Leap-Frog (comics)
Encyclopedia
Leap-Frog is the name of two Marvel Comics
supervillain
s who use a Frog
suit costume containing electrical coils on the soles of each of the two flippers which allow the wearer to leap great distances up to 60 ft (18.3 m) high or 100 ft (30.5 m) long. The boots' power source is worn on his back like a back pack, and triggered via hidden buttons in his gloves. In addition, the costume later had a strength-boosting exoskeleton along with substantial internal padding and a computer-guided system for leaping accuracy.
.
The character was created by Stan Lee
and Gene Colan
in Daredevil #25 (February, 1967), and was basically a criminal in a frog
costume with springs
under his shoes. However, his later improved suit and superior athletic abilities made him a serious fighter.
and Gene Colan
.
The character subsequently appears in Daredevil Annual #1 (September 1967), The Defenders #64 (October 1978), Iron Man #126-127 (September-October 1979), Marvel Team-Up #121 (September 1982), #131 (July 1983), The Defenders #131 (May 1984), Marvel Fanfare #31-32 (March, May 1987), Damage Control #2 (December 1989), The Spectacular Spider-Man #185 (February 1992), Daredevil #16 (May 2001), Spider-Man's Tangled Web #12 (May 2002), and Wolverine #27 (June 2005).
Calling himself Leap-Frog, Patilio was not known for being lucky in his criminal career. For example, he started by taking blind lawyer Matt Murdock hostage (Murdock being in fact the civilian identity
of the superhero
Daredevil
). He was recruited by Electro to serve in his Emissaries of Evil
in a revenge against Daredevil for previous defeats. However, Daredevil defeated them. Other attempts at being a criminal failed at the hands of Daredevil, before Leap-Frog was defeated by Iron Man
and sent to jail.
Patilio served his time in prison and then returned to his wife Rose and young son Eugene. Rose's salary kept the family financially solvent until she died of cancer. Barely making enough money to support himself and his son, Patilio fell into despair. At this time, his son Eugene donned a version of his costume to attempt to create a heroic career as "Frog-Man
." Patilio was at first proud of his son for capturing the villain Speed Demon, but his pride turned to disapproval as Eugene continued to serve as a superhero. Patilio forbade his son to adventure as Frog-Man.
Patilio later went undercover in the villainess White Rabbit
's gang on behalf of the police, which brought him into conflict with his son, who, as Frog-Man, tried to take down the White Rabbit. Patilio ultimately defeated the White Rabbit with the help of his son and got a reward that considerably eased his financial worries.
When the White Rabbit reappeared, she teamed up with the Walrus
to create mayhem which would not stop until the Frog-Man surrendered to her. Spider-Man
went after the two. Meanwhile, Vincent ordered Eugene to stay at home while he donned a revamped version of his costume, announced himself as Frog-Man and joined Spider-Man. However, Eugene also donned his own costume and joined the struggle, and the trio managed to stop the criminals.
Currently, Patilio remains retired from adventuring.
Lange fought Daredevil on a rooftop, only to be electrocuted by his own autistic son, Timmy, who didn't want to see his hero, Daredevil, hurt. Lange fell off the rooftop and into a garbage truck on the street below and disappeared.
He was killed and resurrected by The Hand and joined an assault on the S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier
which resulted in its destruction. He was killed by Wolverine as were most of the super-villains and heroes The Hand
were using in the attack, although having died once before, his death remains questionable.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
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...
s who use a Frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
suit costume containing electrical coils on the soles of each of the two flippers which allow the wearer to leap great distances up to 60 ft (18.3 m) high or 100 ft (30.5 m) long. The boots' power source is worn on his back like a back pack, and triggered via hidden buttons in his gloves. In addition, the costume later had a strength-boosting exoskeleton along with substantial internal padding and a computer-guided system for leaping accuracy.
Vincent Patilio
Vincent "Vinnie" Colorito Patilio, the original and best known Leap-Frog was a supervillain most commonly associated with DaredevilDaredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
.
The character was created by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Gene Colan
Gene Colan
Eugene Jules "Gene" Colan was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series, Daredevil, the cult-hit satiric series Howard the Duck, and The Tomb of Dracula, considered one of comics' classic horror series...
in Daredevil #25 (February, 1967), and was basically a criminal in a frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
costume with springs
Spring (device)
A spring is an elastic object used to store mechanical energy. Springs are usually made out of spring steel. Small springs can be wound from pre-hardened stock, while larger ones are made from annealed steel and hardened after fabrication...
under his shoes. However, his later improved suit and superior athletic abilities made him a serious fighter.
