DOLLAR BILL
Real Name: Aaron Tagma English
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Film producer
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Daredevil (Matthew Murdock), Defenders (Clea, Dr. Stephen Strange, Hellcat, Hulk (Banner), Nighthawk, Valkyrie (Brunnhilde)), Devil-Slayer, Hawkeye (Clint Barton), Jeeves, Ledge, Penelope Lupino, Fia Lundstrom, Madcap, Wong
Enemies: Cult of the Harvester of Eyes (Agent of Fortune, Balthazar, Vera Gemini), Foolkiller (Greg Salinger), Lunatik, Ort-Beast, Scarlet Beetle, Triphammer, Vice
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: New York City, New York
First Appearance: Defenders I#51 (September, 1977)
Powers/Abilities: Dollar Bill is a talented film maker.
History: (Defenders I#54 (fb)) - Dollar Bill was born to a fairly wealthy family, with a butler, Jeeves. He was fascinated by movies from an early age. In high school, Ledge was one of his best friends, and his first heartthrob was Penelope.
(Defenders I#51) - Dollar Bill introduced himself to a frustrated Valkyrie, who could not navigate around the frustrating academic system. He offered to help her, and introduced her to his friend Ledge. He then convinced her to go to the movies, Ledge accompanying them.
(Defenders I#52) - Dollar Bill and Ledge were shocked when Valkyrie broke the pipe of Professor Turk, who sat at the movie behind them. At the nearby donut shop, they informed her about the college's menace, Lunatik.
(Defenders I#54) - Dollar Bill invited Valkyrie, who'd successfully registered, up to his place to watch home movies, but she fell asleep.
(Defenders I#58) - Since Ledge was laid up in the hospital due to an attack by Lunatik, Dollar Bill visited and invited Valkyrie and her friend, Bruce Banner, to a local club. They talked briefly before witnessing a fight between Devil-Slayer and Vera Gemini, and Bill learned that Valkyrie was a sword-maiden and Banner was the Hulk. All three disappeared for another dimension, and Bill cursed himself for not having a camera handy.
(Defenders I#59) - Dollar Bill tracked Valkyrie and Hulk to Dr. Strange's mansion and was let in by Wong. He found Dr. Strange seemingly dead, which he informed Valkyrie, Hulk, Nighthawk, and Hellcat of when they arrived.
(Defenders I#60) - Bill learned that Strange's deathlike state was only due to his astral body being gone temporarily. The heroes discussed the need to track the Cult of the Harvester of Eyes to Mexico, and Dollar Bill convinced them to let him accompany them, promising to stay out of danger. They flew to Mexico in Nighthawk's plane, though the Air Force, manipulated by the demon Belathauzer, shot them down. Dollar Bill still filmed the heroes as they parachuted down. The heroes separated and Dollar Bill, Nighthawk, and Valkyrie helped free Dr. Strange from a demonic version of himself. Dollar Bill was pleased he'd caught the feat on tape.
(Defenders I#61) - At the Defenders riding academy, Bill watched as Hellcat showed off her Shadow-Cloak, briefly accidentally pulling the Ort-Beast through it. They decided to work to take down Lunatik, and Bill, with Harrison Turk, put together a plan to trap the vigilante. They built a statue of Spider-Man and waited for Lunatik to attack, which he did though he soon escaped. Bill got much of this on tape.
(Defenders I#62) - Dollar Bill took his video footage of the
Defenders' battles with the Cult and Lunatik and, with voice-overs, sold the
footage to a local TV station. He rushed to tell the Defenders, and they reacted
with various levels of disdain; Hellcat was excited, Nighthawk was furious, and
Valkyrie was shocked. They watched the broadcast, in which Bill invited any
interested heroes to join the Defenders. Nighthawk yelled at Dollar Bill,
leaving the other heroes to calm him. When over a dozen heroes showed up in
response, Nighthawk kicked Bill out of the academy.
(Defenders I#63 - BTS) - Dollar Bill's documentary was viewed by several villains.
