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Wrecking Crew (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Wrecking Crew is a team of four fiction
al supervillain
s — 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.
and Luke Cage
.
Over the years the Wrecking Crew have perpetuated a very familiar cycle - escape prison, fight and subsequently lose to superheroes, and return to prison. The Wrecking Crew have battled the Avengers
, Captain America
, Iron Fist, the Runaways
, Spider-Man
, the Sub-Mariner, the Thing
, and their main foe - Thor
. When the Wrecking Crew first battle Thor, they are confident that it will be a quick victory. Thor, however, defeats them all in moments and critically injures the Wrecker - infuriated by the fact that one of the Wrecker's offensives has killed an innocent bystander. Thunderball escapes and several weeks later recovers the Wrecker's crowbar, and goes on to form his own gang before being defeated by Spider-Man.
The team is later chosen by the being known as the Beyonder
to participate in the Secret Wars
against a team of select superheroes.
The Wrecking Crew's most despicable act was to participate in the near-fatal beating of the hero Hercules
during a siege of Avengers Mansion
by the supervillain team the Masters of Evil
. With Thor's assistance, Hercules eventually confronts the Wrecking Crew and defeats them, restoring his confidence in himself.
The Wrecking Crew was imprisoned in the Raft, when Electro freed the inmates in the New Avengers.
or face additional jail time.
They later escape to Canada to avoid the Superhuman Registration Act. Upon arriving in Canada, the Crew, minus Thunderball, murders nearly everyone inside a Canadian bar, due to an "annoying" cell phone ringtone. They then join forces with the mythical Great Beasts
and battle the superhero team Omega Flight
.
After Omega Flight defeats the Crew in battle, they are imprisoned in a jail in Manitoba but manage to escape and return to the United States where they are recruited to join the Hood
's crime syndicate.
The Wrecking Crew were later hired by Jigsaw
to kill Punisher
during Jigsaw's revenge plot against Frank Castle. However, before Wrecker can deliver the final blow, he is defeated by Rhino
, who owed Frank a favor after Castle spared his life.
In Secret Invasion
, they are among the many supervillains who rejoined the Hood's crime syndicate and attacked an invading Skrull
force.
(who mistakenly believed Daredevil the villain). Later, Thunderball is attempting to fight off several zombies, including infected versions of Wrecker, Piledriver, and Bulldozer. The Punisher
comes upon the scene and shoots Thunderball dead, then directs his attention to the zombies. The remaining members of the Wrecking Crew are subsequently among the zombies who attack and infect the Punisher.
as a clean-up crew for super-human battles, as employees of Damage Control
. They then briefly appear in Ultimate Hulk Annual fighting Zarda after gaining the weapons, powers, and costumes of their mainstream counterparts and seizing the Flatiron Building
. It is as yet unknown how or why they acquired their weapons, costumes, and powers nor the change in their behavior.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al 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 — 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 ....
, Piledriver
Piledriver (comics)
Piledriver is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a member of the Wrecker's Wrecking Crew...
, 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...
, and 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....
— that appears 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...
. While not featured on the cover, the Wrecking Crew's first appearance is 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...
vol. 1, #17 in November 1974.
Fictional biography
The Wrecking Crew are formed when Dirk Garthwaite - the Wrecker - is approached by Dr. Eliot Franklin in prison and asked to retrieve a gamma bomb Eliot had designed, with the intent of ransoming New York for millions of dollars. The Wrecker had formerly been a violent criminal who demolished crime scenes with his crowbar, but gained his power when he was mistaken for Loki and given godly powers by the Norn Queen. Garthwaite manages to retrieve his enchanted crowbar, and during a lightning storm tells Franklin and fellow prisoners Henry Camp and Brian Calusky to grip the weapon simultaneously. A lightning bolt then strikes the crowbar and transforms the four men into the Wrecking Crew. They promptly escape from prison and in the course of searching for the gamma bomb are defeated by the DefendersDefenders (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 Luke Cage
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...
