GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human spirit/Magic User
Occupation: Christmas Spirit
Group Membership: Ghosts of Christmas
Affiliations: Willie Lumpkin (client), other Ghosts of
Christmas
Indirectly: Charlie Boomer, Lila Brown, Freddie Lumpkin, Mrs. Lumpkin, Timmy Lumpkin
Enemies: all Christmas Haters, Willie Lumpkin (somehow he became her enemy too)
Known Relatives: none
Aliases: Ghost of Christmas Present, Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
Base of Operations: Mobile
First Appearance: Marvel Comics Presents I#18/4 (early May, 1989)
Powers/Abilities: Time travelling, teleportation, flying and changing dresses very fast.
History:
(Marvel Comics Presents I#18/4) - The Ghost of Christmas Past lost the address
of J. Jonah Jameson and haunted instead poor Willie Lumpkin. She traveled
with him first to his worst Christmas Eves in his past, like when his love
and his best friend decided that they were going to marry each other, or when
he was trapped in the closet of the Fantastic Four and they forgot him. Next
was Christmas present, and because there is only one spirit assigned, it
was the same ghost again in a new dress. She showed Willie what his nephew
and his family think: that he is just a crazy old man, who is making up the
stories with the Fantastic Four. Next the Ghost showed up with a scythe and
dark robe and scared poor Willie nearly to death. The Ghost removed the scary
stuff and traveled with Willie into the future, where he watched his funeral
after his death through Lockjaw. At the end the spirit just left because
Willie was the wrong guy to be haunted. The effect is that Willie now hates
Christmas.
Comments: Created by Glenn Herdling and Richard Howell
This issue had two Christmas stories in it and this one was a nice little spoof. The other story was an ad for Sensational She-Hulk. I still hate Christmas. Send me some Ghosts!
I'm not sure that the Ghost was a female...maybe just a long-haired male--Snood.
The first name of Freddie's son Timmy was revealed in OHOTMU Update 89#4
CLARIFICATIONS:
Ghost of Christmas Past should not be confused with:
Willie Lumpkin should not be confused with:
(Marvel Age I#54) - Willie and his friend Boomer figured out the new bowling alley in town would be a big hit when people started waiting in line, ball in hand, on the first day of construction.
(Marvel Age I#65) - Willie was visited by his friend and colleague Boomer who excitedly mentioned he was sure his chum couldn't wait to get back to work, carrying his mailbag all over town, rain or shine. Startled, Lumpkin told Boomer he was sicker than he was.
(Marvel Age I#75) - Willie was immediately flushed when his longtime crush Lila Brown called the post office. His excitement soon turned to diappointment when it became obvious Lila only called to check if the post office was open on Saturday.
(Marvel Age I#82) - Willie and Boomer watched as Miss Birdie stormed out of the local beauty parlor, completely outraged. Boomer wanted to know what could possibly have caused her to behave like that. Lumpkin explained that before receiving a single treatment, the beauty salon manager handed her an estimate.
(Marvel Age I#101) - Willie and Boomer spotted an attractive blonde who looked like Brigitte Bardot, the famous French movie star. Lumpkin was convinced the woman had just come from Basil's Beauty Parlor. To prove his point, they walked by the place where at least half a dozen women had come in for the week's special: the Brigitte Bardot hairdo.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#18/4 (fb) ) - Charlie and Lila were friends of Willie from his youth in Glenville, Nebraska. Willie had a crush on Lila, but on one Christmas she and Charlie told Willie that they would get married. This was one of the saddest days of Willie's life and his former friends even mocked him for his wish to become a mailman in a big city.
--Marvel Age I#65 (Marvel Age I#54, 65, 75, 82, 101, Marvel Comics Presents I#18/4
Charlie and Lila were both characters from the Willie Lumpkin comic strip Stan Lee wrote in the 1950s. This was their debut in an actual Marvel comic.
Freddie Lumpkin, Mrs. Lumpkin and son Timmy Lumpkin
Freddie was the nephew of Willie and had a lovely wife and a really smart son. They talked about Willie being senile and having Alzheimer at Christmas dinner. They didn't take his stories about himself and the Fantastic Four seriously. Freddie thought that Willie should retire and wanted him set up at a nice nursery home like the one in Forest Hills (May Parker's nursery home) The next morning Freddie and his family went together with the Fantastic Four to their relative Willie to wish him a merry Christmas.
In an alternate future shown by the Ghost of Christmas they attended the funeral of Willie together with the Inhumans and the Fantastic Four.
--Marvel Comics Presents I#18/4
images:
Ghost of Christmas Past body shot: Marvel Comics Presents I#18, p26, pan4
Ghost of Christmas Past head shot: Marvel Comics Presents I#18, p30, pan3
Charlie Boomer & Lila Brown: Marvel Comics Presents I#18, p27, pan9
Freddie Lumpkin and wife: Marvel Comics Presents I#18, p30, pan6
son of Freddie Lumpkin: Marvel Comics Presents I#18, p30, pan6
Appearances:
Marvel Age I#54 (September, 1987) - Stan Lee (writer, editor), Dan DeCarlo (pencils & inks)
Marvel Age I#65 (August, 1988) - Stan Lee (writer, editor), Dan DeCarlo (pencils & inks)
Marvel Comics Presents I#18 (Early May, 1989) - Glenn Herdling (writer), Richard Howell (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Marvel Age I#75 (June, 1989) - Stan Lee (writer, editor), Dan DeCarlo (pencils & inks)
Marvel Age I#82 (January, 1990) - Stan Lee (writer, editor), Dan DeCarlo (pencils & inks)
Marvel Age I#101 (June, 1991) - Stan Lee (writer, editor), Dan DeCarlo (pencils & inks)
Last updated: 01/16/15
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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Charlie Boomer and Lila Brown