(Defenders I#64) - Back at E.S.U., Dollar Bill greeted Prof. Turk and Ledge, who was out of the hospital.
(Defenders I#65) - Prof. Turk encouraged Dollar Bill to get back in the good graces of the Defenders.
(Defenders I#70) - Dollar Bill, now rooming with Prof. Turk, attended an E.S.U. midnight mixer where he saw Valkyrie and Hellcat in attendance. Ledge embarrassed him by rushing in and accusing Turk of being Lunatik.
(Defenders I#71) - Dollar Bill and Ledge met with Valkyrie, Nighthawk, and Hellcat, who had each defeated a Lunatik, and Turk, who claimed to be Lunatik. They learned that Turk and the three Lunatiks were aspects of Arisen Tyrk, deposed god of Other-Realm.
(Defenders I#73) - Dollar Bill had Ledge come over and Ledge complained about Turk’s choice of art. They were both shocked when Foolkiller burst in, looking for Turk.
(Defenders I#74) - Obviously mentally unstable, Foolkiller threatened to kill Ledge and Dollar Bill, then instead confided them. Dollar Bill recommended he seek out the Defenders.
(Defenders I#75) - Dollar Bill and Ledge traveled by train with Foolkiller and his friends Richard Rory and Amber Grant to see the Defenders. Hulk attacked the train, and Bill revealed he’d been planning on having the Defenders take down Foolkiller. They finally arrived at the academy and Foolkiller moved to attack the Defenders.
(Defenders I#76) - Dollar Bill was shocked when Foolkiller held him hostage while he explained his motivations, then turned his gun on Valkyrie before escaping. Valkyrie soon defeated Foolkiller, but the academy burned down.
(Daredevil I#234) - Hearing shots in an ally, Dollar Bill grabbed his camera and went to investigate, seeing Madcap there and assuming him to be a superhero. He filmed the mad antics of a group of criminals and invited Madcap to appear on the Dollar Bill show, which ran weekly on cable. Dollar Bill interviewed Madcap on camera, heard about his origins, and watched as Madcap demonstrated his healing abilities by stabbing himself. After declaring to his viewers not to try this at home, and asking for more money to keep his show on the air, Dollar Bill was briefly driven mad by Madcap, who was show-casing more of his powers. Dollar Bill filmed Madcap getting hit by a cab, then healing with no injury. Madcap got kidnapped while Dollar Bill was distracted. Later, Dollar Bill heard Madcap was killed. He filmed a closure to his footage, and was shocked when Madcap showed up, revived, and wanting to be Dollar Bill’s co-host, perhaps changing the name of the show to “the Madcap Mystery Hour.”
(Avengers Spotlight#29 (fb)) - The show took Madcap’s suggested name and developed more of a name for itself. While filming Dollar Bill burning in a trash can, hoping to attract the attention of Daredevil, Dollar Bill watched as villains Vice and Triphammer apprehended Madcap, then they knocked Bill aside.
(Avengers Spotlight#29) - From the hospital, Bill asked for Daredevil, but Hawkeye came instead. Bill showed Hawkeye the tape of what had happened, and asked Hawkeye to help as there was a chance that the show may go syndicated.
(Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone and the Monster Hunters#1) - The Scarlet Beetle went on the show Inside the Monster's Lair, hosted by Dollar Bill. He was offended by the host and audience laughing at how he had been defeated in the past and demanded the interview be ended.
Comments: Created by David Anthony Kraft, Keith Giffen, and Klaus Janson.
Back in 2003 or so, a fan named Uncle Pyko asked for a profile on Dollar Bill several times. I never had time to get to it, but thanks to one of our workhorses, Chad, here it is!
Dollar Bill's real name was revealed in Valkyrie (Brunnhilde)'s profile in OHOTMU A-Z HC#12. Penelope's last name was revealed in Dollar Bill's profile in Defenders: Strange Heroes (2012) as pointed out by Brandon Nash.
