THE BEATLES

Membership: George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey);
    formerly Pete Best, Stu Sutcliffe

Purpose: To entertain the masses, grow musically and show the world that all you need is love

Aliases: The Silver Beetles;
    "The Fab Four" (nickname)

Affiliations: Apple Corps, Pete Best, Capitol Records, Maureen Cox, Brian Epstein, Astrid Kirchherr, Allen Klein, Richard Lester, Gene Mahon, George Martin, Yoko Ono, Elvis Presley, Queen Elizabeth, Rory Storm & the Hurricanes, Tony Sheridan, Pete Shotten, Ed Sullivan, Stu Sutcliffe, Al Williams, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, numerous others

Enemies: The Skrull Beatles (indirectly, the Skrull Beatles attempted to replace the real Beatles)

Base of Operations: London, England, UK;
    formerly Liverpool, England, UK

First Appearance: (mentioned) Journey into Mystery I#108 (September, 1964) (see comments);
    (fully seen, historically) Strange Tales I#130 (March, 1965) (see comments);
    (actually fully seen due to retcon) Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 (1978)

History:
(Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part One)" (fb) - BTS) - The boys who would eventually make up the Beatles rock band idolized Elvis Presley.

(Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part One)") - In the late 1950s, after bringing guitarist Paul McCartney and the young guitarist George Harrison into his Liverpool skiffle group, the Quarrymen, John Lennon joined his friends in playing the Casbah club, where they changed the name of the group to the Silver Beetles and acquired a new name: the artist Stu Sutcliffe. As the boys continued playing often as the Casbah club, they eventually dropped the "Silver" part of their band name and reworked it into the "Beatles" as a pun on the word "beat." Soon acquiring a manager, Al Williams, the Beatles were booked at a gig in Hamburg, Germany in fall 1959 on the condition they acquire a drummer. Having suffered without a steady drummer, the Beatles invited Pete Best, son of the Casbah club owner, to join the group as their drummer on their tour of Hamburg.

(International Iron Man I#6 (fb) - BTS) - At some point during their tour of Hamburg, the Beatles played at the Indra Club.

(Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part One)") - While still in Hamburg, the Beatles became the resident band at the Kaiserkeller club, where they met photographer Astrid Kirchherr, whom Stu Sutcliffe fell in love with. After Stu left the band to focus on his art career, the Beatles got into a contest with rival band Rory Storm & the Hurricanes over which band could destroy the rickety Kaiserkeller floor first. Developing a friendship with the Hurricanes' drummer, Ringo Starr, the Beatles began having Ringo occasionally sit in with the band during performances and they even recorded a song with Ringo drumming in May 1961.

    Subsequently returning to Liverpool without Ringo Starr, the Beatles found England eager to welcome them back and they became a fixture at the local Cavern Club, soon playing upwards of 294 shows to standing room only crowds as their popularity grew. When word got out that the Beatles had backed recording artist Tony Sheridan up on an album recorded in Germany featuring the single "My Bonnie," fans began trying to find copies of the single. Noticing the sheer amount of requests for the single at his record store, the curious Brian Epstein opted to learn more about the Beatles and when he learned they were a local group, he visited them backstage at a Cavern Club show on November 9, 1961. Having split with their former manager, the Beatles sat down to meet with Brian Epstein, who expressed interest in becoming their new manager. After the Beatles ultimately agreed to sign with Brian Epstein, Brian began searching London for a record company willing to sign the Beatles and while a frustrated Brian continued his search, the Beatles returned to tour Germany, this time focusing their shows on the Star-Club. Soon after, the Beatles learned that Stu Sutcliffe had died of a brain tumor at age 21. Still in Germany, the Beatles subsequently received a telegram from Brian Epstein that EMI had requested a recording session with the group and that they wanted to hear new material. Returning to Liverpool, the Beatles replaced Pete Best as their drummer with Ringo Starr, whom they recalled from their Hamburg days. A month before the Beatles were set to go into the recording studios, John Lennon married Cynthia Powell in a secret ceremony on August 23. On September 11, 1962, the Beatles visited the EMI recording studio and met with engineer George Martin, with whom they recorded their first hit single, "Love Me Do." Having successfully recorded for EMI, the Beatles discussed adopting their own style with Brian Epstein and they ultimately decided on a look involving distinctive haircuts, a suit-like mode of dressing and dry, humorous mannerisms.

    In November 1962, the Beatles made their first appearance on television and the following month, they made their final trip to Hamburg, Germany. By February 1963, their single "Please Please Me" had hit #1 on the British singles charts, leading to them headlining a new tour. On October 13, during a show at the London Palladium, fans went into a frenzy, leading to a cultural phenomenon called "Beatlemania." A week later, on November 4, the Beatles played at the Royal Variety Command Performance for the Queen of England herself, during which John Lennon joked that those in the cheaper seats could clap their hands while the rest of the audience could rattle their jewelry.

(Wisdom I#2 (fb) - BTS / Marvel Atlas I#1 - United Kingdom entry - BTS / Secret Invasion Saga (fb) -  BTS) - In 1963, a group of shapeshifting alien Skrulls arrived on Earth and assumed the form of the Beatles, intending to take the real Beatles' place and rule the world. During their impersonation of the real Beatles, the Skrull Beatles ultimately went native and decided to stay on Earth.

(Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part One)") - The Beatles' second album, "With the Beatles" soon replaced their first, "Please Please Me," at the top of the charts and the Beatles were off to tours of Sweden and France before visiting America.

(Uncanny X-Men I#467 (fb) - BTS) - While the Beatles were staying in the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, youngsters Phyllis and Elaine snuck into the Plaza Hotel to meet the band, where Phyllis received a kiss from John Lennon.

(Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part One)"/Pizzazz I#14 - "History of Rock & Roll in America") - Booked on The Ed Sullivan Show, the Beatles made their American television debut on February 9, 1964 to an estimated television audience of 70,000,000 and a month later, the group began filming their first film, "A Hard Day's Night," directed by Richard Lester and written by Alun Owen.  During the filming, Beatles guitarist George Harrison met actress Patti Boyd and the film premiered on July 6, 1964.

(Fantastic Four I#34 (fb) - BTS / Defenders I#131 (fb) - BTS) - Early on in their career, the Beatles licensed out their likenesses for a variety of merchandise including Beatles-style wigs resembling their trademarked hairstyles and posters, among other items.

(Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part One)") - On February 11, 1965, the Beatles attended the small wedding of their drummer Ringo Starr to Maureen Cox and by June, the group had been awarded prestigious MBE awards in Britain.

(Excalibur I#34 (fb) - BTS) - During the filming of the Beatles' second film, "Help!," a scene was filmed at the Salisbury Plain, famed location of Stonehenge.

(Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part One)") - On July 29, 1965, the Beatles' second film, "Help!," premiered and while it garnered less critical acclaim, it reinforced an interest in acting with Beatles John Lennon and Ringo Starr.

(Daredevil I#123 (fb) - BTS / Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part One)" / Spider-Island: Deadly Foes#1/2 (fb) - BTS) - On August 15, 1965, the Beatles played a legendary show at New York's Shea Stadium, breaking all previous attendance records with over 55,000 fans packed into the baseball stadium.

(Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part One)") - Shortly after, the Beatles flew to Hollywood, California to meet their musical idol, Elvis Presley, where they were rumored to have played the board game Monopoly with real money and participated in a rock and roll jam session with Presley. The group subsequently returned to England in October 1965 for the ceremony where they met Queen Elizabeth to receive their MBE awards. By December 1965, the Beatles released their album "Rubber Soul," a departure from their typical albums somewhat reflecting the influences of drug use and mysticism on the band. As 1966 dawned, guitarist George Harrison married Patti Boyd, whom he had earlier met during the filming of the Beatles' movie "A Hard Day's Night," and in June, the Beatles posed for a rather controversial cover for the American Capitol Records release, "Yesterday and Today," a cover that garnered so much objection after purchase by youngsters like Billy that Capitol hastily substituted a new cover for the controversial one.

    As the Beatles packed so many experiences into a few short years, the band began to mature musically and shift their attitudes more towards awareness and artistic integrity, beginning their 1966 world tour in Munich's Circus Krone. When John Lennon made an off-handed remark that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus to London Evening Standard reporter Maureen Cleave, the Beatles experienced a backlash in the American Bible Belt, leading to mass burnings of Beatles albums in that area of the country. Despite this, the Beatles did not cancel their 19-city tour of America and sales of their newest album, "Revolver," continued to soar. Eventually, John publicly retracted his statement and what would become the Beatles' final tour gained momentum. Following the end of the tour, the Beatles took a break to explore individual interests and rumors began to spread of a possible breakup of the band. The group soon got to work on their newest album, becoming more involved in the studio aspects of the album such as engineering, mixes and overdubs with George Martin, who expressed concern for the stress Beatles manager Brian Epstein seemed to be under of late.

(Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part Two)") - George Harrison returned from India following a meeting with transcendental meditation guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and he gathered the other Beatles to tell them of his experiences, soon talking them into visiting the Maharishi themselves. Before they left, however, Brian Epstein arrived to show them the finalized cover for their newest album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Upon release in June 1967, the Beatles' new album exploded in popularity, remaining #1 on the charts for five straight months.

    Rather than release a single to promote the album, the Beatles decided to release an entirely new single, "All You Need is Love," by tying it into the British program, "Our World." Unfortunately, the overt drug allusions in the "Sgt. Pepper" album earned the Beatles more controversy and soon after, all four Beatles visited the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's seminar in Bangor, North Wales and while there, the Beatles received word that Brian Epstein had died. On December 7, 1967, after the Beatles had returned to England, the group opened the Apple Shop on 94 Baker Street, a boutique for psychedelic paraphernalia. As the month went on, gossip began of John Lennon's public appearances with American pop artist Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney's engagement to Jane Asher on Christmas Day, Ringo Starr's filming of the movie "Candy" and the television premiere of the Beatles' newest film, "Magical Mystery Tour," which was panned by critics.

    By early 1968, the Beatles had become disillusioned with the Maharishi and they returned to completely reorganize their business affairs into the Apple Corps company that handled several subdivisions including Apple Electronics, Apple Films, Apple Music Publishing, Apple Wholesale, Apple Television and Apple Records, announcing the formation of Apple Corps on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to guest host Joe Garagiola with a company logo designed by artist Gene Mahon. Almost immediately upon opening their doors, Apple Corps was flooded with people trying to reach the Beatles to get their next big idea off the ground with several being signed including Badfinger, Mary Hopkin, James Taylor and Jackie Lomax, among others. While the projects piled up, the next Beatles film, the animated "Yellow Submarine," premiered in mid-July 1968. With the new film was a rousing success, the Beatles' affairs with Apple Corps were struggling and losing money on things like the Apple boutique, which permanently closed after being open only seven months. The Beatles subsequently appeared on The David Frost Show in August 1968 to perform their newest single, "Hey Jude," and they soon went back into the studio to record their newest album, only to find themselves more interested in their individual pursuits. Blaming himself for the lack of group effort and feeling like the odd man out, Ringo Starr quit the Beatles during the recording sessions but returned in time to finish the album. Shortly after October, following John Lennon's divorce from Cynthia and the blossoming of his romance with Yoko Ono, the Beatles received negative feedback from an album recorded by John and Yoko in which they appeared naked on the cover, an album set to be released at the same time as the Beatles' so-called "White Album."

(Uncanny X-Men I#472 (fb) - BTS) - The Beatles released the song "Helter Skelter."

(Runaways I#9 (fb) - BTS) - The Beatles recorded and released the song "Only a Northern Song."

(Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part Two)") - In January 1969, the Beatles regrouped in an effort to get their career back to basics, recording an album tentatively titled "Get Back" and filming their entire proceedings. Unfortunately, while Paul McCartney retained enthusiasm for the project, the other Beatles soon lost interest and the project was shelved as Apple Corps continued to lose money. Further splintering the group, the other Beatles insisted on hiring Allan Klein to manage Apple's finances despite Paul McCartney's objection and Paul ultimately hired lawyers Eastman and Eastman to represent himself during the arising legal issues. As the issues mounted for the Beatles, Ringo Starr starred in "The Magic Christian" film with Peter Sellers and Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman in March 1969. John Lennon followed suit, marrying Yoko Ono at the Rock of Gibraltar. Still not quite sure what to do with the "Get Back" recordings, the Beatles returned to the studio in July 1969 to begin work on a different album, "Abbey Road," despite each of them having their own solo albums in various stages of completion. Unaware that "Abbey Road" was destined to be their final recorded album, each of the Beatles continued their solo pursuits with John Lennon performing live at a September concert.

(Uncanny X-Men I#472 (fb) - BTS) - The Beatles released the song "Come Together."

(Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part Two)") - Later in October 1969, the radio station WKNR inaccurately announced that the Beatles' Paul McCartney had died in 1965 and had been replaced with a double. Paul dealt with the rumors by denying them wholeheartedly and the Beatles encountered more negative publicity when John Lennon returned his MBE award in protest of Britain's involvement in Nigeria-Biafra. As pressured and publicity mounted about whether the Beatles were breaking up, the "Get Back" recordings were announced for release under the title of "Let it Be" in early 1970 and the Beatles continued their pursuit of individual interests while denying any official Beatles breakup. John and Yoko soon became more involved in protest movements and Ringo Starr released his solo album, "Sentimental Journey." Paul followed suit by working on his solo album titled "McCartney" and during a subsequent interview, Paul announced that he had quit the Beatles due to personal, business and musical differences. The Beatles' album "Let it Be" was released in May 1970 and a documentary film of its making was also released, showcasing the band's unfortunate disintegration rather than the intended Beatles at their best.

(New Excalibur I#4 (fb) - BTS) - The Beatles broke up.

(Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part Two)") - With the official disbandment of the group, each of the individual Beatles were free to grow and change as their own individuals.

(New Excalibur I#4 (fb) - BTS) - In the years following the Beatles' breakup, Beatles members John Lennon and George Harrison both died.

(International Iron Man I#6 (fb) - BTS) - Stationed in Germany, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent/rock star Amanda Strong was setting up her show at the Indra Club in Hamburg and her guitarist noted that the Beatles had played there and how it didn't look like they had cleaned the place since. Later, after fellow agent Jude saved Amanda from the assassin Ollie, Jude informed Amanda that he had come to Germany to see Amanda play where the Beatles had played.

(Marvel I#1 /3 - BTS) - Years later, when the modern era hero Iron Man was testing a new Image Projector device by using his Avengers ally Rick Jones' thoughts, an image of the monstrous Hulk appeared and a surprised Iron Man admitted that he had been expecting an image of actress Tuesday Weld or perhaps one of the Beatles.

(Journey into Mystery I#108 - BTS) - When the Avengers noticed their teammate Thor flying through the air and offered their assistance, a surprised Thor exclaimed "The Avengers!!," prompting the Wasp to ask if Thor had been expecting the Beatles.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#17 - BTS) - After seeing a paid ad in his Daily Bugle newspaper about the Spider-Man Fan Club, publisher J. Jonah Jameson expressed concern to employee Betty Brant that if the Fan Club was successful, Spider-Man might become as popular as the Beatles.

(Strange Tales I#125 - BTS) - When reporters from Life magazine arrived at the Fantastic Four's headquarters to get interviews, the feuding teammates Thing and the Human Torch became excited and the Thing remarked that they would soon be crowding the Beatles off the front page of the magazine.

(Fantastic Four I#34 - BTS) - The Yancy Street Gang mailed a Beatles wig to the Thing as a prank gift, prompting the Human Torch to burst into laughter and nearly causing a fight between the two heroes. After everything had calmed down, Alicia Masters asked why the Thing didn't just throw the Beatles wig away and the Thing responded by trying it on, admitting that he had always wanted to try one. Later, after the Fantastic Four had defeated the mad Gregory Gideon, the Thing wondered to himself how the bald Gideon would look in his Beatles wig.

(Strange Tales I#130 - BTS) - Dorrie Evans and Alicia Masters were out shopping when the spotted a poster advertising the Beatles performing in-person. As the two discussed the upcoming concert, the group posing as the Beatles for the concert (see comments) walked past the two women to enter the venue, exciting Dorrie into purchasing four tickets to the concert so they could see the show with their boyfriends, the Human Torch and the Thing.The girls then phoned the Fantastic Four's headquarters to invite the Torch and the Thing to the so-called Beatles concert. The Torch readily agreed to go to the concert by the Thing at first said he was going bowling until Alicia Masters entered the room and expressed interesting in hearing the Beatles perform, at which point the Thing also agreed to go. Later that evening, the two heroes and their dates found themselves stuck in the traffic surrounded the so-called Beatles concert but the Thing managed to lift cars out of the way so their taxi could get through. The foursome then entered through the stage entrance and both Dorrie and Alicia went further ahead, running right into the midst of the seeming Beatles themselves. The two heroes followed and while the Human Torch appeared jealous of the attention Dorrie Evans was showing the group, the Thing eagerly ran ahead to meet his supposedly secret idols, the Beatles. When the venue manager entered the room and revealed that a group of hoods had made off with the "Beatles"'s payroll, the Human Torch and the Thing went into action, soon tracking the Beatles-impersonating thugs to Laffland Amusement Park. The duo eventually defeated the thugs, causing them to lose their Beatles wigs, and the heroes quickly flew back to the Beatles concert, hoping they hadn't missed much of it. Returning the stolen payroll, the Thing briefly put on the Beatles wig he had been given weeks earlier until the Human Torch teased him into removing it. As they entered the theater, however, fans came running out of the door cheering about the Beatles concert and hitting the two heroes with the flown-open doors. When Dorrie mentioned that the Thing and the Torch had arrived just in time to take them home, the Human Torch asked about the Beatles and Alicia suggested the band could get home on their own. The Torch then griped at how they worked so hard only to miss seeing the supposed Beatles in concert and Dorrie promised they would tell the heroes all about the show.

