WOLF
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human mutant
Occupation: Stunt rider, adventurer, biker
Group Membership:
Team America (Cowboy (Luke Merriweather), Honcho
(James
McDonald), R.U.
Reddy
(Winthrop Roan, Jr.) Wrench (Leonard Hebb) ), Thunderiders (Cowboy, Georgiana Hebb, R.U. Reddy, Thing (Ben Grimm), Sharon Ventura, Wrench)
Affiliations: Captain America (Steve Rogers), Richie Champoulion, Marauder, Carlos Montoya, Reina Montoya, Mrs. Montoya, New Mutants (Mirage (Dani Moonstar), Sunspot (Roberto DeCosta), Karma (Xi’an Coy Manh), Cannonball (Sam Guthrie), Wolfsbane (Rahne Sinclair)), Manuel Olvidos, Tony Stark, Ricardo Vasquez, Werewolf (Jack Russell), Mary-Michelle Winderfield, Charles Xavier
Enemies: Monique
Adreadite, A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics), Mr. Ashe,
Barnes, Emperor
of Texas, Hydra, Mad Thinker and his Intellectual
Robots,
Gretch, unidentified hired killer, Mayhem Organization, Mr.
Mudge, Viper, Silver
Samurai, Mr. & Mrs. Winderfield;
Known Relatives: Father, mother (names unrevealed)
Aliases: The Wolf, “El Lobo”, “Hippy-Nazi”
Base of Operations: Mobile worldwide
First Appearance: Captain America I#269 (May, 1982)
Powers/Abilities: Wolf was a gestalt telepath. When he was in contact with other gestalts, he was able to psychically create a physical being dubbed the Marauder, or project said psychic energies onto a host body. He was once able to project these abilities onto himself, but only in a time of great stress. Wolf had limited empathic abilities in addition to his telepathy and was immensely strong physically. He was also an expert motorcycle stunt rider.
History:
(Team America#1 (fb) - BTS) – Born in Harlem, New York City, Wolf grew up in the Barrio. He had few friends, save for his fellow bikers. He was briefly acquainted with the Montoya family, dating the eldest daughter Reina for time.
(Team America#1) – Wandering into Daytona, Wolf sneered at the thought of Pops Kuramoto and his new motorcycle. Walking down a deserted alleyway, Wolf suddenly felt there was something odd. Seeing a bomb strapped to a can, he quickly jumped behind a fence, saving himself from the blast. Finding a note instructing him to go to a nearby garage, Wolf ran afoul of the former playboy R.U. Reddy and former secret agent Honcho, thinking one of them responsible for the attack. After a tense standoff, the trio decided to join forces, especially when they discovered the note they had discovered was written by a person calling himself/herself the Marauder. Six days later, they were ready for the race. The race was a relay, with three members of the team expected to perform 25 laps around the course. Wolf went last after a brief argument with Reddy. Wolf won the race, but only by inches. When Hydra forces attacked the race, Wolf fought the agents as best he could. When the Hydra blimp crashed, thanks largely to the efforts of the departing Marauder, Wolf was shocked at Reddy’s survival. Wolf thought Reddy may have been the masked rider, but was unsure. The three of them were then confronted by Hydra leader Mr. Davan at gunpoint. Using their mind link, they were able to dodge his bullets. Wolf then leapt upon the man and started to throttle him. When he committed suicide via cyanide capsule, the three were left with more questions than answers. Regardless, the three took their place in the winner’s circle and enjoyed the moment.
(Team America#2) – Wolf angrily shoved a reporter out of the way at the press conference following their win. When confronted by Reddy and Honcho, Wolf tried to smash an oil barrel over Reddy’s head, but threw it away. Walking off, he thought about quitting the team. Later that evening, he was seen joining a biker group. When the enthusiastic Wrench and Georgiana Hebb arrived and begged to join Team America, Wolf protected the pair from the gang. Wolf decided to stay with Team America a little while longer.
In Colorado, the team was confronted by a hired killer. Wolf and Reddy attacked, but both were soundly beaten. Wolf began the race, with the idea of Reddy relieving him at the next pit stop. Despite a good performance on the track, Wolf was growing fatigued. Approaching the pit stop and with Reddy nowhere in sight, Wolf pressed on. Cowboy later leapt into the buggy to help the exhausted Wolf, but it was too late. Team America came in second place. Wolf apologized, but the team still congratulated him.
