ANTON PRETORIUS
Real Name: Anton Pretorius
Identity/Class: Human; South African
Occupation: Magistrate of Communications
Group Membership: none
Affiliations: Doeke Riebeeck, Gore's Band of Mercenaries (Elmer Gore, Miyo Moshigo, Strike, others), Molale (a servant), Patrick Slade,
Ramonda, South African Security Forces (Eugene Van der Merwe, Percy Boraine, many others)
Enemies: Black Panther (T'Challa), black people, Patrick Slade, Ramonda
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mansion at Devil's Peak in Capetown, South Africa
First Appearance: Marvel Comics Presents I#18/2 (early May, 1989)
Powers/Abilities: None. He was a very intelligent and tactical politician and leader.
History:
Anton was born in South Africa and grew up as a racist, but deep in his mind he had feelings for black people which he suppressed for a long time.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#37 (fb)) - Anton Pretorius first met Ramonda after she was imprisoned for participating in a protest. He returned every day to see her and freed her when he gave in to his obsession with this black woman. He then made her disappear via paperwork/bureaucracy and brought her to his mansion were he kept Ramonda hidden from the public circles. Pretorius took more and more risks to perpetuate his compulsion over the years. He sent photos to T'Chaka to make it appear that Ramonda had run off with another man.
(Black Panther: Panther's Prey#1 (fb)) - Anton Pretorius sexually abused Ramonda over the years he kept her at his house. He would calculatedly touch her until her body reacted and a need aroused in her body and mind.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#29 (fb)) - Pretorius was contacted by Patrick Slade who told him that he knew about him and Ramonda. Pretorius also found out about the Black Panther soon coming to Slade, who wanted some money to keep his mouth shut.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#13/2 - BTS) - Pretorius sent out his gang of mercenaries led by Elmer Gore to kill Patrick Slade and Black Panther at their meeting.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#18/2) - Anton Pretorius met with Percy Boraine after the taping of another "Naked Exposures" show. This show's topic was the invasion of the Black Panther in South Africa. Pretorius wanted to meet Percy as soon as he heard of the attack on him by the Black Panther. He told Percy that the attack against him was an international incident and showed him pictures of the Black Panther, whom Percy recognized as his attacker. Pretorius assured Percy that troops were sent out to get the Black Panther (after some right winged words against Americans and other foreigners who wanted to interfere in South African affairs through sanctions and other punishments). In the evening Pretorius told the nation on TV everything about the Black Panther from his being the king of Wakanda to his illegal entrance into South Africa, and he even showed pictures of him. Pretorius assured that the parliament would take care of this situation.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#23/2) - Pretorius asked on TV for help from the citizens of the nation. He introduced Doeke Riebeeck to the public as the man in contact with the troops. He talked about further attacks of the Black Panther against law and order and stated that he was the son of T'Chaka. He wanted everyone to report sightings of the Black Panther to local police or Security Forces and assured everyone that the bloodshed of the Panther would soon be stopped if they all worked together.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#24/2) - In the news it was stated that Pretorius denounced the Wakandans' lack of candor after a conference where W'Kabi, the head of Wakandan court security, denied that the Black Panther was in South Africa.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#25/2) - Anton Pretorius and Doeke Riebeeck had a heated discussing about the way the troops were allowed to proceed against the Panther. Pretorius tried to explain that this could become a real problem for them if the Black Panther was killed by their troops (while Pretorius checked on glass plate on his desk that was broken by Riebeeck before). He told Van der Merwe that he would like to know the reasons for the Panther's actions as much as Van der Merwe did, and Doeke once again screamed at him. He then told Riebeeck that the wish of the cabinet ministers was that the violence stopped without causing more deaths. He told him that the Panther could be killed if they had to do so. Pretorius asked Van der Merwe if he didn't want to heal and gave him the okay to go with Riebeeck when he wanted to. Left alone in his bureau Anton Pretorius looked broken like the glass plate on his desk because he thought the situation would get far worse.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#29 - BTS) - Pretorius was in Capetown and kept contact with Doeke Riebeeck over walkie-talkie. He was informed about the involvement of Black Panther in the riot the night before in the Black Township of Pretoria. He wanted to stay informed about their search for the Panther.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#30 - BTS) - Anton heard the gunfire through the walkie-talkie and wanted to know from Riebeeck what happened. Riebeeck stopped to report his actions to Pretorius and broke up the contact.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#31/2) - On TV Pretorius talked about the newest incident with the Black Panther and blamed the death of the young boy Theodore Olebogeng on his actions. He also told the public that the troops were already closing in on the Panther and wished them a good night.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#36/2) - In his mansion at Devil's Peak, Pretorius took Ramonda away from the opened window to not expose her to a strayed bullet and then closed the door of the balcony.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#37/2) - Pretorius handcuffed Ramonda to her bed and locked the balcony's door. He then left her to check on the latest report on security measures and told her to not be depressed if this ended badly for the Black Panther. Pretorius later returned to her room and was in a panic because he couldn't contact Gore anymore and servants told him about madness outside. He met Black Panther for the first time. The Panther carried him to the balcony and threatened to drop him, but Ramonda stopped him. Pretorius told the Panther that he always liked his courage and independence. He opened Ramonda's shackles and she threw them in his face. He told Ramonda that he loved her and asked her to stay with him. She punched him in the face and left with Black Panther. Anton Pretorius stood up on his balcony and was now alone.
Comments: Created by Don McGregor and Gene Colan
In issue 19 Pretorius was probably informed about the Panther being in the Black Township by Elmer Gore and used his power to send troops.
Anton Pretorius could be behind the scenes in all issues of this story because at the end he was behind nearly everyone involved.
I don't know how South Africa worked in political ways and if
Pretorius was only the Magistrate of Pretoria, but I don't think
so. Pretoria is a real South African town near Johannesburg. It wasn't invented
by McGregor or someone else at Marvel. The whole storyline goes a long way
through South Africa. It went from Pretoria to Johannesburg to Capetown. Here a
link to a map of South Africa with the most important towns in it.
http://www.travelsouthafrica.com/maps/
CLARIFICATIONS:
Anton Pretorius is not related to:
Molale
She was a servant of Anton Pretorius and cleaned the beautiful prison of Ramonda many times. Ramonda took her chance to talk to her as she was afraid that one day Pretorius may come to his mind and stop risking everything for some great romantic love. Molale was going to visit her family when her bus had an accident. In the hospital she grabbed the hand of Patrick Slade and told him everything she knew about Pretorius and the connection of his captive Ramonda to the Black Panther. She died with the name of Ramonda on her lips.
--Marvel Comics Presents I#30/2 (37/2
images:
Marvel Comics Presents I#25, p9, pan2 (body shot)
Marvel Comics Presents I#23, p15, pan4 (head shot)
Marvel Comics Presents I#23, p13, pan2 (Molale)
First Posted: 05/04/2004
Last updated: 11/30/2004
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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