Angle Man
Encyclopedia
Angle Man is a fictional
DC Comics
supervillain
.
for Wonder Woman during the period in which Robert Kanigher took over as writer of the comic book.
In the late 1940s, as the backlog of Marston scripts dried up and his family stopped writing stories, and into the 1950s, Kanigher phased out most of the supporting cast, even, briefly, the Amazons of Paradise Island, presenting Wonder Woman in three short, disconnected stories per issue rather than three chapters of one full-length script. The short form left little room for characterization or elaborate plots and, for a while, typically featured Wonder Woman as a full-time crime fighter frequently targeted by the criminal underworld for elimination.
The Angle Man emerged after a series of tales in which Kanigher presented a desperate underworld turning to experts in designing elaborate schemes to defeat Wonder Woman. After one-shot tales featuring the Plotter and the Brain, Kanigher settled on the Angle Man, a character whose gimmick is designing schemes based on an angle. Wonder Woman #62 featured "Angle" Andrews, and beginning in Wonder Woman #70 she was pitted against someone known simply as the Angle Man.
The Silver Age adventures of Wonder Woman came to feature one-off villains and predicaments, and the Angle Man and the Duke of Deception
were for a time the only recurring villains.
The Angle Man was dropped in the 1960s, as Wonder Woman shifted away from superheroics to feature espionage and urban adventures of the depowered Diana Prince, but he reemerged in the 1970s as a more traditional costumed supervillain, now equipped with a superpowered "angler" device.
The Angle Man was the featured villain in the issue which marked the conversion from stories based in World War II to stories based once again in the 1970s.
The Angle Man was one of many Wonder Woman rogues who were not updated following the reboot of the Wonder Woman series after the Crisis on Infinite Earths
, until relatively recently.
with a series of increasingly clever schemes that involved "angles." It is unclear whether or not he had an Earth Two counterpart.
He reappeared in Secret Society of Super Villains
now wearing a yellow and green costume and wielding the Angler, a Penrose triangle
which could warp time and space in a variety of ways. A text page in that issue explained that he had been recruited and outfitted by the SSOSV's founder Darkseid
only to use the Angler to warp ahead in time to a point after Darkseid had been exposed and deposed as the Society's secret leader. He also began appearing in the Wonder Woman title once more. At one point, he fights Wonder Woman's friend Etta Candy
.
This Angle Man died in the 1985 limited series
Crisis on Infinite Earths
, apparently as a result of attempting to use his Angler during the massive dimensional upheavals caused by that event.
history was erased and restarted again with the same familiar characters, but with all new backgrounds and histories. In Angle Man's case a still-living, uncostumed Angle Man initially appeared briefly in the Flash
comic as one of several villains whose equipment was appropriated by the weapon-absorbing Replicant.
Later, during Phil Jimenez
's run on the Wonder Woman title, he was revamped into Angelo Bend, an Italian
master gentleman thief for hire who uses his special angler to escape authorities. He was caught by Donna Troy
while trying to steal an ancient artifact from a museum. Even though Donna, as Troia, was trying to stop the villain, Angle Man formed a bit of a crush on the Amazon
. He became so enamored with her that he instinctively transported himself to Themyscira
seeking Donna's help when he was savagely attacked by a Fury
possessed Barbara Minerva
. Later it was learned that he had been hired by Barbara, the previous Cheetah, who had lost her powers to Sebastian Ballesteros and needed the stolen artifacts to regain them. He was also seen grieving at Donna Troy's funeral after she was briefly killed by a Superman
robot.
The next time he is shown was among a large team of super villains formed by the Wonder Woman villain Devastation. An enemy of Cassie Sandsmark, Devastation formed the group to battle the now disbanded Young Justice
.
Bend appeared in Catwoman
as a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains who were operating in the East End of Gotham City
. Catwoman infiltrated the team pretending to be a villain again to get close to the Society. Bend discovered her discussing her plan to double-cross the Society and attacked her, shooting her in the stomach and stabbing her in the head with a triangle-shaped blade. However, the Catwoman the Angle Man "killed" was in fact a new Clayface
whom Catwoman had recently encountered and asked for help. The real Catwoman appeared and, during her attack on the villains, beat Bend savagely with a baseball bat.
, Selina Kyle has given up her mantle as Catwoman after having a child. Her associate and friend Holly Robinson has taken over the Catwoman persona.
Bend, now obsessed with Catwoman and bent on revenge, has targeted Holly, not realizing that he is going after the wrong person. He has since been defeated by Holly once (the brutal fight was caught on tape), but has been approached by a new villain calling himself the Film Freak
, apparently a successor to the deceased Batman villain of the same name.
When Film Freak deduces Selina's secret identity the two villains launch an attack on her apartment. In the wake of this he even threatens to kill Selina's baby and to give her secret identity away to other villains. These plans are, however, thwarted when Selina calls in Zatanna
, who performs another mindwipe
on the two men. This results in Angle Man forcibly confessing his crimes to Gotham Police after reminiscing about his more glorious days as a supervillain.
