Real Name: Howard Lindley

Identity/Class: Human mutate (Pre-Modern era)

Occupation: Scientist

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Anne Benson, Kid Kaiju (Kei Kawade);
temporarily Abominable Snowman, Blip, Crawling Creature, Creature from Krogarr, Creature from the Black Bog, Fin Fan Foom, Googam, Goom, Gorgilla, Green Thing, Insect Man, Klagg, Kraa, Metallo, Monsteroso, Monstro, Monstrom, Moomba, Oog, Orrgo, Pildorr the Plunderer, Quogg, Rommbu, Sporr, Thing that Crawled by Night, Tim Boo Ba, Ulvar, Vandoom's Monster, Zetora, Zzutak

Enemies: Leviathon Tide

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unidentified American city

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense I#22/1 (October, 1961)

Powers/Abilities: After accidentally being exposed to the radiation of an atomic machine, Lindley was transformed into the likeness of a comic book character he was thinking about at the time--the giant ape-like Bruttu.

As Bruttu, he possessed superhuman size, strength (class 50?), and durability--his skin seemed to be so tough that bullets could not penetrate it.

Following his physical transformation, Lindley still retained his intelligence and personality; but as a side-effect, his vocal cords were also changed--he was unable to speak, and could only make guttural grunts and roars.

A later exposure to the machine's radiation restored Lindley back to normal.

Height: (Lindley) 5' 4"; (Bruttu) 30' (both by approximation)
Weight: (Lindley) 110 lbs. (by approximation); (Bruttu) unrevealed
Eyes: (Both) Unrevealed
Hair: (Lindley) Brown; (Bruttu) orange

History:
(Tales of Suspense I#22/1) - All his life, Howard Lindley had been ridiculed by others for being a short and skinny runt; this persisted even after he graduated college and became a scientist at a research laboratory. He was secretly in love with lab technician Anne Benson; although he went on a few dates with her, Howard was afraid to confess his true feelings to Anne because he thought she could never love a weakling like him.

   One day, Howard bought a comic book featuring a monster named "Bruttu" (see comments). While he was at the lab, working with a new type of atomic machine, Howard began to daydream about being Bruttu, and how people would then respect him for his strength. But because he wasn't paying attention to his work, he accidentally slipped on a fallen pencil and fell backwards into the atomic machine's energy control. As he struck the device, he caused it to reach maximum output; the resultant radiation acted upon his thought impulses and transformed him into the thing in his mind at that time--Bruttu!

   Unable to fully comprehend his now-enormous size, the transformed Howard clumsily smashed through a wall of the lab and out into the streets. People were frightened by his appearance, but he was unable to communicate with them--as Bruttu, he had no voice, and the guttural grunts he made were interpreted by the others as aggressive roars. The police arrived and fired upon him, so Howard lumbered down a subway entrance to get away; but he caused even greater panic within the confines of the tunnel, so he was forced to batter his way through the roof of the subway and returned to the surface.

   Howard made his way several miles beyond the city limits until he came to an isolated farm. He tried to communicate with a farm-boy by writing, but his massive fingers were too big to wield a pencil. He next broke off a tree, intending to write with it in the mud; but the boy's father thought he was going to strike them with it, so he fired at Howard with his shotgun. Frustrated and hopeless, Howard stumbled away, looking for a place to rest, but he ran right into the military!

   Howard fled from the heavily armed troops and ran to a carnival in the distance, with the military hot on his heels. He took shelter within the carnival's House of Horrors, but was soon discovered. As the troops began to open fire, Howard finally decided to strike back at them -- he thought to himself, "They treat me like a menace! All right -- I'll show them! I'll be a menace!" The maddened Howard then lifted the building and smashed it as a display of his power, then tore down the Ferris wheel. But when he seized two carnival workers, intending to do them harm, Howard suddenly came to his senses and was disgusted by his actions. He fled again, but was now resigned to the fact that the military would eventually find him and kill him.

   But before he died, Howard was determined to see Anne--the woman he loved--one last time, so he lumbered to her house. Anne was terrified of him, but he used a rake handle and wrote a message in the soft soil that read: "DO NOT BE AFRAID! I WON'T HURT YOU! I DON'T WANT TO HARM ANYONE!" After reading his words, Anne was uncertain if she should believe him, and she wished that Howard was there, because he had the courage and intelligence to know how to deal with the "monster". Then Anne realized that Howard disappeared when the "monster" was first seen coming out of his lab, so she accused "Bruttu" of killing the man she loved!

   Upon hearing Anne's feelings for him, Howard was now determined to find a way to live, so he returned to his lab and allowed the atomic machine's radiation to bathe over him once again, this time mentally picturing himself the way he had been before. The miraculous transformation worked perfectly, and "Bruttu" was changed back to Howard Lindley; then Howard picked up a pipe and smashed the atomic machine, so that the device would never again be used to defy the laws of nature.

   And that was the end of Bruttu -- however, with people's imaginations being what they are, rumors soon circulated that the monster had been an invader from another world, and that he found Earth to be too dangerous, so he left in a spaceship.

   But for Howard Lindley, the story ended with Anne in his arms, and happiness in his heart -- he would never again want to be anything different, because Anne loved him just as he was.

SECRET WARS III HAPPENED

(Monsters Unleashed II#2) - The Inhuman Kid Kaiju summoned Bruttu (once again mutated and taller than ever) along with numerous other monsters to an area outside San Diego, California in defense against the Leviathons.

(Monsters Unleashed II#3) - Bruttu joined the fight against the Leviathons. Earth's heroes watched the monsters summoned by Kid Kaiju defeat the Leviathons. After the battle, Bruttu and the other monsters were teleported back from where they came.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.

