ALLERGEN GANG

Membership: Allergen Al (Leader), Dust Dragon, Feather Boa, Furball, Mold Patrol (5 members), Rugburn, and his Stogies (at least 5 members) - at least 15 members all told

Purpose: To spread asthma triggers around the city, to make sure everyone suffers from imparied breathing, to generally make the children cough and wheeze

Affiliations: Asthma Monster (their 'Boss')

Enemies: Captain America, John, Ruth, non-evil asthmatics everywhere

Base of Operations: Unknown - they stage their 'attack' at John's parent's house

Appearances: Captain America: Return of the Asthma Monster (1989) (promo with Glaxo, Inc. a company that made asthma inhalers)

History: The exact origin of the Allergen Gang is unknown. They appear to be artifical imp-like creatures. They were most likely created through some kind of genetic engineering, or possibly through magical means. The Asthma Monster does not seem capable of creating them, and gives no indication he has done anything more than find and assemble them. Each member seems to have been specifically created to spread around a different asthma trigger.

(Captain America: Return of the Asthma Monster)- The Allergen Gang break into prison and free the Asthma Monster, and join him on a crusade to "trigger asthmatic symptons in the entire city in a manner of weeks". It's implied they knew the Asthma Monster before his first assault. To begin with, they agree to help the Asthma Monster gain revenge on Ruth and John, the kids who put him in prison the first time.

BTS- They break in to John's parent's house and set up various traps for Captain America and the kids.

Captain America, with the help of John and Ruth defeat the various ambushes set up to impair their breathing created by the Allergen Gang. Specific attacks listed along with each member's entry.

The Asthma Monster reforms at the end of this story, but the disposition of the Allergen Gang is left a mystery. The Mold Patrol and most of the Stogies are still free at the end. As for the others, I have no idea what prison you'd even send asthma-inducing imps to.

Rugburn: He hid near the floor under a coffee table, and attacked Captain America, John and Ruth with his super-smoky cigars. John used a hand-held vacuum cleaner to suck him up and throw him against a far wall. He and his gang of 'stogies' had ealier participated in the break-out of the Asthma Monster. Seemed to be second in command of the gang. He likes roller-skates. -Captain America: Return of the Asthma Monster









"The Stogies": At least five of them participated in breaking the Asthma Monster out of prison, but none of them were part of the ambush at John's house. They are presumably still free. -Captain America: Return of the Asthma Monster

Dust Dragon: He popped out of a wall vent and attacked with his dust breath (ohhhhh - dust!), but Captain America smashed him against the wall with his shield. He apparently does not breathe air, but rather subsists on filtering dust from the atmosphere. -Captain America: Return of the Asthma Monster

Feather Boa: She was hiding among the pillows in the guest bedroom, and jumped out and wrapped her feathered self around Captain America's head before Ruth beaned her with a lamp. She appears to be the only female member of the Allergen Gang. -Captain America: Return of the Asthma Monster

Furball: He came bouncing down the hallway and jumped on Ruth and John's faces and sheds all over them, but Captain America managed to kick him down the basement stairs. He had earlier helped to free the Asthma Monster from prison. -Captain America: Return of the Asthma Monster

Mold Patrol: They filled John's bedroom with flowers and potted plants to hide in, and attacked when Cap and the kids entered, covering them in mold and pollen spores. Luckily, Dr. Franklin arrived with lots of Asthma Inhalers, and the Mold Patrol fled out a window because the asthma antidote is 'poison' to them, and they avoided capture. -Captain America: Return of the Asthma Monster

Allergen Al: And finally, guarding the way to the Asthma Monster was Allergen Al, who has the combined asthma trigger attacks of dust, smoke, pollen, and fur. While telling them all about these powers, Captain America stepped up and floored him with one punch. He organized the break-out of the Asthma Monster. His mohawk look may have been influenced by Stripe, leader of the bad Gremlins (another group of imp-like trouble makers) in the first Gremlins movie. -Captain America: Return of the Asthma Monster

Comments: Created by Howard Mackie and Mark Bagley.

Ok, ok. I have to admit it. This was the first marvel comic I ever read, waiting in the Asthma doctor's office when I was like 10 years old. So I really love these guys, and just had to do a profile.

BTW, I am 90% certain that this is the issue promised to Mark Bagley, as the reward for winning the penciller part of the "Marvel-Try-Out-Book" contest back in the late 80s. They promised that you could pencil a "real marvel comic" or some such. It's certainly his first work for Marvel, and I believe one of his very first professional comic works. Good thing he didn't get discouraged by this, and went on to become one of the definitive Spider-Man artists. And if you're not reading Ultimate Spider-Man and admiring Mark Bagley's current great pencilling there... why not?
Actually, Bagley's first Marvel work was for the New Universe in 1987-- he drew Starbrand#10 and Nightmask#9-10. By 1989, he already had a pretty decent stack of books on his resume. -Prime Ed-ternal

It's also an early marvel work by Howard Mackie as a writer (rather than editor), who just a few months after this would achieve fame for reviving Ghost Rider as Dan Ketch, and a few years later would achieve notoriety for telling some terrible Spider-Man stories.

I consider the use of Icemaster from the Hostess Adds a precedent for the potential inclusion of promotional/advertisement characters. Until used, they are right at the fringe of continuity, much like unused Golden Age characters. If not, well, they're fun anyway, and deserve a mention somewhere.--Snood.

Profile by: caliban

Clarifications:
Dust Dragon has no connection to:

• Dust, the husband of Silence, leader of the New Wave Cult, @ Dazzler#38
• Dust 2099, a survivor from the modern age, who was supposed to be affiliated with X-Nation, @ 2099 Genesis#1
• People of the Dust, an ancient race formed from the earth, @ Marvel Comics Presents#145/2
• Dust Johanssen, a sorcerer, @ Hellstorm#13