Piledriver (character)

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Piledriver
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Defenders #17 (November 1974)
Created by	Len Wein Sal Buscema
In-story information
Alter ego	Brian Philip Calusky
Species	Human mutate
Place of origin	Earth
Team affiliations	Wrecking Crew Masters of Evil Frightful Four[1] Lethal Legion
Abilities	Superhuman strength, durability and endurance Oversized hands

Piledriver (Brian Philip Calusky) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a member of the Wrecker's Wrecking Crew.

The character made his live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Publication history

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2016)

Piledriver was created by Len Wein and Sal Buscema, and he made his first appearance in The Defenders #17 (November 1974).

Fictional character biography

Brian Philip Calusky was raised on a farm and eventually became a farmhand. As life on the farm is boring, he decides to commit crimes for excitement, which eventually land him in prison, where he meets and becomes cellmates with Dirk Garthwaite, also known as the Wrecker.

Garthwaite, together with Calusky, two other inmates at Ryker's Island Prison, Dr. Eliot Franklin, and Henry Camp, successfully breaks out of jail and finds his crowbar. When lightning strikes the crowbar, Garthwaite magically distributes the enhanced strength of the Wrecker among the four of them. The Wrecker's three allies then adopt costumes and aliases as well: Franklin becomes

Piledriver defeats Captain America and encounters Damage Control personnel.^[9] With the rest of the Wrecking Crew, Piledriver frees the Wrecker and Ulik from police custody and battles Hercules and Thor.^[10] His powers are drained by Loki, but he escapes.^[11]

Piledriver has the demeanor of a "good ol' country boy". He has fought many of Marvel's superheroes over the years, including Spider-Man, the Avengers, the Defenders, and Thor. As part of the Wrecking Crew, he threatens the lives of the innocent Damage Control workers. Thunderball, who has a soft spot for the man in charge, John Porter, attacks Piledriver and the others via trickery, allowing them to escape.

Unlike Thunderball, Piledriver has remained loyal to the Wrecker and has only been separated from the Wrecking Crew through many incarcerations.

Piledriver discovers that he has a son named Ricky Calusky.^[12] The boy lives with his grandparents, but when he discovers who his father is, he runs away and joined the Wrecking Crew as the Excavator, gaining 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 Piledriver 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 invading Skrull force in New York.^[13] He joins the Hood's gang in an attack on the New Avengers, who were expecting the Dark Avengers instead.^[14]

During the Avengers: Standoff! storyline, Piledriver is an inmate of Pleasant Hill, a gated community established by S.H.I.E.L.D.^[15]

During the "Search for Tony Stark" story arc, Piledriver and the Wrecking Crew rejoin the Hood's gang as they attack Castle Doom. Piledriver is defeated by Doctor Doom in his Iron Man armor.^[16]

Powers and abilities

Due 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 augments his entire body, strengthening his bone, muscle, and flesh. Because of this, he can withstand the impact of high-caliber bullets. Because of his strength and particular talent, he has oversized hands which are more powerful than the other members of the Wrecking Crew, except for the Wrecker. His superhuman abilities are four times greater than when he originally took some of the Wrecker's power, making him somewhat stronger than an average well-trained

In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Piledriver, as a regular civilian, works for Damage Control. As in regular continuity, he and his friends gain superpowers and seize control of the Flatiron Building, take hostages, and demand a ransom. Power Princess defeats them in battle.^[20]

In other media

Television

• Piledriver appears in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "To Err is Superhuman!", voiced by Travis Willingham.^[21]
• Piledriver appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, voiced by Nolan North.^[22]
• Piledriver appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "Damage", voiced by Cam Clarke.^[22]
• Piledriver appears in Avengers Assemble, voiced again by Cam Clarke.^[22]
• Piledriver appears in Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., voiced by Jonathan Adams.^[22]
• Piledriver appears in Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers.^{[citation needed]}
• Piledriver appears in the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode "The People vs. Emil Blonsky", portrayed by an uncredited actor.^[23] This version wields a pair of Asgardian gloves.

Video games

• Piledriver appears as a collective boss alongside the Wrecking Crew in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, voiced by Michael Gough.^{[citation needed]}
• Piledriver appears as a boss in
  Marvel: Avengers Alliance.^{[citation needed}
  ]

External links

• Piledriver at Marvel.com