EDWARD HARRISON

Real Name: Edward Harrison

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Conspiracy theorist, former military officer and conspirator

Group Membership: Control (Lewis Haywerth, Thaddeus Ross, Cecil B. Slinkard, Howard Stark, Bolivar Trask)

Affiliations: Cliff Garner, Myron MacLain, Man-Thing, Mr. Fantastic, Mr. Hyde, Professor X, Thor

Enemies: Mark Ewing, Mad Thinker, SHIELD, Ultron, Wizard

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile; formerly, Washington DC; the Hulk's base in New Mexico; Sanctuary, Arizona

First Appearance: Journey Into Mystery I#87 (December, 1962)

Powers/Abilities: Harrison was once a brilliant conspirator, capable of manipulating others to his own means; he is currently delusional and occasionally psychotic. Harrison had access to advanced technology such as Smart Stan, a talking SHIELD flying car, even after his removal from Control.

History: (Fantastic Four I#271 (fb, BTS)/Conspiracy#1-2 (fb)) - During his time assigned as liaison to Reed Richards under General Ferguson, Richards fought off the alien invader Gormuu. Harrison saw to it that all information regarding Gormuu was buried.

(Conspriacy#2 (fb, BTS)) - Richards wrote a document on the Gormuu incident advising that an advisory council of the country's top scientists be made able to deal with future incidents such as Gormuu. Richards' proposal wound up being used by the military, who founded Control with Harrison, General Lewis Haywerth, General Cecil B. Slinkard, General Thaddeus E. Ross, Bolivar Trask and Howard Stark. They hoped that with Control monitoring all scientific breakthroughs, alien technologies and superhumans, they could control the great powers of the future.

(Fantastic Four I#1 (fb, BTS)/Conspiracy#1 (fb)) - Harrison broke off his funding with Richards before he could make his flight to the stars. Control had hoped that Richards would steal the craft and fly it himself, which he did. They arranged to have the vessel unshielded and equipped with a device to magnify the effects of the cosmic rays in the hopes of creating new superhumans.

(Journey Into Mystery I#87) - When several prominent American scientists defected to the Communist cause, Col. Harrison was contacted by his friend Dr. Donald Blake, who suggested to him that he pretend to defect in order to learn what the Communists were up to. Harrison agreed to the plan, and in his other identity of Thor, Blake defeated his Communist captors.

(Conspiracy#2 (fb, BTS)) - At one time, Control met at Bolivar Trask's retreat in Aspen, Nirvana ranch. While there, they discussed who would be made head of S.H.I.E.L.D.

(Iron Man: The Iron Age#2) - Col. Harrison met with Tony Stark prior to the creation of SHIELD to set up a meeting aboard the still under-construction SHIELD Helicarrier Stark was building.

(Conspiracy#2 (fb)) - Eventually, the superhuman population became so large and Control was spread so thin that the organization fell out of touch with each other. Funding accidentally wound up in the hands of the Wizard, Ultron and Mad Thinker. Control ultimately collapsed, and Harrison went into seclusion, fearful of what might happen to him.

(Conspriacy#1-2 (fb)) - Harrison was later contacted by Daily Bugle reporter Cliff Garner, who had begun to suspect Control's existence. Harrison became Garner's source, but when Garner ceased believing in his stories, Harrison stabbed him to death 98 times with the handle of a steel comb.

(Conspiracy#1) - Now on the run from SHIELD, Harrison hid out in an abandoned cave once used by the Hulk. He was approached by reporter Mark Ewing, who had been led to him by an LMD posing as Garner. Harrison recognized the deception instantly, and destroyed the LMD. With SHIELD about to raid the facility, he took Ewing with him.

(Conspiracy#2) - Harrison and Ewing escaped the cave aboard Smart Stan, a SHIELD flying car Harrison possessed. Smart Stan brought them to Sanctuary, a former base of Thanos'. There, Harrison revealed many of his secrets to Ewing, including the history of Control. But when SHIELD agents raided Sanctuary, Harrison believed Ewing to be a SHIELD spy and tried to kill him. Ewing narrowly escaped.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Larry Leiber, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.

Harrison was described in Conspiracy#1 as having "...a long and off-the-record career in covert operations and black ops, many of which allegedly involved the Norse 'god' Thor..." It's possible that Harrison may have been involved in other adventures of Thor's behind-the-scenes-- or possibly he knew that Blake was Thor.

Given that Harrison met with Tony Stark, one wonders if Tony was aware of his father's involvement in Control.

It isn't known whether or not Harrison was apprehended by SHIELD in Conspiracy#2. Possibly he escaped them yet again.

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Edward Harrison should not be confused with:

• General Ferguson, his one-time superior officer, @ Fantastic Four I#271

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