ABNER LITTLE

Real Name: Abner Little

Identity/Class: Human/Collector

Occupation: Collector/Council of Antiquarians

Group Membership: Member of the Collectors

Affiliations: Sometime ally of Black Panther

Enemies: Anyone who gets in his way

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Mister Little

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: Black Panther I#1 (January, 1977)

Powers/Abilities: Abner is quite ruthless and ambitious. He has used a tranquilizer gun on Hatch-22 and wears a kevlar vest. He also uses other kinds of firearms.

He travels by means of a helicopter-like craft.

History: (bts) Alfred Queely discovers the Brass Frog and tries to escape with it, but is killed by the samurai protecting it.

(bts) Abner Little sends Black Panther a letter where he mentions Black Panther's grandfather Azzuri the Wise and the Brass Frog.

(bts) Little meets with Black Panther, so they can find the Brass Frog.

(Black Panther I#1) Black Panther and Abner Little find Alfred Queely holding the Brass Frog, and soon discover that he has been murdered. Little takes the frog and calls Queely a poor hapless fool, then announces "So ends the miserable career of Alfred Queely -- recluse, collector and thief!" Suddenly, Little and Black Panther are attacked from behind by the same samurai who killed Alfred Queely. Abner watches on, while Black Panther defeats the samurai, who still manages to escape. Abner tells Black Panther that his grandfather Azzuri used to own the Brass Frog, and that he knew that it was a time machine. The two call the police to tell them of Alfred Queely's murder, then leave in a jet-copter. Abner tells Black Panther that he intends to bring the Brass Frog back to it's original resting place, King Solomon's burial chamber. Suddenly, the jet-copter is attacked by unknown men who try to bring it to the ground, but Abner and Black Panther manage to escape and land it in Abner's secret hideout. There they are attacked by Zanda and her men, and Abner is shot by one of them.

(Black Panther I#2) Black Panther checks on the body of Abner Little, only to discover the little man is still alive because of the armored vest he was wearing. When Hatch-22 wakes again, he is shot by Abner with a dart gun, injecting him with a chemical that diffuses the creature, winning the three of them some time to find a way to send him back...

(Black Panther I#3) Searches for King Solomon's tomb, along with Black Panther and Princess Zanda, in order to find the machine to take Hatch-22 back to where he came from. Before entering the tomb, Black Panther has to fight a guard. In the meantime, Hatch-22 wakes up and begins to hunt Abner Little. He tries to blast Abner, but he manages to evade the beam, which instead hits the guard, who is destroyed. Zanda tries to knock Hatch-22 out with a stone, but Hatch-22 hits the rock with a beam, which dissolves the stone and strikes a wall instead, revealing the tomb. In the tomb, the three find the machine and manage to send Hatch-22 back to his own time.

(Black Panther I#4/Black Panther III#48-fb) In King Solomon's tomb, Abner uses an item he had found there to shoot the guard, who disintegrates. The three "partners" begin to argue whether or not to take something with them from the tomb. Black Panther takes the brass frogs from Zanda and throws them away, smashing them on the ground, which causes the tomb to begin to fall apart. The three of them escape just in time.

(Black Panther I#4) After the incident at King Solomon's tomb, the three go to Princess Zanda's home country of Narobia. When they arrive, Abner and T'Challa are thrown into a room, where they are attacked by a samurai. After defeating the samurai, Abner and T'Challa are freed and taken to a large chamber in the royal palace, where T'Challa is introduced to the other Collectors. Princess Zanda then tells Abner they have found a map to the legendary Samurai City...

(Black Panther I#5) Despite the Black Panther's refusal to participate in the hunt for the legendary Samurai City, the rest of the Collectors make it clear they won't let him leave. Princess Zanda shows him that she has missiles pointing towards Wakanda, and that she won't hesitate to use them if he refuses to bring back the water-skin. T'Challa reluctantly agrees to go to the Samurai City with Abner Little, and they leave in an aircraft. The two are brought down and attacked by a Yeti-like creature, and, after defeating it, stand eye-to-eye with a samurai, who tells them that they should prepare to die...

(Black Panther I#6) After Black Panther has defeated the samurai, Abner rushes to get the samurai's sword. Black Panther tells him to calm down, and asks him if he intends to bring the samurai and his sword to the Collectors as well. Abner warns him to be careful, as the Collectors are people of great power. Suddenly, they are attacked again by the defeated samurai, who tells them that he is now in total disgrace, and that they must kill him. They refuse, and ask him to take them to the Samurai City. The samurai takes them there, and knocks on a huge gong, which is painful to Abner's ears. The other samurais are about to attack the strangers after they see that T'Challa has the samurai's sword, but they calm down after the defeated samurai tells them that the strangers are to be brought to Shinzu. Abner and T'Challa follow the samurai and are introduced to Shinzu, who tells them that the samurai's honor must be won back. Abner tells T'Challa not to worry, it's nothing he can't handle, but when the challenger comes back to win his honor, Abner has second thoughts. While the fight goes on, Abner slips away unnoticed. Discovering the sacred water-skin, he tries to steal some, but is discovered and chased by the other samurais.

