PINK FINK
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human technology user
Occupation: Professional criminal
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Fantastic Four (Mr. Fantastic, HERBIE, Invisible Girl, Thing)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Headquarters in unknown location, estate in Happy Valley
First Appearance: Fantastic Four Coloring Book Featuring HERBIE The Robot (1979)
Powers/Abilities: Pink Fink is an inventive genius, and is equipped with a variety of technologically-advanced and pink-themed devices that let him pose a threat to even the Fantastic Four. One of these is a large roof-mounted device called a "pink popper" which momentarily duplicates its target, causing mechanical beings such as HERBIE to go out of control. He has a powerful "split beam" which disassembles its target, presumably at the molecular level, and teleports it over a distance of several miles. This beam can be used on living organic beings with no ill effects. He also has some kind of projector which seals its target in instantly-solidifying pink plastic cement. Along with these large weapons, Pink Fink has smaller devices kept on his person. These include a handheld trumpetlike "pinkometer", which was capable of immobilizing Invisible Girl and nullifying her invisibility, and "infra-pink" goggles, which allow Pink Fink to see using some unrevealed portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, thereby detecting even otherwise invisible things or people. His costume appears to be at least somewhat resistant to flame. The Pink Fink is not, however, a very skilled hand-to-hand combatant.
History: (Fantastic Four Coloring Book Featuring HERBIE The Robot) - Tired of the Fantastic Four constantly triumphing over evil, the Pink Fink decided to retire to his estate in Happy Valley to recuperate and design more ways to destroy his hated foes. Unbeknownst to him, however, the Fantastic Four had themselves recently rented a farm in Happy Valley in order to take a vacation. While the overeager Thing had a series of misadventures with the livestock, HERBIE flew into view of Pink Fink's house. Incorrectly assuming that the FF had found and pursued him to his home, Pink Fink became enraged and shot down HERBIE with his "pink popper".
Mr. Fantastic managed to prevent the robot from crashing by turning into a trampoline, and he related that all he remembered was seeing a pink flash.
Hearing that, Mr. Fantastic immediately deduced that Pink Fink was back, and the team set out for the house on the hill. Pink Fink saw them coming, however, and prepared a trap - his greatest invention, the split beam. Keeping an eye on the Invisible Girl through his infra-pink goggles, he waited for the Thing to break down the door, then teleported him miles away with the beam. Pink Fink then turned on Invisible Girl and paralyzed her with his pinkometer. He failed to notice Mr. Fantastic stretching into the building as a thin ribbon, however, and was nearly knocked out by the Fantastic Four's leader. In desperation, Pink Fink managed to pull a lever that encased his opponent in pink plastic cement. As he carried Mr. Fantastic off to "dispose of him", he was confronted by HERBIE, who projected a beam of intense heat at Pink Fink until the criminal surrendered.
Comments: Creators unknown; the coloring book is uncredited, though it's not impossible that Jack Kirby may have had a hand in him, as the coloring book is based on the 1978 series for which Kirby did some design work. He has sort of a Kirbyesque air about him, anyway.
This book is even more insane than I remembered from when I was a kid. I have no idea what Pink Fink's fixation on the color pink is. He doesn't have any intrinsically pink-related powers, he doesn't seem to derive strength from other objects being pink, and he doesn't have power of things that are pink. I think he just really likes pink.
Obviously, these events (and this character) did not necessarily occur in Earth-616 continuity, though you might be able to cram them into the brief run of issues where HERBIE was both acting as a hero and on Earth. It's also worth noting that this is not the first time the FF have dealt with the Pink Fink. In fact, when HERBIE reports that pink flash, Pink Fink is the first and only suspect that springs to Reed's mind.
It stands to reason that, when Pink Fink gets out of jail, he'll also spring the Color Criminals; in fact, I can only assume it was an oversight on the artist's part that they weren't shown escaping from the Raft in the opening arc of New Avengers.
Since this is a coloring book, and Pink Fink does not appear on the cover, all of the images of him are in black and white. I think we can make an educated guess about his color scheme, however.
Clarifications:
Pink Fink, enemy of the Fantastic Four, has no known connection to Images: Fantastic Four Coloring Book Featuring HERBIE The Robot (1979) Last updated: 01/25/05 Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know. Non-Marvel Copyright
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Full shot - Fantastic Four Coloring Book Featuring HERBIE The Robot, p68
Head shot - Fantastic Four Coloring Book Featuring HERBIE The Robot, p56
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