THE COMMITTEE
Membership: Baron Thunder, Carruthers, "Fatso", Hicks, "Monsieur LeBlanc", Professor Mako, "New Head", Reuben, "Shaved Head", "Turtle Neck"
Purpose: (allegedly) To revive America's flagging economy
by any possible legal or criminal means
(actually) To make
money for themselves through criminal activity
Affiliations: (original)
Behemoth,
Bruno and "John",
Enforcer,
Frank and Harry (deceased),
Max Grant (deceased), Jonathan,
Ma Mayhem,
Sidney Sarnak and his
Army of Fear, Tatterdemalion, Tri-Delta-Five
formerly
Moon Knight
reorganized: formerly
"Committee of Five"
Enemies: Buck Cowan, Jean-Paul "Frenchie" DuChamp, Moon Knight (Marc Spector), Jack Russell, Laura Russell, Lissa Russell, Philip Russell , Taboo
Base of Operations: Manhattan, New York
formerly Los Angeles, California
First Appearance: (BTS) Marvel Spotlight I#2 (February,
1972)
(named) Werewolf by Night I#9 (September, 1973)
(seen) Werewolf by Night I#10 (October, 1973)
History: Nothing has yet been revealed about the origin of the Committee but Baron Thunder MAY have been instrumental in its creation.
(Werewolf by Night I#11 (fb) - BTS) - The Committee hired America's leading investigation agency to find a real living victim of lycanthropy. After years of research and thousands of dollars in detective fees, the result was two dossiers on Jack Russell and his sister Lissa.
(Werewolf by Night I#14 (fb) - BTS) - Members of the Committee learned that the deceased Gregory Russoff had been a werewolf. They blackmailed Gregory's brother, Philip Russell, by threatening to reveal this information unless he paid them. Unwilling to allow his wife Laura (Gregory's widow) to be dragged through the mud again, Philip paid them.
(Marvel Spotlight I#2 - BTS) - Philip Russell was apparently forced to employ Max Grant, an agent of the Committee, as a chauffeur.
(Werewolf by Night I#14 (fb) - BTS) - Rethinking the situation, Philip attempted to stop paying off his blackmailers.
(Marvel Spotlight I#2) - Presumably obeying orders from the
Committee, Grant sabotaged the brakes on Laura Russell's car, causing her to be
severely injured in an accident later that night. The next morning, Grant called
Philip and demanded that he bring the money he owed ($10,000) to a warehouse on
South Street. Philip agreed to do so, unaware that his side of the phone
conversation had been overheard by his (sedated) step-son, Jack. Laura Russell
died later that day.
That night, as Grant approached the warehouse, he was attacked
by someone whom he thought was wearing a fright mask (but who was actually Jack's
Werewolf self). After a brief battle, Grant quickly gained the advantage and began
to strangle the Werewolf. However, as the Werewolf broke his grip, Grant realized
that his foe's bestial face wasn't a mask after all and that he was fighting a
werewolf. Shocked, Grant tried to flee, but was quickly caught by the Werewolf
who then strangled him to death. Soon after that, Philip arrived, but when Grant
didn't appear he left without seeing either Grant's body or the Werewolf.
[Four months passed]
(Werewolf by Night I#3) - Someone from the Committee again phoned Philip Russell at his home and demanded that he pay them the money (they felt) he owed them. Philip replied, "Listen, I paid your man Grant as much as I could! If he's disappeared -- that's your problem, not mine!" When the caller threatened Russell, he replied, "Don't threaten me, my friend -- my wife's estate wasn't quite worth as much as we thought. You'll have to be satisfied with what I've given you - - no more!" Philip's words were overheard by his step-daughter, Lissa, and they further convinced her that Philip had been involved in her mother's death.
[One month passed]
(Werewolf by Night I#8) - Someone from the Committee again phoned Philip Russell at his home. Upon realizing who the caller was, Philip said that he'd meant it when he'd previously told the caller to never call him again. Philip then added, "I'm through, do you understand? I want nothing more to do with you" and, as he hung up the phone, said to himself, "no matter what it costs me!"
[One month passed]
(Werewolf by Night I#10 (fb) - BTS) - The Committee learned that Sidney Sarnak, a legendary sound engineer who had been scarred for life while escaping (from the police?) after being caught producing illegal copies of popular albums, had developed a sonic device that allowed him to control minds.
(Werewolf by Night I#10 (fb)) - Carruthers brought the masked Sarnak to one of the monthly meetings of the Committee, introduced him to the other members and revealed that he had volunteered to aid them by using his control whistle to create an Army of Fear. Carruthers then had Sarnak shown dossiers on Jack and Lissa Russell which indicated that they were werewolves and told Sarnak that he was to capture them and use them to create terror. When Sarnak asked why they wanted him to create terror, the Committee told him that they believed that consumers were not buying because they were too secure and that creating terror would shock consumers back into an awareness of their immediate interests (i.e. would cause the country's economy to boom).
(Werewolf by Night I#9 - BTS) - Sarnak, after capturing and "taming" the Werewolf, led his Army of Terror on their first terror raid. Along the way, Sarnak told the Werewolf that it was the Committee who had commissioned their reign of terror, had created the control flute and had given Sarnak his assignment and demanded that he find the Werewolf to complete their "little household of horror."
(Werewolf by Night I#10 - BTS) - Early the next morning, after Sarnak had had both Lissa and the Werewolf chained in a pit in the sewers, he told Lissa about himself and how the Committee had hired him to kidnap them and to use his control whistle to create terror.
