LEGAL EAGLE

Real Name: Ralph G. Fake

Identity/Class: Human, possibly altered human (see comments)

Occupation: Prisoner;

formerly criminal lawyer

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Big Wheel, Chairman, Demolition Derby, Elektro, Fly, Home Wrecker, Hotshot, Human Computer, Hypno-Hustler, June Jitsui, Larcenous Lil, Photoman, Printout Man, Simon the Evil Swami;

probably has legal as well as underworld/criminal contacts

Enemies: Spider-Man

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: S-Wing, unnamed prison in New York state, USA;

formerly Washington, D.C.

Appearances: Hostess ad "Legal Eagle" from Black Panther I#6 (November, 1977) and other issues published in that month

Powers/Abilities: From the neck down, Legal Eagle could transform himself into an emerald-hued, griffin-like creature.  In this form, he possessed wings for flying and claws for rending.  As a criminal attorney, he had an understanding of legal procedures and the law plus knowledge about possible loopholes present within them. While ambitious, the only thing genuine about him was his love for luscious hostess cupcakes and their fudgy icing.

History: 

("Legal Eagle") - Spotted and recognized by Spider-Man and Mary Jane, Legal Eagle was stealing the Bill of Rights, planning to destroy the historic document.  His next plan was to take over the Supreme Court in order to get his style of "criminal" law to rule the land, and then take the presidency.  Legal Eagle was distracted from his mission through the presence of Hostessâ cupcakes and was subsequently arrested.

(Fin Fang Four Return!#1/5 (fb) - BTS) - Fake was disbarred and imprisoned somewhere in NY state.

(Fin Fang Four Return!#1/5) - The robot Elektro, mistakenly identified as a villain and arrested, was ushered into the prison's S-Wing where he met various past Spider-Man villains, including Legal Eagle, who offered his card. Later, inspired by Elektro's defiance, he and the other inmates of S-Wing smashed their way out only to be subdued by the prison guards using sedation foam.

 

Comments: Created by unknown writer, penciler and inker..

At one time, Betty Ross was mutated by gamma radiation to appear as a green-pigmented mythological creature, the Harpy (See Clarifications).  Legal Eagle partially looked like a green-colored griffin, another mythological creature. Given these similarities, perhaps exposure to gamma radiation was the source of Legal Eagle's powers.

Here's another theory about the possible origin of Legal Eagle's power provided by Carycomix and Kyle: I think it more likely that he was mutated by the same device used by Dr. Shallot to become the Vulture (See Clarifications), in which case, Ralph G. Fake might initially have been Shallot's court-appointed shyster!

Maybe Legal Eagle could evade prosecution of his crime by using a variation of the Twinkie Defense (info provided by the Straight Dope).

Of all the Hostess villains, only Icemaster has shown up in an Earth-616 title. He could have crossed over to Earth-616 from "Earth-Hostess," but I say leave them on Earth-616 until proven otherwise. Nonetheless, until they do show up in regular continuity, they remain outside regular canon. Surely someone will write a story teaming them all together.---Snood.

And now they've been found! ... in a dark corner of an ignored prison ...

You can get the whole Hostess story, and some clever commentary from Seanbaby's The Hostess Page. It might not meet with the Comics Code Authority's approval, so kids, ask your parents before checking that out!

Profile by Kyle Sims

CLARIFICATIONS:
the Legal Eagle should not be confused with:

images:
"Legal Eagle", pan4 (main image)

pan6 (arrested)

Appearances:
Hostess Ad: "Legal Eagle" (November, 1977)
Fin Fang Four Return!#1/5 (July, 2009) - Scott Gray (writer), Roger Langridge (artist), John Barber (editor)

First Posted: 12/28/2002
Last updated: 05/09/2009

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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