(Fantastic Four I#37 - BTS) - During a trip to the alien Skrull galaxy, the Fantastic Four noticed a furry-looking humanoid fauna and the Thing commented that one of them looked like his Aunt Petunia in a Beatles wig.

(Marvels I#2 - BTS) - As the Fantastic Four's popularity skyrocketed following the engagement of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Girl, Seventeen magazine published an issue with a cover headline comparing "the Fab Four" Beatles to the Fantastic Four.

(Avengers I#22 - BTS) - Captain America, disguised as a talent agent, visited the criminal Power Man and his partner, the Enchantress, claiming he could make the two of them the biggest front-page item since the Beatles.

(Avengers I#45 - BTS) - After giving a brief interview during the first Avengers Day in New York, Hawkeye turned to his teammate the Scarlet Witch and joked that he may not exactly be a one-man Beatles when it came to giving all the answers in interviews.

(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. I#11 - BTS) - In their album titled "The 1st," the band Million Megaton Explosion thanked Beatles John, Paul, George and Ringo for inspiration. Later, after Million Megaton Explosion had been affected by and subsequently freed of the Hate-Monger's Hate-Ray, the confused band realized they had a show scheduled and their leader Rick Jefferson hurried the band off, noting that they would never catch the success of the Beatles by sitting around in some stuffy office.

(Howard the Duck Magazine I#5 /2 - BTS) - While battling the insanely Captain Americana, Howard the Duck was asked if he had ever heard of Sen. Joseph McCarthy, to which Howard replied by asking if he was the one who quit the Beatles to form Wings.

(Defenders I#131 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, overweight cab driver Hubert Carpenter became a huge fan of the Beatles. He soon came to own several pieces of Beatles merchandise including several of their record albums, a cardboard standee advertising the band, a poster and even a Beatles wig.

(Defenders I#131 - BTS) - After being granted superhuman strength and durability by an experiment with Omicron rays, Hubert Carpenter returned home to his Beatles collection and became inspired by the cover of the Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" album to become the superhuman Walrus. When the Walrus subsequently showed up at a lecture by the heroic Beast in an attempt to destroy the hero and prove himself to the public, the Beast coined a phrase from the Lewis Carroll poem, "The Walrus and the Carpenter," changing the words to state "The time has come, my bulging friend, to talk of many things! Of dolts and clods and Beatles songs...of fisticuffs...and..." before attacking and bouncing off the durable Walrus' gut.

(Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black#3 - BTS) - Upon being introduced to the extraterrestrial Rocket Raccoon, Spider-Man asked if he was named after the Beatles song ("Rocky Raccoon") and Rocket answered by asking what a "Beatles" was.

(Excalibur I#57 - BTS) - While battling the Troll Associates, Captain Britain was surprised when one of them transformed into an octopus-like form and quoted/acknowledged the Beatles by saying "I want to hold your hand."

(Spider-Man Unlimited I#12 - BTS) - During a battle against the Beetle and numerous other criminals, Spider-Man (Ben Reilly) punched the Beetle as he was monologued about who he was and Spider-Man joked that perhaps the Beetle should instead be screaming "I am the Walrus!," noting the name connection between the Beetle and the Beatles. When his joke about the Beatles went without laughter, Spider-Man suggested the remark be forgotten.

(Deadpool II#26 - BTS) - When Hand ninjas approached Alestaire Finchley about his involvement in the death of one of their associates, Finchley tried to make an excuse but the ninjas demanded money, women and the rights of Beatles songs.

(Howard the Duck II#4 - BTS) - While in the Boarding House of Mystery, Howard the Duck and Beverly Switzler lost their pit bull and Beverly knocked on the neighboring door housing the dancer Utah and her pet gastornis, Ravel, only to hear nothing but dancing feet and an old Beatles song.

(Mystique I#1 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, mutant underground agent Prudence Leighton became a fan of the Beatles.

(Mystique I#1 - BTS) - Prudence Leighton was confronted by the arms dealer Steinbeck and during their confrontation, Steinbeck referenced a Rolling Stones song, prompting Prudence to knee Steinbeck and note that she was always more of a Beatles fan. She then pulled a gun on Steinbeck and remarked that he knew what the Beatles said about happiness.

(Runaways I#9 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, the vampire Topher became a fan of the Beatles. Teenager Karolina Dean also grew to enjoy the band after her father gave her a Beatles "Best Of" CD.

(Runaways I#9 - BTS) - After joining up with the teenage Runaways while keeping his vampirism a secret, Topher ran into Karolina Dean during a search for a place to rest in the dilapidated Runaways hideout, the Hostel, and when Karolina expressed regret in her codename of Lucy in the Sky, Topher admitted that he loved the Beatles, all except the song "Only a Northern Song." Admitting she wasn't familiar with that particular Beatles song due to only listening to the "Best Of" CD her father had once given her, Karolina listened to Topher talking about how much he hated "Only a Northern Song" before tearing up about everything she was trying to deal with emotionally.

(Uncanny X-Men I#467 - BTS) - When her Earth-616 Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Roy Dennefer were killed by alien Shi'ar agents, Earth-811's Marvel Girl felt their deaths telepathically and she thought back on the story about how Phyllis had once snuck into the Plaza Hotel with her sister Elaine to meet the Beatles.

(New Excalibur I#4 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, a shrine of sorts to the Beatles was erected in London's Covent Garden, showing photos of the four Beatles with curtains over John Lennon and George Harrison to acknowledge their deaths.

(New Excalibur I#4 - BTS) - Mutant heroine Dazzler brought Earth-2182's Nocturne to Covent Garden in London, where Nocturne learned that the Beatles had broke up on Earth-616, and that both John Lennon and George Harrison were dead. When Dazzler questioned if things were different on Earth-2182, Nocturne pulled out her music player and showed Dazzler how Earth-2182's Beatles were still together making music, noting that she had their entire catalogue.

(Uncanny X-Men I#472 - BTS) - When the reality-warping Jamie Braddock appeared on the grounds of the Xavier Institute, he remarked to the X-Men that he fancied some Beatles, noting at first that "Helter Skelter" seemed too obvious. He then considered the Beatles song "Magical Mystery Tour" before deciding on "Come Together."

(Secret Invasion Saga - BTS) - While reviewing the history of alien Skrull activity, the heroic Iron Man noted the presence of the Skrull Beatles on Earth and their attempt to replace the actual Beatles back in 1963, as well as the Skrull Beatle John's joining of Britain's MI13 organization.

(ClanDestine II#3 - BTS) - When the time-displaced Vex met past incarnations of the British superhero team Excalibur, Vex was questioned about his knowledge of the world by the past incarnation of Shadowcat to determine if they were from the same reality and one of the questions was about the Beatles, whom Vex identified as John, Paul, George and Ringo.

(Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust?#1 - BTS) - During a period in which Wonder Man was trapped in a cave-in with an alien Skrull posing as the Beast, the Skrull Beast, in an attempt to trick Wonder Man into thinking he was the real Beast, asked who Wonder Man was now hanging out with, suggesting Hercules but noting that Hercules didn't know the Beatles from a Greek chorus.

(New Avengers II#5 /2 - BTS) - While being interviewed for an oral history of the Avengers team, Rick Jones reflected back on the early days of Captain America's "Kooky Quartet" era of the team and referred to that particular roster as not being the Beatles but rather, the guys following up the Beatles, and how things were destined to not go well.

(Spider-Island: Deadly Foes#1 / 2 - BTS) - Recounting the story of how he had cloned Spider-Man and sent the clone after the real Spider-Man at Shea Stadium, the criminal Jackal laughed that it had been the most excitement Shea Stadium had seen since the Beatles.

(Uncanny X-Men I#544 - BTS) - As the X-Men prepared to leave their headquarters, Iceman reminded Cyclops that the two of them and the rest of the original X-Men team were akin to the Beatles. Admitting he was the best at pop culture, Cyclops reminded Iceman that there were only four Beatles and Iceman responded by saying"Not originally."

