The Keeper (Strange Tales)

THE KEEPER

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human, (English, 16th Century)

Occupation: Keeper of an insane asylum

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Dan Cooper

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: England, 16th century

First Appearance: Strange Tales I#97 (June, 1962)

Powers/Abilities: The Keeper was a cruel warden and a decent horseback rider.

History: (Strange Tales I#97)- The Keeper took charge of Dan Cooper, a man from the 20th century who traveled back in time through a mysterious fog. The Keeper, like all men of that time Cooper had met, thought him to be insane. The Keeper had his charges perform difficult labor while he paid wealthy men to watch and laugh at them.

Cooper finally resolved to escape the asylum, and used his fountain pen to squirt ink into the Keeper's eyes. The Keeper sounded the alarm, but Cooper fought his way out of the asylum. The Keeper pursued him on horseback into a fog, and when the fog lifted, the two men were in the 20th century. The Keeper was thought to be insane by the people of the 20th century, and pleaded to Cooper to tell the police he wasn't insane. Cooper refused to say anything, determined to have his revenge.

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

The plot of the Dan Cooper & the Keeper story was used earlier in Journey Into Unknown Worlds#50 (October, 1956) "The Fog!"
--Gammatotem

Profile by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Keeper should not be confused with:

The Keeper of the Hyborian Era, @ Conan the Barbarian#192
Keeper of Earth-Guardians, counterpart of Silver Surfer, @ Guardians of the Galaxy#23
The Keeper of the Cosmic Cube, @ Tales of Suspense I#80
Keeper of Antiquities, Asgardian, @ Thor I#163
Keeper of the Comics Code, determines acceptable material, @ Not Brand Ecch#5
Keeper of the Flame, denzin of El Dorado, member of They Who Wield Power, @ Avengers I#30
Keeper of the Six, Kibuka, @ Black Panther III#54
Keeper of the Twilight Well, Kartag, @ Thor I#195
Keeper Whitman of Earth-Killraven, Killraven's supervisor, @ Amazing Adventures II#27
Keepers of Harmony, the Armajesuits, @ Domino II#4
Keepers of the Treasure-Crypt of Lanjau of the Hyborian Era, protected Jade Serpent, @ Conan the Barbarian I#255
Keepers of the Sacred Koan, empowered American Samurai, @ Elektra I#12
Keepsake of Earth-8162, salvager, @ Dr. Who Magazine#140

Dan Cooper traveled to the 16th century while strolling through the London fog, and was placed under the care of the Keeper at his asylym, thought by the people of that era to be insane. When Cooper escaped from the asylym, the Keeper pursued him through the fog, which led both men into the 20th century. Cooper allowed the Keeper to be thought insane rather than aid him.

--Strange Tales I#97

Images taken from:
Strange Tales I#97, page 1
Strange Tales I#97, page 6, panel 6
Strange Tales I#97, page 4, panel 4

Last updated: 08/11/04

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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