CURTIS GILES
Real Name: Curtis Giles
Identity/Class: Alternate reality (Earth-7484 / "Earth-Deathlok") human;
observed in 1990 A.D. and possibly 1985 A.D as well
Occupation: Surgeon
Group Membership: Presumably some medical organizations like the American Medical Association
Affiliations: Dr. Wilkins (see comments), Dr. Wilcox, Jim (see comments), unidentified associate (see comments; see also the surgeons sub-profile here);
formerly Harlan Ryker (aka Hellinger), Simon Ryker, Dr. Wilcox (partially covered under the CIA-associated Luther Manning clone (see comments);
he helped transform Luther Manning's corpse and preserved brain into Deathlok (Luther Manning);
Enemies: Julian Biggs, Deathlok, Simon Ryker
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
apparently died in the Columbus Circle/59th Street (subway) Station, Manhattan, New York
Education: Unspecified medical degree (likely M.D. or D.O, and then presumably some advanced training in surgery and bionics/cybernetics)
First Appearance: Astonishing Tales I#25 (August, 1974)
Powers/Abilities:
Curtis Giles is a physician and presumably a surgeon experienced with
bionics and cybernetics. He was involved in the creation of Deathlok
via bionic implants and the corpse and preserved brain of Luther
Manning.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'8" to 6')
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 150-200 lbs.)
Eyes: Dark (presumably brown or dark blue)
Hair: Dark (apparently black or dark brown, likely with some graying)
History:
(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb) - BTS / Astonishing Tales#35 (fb) - BTS /
Captain America I#288 (fb) - BTS) - Curtis Giles is native to
Earth-7484, in which -- circa 1983 A.D. -- the Roxxon Oil Company, via
the Brand Corporation's Nth Command, had banished Earth's
super heroes extradimensionally (to likely terminal fates) and then
attempted to take over the USA via more conventional warfare.
Eventually, many US cities, including Manhattan +/- all of New York
City were bombed by unidentified parties.
.
.
.
(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb)) <1985 A.D.> - Four men worked on the
mortally wounded Colonel Luther Manning.
Although they failed to save his life, they --
at Simon Ryker's direction -- isolated and preserved a portion of his
brain, keeping it alive.
The apparent lead doctor voiced his opposition to what
he felt to be ghastly, but Ryker advised him of the necessity of
Project: Alpha-Mech to the current war, and further warned the doctor
he would be court-martialed if he had further complaints (indicating that he was a military doctor). |
.
.
.
(Astonishing
Tales#25 (fb)) <Circa 1990> - Four men -- including Wilkins and Jim -- worked on the
Deathlok cyborg.
When one man noted that the metal graft would take,
Wilkins added that everything seemed to progressing well, but that it
would be better if Ryker wasn't constantly spying on them.
The third
man silenced Wilkins and then received a report from Jim that all vital
functions were stable.
As they installed the brain, they further
discussed rumors of previous computer-housing in a man (who, apparently unknown to them, was Simon Ryker himself).
Finally,
presumably the lead doctor noted that despite his considering the
project horrific, the operation was a success. |
|
![giles-curtis-7484-fleeing](giles-curtis-7484-fleeing.jpg)
(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb) - BTS / Astonishing Tales#25 (fb) - BTS) - Working as a
mercenary, Deathlok was hired by Julian Biggs -- secretly an agent of
Simon Ryker -- to kill Curtis Giles and another unidentified man, who were two of three (see comments) surgeons who had operated on / created Deathlok.
(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb) - BTS) - Giles allegedly arranged to meet his unidentified associate near the subway at the Columbus Circle 59 Station at 4 pm.
(Astonishing
Tales#25) - Confronted by Deathlok (whose computer confirmed Giles as a
target) in the subway at the Columbus Circle 59 stop, Giles fled.
Although Deathlok's computer swiftly analyzed Giles' flight pattern,
targeted him, and urged Deathlok to fire, Deathlok chose to let Giles
continue for a few moments to enjoy his fear. ![giles-curtis-7484-shot](giles-curtis-7484-shot.jpg)
After Giles stumbled,
fell, and begged for mercy as he got pack on his feet and continued his
flight, Deathlok fired his laser, striking Giles in the back and
killing him.
Deathlok's computer noted the completion of this mission at 3: 58 pm.
(Astonishing
Tales#25 - BTS) - Deathlok confronted and slew Giles' associate as well.
