Piledriver (comics)
Encyclopedia
Piledriver is a fictional
supervillain
in the Marvel Comics
universe
. He is a member of the Wrecker
's Wrecking Crew
. The character was created by Len Wein
and Sal Buscema
and first appeared in Defenders
#17 (November 1974).
.
Garthwaite, together with Calusky and two other inmates at Ryker's Island Prison, Dr. Eliot Franklin and Henry Camp, made a successful jailbreak and managed to locate his crowbar. Willing to share his power with his allies, The Wrecker had the three other convicts join him in holding onto the crowbar outside during an electrical storm. Lightning struck the crowbar, magically distributing the enchanted strength bestowed upon The Wrecker among the four of them. The Wrecker's three allies then adopted costumes and aliases as well: Franklin became Thunderball
, Camp became Bulldozer
, and Brian Philip Calusky became Piledriver. As a result of his new-found powers, Calusky's hands became over-sized in proportion to his body. Together the four superhumanly strong criminals became known as The Wrecking Crew
, who were led by The Wrecker himself. They battled the Defenders
while attempting to locate the Gamma Bomb; Piledriver was defeated by Power Man
in this encounter.
With the Wrecking Crew, Bulldozer next battled Captain America
and Iron Fist while trying to lure Thor
into battle. The Wrecking Crew then did battle Thor in a revenge attempt. The Wrecking Crew were among the various criminals taken to the Beyonder
's Battleworld, including a number of super-powered criminals and superheroes. Bulldozer got the opportunity to face off against the Avengers, Hulk
, X-Men
, Fantastic Four
, and other superheroes. Piledriver stole computer disks from Dextron labs, and the Wrecking Crew next battled Spider-Man
and Spider-Woman II. Along with the Wrecking Crew, Piledriver next joined the fourth Masters of Evil
, which attacked and took over Avengers Mansion
. Piledriver helped defeat the god Hercules
in combat, but was drained of his superhuman powers by Thor. He was freed from prison by the Wrecker, but without his superhuman powers he was defeated by Spider-Man and Spider-Woman. He regained his powers, and escaped from the Vault
. He defeated Captain America and encountered Damage Control
personnel. With the Wrecking Crew, Piledriver freed the Wrecker and Ulik
from police custody, and battled Hercules and Thor. They battled Thor, Excalibur
, Code: Blue
, and Ghost Rider II
. His powers were then again drained by Loki
, but he escaped.
Piledriver has the demeanor of a "good ol' country boy" (despite being born in the very urban Brooklyn, NY). He has fought many of Marvel's superheroes over the years, including Spider-Man
, the Avengers
, the Defenders
, and most often, Thor
. He, as part of the Wrecking Crew threatens the lives of the innocent civilians of Damage Control
. Thunderball, who has a soft spot for man in charge, John Porter, actually attacks Piledriver and the others, via trickery, allowing the D.C. employees to escape.
Unlike Thunderball, Piledriver has remained loyal to the Wrecker and has only been separated from the Wrecking Crew through various incarcerations in prison. While Piledriver and the rest of the Wrecking Crew have faced defeat on many occasions, they always come back for more, making them one of the most enduring supervillain
teams in Marvel's history.
Piledriver discovers that he has a son named Ricky Calusky. The boy lived with his grandparents, but when he discovered who his father was, he ran away and joined the Wrecking Crew (to the pride of his father) under the name Excavator. Ricky even gains a mystically charged shovel. However, he and the rest of the Crew were defeated by the Runaways during a bank robbery.
The Hood
has hired him as part of his criminal organization to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. He helps them fight the New Avengers but is taken down by Dr. Strange.
As part of the Hood's gang, he later joins the fight against the Skrull invading force in New York City. He joins with the Hood's gang in an attack on the New Avengers, who were expecting the Dark Avengers
instead.
House of M
Piledriver (alongside the other Wrecking Crew members) appears as a member of Hood's Masters of Evil. He ends up absorbed into Scramble
's body when the Masters of Evil arrive in the Central American country of Santo Rico.
. As in regular continuity, he and his friends gained superpowers. They seized control of the Flatiron Building
, took hostages and demanded a ransom. Zarda, sometimes known as the Power Princess
defeated them in battle. "Ultimate Hulk Annual" #1 (2009)
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...
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...
in the Marvel Comics
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...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. He is a member of the Wrecker
Wrecker (comics)
The Wrecker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Wrecker was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appears in The Mighty Thor #148 The Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
's Wrecking Crew
Wrecking Crew (comics)
The Wrecking Crew is a team of four fictional supervillains — Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball, and the Wrecker — that appears in Marvel Comics. While not featured on the cover, the Wrecking Crew's first appearance is in Defenders vol. 1, #17 in November 1974.-Fictional biography:The Wrecking...
. The character was created by Len Wein
Len Wein
Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
and Sal Buscema
Sal Buscema
Silvio "Sal" Buscema is an American comic book artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk...
and first appeared in Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
#17 (November 1974).
