HOWARD

Real Name: Howard

Identity/Class: Normal human

Occupation: Scientist, would-be world conqueror

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Would-be ally of Fal Ton and Fan Ton 

Enemies: None known

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations:  A secluded house on the coast in an unspecified part of the Earth

First Appearance: Tower of Shadows#6/2 (July, 1970)

Powers/Abilities: Scientific knowledge sufficient to develop a radio guidance beam able to penetrate deep into space.

History: (BTS) - Howard, tired of putting up with the world around him, a world he considers populated by fools, becomes a recluse. Retiring from society to a cliff-top house on the coast, he spends years developing a radio guidance beam able to reach deep space. He establishes communications with Fal Ton, an alien from a highly advanced species who have not previously made contact with another intelligent life, and convinces the extra-terrestrial to follow the signal back to Earth.

(Hulk Comic#2/3) Howard is talking to Fal Ton as the alien's vessel makes it's final approach to Earth. He reiterates to his imminent visitor that he alone is worth dealing with on this savage planet, and is in turn informed that as the first intelligent life Fal Ton's people have made contact with, he will be richly rewarded. Secretly Howard schemes how he will use the knowledge he intends to gain to take control of the rest of humanity, whom he considers fools, mere cattle to be herded. The rest of humanity have ignored him long enough.

Fal Ton calls in to tell Howard that his ship is coming in on final approach, but that they only have enough fuel for one attempt, so their landing has to be perfect. Hearing the ship coming to Earth with an impact that shakes the ground, Howard rushes outside to see. He is stunned by the sight that greets him, but before he has time to react, the doors open. Fal Ton and his shipmate Fan Ton step out, calling out Howard's name...and one gigantic foot, larger than Howard's entire house, comes crashing down, crushing the screaming scientist to death. Disappointed at not locating Howard, the travellers decide they must have come down in the wrong spot. As they depart, Fal Ton reminds Fan Ton to wipe his feet so that he doesn't track anything back into their shop. 

Comments: Created by Tom Sutton.

There is nothing to indicate one way or another if this story was meant to take place within the mainstream Marvel universe. If it was, then it could easily be placed as happening around the time the story was published, and with the sliding timescale employed by Marvel, that would mean this tale would now be a pre-modern era (e.g. pre-Fantastic Four) tale. Then this would be back when there were fewer heroes operating and a mad scientist could genuinely believe contact with alien technology would allow him to take over the world, instead of just getting thumped by the FF, Avengers, SHIELD, etc for trying.

Why a race capable of interstellar travel, as presumably is the case with Fal Ton's, had not yet contacted a sentient species before, isn't explained. The lack of fuel comments suggest they might be knew to this kind of travel, and perhaps they only bothered developing space flight after they had been contacted by Howard.

Robert McKinney - The story was actually first published in Tower Of Shadows#6, and was also reprinted in Son Of Satan#8. Then it was reprinted as a filler in the U.K. Hulk Comic, where I (Loki) first read it.

by Loki 

CLARIFICATIONS: Howard has no known connection to and should not be confused with

• Howard, the Daily Bugle door man
• Professor Mark Howard of Empire State University, @Amazing Spider-Man I#421/2
• Officer Marcy Howard of the NYPD, @ Crew#1
• Mark Howard, also of Empire State University, @ Amazing Spider-Man I#429
• Sherry Howard of the Snow Valley School for Girls, @ Emma Frost#1
• Howard the Duck, trapped in a world he never made, @Adventures into Fear#19
• Howard the Duck of Earth-MC2, the former's alternate future counterpart
• Hugh Howards, a member of SHIELD's Godzilla Squad, @Godzilla#6
• Lance Howards, an Idano deputy, @Avengers III#72
• Sheryl Howards, mother of the above, @Avengers III#72
• anyone else called Howard