STRONGARM

Real Name: Cary Armstrong

Identity/Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Government agent

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Colonel Rudev Broga, Gabrielle Greer, Dr. Noah Purl, Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly)

Enemies: Lizard, Shadowforce Alpha (Clash, Cordite, Flare, Stampede, "The Suit")

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: New York City

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man Super Special#1/3 (September, 2004)

Powers/Abilities: Strongarm possesses superhuman strength.  He is also highly invulnerable to physical damage; his skin is able to repel gunfire and grenade explosions.  When he does incur physical damage, he can quickly regenerate.   He can, however, be wounded by other recipients of Curt Connors' reptilian regeneration processes.  Strongarm is also proficient with firearms.

History: (Amazing Spider-Man Super Special#1/3) - Agent Cary Armstrong was assigned to guard the ailing Colonel Rudev Broga at Empire State Hospital in New York City.  After conferring with Broga's physician, Dr. Noah Purl, Armstrong found the hospital under attack by mercenary terrorists Shadowforce Alpha.  Broga was drugged by Shadowforce's inside man, the "Suit", while Armstrong's fellow agents were gunned down by Cordite and Clash.  Armstrong killed the Suit, but was set on fire by Flare, beaten by Stampede, and finally blasted out the window by Cordite, who Armstrong nonetheless managed to wound.  Armstrong's body was recovered by Purl, who attempted to use Curt Connors' reptilian regeneration treatments on him.

(Spider-Man Super Special#1/3) - As Purl began the procedure on Armstrong, the NYPD cut the power to the building, forcing Purl to perform CPR to restart the flatlining agent.  With the procedure a success, Armstrong burst into the operating theater where the remaining members of Shadowforce were holding hostages.  With the assistance of the Scarlet Spider, Armstrong took out Clash and Cordite, then threw himself out of the building with their grenades to save the hospital.  Surviving the blast, Armstrong spoke to the press, who misheard his name as "Strongarm".

(Venom Super Special#1/3) - Having become a media darling, Strongarm attended a party thrown in Purl's honor.  He briefly spoke about Purl's efforts to save him, but Purl himself barely got a word in before the party was crashed by the bestial Lizard.

(Spectacular Spider-Man Super Special#1/3) - Strongarm battled the Lizard, which was somehow drawn to him due to their common origin.  After saving party guest Martha Connors (who believed that the creature was her husband Curt), Strongarm was joined by the Scarlet Spider in fighting the beast.  Together, they managed to allow the guests to escape, but Strongarm was gutted by the Lizard in the process.  Purl later provided medical assistance to him, giving him time for his regeneration factor to kick in again.  After recovering, Strongarm left the hospital with party guest Gabrielle Greer, much to the consternation of her would-be love interest Ben Reilly.

(Web of Spider-Man Super Special#1/3) - After posing in the nude for Greer's paintings in his penthouse apartment, Strongarm met with the Scarlet Spider to plan an ambush for the Lizard.  Tracking it to the zoo, Strongarm battled the animals released by the Lizard while the Spider neautralized the monster himself.  When the police arrived, Strongarm gave full credit to the Scarlet Spider.  Later, he visited Dr. Purl, who had been l;eft comatose following an attack by the Lizard, in hospital.

(Civil War Battle Damage Report) - Tony Stark considered Strongarm as a potential Initiative recruit.

Comments: Created by Terry Kavanagh, Mike Lackey, Phil Gosier, Greg Adams, and Tom Christopher.

Strongarm's first name was revealed in Civil War: Battle Damage Report.

The Lizard Strongarm fought was not, in fact, the mutated Dr. Curt Connors, but a mindless creature grown from Connors' tail.  Long story.

If Strongarm is vulnerable to wounds inflicted by other recipients of Connors' lizard-juice (and don't ask me how that works), then he'd better steer clear of Connors himself, the Iguana, and the Initiative's Komodo.

Profile by Minor Irritant.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Strongarm has no known connections to

images: (without ads)
Web of Spider-Man Super Special#1, p41, pan6 (main image)
Amazing Spider-Man Super Special#1, p45, pan3 (Armstrong pre-transformation)

Appearances:
Amazing Spider-Man Super Special#1/3 (June, 1995) - Terry Kavanagh (writer), Mike Lackey (scripter), Phil Gosier (penciler), Greg Adams & Tom Christopher (inkers), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Spider-Man Super Special#1/3 (July, 1995) - Terry Kavanagh (writer), Tod Smith (penciler), Sal Buscema (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Venom Super Special#1/3 (August, 1995) - Terry Kavanagh (writer), Kevin J. West (penciler), Hector Collazo (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Spectacular Spider-Man Super Special#1/3 (September, 1995) - Terry Kavanagh (writer), Claude St. Rubin (penciler), Ralph Cabrera & Matt Robertson (inkers), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Web of Spider-Man Super Special#1/3 (October, 1995) - Terry Kavanagh (writer), Roger Robinson (penciler), Saleem Crawford (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)

Last updated: 10/06/08

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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