(Werewolf by Night I#10) - Soon after dawn, the Committee sent two thugs (Bruno and "John") to the Russell house in Westwood. When Philip answered the door and confirmed his identity, "John" stated that the Committee had sent them because his account was well past due. When Philip tried to object, "John" interrupted him, stating "This is what our employers tell you" just as Bruno knocked Philip out with a single punch. Bruno then picked Philip up and he and "John" left to bring their captive to the Committee.
[One month passed]
(Werewolf by Night I#11) - In the "nerve center of the Committee" several members were present to observe Philip Russell's interrogation. Once Professor Mako reported that Philip was secured head to foot to their nerve-impulse charger, "Shaved Head" offered to forego Philip's debt to them if he would give Jack to them. When Philip refused, "Shaved Head" told Professor Mako to turn up the current and they began to torture him.
(Werewolf by Night I#12) - The next day, after repeated shockings, Philip was still refusing to tell them how to find Jack so "Shaved Head" stated that then he must die and ordered Professor Mako to set the machine on high so that they could watch Philip's face "as every nerve cell in his body begins to slowly explode." Hearing this, Philip finally cracked and agreed to help them as long as they didn't use the machine again.
(Werewolf by Night I#12 (fb)) - Later that day, the Committee
sent two thugs (Frank and Harry) to Jack's apartment at Colden House with orders
to bring him to them right away. The thugs got into the apartment while Jack was
swimming in the pool and later confronted him when he returned to get dressed.
When Jack tried to fight back, he was quickly knocked out and tied up. Despite
their orders, Frank refused to take a body outside during daylight so they waited
there until dark.
That night, Frank and Harry put the bound Jack in the back seat
of their car and began driving to where they were to bring their captive. While
still in the city, Jack transformed into the Werewolf, freed himself from his
bonds and was just about to attack the thugs when they spotted him in the rear
view mirror. The shock caused Frank to lose control of the car which began
skidding wildly, careening into building after building before lurching to a
sudden and deadly stop which (apparently) killed both Frank and Harry (the
Werewolf had jumped out just before the final, fatal impact). The car then
exploded into flames.
[One month passed]
(Werewolf by Night I#13 (fb) - BTS/Werewolf by Night I#17 (fb) - BTS) - The sorcerer Taboo cast spells which made the Committee (or just some of their agents?) work for him. During this time, Philip Russell was transferred into Taboo's custody.
(Werewolf by Night I#13 (fb)) - The helicopter pilot, Jonathan, who flew Topaz as she followed Jack Russell to his hideaway on the southern tip of the Verdugo Mountains may have been an agent of the Committee who had fallen under Taboo's spell (or he and the two guys who later recovered the unconscious Werewolf and brought him to Taboo's mosque may have just been hired by Taboo).
(Werewolf by Night I#14) - Two agents (one known as Striker) of
the Committee who had apparently been staking out the Russell home spotted Jack
Russell as he left to drive to Taboo's mosque. They called the Committee to report
that they had "the kid cornered" and then followed Jack's car along the Golden
State Freeway. They continued to follow him after Jack spotted them and tried to
lose them by turning off onto a side road (which Jack knew ended in a dead end at
a cliff edge). When Jack tried to hairpin his car, his engine conked out but the
sedan driven by the Committee agents was moving too fast to avoid ramming into
Jack's car so both cars went over the cliffside and exploded on the canyon floor.
Jack survived by grabbing onto a tree limb jutting out from the cliff face but
there was no sign of the two Committee agents.
The next day, Philip Russell told his step-children and Topaz that
the Committee had been blackmailing his late wife Laura and that they had had her
killed when he had tried to stop paying them off.
[Two months passed]
(Werewolf by Night I#17) - Following Jack Russell's return from Transylvania, Agent Tri-Delta-Five radioed the Committee to report that Jack was in the home of his step-father. Two members of the Committee's Inner Council ("Shaved Head" and "Turtle Neck") received his report and ordered him to maintain constant surveillance. The two members then tried to report to the head of the Committee, Baron Thunder, but he had monitored the transmission and had decided that that Model Kay-Twelve would be dispatched in time to capture Russell. When the two Inner Council members asked about the real reason why the Committee had been hunting Russell, Baron Thunder dealt with their doubts by summoning his personal creation, the giant android he called the Behemoth (presumably Model Kay-Twelve), which grabbed the two men up off the floor while Thunder asked if they would prefer to be dashed to the floor. Not surprisingly, both men quickly assured the Baron that they would never again doubt his judgment.
[Almost one month passed]
(Werewolf by Night I#17) - Tri-Delta-Five (or someone who dressed
like him) was still secretly watching Jack while he was at Mallet Studios talking
to movie producer Mr. Gabriel.
Early the next morning, Baron Thunder and the Committee sent
the android Behemoth to capture the Werewolf. The Behemoth arrived shortly before
dawn, smashed through the glass balcony doors and entered Russell's apartment,
inadvertently distracting both Topaz and the Werewolf from their hours-long
mental battle. The Behemoth grabbed the Werewolf by the neck and choked him until
the Werewolf's claws ripped through its left wrist, severing its hand. The
Behemoth continued its attack and soon lost its other hand but managed to trap
the Werewolf beneath its right foot. As the Werewolf resisted the Behemoth's
attempt to crush him, Baron Thunder, who had (somehow) been monitoring events
from afar, decided that brute force would not be enough to capture the Werewolf
so he ordered the Behemoth (via internal radio?) to return to base. The Behemoth
obeyed immediately and exited Riussell's apartment, leaving behind both of its
hands.
