Red Wolf (comics)
Encyclopedia
Red Wolf is the name of a number of fictional character
s in Marvel Comics
' shared universe
, the Marvel Universe
.
The character appears in 2010's Rawhide Kid
: The Sensational Seven.
. He was the son of Thomas Talltrees, a Cheyenne tribal leader, and grew up hearing tales of the legendary Red Wolf. William witnessed his father being intimidated into selling his property to corrupt businessman Cornelius van Lunt
; that night, van Lunt's henchmen killed William's family. William swore vengeance, finding and donning the ceremonial garb of Red Wolf. Owayodata visited him and imbued the young man with his spiritual legacy, granting him superhuman powers. The new Red Wolf found a wolf cub that he named Lobo and trained to be his companion. Following van Lunt back to New York, he was able to gain vengeance on him with the aid of the Avengers
.
Alongside Jill tomahawk, Red Wolf battled King Cycle. He also battled Clayton Bickford. Red Wolf was also once assisted by Gabriel, Devil Hunter.
Alongside Tigra
, Red Wolf battled the Super-Skrull
and the Rat Pack. Alongside Phantom Rider III, Firebird, Texas Twister
, and Shooting Star
, he battled the Hulk
, and rescued Rick Jones
from the Corruptor. Red Wolf joined these other four heroes as part of the first incarnation of the short-lived superhero team, the Rangers
. Alongside the Defenders
, Red Wolf battled some trolls. Alongside the Rangers again, Red Wolf battled the West Coast Avengers
while under the influence of the demon Riglevio possessing Shooting Star.
It was revealed that Will Talltrees was part of a squad of Marines during the Vietnam War
, along with Willie Lincoln, Josh Cooper, Jim Rhodes
, and others named Fong and Janes. They were part of an attack on a village that resulted in the slaughter of the parents of The Bengal
. As an adult, Bengal resurfaced to take vengeance on those Marines, but has since turned away from his vendetta. Red Wolf suffered a crisis of faith caused by his defeat at the hands of the Bengal.
Some time later, Red Wolf adopted a new wolf cub. Alongside Doctor Strange
and the Black Crow
, Red Wolf stopped the Cheyenne pantheon from taking vengeance for the Cheyenne people. Red Wolf later battled eco-terrorists in the employ of Roxxon Oil Company.
Weeks after the conclusion to the Civil War
event, Red Wolf was seen as a member of Texas' new government-sponsored superhero team, the revived Rangers, as part of the Fifty State Initiative
Program.
During the Secret Invasion
, a Skrull
had posed as Lobo and attacked Delroy Garrett, Ant-Man
III, and the Rangers in a Skrull/wolf-like form. When Red Wolf asked it what they did with the real Lobo, the Skrull-Lobo says that he'll learn his wolf's fate soon enough when he shares it with him. Delroy and Red Wolf subdued the Skrull-Lobo and Shooting Star shot it.
According to one text, Red Wolf was able to cause his coup stick and his wolf companion Lobo to appear from nowhere, and Lobo also possessed the power of intangibility. Since the same text also related an erroneous account of Red Wolf's origin, giving his real name as Thomas Thunderhead, and referred to him as a Sioux rather than a Cheyenne, it may be regarded as apocryphal.
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...
s in 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...
' shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
, the Marvel 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...
.
Johnny Wakeley
Johnny Wakeley was the adopted name of a Cheyenne man who was raised from childhood by a white couple in the late 19th century. His adoptive parents were killed by Native Americans in retaliation for the U.S. Army cavalry's massacre of their own people. Pursued by members of his own tribe, Wakeley stumbled into the burial place of a former man known as Red Wolf and was visited by the spirit of a Cheyenne god named Owayodata. He was given the ceremonial garb of the Red Wolf, and the coup stick, his totem of power, and became the first known recorded Red Wolf. Red Wolf used his newfound great skills and prowess to promote peace between the white and Native American peoples.The character appears in 2010's Rawhide Kid
Rawhide Kid
The Rawhide Kid is a fictional Old West cowboy in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A heroic gunfighter of the 19th-century American West who was unjustly wanted as an outlaw, he is one of Marvel's most prolific Western characters...
: The Sensational Seven.
William Talltrees
William Talltrees is a man born in modern times, born in Wolf Point, MontanaWolf Point, Montana
Wolf Point is a city in and the county seat of Roosevelt County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,621 at the 2010 census. It is the largest community on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Wolf Point is the home of the annual Wild Horse Stampede, held every year during the second weekend...
. He was the son of Thomas Talltrees, a Cheyenne tribal leader, and grew up hearing tales of the legendary Red Wolf. William witnessed his father being intimidated into selling his property to corrupt businessman Cornelius van Lunt
Taurus (comics)
Taurus is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Cornelius Van Lunt:Cornelius Van Lunt was a multimillionaire businessman, and professional criminal mastermind. He was also the founder and financer of the original Zodiac cartel, chose its eleven other leaders, and succeeded Marcus Lassiter,...
; that night, van Lunt's henchmen killed William's family. William swore vengeance, finding and donning the ceremonial garb of Red Wolf. Owayodata visited him and imbued the young man with his spiritual legacy, granting him superhuman powers. The new Red Wolf found a wolf cub that he named Lobo and trained to be his companion. Following van Lunt back to New York, he was able to gain vengeance on him with the aid of 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...
.
Alongside Jill tomahawk, Red Wolf battled King Cycle. He also battled Clayton Bickford. Red Wolf was also once assisted by Gabriel, Devil Hunter.