(Deadpool IV#45 / 2 - BTS) - Following a bar trivia night in which Shiklah got an incorrect answer, Shiklah and Deadpool emerged from the bar and Shiklah mentioned the Small Wonder television series, the Galaga video game and the Beatles, asking Deadpool how she was supposed to rule part of the world when she knew nothing of its history and greatest art. Deadpool responded by expressing his opinion that the Beatles weren't that great and commented that the band was like a smarter version of the Backstreet Boys.

(Invincible Iron Man II#1 - BTS) - While on a date with Dr. Amara Perera, Tony Stark bragged about being famous and when Dr. Perera questioned that, Stark further bragged that he was sort of Beatles-level famous except that the Beatles never flew around the galaxy punching giant robots.

(Iceman II#2 - BTS) - When Iceman and Kitty Pryde confronted young mutant Zachary, who was being attacked by an anti-mutant mob, Iceman joked that the mob was coming after Zachary like he was the Beatles.

(Runaways V#3 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Karolina Dean acquired a Beatles poster and hung it on the wall of her college dorm room.

(Runaways V#3 - BTS) - The Beatles poster remained on Karolina Dean's wall as Karolina listened to the song, "A Day in the Life," and danced.

(Runaways V#12 - BTS) - After Victor Mancha assisted the time-displaced Gertrude Yorkes in installing a battery into her parents' old time machine, Victor asked Gert where in time she wanted to go, questioning if she wanted to go to the first Beatles concert.

(Runaways V#20 - BTS) - Karolina Dean's Beatles poster remained on the wall of her college dorm room when Karolina visited the room to pick up a few of her belongings.

(Spine-Tingling Spider-Man Infinity Comic#2 - BTS) - After Peter Parker began hearing a strange song almost everywhere, he heard an old woman whistling and frantically confronted her, demanding to know where she heard the song, but the creeped out woman muttered that it was just the Beatles.

(Ms. Marvel: Mutant Menace#2 - BTS) - When alien rock star Lila Cheney recruited Ms. Marvel, who had only recently discovered her true nature as a mutant, to assist in finding her missing fans, Lila asked if the X-Men had fled without Ms. Marvel and Ms. Marvel replied that her recent discovery of her mutant nature was similar to joining the Beatles after they had broken up.

Comments: Historically adapted into Marvel Comics by Stan Lee, Dick Ayers and Paul Reiman. Actually adapted into Marvel Comics (due to retcon - see comments below) by David Anthony Kraft, George Perez and Klaus Janson.

    The Beatles were, of course, a real world band (see images to the left and right here for how they actually looked in their early and later years as a group) that changed the 1960s with their music and left a legacy that is felt even to this day, as evident by the fact that a single completed after the deaths of members John Lennon and George Harrison hit #1 on the charts in 2023, some 53 years after the band broke up.

    The Beatles are first alluded to in Strange Tales I#123 (August, 1964) but they are not mentioned in the actual story itself, just in an editor's note as a rock band that the villainous Beetle is in no relation to. Since they are not mentioned in-story or even actually mentioned by name at all (only vaguely alluded to in relation to the villainous "Beetle"), I chose not to list that as the group's first reference in Marvel book.

    Similarly, the online Marvel Database lists the Beatles as being mentioned in Avengers I#178 but they are not mentioned anywhere in that issue that I could find. The closest I could find was the Beast singing a variation of the Beatles' song "Eleanor Rigby" while under mind control but the Beatles were never actually mentioned by name nor is the song title "Eleanor Rigby" even mentioned. Therefore, I have have also not included that issue in the Beatles' appearances in this profile. Another example of a vague reference to the Beatles without actually mentioning them is Runaways I#6. In that issue, they refer to the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" when Karolina Dean picks Lucy in the Sky as her codename but the Beatles are not actually mentioned by name at all. Chase Stein refers to Karolina's choice of codename as referencing "some old song" but since the Beatles are not mentioned by name, I chose not to include this "appearance" in this profile. On this same note, the Beatles are also alluded to in Runaways II#14, where Xavin mentions that Karolina Dean was a fan of a "musical quartet" and their song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" but again, the band was only alluded to and not actually mentioned by name so that "appearance" is also not included in this profile.

    The Beatles are fully seen in Strange Tales I#130 but, due to the sliding time scale, this appearance couldn't possibly have been the real Beatles, as both John Lennon and George Harrison would have been passed away by the time the story took place. As suggested in the profile on the criminal Beatles impersonators, it must be a Beatles cover band in town in Strange Tales I#130, one that dresses & acts the part like the real-life Beatlemania cast, 1964: The Tribute or Rain...Since this appearance couldn't possibly be the actual Beatles (despite the original intention being so), the Beatles first actual Marvel Comics appearance would instead be the later Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 (1978).

    In most of the mentions of the Beatles as a band, the group name is mentioned without mentioning the specific band members by name. With that in mind, the main History section of this profile covers only the Beatles' appearances (whether BTS or otherwise) as a group. The four main individual members of the band are probably best saved for their own individual profiles. Yes, there are a TON more Beatles associates that could also be subprofiled here in this group profile but many of them are also probably better saved for profiles on the individual Beatles members.

    Marvel Comics Super Special#4 is not just a comic book. It also features magazine-style articles about the Beatles. Noting that, I've listed the specific story names in the History section above rather than the typical numbering of stories that is the usual Marvel Appendix format, as numbering might lead to some arguments over whether the articles count as stories or if only the comic stories should be counted, etc. etc.

    For the subprofiles, I included images of the characters as they appeared in comics (if applicable) and also an image of them in real life to show the contrast in appearance between real life and comics. In cases where the character was only mentioned in comics and not seen, I only included a photo of their real life counterpart. The real life photos of the characters are sourced from various internet sources including the Britannica, Radio X, This Day in Music, PMA Magazine, the Irish Times, IMDB, They May Be Parted, Wikipedia, the Mark Goodson Wiki, the Baseball Magazine blog, the BBC, the Scotsman, YouTube, Global News, MutualArt, USA Today, CNN, the Gilly blog, the Independent, Daytrippin' Beatles Magazine, Biography, the Cavern Club and the YogTravel websites.

    I did my best in terms of research on the real life figures in the subprofiles but I had to be as concise as possible to still get the basic info across. Certainly, there is much, much more I could have went into in terms of more specific details of the individuals' lives but the focus of this profile is primarily to catalogue their appearances in Marvel Comics while also giving a brief summary of their real lives, as reality and comics often intertwine when it comes to real life figures and history, especially in Marvel Comics. If I left out something you feel is important or glossed over details somewhere, feel free to read more about the lives of any of the characters in this profile to learn more. For the Beatles themselves, the Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 issue summarizes their career as a group fairly well but I do recommend the Beatles Anthology documentary TV mini-series from 1995, which provides an in-depth look into the Beatles career as told by the Beatles themselves and those closest to them. The series was released on VHS and later DVD in an expanded format with more interviews and rare footage!

    The Earth-665 Beatles show up in Not Brand Echh I#8 & #13 (as well as being mentioned in the Forbush-Man OHotMU profile seen in Marvel Age I#45). The unidentified Earth-9047 Beatles appear in the calendar page of Marvel Age I#95.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Beatles has no known connections to:

• The Beatles - cover band modeled after the originals--Strange Tales I#130
• The Skrull Beatles - shapeshifting aliens posing as the original band--Wisdom I#6
  
• or any other "Beatles" groups

Badfinger

Badfinger was a band that had been signed to the Beatles' Apple Records label and shortly after signing with Apple, the band seemed to be going over well with the public.

Badfinger was a real-life band initially consisting of Pete Ham, Ron Griffiths, Joey Molland, Tom Evans and Mike Gibbins. Founded in 1961, they were originally known as the Iveys and renamed themselves Badfinger shortly after signing with the real-life Apple Records. Ron Griffiths left the group shortly after in 1969. The other four continued on with hits such as "Come & Get It," "No Matter What," "Day After Day" & "Baby Blue." Badfinger were at the height of their game between 1968-1973 but after Apple Records folded, the group fell into legal troubles with fraudulent management, leading to Pete Ham briefly quitting the group and the band adding keyboardist Bob Jackson to the roster. Ham returned to the group but as legal and financial troubles continued to mount, Pete Ham died in 1975 and the band officially broke up. The group reformed in 1977 but splintered in 1982-1983 with Joey Molland and Tom Evans leading separate bands called Badfinger. Business tensions continued and Tom Evans ultimately died as well in November 1983. Joey Molland, Bob Jackson & Mike Gibbons continued on as Badfinger in 1984 but Mike Gibbons left the group in 1990. The Joey Molland-led Badfinger continued on sporadically and Mike Gibbons passed away of a brain aneurysm in 2005, leaving Molland as the only surviving member of the band's classic 4-man lineup. Despite the losses, Joey Molland continued on as Badfinger and the group splintered again in 2015 when Bob Jackson formed his own band called Badfinger in honor of the deceased former members. As of the date of the writing of this profile (11/22/2024), both Joey Molland's Badfinger and Bob Jackson's Badfinger are still active as bands.

