TOP MAN
TOP MAN
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Professional criminal
Affiliations: Former leader of the "Hammerhead"
branch of the Maggia;
specific agents included Big Rock and Gimlet
Enemies: Fantastic Four (Crystal, Human Torch, Invisible Girl, Mr. Fantastic, Thing), Gimlet
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Posed as an unnamed doorman
Base of Operations: Manhattan, New York
First Appearance: Fantastic Four I#101 (August, 1970)
Powers/Abilities: The Top Man was skilled with firearms and presumably had some experience with hand-to-hand combat, though he usually employed others to do his dirty work for him. He commanded a small army of mobsters, armed with conventional firearms as well as a variety of high-tech equipment. Amongst this equipment was bulletproof protective clothing, guns firing force blast shells (which could be used in tandem to form a circle of force), smoke screen generators, refrigi-rays (able to generate ice), tranquilizer gas (possibly the same as their Noxo-Gas)
History:
(Fantastic Four I#101 (fb) - BTS) - In order to gain access to the technology
of the Fantastic Four, the Top Man purchased the Baxter Building from its
previous employer
(Fantastic Four I#101) - Disguised as the doorman for the Baxter Building, the Top Man delivered a notice from the Maggia to the Fantastic Four, warning them to move out. The Top Man later met at a New York restaurant with several of his lieutenants, and they discussed his plans to legally take control of the Fantastic Four's HQ. The next day, agents of the Maggia, wearing special masked costumes, landed a ship on the Baxter Building's roof. The Human Torch flew to stop them, but the agents used a combination of high-tech weapons to subdue him, and they captured and drugged him. Ben, Reed, and Crystal arrived soon after, but the Maggia men had spread throughout their HQ. The Maggia ambushed the trio with Noxo-Gas, which incapacitated them. However, Gimlet then disobeyed the Top Man's orders and tried to kill the Fantastic Four. Sue sneaked into the Baxter Building, but they eventually discovered and captured her, but she delayed them long enough for the rest of the Fantastic Four to escape their death trap and return. The combined Fantastic Four (five, actually) made short work of the Maggia men, but when Gimlet pulled a gun, the Baxter Building's doorman pulled his gun and shot him. The doorman claimed to be just doing his duty, but Reed saw through his disguise and realized that he was the Top Man. He had killed Gimlet for ruining his plans for a legal takeover, but he had also foiled his own plans by committing murder. He was sent to prison.
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#7 (fb) - BTS) - The Top Man's claims to owning the Baxter Building were dismissed by the courts, and the Top Man was reportedly assassinated by order of his own family.
Comments: Created by Stan "The Man" Lee and Jack "King" Kirby.
According the Maggia entry in the OHotMU, the branch of the Maggia that would become known as the "Hammerhead family" had long been dominated by middle-aged Maggia traditionalists. After the death of the Top Man, the Maggia sought a new leader who would direct operations along thoroughly traditional lines, and chose Hammerhead, who after suffering amnesia had adopted a ruthless persona shaped by gangster films. They continue to mostly use weapons from the Prohibition Era, though they do sometimes rely on advanced technology, such as Hammerhead's occasionally used exoskeleton.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Top Man has no known connection to:
BIG ROCK has no known connection to:
GIMLET has no known connection to:
Big Rock
One of the Top Man's enforcers, he allowed Gimlet to shoot him in the chest to prove the efficacy of the Top Man's new protective clothes. He presumably participated in the attempted takeover of the Baxter Building.
--Fantastic Four I#101
One of the Top Man's lieutenants, he led the effort to takeover the Baxter Building and the successful defeat of the four of the team members. However, he disobeyed the Top Man's order of no killing. Figuring that the "Maggia Supreme Council" would promote him to be the new Top Man after seeing how he had handled things, he ordered the unconscious heroes to be placed within sealed boxes and dumped into the sea by the
--Fantastic Four I#101
The word Gimlet has two definitions:
Both are potentially applicable, but I'd guess he took his name from the latter.
Appearances:
Fantastic Four I#101 (August, 1970) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks)
First Posted: 10/21/2003
Last updated: 09/25/2013
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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