BLACK JAIMIE MacAWBER
Real Name: Jaimie MacAwber
Identity/Class: Technologist
Occupation: Scottish Lord
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: "Protector" of the Loch Fear Monster, leader of his own gang
Enemies: The Hulk, Angus MacTavish
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Loch Fear, Scotland
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk II#192 (October, 1975)
Powers: None, however MacAwber is apparently very skillful at developing futuristic technology, including hydraulic lifts in his castle's entryway, a paralysis ray, and gas powerful enough to make the Loch Fear Monster unconscious.
History: None, however MacAwber is apparently very skillful at developing futuristic technology, including hydraulic lifts in his castle's entryway, a paralysis ray, and gas powerful enough to make the Loch Fear Monster unconscious.
However, the beast did bring a benefit to the people of Loch Fear -- the village was an impoverished one, and the tourists who travelled there in hopes of seeing the beast provided the only substantial income to the townspeople. For this reason, Black Jaimie MacAwber, Lord (or "Laird" as he was often referred to) of Loch Fear, had done everything he could to make sure the MacTavishes did not complete their age-old quest.
(Hulk II#192) - On the night of the serpent’s moon, when the beast of Loch Fear was known to surface from the Loch’s waters, Black Jaimie sent his henchmen to the home of Angus MacTavish. His men brought MacTavish and Bruce Banner (whose green-skinned alter-ego had accidentally been fished out of the Loch by MacTavish) to MacAwber’s castle at gunpoint.
Once there, MacAwber’s flair for technology was apparent. MacTavish and Banner were raised to meet MacAwber in a large hydraulic lift. MacAwber offered his hand in friendship to MacTavish, but to no avail. Banner expressed his confusion at the whole situation, and MacTavish explained to him that the financial welfare of the village depended on the survival of the Loch Fear Monster.
MacAwber and his men led Banner and MacTavish into a room with a spinning multicolored wheel mounted on the wall. The prisoners were chained to the wall, and as the device was turned on, it had a strange paralyzing effect on the two of them. The strain of the paralysis proved too much for Banner, and he soon transformed into the Hulk, whereupon the Hulk easily broke himself and MacTavish free, overcame MacAwber’s men, and leapt away from the castle. MacAwber arrived shortly thereafter, and searched for the Hulk and MacTavish, but with no luck.
The Hulk returned to MacTavish’s boat, where he found the fisherman preparing to do battle with the Loch Fear Monster. Despite Angus’ warnings, the Hulk volunteered to help Angus slay the beast. Have ye ever been to sea, Hulky? -Prime ED-ternal
Shortly after they set the boat into the Loch, the monster surfaced and ripped through the boat, sending Hulk and MacTavish into the water. The Hulk attacked the monster, while MacTavish searched through the wreckage for an explosive harpoon he had brought with him. He found it, and swam towards the monster.
MacTavish speared the harpoon into the beast and climbed onto its back. Just then, MacAwber appeared in a speedboat, carrying large gas tanks on his back. He pleaded for MacTavish the pull out the harpoon, and told him the chemicals in his gas tanks would render the beast harmless without killing him. MacTavish refused, whereupon MacAwber jumped from his boat and knocked Angus into the water.
Black Jaimie tried to pull the harpoon free, but the Hulk appeared and pulled his hands free of the shaft. As he did, the harpoon exploded, throwing the Hulk free of the monster’s back and triggering his transformation to Bruce Banner. Banner and Angus swam to shore, and were shocked to see what had become of Black Jaimie and the Loch Fear Monster -- somehow, the chemicals in MacAwber’s gas tanks reacted to the harpoon’s explosion in such a way that it turned both MacAwber and the beast into stone, creating a new tourist attraction.
Comments: Created by Len Wein and Herb Trimpe.
Len Wein was one of the most masterful scribes to ever write The Incredible Hulk (or to write for comic books, period) and the story of Black Jaimie MacAwber and the Loch Fear Monster serves as proof that even the masters of comicdom make mistakes every now and then. I don’t want to say this is one of the worst Hulk stories ever written, because it’s worth reading just to see how silly it is. However, it is certainly one of the most ridiculous Hulk stories ever written. At least the Hulk didn't get beaten by a snake... -Prime Eternal, ed.
For sacrificing himself to create a Scottish tourist attraction, I feel Black Jaimie deserves some recognition. Not just anyone would allow himself to get stoned. -Prime Eternal, ed.
by Mick Martin, the Anti-Grimm
Clarifications:
Black Jaimie MacAwber should not be confused with:
images:
Last updated: 08/02/02
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