NOTE: The four classic lineup members of Badfinger (Joey Molland, Tom Evans, Pete Ham & Mike Gibbins) all appear walking down a crowded street in Marvels (1994) #4 but, due to Marvel's sliding time scale, this couldn't possibly be the actual members of Badfinger, as all but Joey Molland would have been deceased at the time the story takes place. I suppose, as of 12/3/2024, it could be the actual Joey Molland. I considered including the image for this subprofile but since it would not be the actual Badfinger due to the sliding time scale, I ultimately chose not to include it and instead, I have included a photo of the real life Badfinger, taken from the cover of their album, "Straight Up."

--Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 - "The Beatles Story (Part Two)" - BTS

Pete Best

Peter "Pete" Best was the son of Mrs. Best, owner of the Merseyside Casbah Club, which she started to keep an eye on Pete, who had taken to playing drums. The Silver Beetles regularly played at the Casbah Club and when they changed their name to the Beatles and were booked on a tour of Hamburg, Germany in 1959, they were required to have a drummer so they turned to Pete Best, who enthusiastically joined the Beatles. While in Hamburg, Pete drummed for the Beatles at the Kaiserkellar club and participated in the friendly competition with rival band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes as to which band could completely destroy the Kaiserkellar's rickety stage first. After the group returned to England, Pete continued playing with them as they played a total of 294 standing room only gigs at the Cavern Club and met with Brian Epstein, who offered to manage the group. Pete Best remained with the Beatles through another tour of Hamburg, where they played at the Star-Club, but shortly after they returned to Liverpool, England, Pete was replaced as the Beatles' drummer by Ringo Starr, formerly of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, at Brian Epstein's suggestion.

Pete Best was indeed the real-life original drummer with the Beatles and he did play with them in much of their early days before being dismissed by Brian Epstein in 1962, shortly before the Beatles exploded in popularity. He contributed drums on many of the band's earliest recordings (much of which can be heard on "The Beatles Anthology 1" album). Following the Beatles, Pete Best became a part of a few other bands before settling into civil service work for years until he gained attention in later years as documentaries and other stories of the Beatles were created. In 1988, he formed the Pete Best Band with his younger brother Roag and as of 12/3/2024, they still perform small tours worldwide.

Billy

Billy was a young American Beatles fan who was shopping in a store with his friend when his friend found the new Beatles album, "Yesterday and Today," with a strange album cover in which the Beatles were covered in meat and baby doll parts. Billy's friend quickly called Billy over to check out the album cover and Billy remarked that his parents would flip when they saw the cover.

Brian Epstein

Brian Epstein was the Beatles' manager through the early days of their popularity. Originally a frustrated actor and record dealer in Liverpool, England, Brian Epstein kept receiving requests for the single "My Bonnie" by the Beatles and, having never heard of the band or the single, Epstein became curious and decided to meet the Beatles following a show at the Cavern Club on November 9, 1961. Suggesting the Beatles needed a manager that could get them bigger bookings and a recording contract, Epstein offered to become the Beatles' manager himself and, after discussing it amongst themselves, the Beatles agreed to Epstein's proposition and Brian Epstein became the Beatles' manager. He immediately began searching London for a record company that would sign the Beatles and he soon booked a recording session at EMI for the Beatles, informing the group and suggesting they rehearse new material. Before the session, Epstein agreed with the Beatles that they needed a new drummer and they soon replaced Pete Best with Ringo Starr. Following the recording session, Epstein suggested that if the band was to take the world by storm, they needed to start setting their own style and the group soon opted for style in which the foursome wore suits. After the Beatles paid their first visit to America, Brian began receiving swarms of offers to merchandise the Beatles. As the years of Beatles popularity passed, Brian became increasingly stressed and by 1966, he began to stress over the business side of things and perhaps began to feel a bit unneeded as the Beatles progressed as musicians. Beatles producer George Martin soon noticed Brian's lack of appearances around the recording studio and suggested to John Lennon that perhaps that the stressed Brian needed a vacation. John agreed but noted that they would never be able to get Brian himself to admit that. While the Beatles were putting the finishing touches on their album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," Brian paid a visit to the band to show them the finished cover of the album and John Lennon noticed signs of immense stress on Brian Epstein but knew not how to help his friend. Not long after, while the Beatles were at a seminar by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in August 1967, John Lennon received a phone call that Brian Epstein had passed away.

Brian Epstein (1934-1967) was the real-life manager of the Beatles from 1961 until his death in 1967. As shown in Marvel Comics Super Special#4, he was a record dealer who met with the Beatles and, after becoming their manager, he insisted they change their image in favor of a clean-cut style. He also became the manager of other musical artists including Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, the Moody Blues, the Fourmost, Cilla Black, Tommy Quickly, the Remo Four, the Cyrkle, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, and the Big Three. Brian often struggled with the stress of not only managing the bands under contract with him but also his secret homosexuality, leading to his abuse of drugs and ultimate death of an accidental drug overdose on August 27, 1967.

David Frost

David Frost was a television show host on whose show the Beatles appeared and performed their single, "Hey Jude," in August 1968.

David Frost (1939-2013) was a real-life British television show host, journalist and comedian who rose to prominence during Britain's "satire boom" of the 1960s. He indeed had a connection to Beatles history by having the group on his television show in 1968, where they recorded their music videos for "Hey Jude" and "Revolution." He was also known for his interviews with senior political officials including British prime ministers from 1964-2016 and all American presidents from 1969-2008. He was the host of numerous different television shows over the course of his career and later died on August 31, 2013 at the age of 74 during a speaking engagement aboard the cruise ship MS Queen Elizabeth.

Joe Garagiola

Joe Garagiola was the guest host of Johnny Carson's late night television talk show when Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney appeared to discuss the creation of Apple Corps to a television audience of 11,000,000. During the interview with Joe, John Lennon explained how the Beatles wanted to use their influence and wealth to help the budding talents of the world and how no one would have to crawl of their hands and knees to get things done at Apple.

Joe Garagiola (1926-2016) was a real-life American former baseball player and television host. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Joe Garagiola lived across the street from later baseball legend Yogi Berra and both went on baseball careers, with Joe being recruited by the St. Louis Cardinals at age 16, the youngest to ever play for the team. A journeyman in Major League Baseball, Joe Garagiola played nine seasons for four different teams and retired from the sport in 1954, after which he became a writer and baseball announcer and broadcaster. During his broadcasting career, Joe co-hosted The Today Show and occasionally guest hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. During one of his guest hosting stints on The Tonight Show, he indeed did host John Lennon and Paul McCartney as they discussed the formation of Apple Corps. Later in Joe's life, his children got into broadcasting and he retained an association with Major League Baseball through his children. He died on March 23, 2016 at age 90 in Scottsdale, Arizona and the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team wore black patches on their right sleeve for the entire 2016 season in Joe Garagiola's honor.

Mary Hopkin

Mary Hopkin was one of the musical artists who signed with the Beatles' Apple Records label and she received a positive reaction from the public following her signing.

Mary Hopkin is a real-life Welsh singer and was indeed one of the first musicians to sign with the Beatles' Apple Records label. Prior to signing with Apple Records, Hopkin had released a small EP of Welsh songs for the local Cambrian record label and she was recommended to Paul McCartney after being noticed by the model Twiggy winning the"Opportunity Knocks" ITV television talent show. Working closely with Paul McCartney after signing with Apple, Mary Hopkin had a string of successful singles in the late 1960s-early 1970s including "Those Were the Days" and "Goodbye," among others. She eventually grew unhappy with show business and left Apple Records in 1972 after marrying American record producer Tony Visconti, preferring to focus on family. Despite a divorce from Visconti in 1981 and a continued desire to remain mostly out of the spotlight, Mary Hopkin has continued recording and making occasional public appearances and performances. As of the date of this profile (12/3/2024), Mary Hopkin's most recent album release was "Two Hearts" in 2023, recorded with her daughter, Jessica Lee Morgan.

NOTE: Mary Hopkin's last name was misspelled "Hopkins" in her only mention in Marvel Comics Super Special I#4.

Astrid Kirchherr

Astrid Kirchherr was a photographer whom the Beatles met while acting as the resident band at the Kaiserkellar club in Hamburg, Germany.

