Frog-Man
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| The Fabulous Frog-Man | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Marvel Team-Up #121 (September 1982) |
| Created by | J. M. DeMatteis |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Eugene Paul Patilio |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Action Pack Misfits |
| Notable aliases | Eugene Colorito, Frogicus Mega-Foolicus, Kermit, Frog-Man Jr. |
| Abilities | Frog suit grants: Ability to leap great distances Internal padding that allows him to bounce off objects |
Frog-Man (Eugene Patilio) is a fictional comedic superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
Frog-Man's first appearance was in Marvel Team-Up #121 (September 1982).[1] The character was created by writer J. M. DeMatteis, who later said he was one of his "all-time favorite" characters.[1]
Fictional character biography
Eugene Patilio was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Vincent Patilio (the supervillain Leap-Frog). After several defeats by Daredevil, Iron Man, and Spider-Man, which eventually landed him in jail, Vincent eventually decided to retire and go straight.
His son Eugene donned his father's costume as the Fabulous Frog-Man in an attempt to be a crime-fighter.[2] However, his crime-fighting career became essentially a joke. His two major enemy villains are the White Rabbit, a comedic villainess inspired by the Alice in Wonderland character,[3] and the Walrus, a dimwitted character who essentially had the proportionate abilities of a walrus (tough skin and super-strength).[4]
Frog-Man had a tendency to capture villains simply by dumb luck. Eugene's inability to fully pilot his automated Frog-Man costume caused him to wildly bounce around, scoring wins against villains by crashing into them. This questionable method of fighting supervillains accounts for his luck in dealing with the Yellow Claw,[5] and Speed Demon.[6] (Captain America assisted in the battle against the Claw). The White Rabbit and Walrus later teamed up to get revenge on Frog-Man and went on a rampage in the city. They not only lured Eugene to them, as the Rabbit had hoped, but also his father and Spider-Man (who was visiting the Patilios) and suffered another crushing defeat, with Eugene clumsily bouncing into the Rabbit once again.[7]
He also participated, along with Spider-Kid and The Toad, in a short-lived super-team called the Misfits.[8]
Vincent Patilio was very proud of his son, yet at the same time very worried about him risking his life. He even prevented his son from joining the Defenders, even when it meant publicly humiliating him by dragging him home in front of the team and the media.[9]
When Alyosha Kraven, the son of Kraven the Hunter, began collecting a zoo of animal-themed superhumans, Frog-Man was amongst his captives.[10]
Eugene Patilio was later recruited by the US government as part of the Fifty-State-Initiative program, as a member of the Kentucky based team, Action Pack.[11]
During the Secret Invasion storyline, he was revealed to be a Skrull infiltrator.[12] After the invasion is over, the real Frog-Man is shown in a support group meeting with the others that had been replaced by Skrulls.[13]
During the Fear Itself storyline, Frog-Man appears at a meeting held by Prodigy regarding magical hammers that have crashed into the earth.[14] He is part of Gravity's team and helps battle Crossbones.[15] He is later seen with the team during a massive earthquake caused by a battle between Gravity and Hardball and helps them in their fight against Thor Girl, who had recovered her designate powers.[16]
During the Spider-Island storyline, Frog-Man witnesses terrorists with spider powers attacking the United Nations and springs into action, teaming up with Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, and Jessica Jones against a spider-empowered Flag-Smasher. After the battle, Frog-Man gains the grudging respect of Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, and Jessica Jones.[17]
Powers and abilities
Frog-Man has no superpowers, but wears a frog suit that contains electrical coils on the soles of its flippers which allows him to leap great distances. The boots' power source is worn on his back like a back pack. Additionally, the suit has an internal padding which enables Frog-Man to bounce off objects with little danger.
In other media
Television
- Frog-Man made a brief appearance in Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes episode "The Cure." After the Thing was "cured" of his condition, he was a potential recruit as a new member of the Fantastic Four alongside Captain Ultra, Flatman, She-Hulk, Squirrel Girl, and Texas Twister. Frog-Man was rejected after accidentally bashing his own head on the ceiling during his audition for the team.[18]
References
- ^ a b Miller, Jonathan (October 2010). "Spider-Man and Company: The Wide World of Marvel Team-Up". Back Issue! (44). TwoMorrows Publishing: 39.
Created by J. M. DeMatteis in a story illustrated by Kerry Gammill, Frog-Man was the teenage son of an obscure supervillain, intent on making a name for himself as a superhero and restoring his family's good name in the process.
- ^ Marvel Team-Up #131 (July 1983)
- ^ Marvel Team-Up #131 (July 1983)
- ^ New Defenders #131 (May 1984); Spectacular Spider-Man #185 (February 1992)
- ^ Marvel Fanfare #31 & #32 (March & May 1987)
- ^ Marvel Team-Up #121 (September 1982)
- ^ Spectacular Spider-Man #185 (February 1992)
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #266 (July 1985)
- ^ New Defenders #131 (May 1984)
- ^ Punisher War Journal vol. 2 #15 (2008)
- ^ Avengers: The Initiative #7
- ^ Avengers: The Initiative #19
- ^ Avengers: The Initiative #20
- ^ Fear Itself: Youth In Revolt #1
- ^ Fear Itself: Youth In Revolt #2
- ^ Fear Itself: Youth In Revolt #5-6
- ^ Spider-Island: Avengers #1
- ^ "The Cure". Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes. Season 1. Episode 18. 2007-06-09.
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