DR. ELLINGTON
Real Name: Ellington (first name unrevealed)
Identity/Class: human mutate
Occupation: Scientist
Group Membership: Octagon
Affiliations: Daredevil (Matt Murdock), three other scientists
formerly: Octagon's chairmen, Ella Pinkwater, Ernest Pinkwater, many other rich employers
Enemies: Octagon's chairmen, Ella Pinkwater, "super-dogs"
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Travis T. Hipp
Base of Operations: floating laboratory at Pier 19, New York City
First Appearance: Marvel Comics Presents#69/3 (1991)
Powers/Abilities: Through an intelligence enhancing drug he gained telepathic powers. As a scientist he was an expert in brain biochemistry.
(Marvel Comics Presents#70/3 (fb) ) - Octagon threatened Ellington and his partners to take away the project from them and pushed Ellington to test the formula on humans long before side effects could be determined. Ellington injected the formula himself and the next days his was close to death a few times, but eventually the fever broke down. The effects on Ellington were unexpected because instead of a higher IQ he gained the ability to read minds. He planned to get a bonus for this and went to Octagon's chairmen, but when he saw their thoughts he realized how immoral and greedy they were and that he himself wasn't any better. Ellington took all his research material and left the floating laboratory. A short time later Octagon contacted the police and a warrant for Ellington's arrest was put out.
(Marvel Comics Presents#69/3) - Ellington under the pseudonym of Travis T. Hipp told the people through a pirate radio station on 89.5 FM to stay at home and referred to the police's warning of wild packs of dogs before continuing his music program. Meanwhile one of Ellington's colleagues who wanted to warn Ellington was found by the dogs. Daredevil helped him and the scientist told him about his work, Octagon and Ellington before he died. After doing some research Daredevil found the floating laboratory at Pier 19 and there he read Ellington's handwritten journal. Daredevil hid himself when he heard a noise, but it was Ellington who immediately knew that Daredevil was in the room. He told Daredevil that he spotted the hero through something like a sixth sense and told him to leave. Ellington became angry when Daredevil told him that he read the journal and threatened to level the block with a liquid explosive if Daredevil tried to stop him.
(Marvel Comics Presents#70/3) - Ellington's pirate radio show continued with some great music. At the same time Ellington only wanted to leave the floating laboratory with his journal, but Daredevil jumped at him and for the first time that night Ellington was surprised and really dropped the tube with liquid explosive in it. Daredevil caught it and defused it with water while Ellington ran to the outside. Daredevil still caught Ellington and brought him back in where Ellington told him his whole story so that Daredevil didn't hand him over to the cops. Daredevil sympathized with Ellington after he had heard his story and understood that Ellington wanted to redeem himself after he had sold his talent to the highest bidder for his whole life. The dogs attacked and Daredevil fought them while Ellington ran away.
(Marvel Comics Presents#71/3) - Hipp's radio show continued and implored his followers to join him en masse the next morning for some unspecified event outside at 9:00 PM.
(Marvel Comics Presents#72/3 - BTS) - Ellington drove with the floating laboratory to a pylon of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to obscure his position on the radar. There he started to run the tape for his last show as Travis T. Hipp.
(Marvel Comics Presents#72/3) - The people followed Hipp's request and gathered to build a human circle around the island of Manhattan. Daredevil returned to the floating lab and found out that Ellington was gone and that the people were listening to a tape. Daredevil read a note from Ellington wherein he asked Daredevil not to stop the tape which was running at the moment. Daredevil did so and heard the people sing. Suddenly it began to rain and the heat wave was over.
Comments: Created by Sandy Plunkett, Dwayne Turner & Chris Ivy.
The drug was deadly for the dogs and Ellington was also afraid that he would die, but he was just gone at the end of the storyline and it was never confirmed that he really died.
Profile by Markus Raymond
CLARIFICATIONS:
Dr. Ellington has no known connection to:
Ella Pinkwater has no known connection to:
(Marvel Comics Presents#71/3) - She was the daughter of Ernest Pinkwater and got the controlling interest of Octagon as a present from her father. As acting president of Octagon she invited Daredevil into her office after he went through some Octagon guards. She listened calmly to Daredevil's accusations until he brought up his meeting with Ellington. She switched on the radio and told Daredevil that Ellington was Travis T. Hipp. She told him about Octagon's failed attempts to find the transmitter because the signal always vanished when they nearly had it like Ellington anticipated their moves. Ella asked Daredevil to find Ellington and the research material for her, but Daredevil didn't want to work with her. She threw Daredevil out of her office and threatened him with her father's influence.
(Marvel Comics Presents#72/3) - With her father's help Ella could go with the harbor patrol to find Ellington. After hours on the ship she wasn't happy anymore and even made the ship's captain angry with her attitude. When Daredevil came on board she continued her anger against him, but he calmed her down and helped the harbor patrol to find Ellington's ship. Ella stayed with the harbor patrol when Daredevil didn't take her on Ellington's ship. She heard the people singing at the coast and suddenly it began to rain. Ella was so happy that she jumped into the captain's arms.
--Marvel Comics Presents#71/3 (72/3
(Marvel Comics Presents#69/3 (fb) ) - Originally they were just stray dogs from the streets of New York. Dr. Ellington and his three partners took them to their floating laboratory and experimented with their intelligence enhancing drug on them. The dogs were driven mad with pain, but the drug worked.
(Marvel Comics Presents#70/3 (fb) ) - The dogs saw a chance to flee after the routine in the floating lab broke down when Ellington left with his research material.
(Marvel Comics Presents#69/3 (fb) ) - The dogs escaped and formed packs with other stray dogs from the street. There they started attacks on humans and soon two of the scientists were killed by them.
(Marvel Comics Presents#69/3) - Together with other stray dogs some "super-dogs" hunted the third scientist down and attacked him. Daredevil stopped them by knocking out their alpha male, but the scientist died of the injuries.
(Marvel Comics Presents#70/3) - Octagon sent out special teams to stop the dogs. The "super-dogs" returned to the floating lab where Daredevil talked with Ellington. Daredevil fought with the dogs while Ellington escaped.
(Marvel Comics Presents#72/3) - All "super-dogs" died of poisoning as a side effect of the intelligence enhancing drug.
--Marvel Comics Presents#69/3 (69/3 (fb), 70/3 (fb), 69/3 (fb), 69/3, 70/3, 72/3
images:
Dr. Ellington body shot: Marvel Comics Presents#69, p24, pan2
Dr. Ellington head shot: Marvel Comics Presents#70, p20, pan4
Ella Pinkwater head shot: Marvel Comics Presents#72, p19, pan3
super-dogs: Marvel Comics Presents#70, p22, pan3
Appearances:
Marvel Comics Presents#69-72 (1991) - Sandy Plunkett (writer), Dwayne Turner (pencils), Chris Ivy (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Last updated: 03/22/14
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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