Damage Control (comics)
- See also: Damage Control (disambiguation)
| 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 |
| Member(s) | Ann-Marie Hoag Lenny Balinger Robin Chapel Albert Cleary Ann-Marie Hoag John Porter Bart Rozum Eugene Strasser Robbie Baldwin (intern) Hercules Walter Declun |
Damage Control is a fictional construction company appearing in Marvel Comics which specializes in repairing the property damage caused by conflicts between superheroes and super-villains. Three Damage Control limited series have been published to date.
Publication history
Damage Control employees first appear briefly in a four-page story in 1988's Marvel Age Annual and fully 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). 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". [citation needed]
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.
Damage Control employees have been in the middle of a breakout at the Vault, confronted Doctor Doom, have been threatened with death by the Punisher and have met vastly powerful cosmic entities such as the Silver Surfer and Galactus. They have 'fought' side by side with the X-Men, socialized with the New Warriors and even were almost menaced by the Hulk.
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 organize), massive damage was done to the city and Fisk made a large profit when Damage Control was hired to repair the damages.
In a later appearance, Hercules is seen helping Damage Control to clear up the damage after a battle in New York CIty.
Civil War
Template:Spoiler Damage Control appears again in Wolverine Vol. 3, #46 (September 2006), as part of Marvel's Civil War event.
In Wolverine Vol. 3, #45, the super-villain Nitro reveals that a "Walter Declun" is in some way behind the explosion that led to the deaths of 600 people in Stamford, Connecticut, having provided Nitro with MGH (Mutant Growth Hormone) in order to enhance his powers. Declun is identified by Namor as CEO of Damage Control, Inc.
Wolverine's investigation leads him to interrogate Anne-Marie Hoag, Damage Control's President, who reveals that Declun and his investors took a controlling share of the stock after the company went public to obtain more funds. Following the Stamford disaster, Damage Control obtained the town's reconstruction contract, as well as a contract to perform the evaluation and training of registered super-humans.
In his search for Declun, Wolverine engages in a fight with Damage Control guards, who are equipped with Mandroid Armor, S.H.I.E.L.D. weaponry, Stark Enterprises technology and other weapons and equipment salvaged from superhuman fights. Wolverine defeats them with the aid of two members of the Atlantean Royal Guard.
Having survived his confrontation with the Damage Control forces and then escaped from S.H.I.E.L.D. imprisonment, Wolverine confronted Declun, who had just been fired by Hoag, and killed him. Template:Endspoiler
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. Although mistaken for the late actor Lee Marvin, Lenny feels he looks more like Paul Newman.
- 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 suit. Doctor Doom at one time offer Cleary a job,Cleary politely turned down the offer. Doom respected Cleary's decision enough to let him live.Although Cleary will never admit it,he found his encounter with Doom unnerving.
- 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. Has an odd, peaceful relationship with notorious villain Thunderball.
- Bart Rozum: Former intern, offered a full-term contract as personal assistant to Robin Chapel. Infatuated with the receptionist Anne. He is named for John Rozum.
- Eugene 'Gene' Strasser: Technician, briefly became an armoured supervillain when Damage Control's new board of directors fired him; with an ally, he even attacked She-Hulk. 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. who stayed with Damage Control after Carlton sold the company.
- 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.
- Vincent "Vinnie" Patilio: Former super-villain known as Leap-Frog who briefly was employed by Damage Control. Eugene Strausser made some improvements on the Leap-Frog suit.
- 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.
Other versions of Damage Control
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)