Profile by Chadman
CLARIFICATIONS:
Dollar Bill
has no known connections to
Jeeves should not be confused with:
Penelope and Fia Lundstrom should not be confused with:
Jeeves
(Defenders I#54 (fb)) - Jeeves was the butler to young Dollar Bill.
--Defenders I#54 (fb)
Penelope Lupino
(Defenders I#54 (fb)) - Penelope was the high school heartthrob of Dollar Bill.
--Defenders I#54 (fb)
Fia Lundstrom
(Defenders I#75) - A reporter for channel 4, Fia tried interviewing Nighthawk, mistakenly calling him Hawkeye, of the Defenders after their headquarters burned down. Nighthawk furiously announced the Defenders were disbanded. Fia then watched the Incredible Hulk grow very agitated.
--Defenders I#75
images:
Defenders I#51, p15, pan3 (main image)
Defenders I#62, cover (headshot)
Defenders I#54, p7, pan5 (Jeeves)
Defenders I#54, p7, pan6 (Penelope)
Defenders I#75, p15, pan3 (Fia Lundstrom)
Appearances:
Defenders I#51 (September, 1977) - David Anthony Kraft
(writer), Keith Giffen (penciler), Klaus Janson (inker), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Defenders I#52 (October, 1977) - David Kraft (writer), Keith
Giffen (penciler), Chic Stone (inker), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Defenders I#54 (December, 1977) - David Anthony Kraft
(writer), Keith Giffen (penciler), Mike Golden (inker), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Defenders I#58 (April, 1978) - David Anthony Kraft (writer),
Ed Hannigan (penciler), Klaus Janson & Dan Green (inkers), Archie Goodwin
(editor)
Defenders I#59-60 (May-June, 1978) - David Kraft (writer), Ed
Hannigan (penciler), Dan Green (inker), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Defenders I#61 (July, 1978) - David Kraft (writer), Ed
Hannigan (penciler), Bob Lubbers (inker), Jim Shooter (editor)
Defenders I#62 (August, 1978) - David Kraft (writer), Sal
Buscema (penciler), Jim Mooney (inker), Bob Hall (editor)
Defenders I#63 (September, 1978) - David Kraft
(writer), Sal Buscema (penciler), Jim Mooney (inker),
Jim Shooter (editor)
Defenders I#64 (October, 1978) - David Kraft (writer), Sal
Buscema (penciler), Don Perlin (inker), Bob Hall (editor)
Defenders I#65 (November, 1978) - David Kraft (writer), Don
Perlin (penciler), Bruce D. (inker), Bob Hall (editor)
Defenders I#70 (April, 1979) - Ed Hannigan (writer), Herb
Trimpe (penciler), Mike Esposito (inker), Al Milgrom (editor)
Defenders I#71 (May, 1979) - Ed Hannigan (writer), Herb Trimpe
(penciler), Jack Abel (penciler/inker), Al Milgrom (editor)
Defenders I#73 (July, 1979) - Ed Hannigan (writer), Herb
Trimpe (penciler), Mike Esposito (inker), Al Milgrom (editor)
Defenders I#74 (August, 1979) - Ed Hannigan (writer), Herb
Trimpe (penciler), Steve Mitchell (inker), Al Milgrom (editor)
Defenders I#75 (September, 1979) - Ed Hannigan (writer), Herb
Trimpe (penciler), Mike Esposito (inker), Al Milgrom (editor)
Defenders I#76 (October, 1979) - Steven Grant (writer), Herb
Trimpe (penciler), Steve Mitchell (inker), Al Milgrom (editor)
Daredevil I#234 (September,
1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Steve Ditko (penciler), Klaus Janson
(penciler/inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Avengers Spotlight I#29
(February, 1990) - Howard Mackie (writer), James Brock (writer/penciler), Roy
Richardson (inker), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone and the Monster Hunters#1 (January, 2006)
First Posted: 02/09/2007
Last updated: 09/03/2016
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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