CEDRIC RAWLINGS
Real Name: Cedric Rawlings
Identity/Class: Human (English, World War II era to modern era)
Occupation: Scientist
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Captain America, Red Skull, Major Richard Uberhart
Enemies: Dredmund Druid
Known Relatives: Celia Rawlings (sister, deceased)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Greymoor Castle, England
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense I#69 (September, 1965)
Powers/Abilities: Cedric Rawlings is a brilliant scientist who worked on the V-2 rockets for Nazi Germany, and discovered the Z-Rays.
History: (Tales of Suspense I#69/2 (fb) - BTS) - Cedric Rawlings was a gifted scientist who never achieved the acclaim he felt he deserved. He lost his right hand in a laboratory accident, caused by his sister Celia's carlessness, and had to be fitted with a metal hand as a replacement. Bitter and resentful, Cedric betrayed England, and became an ally of Nazi Germany, hoping it would bring him the power and glory he thought was his.
(Tales of Suspense I#69/2) - In 1941, Cedric performed a test of his Z-Rays for Major Uberhart at Greymoor Castle, showing him how he could shrink two models of Captain America and Bucky down to size. Uberhart was pleased, and intended to bring the real heroes to the castle so that Rawlings could shrink them. Celia disapproved of her brother's alliance with the Nazis, but he disregarded her concerns. The Nazis caused an explosion nearby in the hopes of attracting Captain America and Bucky, but only found Bucky, whom they turned over to Rawlings. Rawlings prepared to shrink him by giving him a preliminary bathing of Z-Rays.
(Tales of Suspense I#70/2) - When the Nazis heard that Captain America had commandeered one of their planes and was on his way to Greymoor Castle, Uberhart told Rawlings to kill Bucky, but instead, Rawlings suggested that they set him up in a trap, placing Bucky in manacles that would release sleeping gas when opened. When the Captain arrived, Celia warned him of the trap, and after the Nazis had knocked him out with the gas, Uberhart declared that Celia would die with them, by placing them all aboard a V-2 rocket which they would launch at Prime Minister Winston Churchill's home.
(Tales of Suspense I#71/2) - Cedric begged Uberhart to let Celia live, but he refused to listen to Cedric, and threw him into a dungeon. Captain America and Bucky managed to escape and outfought the Nazis, but Celia died shielding Captain America from a Nazi bullet. Bucky released Cedric so that he could try to treat her wound, but there was nothing he could do. Captain America and Bucky convinced Cedric to turn the V-2 against the Nazis and destroy a line of Nazi reinforcements across the English Channel, and Cedric agreed, but set the V-2 so that when it launched, it would ignite the supply of rocket fuel. Cedric had gone completely mad, and was left inside the castle by Captain America and Bucky, who fled before the entire castle went up.
(Captain America I#256 (fb) - BTS) - Cedric was badly burned in the explosion, but survived. He spent the decades that followed living inside the crumbled ruins of Greymoor Castle, haunted by hallucinations of Celia, Major Uberhart and the Red Skull. In recent times, he was haunted by Dredmund the Druid, who had come to the castle to find lost druidic texts, and attempted to drive Cedric out through "hauntings."
(Captain America I#256) - Captain America came back to Greymoor Castle to reminisce, and nearly fell into the Z-Rays pit, but Cedric pulled him out to safety. He told Captain America of the hauntings, and the Captain found Dredmund. As they fought, Dredmund nearly knocked Captain America into the Z-Rays, but Cedric came up behind him and hurled them both into the pit. Captain America caught Cedric before he fell, and soon found the texts Dredmund had been after. Captain America offered the texts to Cedric to decipher so that he could redeem himself, but Cedric felt he would have to find some other way to conquer his ghosts, and Captain America decided to bring the texts to the Scarlet Witch instead.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.
The original story doesn't quite work, mainly because the Z-Rays are given a grand introduction and then not actually used...I mean, come on, Uberhart! Why'd you arrange that test of the Z-Rays when your real plan to dispose of Cap and Bucky was to strap them to a V-2? Captain America I#256 fixes it a little by revealing that the Z-Rays were used to condense the V-2 rocket fuel.
Uberhart's first name was revealed in Marvel Atlas#1
by
(former) Bucky Barnes, Captain America
CLARIFICATIONS: Cedric's Z-Rays should not be confused with:
Cedric Rawlings should not be confused with:
Z-Rays were a powerful form of radiation which Cedric Rawlings invented at Greymoor Castle. Contained within a deep pit that was covered over with lead, the Z-Rays could cause anything bathed in them to shrink in size. Major Uberhart intended for Captain America and Bucky to be shrunk by the Z-Rays, but failed. Z-Rays were used by Uberhart to condense supplies of rocket fuel for his V-2s. Many years later, Dredmund the Druid accidentally fell into the Z-Rays pit, and shrank out of sight.
--Tales of Suspense I#69/2 (Captain America I#256
Celia Rawlings was Cedric Rawlings' sister, and had once caused an accident in the laboratory that resulted in her brother losing his right hand. She was against his alliance with the Nazis, and warned Captain America of the trap her brother had set for him when he came to Greymoor Castle to save Bucky. Major Uberhart decided to kill her alongside Captain America and Bucky, but the two heroes broke lose and fought off the Nazis. In the battle that followed, Celia took a bullet for Captain America, shielding him from one of the Nazis. Cedric was unable to save her life, and blamed himself for her death.
--Tales of Suspense I#69/2 (70/2, 71/2
Major Uberhart was an agent of the Red Skull, and was based at Greymoor Castle with several Nazi soldiers to assist Cedric Rawlings in his traitorous work. He had no regard for Cedric as a person, and intended to kill Celia Rawlings alongside Captain America and Bucky by launching them aboard a V-2 rocket aimed at Winston Churchill's home. Uberhart was ultimately defeated by Captain America, and was presumably slain when Cedric allowed Greymoor Castle to explode.
--Tales of Suspense I#69/2 (70/2, 71/2
Images taken from:
Captain America I#256, page 12, panel 3
Tales of Suspense I#70/2, page 3, panel 5
Z-Rays- Captain America I#256, page 28, panel 4
Celia- Tales of Suspense I#71/2, page 7, panel 4
Uberhart- Tales of Suspense I#71/2, page 2, panel 2
Last updated: 05/16/11
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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