(Astonishing
Tales#28 - BTS) - Deathlok's computer informed him that the two men
Julian Biggs had hired him to slay (Giles and his associate) were two
of the three (see comments) surgeons who had operated on/created him.
Comments: Created by Rich Buckler with Doug Moench.
Giles and his associate have a
very similar appearance. Regardless, the first guy was clearly
identified as Giles just
before Deathlok killed him, and the other guy specifically notes he was
there to meet with Giles, just before Deathlok slew him, as well.
Who were the surgeons who created Deathlok?
- Circa 1985 A.D., we are clearly shown four doctors
(none of whom are identified) who worked on harvesting and preserving
at least a portion of Luther Manning's brain circa 1985.
- Circa
1990 A.D., we are clearly shown four doctors
working on the creation of Deathlok, two of whom are identified as
"Wilkins" and "Jim" (the latter monitoring vital signs, either as a
doctor/anesthesiologist (or as a fourth surgeon monitoring vital signs
for at least a portion of the procedure) or a as a nurse/anesthetist).
- We don't know for sure that it is the same four
doctors in both cases, although it seems very likely that some or all
of them were the same. Still, there's too much speculation to worry
overly about that now.
- In Astonishing Tales#28, Deathlok's computer
informed him that there were three surgeons who performed the
operation...and that two of them were the men Julian Biggs employed
Deathlok to assassinate (that would be Curtis Giles and his associate).
- In Astonishing Tales#33, Harlan Ryker/Hellinger informed Deathlok that he was the surgeon who had operated on him.
- In Astonishing Tales#34, a clone of Luther Manning
informs Deathlok that he has the mind of the last of the three surgeons
who had created Deathlok (as Simon Ryker had had the other two
eliminated).
- In
Astonishing Tales#35, that third surgeon is identified as Dr. Wilcox,
who was dying, as his mind-transference into the Luther Manning clone
was temporary.The CIA confirmed Wilcox as one of the surgeons who had
worked on Deathlok.
- In
that same issue, Luther Manning's mind was subsequently
transferred/copied into the clone's body, but Manning's mind also
remained active within Deathlok.
- In the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#3: Deathlok entry, it is noted that Harlan Ryker performed the surgery.
- So, I see a few possibilities
- There were four doctors shown to be working on Deathlok.
- There were likely three surgeons and one anesthesiologist/monitor.
- All four doctors were surgeons, with one of them monitoring vital signs/anesthesia for at least part of it.
- Harlan Ryker's role
- Harlan Ryker was one of the surgeons directly working on Deathlok.
- Harlan Ryker may have been the mastermind/designer, but he did not actually participate in the
operation.
- Of
the four men in the operating room with Deathlok, we have Wilkins and
Jim identified. We later have the surgeons identified as Curtis Giles
and his his unidentified associate, Harlan Ryker, and Dr. Wilcox, with
the former two having died before the introduction of the latter two.
- It makes the most sense to me to assume all information to be true/accurate and then figure out a way to make it work.
- That would make the surgeons Curtis Giles, Harlan Ryker, Wilcox, and Wilkins.
- It has been shown that Harlan Ryker was able to cover up evidence of his involvement,
and so most people believed there were only three surgeons involved.
Perhaps even Dr. Wilcox was programmed to think that.
- As Wilkins and Jim were two different people, Jim would be Wilcox...Dr. James Wilcox.
- and Wilkins would most likely be the associate of Curtis Giles that Deathlok slew in the Columbus Circle Station.
- If we go with the stories that there were only three surgeons,
and we accept the repeated information that two of them were slain by
Deathlok in Astonishing Tales#25:
- The three surgeons would have to be Curtis Giles, Wilkins, and Wilcox, with Harlan being the director behind the scenes.
- That would also fit with Wilkins being the associate of Giles slain by Deathlok in Astonishing Tales#25.
- It has also occurred to me that the names Wilkins and Wilcox are fairly similar.
- Keep in
mind that the stories identifying the two characters took place in May
1974 and August 1976, respectively and that there were not computer
records or anything to use at the time.
- Stan Lee called Spider-Man "Peter Palmer" in print in the early days. It could just be a mistake.
- If Wilkins and Wilcox are the same person, then the other two could be Curtis Giles and Harlan Ryker
- But then we know that Wilcox and Harlan Ryker were not slain
by Deathlok in Astonishing Tales#25 (unless they were clones or
something).