(Captain America I#269) – The assembled Team America (Honcho, R.U. Reddy and Wolf) was hired to perform a charity show at Madison Square Garden with Captain America. Wolf was at first dismissive of Captain America’s performance, but quickly grew impressed by his skills. When a giant yellow humanoid suddenly appeared and kidnapped a Nobel Prize winning scientist in the stands, Captain America followed the monster back through the strange portal it created. Wolf and the others followed after him, finding themselves in a strange village. Greeted by Mark Twain and Albert Einstein, the foursome were taken to the town hall where they met the Mad Thinker. When Reddy was knocked out by the humanoid, Wolf and Honcho attacked it, only to be beaten in a similar fashion. Caged, Wolf and the others were freed by the mysterious Marauder. Rushing to help Captain America, they battled the Thinker’s androids. Wolf personally damaged the Abraham Lincoln copy. Later, when the Thinker was being hauled off by SHIELD, Wolf and the rest rode off into the sunset on the way to their next show.
(Team America#3) – Wolf and the others were at an off road race. Wolf easily outpaced the rest of the team, but agreed to slow down so that they all crossed the finish line at the same time. Kidnapped by the Mayhem Organization after the race, Wolf and the rest escaped due to the efforts of the Marauder. Confronting the strange Mister Mayhem, Wolf was able to physically restrain him briefly, until the man escaped in a blackout.
(Team America#4) – Wolf chastised R.U. Reddy for his greed after the team won another race. When a young boy broke through the barricades and asked for his help, Wolf was shocked to see who it was and the reason for his request. Agreeing to help, Wolf headed back to his old neighborhood. Encountering the Silent Stalker gang, Wolf intimidated them into watching his bike while he talked to the Montoya family. Hearing that Reina’s brother Carlos had run away, Wolf swore to find him. Outside, he easily beat the Stalkers in a race, forcing their leader, Manuel Olvidos, to answer his questions. Acting on Manuel’s guess, the pair went to Pleasureland, a local amusement park. Coming back the next day, the pair was amazed by the video machines in the arcade. Spying on owners Gretch and Barnes, they were shocked to see the reason for the games unique playing experience: they were powered by human brainwaves. Rushing into action, they both fought bravely, but were overcome. Escaping, Wolf found the arcade was on fire thanks to the efforts of the departing Marauder. Grabbing a motorcycle, Wolf raced through the burning building, catching both Barnes and Gretch. When the rest of Team America showed up, Wolf wondered if Reddy hadn’t been the one in the Marauder’s gear.
(Team America#5) – Wolf and the others were in the dressing room when Honcho left to meet with Adrian Turner. Days later, as Honcho left with Turner, he ordered Wolf and Reddy to go on to the next show without him. Wolf stated flatly that he didn’t listen to orders. When Honcho escaped Turner’s deathtrap, Wolf and Reddy arrived at his headquarters in time to see Honcho trying to defuse a time bomb. Wolf watched as Honcho managed to deactivate the bomb, then rode out with the rest of the team.
(Team America#6) – Wolf made a few disapproving comments about Reddy’s lust for money, and said nothing more when the other man left for his own reasons.
(Team America#7) – While in Texas, Wolf and the rest of the team were arrested after Senator Clover’s daughter was kidnapped. When freed, Wolf and the rest of Team America parachuted into the Emperor of Texas’s compound. Wolf and the others were separated by winds, later meeting up before the entire compound collapsed.
(Team America#8) – Wolf suffered airsickness while flying to Cairo. Once in Egypt, Wolf, Reddy, Cowboy and Wrench set about getting their car ready for the race. It was during their vehicle testing that they met Monique Adreadite, owner and (unknown to Team America) driver of the Adreadite Racing Team. She flirted with Wolf and he responded in kind. During the time trials, Wolf was ahead of the other racers until the Adreadite racer zoomed past him. Enraged by the other racer’s flippant gestures, Wolf pushed the car too hard, burning out the engine. When Reddy suggested Wolf did so on purpose, a fight broke out between the two. Monique showed up later in the day, revealing that she was the racer from the other day. Angry, Wolf took the car once more in the actual race. He drove the machine as fast as he could, but he wiped out and lost. Afterwards, he apologized to the team, but they still accepted him.
(Team America#9) – Due to their loss in Cairo, Team America was forced to live in their camper in Brooklyn. Wolf walked their last bike back to the camper, due to the machine failing when he went to get take-out. Reddy slurred the man, almost provoking another fight when the Marauder dropped off his motorcycle. With the bike in their possession, Team America began to win races once more. Each member of the team took turns with the bike, Wolf included. During this time, Wrench had sunk their winnings into building a new car. The car handled perfectly, but in the final lap it overheated and caught fire. Mr. Mudge, of Stark Industries, had been watching the race intently. He approached Team America and offered them a job with Stark Industries. They accepted, although not without some dissension in the ranks. During the first meeting of the Stark drivers, Wolf cracked open peanuts during the instructor’s lecture concerning speed. When asked to demonstrate his skills on a video game, Wolf crashed three times in less than a minute, resulting in his ejection from the driver program. It took nearly every student in the auditorium to keep Wolf from harming the instructor. When it was revealed that Mudge had only signed them to get his hands on the Marauder’s bike, Wolf and the others were dismissed. When the Marauder returned the bike to them, Tony Stark confronted Team America and apologized for Mudge’s actions. He cut them a check for their time spent at the company. Wolf and the others accepted this and went on their way.