.
Over the years the Wrecking Crew have perpetuated a very familiar cycle - escape prison, fight and subsequently lose to superheroes, and return to prison. The Wrecking Crew have battled 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...
, 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...
, Iron Fist, the Runaways
Runaways (comics)
Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
, 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 Sub-Mariner, the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
, and their main foe - 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....
. When the Wrecking Crew first battle Thor, they are confident that it will be a quick victory. Thor, however, defeats them all in moments and critically injures the Wrecker - infuriated by the fact that one of the Wrecker's offensives has killed an innocent bystander. Thunderball escapes and several weeks later recovers the Wrecker's crowbar, and goes on to form his own gang before being defeated by Spider-Man.
The team is later chosen by the being known as 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...
to participate in the Secret Wars
Secret Wars
Marvel 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...
against a team of select superheroes.
The Wrecking Crew's most despicable act was to participate in the near-fatal beating of the hero 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....
during a siege of 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:...
by the supervillain team the 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....
. With Thor's assistance, Hercules eventually confronts the Wrecking Crew and defeats them, restoring his confidence in himself.
The Wrecking Crew was imprisoned in the Raft, when Electro freed the inmates in the New Avengers.
Civil War and Beyond
During the Civil War event, the Wrecking Crew is forced to join the team the ThunderboltsThunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
or face additional jail time.
They later escape to Canada to avoid the Superhuman Registration Act. Upon arriving in Canada, the Crew, minus Thunderball, murders nearly everyone inside a Canadian bar, due to an "annoying" cell phone ringtone. They then join forces with the mythical Great Beasts
Great Beasts
The Great Beasts are fictional villains of supernatural origin, originally created as antagonists for the heroes of the Marvel Comics series Alpha Flight.-Publication history:...
and battle the superhero team Omega Flight
Omega Flight
Omega Flight is the name used by three teams of fictional characters with superpowers in the Marvel Universe, one of the few Canadian teams published by an American comic book company. Omega Flight first appeared in the pages of Alpha Flight as a supervillain team...
.
After Omega Flight defeats the Crew in battle, they are imprisoned in a jail in Manitoba but manage to escape and return to the United States where they are recruited to join 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:...
's crime syndicate.
The Wrecking Crew were later hired by Jigsaw
Jigsaw (Marvel Comics)
Jigsaw is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Throughout his many appearances, he has served as one of the Punisher's few recurring villains...
to kill Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
during Jigsaw's revenge plot against Frank Castle. However, before Wrecker can deliver the final blow, he is defeated by Rhino
Rhino (comics)
The Rhino is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr., the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 The Rhino (Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich) is a fictional character that appears in comic...
, who owed Frank a favor after Castle spared his life.
In 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....
, they are among the many supervillains who rejoined the Hood's crime syndicate and attacked an invading 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....
force.
Membership
- BulldozerBulldozer (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 ....
(Henry Camp) - Bulldozer has an armored metal helmet and fights by ramming his victims head-first.
- Excavator (Ricky Calusky) - The teenage son of Piledriver and a temporary member. Excavator wielded an enchanted shovel that broke in his very first battle when he smashed it over Molly Hayes'Molly HayesMolly Hayes , is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics award-winning series, Runaways. She was created by author Brian K. Vaughan & artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in Runaways #1 with most of the other main characters...
head (which only irritated the young mutant girl).
- PiledriverPiledriver (comics)Piledriver is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a member of the Wrecker's Wrecking Crew...
(Brian Philip Calusky) - Piledriver fights with his over-sized pile-driving fists.
- ThunderballThunderball (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...
(Dr. Eliot Franklin) - Thunderball is the thinker on the team and wields a huge demolition ball on a chain.
- 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....
(Dirk Garthwaite) - The team's leader wields an indestructible crowbarCrowbar (tool)A crowbar, a wrecking bar, pry bar, or prybar, or sometimes a prise bar or prisebar, and more informally a jimmy, jimmy bar, jemmy or gooseneck is a tool consisting of a metal bar with a single curved end and flattened points, often with a small fissure on one or both ends for removing nails...
with magical properties. He both fears and hates the Thunder God, ThorThor (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....
