GARTH

Real Name: possibly Garth (last name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Human Undead (Zombie)

Occupation: Manservant

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: She-Hulk, Morris Walters, (formerly) Black Talon

Enemies: Black Talon, Scarlet Beetle, (formerly) She-Hulk

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: New York; formerly, New Orleans, Louisiana

First Appearance: Sensational She-Hulk#34 (December, 1991)

Powers/Abilities: Garth is a possibly a zombie, or to be more politically correct, metabolically challenged (see comments). He is also microcephalic with a head out of proportion to the rest of his body. He possibly possesses many powers in common with the Zombie (Simon William Garth), such as superhuman strength and can lift/press at least 1200 pounds, but he may also be strong enough to overpower the She-Hulk who can lift (press) 80 tons.

    If he is a zombie, Garth also has a mystical regenerative power to recover from most injuries. Most of these abilities derived from the spirit of the Loa reanimating him, but it also made him vulnerable to the commands of the one who had brought him to life (up to a point).

    Unlike most zombies, Garth can speak.

History: (Sensational She-Hulk#34-35) - Garth was the zombie assistant of the Black Talon, a criminal mastermind who sought to use his powers as a houngan (voodoo priest) for his own material gain. He obediently obeyed his master into creating a team of subordinates from a number of deceased mutants. The Black Talon ironically and surreptiously called this team the X-Humed. Garth unerringly defended the Black Talon from the She-Hulk as she investigated the stolen bodies, but after seeing his master defeated by her, whatever control the Black Talon had on Garth was broken and he became enamored of her. With no charges on him, Garth fell into the She-Hulk’s custody as he doted on her as a housekeeper in her New York apartment.

(Sensational She-Hulk#37) - Garth met and encountered the She-Hulk’s boyfriend, Wyatt Wingfoot, without an incident. She-Hulk revealed that she had made him her manservant because he looked "enough like he was drawn by Rob Liefeld that it might boost sales if Byrne ever puts him on the cover."

(Sensational She-Hulk#60) - Garth spoke for the first time since becoming the She-Hulk’s manservant. He assisted her and her visiting father, Morris Walters, in repelling an attack of metal insects controlled by the Scarlet Beetle.

Comments: Created by John Byrne.

No details have been revealed about Garth’s previous human existence.
...Ahem...nor is it ever detailed (that I could see on quick scan) that he is actually a zombie, and not just a dim-witted servant, possibly mind-controlled by the Black Talon. So, take every word in Will's profile that says Zombie, and put the word "possibly" in front of it. The capacity for speech and emotion certainly are not consistent with your average zombie.
--Will U

Jennifer’s neighbors must be pretty understanding to live in an apartment building with a female green-skinned superhero who is constantly fighting criminals on her balcony and who also just happens to have an undead housekeeper who comes and goes and tends to her housekeeping needs. Of course, having Janet Van Dyne (The Wasp) as the landlord must help too.

Garth never did appear on the cover. Now we know why Sensational She-Hulk was cancelled.

Garth is pictured in the Black Talon entry in Mystic Arcana: The Book of Marvel Magic.

by Will U

CLARIFICATIONS:
Garth should not be confused with:

• The Zombie, Simon William Garth, @ Menace#5
• Donna Garth, daughter of the Zombie, @ Menace#5
• Garth, US government agent, @ Daredevil I#56
• Garth of Mournheim, native of Other-Realm, @ Creatures on the Loose#36
• Gareth, would-be conqueror, @ Marvel Premiere#11
• Gaath, super-hero from Earth-239, @ Daredevils#7
• Gaard, alternate reality counterpart of Human Torch, @ Fantastic Four I#162

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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