PROFESSOR BENJAMIN SAVANNAH
Real Name: Professor Benjamin Savannah
Identity/Class: Human, scientist, technology-user
Occupation: Research scientist
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Captain Mar-Vell, Rick Jones; Dr. Leonard Mynde (former colleague)
Enemies: Dr. Mynde, Madame Synn, Skragg, Thanos
Known Relatives: Lou-Ann Savannah (niece)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: formerly a
brownstone apartment in east Manhattan, New York;
State University, New York; the Pentagon, Washington D. C.
First Appearance: Captain Marvel I#22 (September, 1972)
Powers:
None. Savannah is extremely intelligent, and is a talented scientist. He specializes in the area of photonic energy. He is also talented in robotics.
He is served by a robot, Nuron, whose exact specifications and abilities are unknown.
History: (Captain Marvel I#24(fb)) - Several years ago, Benjamin Savannah worked with Dr. Leonard Mynde on a US government project designing weapons of war for the Pentagon. Savannah believed his discoveries would be used for peaceful purposes, although the Pentagon was stockpiling the weapons in a secret basement for "scientific experimentation."
(Captain Marvel I#22) - Four years later, Savannah had apparently retired from his position at the Pentagon, and was continuing some of his research at his home in New York City. His niece, Lou Ann, had befriended Rick Jones, who had suddenly collapsed due to problems with his union with the hero Captain Mar-Vell. Lou Ann brought Rick to the Professor, who subjected Rick to a series of "baths of positively charged photons." As a result, Mar-Vell again gained access to the Earth dimension, switching back and forth with Rick as they had previously.
(Captain Marvel I#23) - After Captain Mar-Vell's battle with Megaton, Rick Jones again suffered from an episode of weakness. Prof. Savannah used another dose of his photon ray, which this time nearly overloaded Jones, who was attempting to suppress the transfer with Mar-Vell.
(Captain Marvel I#24) - The Professor and Lou Ann were taken captive by Dr. Mynde, who sought to use them as hostages to force Mar-Vell to assist him in his plot to take over the Pentagon (to gain the weapons hidden in that secret basement). After Mynde's defeat, they were freed.
(Captain Marvel I#25) - In an effort to demoralize Mar-Vell, Thanos sent some of his agents to Earth to slay Mar-Vell's friends. One of the Thanos-Thralls, a Skrull named Skragg, impersonated a police officer, knocked on the Professor's door, and shot him dead when he answered it. Rick Jones was initially framed for the murder.
Comments: Created by Gerry Conway and Wayne Boring.
Savannah's name is almost certainly a tribute or in-joke to the name of Sivanna, who was the arch-enemy of DC's Captain Marvel (SHAZAM).
I'm pretty sure that Savannah's infusion of Mar-Vell with photonic energy led to his further mutations of that nature, resulting in his sparkly light trail when he flew.
Savannah was a victim of Changing Writer Syndrome. In his four appearances, he had three separate writers (Conway, Wolfman, Freidrich). The world will never know if there was more destined for Professor Benjamin Savannah.
Mar-Vell's early issues were interesting, but it wasn't until the addition of Jim Starlin into the mix, starting out as artist and moving on to writer, that things became truly great.
Clarifications: none
images: (without ads)
Other appearances:
Captain Marvel I#23 (November, 1972) - Marv Wolfman (writer), Wayne Boring (pencils), Frank McLaughlin (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Captain Marvel I#24 (January, 1973) - Mike Friedrich (writer), Wayne Boring (pencils), Ernie Chan (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Captain Marvel I#25 (March, 1973) - Mike Friedrich (writer), Jim Starlin (pencils), Chic Stone (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Last updated: 08/01/02
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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