-man. [3]
The team are later chosen by the being known as the Beyonder to participate in the Secret Wars against a team of select superheroes. [4].
The Wrecking Crew's most despicable act was to participate in the near-fatal beating of Hercules during a siege of Avengers Mansion by the Masters of Evil. With Thor's assistance, Hercules eventually confronts the Wrecking Crew and defeats them, restoring his confidence in himself. [5]
During the Civil War event, the Wrecking Crew are forced to join the team the Thunderbolts or face additional jail time. [6] This is particularly ironic given that many of the Thunderbolts are former Masters of Evil and have actually reformed - unlike the Wrecking Crew.
[edit] Membership
- Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite) - the leader and wields an indestructible crowbar with magical properties. He both fears and hates the Thunder God, Thor.
- Thunderball (Dr. Eliot Franklin) - the thinker on the team and wields a huge demolition ball on a chain.
- Bulldozer (Henry Camp) - has an armoured metal helmet and fights by ramming his victims head-first.
- Piledriver (Brian Philip Calusky) - fights with his over-sized pile-driving fists.
- Excavator (Ricky Calusky) - the teenage son of Piledriver and a temporary member. Excavator wielded what he claimed was an enchanted shovel, even though it broke in his first battle. [7]
[edit] Alternate versions
[edit] Ultimate Wrecking Crew
In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, they appear as a clean-up crew for super-human battles.
[edit] Appearances in other media
[edit] Video games
All four Wrecking Crew members appear in the video game, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.
They also appeared in the Spider-Man: The Animated Series games for Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo.
[edit] References
- ^ Defenders vol. 1, #17 - 19
- ^ Thor vol. 1, #304
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man vol.1, #248
- ^ Secret Wars #1 - 12 (1984 - 1985)
- ^ Thor vol. 1, #418
- ^ Civil War #1 - 7 (2006 - 2007)
- ^ Runaways vol. 2, #1
