RICHARD

Real Name: Richard (last name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Bar owner

Affiliations: Clive Reston, Reston's father

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Casablanca, Morocco

Appearances: Master Of Kung-Fu I#85 (February, 1980)

Powers/Abilities: None

History:
(Master Of Kung-Fu I#85) - When Clive Reston and Sir Denis comes to Casablanca, Morocco, Reston comes to see an old friend named Richard. Richard asks to Reston’s father, who answers “oh, you know him, Richard – up to his same old tricks”. Reston tells him that he himself has left the spy world, not following in his father’s footsteps anymore, but that Reston’s father keeps talking about his days with Richard. Richard answers “they were days, all right... and nights”. Richard asks what he can do for Reston, who answers they need a place to stay. Richard offers them to stay at the bar

(Master Of Kung-Fu I#86) - When two Leopard-culties attacks Leiko and Reston, Richard comes through the door, with his rifle, shooting them, telling them that Yashim saw two men skulking around outside, and thought they might need help

(Master Of Kung-Fu I#87) - When Shang-Chi and Black Jack arrives at the bar, Richard comes to say hello. Black Jack asks Richard how he is doing, where to Richard answers “I been better, Tarr you old salty Moose, but I been worse too”. When Black Jack, Leiko and Shang-Chi leaves, Richard asks Reston if he wants a cool one, Reston answers “sounds good to me, Richard, if you’re still slapping the tab on the house”. When Shang.-Chi returns, Reston and Richard are still sitting in the bar, Shang.-Chi hits Reston, for him coming on to Leiko last night. Richard says “whew! Nice punch kid”. Later after Black Jack returns beaten half to death by Zaran, Richard and one of his men, brings Black Jack to his room.

Comments: Created by Doug Moench and Mike Zeck

Note: Richard bears an uncanny resemblance to American movie actor Humphrey Bogart, and along with the fact that Richard owns a bar in Casablanca, and Humphrey Bogart played a bar owner named Rick Blaine in one of movie-history’s best known movies “Casablanca” is hardly a coincident
 

In Captain America I#401 (June, 1992) Hawkeye takes Cap to a bar full of cameos from other fictions. In the bar, playing what looks to be a particularly confusing game of pool where all the balls are white, is a Humphrey Bogart lookalike. Given Richard is noted to be a pal of Clive Reston's dad (James Bond), and Bond is also in the bar I think there's a good case to be made that this is Richard.
--Loki

Profile by: The Beetle

Clarifications:
Richard is not to be confused with:

• any other Richard