Astrid Kirchherr (1938-2020) was a real-life photographer and friend of the Beatles during their early days in Hamburg, Germany. Having went to art school and become the assistant of the school's photographic tutor Reinhard Wolf, she was introduced to the Beatles' music by then-boyfriend Klaus Voormann, who had discovered the Beatles playing at the Kaiserkellar club while wandering the Hamburg Reeperbahn following an argument between Astrid, himself and their friend Jurgen Vollmer. After hearing the Beatles perform rock 'n roll music, which she had never heard, Astrid decided she had to be as close to their music as possible and she and her friends began visiting the Kaiserkellar on a nightly basis, soon befriending the Beatles. She soon became close with Beatles member Stu Sutcliffe and not long after asked the Beatles for their permission to take a series of photographs of them. Astrid ultimately began dating Sutcliffe and the two became engaged in 1960, an engagement that sadly ended with Sutcliffe's death of a brain tumor in 1962. In the following years, Astrid remained friends with the Beatles and worked a series of jobs, once of which was an adviser on the film "Backbeat," which documented the Beatles' early days in Hamburg. Astrid Kirchherr ultimately died on May 12, 2020 following a brief illness.

Allen Klein

Allen Klein was the business manager of the Beatles' Apple Corps company following a series of financial setbacks. When the financial woes surfaced, Beatles John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr all insisted on hiring Allen Klein to manage the group's financial affairs but Paul McCartney disagreed and instead hired lawyers Eastman and Eastman to represent himself without the other three.

Allen Klein (1931-2009) was the real-life manager of the Beatles circa January 1969 until the band officially broke up. He was an American businessman known for aggressively negotiating for increased profits for the artists he represented and at one point managed both the Rolling Stones and the Beatles simultaneously. After successfully managing smaller artists such as Buddy Knox and Jimmy Bowen, Klein moved to managing Sam Cooke and many other artists. However, Klein's management style involved him creating intermediaries between himself and his artists, a style that, while it did create more profits for his artists, also enriched himself, sometimes without the artists being aware. During his time managing the Rolling Stones, Klein was accused to withholding royalty payments, stealing publishing rights and neglecting to pay the Stones' taxes and his hiring as Beatles manager caused contention within the group, leading to Paul McCartney legally separating himself from his bandmates when the group dissolved. Klein's contract with the other three Beatles allowed him to continue managing them until both the three former Beatles became disillusioned with him and opted not to renew their contracts with him. Klein responded by suing the Beatles and a settlement was reached in 1977. Shortly after, Klein was charged with tax evasion but the charges ended in a mistrial. A second trial in 1979 found Klein not guilty of felony charges but guilty of providing false statements on his 1972 tax return, leading to a two-month jail sentence in 1980. In the years following, Klein maintained a lower profile following a series of health-related setbacks and he ultimately died on July 4, 2009 of respiratory failure.

NOTE: Allen Klein's first name was spelled "Allan" in his only Marvel appearance in Marvel Comics Super Special I#4.

Richard Lester

Richard Lester was the director of the first two Beatles movies, "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!" "A Hard Day's Night" premiered on July 6, 1964 and "Help!" premiered on July 29, 1965.

Richard Lester is the real-life movie director of the Beatles films "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!" An American, Richard Lester began his career in American television in 1950 and, in less than a year, he was directing productions. He moved to London in 1955 and while there, directed several British television productions, soon receiving critical acclaim with 1959's "The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film" short. Becoming known for his campy and comedic approach to directing, Lester soon moved into directing films in the early 1960s and when the Beatles were contracted to make a film, they chose Richard Lester to direct, as "The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film" had become a favorite among the band. After directing 1964's "A Hard Day's Night," Lester received more critical and commercial success and he soon directed "The Knack...& How to Get It" and the second Beatles movie, "Help!," in 1965. When his "How I Won the War" and "The Bed Sitting Room" films performed poorly at the box office in the late 1960s, Lester found himself unable to acquire funds for the films he wanted to make. However, he experienced a career resurgence in 1973 with "The Three Musketeers" and its sequel, leading to directing roles on the successful "Superman II" in 1980 and the less successful "Superman III" in 1983. Lester continued to direct films through the 1980s and into the early 1990s before retiring from the industry. As of the date of this profile (12/3/2024), Richard Lester is still alive at the age of 92.

Jackie Lomax

Jackie Lomax was one of the musical artists who signed with the Beatles' Apple Records label and he received a positive reaction from the public following his signing.

Jackie Lomax (1944-2013) was a real-life English musician who had signed with the Beatles' Apple Records label in the late 1960s. In the early 1960s, Jackie Lomax left the Dee & the Dynamites band to join the Merseybeat band, the Undertakers. Following the Beatles' route through local venues and eventually Hamburg, Germany, the Undertakers scored a small hit with "Just a Little Bit" in 1964 before moving to the USA, where Lomax continued work with the Undertakers and other bands. In 1967, manager Brian Epstein moved Lomax, then of the Lomax Alliance band, back to Britain, where the group was signed with CBS before Brian Epstein's death. Shortly after, Jackie Lomax was signed to the Beatles' new Apple Records label and Lomax worked heavily with Beatle George Harrison to record the "Sour Milk Sea" single and its accompanying album but the dissolution of Apple Records in the early 1970s left the careers of Lomax and the other Apple artists in limbo. Lomax eventually moved on to join the band Heavy Jelly during the remainder of the 1970s before settling into a role as a session musician throughout the 1980s-1990s. In 2001, Jackie Lomax recorded his first album since 1977, "The Ballad of Liverpool Slim," and he continued performing into the early 2010s. On September 15, 2013, Jackie Lomax died of cancer.

Gene Mahon

Gene Mahon was the artist who put together the cover collage for the Beatles album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." When the Beatles subsequently formed Apple Corps, they commissioned Gene Mahon to design its new record label. Mahon came up with the idea of a solid green apple for the A side of Apple Records sleeves with the B side showing the apple sliced in half with all of the copy text on it. While enthusiasm for Mahon's idea was high, legal technicalities forced copy text to be printed on both sides of the sleeve.

Gene Mahon was the real-life Irish graphic artist who worked on the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover in 1967, laying out the back of the sleeve with the printed song lyrics. In 1968, he was contacted again to help design the Apple Records sleeve logo, coming up with the idea of a whole apple on the A side with the sliced apple on the B side.

NOTE: I had a very difficult time finding ANY photos of the real life Gene Mahon, as there are other people with the same name and Beatles' friend Ivan Vaughn was misidentified as Gene Mahon in "The Beatles: Get Back" documentary series, leading to misidentified images taken from the documentary. The only image I found is at left here, taken from the MutualArt website, and it's an older Mahon. I had no luck whatsoever finding a photo of the younger Mahon from his association with the Beatles.

George Martin

George Martin was a recording engineer at EMI in London and when the Beatles were booked for a recording session at EMI, they were introduced to George Martin. Impressed at the Beatles' talent, George commented that he might be seeing them very soon and he gave them a copy of the recordings they had done, suggesting they let him know if there was anything on them they didn't like. Ever the jokester, Beatle George Harrison sarcastically claimed he didn't like George Martin's tie. As the Beatles grew in popularity, George Martin remained their record producer and later, as the group worked on a new album set to release in 1967, Martin noted that he had not seen Beatles manager Brian Epstein in some time. When John Lennon replied that Epstein spent most of his time arranging things for the Beatles, George Martin admitted worries that Epstein was under a lot of stress and suggested he take a vacation. John agreed but noted that they would never get Epstein himself to admit it. Following his work with the Beatles, George Martin remained a music producer and eventually developed an association with the American peacekeeping organization S.H.I.E.L.D., as they arranged for Martin to produce the music of Amanda Strong, who would work for S.H.I.E.L.D. in secret while disguised as a rock star.

George Martin (1926-2016) was the real-life EMI music producer who produced the majority of the Beatles' albums. Learning piano at an early age, George Martin grew up to join the British Navy, serving until 1947, at which point he used his veteran's grant to attend the Guildhall School of Music & Drama from 1947-1950. He joined EMI in November 1950 as assistant to Oscar Preuss, the head of EMI's Parlophone label, and when Preuss retired in 1955, George Martin took over as head and saved the label from closure via novelty records. Martin also supported the British skiffle and Merseybeat sound, earning a strong relationship with manager Brian Epstein, who introduced Martin to the Beatles. Working closely with the Beatles, George Martin produced nearly all of their albums and singles, provided instrumental tracks for the Beatles movie soundtracks, and occasionally even played instruments on some of their recordings. He also assisted the Beatles with studio experimentation as they progressed musically and his association with the Beatles earned Martin commercial success of his own. Following the breakup of the Beatles, George Martin continued to produce for other artists including Kenny Rogers, America, Neil Sedaka, Jeff Beck, and many, many others, as well as contributing arrangements for film scores. He ultimately began to suffer from hearing loss and his son Giles became his assistant over time. On March 8, 2016, George Martin died at age 90 of complications from stomach cancer.

