MOLLY BRENNAN

Real Name: Molly Brennan

Identity/Class: Human (Old West era), civilian

Occupation: Unrevealed, probably none

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Brazos (her horse), Red Wolf (John Wakely), Soldiers of Fort Rango

Enemies: Most Native Americans (though she was starting to come around);
    Fawn (rival)

Known Relatives: Mother and Father (deceased), unnamed uncle

Aliases: Bubbling Brook, Sya Paka (Cheyenne for "Bubbling Brook")

Base of Operations: Fort Rango and the associated plains, Western United States, late 19th Century;

First Appearance: Marvel Spotlight I#1 (November, 1971);
    (named) Red Wolf#2 (July, 1972)

 

 

Powers/Abilities: Molly demonstrated few skills beyond horsemanship...and she didn't ride sidesaddle, either. She was distrustful of all Native Americans, whom she saw as violent savages, though she did take a shine to Red Wolf. She was quite outspoken.

History:
(Marvel Spotlight I#1 (fb) - BTS) - A group of Cheyenne, enraged over the theft of their sacred water buffalo hide, slew Molly Brennan's parents. Molly herself escaped on horseback

(Marvel Spotlight I#1 (fb)) - Molly raced into Fort Rango, after which the gates were closed, blocking out the Cheyenne who were following closely behind her. The traumatized Molly was frightened when she saw Johnny Wakely, a resident of Fort Rango, but Maj. Brett Sabre assured her that he was their peaceful scout.
    Wakely rushed out to try to recover the sacred hide to make peace, which ultimately resulted in his becoming Red Wolf, who successfully completed the mission.

(Red Wolf#1) - Molly watched in shock as Wakely took a beating from the bigot Sgt. Rafe Hacker (Wakely threw the fight to prevent others from realizing he was Red Wolf).

(Red Wolf#2 (fb) - BTS) - Molly left Fort Rango to visit her uncle, but she overheard some men planning to steal dynamite from the Butterfield Stagecoach. The men saw her and chased after her.

(Red Wolf#2) - Red Wolf chanced across Molly fleeing her pursuers, and he stopped them, and then saved her from plunging off a cliff when her horse took its bit in its teeth and ran wild. As the men had escaped, Red Wolf decided that he must hide her from them, and he forced her to wear the attire of a Cheyenne woman, including dying her hair black and smearing her face with bee balm; she argued vehemently until he threatened to dress her himself. Red Wolf told her she reminded him of Sya Paka, the Bubbling Brook, with her incessant noise. He then brought her to a Cheyenne village and introduced her to Wise Old Elk Woman. While there, she was nearly kidnapped by a pair of Kiowa warriors, but was again saved by Red Wolf. When he departed again, he left his wolf partner Lobo to stay behind and protect her. When the Kiowa returned for her, Lobo held them off, but Molly took the chance to flee on horseback. She ran right into Red Wolf who was pinned behind some rocks by the longriders who had stolen the dynamite. After Red Wolf defeated the men, Molly identified them as the men she had overheard before.
    Shortly thereafter, the Kiowa returned once again, stating that they had heard that she did not belong to any man, and that she was free game. Red Wolf merely wiped the the bee balm from her face, showing them that she was a white girl; they took off, yelling that a white girl was not good for anything. Molly was infuriated, shouting "A white girl is TOO good for something! She IS!", and she was even more angry that Red Wolf did not teach the Kiowa some manners. Red Wolf suppressed a grin as he led her back Fort Rango, along with his new prisoners.

(Red Wolf#3) - Molly remained somewhat distrustful of Native Americans, keeping distant from Johnny Wakely. However, she decided to ask him if he knew where she could find Red Wolf...but he had already made his escape to change into Red Wolf.

(Red Wolf#4) - Ursa the Man-Bear led his bears to raid Fort Rango, stealing some cattle, and around the same time, they stole some ponies from the Cheyenne. The soldiers blamed the Cheyenne for the theft and vice-versa. Molly was kidnapped by the Cheyenne, who held her hostage, to prevent any further thefts, while the soldiers did the same thing with the Cheyenne woman Fawn. Red Wolf convinced both sides to let the women stay together, while he confronted Ursa, proving him to be the true thief. Both women were allowed to return to their own people, though they both also recognized each other as the rivals for Red Wolf's affection; Red Wolf, however, had vowed to dedicate himself to his mission, and to not surrender himself to love.

(Red Wolf#5) - Molly again rushed into Fort Rango on horseback, screaming that the "Indians for on warpath!" She sought out Johnny Wakely, asking if he could find Red Wolf, so he could talk to the Cheyenne and find out why they were so angry.

Comments: Created by Gardner Fox and Syd Shores.

Given the way Red Wolf was treated by the soldiers, as well as the attitude towards white people he later developed, I think it is highly unlikely that he ever got into a relationship with Molly.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

 

images:
Red Wolf#2
    p5, panel 5 (close up)
    p12, panel 3 (disguised)

Appearances:
Marvel Spotlight I#1 (November, 1971) - Gardner Fox (writer), Syd Shores (pencils), Wally Wood (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Red Wolf#1 (May, 1972) - Gary Friedrich (writer), Roy Thomas (plot), Syd Shores (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Red Wolf#2 (July, 1972) - Gardner Fox (writer), Roy Thomas (dialogue re-write), Syd Shores (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Red Wolf#3 (September, 1972) - Gardner Fox (writer), Roy Thomas (dialogue re-write), Syd Shores (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Red Wolf#4 (November, 1972) - Gardner Fox (writer), Roy Thomas (dialogue re-write/editor), Syd Shores (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks)
Red Wolf#5 (January, 1972) - Gardner Fox (writer), Roy Thomas (dialogue re-write/editor), Syd Shores (pencils), Chic Stone (inks)

Last updated: 03/11/05

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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