Fictional character biography
Brian Philip Calusky, though born in Brooklyn, NY, was raised on a farm and eventually became a farmhand. Life on the farm was too slow for Calusky and he decided to enter a life of crime for excitement. His criminal activities eventually landed him in prison, where he met and became cellmates with Dirk Garthwaite, who was known as The WreckerWrecker (comics)
The Wrecker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Wrecker was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appears in The Mighty Thor #148 The Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
.
Garthwaite, together with Calusky and two other inmates at Ryker's Island Prison, Dr. Eliot Franklin and Henry Camp, made a successful jailbreak and managed to locate his crowbar. Willing to share his power with his allies, The Wrecker had the three other convicts join him in holding onto the crowbar outside during an electrical storm. Lightning struck the crowbar, magically distributing the enchanted strength bestowed upon The Wrecker among the four of them. The Wrecker's three allies then adopted costumes and aliases as well: Franklin became Thunderball
Thunderball (comics)
Thunderball is a Marvel Comics supervillain and a frequent enemy of Thor and a somewhat reluctant ally of the Wrecker and the Wrecking Crew. The character was created by Len Wein and Sal Buscema and first appeared in Defenders #17 .-Fictional character biography:Dr. Eliot Franklin was born in...
, Camp became Bulldozer
Bulldozer (comics)
Bulldozer is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Universe. He is a member of the Wrecking Crew. The character was created by Len Wein and Sal Buscema and first appeared in Defenders #17 ....
, and Brian Philip Calusky became Piledriver. As a result of his new-found powers, Calusky's hands became over-sized in proportion to his body. Together the four superhumanly strong criminals became known as The Wrecking Crew
Wrecking Crew (comics)
The Wrecking Crew is a team of four fictional supervillains — Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball, and the Wrecker — that appears in Marvel Comics. While not featured on the cover, the Wrecking Crew's first appearance is in Defenders vol. 1, #17 in November 1974.-Fictional biography:The Wrecking...
, who were led by The Wrecker himself. They battled the Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
while attempting to locate the Gamma Bomb; Piledriver was defeated by Power Man
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
in this encounter.
With the Wrecking Crew, Bulldozer next battled Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
and Iron Fist while trying to lure Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
into battle. The Wrecking Crew then did battle Thor in a revenge attempt. The Wrecking Crew were among the various criminals taken to the Beyonder
Beyonder
The Beyonder is a fictional character in . Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, the immensely powerful Beyonder first appeared in Secret Wars vol. 1 #1 as an unseen force. He reappears in Secret Wars II #1 , which was created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom.-Publication history:The Beyonder was a...
's Battleworld, including a number of super-powered criminals and superheroes. Bulldozer got the opportunity to face off against the Avengers, Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
, X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
, Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
, and other superheroes. Piledriver stole computer disks from Dextron labs, and the Wrecking Crew next battled 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...
and Spider-Woman II. Along with the Wrecking Crew, Piledriver next joined the fourth Masters of Evil
Masters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
, which attacked and took over Avengers Mansion
Avengers Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, Avengers Mansion has traditionally been the base of the Avengers. The enormous, city block-sized building is located at 890 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City.-Creative origin:...
. Piledriver helped defeat the god Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
in combat, but was drained of his superhuman powers by Thor. He was freed from prison by the Wrecker, but without his superhuman powers he was defeated by Spider-Man and Spider-Woman. He regained his powers, and escaped from the Vault
Vault (comics)
The Vault is the widely used nickname of a fictional defunct prison facility for technological-based superhuman criminals in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. The prison's full official name is the United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals.It first...
. He defeated Captain America and encountered Damage Control
Damage Control (comics)
Damage Control is a fictional construction company appearing in Marvel Comics, which specializes in repairing the property damage caused by conflicts between superheroes and supervillains...
personnel. With the Wrecking Crew, Piledriver freed the Wrecker and Ulik
Ulik
Ulik is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Ulik was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appears in Thor #137 ....
from police custody, and battled Hercules and Thor. They battled Thor, Excalibur
Excalibur (comics)
Excalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an off-shoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the original Excalibur first appeared in Excalibur Special Edition , also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.The...
, Code: Blue
Code: Blue
Code: Blue is a fictional organization in the Marvel Universe.Code: Blue was a New York City police SWAT team that was specially trained and equipped to deal with super-powered criminals.-Publication history:...
, and Ghost Rider II
Ghost Rider (Daniel Ketch)
Ghost Rider is a comic book character, a supernatural superhero in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He is the third Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and Johnny Blaze, the first supernatural Ghost Rider.-Publication...
. His powers were then again drained by Loki
Loki (comics)
Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor. He is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology...
, but he escaped.
Piledriver has the demeanor of a "good ol' country boy" (despite being born in the very urban Brooklyn, NY). He has fought many of Marvel's superheroes over the years, including 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...
, the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, the Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
, and most often, Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
. He, as part of the Wrecking Crew threatens the lives of the innocent civilians of Damage Control
Damage Control (comics)
Damage Control is a fictional construction company appearing in Marvel Comics, which specializes in repairing the property damage caused by conflicts between superheroes and supervillains...