Alun Owen

Alun Owen was the Liverpudlian screenwriter of the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" film.

Alun Owen (1925-1994) was indeed a real-life screenwriter from Liverpool, England. Growing up, Owen became interested in theater and moved in television acting in the 1950s. By the late 1950s, Alun Owen became more interested in theatrical writing than acting and he began submitting scripts to BBC Radio. After writing several plays, some of which were adapted for television, Owen won writers guild awards in the early 1960s and when director Richard Lester was tapped to direct the first Beatles film, "A Hard Day's Night," Lester recruited Alun Owen to write the screenplay, having worked with Owen in 1955 on "The Dick Lester Show." His work on "A Hard Day's Night" earned Owen an Academy Award nomination and following the film, Owen returned to television writing, a medium he remained in through 1990. Alun Owen died on December 6, 1994 at the age of 69.

Tony Sheridan

Tony Sheridan was a singer whom the Beatles provided backup for on a record ("My Bonnie") that was released in Germany during the Beatles' early days. As the Beatles grew in popularity, word got out of the existence of the "My Bonnie" record and fans began requesting it from record dealers, one of which was Brian Epstein, who ultimately became the Beatles' manager.

Tony Sheridan (1940-2013) was indeed a real-life British singer and guitarist. Harboring an interest in music at an early age, Tony Sheridan formed his first band in 1956 and, in 1958 at age 18, he began appearing on the television show "Oh Boy!" He also became a popular session musician but his penchant for showing up late and occasionally without his guitar cost his some professional standing in Britain, leading to him receiving an ongoing gig at the Kaiserkellar club in Hamburg, Germany, While playing in Hamburg through 1960-1963, Sheridan employed several backup bands, one of which was the Beatles circa 1961, prior to their worldwide rise in popularity. In June 1961, Sheridan recorded nine tracks for Polydor Records with the Beatles, seven of his own (including "My Bonnie," with the Beatles providing backup) and two of the Beatles' ("Ain't She Sweet" & the instrumental "Cry for a Shadow"). Some of these recordings were released as singles and the "My Bonnie" single proved chartworthy in Germany, leading to the remaining tracks being released as an album credited to Tony Sheridan and the "Beat Brothers." As the Beatles' popularity grew, demand for these early recordings with Tony Sheridan also grew. By the mid-1960s, however, Tony Sheridan's changed his musical style from rock 'n roll to a more jazz-oriented sound and he became somewhat disillusioned by the fame he garnered by his former association to the Beatles. In 1967, the war-concerned Sheridan played a show in Vietnam for Allied troops but an attack cost the life of one of his bandmates, the trauma of which led to Sheridan suffering from sensitivity to explosive sounds for the rest of his life. Over subsequent decades, Tony Sheridan recorded and performed on occasion, spending much of his life in Germany. After undergoing heart surgery, Tony Sheridan died on February 16, 2013.

Stu Sutcliffe

Stu Sutcliffe was an artist friend of John Lennon's who joined John's band, the Silver Beetles, during their time playing at the Casbah Club. He remained with the group as they became the Beatles and accompanied them on their first tour of Hamburg, Germany in 1959, where they became the resident band at the Kaiserkellar club and met photographer Astrid Kirchherr. Sutcliffe fell in love with Astrid and he eventually left the Beatles to pursue an art career in Germany. When the Beatles later returned to Hamburg in 1961 to play the Star-Club, Stu Sutcliffe died of a brain tumor at age 21.

Stuart Sutcliffe (1940-1962) was the real-life original bass guitarist for the Beatles in their early days. Growing up, Sutcliffe attended the Liverpool College of Art, where he was introduced to John Lennon by their mutual friend Bill Harry. A talented painter, Sutcliffe remained friends with Lennon and was soon introduced to Paul McCartney, a bandmate of John's. Following a discussion at the Casbah Club one evening, Sutcliffe was persuaded by Lennon and McCartney to purchase a Hofner 500/5 bass guitar and in May 1960, Sutcliffe joined John's band, then known as the Silver Beetles and consisting of Lennon, McCartney and the younger George Harrison. Despite not having much musical experience other than piano lessons as a child, Sutcliffe remained with the band through its name change to the Beatles and during a tour in Hamburg, Germany, Sutcliffe began dating the Beatles' photographer friend Astrid Kirchherr, to whom he ultimately became engaged. In July 1961, Stu Sutcliffe decided to quit the Beatles to focus more on his art at the Hamburg College of Art and while studying there, Sutcliffe began to suffer from intense headaches. When he collapsed during class in February 1962, Sutcliffe was taken to doctors but the reasons for the headaches was not determined. He collapsed again on April 10, 1962 and died on the way to the hospital, where his death was determined to be a cerebral hemorrhage due to a ruptured aneurysm.

James Taylor

James Taylor was one of several musical artists who signed with the Beatles' Apple Records label early in its inception and he received a positive reaction from the public following his signing.

James Taylor is, of course, a popular musician who was one of the early signees to Apple Records in the late 1960s. Learning the cello at an early age, James Taylor learned guitar in 1960 and was playing coffee houses by 1963. After joining the Corsayers band for a time in 1964, during which he released his song "Cha Cha Blues" as a B-side, Taylor returned to finish college but fell into a deep depression. Following his treatment, Taylor formed a band and by 1966, he was performing regularly at the Night Owl Cafe in Greenwich Village alongside acts such as the Turtles and Lothar & the Hand People. Despite some minor success with his band, the Flying Machine, Taylor fell into drug abuse but after a tentative recovery, Taylor decided to pursue a solo musical career and, after moving to London, Taylor was connected with Peter Asher, A&R head of the Beatles' newly-formed Apple Records label. Signing with Apple Records, Taylor found success with the single "Carolina in My Mind" from his first, self-titled album released in December 1968. Following a serious motorcycle accident in late summer 1969, James Taylor was forced to stop playing for several months to recover from his injuries, during which he wrote prolifically and signed a new record deal with Warner Bros. Records. Under Warner Bros., Taylor experienced a career breakthrough with his album "Sweet Baby James" and its single, "Fire and Rain." His success continued through to the present day with hits such as "You've Got a Friend," "How Sweet it is (to Be Loved by You)," "Your Smiling Face" and many others. He actively tours as of the date of this profile (12/3/2024).

Al Williams

After changing their name from the Silver Beetles to the Beatles, the Beatles band acquired Al Williams as their first manager. Williams successfully booked the Beatles for a gig in Hamburg, Germany in the fall of 1959 on the condition that the band find themselves a drummer.

Allan "Al" Williams (1930-2016) was the real-life first manager of the Beatles band. Williams was a businessman who founded the Jacaranda club in London, England in 1958, a club that became popular with the nearby Liverpool Art College. After arranging for several musical acts to play at the Jacaranda and seeing a concert by Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, Al Williams decided to get into the rock music promotion field. A few months later, Williams began arranging backing bands for solo singers, one of which was the early Beatles. When the owner of the Indra club in Hamburg, Germany requested some Liverpool bands to play the club, Williams asked the Beatles and they were sent on a tour of Hamburg, where they also played the Kaiserkellar club alongside Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Williams also arranged a second tour of Hamburg in March 1961 but upon arrival, the Beatles refused to pay Williams' 10% commission and Williams subsequently threatened to end their night club residency and sued the band. When the Beatles sought legal representation, Williams dropped the suit and by that point, the Beatles had left Al Williams and hired Brian Epstein as their new manager. By the 1970s, Williams and the Beatles had mostly made up and Williams played a crucial role in organizing some of the first Beatles conventions in Liverpool and he discovered the recorded tapes of what became the Beatles album "Live at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany, 1962." In later years, he was occasionally interviewed regarding his role in the early days of the Beatles and he ultimately died on December 30, 2016 at the age of 86.

The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was a transcendental meditation mystic who was first visited by Beatle George Harrison in India in February 1967 at his wife Patti Boyd's urging. Touched by the meeting, George began practicing transcendental meditation himself and, feeling at peace for the first time in years, George became eager to tell the other Beatles about his encounter with the Maharishi. Returning to England, George informed the other Beatles about his experiences and, impressed by George's sincerity, the three other Beatles agreed to visit the Maharishi themselves. Due to his association with the Beatles, the Maharishi soon gained celebrity status, which he used to spread the word of transcendental meditation further and months later, he arranged a highly publicized seminar in Bangor, North Wales that was to be attended by the Beatles. Shortly upon arrival at the Maharishi's seminar, however, John Lennon received a phone call announcing the death of Beatles manager Brian Epstein. Following a retreat to Rishikesh, India, the Beatles became disillusioned with the Maharishi and they returned to England to settle their business affairs.

