SKIN AND BONES
Membership: Ella, Mr. Hyde, Morphine, unidentified bouncer, many unidentified members and an unidentified barkeeper, who got married to his own cousin
Purpose: Booze, torture and murder
Affiliations: Brian
Enemies: Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch/Noble Kale), Knuckles O'Shaugnessy, Philip (a homeless guy), Undead G-Man, Werewolf (Jack Russell), unidentified victims
Base of Operations: Alphabet City, Manhattan, New York City
First Appearance: Ghost Rider III#55 (November, 1994)
History:
(Ghost Rider VI#33 (fb) ) - The Flesh and Bones club was active during the early 20th century. During one of their killing sessions the club was raided by the Spirits of Vengeance known as the Undead G-Man and Knuckles O'Shaugnessy, who took out the killers.
(Ghost Rider III#55 (fb) - BTS) - Years ago the Skin and Bones club was reestablished by Morphine, Dr. Calvin Zabo and others, who got bored with killing in a regular way. Anti-noise speakers were installed to cancel out any sound coming from the upstairs bar of he club where the creative murders took place.
(Ghost Rider III#55 (fb) - BTS) - When their regular barkeeper went on to marry his own cousin he asked his colleague Brian to work his shift at the Skin and Bones for one night.
(Ghost Rider III#55) - Brian couldn't do it and asked Dan Ketch, who took the job.
That night the bouncer gave Dan a hard time to get into the club. He led Dan to Ella, who told Dan to get changed and then go upstairs because he would be serving drinks in the upstairs bar. A short time later the bouncer didn't recognize Zabo as one of the founders. Zabo had to show him a tattoo to prove he was a member and seemed a bit upset about it. Going upstairs Zabo's evil presence was felt by Jack Russell in the downstairs bar and he followed Zabo. The club's owner Morphine welcomed everyone and introduced co-founder Zabo, who had not visited the club for some time. Philip, a vagrant, would be the game board of the day and Zabo planned to put his signature on one of Phil's bone without killing him. Seeing this Russell transformed into Werewolf and Ketch into Ghost Rider. Werewolf freed Phil, but was shot by Morphine. Meanwhile Zabo transformed into Mr. Hyde and attacked Werewolf. Morphine told the other club members to skin the Werewolf, but the fight took a turn when Ghost Rider joined Werewolf against the murderers and assassins. Hyde destroyed the floor to get downstairs and put innocents into harm's way, but Ghost Rider knocked them all out with links from his chain. Ghost Rider called his bike, which ran over Morphine, who he left behind for Werewolf to play with. Ghost Rider himself went after Hyde, who escaped him.
Comments: Created by Warren Ellis (writer), Salvador Larroca (pencils) & Sergio Melia (inks).
No clue when Hyde could've founded the club with Morphine, but it seemed to be before he had even become Mr. Hyde....or not.
The concept had Ellis written all over it. The only thing that caught my eye was that there were a lot of balding if not completely bald assassins...whats up with that? (Testosterone is one of the many causes of baldness you dumbass!) Thank you, evil me! And what about that bouncer? At first I thought it was Slaughter Boy, but it wasn't. Troll? Maybe? He didn't look human at all.
Thanks to Loki for pointing out that the Flesh and Bones club had another appearane during Jason Aaron's Ghost Rider run in Ghost Rider V#33.
Despite Zabo and Morphine claiming to have founded it, the Skin and Bones club was around in the 1930s. As discussed in the GR Index, this may mean Zabo and/r Morphine lied when they claimed to have founded it, or Morphine might be older than he appeared and founded it earlier, or they may have revived a club that had existed earlier but become defunct. It is also worth noting that Zabo more recently was revealed to be a big Ripperologist (Jack the Ripper scholar) during the Thunderbolts' time travel escapades. His involvement in a club that vivisects live victims might suggest his interest is less academic and scholarly, and more down to admiring a "kindred spirit and pioneer in the field" in the Ripper.
--Loki
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Skin and Bones club has no known connection to:
Ella should not be confused with:
CLARIFICATIONS:
Morphine should not be confused with:
Ella worked at the Skin and Bones at the downstairs bar. She sent Dan Ketch to change and go upstairs to serve drinks there.
--Ghost Rider III#55
He was a former assassin, who got bored with assassinations, and founded the Skin and Bones club alongside individuals like Dr. Calvin Zabo. As the club's owner Morphine always introduced the victim of the night. He was glad to see Zabo back at the club and allowed Zabo to perform first on the vagrant Philip. Dan Ketch, as Ghost Rider, and Jack Russell, as Werewolf, interrupted the show. Morphine shot at Werewolf and told everyone in attendance to skin the Werewolf. He was ultimately run over by Ghost Rider's bike and left behind for Werewolf, who promised his claws would leave some marks on Morphine. The Skin and Bones club owner looked scared.
--Ghost Rider III#55
A brute of a man (he looked like a troll to me), who gave Dan Ketch and later Calvin Zabo a hard time to get into the club. He led Dan into the club after learning he was the replacement for the barkeeper, who got married to his cousin. He allowed Zabo in after Zabo showed his tattoo that proved that he was a member.
--Ghost Rider III#55
images: (without ads)
Ghost Rider III#55, p7, pan2 (club sign & entrance)
p11, pan1 (Skin and Bones upper floor)
p8, pan4 (Ella)
p12, pan2 (Morphine)
p7, pan3 (bouncer)
Appearances:
Ghost Rider III#55 (November, 1994) - Warren Ellis (writer), Salvador Larroca (pencils), Sergio Melia (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Ghost Rider VI#33 (May, 2009) - Jason Aaron (writer), Tony Moore (artist), Axel Alonso (editor)
First Posted: 06/17/2012
Last updated: 03/22/2014
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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