(Werewolf by Night I#17-18) - The next evening, "Turtle Neck"
reported to the Baron that the Regenerators were functioning perfectly (on the
Behemoth). Baron Thunder realized that his men had unspoken questions about why
he had ordered the Behemoth to return but he privately reassured himself that
one of his many resources was "a most intelligent werewolf-captor" who was just
about to strike.
Shortly before moonrise, Ma Mayhem arrived at Jack Russell's
apartment, disguised as a grey-haired older woman named Mrs. Lynn James and
claiming to be the new cleaning lady. Once Jack let her in, Mayhem waited until
she had an opportunity to dispose of the visiting LAPD Lt. Hackett (but Jack
managed to save Hackett from being killed). Mayhem then confronted Jack, revealed
her identity and purpose, and waited while the now-risen full moon transformed
Jack into the Werewolf.
(Meanwhile, back in Baron Thunder's headquarters, an underling
reported that the restructuring of the Behemoth was proceeding on schedule. When
martial artist Larry Tong expressed his doubts that Ma Mayhem could succeed,
Thunder mentioned that she was California's most powerful witch and then continued
his training, demonstrating his superhuman strength by easily bending a steel
girder and then resisting Tong's skills and strength).
Back in Russell's apartment, Mayhem began battling the Werewolf
using several silver weapons, the last of which was a magical silver-coated whip
which she used to repeatedly smash him against a wall until it finally gave way,
sending the Werewolf into Raymond Coker's next-door apartment. Mayhem pursued her
prey into the new room but both of them soon found themselves facing a talking,
black-furred werewolf. As the two werewolves began to fight, Mayhem realized that
she wasn't prepared to face two werewolves so she quickly left the scene. By the
time the battling werewolves fled the apartment complex and the police, Mayhem
had reached her car. When Lissa arrived, called out to "Jack" and identified
herself as his sister, Mayhem realized that Lissa herself might be a potential
werewolf so she used some sleeping gas to knock her out and kidnap her.
(Werewolf by Night I#18/Werewolf by Night I#19 (fb)) - The next day, when Jack returned to his apartment, he found a note from the Committee (pinned to his door by a odd knife) informing him that they'd kidnapped Lissa and demanding that Jack surrender himself to save her life. That afternoon, Jack spotted a piece of Mayhem's sweater snagged on a fence and found some "plastic flesh" attached to it.
(Werewolf by Night I#20 - BTS) - Jack somehow learned that Lissa had been kidnapped by "some kook holding the handle of Baron Thunder (who) was evidently the head of some ad hoc fraternity called the Committee."
(Werewolf by Night I#20) - A week later, Lissa was still a captive of Baron Thunder and was a prisoner in the subterranean machinery complex beneath the Baron's new home on Moonrise Hill. After Jack (in the form of a thinking werewolf because of a magic ring he had acquired earlier that night) arrived and searched the house, someone (Thunder or Mayhem) brought him down into the subterranean complex. Once Werewolf Jack had found his sister chained to a wall and been confronted by Ma Mayhem in her true form, Baron Thunder sucker-punched him from the shadows. Before the battle could begin, Mayhem noticed the ring on Werewolf Jack's finger and called out to the Baron to warn him that the Werewolf still had his human mind. During the ensuing fight, Baron Thunder revealed that it was his plan to take the Werewolf's blood "to strengthen the other members of the Committee as I have been strengthened!" As the fight continued, fires started and the surrounding banks of machinery became increasingly damaged until a large machine began to topple over onto the combatants. Warned by Mayhem, Thunder managed to catch and briefly support the machine but it finally crashed down on him. While Mayhem went to Thunder's side, Werewolf Jack freed Lissa and they both escaped before the fires set off explosions that destroyed both the house and the underground complex. Baron Thunder and Ma Mayhem presumably died in those blasts.
[Ten months passed]
(Moon Knight I#4 (fb)) - A millionaire French industrialist, Monsieur LeBlanc, became a member of the Committee (which was now a group of "international financiers"). After learning that they were planning on hiring an agent to capture Jack Russell so that they could use the Werewolf for their own purposes, LeBlanc suggested that a mercenary named Marc Spector might take the job if he were provided with anonymity and suitable weapons. LeBlanc then provided the Committee with a costume that he had devised himself and told them that his creation would be called Moon Knight. LeBlanc put the Committee in touch with Spector but did not attend the meeting himself because he did not want Spector to know that he was behind it.
(Werewolf by Night I#32 (fb)) - At their warehouse, the Committee conducted a job interview with Mark Spector during which the leader ("Fatso") read out some interesting items from their dossier on him. "Fatso" offered Spector ten thousand dollars to wear the Moon Knight costume they provided and use its weapons and his own skills to capture and deliver to them a werewolf named Jack Russell.
(Werewolf by Night I#33) - Following Moon Knight's early morning arrival at their headquarters with his three captives, the Committee stalled the whole day away with "some top secret meeting" and didn't meet with Spector until minutes before the full moon was to rise. "Fatso" then revealed that the Committee had decided that they wouldn't be paying Spector until they had proof that the unconscious kid he'd brought them was actually a werewolf. When Jack revived and demanded to know what the Committee wanted a werewolf for anyway, "Fatso" revealed that they planned to keep him as a pet, one whom they would release occasionally in the hopes that he would commit various murders for their own private purposes. When the moon rose and Jack transformed into the Werewolf, the Committee members were "disgustingly happy" observers. "Fatso" then congratulated Spector and offered him his money. When Lissa condemned Spector for what he'd done, "Fatso" told him not to listen to her but Spector, who had been impressed by the humanity Jack had demonstrated and respected the fact that he fought to be free, took the money but then revealed how disgusted he was with the "slimy slugs" who made up the Committee and freed the Werewolf from his cage. With the Werewolf loose and Moon Knight turned against them, those Committee members carrying guns pulled them out and began shooting. Soon, most of the Committee had run away and those who remained were felled by Moon Knight's punches or the Werewolf's slashes. Finally, Moon Knight captured "Mister Anonymous-Leader Lard-Butt Number One" and kicked him into the Werewolf who slashed him across his face, possibly killing him. Once Moon Knight and the Werewolf left, nothing moved in the Committee's headquarters.
(Marvel Spotlight I#28 - BTS) - The Conquer-Lord stole Moon Knight's dossier from the Committee, learning all of his secrets.
(Moon Knight I#4 (fb) - BTS) - Moon Knight came to believe that
he and the Werewolf had destroyed the Committee. [I'm not even going to guess how much time passed] (OHotMUDE #17) - The Committee hired the Enforcer and outfitted
him with a set of specially modified automatic pistols (to take the place of
his disintegrator ring). The first assignment that they gave him was to silence
writer Buck Cowan, who was about to expose Committee activity to the police. (Spider-Woman I#19 (fb) - BTS) - The Committee gave the Enforcer
a briefing about what he might expect to encounter when dealing with Cowan,
including the fact that Cowan's close friend Jack Russell was a werewolf. (Spider-Woman I#19 - BTS) - The Enforcer shot Cowan with "the
tingler" to keep him from telling anyone what he knew about the Committee but
was later knocked unconscious by the original Spider-Woman's venom blast and
was then taken into custody by the police. (Marvel Team-Up I#93 - BTS/OHotMUDE #13) - The Committee provided
Tatterdemalion (a former member of Sarnak's Army of Terror) with his own special paraphernalia so that he could launch his
own campaign of terror against the wealthy. Later, after Tatterdemalion was in
police custody following his defeat by Spider-Man and the Werewolf, the Committee
arranged for him to be released. (Moon Knight I#4 (fb) - BTS) - After Moon Knight and the Werewolf
almost destroyed the Committee, the surviving members reorganized the cartel and
relocated to New York City where they set up their new headquarters in a
seemingly-abandoned warehouse on the lower Manhattan docks. Monsieur LeBlanc
continued to attend meetings occasionally, only enough to remain aware of their
general activities. (Moon Knight I#4 (fb) - BTS) - Some time later, the new leader
felt that it was necessary for them to settle their score with Moon Knight because
he had almost destroyed the original Committee and had taken their money without
fulfilling his contract. Concerned that Monsieur LeBlanc might object, the other
Committee members did not inform him of what they planned to do (and LeBlanc began
to feel that they were holding something back from him). During a meeting held
while Reuben was away in Switzerland, the Committee hired five professional hitmen
(Boom-Boom, Bull, Dragon, Ice and Razor) to find Moon Knight and kill him. (Moon Knight I#4) - At their next convocation, held at least
least five days later, the Committee met before dawn to receive progress reports
from their hired killers. Four of them hadn't spotted their target in five nights
of looking but the fifth, Ice, reported that he'd taken a shot at Moon Knight
earlier that night but had somehow missed. When Reuben asked who the men were and
what their association with the Committee was, the new head explained how, at
their last meeting, the Committee had retained the five hitmen to "dispose of our
personal Frankenstein monster" and introduced the five hitmen. Reuben questioned
the wisdom of "such a petty operation" but the New Head dismissed his concerns
and then suggested that the Committee move on to discuss the Iranian asset
situation.
(Moon Knight I#4) - The next night, Monsieur LeBlanc appeared at
their Manhattan waterfront warehouse. Irate at having not been informed about
their plans, he demanded to know the full details or he would leave the cartel
at once. As the Committee told LeBlanc their plan, they were unaware that Moon
Knight was on the roof listening to them. (Moon Knight I#4) - The next night, LeBlanc and some other
Committee members were holding another meeting when Boom-Boom and Bull tried
to extort money out of them. The two hitmen revealed that they had rigged the
warehouse with "enough explosives to make this whole joint collapse like a house
of cards!" and then they told the Committee that they had ten minutes to "pay up
and get out alive." The Committee turned over the full $125,000 but when they
all tried to get out they discovered that the doors had been chained shut from
the outside (by Ice). In the ensuing panic, Bull managed to batter through a
wall and escape, but only LeBlanc had the presence of mind to follow behind him
just as the explosives went off and the warehouse collapsed, killing everyone
inside. Moon Knight salvaged the satchel containing the money that
Boom-Boom and Bull had extorted from the Committee from the debris of the
warehouse. As Steven Grant, he gave a third of the money to those who had helped
him defeat the assassins "for prudent investment in honor of our dear departed
Committee." Grant then took $5,000 ($1,000 "for each of the Committee's failed
employees") to pay for a vacation for his helpers and then gave the rest to
various worthy charities. Comments: Max Grant was created by Gerry Conway
and Mike Ploog, Grant's unseen associates (later identified as the Committee) were
created by Conway, and The Committee itself was named/created by Gerry Conway and
Tom Sutton. The Committee suffered somewhat from Changing Writers Syndrome.