The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (191?-2008) was the real-life founder of the transcendental meditation movement. Born Mahesh Prasad Varma, the man who would become known as the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi trained with several spiritual leaders following his graduation from Allahabad University in 1942. Developing the concept of transcendental meditation in 1955, the Maharishi began global tours to spread his teachings in 1958 and in the late 1960s, the Maharishi became somewhat of a celebrity due to his association with the Beatles, the Beach Boys and others, though the Beatles later renounced their association with the Maharishi. Following the disassociation from the Beatles, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi continued his meditative teachings up until his death on February 5, 2008.

images: (without ads)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p55, pan5 (The Beatles performing on the rooftop of Apple, main image)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p14, pans2-5 (The Beatles, headshots of the band in their younger days)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p5, pan6 (as the Silver Beetles)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, back cover (The early Beatles with Pete Best)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p7, pan1 (The Beatles in the Cavern Club)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p10, pan1 (The Beatles during the height of Beatlemania)
Pizzazz I#14, p12-13, splash page (The Beatles dancing with their instruments)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p12, pan7 (The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, front cover (The Beatles in their early suits playing together)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p13, pan4 (The Beatles in brown suits)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p15, pan1 (The Beatles while filming Help!)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p16, pan2 (The Beatles at Shea Stadium)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p17, pan5 (The Beatles circa late 1965)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p37, splash page (The Beatles in their Sgt. Pepper uniforms)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p40, pan1 (The Beatles preparing for the performance of "All You Need is Love")
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p44, splash page (The Beatles in "Magical Mystery Tour")
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p48, pan5 (The Beatles performing on The David Frost Show circa 1968)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p52, pan1 (The Beatles circa 1969)
New Excalibur I#4, p11, pan1 (The Beatles shrine in Covent Garden, London)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p6, pan2 (Pete Best)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p38, pan5 (Brian Epstein)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p48, pan4 (David Frost)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p45, pan4 (Joe Garagiola)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p51, pan1 (Allen Klein)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p46, pan1 (Gene Mahon)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p23, pan1 (George Martin)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p6, pan1 (Stu Sutcliffe)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4, p38, pan1 (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi)
various real life photos (see comments above for sources)

Appearances:
Journey into Mystery I#108 (September, 1964) - "At the Mercy of Loki, Prince of Evil!" story - Stan Lee (writer, editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Chic Stone (inks)
Amazing Spider-Man I#17 (October, 1964) - Stan Lee (writer, editor), Steve Ditko (art)
Strange Tales I#125 (October, 1964) - "The Sub-Mariner Must Be Stopped!" story - Stan Lee (writer, editor), Dick Ayers (pencils), Paul Reinman (inks)
Fantastic Four I#34 (January, 1965) - Stan Lee (writer, editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Chic Stone (inks)
Strange Tales I#130 (March, 1965) - "Meet the Beatles!" story - Stan Lee (writer, editor), Bob Powell (pencils), Chic Stone (inks)
Fantastic Four I#37 (April, 1965) - Stan Lee (writer, editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Chic Stone (inks)
Avengers I#22 (November, 1965) - Stan Lee (writer, editor), Don Heck (pencils), Wally Wood (inks)
Avengers I#45 (October, 1967) - Roy Thomas (writer), Don Heck (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. I#11 (April, 1969) - Gary Friedrich (writer), Frank Springer (writer, pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Daredevil I#123 (July, 1975) - Tony Isabella (writer), Bob Brown (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Marvel Comics Super Special I#4 (1978) - "The Beatles Story (Part One)" story - David Anthony Kraft (writer, editor), Don McGregor (additional dialogue), George Perez, Klaus Janson (art)
Pizzazz I#14 (November, 1978) - "History of Rock & Roll in America" story - uncredited writer, Steve Shapiro (art assistant), Jeff Lewis (editor)
Howard the Duck Magazine I#5 (May, 1980) - "Captain Americana" story - Bill Mantlo (writer), Gene Colan, Dave Simons (art), Lynn Graeme (editor)
Defenders I#131 (May, 1984) - J.M. DeMatteis (plot), Peter B. Gillis (script), Alan Kupperberg (art), Carl Potts (editor)
Excalibur I#34 (February, 1991) - Chris Claremont (writer), Ron Wagner (art), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Excalibur I#57 (Late November, 1992) - Alan Davis (plot), Scott Lobdell (script), Joe Madureira (pencils), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Marvels I#2 (February, 1994) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Alex Ross (art), Marcus McLaurin (editor)
Spider-Man Unlimited I#12 (May, 1996) - Evan Skolnick (writer), Steve Geiger (pencils), Paris Karounos, Steven Butler (pencils, inks), Randy Emberlin, Derek Fisher, Scott Hanna, Al Milgrom (inks), Eric Fein, Ralph Macchio (editors)
Deadpool II#26 (March, 1999) - Joe Kelly (script), James Felder (co-plot), Pete Woods (pencils), Walden Wong (inks), Matt Idelson (editor)
Howard the Duck II#4 (June, 2002) - Steve Gerber (writer), Phil Winslade (art), Stuart Moore (editor)
Mystique I#1 (June, 2003) - Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Jorge Lucas (art), Nova Ren Suma (editor)
Runaways I#9 (February, 2004) - Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Adrian Alphona (pencils), Craig Yeung (inks), C.B. Cebulski (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#467 (February, 2006) - Chris Claremont (writer), Chris Bachalo (pencils), Sandu Florea, Jon Holdredge, Robert Hunter, Jaime Mendoza, Victor Olazaba, Sean Parsons, Norm Rapmund, Tim Townsend, Al Vey (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
New Excalibur I#4 (April, 2006) - Chris Claremont (writer), Steven Cummings (pencils), Rick Ketcham (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#472 (July, 2006) - Chris Claremont (plot), Tony Bedard (script), Chris Bachalo (pencils, inks), Jon Holdredge, Mark Irwin, Jaime Mendoza, Victor Olazaba, Sean Parsons, Tim Townsend, Al Vey (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
Wisdom I#2 (February, 2007) - Paul Cornell (writer), Trevor Hairsine (pencils), Paul Neary (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Marvel Atlas I#1 (2007) - Michael Hoskin (head writer, coordinator), Anthony Flamini, Stuart Vandal, Eric J. Moreels (writers), Eliot R. Brown (cartographer), Jeff Youngquist, John Denning (editors)
Secret Invasion Saga (2008) - John Rhett Thomas (writer), Mark D. Beazley, Jennifer Grunwald (editors, special projects)
ClanDestine II#3 (June, 2008) - Alan Davis (writer, pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust?#1 (August, 2008) - "Seems Like Old Times" story - Christos N. Gage (writer), Mike Perkins (art), Nick Lowe, Mark Paniccia, Tom Brevoort (editors)
New Avengers II#5 (December, 2010) - "Avengers Assemble: The Oral History of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Chapter 8)" story - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Stephanie Hans, Jack Kirby, John Romita, Sr. (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Spider-Island: Deadly Foes#1 (October, 2011) - "What I Did for Love" story - Fred Van Lente (writer), Minck Oosterveer (art), Stephan Wacker (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#544 (December, 2011) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Greg Land (pencils), Jay Leisten (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Deadpool IV#45 (June, 2015) - "Shiklah's Catching Up" story - Mike Drucker (writer), J.J. Kirby (art), Jordan D. White (editor)
Invincible Iron Man II#1 (December, 2015) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), David Marquez (art), Tom Brevoort, Katie Kubert (editors)
International Iron Man I#6 (October, 2016) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Alex Maleev (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Iceman II#2 (August, 2017) - Sina Grace (writer), Edgar Salazar (pencils), Ibraim Roberson (pencils, inks), Ed Tadeo (inks), Daniel Ketchum (editor)
Runaways V#3 (January, 2018) - Rainbow Rowell (writer), Kris Anka (art), Nick Lowe (editor)
Runaways V#12 (October, 2018) - Rainbow Rowell (writer), Kris Anka (art), Nick Lowe (editor)
Runaways V#20 (June, 2019) - Rainbow Rowell (writer), Andres Genolet (art), Nick Lowe (editor)
Marvel I#1 (May, 2020) - "The Boy...& the Brute" story - Kurt Busiek (writer), Steve Rude (art, letters), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Symbiote Spider-Man: King in Black#3 (March, 2021) - Peter David (writer), Greg Land (pencils), Jay Leisten (inks), Devin Lewis (editor)
Spine-Tingling Spider-Man Infinity Comic#2 (November, 2021) - Saladin Ahmed (writer), Juan Ferreyra (art), Nick Lowe (editor)
Ms. Marvel: Mutant Menace#2 (June, 2024) - Iman Vellani, Sabir Pirzada (writers), Rob Di Salvo (art), Jordan D. White (editor)

First Posted: 12/3/2024
Last updated: 12/3/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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