main imageSHELLSHOCK

Real Name: Gary Buser

Identity/Class: Human technology user

Occupation: Professional criminal

Group Membership: Former partner of Live Wire and Ivan Karlovich

Affiliations: Former Psycho-Man (employer)

Enemies: Ant-Man (Scott Lang); Black Panther (T'Challa); Human Torch  (Johnathon Spenser Storm); Inhuman Royal Family (Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Karnak); Scourge of the Underworld; the Thing; Yancy Street Gang

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: New York City

First Appearance: Fantastic Four I Annual#5/1 (November, 1967)

 

 

 

Powers: Shellshock was a moderately skilled criminal strategist, and a skilled marksman. Because he relied so heavily on his specialized gun, his skill at hand-to-hand combat was never seen, but was likely poor. He had some skill with electronics, as he completely redesigned his gun later in his career.
    Shellshock used a handgun created by the Psycho-Man that could fire a variety of specialized ammunition. Among the special ammunition Shellshock used were attachments enabling him to fire microwave blasts, small concussion shells, miniature homing missiles, and shells containing a paste-like substance that rapidly expands upon impact. After Shellshock redesigned his weapon, it was somewhat larger and could fire gas grenades in addition to the above ammunition.

 

Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 185 lbs.

 

History: Shellshock's history before becoming an agent of the Psycho-Man is unrevealed. He was recruited and outfitted with his specialized gun by the Psycho-Man as part of the Microverse alien's intial attack on the Earth.

(Fantastic Four I Annual#5/1) - Along with the Psycho-Man's other minions, Shellshock observed the Psycho-Man's assault on another of his agents. Deciding to assert themselves as equal partners, rather than slaves to the Psycho-Man, the three fired on him using the weapons he gave them. The weapons proved ineffective and the Psycho-Man promptly used his doubt-ray to render Shellshock and the others subservient to him once more.

Later, when the Thing, the Human Torch, the Black Panther, and the Inhumans' Royal Family launched an assault on the Psycho-Man's base; the three minions were sent to oppose the heroes. Shellshock squared off against the Black Panther, and fired a homing missile at him to counter the Panther's agility. However, the Panther simply charged towards Shellshock and leapt behind him at the last moment, allowing Shellshock to take the brunt of the missile's explosive force and thereby rendered him unconscious.

 

 

 

 

(Marvel Two-In-One#70) - Shellshock and Live Wire, still working together, learned that the Thing's girlfriend Alicia Masters was moving into the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building headquarters, and plotted to steal her sculptures. Shellshock blasted the movers, and he and Live Wire took their places. The Thing insisted on riding on the back of the moving truck, but Shellshock dislodged him by speeding around a corner. Realizing that the "movers" were trying to steal the sculptures, the Thing still almost missed the villains because they had repainted the moving van, until he noticed the trail of green paint it left behind.

The Thing stopped the truck, and was promptly attacked by Live Wire and Shellshock. The Thing weathered most of Shellshock's ammunition, and was holding his own until Live Wire took Alicia hostage. It appeared the Thing would be forced to surrender when members of the Yancy Street Gang poured water onto Live Wire, causing his weapons to shock him into unconsciousness. Shellshock attemtped to threaten the Thing with his own weapon, but Grimm knocked him unconscious with a flick of his finger and crushed his gun.

 

 

 

 

 

(MTIO#96) - During a period when the Thing was hospitalized for various battle injuries, Shellshock returned with a modified costume and a redesigned gun, seeking to kill the hero. Shellshock used gas to incapacitate the hospital guards, and blasted through a wall, only to be confronted by Ant-Man. Using his shrinking abilities to dodge Shellshock's shots, Ant-Man summoned a small army of ants to swarm over the would-be assassin. Shellshock, covered in ants, fled the scene and did not return.

(Captain America I#319) - Shellshock was among the many villains invited to the so-called "Bar with No Name" by Gary Gilbert to a planning session against the villain-killer Scourge. Unfortunately, Scourge was also there, disguised as the bartender, and he fatally shot Shellshock and all but one of the other villains there.

 

 

 

Comments: Created by Stan "the Man" Lee and Jack "King" Kirby

Basically a seemingly generic villain who appeared in a pair of fun, light stories after his initial appearance; and hey, he's a Stan and Jack creation.

Back before he redesigned his costume, Shellshock looked like he got his clothes and haircuts from the same place as the Mad Thinker.

Ivan's last name was revealed in Psycho-Man's profile in OHOTMU A-Z HC#9

Profile by Omar Karindu.

Clarifications:

Ivan should not be confused with:

 

Ivan Karlovich was another of the Psycho-Man's minions, and wielded a "solar pistol" that fired bright bursts of light and presumably laser-like beams. He, like the other two, attempted to turn on Psycho-Man and was subjugated by the alien's doubt-ray. In the battle against the Thing, the Human Torch, and the others, he blinded Black Bolt at the beginning of the fight, and then slipped aside and attempted to shoot Karnak from behind. However, Black Bolt recovered his sight, and sent Ivan hurtling across the room with a single blow.
--Fantastic Four Annual#5

 

 

 

 

 

 

images:
main - Fantastic Four: Five Fabulous Decades - Shellshock image - art by Gus Vasquez

Other appearances:
Marvel Two-In-One#70 (December, 1980) - Mark Gruenwald & Ralph Macchio (writer), Mike Nasser (pencils), Gene Day (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Marvel Two-In-One#96 (February, 1983) - Tom DeFalco (writer), Ron Wilson (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Linda Grant & Lance Tooks (editor)
Captain America I#319 (July, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Michael Carlin (editor)

First Posted: 11/02/2001
Last updated: 10/28/2004

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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