In the beginning, when Gerry Conway was writing WBN, there was just Max Grant,
the chauffeur who killed Laura Russell, possibly on the orders of her husband,
Philip. Later there were Grant's unseen associates who began calling Philip and
demanding more money. Finally, these associates were identified as belonging to
The Committee, an "organization of businessmen and financiers (whose) purpose is
to revive our flagging ecomony...by any means, legal or criminal." It was at this
point that it was revealed that the reason why they wanted the Werewolf was to use
him to create terror which, they believed, would shock consumers into spending more
and thus stimulate the ecomony. When Marv Wolfman took over as writer, he introduced the sorcerer
Taboo and revealed that it was he who had cast spells on the Committee to make
them work for him. It was also Taboo who had them capture Philip Russell so that
Taboo could finally locate Jack Russell and learn from him the location of the
Darkhold. Then Mike Friedrich took over as writer and introduced Baron
Thunder as the never-before-seen-or-mentioned head of the Committee. These
stories minimized Taboo's influence (by revealing that the Committee had been
holding Philip Russell captive before they lost him to "that dead spell-wielding
meddler, Taboo!") and revealed that not even Thunder's Inner Council knew the real
reason why they were hunting Russell, "only the inane pseudo-economics we foist off
on flunkies, like Sarnak!" Finally, Doug Moench became the new WBN writer and, in his first
issue, he seemingly got rid of Baron Thunder and the Committee while revealing
that the real reason why the Committee had been hunting Jack Russell was because
Thunder wanted the Werewolf's blood to "strengthen the other members of the
Committee as (he had) been strengthened!" When Moench later brought the Committee
back it was so that they could create the costumed Moon Knight to hunt down and
capture the Werewolf. This time, the Committee's plan was to keep the Werewolf
caged and only release him when they wanted him to commit various murders that
suited their purposes. Moench even had one of his Committee members mention that
old "It would be good for the economy" rationale for capturing the Werewolf. The fact that only Baron Thunder knew the real reason why the
Committee was hunting Jack Russell is a strong indication that it was Thunder who
had initiated the Committee's actions against the Russell family in the first place.
However, there is no in-story proof of this. The Committee's waterfront headquarters in LA, located within
a warehouse that looked rotting and sagging from the outside, was probably not
the same place as Baron Thunder's headquarters and certainly not anywhere near
Thunder's home on Moonrise Hill (or the "machinery complex" beneath it). Although this profile states that the Committee relocated to New
York City after Moon Knight and the Werewolf almost destroyed them in Los Angeles,
that may not be the case since there is nothing in Moon Knight #4 to that effect.
It's possible that the Committee had set up an "East Coast" headquarters in NYC
while still maintaining their "West Coast" HQ in LA. When Baron Thunder was the head of the Committee he apparently
stayed behind the scenes most of the time and allowed outsiders (and the group's
flunkies) to think that his "Inner Council" was the whole Committee. Later, once
Baron Thunder was no longer active, the Committee apparently chose new leaders
from amongst themselves, leaders who did meet directly with their employees
(like Marc Spector and the five hitmen they later hired to kill Spector). The fact that the Committee never learned that "Monsieur LeBlanc"
was nothing more than a cover identity for one of Moon Knight's agents doesn't speak
highly of the intelligence of their members. One would think that, once Spector had
betrayed them, they would have taken a closer look into his background, discovered
his relationship with Jean-Paul DuChamp and realized that "LeBlanc" was a spy...but
they never did. Although the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition
states that it was the Committee who hired the Enforcer to silence Buck Cowan and who
outfitted Tatterdemalion, there has so far been no in-story confirmation of their
involvement. That's all I'm saying. The Committee has an entry in Marvel Legacy: The 1970's Handbook. Clarifications: The Committee has no known connection to: Two thugs sent by the Committee to kidnap Philip Russell. When
they arrived at the Russell home in Westwood and Philip answered the door, "John"
confirmed his identity and stated that the Committee had sent them because his
account was well past due. When Philip protested, "John" said "We know what you
told our employers, Mr. Russell. This is what our employers tell you" just as
Bruno knocked Philip out with a single punch. Bruno then picked Philip up and
he and "John" left to bring their captive to the Committee. Bruno was the tall, strong and silent thug and "John" was the
shorter thug who wore sunglasses and did the talking for them both. Since Bruno
never spoke, his companion's name was never mentioned so I called him "John"
because I thought he looked sort of like one of the Blues Brothers and John
Belushi was shorter than Dan Ackroyd. --Werewolf by Night I#10 Carruthers was the Committee member who brought the masked
Sarnak to one of the monthly meetings of the Committee, introduced him to the
other members and revealed that he had volunteered to aid them by using his
control whistle to create an Army of Fear. Carruthers had dossiers on Jack and
Lissa Russell (which indicated that they were werewolves) given to Sarnak and
then revealed that it would be his job to capture them and use them to create
terror. When Sarnak asked why they wanted him to create terror, the Committee
told him that they believed that consumers were not buying because they were too
secure and that creating terror would shock consumers back into an awareness of
their immediate interests (i.e. a climate of fear would stimulate the economy).
--Werewolf by Night I#10 (fb) A member of the Committee who appeared to have become the leader
following the death/disappearance of Baron Thunder. His real name was never revealed
so Moon Knight called him "Mister Anonymous-Leader Lard-Butt Number One." (Werewolf by Night I#32 (fb)) - At their warehouse, the Committee
conducted a job interview with Mark Spector during which the leader ("Fatso")
read out some interesting items from their dossier on him. "Fatso" offered Spector
ten thousand dollars to wear the Moon Knight costume they gave him and to use
its weapons and his own skills to capture and deliver to them a werewolf named
Jack Russell. (Werewolf by Night I#33) - Following Moon Knight's early morning
arrival at their headquarters with his three captives, the Committee stalled the
whole day away with "some top secret meeting" and didn't meet with Spector until
minutes before the full moon was to rise. "Fatso" then revealed that the Committee
had decided that they wouldn't be paying Spector until they had proof that the
unconscious kid he'd brought them was actually a werewolf. When Jack revived and
demanded to know what the Committee wanted a werewolf for anyway, "Fatso" revealed
that they planned to keep him as a pet, one whom they would release occasionally
in the hopes that he would commit various murders for their own private purposes.