Since Bruttu was originally a character in a comic book, maybe he was one of the monsters created by former comic book artist Frank Johnson.
   Maybe Bruttu was a popular character because in A.X.E.: Judgment Day#2 a man named Tom was wearing a T-Shirt with Bruttu's face and name on the front.
--Markus Raymond

And perhaps that atomic machine was somehow tapping into the same energy as the reality-altering Cosmic Cube, which would explain how Lindley was able to transform himself into what he was thinking about at the time he was exposed to the machine's rays. -- Ron Fredricks

Bruttu's original story was reprinted during in the past in Fantasy Masterpieces#3 (June, 1966) and Monsters on the Prowl#18 (August, 1972).

Profile by Prime Eternal. Update by Markus Raymond (Monsters Unleashed). Expansion by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Howard Lindley/Bruttu should not be confused with:

• Brute - Reed Richards of Counter-Earth--Marvel Premiere#2
• Brute - aka DePrayve--Werewolf By Night I#24
• Brute - other identity of Ralph Hutchins--Savage She-Hulk#19
• Brute - of Trash--Power Pack I#31
• Brute - Morlock, killed by Cable--New Mutants I#99
• Brute - Henry McCoy of Earth-Mutant X--Mutant X#1
• Brute - of Earth-Thunderguard, counterpart of the Thing--Spider-Girl I#57
• The Brute That Walks (Howard Avery) - who has a rather similar story--Journey Into Mystery I#65
• Brute Force - agents of the Imperial Forces--Thunderbolts I#31
• Brute Force - cybernetically enhanced animal warriors--Brute Force#1
• Brutus - one-time Deviant ruler--Avengers Annual#20
• any other characters with similar names

Anne Benson should not be confused with:

• Benson - agent of the Corporation--Incredible Hulk II#234
• Ben Benson - Explorers' Club member, associate of Ken Hale--Men's Adventure#26
• Biggie Benson - criminal--Daredevil I#47
• Erika Benson, - aka Harness, mutant technology user--New Mutants Annual I#7
• Heath Benson - aka Rattler, Old West costumed criminal--Rawhide Kid I#37
• John Benson - Gladiator wannabe--Marvel Comics Presents I#98/4
• Robert Benson - horror movie director--Dazzler I#33
• any other characters with similar names

The atomic machine should not be confused with:

• atomic machine - nuclear device that mutated and enlarged a desert spider--Journey into Mystery I#73/1
• any other atomic machines

atomic machine A nuclear device of unspecified purpose, it was located at the research lab where Howard Lindley worked. While the inattentive Lindley was fantasizing about being the comic book monster Bruttu (see comments), he slipped into the path of the radiation the device emitted, and he was transformed into the likeness of Bruttu.

After his unintentional rampage, the monstrous Lindley returned to the lab and stood before the machine again while he envisioned himself as human, and he was returned to normal. Afterward, Howard Lindley grabbed a pipe and smashed the atomic machine, so that it would never again be used to defy the laws of nature. --Tales of Suspense I#22/1

Anne Benson She was a beautiful young lab technician who worked with Howard Lindley at an atomic research facility. Although the other men at the lab were interested in her, Anne went dancing with Howard a few times; but their dates were usually spoiled when the others shouted taunts about Howard's short stature and puny physique. Howard was secretly in love with Anne, but he felt that he was too much of a weakling for her to love; ironically, Anne was also in love with Howard, because she admired his courage and intelligence. After Howard was accidentally transformed into the gigantic Bruttu, he was constantly attacked by those who feared him. Resigned to the fact that the military would eventually find and kill him, Howard was determined to see Anne one last time before he died. When he reached her house, Anne confessed her love for Howard to the "monster". Hearing Anne's true feelings for him gave Howard the encouragement to transform himself back to normal, and he and Anne became a couple afterward. --Tales of Suspense I#22/1

images: (without ads)
Tales of Suspense I#22/1, p7, pan1 (Main Image - Bruttu in subway)
Tales of Suspense I#22/1, p13, pan3 (Headshots - Bruttu imagines himself as Howard Lindley)
Tales of Suspense I#22/1, p3, pan6 (Howard Lindley fantasizes about being like Bruttu)
Monsters Unleashed II#3, p6, pan1 (Bruttu battles a Leviathon)
Tales of Suspense I#22/1, p3, pan2 (Howard Lindley's hand holds comic book with Bruttu)
Tales of Suspense I#22/1, p3, pan3 (Howard Lindley operates atomic machine)
Tales of Suspense I#22/1, p4, pan4 (Howard Lindley falls in the path of atomic machine's rays)
Tales of Suspense I#22/1, p4, pan5 (atomic machine's energy begins to transform Howard Lindley into Bruttu)
Tales of Suspense I#22/1, p13, pan2 (Bruttu standing by atomic machine)
Tales of Suspense I#22/1, p2, pan5 (Anne Benson; Howard Lindley (background))
Tales of Suspense I#22/1, p3, pan1 (Anne Benson, dancing with Howard Lindley)
Tales of Suspense I#22/1, p12, pan4 (Anne Benson, speaking to Bruttu)

Appearances:
Tales of Suspense I#22/1 (October, 1961) - Stan Lee (plot/editor), Larry Lieber (script), Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks), Stan Goldberg (colors), Artie Simek (letters)
Monsters Unleashed II#2 (April, 2017) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Greg Land (pencils), Jay Leisten (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Monsters Unleashed II#3 (April, 2017) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Leinil Francis Yu (pencils), Gerry Alanguilan & Michael Jason Paz (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
A.X.E.: Judgment Day (October, 2022) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Valerio Schiti (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)

First posted: 12/10/2003
Last updated: 05/29/2023