URSA the MAN BEAR

Real Name: Original name unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human (Old West era), raised by animals-type

Occupation: Hunter/Gatherer

Group Membership: Former member of the Cheyenne tribe

Affiliations: Friends with a group of bears ("The Shaggy Ones")

Enemies: Red Wolf (Johnny Wakely), troops of Fort Rango

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: The Bearskin Brave (yes, really), Bear Brother

Base of Operations: The Old West, outside Fort Rango, @ the mid-late 19th Century

First Appearance: Red Wolf#4 (November, 1972)

Powers: None. Ursa was very strong and a reasonably skilled grappler (from wrestling bears, of course). He was also an accomplished horseman and was skilled with several basic weapons stolen from the Cheyenne tribe. He was willing to keep people or other animals to feed or defend his people, the bears.

History: (RedW#4(fb)) - The man known as Ursa was lost in the frozen wilderness as an infant, but was rescued and raised by bears. He became strong from wrestling them, and he learned their hunting skills, etc. He learned to speak the language of the Cheyenne by listening to campfire conversations, from a distance. He also stole weapons and learned to use them on his own.

(RW#4) - While trying to steal a pony herd and injuring a Cheyenne named Little Elkhorn, Ursa came into conflict with Red Wolf. Ursa pummelled the smaller hero and prepared to crush him with a large rock, but Red Wolf kicked him over the edge of a cliff, but he landed in water and so was not killed. Upon recovering, he raised a group of the Shaggy Ones and attacked, overpowered, and stole a Fort Rango provision train, including a small herd of cattle. This was mistaken by the soldiers as an attack by a tribe of Native Americans, dressed in bear costumes. Meanwhile, a group of renegade Cheyenne known as the Crazy Dog warriors blamed the white men for the previous theft of their pony herd. As with everything else, this threatened war between the red and the white man, and so Red Wolf headed off to save the day. He again encountered Ursa and the two struggled briefly until Red Wolf inadvertently knocked Ursa into a hot springs crater, apparently killing him. Red Wolf and Lobo then found the cattle herd, drove off the bears, and returned them to the men of Fort Rango.

Comments: Created by Gardner Fox and Syd Shores.

He was "mighty as An Ha Dei, the Bear."

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

• Ursa Major, Mikhail Ursus, the Russian mutant, @ Incredible Hulk II#258
• Ursla, the Priestess of the Northern Snows, or the Hyborian Era, who also works with bears, @ Conan the Barbarian I#48
  --all of whom are presumably named after Ursa Major, the Great Bear, which is the Greek name for the constellation also known as the Big Dipper. I forget the back story.
• Bear Brother, one of the Tribe of the Moon, @ 8000 BC, @ Alpha Flight I#83
  --although, they are all separated by time and could be from the same family line.
• Brother Bear, energy creature spawned by Kang's technology @ Avengers: The Man who Stole Tomorrow

Appearances:
Red Wolf#4 (November, 1972) - Gardner Fox (writer), Roy Thomas (dialogue re-write/editor), Syd Shores (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks)

Last updated: 09/04/11

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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