When the moon rose and Jack transformed into the Werewolf, "Fatso" was one of the
"disgustingly happy" observers. "Fatso" then congratulated Spector and offered
him his money. When Lissa condemned Spector for what he'd done, "Fatso" told him
not to listen to her but Spector, who had been impressed by the humanity Jack had
demonstrated and respected the fact that he fought to be free, took the money but
then revealed how disgusted he was with the "slimy slugs" who made up the Committee
and freed the Werewolf from his cage. With the Werewolf loose and Moon Knight
turned against them, those Committee members carrying guns pulled them out and
began shooting. Possibly paralyzed by fear, "Fatso" didn't try to flee until after
the rest of the Committee had already run away or been defeated. Moon Knight easily
captured "Mister Anonymous-Leader Lard-Butt Number One" and kicked him into the
Werewolf who slashed him across his face so that "Fatso hit the floor like
rubberized Jello, and (then) the quivering stopped" and "nothing in the place
moved." --Werewolf by Night I#32 (32 (fb), 33) Two thugs sent by the Committee to bring Jack Russell to them.
They got into Jack's apartment at Colden House while Jack was swimming in the
pool and confronted him later when he returned to get dressed. Jack tried to
fight back by attacking Harry who told Frank that they'd "got a live one" but
Frank quickly used his gun to knock Jack out. When Frank told Harry to tie and
gag Jack and that they would wait there in the apartment until dark, Harry reminded
him that the Committee had ordered them to bring Jack to them "right away" but
Frank refused to take anybody outside during daylight so they waited there until
dark. --Werewolf by Night I#12 (fb) The helicopter pilot who flew Topaz as she followed Jack Russell
to his hideaway on the southern tip of the Verdugo Mountains, Jonathan may have
been an agent of the Committee who had been coerced into working for Taboo by a
spell cast by the sorcerer (OR he may just have been hired by Taboo). Although
it wasn't shown, it was presumably Jonathan who piloted the helicopter that
carried the unconscious Werewolf from the mountains to Taboo's mosque. --Werewolf by Night I#13 (fb) Supposedly a millionaire French industrialist who became a
member of the original Committee, "LeBlanc" was actually Jean-Paul "Frenchie"
DuChamp, a former mercenary who was a friend of Marc Spector and who aided him
in his then-new career as the costumed crime-fighter Moon Knight. Soon after
Spector first became Moon Knight, DuChamp learned of a group of international
financiers called the Committee who were "up to devilment" and told Spector
about them. When they decided to ivestigate, DuChamp infiltrated the Committee
by posing as "LeBlanc." Soon learning that the Committee was planning on hiring
an agent to capture a certain Werewolf (Jack Russell) so that they could use the
creature for their own purposes, "LeBlanc" suggested that a mercenary he knew
named Marc Spector might take the job if he were provided with anonymity and
suitable weapons. LeBlanc then provided the Committe with a costume that he
claimed he had devised himself and told them that his creation would be called
Moon Knight. LeBlanc then put the Committee in touch with Spector but did not
attend the meeting himself because he claimed that he did not want Spector to
know that he was behind it. In actuality, DuChamp couldn't attend that meeting because he
was secretly helping Moon Knight with his mission. He piloted the helicopter
from which Moon Knight pursued the fleeing Jack, then went to Topaz's apartment,
burst in through the window and held the two occupants (Lissa Russell and Topaz)
at gunpoint. Unable to determine which of them was Lissa, DuChamp kidnapped them
both, tied them up and took them aboard the helicopter. He later helped Moon
Knight (carrying the unconscious Werewolf) escape from the police and then
transported Moon Knight and all three captives to the Committee's headquarters
(where, presumably, he was careful not to be seen). After the Committee was reorganized, "LeBlanc" attended meetings
occasionally, only enough to remain aware of their general activities, and he
eventually got the feeling that they were holding something back. After a
professional sniper tried to kill Moon Knight, Spector suspected that the
Committee might be responsible so "LeBlanc" went to the next Committee meeting
at their Manhattan waterfront warehouse and pretended to be angry that he had
not been informed of their plans for Spector/Moon Knight. "LeBlanc" demanded to
know the full details or he would leave the cartel. The Committee then told him
their plan, unaware that Moon Knight was on the roof listening to them. --Werewolf by Night I#32 (Moon Knight I#4 (fb), WBN #32-33) A large muscular man who was employed as a chauffeur by Philip
Russell who had been forced to hire him by the Committee as part of their
blackmail. Knowing that Philip couldn't fire him, Grant enjoyed treating Philip's
wife, Laura, like dirt. When Philip decided to stop paying the blackmail, Grant
sabotaged the brakes on Laura's car, causing her to be severely injured in an
accident later that night. The next day, Grant phoned Philip and demanded that
he bring the money he owed ($10,000) to a warehouse on South Street. Laura
Russell died later that day. That night, as Grant approached the warehouse, he
was attacked by someone whom he thought was wearing a fright mask (but who was
actually Jack Russell in his form as the Werewolf). After a brief battle, Grant
quickly gained the advantage and began to strangle the Werewolf. However, as the
Werewolf broke his grip, Grant realized that his foe's bestial face wasn't a mask
after all and that he was fighting a werewolf. Shocked, Grant tried to flee but
