Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Underground giant creature (possible Deviant?)

Occupation: Destructive servant

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Dire Wraith witches (used it as a pawn); the Mole Man

Enemies: Rom, Starshine, male Dire Wraiths impersonating Clairton residents

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Underground near Clairton, West Virginia, U.S.A.

First Appearance: Rom#20 (July, 1981)

Powers/Abilities: The light green skinned but hulking Murder Mole stood over 35' tall with massive green 4-digit claws, which it used to burrow through solid rock and dirt. It showed superhuman strength, but was slow to move, although it could swing its claws quickly. The creature had feeble vision from its yellow eyes and had a gaping mouth that was about 6' wide. It had blunted and misshapen teeth and incisors. Its main weakness was light, which would generate intense pain, causing it to flee in panic and breaking any mind control over it (at least temporarily). It had feeble, instinctual intelligence only and was easily influenced to attack anyone or anything it was commanded to.

History:

(Rom#20/1) - In a subterranean cavern, three robed witchwraiths used the Star Disc to summon forth the Murder Mole before the demanding High Wraith, who sought a weapon against Rom. It clawed its way up out of the darkness, commanded by the Wraiths, but the High Wraith radiated light from which the creature recoiled. As it slinked away, he chastised the Wraiths for their feeble efforts.

(Rom#28 - BTS) - The Mole Man commandeered the Murder Mole as one of his various creatures..

(Rom#28 - (fb)) - The residents of Clairton were kidnapped by Dire Wraiths and imprisoned underground in the mines in a large white cell; the Wriaths then impersonated the Clairton citizens.

(Rom#28 (fb)) - The captives formed an alliance with the Mole Man, who used the Murder Mole to kidnap the Wraith duplicates by pulling them through the ground into the underground cavern.

(Rom#28) - Not even the Wraith impersonating the Torpedo in his super-powered suit could escape the Murder Mole's clutches, although the claws of the Murder Mole could not be seen when it pulled its hapless victims through the soil.

(Rom#28 (fb)) - The now freed Clairtoners then attacked the Wraiths, killing all those pulled through.

(Rom#28) - Meanwhile, Rom and Starshine were exploring the underground mines searching for the vanished Clairtoners who had been pulled through the earth by the Murder Mole, unaware that they were actually Wraiths pretending to be humans. The two Spaceknights then heard something large burrowing through stone when the Murder Mole suddenly attacked and it smashed the Spaceknights aside. Rom accessed his Energy Analyzer to determine the nature of the creature, but Starshine instead attacked with her eyebeams. The sudden light caused the Murder Mole to scream and it then fled into the darkness. Rom and Starshine pursued the beast, but were overwhelmed by the Mole Man's moloid servants and the creature escaped.

Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (penciler) & Joe Sinnott (inker).

Admittedly, the Mole Man used various creatures that were similar to the Murder Mole's size, appearance and color. Indeed, the Murder Mole might be part of an underground race.

Profile by Grendel Prime

Clarifications:

The Murder Mole should not be confused with:

• Mole Man (Harvey Rupert Elder) - followed Monster Hunters, became lost in Subterranea, discovered and tamed Moloid Subterraneans and Deviant mutates living there, attempted takeover of surface world many times, enemy of Tyrannus, formerly employed Outcasts @ Fantastic Four I#1
• Any of the Mole Man's interdimensional counterparts

The Murder Mole has no known connections to:

• Murder - Shatterforce member, uses armor to generate nerve rays that paralyze her victims @ Nova II#8
• Murder-1 of the Microverse - based on Prisonworld, aided Micronauts but died defending them @ Micronauts I#54
• Murder Clans (Brutus Klor ) - extradimensional, unnamed splinter realm, battled malevolent entity in Otherplace @ Magik II#3
• Murder Machine - robot of Psycho-Man, sent to fight Fantastic Four in Sub-Atomica @ Fantastic Four I#76
• Murder Module - US Army weapon, hijacked by Leader to use against Hulk, damaged by Rhino and exploded after attacked him @ Incredible Hulk II#123
• Murder Mountain - (WWII), immense tank-vehicle weapon of General Skul, used against the Skywolfs, destroyed by them @ Marvel Fanfare I#16
• Murdering Butterfly (Dr. Vitrioli) - alias of Butterfly, human technology user, wore a suit that gave him power of flight and had sharp proboscis to impale his victims @ Captain America Comics#3
• Murderland - Arcade's base, adapted from Mordillo's Island @ Thing II#1
• Murderworld - name for any of Arcade's bases equipped with deadly weapons based on games @ Marvel Team-Up I#66
• Mole - former professional wrestler, defeated by X the Marvel @ Power Man I#27
• Mole - one of group of criminals who sought to obtain the costume of the Black Tiger, fought Abe Brown, fell into pit of vipers and killed @ Deadly Hands of Kung Fu#21/5
• Mole - Morlock, killed by Sabretooth @ X-Factor I#51
• Mole Men (Xoorr) - primitive subterranean creatures, encountered Bruiser and kept him for the sport of beating him @ Tales to Astonish I#16/3
• Any other "Murder" or "Mole" characters

image:
Rom#28, p.13, panel 1

Appearances:
Rom#20 (July, 1981) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Rom#28 (March, 1982) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)

Last updated: 08/21/06

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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