Watchdogs (Marvel Comics)
Watchdogs | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | Captain America #335 (Nov 1987) |
Created by | Mark Gruenwald (Writer) Tom Morgan (Artist) |
In-story information | |
Type of organization | Domestic terrorist |
The Watchdogs are a fictional right-wing terrorist group appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as enemies of Captain America.
The Watchdogs have also been adapted into other media, having appeared in the TV series
Publication history
The Watchdogs first appeared in Captain America #335 (Nov 1987) and were created by writer Mark Gruenwald and artist Tom Morgan.
Most of the villains Mark Gruenwald introduced in Captain America were created to symbolize aspects of contemporary American culture and the world political situation. In the case of the Watchdogs, Gruenwald created them to symbolize censorship and repression.[1]
Philosophy, goals, and activities
The Watchdogs are dedicated to restoring and preserving traditional
The Watchdogs are active in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia, Missouri, plus Washington, D.C., and New York City. The Watchdogs imprison their kidnapping victims at a large compound in Vermont, where they force them to wear "dog collars" which the Watchdogs use to administer a painful
Organization
The Watchdogs are headed by a leader referred to as Watchdog Prime (real name unknown), also called Watchdog One or Top Dog. Each state ("realm") is governed by a Head Dog. Each realm has one or more operating units ("packs"). Individual cells of Watchdogs, called "dogpounds," are organized by city and led by "pack leaders." Members call one another Dog-Brothers. Unbeknownst to nearly all of its membership, the Watchdogs were partially funded by the Red Skull through his dummy corporation, the Freedom Foundations; the Watchdogs receive the rest of their funding through public contributors and other undisclosed financiers. Watchdog Prime held the position of one of the Red Skull's "division chiefs," and the Red Skull saw in them an opportunity to harm America by creating chaos. Whether Watchdog Prime was deceived by the Skull or was secretly working against that which he claimed to uphold is unknown.[citation needed]
The Watchdogs use conventional technology, with all weapons and paraphernalia purchased from legitimate retailers; members use their own ground vehicles, usually pick up trucks, vans, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles. The Watchdogs wear identical costumes of synthetic stretch fabric resembling riot gear, consisting of tight-fighting purple shirts and pants with gold-colored gloves, leather boots and accessories, armored kevlar vests, and hard plastic helmets with built-in visors. They are trained in the use of firearms, and usually arm themselves with conventional American-manufactured handguns, shotguns, and rifles, and Army surplus explosives. Watchdogs also carry Army surplus walkie-talkies, and short-wave radios. The Red Skull denies Watchdog Prime's request for funding to purchase exotic weaponry, because use of such weapons would undermine the group's image as a grassroots organization.[citation needed]
A Watchdog member must be an adult male over 21 with a valid
Fictional team biography
The Watchdogs were introduced as the first group fought by
At the public ceremony where Walker relinquished his title of Captain America to Rogers, a lone Watchdog shot and apparently killed Walker. In the same issue, an unnamed member of the Watchdogs was killed by
Although he and
Other versions
In the Ultimate Marvel universe, the Watchdogs are a terrorist hate group that were killed by Scourge.[10]
In other media
Television
The Watchdogs appear in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This version of the group is a radical Inhuman-hunting group who recruit new members from prisons.
- The group first appears in the television series Anton Ivanov / The Superior and anti-Inhuman senator Ellen Nadeer in the fourth season.
- A group of Watchdogs led by an "Alpha Dog" appear in the companion web series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot.[citation needed]
Video games
The Watchdogs appear in
References
- Fictioneer Books. p. 15.
- ^ Captain America #335
- ^ Captain America #345. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Captain America #350. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Captain America #351. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Captain America #354. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Captain America #385. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Captain America #386
- ^ Captain America #394. Marvel Comics.
- ^ All-New Ultimates #9. Marvel Comics.
External links
- Watchdogs at Marvel Wiki
- Watchdogs at Comic Vine
- The Watchdogs at Bring on the Bad Guys