was quickly caught by the Werewolf who then strangled him to death. --Marvel Spotlight I#2 A member of the Committee who was present when the caged Jack
Russell turned into the Werewolf before their eyes. Once Moon Knight had released
the Werewolf and other Committee members had drawn their guns, Hicks protested
that he was just a businessman who didn't even carry a gun and that "You guys
dragged me into this werewolf deal because you said it would be good for the
ecomony." Since he wasn't armed, Hicks was almost certainly one of those
Committee members who ran away from the fight. --Werewolf by Night I#33 A member of the Committee who apparently had some scientific
training, Professor Mako secured Philip Russell head to foot to their
nerve-impulse charger so that some of his fellow Committee members could
interrogate Philip about his step-son Jack's whereabouts. Mako operated the
controls of the machine to regulate the amount of current that they used in
torturing Philip. --Werewolf by Night I#11 (11, 12 - BTS) A balding man with a fringe of white hair and a pudgy throat,
he became the new head of the Committee after the original group was almost
destroyed by Moon Knight. Feeling that the new Committee owed it to their
predecessor's honor to settle the score with their rogue creation, he convinced
the Committee to hire five hitmen to hunt down and kill Moon Knight. At their
next meeting, when Reuben asked who the hitmen were, the "New Head" explained
the situation and intoduced the five hitmen. When Reuben continued to qusetion
the wisdom of such a petty operation, the "New Head" dismissed his concerns and
suggested that the Committee move on to discuss the Iranian asset situation.
The "New Head" may or may not have been present at the next
Committee meeting when an irate Monsieur LebBlanc demanded to know the full
details of the Committee's plan to kill Moon Knight. The "New Head" also may
or may not have been in the Committee's Lower Manhattan headquarters when
explosives set by one of their hit-men as part of an extortion attempt went
off and collapsed the building, killing everyone inside. It was implied (but not explicitly stated) that the "New Head"
was a surviving member of the original Committee and that that was why he was
so intent on having Moon Knight killed. --Moon Knight I#4 A member who was "playing games with the Swiss gnomes" when
the Committee hired the five hitmen to kill Moon Knight, Reuben was quite
surprised when he returned to Manhattan and found his group associating with
hitmen. After the New Head of the Committee filled him in on what they had done
and why, Reuben respectfully questioned the wisdom of "such a petty operation"
but his concerns were dismissed by the leader. Reuben may or may not have been present at the next Committee
meeting when an irate Monsieur LebBlanc demanded to know the full details of
the Committee's plan to kill Moon Knight. Reuben also may or may not have been
in the Committee's Lower Manhattan headquarters when explosives set by one of
their hitmen as part of an extortion attempt went off and collapsed the building,
killing everyone inside. It was implied (but not explicitly stated) that Reuben might
have been a surviving member of the original Committee. --Moon Knight I#4 A member of the Inner Council of the Committee who apparently
shaved his head. His real name was never revealed. (Werewolf by Night I#11) - "Shaved Head" conducted the
interrogation of Philip Russell, offering to forego his debt to them if Philip
would turn over to them his son, Jack. When Philip refused, "Shaved Head" had
Professor Mako "convince him" by turning up the current of their nerve
impulse-charger. (Werewolf by Night I#12) - The next day, when, after repeated
shockings, Philip was still refusing to tell them how to find Jack, "Shaved
Head" stated that then he must die and ordered Professor Mako to set the
machine on high so that they could watch Philip's face "as every nerve cell
in his body begins to slowly explode." Hearing this, Philip finally cracked
and agreed to help them as long as they didn't use the machine again. (Werewolf by Night I#17) - "Shaved Head" received Tri-Delta-Five's
radioed report that Jack Russell was in his step-father's home. He ordered
Tri-Delta-Five to maintain constant surveillance and told him thatn his bonus
was being dispatched immediately to him. He and "Turtle Neck" then went to report
this to Baron Thunder but the Baron had already montiored the transmission. When
he mentioned that their experts had lost Phillip Russell, Thunder discounted that,
saying that their original purpose remained the same. After "Turtle Neck" asked
about the real reason why the Committee had been hunting Russell, Baron Thunder
dealt with their doubts by summoning his personal creation, the giant android he
called the Behemoth, which grabbed the two men up off the floor while Thunder
asked if they would prefer to be dashed to the floor. Not surprisingly, "Turtle
Neck" quickly assured the Baron that they would never doubt his judgement. (Werewolf by Night I#17) (Werewolf by Night I#32 (fb)) - "Shaved Head" was present at the
Committee meeting at which Mark Spector was offered ten thousand dollars to wear
the costume of Moon Knight and "to capture and deliver to us a werewolf named
Jack Russell." (Werewolf by Night I#33) - "Shaved Head" was one of the six (or
so) members of the Committee who gathered to see if Moon Knight had actually
delivered to them a real werewolf. When the moon rose and Jack transformed into
the Werewolf, "Shaved Head" was initially shocked but soon was one of the
"disgustingly happy" observers. When Moon Knight freed the Werewolf, "Shaved
Head" cried out, "It's loose - - and the Moon Knight is turning on us - - !!
