Wrecking Crew (comics)

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Wrecking Crew
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearance(As group) The Defenders #17 (November 1974)[1]
Created byLen Wein
Sal Buscema
In-story information
Member(s)Bulldozer
Piledriver
Thunderball
Wrecker

The Wrecking Crew is a team of four supervillains—the Wrecker, Bulldozer, Piledriver and Thunderball—appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. While not featured on the cover, the Wrecking Crew's first appearance is in The Defenders #17 (Nov 1974).[2]

The Wrecking Crew appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe / Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022).

Fictional team history

The Wrecking Crew are formed when Dirk Garthwaite—the

Karnilla the Norn Queen. Garthwaite manages to retrieve his enchanted crowbar. During a lightning storm, Wrecker tells Franklin and fellow prisoners Henry Camp and Brian Calusky to grip the weapon simultaneously. A lightning bolt then strikes the crowbar, increases the Wrecker's power and transforms him and the other three men into the Wrecking Crew. Franklin became Thunderball, Camp became Bulldozer, and Caluski became Piledriver. They promptly escape from prison and, in the course of searching for the gamma bomb, are defeated by the Defenders and Luke Cage.[3][4]

Over the years the Wrecking Crew have followed a very familiar cycle—escape from prison, fight (and subsequently lose to) superheroes, and be returned to prison. The Wrecking Crew have battled the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Iron Fist, the Runaways, Spider-Man, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Doctor Strange, Daredevil, Alpha Flight, the She-Hulk and the X-Men, but their main foe is Thor. When the Wrecking Crew first battle Thor, they are confident that it will be a quick victory. Thor, however, infuriated by the fact that one of the Wrecker's offensives has killed an innocent bystander, defeats them all in moments and critically injures the Wrecker.[5] Thunderball escapes and, several weeks later, recovers the Wrecker's crowbar, going on to form his own gang before being defeated by Spider-Man.[6] The Wrecking Crew is later chosen by the being known as the Beyonder to participate in the Secret Wars against a team of select superheroes.[7] The Wrecking Crew's most notorious act was to participate in the near-fatal beating of the hero Hercules during a siege of Avengers Mansion by the fourth incarnation of Masters of Evil led by Baron Helmut Zemo. With Thor's assistance, Hercules eventually confronts the Wrecking Crew and defeats them, restoring his confidence in himself.[8] The Wrecking Crew were briefly joined by Piledriver's son Excavator who helped them in their fight against the Runaways.[9] The Wrecking Crew was imprisoned in the Raft when Electro freed the inmates in the New Avengers.[10]

During the

Hood's crime syndicate.[14] The Wrecking Crew were later hired by Jigsaw to kill the Punisher during Jigsaw's revenge plot against him. However, before the Wrecker can deliver the final blow, he is defeated by the Rhino, who owed the Punisher a favor after he spared the Rhino's life. During the "Secret Invasion" storyline, the Wrecking Crew are among the many supervillains who rejoined the Hood's crime syndicate and attacked an invading Skrull force.[15]

At the time when Bulldozer died of an unknown cause, his daughter Marci became the second Bulldozer.

8-Ball offered to sit with them, they turn him down.[21]

Membership

Current members

  • crowbar with magical properties. He both hates and fears Thor
    .
  • Bulldozer I (Henry Camp) — Bulldozer I has an armored metal helmet and fights by ramming his victims head-first.
  • Piledriver (Brian Philip Calusky) — Piledriver fights with his oversized pile-driving fists.
  • Thunderball (Dr. Eliot Franklin) — Thunderball is the thinker of the team and wields a huge demolition ball on a chain.

Former members

  • Excavator (Ricky Calusky) — The teenage son of Piledriver and a temporary member. The Excavator wielded an enchanted shovel that broke in his very first battle when he smashed it over Molly Hayes' head (which only irritated the young mutant girl).
  • Bulldozer II (Marci Camp) — Marci Camp is the daughter of Henry Camp, the original Bulldozer, who inherited the villain's powers as well as his training. She now works alongside her father.
  • Demolisher (real name unknown) - A female mercenary who filled in for Thunderball as a member of the Wrecking Crew when they were working on a job for Mayor Wilson Fisk.

Reception

  • In 2022, Screen Rant included The Wrecking Crew in their "10 Most Powerful Hercules Villains In Marvel Comics" list.[22]

Other versions

Marvel Zombies

In

Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness, Thunderball is seen fighting Daredevil, whom he defeats with the help of Ash Williams (who mistakenly believed Daredevil to be the villain). Later, Thunderball is attempting to fight off several zombies, including infected versions of the Wrecker, Bulldozer and Piledriver. 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.

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate Wrecking Crew initially appear in Ultimate Spider-Man as a clean-up crew for super-human battles, as employees of Damage Control.[23] They then briefly appear in Ultimate Hulk Annual fighting Zarda after gaining the costumes, weapons and powers of their mainstream counterparts and seizing the Flatiron Building. It is unknown how or why they acquired their costumes, weapons and powers, as well as the change in their behavior.[24]

JLA/Avengers

The Wrecking Crew have a brief appearance in the last issue of JLA/Avengers as a part of Krona's army, being single-handedly taken down by Wonder Woman.

In other media

Television

Video games

See also

References

  1. .
  2. .
  3. ^ The Defenders #17–19. Marvel Comics.
  4. ^ Thor #304. Marvel Comics.
  5. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #248. Marvel Comics.
  6. ^ Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #1–12. Marvel Comics.
  7. ^ Thor #418. Marvel Comics.
  8. ^ Runaways vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.
  9. ^ The New Avengers #1. Marvel Comics.
  10. ^ Civil War #1–7. Marvel Comics.
  11. ^ Omega Flight #1–5. Marvel Comics.
  12. ^ Marvel Comics Presents #5. Marvel Comics.
  13. ^ The New Avengers #32–37. Marvel Comics.
  14. ^ The New Avengers #46. Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ Fantastic Four Vol. 5 #4. Marvel Comics.
  16. ^ Captain America: Sam Wilson #7. Marvel Comics.
  17. ^ Invincible Iron Man #597-598. Marvel Comics.
  18. ^ Thunderbolts Vol. 3 #10-12. Marvel Comics.
  19. ^ Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #34-36. Marvel Comics.
  20. ^ Devil's Reign: Moon Knight #1. Marvel Comics.
  21. ^ Harn, Darby (2022-07-17). "Thor: Love And Thunder — 10 Most Powerful Hercules Villains In Marvel Comics". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  22. ^ Ultimate Spider-Man #86. Marvel Comics.
  23. ^ Ultimate Hulk Annual #1. Marvel Comics.
  24. ^ Barsanti, Sam (July 24, 2022). "She-Hulk's Comic-Con trailer spoils a fun cameo with an even better cameo". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.

External links