Alongside Tigra
Tigra
Tigra is a fictional American comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. Introduced as the non-superpowered crime fighter The Cat in Claws of the Cat #1 , she was co-created by writer-editor Roy Thomas, writer Linda Fite, and penciller Marie Severin...
, Red Wolf battled the Super-Skrull
Super-Skrull
The Super-Skrull is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #18 The Super-Skrull (Kl'rt) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The...
and the Rat Pack. Alongside Phantom Rider III, Firebird, Texas Twister
Texas Twister
Texas Twister is a fictional comic book superhero that appears in publications from Marvel Comics.-Fictional character biography:Drew Daniels was born in Amarillo, Texas. He is working as a cattle hand at a ranch when a tornado and radiation from a nearby nuclear reactor affect him at the same time...
, and Shooting Star
Shooting Star (comics)
Shooting Star is a comic book superhero appearing in Marvel Comics.-Fictional character biography:Shooting Star was born Victoria Starwin, in El Paso, Texas. She is the daughter of Remington Starwin, a wealthy Texas oil baron and amateur rodeo performer. When she was a child, her father...
, he battled the 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 ....
, and rescued Rick Jones
Rick Jones (comics)
Richard Milhouse "Rick" Jones is a fictional comic book character in the .-Publication history:Rick Jones first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1, as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk...
from the Corruptor. Red Wolf joined these other four heroes as part of the first incarnation of the short-lived superhero team, the Rangers
Rangers (comics)
The Rangers are a superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #265 and was created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema.-Fictional history:...
. Alongside 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...
, Red Wolf battled some trolls. Alongside the Rangers again, Red Wolf battled the West Coast Avengers
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
while under the influence of the demon Riglevio possessing Shooting Star.
It was revealed that Will Talltrees was part of a squad of Marines during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, along with Willie Lincoln, Josh Cooper, Jim Rhodes
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
, and others named Fong and Janes. They were part of an attack on a village that resulted in the slaughter of the parents of The Bengal
Bengal (comics)
Bengal is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe who first appeared in Daredevil #258 in September 1988. He was created by Fabian Nicieza and artist, Ron Lim.-Fictional character biography:...
. As an adult, Bengal resurfaced to take vengeance on those Marines, but has since turned away from his vendetta. Red Wolf suffered a crisis of faith caused by his defeat at the hands of the Bengal.
Some time later, Red Wolf adopted a new wolf cub. Alongside Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
and the Black Crow
Black Crow (comics)
Black Crow is a fictional Native American superhero published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Black Crow first appeared in Captain America #292 , and was created by J. M...
, Red Wolf stopped the Cheyenne pantheon from taking vengeance for the Cheyenne people. Red Wolf later battled eco-terrorists in the employ of Roxxon Oil Company.
Weeks after the conclusion to the Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
event, Red Wolf was seen as a member of Texas' new government-sponsored superhero team, the revived Rangers, as part of the Fifty State Initiative
Fifty State Initiative
The Fifty State Initiative, often referred to as simply The Initiative, is a fictional governmental plan that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to The Avengers...
Program.
During the Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
, a Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
had posed as Lobo and attacked Delroy Garrett, Ant-Man
Ant-Man (Eric O'Grady)
Ant-Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . He is the third character to use the name Ant-Man. He first appears in The Irredeemable Ant-Man #1 and was created by Robert Kirkman and Phil Hester....
III, and the Rangers in a Skrull/wolf-like form. When Red Wolf asked it what they did with the real Lobo, the Skrull-Lobo says that he'll learn his wolf's fate soon enough when he shares it with him. Delroy and Red Wolf subdued the Skrull-Lobo and Shooting Star shot it.
Powers and abilities
The wolf spirit Owayodata (a god of the Native American pantheon) granted William Talltrees superhuman strength, and sensory acuity heightened to superhuman levels. He is also a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant, an experienced wrestler, an adept combat gymnast, a superb archer, and an expert marksman with throwing weapons. He is an expert tracker, and a skilled animal trainer. His weapons include a coup stick (a six-foot wooden staff used as a bow or javelin), a tomahawk, a hunting knife, and a bow and arrows.According to one text, Red Wolf was able to cause his coup stick and his wolf companion Lobo to appear from nowhere, and Lobo also possessed the power of intangibility. Since the same text also related an erroneous account of Red Wolf's origin, giving his real name as Thomas Thunderhead, and referred to him as a Sioux rather than a Cheyenne, it may be regarded as apocryphal.
Other versions
- In Avengers ForeverAvengers ForeverAvengers Forever is a twelve-issue comic book limited series published from December 1998 to November 1999 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern and drawn by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino.-Publication history:...
, an ancestor of William Talltrees, named Wildrun, is addressed by LibraLibra (comics)Libra is a Marvel Comics character, a former supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe, most notably a member of the Zodiac Cartel.-Publication history:...
as "the first of the Red Wolves."
Bibliography
- Red Wolf I (Wildrun)
- Avengers Annual #21-22
- Avengers: Forever #3
- Red Wolf II (Johnny Wakely)
- Blaze of Glory #2-3
- Marvel Spotlight Vol. 1 #1
- Mighty Marvel Western - Western Legends #1
- Red Wolf #1-6
- Red Wolf III (Thomas Thunderhead)
- Red Wolf #7-9
- Red Wolf IV (William Talltrees) (Current)
- Avengers Vol. 1 #80-81
- Avengers: The Initiative #1-2, 19
- Defenders Vol. 1 #139
- Incredible Hulk #265
- Marvel Chillers #7
- Marvel Comics Presents Vol. 1 #15, 72, 107, 170
- Thunderbolts #57
- West Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #8-9
External links
- Red Wolf III at Marvel.com