Freak (Marvel Comics)

The Freak is the name of three fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Two are associated with Iron Man, while the most recent version appears in The Amazing Spider-Man.

Publication history

Happy Hogan first appears as the Freak in Tales of Suspense #74–76 (February–April 1966), by Stan Lee and Gene Colan. He appears as the Freak again in later issues of Iron Man.

Eddie March first appears as the Freak in Iron Man #67 (April 1974), by Mike Friedrich and George Tuska.

The third Freak first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #552 and was created by Bob Gale and Phil Jimenez.

Fictional character biography

Happy Hogan

Freak I
File:IronMan-3.jpg Cover to Iron Man #3 starring the Freak
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	As Hogan: Tales of Suspense #45 (September 1963) As Freak: Tales of Suspense #74 (February 1966)
Created by	Stan Lee Gene Colan
In-story information
Alter ego	Harold Joseph "Happy" Hogan
Species	Human
Abilities	Ability to absorb large doses of cobalt radiation and discharge them from his hands

Main article: Happy Hogan (comics)

The first Freak is an alter-ego of Happy Hogan, a friend of Iron Man (Tony Stark).

When Happy Hogan becomes desperately ill, doctors try to cure him using a cobalt ray machine powered by Stark's experimental device known as the Enervator. Instead of being cured, however, Happy mutates into a large, savage, nearly mindless and superhumanly strong humanoid known as the Freak. Though he is restored to his normal self, Happy turns into the Freak again several times after being exposed to cobalt radiation on several occasions, mostly due to repeated use of the Enervator on him.

Eddie March

Freak II
File:EddieMarch HCV.jpg Interior art for Iron Man (vol. 1) #21
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	As March: Iron Man #21 (January 1970) As Freak: Iron Man #67 (April 1974)
Created by	David Anthony Kraft Rich Buckler
In-story information
Alter ego	Edward "Eddie" March
Species	Human

The second Freak was Eddie March, another friend of Tony Stark.

While wearing the Iron Man armor, Eddie March is badly injured in a fight with Thor. Stark decides to use the Enervator on Eddie in a desperate attempt to save him. Though Stark takes precautions to prevent the device from transforming Eddie into a monstrous creature, Eddie nonetheless becomes a new version of the Freak. Stark, as Iron Man, tries to subdue him while simultaneously protecting him from the police. He is able to knock out the Freak with a few nerve punches. Once unconscious, the Freak reverts to human form and Thor's alter ego, Dr. Donald Blake, is able to operate on March to save his life.

Eddie has not transformed into the Freak again since this incident.

Freak (Spider-Man villain)

Freak III
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Amazing Spider-Man #552 (March 2008)
Created by	Bob Gale Phil Jimenez
In-story information
Alter ego	Unknown
Species	Human
Notable aliases	Armadillo Man
Abilities	Superhuman strength and durability Acidic saliva Ability to adapt to conditions through metamorphosis and shoot toxic spores from his body at will

The third Freak is a villain that first appears in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. A drug addict nicknamed Freak is chased down by Spider-Man after attempting to steal from the poor at the soup kitchen where Spider-Man's Aunt May works. Freak stumbles into a laboratory owned by Curt Connors and injects himself with animal gene fluids, thinking that they are crystal meth. A chrysalis forms around Freak's body, and he later emerges as a skinless monster. After being shot at by police, he falls into the sewer and forms another chrysalis. Emerging as an animal hybrid and completely bulletproof, Freak tracks Spider-Man by his scent. After a violent confrontation, Freak gives in to his addictions and finds a meth lab. Spider-Man follows him. During the ensuing fight, the building is set ablaze. Freak is caught under the flaming debris, but survives and creates a new chrysalis, which has made him fireproof and even stronger. Freak emerges as an armadillo-like creature and again tries to kill Spider-Man. When Connors arrives with the quicklime necessary to incapacitate Freak, Spider-Man tricks him into thinking Connors has drugs. Freak tears open the bags and is covered in the quicklime. He again forms a chrysalis, with Spider-Man pouring quicklime over it, to permanently incapacitate him. The chrysalis is taken by a hazmat crew — which is later revealed to be an Oscorp research group.

Freak is next seen cut open and hooked up to machines in an Oscorp lab where scientists are using his unique abilities to cure various diseases. Norman Osborn injects him with a sample of the anti-venom antibodies to create "super-venom", a virus capable of killing millions with a single drop. He then uses the super-venom to re-power Mac Gargan who was "cured" of his symbiote by Anti-Venom. Osborn also mentions that Freak is incapable of becoming intoxicated because his body has adapted to his drug addiction by removing the pleasure center of his brain. In the confrontation between Spider-Man and Osborn, Osborn activates the building's self-destruction with Freak still inside. A search afterwards by Oscorp reveals "no signs of life", which made the team reason that Freak was killed, with Osborn immediately retorting "Idiot. Think about it for a second."

During the Origin of the Species storyline, Freak is invited by supervillain Doctor Octopus to join his team in exchange for securing some specific items for him. Freak goes after Spider-Man for Menace's infant. He collides with Vulture (Jimmy Natale) before Rhino arrives. Spider-Man goes on a rampage against the villains after the infant is kidnapped from him by the Chameleon, and Spider-Man defeats Freak.

Powers and abilities

The Happy Hogan version of the Freak can absorb large doses of cobalt radiation without harming himself and also discharge cobalt blasts from his hands.

The third Freak can adapt to any situation by forming a chrysalis around himself after being wounded or killed, then returning to life in a different appearance. He also has Hulk-like bulletproof durability and strength and acidic saliva, can shoot toxic spores from his body at will, and can adapt to certain harsh environments.

External links

• Freak (Happy Hogan) at The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Happy Hogan at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
• Freak (Eddie March) at The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Eddie March at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
• Freak (Spider-Man villain) at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)