Real Name: Unknown THE SHAMBLER
Real Name: Unknown
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (unidentified race)
Occupation: Wanderer
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Dr. Reginald Johnson St. Martin Casey, Dr. Louis Kort, Maggie, Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond of Earth-616), Margaret Soames, Thing, Dr. Marcus Welby
Enemies: Hal, Mark Soames
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: London, England;
formerly the Himalayas;
formerly an unidentified planet and one of its starships
First Appearance: Marvel Two-In-One#34 (December, 1977)
Powers/Abilities: The Shambler can emit a type of smoke from its mouth area that causes humans to fall asleep. The tendrils on its head can, when attached to another living being, heal that creature through unknown means. It is also superhumanly strong, though the exact limits of such are unknown.
Height: 9'3"
Weight: 519 lbs.
Eyes: Green sclera, red/purple iris, black pupil (or similar structures)
Hair: None
History: (Marvel Two-In-One#34 - BTS) - In 1908, other members of the Shambler’s race attempted to land on Earth, but crashed in the Siberian wasteland, causing a nuclear explosion in which they all died.
(Marvel Two-In-One#34 - BTS) - Sometime after that, the Shambler arrived on Earth, and was somehow encased in a large rock in the Himalayas. The rock was later found by a group of explorers employed by millionaire Kyle Richmond (aka Nighthawk).
(Marvel Two-In-One#34) - With The Thing in attendance due to a previous adventure, Richmond and his scientists examined the rock, and released The Shambler, who, in an attempt to greet the earthlings, unwittingly knocked them unconscious with the smoke he emitted.
Escaping, the Shambler then stumbled across a little girl, and knocked her out with the smoke as well. Soon after, he found a wounded deer, and while he was attempting to heal it, the girl’s father found the alien and shot at it, pursuing it across the countryside. Meanwhile, the girl had accidentally started a fire at the hospital where she had been taken. Stopping the father from shooting at the alien again, the now-recovered Thing and Nighthawk saw it rush for the burning hospital, where they aided it in pulling several children to safety. The Shambler got two children to safety, only to be shot by the father. Wounded, the creature realized that there were still people trapped in the building, and went back in, finding Nighthawk (who had been knocked out by falling lumber) and the young girl he first met. Using the last of his strength, he pulled them to safety, and then died from his injuries.
Comments: Created by Marv Wolfman, Ron Wilson and Pablo Marcos
The story is an obvious homage to the original MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, in which the hunted Joe rescues a number of children from a burning orphanage.
The 1908 explosion in Siberia referenced in the story is a real event, occurring on June 30 of that year, and should not be topical to the sliding timescale of the Marvel Universe.The Tunguska explosion of 1908 remains a popular mystery, and is involved with several characters in the Marvel Universe.
The Shambler is never given a name in the story, but he is described as “shambling” several times, so that’s what we’re going with. The Fantastic Four Encyclopedia canonized his name (or at least his designation in the FF's records until we learn its real name) as the Shambler.
It’s never revealed what The Shambler’s mission was, or how he came to be encased in the rock. He states in his thoughts that his fellow aliens were supposed to foretell humans of his good intentions, but since they died on arrival, there was no chance for anyone to know why he was here. He was obviously benign but some of the things he did were misconstrued as bestial. The smoke he emitted was used within his own race as a type of greeting, but it was too powerful for humans to withstand.
Profile by Madison Carter, with sub-profiles by Chadman
Profile updated/edited by Kyle Sims, and further by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
THE SHAMBLER has no known connection to:
Dr.
Reginald Johnson St. Martin Casey
(Marvel Two-In-One I#34 (fb)) - An employee of the
British branch of Richmond Enterprises, Dr. Casey supervised a team of
explorers who discovered a stone containing an ancient life form in the
Himalayas. He and coworker Dr. Welby could not decide what to do with
this discovery and contacted company owner, Kyle Richmond, to decide
for them.
(Marvel Two-In-One I#34) - Richmond arrived late to
the meeting and heard of the discovery. He soon decided to revive the
lifeform. Dr. Casey vehemently protested this, but was sent away so
that Dr. Kort could supervise the stone.
--Marvel Two-In-One I#34 (fb (34
(Marvel Two-In-One I#34) - When Hal's friend Mark's
daughter screamed, Hal and Mark investigated and saw the alien Shambler
running for it. They took Margeret to a local mission then hunted the
Shambler, though they were chastised by heroes Thing and Nighthawk for
doing so. After the Shambler rescued some children from the mission,
Hal, Mark, and others shot him down, killing him.
--Marvel Two-In-One I#34
(Marvel Two-In-One I#34) - While staying
at a local rescue mission, Maggie was the last trapped in the building
when it started on fire. The hero Nighthawk tried to save her, but
became trapped as well, leaving the alien Shambler to rescue them both.
The Shambler was then shot down.
--Marvel Two-In-One I#34
(Marvel Two-In-One I#34) - Young Margaret Soames
played in the countryside and screamed when she saw the alien Scrambler
before fainting. Her dad took her to a local mission where, while
playing with an electric socket, she started the mission on fire.
Margaret was rescued later by the Shambler, who was killed by her
father.
--Marvel Two-In-One I#34
(Marvel Two-In-One I#34) - When Mark Soames and his
friend Hal heard Mark's daughter, Margaret, scream, they found her
fainted and saw the alien Shambler rushing off. They took her to a
local mission then hunted the creature, though they were chastised by
local heroes Thing and Nighthawk for doing so. Later, Shambler and the
heroes rescued children from the mission, which was on fire, and Mark
and others killed the frightening Shambler. Nighthawk called them
monsters for having done so.
--Marvel Two-In-One I#34
(Marvel Two-In-One I#34 (fb)) - An employee of the
British branch of Richmond Enterprises, Dr. Welby supervised a team of
explorers who discovered a stone containing an ancient life form in the
Himalayas. He and coworker Dr. Casey could not decide what to do with
this discovery and contacted company owner, Kyle Richmond, to decide
for them.
(Marvel Two-In-One I#34) - Richmond arrived late to
the meeting and heard of the discovery. He soon decided to revive the
lifeform. Nighthawk sent the doctors away, allowing Kort to supervise.
--Marvel Two-In-One I#34 (fb (34
Marvel Two-In-One #34, page 11, panel 1
(Casey) Marvel Two-In-One I#34, p3, pan2
(Hal) Marvel Two-In-One I#34, p9, pan1
(Maggie) Marvel Two-In-One I#34, p15, pan9
(Margaret) Marvel Two-In-One I#34, p13, pan1
(Mark) Marvel Two-In-One I#34, p12, pan1
(Welby) Marvel Two-In-One I#34, p3, pan1
Appearances:
Marvel Two-In-One#34 (December, 1977) - Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), Ron Wilson
(pencils), Pablo Marcos (inks)
Last updated: 01/14/13
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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