Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations:

First Appearance: Strange Tales I#101 (October, 1962)

Powers/Abilities: Stanton used a handgun, as well as conventional tools to sabotage amusement park rides. He had the means to rig a trap using flame retardant foam.

Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 130 lbs.
Eyes: Dark brown
Hair: Black with receding hairline

History: (Strange Tales I#101)- Stanton's past is unrevealed. At some point, while employed as the publisher of a town newspaper, he became an information smuggler to the communist government of the USSR. He arranged meetings with the communists on the beach in Glenville when they arrived in their submarine. However, when a beachside amusement park began to build taller rides, Stanton feared that the submarines would be spotted by the people in those rides.

Designing an identity-concealing costume for himself, he sabotaged the roller coaster. He then began sending threatening letters to the publisher of the newspaper, himself, as the Destroyer, demanding that construction on the amusement park be stopped. Johnny Storm, the second Human Torch, rescued a man from the roller coaster, and then repaired another ride to save a group of several people. The Destroyer then had the paper print a challenge to the Human Torch, challenging him to meet him at a cabin on the outskirts of town. The Torch accepted the challenge, but while he believed he was confronting the Destroyer, he found himself with a mannequin, and had his flame doused with foam from a trap. Stanton planned to murder the now helpless Torch, but fled when he heard a few teenagers walking by!

After his recovery, the Torch figured out that only the tall rides were being sabotaged. When he investigated from the vantagepoint of the roller coaster, he identified a soviet submarine in the waters. He made short work of the communists on the submarine, and then unmasked the Destroyer, who quickly explained the whole deal and was sent to prison.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby

Communists were big in the 1960s. The Destroyer might have had better luck had he just moved his meeting place a few hundred yards away. Also, removing the prominent hammer and sickle from the sub might have decreased suspicion.

This plot was, I believe, usurped from the plot of an episode of Scooby Doo...

...and I would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for those meddling kids!

Destroyer has an entry in Marvel Legacy: The 1960s Handbook.

Clarifications:
This Destroyer is not be confused with the many others by that name:

• Dark Destroyer, alias of Midnight Sun @ Special Marvel Edition#16
• Destroyer: the Asgardian construct, first in Journey into Mystery I#118
• Destroyer: aka the Mighty Destroyer, later Union Jack, first (marvel appearance) in Invaders I#18
• Destroyer: aka Mighty Destroyer, formerly Dyna-Mite, first in Invaders I#26
• Destroyer: Drax the Destroyer, from Iron Man I#55
• Destroyer: identity used by Alex Power of Power Pack when he possessed the disintegration power, from Power Pack I#25
• Destroyer: identity used by Jack Power, when he had that same power, from Power Pack I#52
• ...and more to come I'm sure. It's a popular name.

Appearances:
Strange Tales I#101 (October, 1962) - Stan Lee (plot/editor), Larry Lieber (script), Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks)

Last updated: 09/09/10

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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