(Black Panther I#7) To save Abner and himself, Panther reveals his identity as the ruler of Wakanda, telling the samurais that according to their own code of honor, he can "buy" Abner free. After a little while, the samurais agree, but demand they leaves the water-skin behind, and leave the city immediately. Abner isn't fond of the idea, but is forced to agree, and leaves with T'Challa. The two of them return to the other Collectors and tell them they didn't get the water-skin. Suddenly, Abner reveals that he did get his hands on a small portion of the water-skin, and the Collectors begin to fight each other to get at it. Abner throws the vial containing the water-skin to Black Panther, but one of Zanda's soldiers accidentaly shoots the vial, which breaks open... The water-skin lost.

(Iron Man III#18) At a private party at the Stark mansion in Seattle, Abner introduces himself to Tony Stark, telling him that he would like to hire Stark Solutions to locate a certain lost treasure. Tony tells Abner that he can't accept the offer, because he was just hired by Baintronics.

(Iron Man III#21/2) Abner is "reunited" with Tony Stark in the Canadian Nunavut territory. Tony is surprised to see Abner there, since he was hired by a museum, but Abner reveals he had recently bought the museum, thereby tricking Tony Stark into working for him anyway. Suddenly, the group of people are attacked by a mysterious spaceship lookalike. Abner tries to shoot it down with his gun, but is unsuccessful. When Iron Man succeeds in taking down the craft, the passengers are revealed to be fellow Collectors Princess Zanda and Count Zorba, who are also searching for the lost temple.

(Iron Man III#22) After escaping from Inferno's fury, Tony questions Zanda, Abner and Zorba about their interest int he temple. Abner tells Tony that neither Zanda nor Zorba can be trusted, which Tony answers with "No more than I trust you... and that goes for all of you." Zorba and Zanda decide to tell Stark about the temple and the rest of the Collectors, and the four, along with Dr. Mann, decide to go to another temple that their partner Colonel Nigel Pigman has recently uncovered. Arriving, Pigman is surprised to see his "partners" and Tony Stark, and asks if Stark has joined their ranks. Suddenly, Zorba has dissapeared, and a bright light appears, then a creature appears before them. The creature calls himself Carnivore, and is revealed to be Zorba, with new powers. Carnivore attacks his former partners, but Zanda shoots Carnivore with her gun, which stops him for a minute. The Collectors learn more about the temples, and how they were built for eight great entities, and that the first human who touches the totem created by the entities would be turned into an Exemplar... A living embodiment of that power.

(Black Panther III#40) Reunited with his old friend, the Black Panther.

(Black Panther III#41) Calls the Black Panther to tell him that he has located Zanda in Philadelphia. Meets with Ross, and tells him that he is late, and to call him Mr. Little. Taking Ross onboard an airplane, the two of them join the Black Panther.

(Black Panther III#42) Goes to pick up his partner, Princess Zanda, in Philadelphia, along with Ross and the Black Panther.

(Black Panther III#43) Onboard a craft with Black Panther, Nightshade, Princess Zanda and Ross, goes to Kiber Island.

(Black Panther III#44) Along with the Black Panther, Nightshade and Ross, returns the Brass Frog to T'Challa.

(Black Panther III#45) With Black Panther, Ross, Nightshade and Monica Lynne, uses their craft to go to Washington. Abner sends the Brass Frogs back to where they came from, before Henry Peter Gyrich arrives and ordered his men to take him away...

 

Comments: Created by Jack Kirby.

Images provided by Bob Almond, who also shared:

The 'craft' that they flew in for these issues (Black Panther III#43-45) was the helicopter from Black Panther I# that Mr. Little supplied.

Profile by: The Beetle, with some links added by Daevanator

CLARIFICATIONS:

Abner Little is not to be confused with:

Appearances:
Black Panther I#1-7 (January, 1977 - January, 1978) - Jack Kirby (writer/pencils), Mike Royer (inks), Jack Kirby & Archie Goodwin (editors)
Iron Man III#18 (July, 1999) - Kurt Busiek & Roger Stern (writers), Sean Chen (pencils), Lary Stucker & Eric Cannon (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Iron Man III#21 (October, 1999) - Kurt Busiek & Roger Stern (writers), Tom Grummett (pencils), Art Thibert (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Iron Man III#22 (November, 1999) - Kurt Busiek & Roger Stern (writers), Sean Chen (pencils), Rob Hunter, Mark Morales, Mark Nelson & Eric Cannon (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Black Panther III#40-45 (March-August, 20002) - Christopher Priest (writer), Sal Velluto (pencils), Bob Almond (inks), Mike Marts (editor)

First Posted: 02/07/2003
Last updated: 01/01/2004

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters