Blacklash
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| Blacklash | |
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 Blacklash (centre) features on the cover of Marvel Team-Up #145 (Sep. 1984). Art by Greg LaRocque |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Tales of Suspense #97 (Jan. 1968) (as Whiplash) Iron Man #145 (May 1981) (as Blacklash) |
| Created by | Stan Lee and Gene Colan |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Mark Scarlotti |
| Team affiliations | Maggia Death Squad Sinister Syndicate |
| Notable aliases | Whiplash, Marc Scott |
| Abilities | Weapons master |
Blacklash (Mark Scarlotti), formerly known as Whiplash, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #97 (Jan. 1968) and was created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan.
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[edit] Publication history
Mark Scarlotti is originally a gifted electrical technician at Stark International's Cincinnati branch, but desires a life of luxury and becomes a professional criminal. With a costume and a sophisticated metal whip of his own design, the character becomes Whiplash, a weapons designer, special agent, and assassin for the criminal organization the Maggia. On behalf of the Maggia, Whiplash fights the hero Iron Man[1] - secretly inventor Tony Stark and Scarlotti's former employer - and AIM agents attacking a Maggia gambling ship.[2]
Scarlotti is assigned to work undercover for the Maggia at Stark International's Cincinnati plant, and becomes Head of Research. As Whiplash, Scarlotti then has another inconclusive battle with Iron Man and flees the scene, quitting the Maggia.[3] Whiplash, together with fellow supervillains the Melter and Man-Bull, is recruited by other-dimensional villain the Black Lama to form the team the Death Squad and fight Iron Man. They enter a "super-villain war" to win the Black Lama's Golden Globe of Power, but are all defeated.[4]
Whiplash rejoins the Maggia and battles the heroes Spider-Man and Iron Man in New Jersey, being eventually defeated by the vigilante Wraith. [5] Criminal mastermind Justin Hammer hires Whiplash, and with the Melter and the original Blizzard attempt the robbery of an Atlantic City casino, but are stopped by Iron Man.[6] Whiplash is released from prison by Hammer and battles Iron Man again as one of Hammer's costumed operatives, and despite overwhelming odds the hero defeats the villains.[7]
Scarlotti is re-employed by an unnamed consortium, financed by Hammer, to kill Stark employee Vic Martinelli, and is provided with an upgraded costume and weaponry and the new alias Blacklash. Despite the upgrades, however, Scarlotti is defeated by Iron Man and humiliated by being dragged before his employers.[8] Scarlotti makes a brief appearance as Whiplash as a paid employee of the master villain the Mad Thinker in a failed attempt to kill the hero the Thing who is recuperating at a New York hospital. [9]
Scarlotti is eventually diagnosed as manic-depressive by prison psychiatrists. The character attempts to reform, but rejected by his parents and residents of his home town force Scarlotti becomes Blacklash again. Blacklash attempts an assassination for the Maggia but is defeated by the second Iron Man and Spider-Man, who defeat him. [10] Spider-Man beats Blacklash once again[11] and is also apprehended by Captain America while committing several robberies.[12] After joining the supervillain team the Sinister Syndicate in a failed attempt to kill Spider-Man,[13] the character is rehired by Justin Hammer and sent with the Beetle and the second Blizzard to assassinate Hammer's former agent Force. Iron Man, Jim Rhodes and Force, however, defeat the trio.[14]
At Hammer's request Blacklash, Boomerang, and the second Blizzard stop industrial sabotage by the vigilante the Ghost. The character is sent to work with Iron Man and Jim Rhodes against the saboteur, but turns against Iron Man. [15] Together with Spider-Man villain the Rhino he hunts down fellow rogue agent the Scorpion, who fails to return stolen weaponry to Hammer.[16]
Scarlotti decides to renounce his criminal identity and marries and has a child. A lack of money forces Scarlotti to assume his identity again, and he becomes the target of an assassin, who kills his wife when she returns to their apartment. As Blacklash, Scarlotti then finds and kills the assassin, and vows to abandon the identity of Blacklash forever. [17] Scarlotti, however, is hired by a rival of Stark and returns as Whiplash, with an upgraded costume and new weaponry. Whiplash manages to battle Iron Man to a standstill in their first encounter, but is killed several weeks later by Iron's Man new sentient armor, which crushes Scarlotti's throat against Iron Man's wishes.[18]
During the Civil War storyline, two new villains called Whiplash and Blacklash appear, although neither has connections to Marc Scarlotti. The pair are forcibly recruited into the team the Thunderbolts.[19]
[edit] Powers and abilities
Courtesy of Justin Hammer, Blacklash wears a bulletproof costume and wields a pair of cybernetically-controlled titanium whips that can extend to be swung fast enough to deflect bullets, or become rigid and be used as nunchaku or vaulting-poles. Blacklash also carries a variety of devices in a weapons pouch, including anti-gravity bolas and a necro-lash which releases electrical energy generated by his gauntlets. Scarlotti is a research engineer and weapons design specialist, with a college degree in engineering.
[edit] Other versions
The Ultimate Marvel imprint title Ultimate Iron Man features an alternate universe version: businessman Marc Scott, who competes with Tony Stark for military contracts via his company Whiplash.[20]
[edit] In other media
Blacklash appears in the animated televison series Iron Man (1994) voiced by James Avery and Dorian Harewood; and as Whiplash appears in the Iron Man: Armored Adventures (2009) voiced by Peter Kelamis.
Mickey Rourke will play Whiplash in the upcoming feature film Iron Man 2. This version incorporates elements of the Iron Man foe, the Crimson Dynamo.[21]
Whiplash appears in the Iron Man (2008) video game voiced by Zach McGowan.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Tales of Suspense #97 - 99 (Jan. - Mar. 1968); Iron Man and Sub-Mariner #1 (Apr. 1968)
- ^ Iron Man #1 (May. 1968)
- ^ Iron Man #62 (Sep. 1973)
- ^ Iron Man #72 (Jan. 1974)
- ^ Marvel Team-Up #72 (Aug. 1978)
- ^ Iron Man #123 - 124 (Jun. - Jul. 1979)
- ^ Iron Man #126 - 127 (Sep. - Oct. 1979)
- ^ Iron Man #146 -147 (May - Jun. 1981)
- ^ Possibly a continuity error - See Marvel Two-In-One #96 (Feb. 1983)
- ^ Marvel Team-Up #145 (Sep. 1984)
- ^ The Spectacular Spider-Man #101 (Apr. 1985)
- ^ Captain America #319 (Sep. 1986)
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #280 - 281 (Sep. - Oct. 1986)
- ^ Iron Man #223 - 224 (Oct. - Nov. 1987)
- ^ Iron Man #239 - 240 (Feb. - Mar. 1989)
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #319 (Sep. 1989)
- ^ Elektra #5 - 7 (Mar - May 1997)
- ^ Iron Man #8 vol. 2, (Sep. 1998) & 26 & 28 (Mar. & May 2000)
- ^ Thunderbolts #104 (Sept. 2006)
- ^ Ultimate Iron Man vol. 2, #1 - 4 (Feb. - May 2008) & #5 (Oct. 2008)
- ^ Michael Fleming, Marc Graser (2009-03-11). "Mickey Rourke set for 'Iron Man 2'". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118001114.html. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
[edit] External links
- Whiplash (Mark Scarlotti) at the Comic Book DB
- Blacklash (Mark Scarlotti) at the Comic Book DB
- Blacklash at the Marvel Directory
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