ZAPPER

Real Name: Caesar Cirigliano

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Petty thief

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Angela Hernandez, Cloak, Dagger, two unidentified thugs

Enemies: Predator;
formerly Cloak, Dagger

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: “Little Caesar”, Needle

Base of Operations:

First Appearance: Strange Tales II#6 (September, 1987)

Powers/Abilities: Zapper had no actual superpowers of his own. He did, however, wear the battlesuit designed to manipulate the Opti-Link Energy. Using the battlesuit, he could project optic energy beams from the “eyes” of the helmet that were strong enough to melt through a metal block or melt a gun to a person’s hand.

History: (Strange Tales II#6 (fb)) - Caesar Cirigliano was a dropout, punk kid who always got into trouble. A young girl named Angela Hernandez befriended and eventually fell in love with him. While together, Caesar felt guilt and anguish over the poverty that he and Angela lived in. He eventually turned to theft to get the money he felt they needed to end their poverty. He broke into someone’s home and stole their radio, giving it to Angela as a gift. She turned away and told him that theft would not make them rich. Angered, Caesar claimed that he should knock over something bigger like a bank and left for days. During his time away, Caesar broke into a scientific research facility through the air vents and witnessed a scientist testing his new Opti-Link energy, focused through a battlesuit that allowed the user to control the energy. Once the scientist’s test subject tested the battlesuit by blasting two holes through a block of metal, the scientist and his subject both left the scene. Seeing his chance at a fortune, Caesar grabbed the battlesuit for his own use. When a security guard saw him and demanded he stop, Caesar blasted the guard, melting part of his gun to his hand. He then blasted a hole through the wall and escaped. Taking the name Zapper, Caesar planned for a big heist.

(Strange Tales II#6) - Angela Hernandez visited her condemned former church and confessed her knowledge of Zapper’s theft. Cloak and Dagger, who were in the church, listened to her confession and decided they might be able to save Zapper from his own thieving ways. When Angela returned home, she found Zapper discussing his plan to rob an armored car with two thugs. One of the thugs questioned Zapper's idea to rob the armored car and Caesar blasted him in anger. Once the armored car arrived, Zapper attacked the car as planned, zapping the guards. As Angela watched, crying, Cloak and Dagger arrived and took out Needle and the other thug. Turning towards Zapper, Dagger tossed three light daggers into him, causing him to fall to his knees. As he fell, Angela returned, stating that she could not leave him because she loved him. Zapper claimed he did not deserve that kind of love and that Angela didn’t need to get hurt because of her love for him. He then turned and blasted Dagger with the Opti-Energy, angering Cloak. Cloak sucked Caesar into his cloak, forcing him to view how his life would be if his thieving ways continued into a life as a professional criminal. He nearly became a meal for the Predator, who closed in on him. Not wishing to live that life, Zapper blasted away in fear, hitting Predator and eventually freeing himself from Cloak’s cloak. Upon escaping, Caesar claimed that he would turn himself in and change himself for the better. As the cops arrived and arrested him, Caesar asked Angela to pray for him.

Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo, Bret Blevins, and Bob Wiacek.

On a side note, there's some confusion about who the name "Needle" applies to. In the panel that the thugs first appear, it says “Meanwhile, in a condemned building, Needle holds court in a basement turned social club...,” although Zapper appears to be the one holding the meeting. I'm presuming that Needle was Zapper's nickname with the thugs before he stole the battlesuit. However it is possible it refers to one of the thugs.

Also, at the beginning of the story, Zapper’s girlfriend is clearly named “Angela Hernandez,” but when she appears during Zapper’s attack on the armored car, he calls her “Jamie.” I decided to go with the name “Angela Hernandez,” since a last name was given. Perhaps “Jamie” is her middle or first name, or possibly a nickname given to her by Caesar for some odd reason.

Profile by Proto-Man

Clarifications:

This character, Zapper, has no known connections to

 

Angela Hernandez

Angela Hernandez was the girlfriend of Caesar Cirigliano and also the good influence in his life. When she refused his stolen merchandise, he left and eventually stole the Opti-Link Energy Helmet. She confessed her knowledge of his activities in her condemned church and was overheard by Cloak & Dagger. When Zapper robbed the armored car, Cloak & Dagger arrived to stop him and Angela was there as well in an attempt to stop him. When he realized the error of his ways, Caesar asked Angela to pray for him.

-Strange Tales II#6 (fb), (#6

 

 

 

 

Zapper's Thug Friends

Two unnamed thugs who aided Zapper in his robbery of the armored car. Before the robbery, the red-headed one expressed worry about whether or not they should commit the robbery. Angered, Zapper blasted him with the energy; in spite of this (or because of it), he eventually aided Caesar anyway, until he was zapped by a light dagger from Dagger and then taken inside Cloak’s cloak, where he saw his fears of prison realized. Both were presumably arrested along with Zapper.

-Strange Tales II#6

 

 

 

 

images:

Zapper headshot - Strange Tales II#6, p3, pan4

Zapper fullbody - Strange Tales II#6, p6, pan7

Angela Hernandez - Strange Tales II#6, p8, pan8

Red-headed thug - Strange Tales II#6, p6, pan7

Black-haired thug - Strange Tales II#6, p6, pan7

Appearances:
Strange Tales II#6 (September, 1987) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Bret Blevins (pencils), Bob Wiacek (inks), Carl Potts (editor)

Last updated: 10/12/13

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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