HATE-MONGER

Real Name: None

Identity/Class: Extradimensional construct

Occupation: Agent of Psycho-Man, public speaker, hate instigator

Group Membership: "Scourge's Victims"

Affiliations: Psycho-Man; formerly Malice (Susan Storm)

Enemies: Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Fantastic Four (Human Torch, Invisible Girl, Mr. Fantastic, She-Hulk)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Dr. H.M. Unger

Base of Operations: New York City, New York and Microverse

First Appearance: Fantastic Four I#279 (June, 1985)

Powers/Abilities: Hate-Monger is a shapeshifter, able to transform his protoplasmic form into that of others and can instill the emotion of hatred in those that listen to him or make physical contact with him. He is a gifted speaker.

History:

(Fantastic Four I#279) - Hate-Monger spoke at a church rally, where he whipped the all-white crowd into an anti-black frenzy. When a priest tried to intervene, the mob attacked him and Hate-Monger departed during the violence. Outside, Hate-Monger met up with Psycho-Man and changed into the form of a black woman, describing his plans to speak before two more crowds that night: the Sons of Zion and the Black Womens Defense League.

(Fantastic Four I#280 ) - Hate-Monger's influence began to spread. As the Fantastic Four mourned the destruction of the Baxter Building, one of its other former tenants, Abe, angrily confronted them about their role in the loss of his deli. A police officer began to assault Abe and when Wyatt Wingfoot tried to stop him, the officer struck him. She-Hulk tried to protect Wingfoot, but was arrested for her actions. The crowd gathered around the scene soon turned violent and began to throw bricks and other items at the heroes. In the melee, Invisible Girl escaped with Alicia Masters to escort her to safety.

(Fantastic Four I#281 (fb)/Secret Wars II#2) - Hate-Monger was directed by Psycho-Man to infuse his influence into Invisible Girl. Taking the form of Reed Richards, Hate-Monger was able to get close enough to touch Inivisible Girl, transorming her into Malice.

(Fantastic Four I#280) - After Malice defeated She-Hulk, Hate-Monger greeted her and basked in his triumph. At Avengers Mansion, Reed studied the pamphlets that Hate-Monger had spread across the city and determined they were composed of materials from an unearthly location.

(Fantastic Four I#281) - Riots erupted across New York City, and Hate-Monger, Psycho-Man and Malice watched the chaos. Malice was sent to destroy the remaining Fantastic Four, but Reed (along with Daredevil, who had been caught up in the destruction) broke the Hate-Monger's control over her.

(Secret Wars II#2) - As the reunited Fantastic Four searched for the Hate-Monger, he turned the crowds around against them. As they fought their way to him, the Beyonder appeared out of nowhere to question Reed. Temporarily distracted, Reed soon rejoined the chase for Hate-Monger, and Psycho-Man, realizing the plan had failed, departed, leaving his creation to the heroes. As Hate-Monger begged for mercy from the quartet, a member of the Scourge of the Underworld program, hiding in a nearby alleyway, shot the Hate-Monger, who then liquified into protoplasmic form.

Comments: Created by John Byrne and Jerry Ordway.

A note about Scourge's murder of Hate-Monger: It doesn't really fit into the pattern set by Mark Gruenwald in how Scourge worked. The vigilante normally targeted convicted costumed criminals. Also, despite the gun used by Scourge looking like his normal gun, both She-Hulk (an attorney with knowledge of firearms) and even Reed Richards describe it as a weird ray gun and as advanced weaponry, respectively. Me personally, I would make this an early appearance of the Red Skull's renegade Scourge (Skull probably guessed what "H.M. Unger" was, given his own penchant for names like this - Dell Rusk, anyone?). Either way, until then, it was the original Scourge organization that destroyed Hate-Monger.

Profile by Madison Carter.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Character name has no known connections to

images: (without ads)
Fantastic Four I#281, page 1, panel 1 (NOTE: Image used refurbished for use in OHOTMU Hardcover volume 5)

Other Appearances:
Fantastic Four I#279-281 (June-August, 1985) - John Byrne (writer/penciler), Jerry Ordway (inker), Mike Carlin (editor)
Secret Wars II#2 (August, 1985) - Jim Shooter (writer), Al Milgrom (penciler), Leialoha & Rubinstein (inkers), Bob Budiansky (editor)

First Posted: 11/13/2008
Last updated: 11/13/2008

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters