THE RICOCHET MONSTER

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial, possibly an artificial being mutate (fringe character)

Occupation: Troublemaker

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Masters of the Outer Galaxy

Enemies: Thor (Thor Odinson)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Ricochet

Base of Operations: Interstellar space

First Appearance: Hostess Fruit Pies ad "Thor Meets The Ricochet Monster!," featured in Marvel Comics with publication date May, 1980 - such as Shogun Warriors#16

Powers/Abilities: The Ricochet Monster was able to reflect any force it was attacked with (both physical force and energy bombardment) back at its attacker.

    It could also apparently survive in space unaided.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 9'6")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 500 lbs.)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: None

History:
("Thor Meets the Ricochet Monster!") - Thor encountered the Ricochet Monster in interstellar space. When his attacks proved futile against the rebound-ruffian, Thor threw something he knew the monster wouldn't bounce back: Hostess Fruit Pies. Thor suspected the monster just wouldn't let the snack with the light, tender crust and real fruit filling get away. As the creature gorged itself, Thor hurled his hammer at it to return the Ricochet Monster to its masters with the hopes that they, too, would fall under the spell of the snacks.

Comments: Created by an uncredited writer and artist (see comments below).

    Of all the Hostess villains, only Icemaster has shown up in an Earth-616 title. He could have crossed over to Earth-616 from "Earth-Hostess," but I say leave them on Earth-616 until proven otherwise. Nonetheless, until they do show up in regular continuity, they remain outside regular canon. Surely someone will write a story teaming them all together--Snood.

    This is not true anymore as some Hostess ad villains were mentioned in the Fantastic Four Encyclopedia as natives of Earth-616. And lets not forget about Printout Man in the New Avengers Most Wanted Files.--Snood
    ...and let's not forget the prison S-Wing that the robot Elektro encountered in a "Fin Fang Four" special! --Proto-Man

    You can get the whole story, and some clever commentary from Seanbaby's The Hostess Page. It might not meet with the Comics Code Authority's approval, so kids, ask your parents before checking that out!

    The Ricochet Monster's masters appear to be specifically "the Masters of the Outer Galaxy." And, since Cap instantly uses the term "Outer Galaxy" here, without the aliens making introductions, it seems probable that these fellows are themselves the Masters of the Outer Galaxy. Both Thor and Cap seem to have pre-existing knowledge of the Masters of the Outer Galaxy, which implies a backstory with the Avengers having had previous encounters with, or at least acquiring foreknowledge of, them, at some point circa the mid-1970s, between their battles with Grim Reaper, Ultron, Count Nefaria, and the like. That'd be fun for somebody to fill in somewhere at some point. Unlikely, but fun.
--Ronald Byrd

    Back Issue#130 by TwoMorrows Publishing reveals that the writer of most of the comic book Hostess ads was ad agency copywriter Tony Macchia, although it speculated that Len Wein and Marv Wolfman may have written some of the earlier ones. As for the artists, the ads varied but many were "penciled by Sal Buscema or Ross Andru, with John Romita, Sr., George Tuska, Gene Colan, Gil Kane, Dave Cockrum, and Marie Severin among the Marvel Marvelites drawing some of the others. Even then-newcomer Frank Miller drew two of them!"  --Proto-Man

Profile by John Kaminski.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Ricochet Monster should be distinguished from:

• Ricochet (Sen. Steven Shuffram) - agent of Mister Sinister, allied with Nasty Boys against X-Factor--X-Factor I#71
• Ricochet (Peter Parker) - one of the identities adopted by Spider-Man to avoid bounty of norman osborn, focused on speed and agility--Amazing Spider-Man I#434
• Ricochet (Johnathon "Johnny" Gallo) - mutant, Slingers, Empire State University student, given costume and identity used by Spider-Man during the Identity Crisis by Black Marvel, enhanced speed and agility, danger sense, uses bouncing throwing disks--Slingers I#0
• Ricochet Rita - former stuntwoman and ally of Longshot, mutated by Mojo--Longshot I#2
• The "Ricochet Biscuit" mentioned in the song "Rubber Biscuit" by the Blues Brothers
• Unus the Untouchable (Gunther Bain, originally Angelo Unuscione) - a mutant who had similar powers--X-Men I#8
  
• or any other "ricochet" or "monster" characters

First posted: 12/21/2005
Last updated: 03/28/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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