MARK CHRISTIANSON

Real Name: Mark Christianson

Identity/Class: Human, technology user

Occupation: 

Group Membership: leader of the International Industrial Alliance (Mr. Kingsley, others)

Affiliations: Mike Hauley and several other military veterans

Enemies: Punisher (Castle), USA government

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: none

 

 

 

 

Base of Operations: formerly a mansion in Evanston, overlooking Chicago, Illinois

First Appearance: Marvel Preview#2 (1975)

Powers/Abilities: Christianson had access to a small army of soldiers (at least 100 on site), armed with conventional weaponry. He utilized a bulletproof force field and had prepared to use the Mark VI laser cannon and other advanced anti-personnel weapons.

History:
(Marvel Preview#2 (fb) - BTS) - Christianson inherited a large sum of money, and increased his holdings markedly in the stock market. Using his money he built an immense mansion overlooking Chicago, financed his own private army (using almost entirely ex-marines), and joined with a number of wealthy men across the world to form the International Industrial Alliance (IIA), dedicated to the takeover of the USA.

 

 

(Marvel Preview#2 (fb) - BTS) - Christianson hired a number of ex-marines to act as assassins across the country, attracting attention away from the discovery of his own army.
    In Miami, one of his assassins killed James Jefferson Holt at a rally for a new ultra-conservative political party. The assassin was discovered and killed by a security guard.

(Marvel Preview#2 (fb) - BTS) - Six weeks later, another assassination occurred in Los Angeles; the sniper was killed during a gun battle with the police.

(Marvel Preview#2) - The Punisher received a tip about a potential assassination on Wall Street, which he foiled. The assassin was Mike Hauley, a former marine from Castle's troop; Hauley was slain by agents of IIA after giving Castle some information about his employers.
    Based on this information, Castle found and foiled another assassin, in Evanston, Illinois. This assassin tried to use a weapon against Castle, but it turned out to be booby-trapped, and the assassin was killed instead. Tracking down Hauley's wife and kids, Castle learned about Mike's involvement with Christianson. The IIA fire-bombed the Hauley's house, but the Punisher saved the remaining family from the resultant inferno.

    Castle then located Christianson's mansion. Ambushing one of the his soldiers, Castle took his costume and infiltrated the mansion where Hauley was holding a meeting for the IIA. After announcing their plans and progress, Christianson suddenly identified Castle as an invader and had his army attack him. The Punisher fought his way through a group of soldiers and fired on Christianson and the IIA, but found them protected by an impenetrable force field. Christianson laughed at Castle's inability to harm them, until Castle fought his way outside. Locating the mansion's massive power generator under Christianson's tennis court, the Punisher planted a bomb which destroyed it, and the force field in the process.

 

Comments: Created by Gerry Conway and Tony DeZuniga.

An FBI agent, Dave Hamilton, spoke to reporters on the IIA, but no mention was made as to what exactly had happened to them. From Castle's War Journal report stating that there was a lot of speculation about what had happened up on Christianson's hill, one might guess that there were no survivors to give any details.

All the talk of the Viet Nam War and dates, such as 1965, are topical. If you disagree, please don't tell me. Go form your own website and discuss it there!!
    Actually this issue is discussed here.
    At any rate, Hauley had been described as enlisting in 1965, and mustering out 8 months ago. As the story was written in mid-1975, it can be inferred that he was in the marines for about nine years.

I don't know why Conway would choose Evanston, Illinois as the home base of a neo-fascist army, since it's actually a pretty liberal college town (Northwestern University, which I almost attended, is located there). It's not exactly "overlooking" Chicago either.
--Continental Op

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

The International Industrial Alliance has no known connection to:

 

Mike Hauley

A former marine alongside Frank Castle. He enlisted at age nineteen and had advanced to the rank of lieutenant when Castle met him two years later. Despite rules against fraternization between officers and non-coms, Hauley befriended Castle. Hauley had a wife, a son (Tommy, @ 10 years old), and a younger daughter, and served in the military in the action in Southeast Asia (Viet Nam? see comments) for seven years more before "mustering out." Returning to his home in Chicago, he found that many people wouldn't even look at him due to his war experiences, and found that he could not fit in in a normal career. He was contacted by Mark Christianson, who hired him as an assassin. Hauley traveled to New York where he targeted a politician making a speech on Wall Street, but was stopped by the Punisher. Recognizing Castle, Hauley explained himself, but was killed seconds later by men in an IIA helicopter.

--Marvel Preview#2 (2(fb) - BTS, 2

Appearances:
Marvel Preview#2 (1975) - Gerry Conway (writer), Tony DeZuniga (artist), Marv Wolfman (editor)

Last updated: 12/28/04

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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