CLIFF POWERS
Real Name: Cliff Powers
Identity/Class: Human, (World War II era)
Occupation: Medic
Group Membership: US Military, Medical Corps
Affiliations: Maulers ("Rickets" Johnson, Bull McGiveney), Howling Commandos (Isadore "Izzy" Cohen, Timothy "Dum-Dum" Dugan, Nick Fury, Gabe Jones, Eric Koenig, Dino Manelli, Percival "Pinky" Pinkerton, Robert "Reb" Ralston), Sam Sawyer
Enemies: Nazis
Known Relatives: unnamed father
Aliases: "Chris" (see comments)
Base of Operations: unnamed air base, England, 1940's
First Appearance: Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#46 (September, 1967)
Powers/Abilities: Cliff Powers was a skilled combat medic, and carried a medical kit. He briefly wielded a pistol, but had no talent in its use.
History: (Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#46 (fb) - BTS) - Cliff Powers was born into a family with a proud battlefield tradition. When World War II broke out Cliff enlisted, but became a medic instead of joining the infantry, which is what his father had wanted. Powers became an outcast in his own family as a result.
(Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#46) - When Bull McGiveney and "Rickets" Johnson were stranded in a French farmhouse with Eric Koenig of the Howling Commandos, Powers was assigned to accompany the rest of the Commandos on a rescue mission, as Bull needed medical attention. On their way to France, Powers expressed to the Howlers how difficult it was for him to be a non-combatant, but Fury encouraged him, observing that medics were often the most valuable of all men.
Powers parachuted to the farmhouse with the Howlers, evading fire from the Nazis who had Koenig, McGiveney and Johnson pinned down, and Powers saw to McGiveney's wounds. He was able to save McGiveney's life, and stabilize him enough that they could carry him to their plane. As they waited for the plane to come around and land, Powers suggested to Fury that he carry a gun so that they would have more men to cover the group, but Fury nixed the idea, because if Powers took up a gun, it would make him a target to the Nazis.
The plane finally landed and the Howlers, Maulers and Powers quickly loaded inside, but the pilot was hit by German fire, and the cockpit was damaged. McGiveney was still in a bad state, in need of a blood transfusion, and when Powers was told to give him morphine, he realized that he had left his medical kit in the farmhouse. He asked to be allowed to retrieve it, but Fury refused. Powers then stole Bull's pistol and forced Fury to let him depart the plane and run for the farmhouse. Fury had the Howlers and Johnson lay down cover fire for him, and he managed to make his way to the farmhouse and back, with the medical kit in hand. By then, "Izzy" Cohen had made repairs to the plane, and Koenig flew them back to England.
Just as they loaded Bull into an ambulance, Powers collapsed, his shirt soaked with blood. He had been hit while running back to the plane, but concealed it from the others. Fury quickly got him into the ambulance as well, and Powers wound up in a hospital bed next to Bull. Bull was so impressed with Powers' heroism that he offered to get him into the infantry and a spot in the Maulers, but Powers now realized how valuable his services as a medic were to the military, and declined the offer.
Comments: Created by Gary Friedrich and John Severin.
Powers' name was given as Cliff when Sawyer first introduced him, but Fury called him "Chris" near the end of the story. I'll assume that Sawyer had it right, and that Fury's (re: Friedrich's) memory failed him.
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CLARIFICATIONS: Images taken from: Last updated: 04/04/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
Cliff Powers has no known connection to:
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#46, cover
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#46, page 8, panel 1
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