Angelo next appears as an ally of Circe
who has emmassed a large team of villains to attack Wonder Woman. He informs Diana that Circe has amplified his powers and uses his Angler to replicate itself as a projectile stabbing tool. He and his teammates are about to subdue Wonder Woman when she is rescued by a large group of the Amazon's allies. Angle Man is rendured unconscious by Robin in hand-to-hand combat and is then arrested under the authority of the Department of Metahuman Affairs. After Angle Man's incarceration has been processed his Anglers are taken by Nemesis
and placed in government confiscation.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
.
Publishing history
The Angle Man was created as a recurring foilFoil (literature)
In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight particular qualities of another character....
for Wonder Woman during the period in which Robert Kanigher took over as writer of the comic book.
In the late 1940s, as the backlog of Marston scripts dried up and his family stopped writing stories, and into the 1950s, Kanigher phased out most of the supporting cast, even, briefly, the Amazons of Paradise Island, presenting Wonder Woman in three short, disconnected stories per issue rather than three chapters of one full-length script. The short form left little room for characterization or elaborate plots and, for a while, typically featured Wonder Woman as a full-time crime fighter frequently targeted by the criminal underworld for elimination.
The Angle Man emerged after a series of tales in which Kanigher presented a desperate underworld turning to experts in designing elaborate schemes to defeat Wonder Woman. After one-shot tales featuring the Plotter and the Brain, Kanigher settled on the Angle Man, a character whose gimmick is designing schemes based on an angle. Wonder Woman #62 featured "Angle" Andrews, and beginning in Wonder Woman #70 she was pitted against someone known simply as the Angle Man.
The Silver Age adventures of Wonder Woman came to feature one-off villains and predicaments, and the Angle Man and the Duke of Deception
Duke of Deception
The Duke of Deception is a fictional character, a DC Comics villain that battled Wonder Woman in the Golden and Bronze Age of Comics.He first appeared in the Golden Age in Wonder Woman #2 and was re-introduced in Wonder Woman #217 in the Bronze Age.-Fictional background:Little is known about the...
were for a time the only recurring villains.
The Angle Man was dropped in the 1960s, as Wonder Woman shifted away from superheroics to feature espionage and urban adventures of the depowered Diana Prince, but he reemerged in the 1970s as a more traditional costumed supervillain, now equipped with a superpowered "angler" device.
The Angle Man was the featured villain in the issue which marked the conversion from stories based in World War II to stories based once again in the 1970s.
The Angle Man was one of many Wonder Woman rogues who were not updated following the reboot of the Wonder Woman series after the Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
, until relatively recently.
Fictional character biography
There have been multiple incarnations of Angle Man in DC Universe continuity.Golden and Silver Age version
The Angle Man was an unsuccessful criminal who became obsessed with crimes with unbeatable "angles." He plagued Wonder WomanWonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
with a series of increasingly clever schemes that involved "angles." It is unclear whether or not he had an Earth Two counterpart.
He reappeared in Secret Society of Super Villains
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
now wearing a yellow and green costume and wielding the Angler, a Penrose triangle
Penrose triangle
The Penrose triangle, also known as the Penrose tribar, is an impossible object. It was first created by the Swedish artist Oscar Reutersvärd in 1934. The mathematician Roger Penrose independently devised and popularised it in the 1950s, describing it as "impossibility in its purest form". It is...
which could warp time and space in a variety of ways. A text page in that issue explained that he had been recruited and outfitted by the SSOSV's founder Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
only to use the Angler to warp ahead in time to a point after Darkseid had been exposed and deposed as the Society's secret leader. He also began appearing in the Wonder Woman title once more. At one point, he fights Wonder Woman's friend Etta Candy
Etta Candy
Etta Candy is a fictional character from the DC Comics Wonder Woman series.-Golden Age:In her 1940s introduction, Etta Candy is a sickly malnurished woman Wonder Woman discovers at a local hospital. When next she is seen Etta is transformed into a spirited, rotund young woman who has a great love...
.
This Angle Man died in the 1985 limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
, apparently as a result of attempting to use his Angler during the massive dimensional upheavals caused by that event.
Modern Age version
After the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the entire DC UniverseDC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
history was erased and restarted again with the same familiar characters, but with all new backgrounds and histories. In Angle Man's case a still-living, uncostumed Angle Man initially appeared briefly in the Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
comic as one of several villains whose equipment was appropriated by the weapon-absorbing Replicant.
Later, during Phil Jimenez
Phil Jimenez
Phil Jimenez is an American comic book writer, artist and penciller, known for his work as writer/artist on Wonder Woman from 2000 to 2003, as one of the five pencilers of the 2005-2006 miniseries Infinite Crisis, and his collaborations with writer Grant Morrison on New X-Men and The...
's run on the Wonder Woman title, he was revamped into Angelo Bend, an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
master gentleman thief for hire who uses his special angler to escape authorities. He was caught by Donna Troy
Donna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
while trying to steal an ancient artifact from a museum. Even though Donna, as Troia, was trying to stop the villain, Angle Man formed a bit of a crush on the Amazon
Amazons (comics)
The Amazons of DC Comics are a fictional all-female society of superhumans, based on the Amazons of Greek mythology. There have been three major incarnations of these Amazons, one before the Crisis, and two after. What two of these groups have in common is that they are the race which produced...
