LOCKSMITH

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Self-styled warden, former magician and escape artist

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Tick-Tock

Enemies: Angar the Screamer, Daddy Longlegs, Dansen Macabre, Enforcer, Flying Tiger, Gypsy Moth, Hangman (Harlan Krueger), Killer Shrike, Needle, Nekra, Poltergeist, Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), Tatterdemalion, Tigra, Werewolf

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: San Francisco, California

First Appearance: Spider-Woman I#50 (June, 1983)

 

 

Powers/Abilities: The Locksmith has no superhuman powers, but he is especially adept in picking and designing locks. He is also adept at creating locks and prisons incorporating drugs, gas and restraints to neutralize superhuman individuals.

 

History: (Spider-Woman I#50 (fb)) - Nothing is known about the identity of the Locksmith. He boasted that as a young man locks fascinated him. As his prowess in escaping from restraints developed, he became a highly adept and successful escape artist, but he was soon being overshadowed by the deeds of superhuman heroes. People stopped paying to see him perform incredible deeds that they could see for free in public. He lashed out by purchasing a building and converting it into a prison especially equipped to imprison superhumans.

(Spider-Woman I#9-49 - BTS) - He and a psychic he hired named Tick-Tock then began following San Francisco’s resident super-hero, Spider-Woman, around since her arrival and began capturing and detaining the superhumans that she encountered. Among the individuals they seized and captured were Tigra, Poltergeist, Angar the Screamer, Flying Tiger, Killer Shrike, The Needle, Tatterdemalion, the Werewolf, Daddy Longlegs, Nekra, The Enforcer, Hangman and Dansen Macabre.

(Spider-Woman I#50) - Eventually, the Locksmith and Tick-Tock captured Spider-Woman herself and brought her into their prison. Prohibited from using her powers, she managed to cause a jailbreak by having Tigra insult Poltergeist to the point that his psychokinetic power shut down her restraints. Spider-Woman then had Gypsy Moth use her power to switch costumes with her. Once in Gypsy Moth’s specially designed cell in tune to only her psychokinetic power, Spider-Woman escaped and freed all of the Locksmith’s prisoners. Watching everyone escape, the Locksmith then had a nervous breakdown while Gypsy Moth restrained him and Ticktock long enough for the authorities to collect them.

 

 

 

Comments: Created by Ann Nocenti, Brian Postman and Sam DeLaRosa.

    The Locksmith was driven by a hatred of superhumans that made his magical tricks appear mundane. If perhaps he increased the excitement and showmanship of his tricks, he might have fared better. It’s hard to conceive that there would be enough superhuman activities occurring through the world in every single city that would keep spectators from losing interest. It might be more logical to assume that Locksmith lost his audience because his feats were attributed to superhuman powers over that of human ability and dexterity.

If only the Locksmith had been granted a pardon to work at the Vault, perhaps it would still be in operation.

The Locksmith's rational for opposing metahumans resembles that of the Wizard (Bentley Whittman).
--John McDonagh

Tick Tock has his own minor profile in the Night Shift entry of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #5. It also bears mentioning that the Night Shift group is full of individuals formerly imprisoned in the Locksmith’s prison. That has to leave him sleeping with one eye open.

by Will U

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Locksmith is not to be confused with:

Images taken from:
Locksmith main pic- Spider-Woman I#50, page 9, left side
face- Spider-Woman I#50, page 5, top left
action- Spider-Woman I#50, page 4, bottom panel

Appearances:
Spider-Woman I#50 (June, 1983) - Ann Nocenti (writer), Brian Postman (penciler), Sam De La Rosa (inker), Mark Gruenwald (editor)

First Posted: 04/10/2004
Last updated: 04/21/2014

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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