Damage Control (comics)

Damage Control
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Marvel Comics Presents #19 (May 1989)
Created by	Dwayne McDuffie (writer), Ernie Colon (artist)
In-story information
Base(s)	The Flatiron Building, New York City

In the Marvel Universe, Damage Control is a construction company which specialises in repairing the property damage caused by conflicts between superheroes and supervillains.

Publication history

Damage Control employees first appeared in 1989, in a serialized story published in the anthology comic Marvel Comics Presents #19 (although they are posited to have existed since the earliest days of widespread superhero-related property damage, and appeared briefly in a four-page story in 1988's Marvel Age Annual). Subsequently, the employees of Damage Control have been the subject of three separate comic book limited series (each limited to four issues), published between 1989 and 1991, and have had frequent minor roles in many other Marvel comics.

Dwayne McDuffie, who co-created the concept with artist Ernie Colon and wrote Damage Control's initial non-adventures, has often described Damage Control as "a sitcom within the Marvel Universe".

Fictional history

Damage Control was founded by Ms. Ann-Marie Hoag and was originally owned by Tony Stark and Wilson Fisk, each owning half the stock of the company, though Stark felt uneasy cooperating with Fisk, a notorious criminal.

When Ms. Hoag was offered a job in government, she nominated Robin Chapel as her replacement. Stark and Fisk sold their stock in Damage Control: Stark because he didn't want to be associated with Fisk and Fisk because he had no confidence in Robin's ability to lead the company. Another company, Carlton Co, took control of Damage Control and tried to make Damage Control more profitable, but in the process angered a lot of employees and nearly ruined Damage Control. Ms. Hoag convinced S.H.I.E.L.D. to invest in Damage Control and they loaned her the money to buy back the company. S.H.I.E.L.D. also found out that the sale of Damage Control had been a plot by Fisk to buy back the company for cheap. During the events of Acts of Vengeance (an event Fisk helped organising), massive damage had been done to the city and Fisk would make a large profit when Damage Control was hired to repair the damages.

In their latest appearance, Damage Control was helped by Hercules to clear up the damage after a battle in New York CIty.

Civil War

Following the Civil War events, Damage Control is finally due to make a return in comic life in the September 2006 issue of Wolverine v3 #46.

Employees

Main Characters

• Ann-Marie Hoag: Founder and first director of Damage Control, an elderly lady, she is good friends with then-S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury and convinced him that S.H.I.E.L.D. should loan her the money to buy Damage Control's stock. Current owner of Damage Control.
• Hercules: Did community service with Damage Control before, but seen as a regular employee for Damage Control in the 2004-2005 She-Hulk series and Thing #6 (2006), after losing much of his godly riches to the Constrictor in an excessive force lawsuit. Hercules works on construction and demolition.
• Robin Chapel: Traffic manager and Ms. Hoag's most trusted employee. She had a rivalry with John Porter, when he was hired, because she applied for his position within Damage Control. Over time, the two have become good friends. Robin is very capable and ambitious, but is a friendly person underneath her businesslike exterior. Current director of Damage Control.
• Lenny Balinger: Construction foreman, a middle-aged man, Lenny's no-nonsense attitude has made him very popular with his crew and even took their side in a strike against Carlton Co, who had offered him a large amount of money to take their side.
• Albert Cleary: Comptroller, Albert is a financial genius and always keeps a cool head, even when presenting bills to the likes of Doctor Doom. He possesses the uncanny ability never to wrinkle his costume.
• John Porter: Account executive, worked independently in "superhero insurance", but was offered a job by Ms. Hoag in Marvel Comics Presents #19. He initially had a rivalry with Robin Chapel, but the two have become good friends and he has expressed a romantic interest in her. John has the ability to find peaceful, practical solutions to the most complicated problems.
• Bart Rozum: Former intern, offered a full-term contract as personal assistant to Robin Chapel. Infatuated with the receptionist Anne.
• Eugene 'Gene' Strasser: Technician, briefly became an armoured supervillain when Damage Control's new board of directors fired him, but he was rehired when Ms. Hoag regained control; he served the required jail time for his misdeeds on a work-release basis, thanks to his "former boss", Nick Fury, pulling some strings on his behalf.

Other Characters

• Anne (last name unknown): Receptionist.
• Henry Ackerdson: Head of marketing, not very popular because of his idea that every employee should wear superhero costumes, but eventually accepted as part of the team.
• Robby Baldwin (Speedball): Briefly worked as an intern for Damage Control.
• Kirk Eden: Partner of Jim Palmetto, assigned to the Bronx to report on any damage caused by the Ghost Rider
• Jay (last name unknown): Head of security
• Marie Leahy: Account executive.
• Ray Lippert: Former representative of Carlton Co.
• Kathleen O’Meara: Vice-president, brief love interest for Ben Grimm.
• Jim Palmetto: Partner of Kirk Eden, assigned to the Bronx to report on any damage caused by the Ghost Rider.
• Rex Randolph (Edifice Rex): Former employee, who found an artifact that gave him cosmic powers. As the anal retentive cosmic being Edifice Rex, Rex tried to clean up the universe by uncreating it, but was stopped by Robin Chapel, who fired him.

Ultimate Universe

In the Ultimate Universe, Damage Control is also a construction and demolition company. The Ultimate version of the Wrecking Crew are employees of Damage Control as debuted in Ultimate Spider-Man #86 (January 2006)