- Another possibility is that the other person slain by
Deathlok was Jim...even if he wasn't one of the "three surgeons," he
was in the operating room, and he may have just been referred to as one
of the surgeons.
- Assuming
that Wilkins and Wilcox were not meant to be the same person -- -- then Giles' associate who was
also slain by Deathlok was likely either Wilkins or Jim.
- The man to answer all of this would be Rich Buckler, but he
unfortunately he died in 2017. Doug Moench was involved in the early
stories, but as far as I can tell, he was not involved by the time of
the introduction of Hellinger or Wilcox.
- I don't think we can get a definite answer until a new story
clarifies the matter (and hopefully doesn't confuse/complicate it
further)
I have in the notes I compiled on
Hellinger and Simon Ryker's profiles, I stated that Hellinger was
secretly commanding Julian Biggs without Simon's knowledge. I've
re-re-re-re-reviewed the issues and associated Official Handbook of the
Marvel Universe profiles, and I don't know where that information came
from. I suspect that I added the information to my notes in the late
1990s or even early 2000s based on internet research, not realizing at
the time that profiles on characters posted on the internet were not
official confirmed.
But, if you know the source of information that
Hellinger was secretly behind Julian Biggs, please let me know.
Dr. Wilcox deserves at least a
sub-profile under the Luther Manning clone or perhaps his own profile.
I'll get to it.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Curtis Giles should be distinguished from:
- GILES, BLACKIE ( ) - mobster; encountered the Ferret--Marvel Mystery Comics#8
- other "Curtis" or "Giles" (or guile) characters, groups, items, events, races, or places...
Curtis Giles' unidentified associate
(observed circa 1990 A.D. (and possibly 1985 A.D. as well))
![giles-curtis-7484-associateflee](giles-curtis-7484-associateflee.jpg) (Astonishing
Tales#25 (fb) - BTS) <Circa 1990 A.D.> - Working as a
mercenary, Deathlok was hired by Julian Biggs -- secretly an agent of
Simon Ryker -- to kill Curtis Giles and another unidentified man, who were two of three (see comments) surgeons who had operated on / created Deathlok.
(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb) - BTS) - Giles allegedly arranged to meet his unidentified associate near the subway at the Columbus Circle 59 station at 4 pm.
(Astonishing
Tales#25) - As he approached the subway stop, the unidentified
associate was assaulted by scavenger/cannibals who recognized him as
not being around there and figured he had money.
|
![giles-curtis-7484-associateguninface](giles-curtis-7484-associateguninface.jpg) .
.
.
. The man broke free and
rushed to the subway entrance, only to be confronted by Deathlok, who
had killed Giles at 3:58 pm and who aimed his laser pistol at his face.
The man begged for mercy, but
Deathlok shot him through the chest.
|
Falling backwards and lying on his
back, the man noted that Deathlok's voice was not human...that he was a
robot or android or cyborg...with no feelings or remorse...just an
inhuman machine.
With his dying breath, he expressed his pity for
Deathlok.![giles-curtis-7484-associatedead](giles-curtis-7484-associatedead.jpg)
--
Astonishing Tales#25
Note:
See the comments for the main profile for an OVERLY-detailed discussion
on the identity of Giles' associate, but he was apparently one of the
surgeons who created Deathlok. I favor that he is Dr. Wilkins.
|
images: (without ads)
Astonishing Tales#25, pg. 1, panel 1 (Curtis Giles; face);
pg. 2, panels 4-9 (Giles fleeing);
panel 10 (Giles shot in the back, death; Columbus Circle 59);
pg. 3, panel 10 (Giles' associate, face in profile);
pg. 4, panel 1-5 (full body, falling back, shot);
panel 7-8 (death);
pg. 5, panel 1 (sheet placed over Manning's corpse);
panel 4 (doctor arguing with Ryker over Manning's corpse);
pg. 6, panels 1-5 (surgeons working on Deathlok);
Appearances:
Astonishing Tales#25 (August, 1974) - Rich Buckler & Doug Moench
(writers), Rich Buckler (pencils), Rich Buckler, Klaus Janson, Al
Milgrom & Mike Esposito (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Astonishing Tales#28 (February, 1975) - Rich Buckler (writer/artist), Roy Thomas (editor)
First started: 08/26/2018
First posted: 05/24/2024
Last updated: 07/19/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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