Publication history
Leap-Frog first appeared in Daredevil #25-26 (February-March 1967), and was created by Stan LeeStan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Gene Colan
Gene Colan
Eugene Jules "Gene" Colan was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series, Daredevil, the cult-hit satiric series Howard the Duck, and The Tomb of Dracula, considered one of comics' classic horror series...
.
The character subsequently appears in Daredevil Annual #1 (September 1967), The Defenders #64 (October 1978), Iron Man #126-127 (September-October 1979), Marvel Team-Up #121 (September 1982), #131 (July 1983), The Defenders #131 (May 1984), Marvel Fanfare #31-32 (March, May 1987), Damage Control #2 (December 1989), The Spectacular Spider-Man #185 (February 1992), Daredevil #16 (May 2001), Spider-Man's Tangled Web #12 (May 2002), and Wolverine #27 (June 2005).
Fictional character biography
Tired of his lack of success as an inventor of novelty items for toy companies, Vincent Patilio designed himself electrically powered coils that could be used for leaping great distances and incorporated them into a frog-like costume.Calling himself Leap-Frog, Patilio was not known for being lucky in his criminal career. For example, he started by taking blind lawyer Matt Murdock hostage (Murdock being in fact the civilian identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
of the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
). He was recruited by Electro to serve in his Emissaries of Evil
Emissaries of Evil
The Emissaries of Evil is a name used by three different fictional team of supervillains in the Marvel Universe.-Under Electro:The first Emissaries of Evil was recruited by Electro in a plot of revenge against Daredevil for previous defeats. This group consisted of Gladiator, Stilt-Man, Leap-Frog,...
in a revenge against Daredevil for previous defeats. However, Daredevil defeated them. Other attempts at being a criminal failed at the hands of Daredevil, before Leap-Frog was defeated by Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
and sent to jail.
Patilio served his time in prison and then returned to his wife Rose and young son Eugene. Rose's salary kept the family financially solvent until she died of cancer. Barely making enough money to support himself and his son, Patilio fell into despair. At this time, his son Eugene donned a version of his costume to attempt to create a heroic career as "Frog-Man
Frog-Man
Frog-Man is a minor comedic superhero created by writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Kerry Gammill for Marvel Comics. His first appearance was in Marvel Team-Up #121.- Fictional character biography :...
." Patilio was at first proud of his son for capturing the villain Speed Demon, but his pride turned to disapproval as Eugene continued to serve as a superhero. Patilio forbade his son to adventure as Frog-Man.
Patilio later went undercover in the villainess White Rabbit
White Rabbit (comics)
The White Rabbit is a supervillainess in the Marvel Universe and is an enemy of Spider-Man . She first appeared in Marvel Team-Up #131 in July 1983, and was created by J.M...
's gang on behalf of the police, which brought him into conflict with his son, who, as Frog-Man, tried to take down the White Rabbit. Patilio ultimately defeated the White Rabbit with the help of his son and got a reward that considerably eased his financial worries.
When the White Rabbit reappeared, she teamed up with the Walrus
Walrus (comics)
The Walrus is a minor Marvel Comics supervillain of Spider-Man who has appeared in at least three comic book issues .-Fictional character biography:...
to create mayhem which would not stop until the Frog-Man surrendered to her. Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
went after the two. Meanwhile, Vincent ordered Eugene to stay at home while he donned a revamped version of his costume, announced himself as Frog-Man and joined Spider-Man. However, Eugene also donned his own costume and joined the struggle, and the trio managed to stop the criminals.
Currently, Patilio remains retired from adventuring.
Buford Lange
Buford Lange is an abusive father who stumbled upon an abandoned Leap-Frog costume and began a short-lived criminal career.Lange fought Daredevil on a rooftop, only to be electrocuted by his own autistic son, Timmy, who didn't want to see his hero, Daredevil, hurt. Lange fell off the rooftop and into a garbage truck on the street below and disappeared.
He was killed and resurrected by The Hand and joined an assault on the S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier
Helicarrier
The Helicarrier is a fictional flying aircraft carrier specifically designed to be capable of independent powered flight in addition to the conventional functions of aircraft carriers...
which resulted in its destruction. He was killed by Wolverine as were most of the super-villains and heroes The Hand
Hand (comics)
The Hand is a fictional supervillainous organization in the Marvel Comics universe.The Hand is an order of evil mystical ninja who are heavily involved in organized crime and mercenary activities such as assassination plots. The Hand covets power above all other objectives. They are primarily based...
were using in the attack, although having died once before, his death remains questionable.