HOWLIN' WOLF

Real Name: Chester Arthur Burnett

Identity/Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Blues musician & club owner

Group Membership: Checker Lounge III Band
    formerly many earthly bands and music labels

Affiliations: Checker Lounge III Band, Heater Delight, Starfox
    formerly M.T. Murphy, Willie Steele, many other musicians

Enemies: Dark Roger, Mystery Planet Soldiers

Known Relatives: Albert Burnett (grandfather), Amelia Burnett (grandmother), Gaddis Burnett (uncle), Leon Burnett (father), Lyda Burnett (aunt), Mary Burnett (half-sister), Levy Eggerson (cousin), Barbara Handley (step-daughter), Betty Jean Handley (step-daughter), Lillie Handley (wife), Gertrude Jones (mother), John Wesley Jones (grandfather), Catherine Tripplett (grandmother), Eliza Young (great-aunt), Will Young (great-uncle)

Aliases: Big Foot Chester, Bull Cow

Base of Operations: Checker Lounge III on the planet Kotzwinkle;
    formerly Chicago, Illinois;
    formerly West Memphis, Arkansas;
    formerly: White Station, Mississippi

First Appearance: Marvel Comics Presents#65/4 (1990)

Powers/Abilities: He can transform into a wolfman at will, in which form his strength and durability were enhanced and he possessed claws, fangs, and other wolf-like features. He was also one of the most talented and influential musicians of the century. He sang, could play a variety of instruments, had an indescribable stage presence, and he was also a great band leader.

(Marvel Comics Presents#65/4) - Howlin' Wolf was rehearsing with his alien band in the Checker Lounge III on the planet Kotzwinkle when his old friend Starfox came by with his girlfriend Heater Delight. Wolf was upset with the aliens because they couldn't catch a right beat and asked Starfox if he couldn't get Willie Steele or M.T. Murphy from Earth for his band. Starfox reminded Wolf of all the money he got for this gig, but Wolf didn't even know what to spend it on because everything seemed too weird to him on Kotzwinkle. He was then introduced to Heater Delight. Wolf told her that the name fits and talked about his history with Starfox. Suddenly Dark Roger entered the lounge and Wolf asked him to leave because the lounge was closed. Roger didn't follow Wolf's request and instead transported the whole lounge to the Mystery Planet. Wolf had it with Roger when he told him to be quiet because they were in the Caverns of Silence. Wolf sent his band against Rogers' soldiers and transformed into a wolfman. He attacked the soldiers and scarred them off. He transformed back to his human form when Roger and his soldiers were gone. Heater was excited about Wolf's powers and he told her that he got it from Starfox's doctors when he asked them if it was possible. Heater thanked Wolf with a kiss and left the lounge with Starfox while Howlin' Wolf sang "Wang Dang Doodle".

Comments: Created by Peter Gillis, Ernie Chan & Jeff Albrecht.

The character of Howlin' Wolf is based on the famous blues musician Chester Arthur Burnett who was better known as Howlin' Wolf. Peter B. Gillis dedicated this story to him.

The real Howlin' Wolf

Chester Arthur Burnett was born on 10th June 1910 in White Station, Mississippi. His parents were Leon "Dock" Burnett and Gertrude Jones. His mother's father, John Wesley, gave him the nickname Howlin' Wolf when he was a child. At that time Chester also began to sing in the White Station Baptist church, where his great-uncle preached.
 
When his parents split, Chester was left with his violent great-uncle. Chester ran away from him when he was 13 and reunited with his father on a plantation near Ruleville, Mississippi. There he got fascinated with blues when he met local blues musician Charley Patton. In January 1928 Chester's father bought him a guitar and Patton gave Chester guitar lessons. After taking harmonica lessons from Sonny Boy Williamson, he learned to sing from records of other blues musicians. Soon he traveled through the country with other musicians from the area.
 
In 1941 Chester joined the army and left them two years later after a nervous breakdown. After a failed relationship he returned to his music career and helped his father on his farm. In 1948 Chester moved to West Memphis, Arkansas where he put together a band. He also got a job at the radio station KWEM.
 
In 1951 record producer Sam Phillips gave Chester the chance to record his music for the first time. Phillips leased Chester's music to Chess Records and RPM who tried to get Wolf under contract. Chess Records got him in 1953 and Wolf moved to Chicago. Wolf's work in the following years became blues standards.
 
In 1964 Wolf married Lillie Handley. In the same year Wolf was part of a blue revival show that toured through Europe. His career continued with appearances on television and the recording of the London Howlin' Wolf Sessions in 1970 with such greats as Eric Clapton in 1970.
 
At this point Howlin' Wolf was already very ill. After several heart attacks and his kidneys failure he had to receive dialysis treatment every three days, but Wolf still continued. Further records were produced and in November 1975 Wolf performed for the last time at the Chicago Amphitheater. On January 10th 1976 Chester Arthur Burnett died at the Hines Veterans Administration Hospital in Chicago, Illinois after his heard gave up during an operation.
 
In 1980 Wolf was post-mortem inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame and 1991 into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Howlin' Wolf isn't forgotten to this day.

More about Chester Arthur Burnett can be read at the Howlin' Wolf site! or in the Howlin' Wolf biography "Moanin' at Midnight" written by James Segrest and Mark Hoffman.

You can listen to the whole song here: www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/wangdangdoodle.mp3

Profile by Markus Raymond

CLARIFICATIONS:
Howlin' Wolf has no known connection to:

• Howling Commandos, special squad in World War II @ Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#1
• Howling Commandos, of Earth-Amalgam @ Super Soldier: Man o War#1
• "Howling Vessel", sentient spaceship @ Marvel Comics Presents#69/4
• or to anyone else with a similar name

Checker Lounge III Band

They were Wolf's new sidemen in the Checker Lounge III. They could play their instruments, but they had troubles with the beat which was very annoying for Howlin' Wolf. Despite their lack of musical skills they were great fighters. When Dark Roger invaded the lounge they helped Howlin' Wolf drive Roger's soldiers out of the club. They were glad that they would still get back for the evening show when Starfox teleported the lounge back to Kotzwinkle. While Starfox and Heater were leaving they played "Wang Dang Doodle" with Howlin' Wolf.

--Marvel Comics Presents#65/4

images:
Howlin' Wolf body shot: Marvel Comics Presents#65, p30, pan4
Howlin' Wolf head shot: Marvel Comics Presents#65, p30, pan4
Checker Lounge III Band: Marvel Comics Presents#65, p29, pan6

Last updated: 02/14/05