Montana (character)

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Montana (Jackson W. Brice) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is depicted as the leader of the Enforcers, a team of assassins usually employed by other villains such as the Big Man, the Green Goblin, and the Kingpin, which often places them in conflict with the superheroes Spider-Man and Daredevil.

Montana has been adapted from the comics into numerous forms of media, most notably adopting the Shocker persona in both The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series (voiced by Jeff Bennett) and the 2017 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Homecoming (portrayed by Logan Marshall-Green).

Publication history

Montana first appeared alongside the other Enforcers in The Amazing Spider-Man #10 (March 1964), and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

The character subsequently appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (July 1964), #19 (December 1964), The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (1964), Marvel Team-Up #39-40 (November–December 1975), The Spectacular Spider-Man #19-20 (June–July 1978), Dazzler #7-8 (October–September 1981), Marvel Team-Up #138 (February 1984), Tales of the Marvels: Inner Demons #1 (1996), Civil War: War Crimes #1 (February 2007), Daredevil #99-100 (September–October 2007), #102 (January 2008), and The Amazing Spider-Man #562-563 (August 2008).

Montana appeared as part of the "Enforcers" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #4.

Fictional character biography

Jackson Brice was born in

Montana, Fancy Dan and Ox make their first appearance under the employ of the Big Man (Frederick Foswell). During this time, they have their first run-in with their longtime nemesis Spider-Man. During their first fight against the web-slinger, Montana's lasso skills initially prove successful but Spider-Man defeats the trio.^[2]

Over the next couple of years, Montana and the team would be employed by Lightmaster in one of his many schemes, again bringing them into conflict with Spider-Man, with similar results.^[3] They would then lend their services to Tech-Master in his revenge plot against Harry S. Osgood, only to be defeated by Dazzler.^[4] Montana and the team would also go up against She-Hulk at one point.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Following the 2006 "

Following the events of the 2008 "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" storyline, the Enforcers are patrons at the Bar With No Name. They take bets with a person calling himself "The Bookie", over whether Spider-Man will show up to battle "Basher", an unknown villain who claimed to have fought Spider-Man. Spider-Man shows up, but is revealed to be Screwball in disguise when the real web-head shows up. The Enforcers decide to get revenge on The Bookie, capturing him. The Bookie's father calls Spider-Man for assistance, and he agrees to help. Spider-Man defeats Fancy Dan and Montana.^[7]

In the story arc "Kill To Be You", Montana is the right-hand man of the Kingpin (Wilson Fisk), and shows contempt toward the Hobgoblin (Phil Urich). When Spider-Man and the Black Cat come to steal back the Reverbium, Montana falls out a window to his death while Hobgoblin saves Kingpin. Hobgoblin cruelly joked that "he'll be missed by everyone – except the pavement".^[8]

During the 2016-2017 "

• In the future timeline of the 1999 Earth X miniseries, Montana had been mutated and developed the ability to change his hands into lassos. He and his fellow Enforcers were hired as heavies to protect President Norman Osborn. However, this protection proved to be ineffectual when the Skull came to New York to take over America. He took control of Montana and the Enforcers and murdered Osborn. Montana's fate following the defeat of the Skull remains unknown.^[11]
• In Spider-Man Noir, Montana and the other Enforcers serve as muscle for a crime boss called the "Goblin".^[12]
• The
  Ox (Bruno Sanchez).^[13]

• Montana, referred to as the "Cowboy", appears in the Spider-Man episode "Blueprint for Crime", voiced by Bernard Cowan.^{[citation needed]}

• Montana appears as the
  Vault.^[22][23]
• Montana appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "Nightmare on Christmas",^[24] voiced by Troy Baker.^{[citation needed]}