. Thunderball, who has a soft spot for man in charge, John Porter, actually attacks Piledriver and the others, via trickery, allowing the D.C. employees to escape.
Unlike Thunderball, Piledriver has remained loyal to the Wrecker and has only been separated from the Wrecking Crew through various incarcerations in prison. While Piledriver and the rest of the Wrecking Crew have faced defeat on many occasions, they always come back for more, making them one of the most enduring 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...
teams in Marvel's history.
Piledriver discovers that he has a son named Ricky Calusky. The boy lived with his grandparents, but when he discovered who his father was, he ran away and joined the Wrecking Crew (to the pride of his father) under the name Excavator. Ricky even gains a mystically charged shovel. However, he and the rest of the Crew were defeated by the Runaways during a bank robbery.
The Hood
Hood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
has hired him as part of his criminal organization to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. He helps them fight the New Avengers but is taken down by Dr. Strange.
As part of the Hood's gang, he later joins the fight against the Skrull invading force in New York City. He joins with the Hood's gang in an attack on the New Avengers, who were expecting the Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that have featured various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers...
instead.
Powers and abilities
Thanks to Asgardian magic, Piledriver possesses superhuman strength and a high degree of imperviousness to harm. He can withstand high amounts of concussive force, and is virtually bulletproof. Piledriver's power augmented his entire body, strengthening his bone, muscle, and flesh. Because of this, he's capable of withstanding the impact of high caliber bullets. Piledriver is also superhumanly strong, though because of his particular talent, he has over-sized hands which are more powerful than the other members of the Wrecking Crew, with the exception of The Wrecker, himself. His superhuman abilities are currently four times greater than when he originally shared the Wrecker's power, making him somewhat stronger than an average well-trained Asgardian male.House of MHouse of MHouse of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
: Masters of Evil
Piledriver (alongside the other Wrecking Crew members) appears as a member of Hood's Masters of Evil. He ends up absorbed into ScrambleScramble (comics)
Scramble , also known as Scramble the Mixed-Up Man, was a Marvel Comics supervillain and Canadian mutant. Specifically, he was an enemy of Alpha Flight, but for a brief time he was alternately their ally...
's body when the Masters of Evil arrive in the Central American country of Santo Rico.
Ultimate Piledriver
In the 'Ultimate' universe, Piledriver, as a regular civilian, worked for the restoration company called Damage ControlDamage control
Damage control is a term used in the Merchant Marine, maritime industry and navies for the emergency control of situations that may hazard the sinking of a ship...
. As in regular continuity, he and his friends gained superpowers. They seized control of the Flatiron Building
Flatiron Building
The Flatiron Building, or Fuller Building, as it was originally called, is located at 175 Fifth Avenue in the borough of Manhattan, New York City and is considered to be a groundbreaking skyscraper. Upon completion in 1902 it was one of the tallest buildings in the city and the only skyscraper...
, took hostages and demanded a ransom. Zarda, sometimes known as the Power Princess
Power Princess
Zarda, more commonly known as Power Princess, is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Two different versions of the character have appeared in two separate continuities.-Various incarnations:...
defeated them in battle. "Ultimate Hulk Annual" #1 (2009)
Television
- Piledriver appears in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
episode "To Err is Superhuman" voiced by Travis WillinghamTravis WillinghamTravis Hampton Willingham is an American actor and voice actor who works with anime films, television series, as well as video games....
. - Piledriver appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series. A second season has been...
episode "Thor the Mighty," voiced by Nolan NorthNolan NorthNolan Ramsey North is an American actor and voice actor born in New Haven, Connecticut. He has been described as "the nearest thing the games industry has to a bona fide leading man."-Biography:...
. He appears as a member of the Wrecking Crew, and returns in the episode "Gamma World" enhanced with Gamma boosters by the LeaderLeader (comics)The Leader is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #62, and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In 2009, The Leader was ranked as IGN's 63rd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.Actor Tim Blake...
.
Video games
- Piledriver (alongside the other Wrecking Crew members) appeared in the video game Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
, voiced by Michael GoughMichael Gough (voice actor)Michael Gough is an American voice actor and singer.-Television roles:*Dog from WordWorld* Don Diego de la Vega and The lead role in The New Adventures of Zorro* "Goof Troop" - Fester Swollen...
. He and the Wrecking Crew are seen guarding the gates at Bifrost Bridge. A VS simulation disk has the heroes fighting Piledriver in Asgard.
Toys
- Piledriver was released in a two-pack with HawkeyeHawkeye (comics)Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
in the third wave of Secret WarsSecret WarsMarvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
figures from HasbroHasbroHasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
's 3.75" Marvel UniverseMarvel Universe (toyline)Marvel Universe is a 3 3/4" action figure line manufactured by Hasbro, featuring characters from the Marvel Comics universe. It first hit stores in early 2009 and features detailed sculpting, multiple points of articulation, and accessories...
line.
External links
- Piledriver at Marvel.com