MORTIMER FREEBISH
Real Name: Mortimer Freebish
Identity/Class: Human technology user
Occupation: Super-villain wannabe
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Falcon (Sam Wilson), Redwing
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Arrow Ace, Arrowsmith (both names suggested by himself, but he never got around to officially choose one)
Base of Operations: New York City
First Appearance: Captain America I#220/2 (April, 1978)
Powers/Abilities: Having no paranormal abilities, Freebish had minimal fighting and archery skills. He used a specialized crossbow with a telescopic sight, and carried a quiver of arrows on his back--along with conventional arrowheads, it also contained several specialized trick arrows, including a net-arrow, explosive arrows, and a three-pronged pitch-forked arrow.
The chest overlay of his costume could fire a rocket-propelled opti-arrow, which gave off a bright flash; he also had "protecti-lenses" to shield his eyes from the opti-arrow's flash, but forgot to wear then on the occasion that he actually used it.
He used a transparent glass globe to imprison the captured Redwing.
Height: 6' (by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Brown
History:
(Captain America I#220/2 (fb) - BTS)
- The past of Mortimer Freebish is largely unrevealed, but for months he
was planning to become "the greatest super-villain this side of Doctor
Doom".
Somehow obtaining his crossbow and trick arrows (see comments), Freebish tried to make a name for himself in the super-villain underworld by kidnapping the Falcon's pet/partner, Redwing (he apparently used a net-arrow). After plucking one of the captured Redwing's feathers, Freebish imprisoned the bird in a glass globe, then taped the feather to a ransom note which challenged the Falcon to a fight.
(Captain America I#220/2) - While the Falcon was on a rooftop, searching for the missing Redwing, Freebish watched him from a distance with his crossbow's telescopic sight; then he fired an arrow at the Falcon with the attached note. After reading the message (I've got your bird! Meet me at 12 tonight in Washington Square Park or Redwing will DIE!), the irate Falcon was determined to free Redwing from the "worthless crud".
Later that night, Freebish was in the park with the hostage Redwing, waiting for the Falcon to show himself. After he defeated the hero, he figured his reputation would make him rich, famous, "...and at last the girls will fall all over me!"
But while Mortimer was lost in thought, trying to think of a cool super-villain name for himself (he couldn't decide between Arrow Ace or Arrowsmith, or...), he suddenly felt a someone tapping his shoulder; Mortimer turned around and got punched in the jaw by the fighting-mad Falcon.
As the Falcon smashed the globe apart and freed Redwing, Mortimer recovered and fired a net-arrow at the hero; the Falcon and Redwing grabbed the expanding net and tried to capture Freebish instead, but Freebish fired an explosive arrow that knocked the high-flying hero to the ground.
Mortimer was about to fire a pitch-forked arrow at the stunned Falcon, but Redwing swooped down and snatched the crossbow from his hands. Mortimer then announced that he was about to employ his opti-arrow, and launched it from his costume's chest overlay--although not knowing what an "opti-arrow" was, the Falcon instinctively shielded his eyes as it exploded with a blinding flash... but unfortunately for Mortimer, he had forgotten to wear his "protecti-lenses," and his vision was dazzled by his own weapon.
The Falcon followed up with a final punch and easily
defeated the super-villain wannabe, leaving the unconscious Mortimer
Freebish passed out on a park bench.
--the fight's short, but somewhat entertaining--Snood.
Comments: Created by Scott Edelman and Bob Budiansky.
So am I the only one who would like to know what happened to
Mortimer?
--Oh, I think he's due back for some revenge! Mortimer had planned to
become "the greatest super-villain this side of Dr. Doom!"--Snood
He may have missed his chance with the Frightful Four Wannabes, but maybe he could always go on to form the Great Lakes Masters of Evil--John Kaminski
According to Marvel Comics Index #8A: Captain America (1979), this 5-page backup story was needed because the last four pages of the first story (featuring the Ameridroid) were lost--if not for somebody's carelessness, we might never have had the "privilege" of being introduced to this buffoonish bowman.
Freebish didn't seem particularly bright or resourceful, so maybe his crossbow and trick arrows were provided by the Tinkerer (Phineas Mason), who was known to supply equipment to other criminals at around the time of this story (e.g. Big Wheel, Binary Bug, Bruno Caper, Hypno-Hustler, Stinger).
Hey Morty... Ra's al Ghul called... he wants his beard back.--Ron Fredricks
Profile by the Beetle. Expansion by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Mortimer Freebish has no known connection to:
images: (without ads)
Captain America I#220/2, p2, pan9 (main image - Mortimer Freebish, holding crossbow and glass globe with imprisoned Redwing)
Captain America I#220/2, p5, pan7 (headshot - Mortimer Freebish)
Captain America I#220/2, p5, pan1 (Freebish fires opti-arrow from chest overlay; Falcon [background])
Captain America I#220/2, p5, pan7 (Freebish gets KOed by Falcon)
Appearances:
Captain America I#220/2 (April, 1978) - Scott Edelman (writer), Bob Budiansky (pencils), Al Gordon (inks), Jim
Novak (letters), George Roussos (colors), Archie Goodwin (editor)
First posted: 01/25/2002
Last updated: 06/11/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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