.
Marvel Zombies
In Marvel Zombies vs the Army of Darkness, Thunderball is seen fighting Daredevil, whom he defeats with the help of Ash WilliamsAsh Williams
Ashley J. "Ash" Williams is the protagonist in the Evil Dead horror film franchise, played by Bruce Campbell, and created by director Sam Raimi. Throughout the series, Ash has to face off against his loved ones inside an abandoned cabin as they are possessed by "deadites", the evil souls of the dead...
(who mistakenly believed Daredevil the villain). Later, Thunderball is attempting to fight off several zombies, including infected versions of Wrecker, Piledriver, and Bulldozer. The Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
comes upon the scene and shoots Thunderball dead, then directs his attention to the zombies. The remaining members of the Wrecking Crew are subsequently among the zombies who attack and infect the Punisher.
Ultimate Wrecking Crew
The Wrecking Crew initially appear in Ultimate Spider-ManUltimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man was a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
as a clean-up crew for super-human battles, as employees 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...
. They then briefly appear in Ultimate Hulk Annual fighting Zarda after gaining the weapons, powers, and costumes of their mainstream counterparts and seizing 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...
. It is as yet unknown how or why they acquired their weapons, costumes, and powers nor the change in their behavior.
JLA/Avengers
The Wrecking Crew have a brief appearance in the last issue as a part of Krona's army, being single-handedly taken down by Wonder Woman.Television
- The Wrecking Crew first 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." - The Wrecking Crew 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." They attack a dock containing a shipment of weapons and take out the cops only to end up fighting Thor. It was revealed that LokiLoki (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...
in the form of 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...
hired the Wrecking Crew as a diversion so that he can have the Frost Giants invade Asgard. They later appear during the Gamma World Event, working for the real Leader. He increases their powers with gamma radiation, allowing them to defeat Thor and Doc Samson, though none of them are able to wield Mjolnir, despite their hopes. They are defeated by a combination of Thor and Black Panther, alongside the destruction of the Gamma Dome generator. They are then taken away by S.H.I.E.L.D forces (using special prison cubicles), before the second Gamma Wave hits, it is unknown what happens to the Crew when this happens though. During the second Gamma Wave, it was revealed that the Wrecker and Piledriver were infected with Gamma radiation. They attempted to pick up Thor's hammer, but failed when Thor summonded it while he (alongside Doc Samson) was captured. It is left unknown what happened to Thunderball and Bulldozer.
Video games
- The Wrecking Crew appeared in the Spider-Man: The Animated Series games for Sega GenesisSega Mega DriveThe Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
and Super NintendoSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
.
- The Wrecking Crew appears 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...
. They are members of Dr. Doom's Masters of Evil. During the Bifrost Bridge mission, the Wrecking Crew are seen blocking the bridge to prevent reinforcements from arriving. But all are defeated after battling the heroes. The Wrecking Crew have special dialogue with both Luke CageLuke CageLuke 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...
and ElektraElektra (comics)Elektra Natchios, usually referred to only by her first name Elektra, is a fictional character in publications from Marvel Comics.Elektra is a kunoichi – female ninja assassin – of Greek descent. She wields a pair of bladed sai as her trademark weapon. She is a love interest of the superhero...
.
Miscellaneous
- The cartoon Dexter's LaboratoryDexter's LaboratoryDexter's Laboratory is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky and produced by Cartoon Network Studios . The show is about a boy named Dexter who has an enormous secret laboratory filled with an endless collection of his inventions...
parodied the Wrecking Crew in the show-within-a-show "Action Hank" which featured a team of bad guys with the same name. Two of the Wrecking Crew members wielded a crowbar and wrecking ball (like Wrecker and Thunderball) while another one wielded a jackhammer.
External links
- Wrecking Crew at Marvel.com