. He became so enamored with her that he instinctively transported himself to Themyscira
Themyscira
Themyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
seeking Donna's help when he was savagely attacked by a Fury
Erinyes
In Greek mythology the Erinyes from Greek ἐρίνειν " pursue, persecute"--sometimes referred to as "infernal goddesses" -- were female chthonic deities of vengeance. A formulaic oath in the Iliad invokes them as "those who beneath the earth punish whosoever has sworn a false oath"...
possessed Barbara Minerva
Cheetah (comics)
The Cheetah is a fictional character, a super-villainess appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Popularly regarded as the archenemy of Wonder Woman, the Cheetah first appeared in 1943 in Wonder Woman #6 , written by Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston...
. Later it was learned that he had been hired by Barbara, the previous Cheetah, who had lost her powers to Sebastian Ballesteros and needed the stolen artifacts to regain them. He was also seen grieving at Donna Troy's funeral after she was briefly killed by a Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
robot.
The next time he is shown was among a large team of super villains formed by the Wonder Woman villain Devastation. An enemy of Cassie Sandsmark, Devastation formed the group to battle the now disbanded Young Justice
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team first appeared in Young Justice: The Secret , before graduating to their ongoing monthly series...
.
Infinite Crisis
The sophisticated thief re-imagined by Jimenez was subsequently written as an entirely different personality, much deadlier and obsessive.Bend appeared in Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
as a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains who were operating in the East End of Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
. Catwoman infiltrated the team pretending to be a villain again to get close to the Society. Bend discovered her discussing her plan to double-cross the Society and attacked her, shooting her in the stomach and stabbing her in the head with a triangle-shaped blade. However, the Catwoman the Angle Man "killed" was in fact a new Clayface
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several DC Comics fictional characters, most of them possessing claylike bodies and shape-shifting abilities. All of them have been enemies of Batman.-Publication history:...
whom Catwoman had recently encountered and asked for help. The real Catwoman appeared and, during her attack on the villains, beat Bend savagely with a baseball bat.
One Year Later
In the DC Universe One Year LaterOne Year Later
"One Year Later" was a 2006 storyline event running through the DC Universe. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Comics Universe following the events of the Infinite Crisis event, to explore major changes within the continuities of the many...
, Selina Kyle has given up her mantle as Catwoman after having a child. Her associate and friend Holly Robinson has taken over the Catwoman persona.
Bend, now obsessed with Catwoman and bent on revenge, has targeted Holly, not realizing that he is going after the wrong person. He has since been defeated by Holly once (the brutal fight was caught on tape), but has been approached by a new villain calling himself the Film Freak
Film Freak
Film Freak is the name of two DC Comics villains and enemy of Batman and Catwoman. They are of the myriad "gimmick" villains in Gotham City, their trademark being their obsession with motion pictures.-Burt Weston:...
, apparently a successor to the deceased Batman villain of the same name.
When Film Freak deduces Selina's secret identity the two villains launch an attack on her apartment. In the wake of this he even threatens to kill Selina's baby and to give her secret identity away to other villains. These plans are, however, thwarted when Selina calls in Zatanna
Zatanna
Zatanna Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson, Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman vol. 1 #4...
, who performs another mindwipe
Mindwipe
For the Transformers character, see Mindwipe .Mindwipe is a technique used in some science fiction scenarios, where the subject's memories and personality are erased and replaced by new memories and personality more useful to those who are carrying out the mindwiping, or to their area's...
on the two men. This results in Angle Man forcibly confessing his crimes to Gotham Police after reminiscing about his more glorious days as a supervillain.
Angelo next appears as an ally of Circe
Circe (comics)
Circe is a fictional character, a villainous sorceress and a major adversary of Wonder Woman appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological character of the same name who imprisoned Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, the comic book incarnation of Circe first...
who has emmassed a large team of villains to attack Wonder Woman. He informs Diana that Circe has amplified his powers and uses his Angler to replicate itself as a projectile stabbing tool. He and his teammates are about to subdue Wonder Woman when she is rescued by a large group of the Amazon's allies. Angle Man is rendured unconscious by Robin in hand-to-hand combat and is then arrested under the authority of the Department of Metahuman Affairs. After Angle Man's incarceration has been processed his Anglers are taken by Nemesis
Nemesis (DC Comics)
Nemesis is the name of two fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. Thomas Andrew Tresser first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #166, , and was created by Cary Burkett and Dan Spiegle. Soseh Myrkos first appeared in JSA Annual #1, , and was created by David S...
and placed in government confiscation.
Television
- In Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
, Angle Man appears as a member of the Secret SocietySecret Society of Super VillainsThe Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
and makes several non-speaking appearances in the series final season. Angle Man had one line in the episode "The Great Brain Robbery" voiced by an uncredited Phil LaMarrPhil LaMarrPhillip "Phil" LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his small, but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction...
. He is a member of the Grodd/Luthor Secret Society in the episode Alive.
- Angle Man appears in the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
episode "Joker: The Vile and the Villainous." He is seen in a bar where the bad guys hang out.