PLEASURELAND
Classification: Amusement park
Creator: Unrevealed (possibly Barnes and/or Gretch)
User/Possessors: Barnes, Gretch
First Appearance: Team America#4 (September 1982)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: Officially, Pleasureland was an amusement park and was staffed with various rides, games of chance, and the Magic Light Arcade, a state-of-the-art video arcade. Unofficially, it was being used as a testing site for Barnes and Gretch’s new arcade machines, powered by human brain waves.
History:
(Team America#4-BTS) – Barnes and Gretch, via unrevealed means, found a way to use human brain waves in their arcade machines. The machines, besides being powered by the brains, also used the brain waves to control the processors, allowing the players to be challenged by human intelligence rather than a computer program.
(Team America#4) – After closing time, Barnes and Gretch checked on their video cabinets. Inside each was a child, most of them runaways. Barnes handled the feeding while Gretch took the money. Gretch was disturbed at Barnes’s treatment of the children, preferring to think of them as a product. Discovering one of the children had died both men were annoyed at the loss of revenue, until they discovered Carlos Montoya (who had broken in search of a missing friend). Capturing the youth, they were both overjoyed at the new source of income. Later, Barnes and Gretch oversaw the arcade, including giving odd jobs to children and being free with quarters so as to attract not only new customers but also new sources of energy. After closing up, they met with Mr. Devon and discussed the idea of opening Magic Light arcades across the country.
When Wolf and the Silent Stalker gang leader Olvidos broke in, the deal was in jeopardy. Gretch suggested scuttling the place but reminded Devon that the 49 other states were still viable. Devon’s men helped bind the children, Stalker and Wolf, and placed in the Pleasureland roller coaster. Gretch and Barnes added a large amount of explosives into the plaster cigar on the front car, with the idea of detonating it when they were far enough away. Their plans were foiled by the arrival of the Marauder, who tore the cigar from the faux clown’s head and tossed it on the arcade’s roof, destroying the games and Devon’s money. In the short fight that followed, all the men were arrested.
Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo (script), Luke McDonall (pencils) and Vince Colleta (inks).Most of the shots just showed the interior of the arcade and a little of the roller coaster, and little else.
Profile by David Lawrence.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Pleasureland has no known connections to:
Barnes has no known connections to:
Barnes handled the feeding and care of the children, as well as working on the arcade machines. He and Gretch were caught and arrested.
--Team America#4
Gretch handled the money and overall running of the Magic Light Arcade. He and Barnes were caught and arrested.
--Team America#4
Mr. Devon was a high-powered accountant for the mob. He was interested in the Magic Light arcade, with the idea to open a nation-wide chain. He was arrested alongside Barnes and Gretch.
--Team America#4
images:
(without ads)
Team America#4 p3, pan5 (Barnes)
Appearances:
Team America#4 (September 1982) – Bill Mantlo (script), Luke
McDonall (pencils), Vince Colleta (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Last Updated: 07/21/10
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