DOCTOR PARKER

Real Name: Parker (first name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Human (Post-World War II era)

Occupation: Biologist

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Captain Kane, Professor Briggs

Enemies: Experiment 247, Experiment XYZ

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: A small island at "Latitude X"

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish I#1 (January, 1959)

Powers/Abilities: Parker is a gifted biologist.

History:

(Tales to Astonish I#1/1 (fb)-BTS) - Ten years ago, Dr. Parker set out to perform experiments on a small island he had charted. There, he employed native islanders from neighboring islands to help him in his work. He created a "hormone regulator serum" which could cause the growth-rate in animals. His first trial, a turtle he dubbed Experiment XYZ, escaped into the sea after receiving a tablet containing the serum. Five years later, he tried this on another turtle, Experiment 247, but this creature was kept contained behind a gated wall on the island. Other experiments (lobsters, starfish, etc.) made their way back into the ocean and caused havoc on the lives of the islanders. They finally tired of it and revolted against Parker, capturing him.

(Tales to Astonish I#1/1) - Professor Briggs, positive that Parker was still alive after disappearing ten years before. Briggs hired Captain Kane and his crew to follow the maps Parker once charted in an effort to find him. Once they reached "Latitude X," their ship crashed into what they believed to be an island (in actuality Parker's first experiment, Experiment XYZ), and the boat sank. The crew took lifeboats for their rescue, but Briggs and Kane were swept out to sea. They used two floating oil barrels from the wreck to form a crude raft. The next day, they washed up on an island where they found Dr. Parker tied to a post by the island natives he had employed. The other two were tied up as well and held as Experiment 247 crashed through a massive gate that had kept it at bay. The three freed themselves and ran for a motor boat Parker had kept on the island for emergency evacuations. As they sped off, they narrowly missed Experiment XYZ rising out of the water.

Comments: Created by uncredited writer (Stan Lee or Larry Lieber), Jack Kirby and Christopher Rule.

Kane referred to Experiment 247 as the "Ninth Wonder of the World" but later decided Experiment XYZ was the true "Ninth Wonder of the World"

This story has been reprinted several times, recently in Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl#1.

Profile by Madison Carter

Clarifications:

Doctor Parker has no known connections to

• any other "Parker" characters. There's a lot. Probably a few doctors, too.

• any other "Kane" characters. See above.

Captain Kane

Experiment 247

Experiment XYZ

Professor Briggs

An old friend of Parker's, who hired Captain Kane to help him locate the scientist.

--Tales to Astonish I#1/1

images:
Tales to Astonish I#1, story 1, page 7, panel 3 (Parker)
                                                       page 7, panel 3 (Kane)
                                                       page 1, panel 1 (lobster)
                                                       page 6, panel 1 (247)
                                                       page 7, panel 5 (XYZ)
                                                       page 7, panel 2 (Briggs)

Tales to Astonish I#1 (January, 1959) - Stan Lee or Larry Lieber (writer), Jack Kirby (penciler), Christopher Rule (inker), Stan Lee (editor)

Last updated: 10/23/07

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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