We'll have to shoot them - - it's the only way!" and pulled out his gun. "Shaved
Head" was the first of the Committee to be punched by Moon Knight and he may
have later been slashed across his face/neck by the Werewolf. If so, then he
might have been one of the bodies left lying on the floor of the Committee's
headquarters. --Werewolf by Night I#11 (12, 17-18, 32(fb), 33) An agent of the Committee whose job was to keep track of
Jack Russell's whereabouts. Following Jack's return from Transylvania,
Tri-Delta-Five radioed the Committee to report that Jack was in the home of
his step-father. Two members of the Committee's Inner Council ("Shaved Head"
and "Turtle Neck") received his report, ordered him to maintain constant
surveillance and told him that his bonus was being dispatched immediately to
him. Almost a month later, Tri-Delta-Five (or someone who dressed like him)
was still secretly watching Jack when he was at Mallet Studios talking to
movie producer Mr. Gabriel. --Werewolf by Night I#17 A member of the Inner Council of the Committee who was shown
wearing turtle-neck sweaters. His real name was never revealed. (Werewolf by Night I#17) - "Turtle Neck" was present when
"Shaved Head" received Tri-Delta-Five's radioed report that Jack Russell was
in his step-father's home. He and "Shaved Head" went to report this to Baron
Thunder but the Baraon had already monitored the transmission. When Thunder
stated that Model Kay-Twelve would be dispatched in time to capture Russell,
"Turtle Neck" had his doubts about using a "test model." He later made the
mistake of mentioning that "we of your Inner Council don't even know the real
reason we hunt Russell - - only the inane psuedo-economics we foist off on
flunkies, like Sarnak!" Baron Thunder dealt with their doubts by summoning his
personal creation, the giant android he called the Behemoth, which grabbed
"Turtle Neck" and "Shaved Head" up off the floor while Thunder asked if they
would prefer to be dashed to the floor. Not surprisingly, "Turtle Neck" quickly
assured the Baron that they would never doubt his judgement. (Werewolf by Night I#17) (Werewolf by Night I#18) - Later that evening, "Turtle Neck"
may have been present at the headquarters of Baron Thunder when the Baron
demonstrated his strength to Larry Tong. - Werewolf by Night I#17 (18) images: Werewolf by Night I#3 (January, 1973) - Gerry Conway (writer), Mike Ploog (pencils), Frank Chiaramonte (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
First Posted: 12/11/2005 Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know. Non-Marvel Copyright
info Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!
That night, Frank and Harry put the bound Jack in the back
seat of their car and began driving to where they were to bring their captive.
While still in the city, Frank and Harry looked in the rear view mirror to check
on their captive and were surprised to find themselves facing an unbound Werewolf.
The shock caused Frank to lose control of the car which began skidding wildly,
careening into building after building before lurching to a sudden and deadly stop
which (apparently) killed both Frank and Harry (the Werewolf had jumped out before
the final, fatal impact).
The next night, "LeBlanc" was at another Committee meeting when two of their
hired hitmen tried to exhort money out of them by revealing that they had rigged
the warehouse with enough explosives to make it collapse. When it was discovered
that one of the other assassins had double-crossed the others by chaining all
the doors shut, "LeBlanc" was the only one who followed Bull when he battered
through the wall, escaping just before the explosives went off and collapsed the
entire building, killing everyone still inside.
Werewolf by Night I#10, page 10, panel 1 (Bruno and "John")
Werewolf by Night I#10, page 3, panel 6 (Carruthers)
Werewolf by Night I#32, page 11, panel 3 ("Fatso")
Werewolf by Night I#12, page 11, panel 3 (Frank and Harry)
Marvel Spotlight I#2, page 24, panel 4 (Max Grant)
Werewolf by Night I#33, page 11, panel 3 (Hicks)
Werewolf by Night I#13, page 6, panel 4 (Jonathan)
Moon Knight I#4, page 6, panel 2 (LeBlanc)
Werewolf by Night I#11, page 2, panel 2 (Professor Mako)
Moon Knight I#4, page 4, panel 1 ("New Head")
Moon Knight I#4, page 4, panel 4 (Reuben)
Werewolf by Night I#11, page 2, panel 1 ("Shaved Head")
Werewolf by Night I#17, page 7, panel 2 (Tri-Delta-Five)
Werewolf by Night I#17, page 7, panel 6 ("Turtle Neck")
Werewolf by Night I#8 (August, 1973) - Len Wein (writer), Werner Roth (pencils), Paul Reinman (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Werewolf by Night I#9-10 (September-October, 1973) - Gerry Conway (writer), Tom Sutton (artist), Roy Thomas (editor)
Werewolf by Night I#11-12 (November-December, 1973) - Marv Wolfman (writer), Gil Kane (pencils), Tom Sutton (#11) & Don Perlin (#12) (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Werewolf by Night I#13-14 (January-February, 1974) - Marv Wolfman (writer), Mike Ploog (pencils), Frank Chiaramonte (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Werewolf by Night I#17-19 (May - July, 1974) - Mike Friedrich (writer), Don Perlin (pencils), Don Perlin (#17), Mike Royer (#18) & Vince Colletta (#19) (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Werewolf by Night I#20 (August, 1974) - Doug Moench (writer), Don Perlin (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Werewolf by Night I#32-33 (August - September, 1975) - Doug Moench (writer), Don Perlin (pencils), Howie Perlin (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Spider-Woman I#19 (October, 1979) - Mark Gruenwald & Steven Grant (writers), Carmine Infantino (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Roger Stern (editor)
Marvel Team-Up I#93 (May, 1980) - Steven Grant (writer), Tom Sutton & Carmine Infantino (pencils), Jim Mooney (inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#4 (February, 1981) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Last updated: 01/22/2006
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