(Team America#10) – Wolf was ribbed by Reddy over his upcoming race in Las Vegas. Later, after Honcho had been kidnapped by Mr. Ashe and his cult, Wolf, Reddy and Cowboy broke into the cult’s compound. Captured, Wolf and Reddy were placed into tubes. Broken out by Reddy, the group fled as Mr. Ashe escaped. When the cult ambushed Team America in their hotel rooms, Wolf was stunned when Ashe fell victim to a sample of his own deadly dust.
(Team America#11) – While in Oklahoma for a race, Wolf put up with Reddy’s insults before spotting an advert featuring stunt rider Johnny Blaze. Picking up local girl Mary-Michelle from the back of her parent’s car, Wolf and his date headed to the carnival to see Blaze. Stalked by the angered Mr. and Mrs. Winderfield, Wolf was unaware of their connection to Hydra. When they summoned a Hydra attack force, Wolf cleared off the track and attacked the Hydra agents with his bike as the Ghost Rider battled the Marauder. Unseen by the Wolf, the Marauder saved him from a vengeful Mr. Winderfield. Later, when the wreckage and injured were being cleared away, Wolf and the others found the weakened Marauder. Wolf was baffled when he saw the masked rider’s true identity.
(Team America#12) – Wolf could not believe his eyes when he saw the slender Georgiana in the Marauder’s clothes. Later, in their RV, When the Hydra leader attacked, Wolf tore his way through the camper’s walls and attacked. He was easily knocked away, but managed to disarm the woman with a manhole cover. He listened when she told the team the truth; they were all the results of Hydra’s New Genesis project. The project had been deemed a failure but they came under Hydra’s attention when the Marauder hacked into their database and damaged their mainframes. They agreed to let the woman go so she could say goodbye to her family, but they secretly followed her. When she was outside her house, Wolf and the others attacked the assembled Hydra assassins, managing to drive them off. During the fight, Wolf picked up a fallen gun and killed the agent who was threatening the woman’s family. When it was over, they said goodbye to the woman and her family. Later, after the excitement had died down and the other members of the team began to plan for the future, Wolf told them he was going to leave the team. Shaken by his experience, he told the team so and decided he needed time to think. After the wedding of Wrench and Georgiana, Wolf made good on his promise and headed out for the open road after saying goodbye to Reddy and Cowboy.
(Team America#12/New Mutants I#5 - BTS) – Wolf, Reddy, and Cowboy reformed Team America and continued to tour across America.
(New Mutants I#5) – Wolf and the others were performing a show in Westchester. Unknown to them, several members of the New Mutants were in attendance. Wolf fixed only his ride, making a point to ignore Reddy’s request for aid. When Roberto DeCosta asked the team for autographs, Wolf rudely turned him away. When Viper's agents attacked the fairground, Wolf and the other rushed to fight them. Nearing the fallen Dani Moonstar, Wolf picked up a weapon to defend her. Flashing back to the last time he held a gun, he froze, allowing the Silver Samurai to kidnap the girl. Later, after receiving word from Honcho, Wolf and the others met to discuss Viper’s ultimatum. When Charles Xavier entered their room and told them of their mutant powers, Wolf was stoic about the news. Attacked by DeCosta, he changed his mind, but only after swearing to pay the solar-powered mutant back.
(New Mutants I#6) – Wolf and the others trained at night in the Mexican desert. Wolf crashed his bike in an attempt to copy a stunt Reddy performed, which resulted in the team being chewed out by Professor X. Wolf and Reddy were later put to sleep so as to best hone their abilities. When Honcho and Wrench escaped Viper’s base, with hordes of guards close behind them, Wolf and Cowboy tried to stall for time. Wolf, refusing to let Cowboy sacrifice himself, called upon the power of the Marauder. Summoning the powers (but not the costume), Wolf rescued Cowboy and brought him back to the jet.
(New Mutants I#8) – Wolf and the rest of the team took a break from their training in the Danger Room.
(New Mutants I#8/The Thing I#27 - BTS) – After their adventures with the New Mutants, Wolf was disgruntled to discover they had lost the copyright to the name Team America. Dubbing themselves the Thunderiders, Wolf and the others decided to expand their roster and start touring.
(The Thing I#27) – While out on a ride, the Thunderiders nearly ran over the Thing and his friend Vance Astro. Wolf refused to apologize for the accident and insist they get on with the business of inducting new members. The rider Richie Champoulion was Wolf’s choice, and he argued for him instead of Reddy’s choice of the Thing. When the rest of the team voted for the former member of Fantastic Four, Wolf jokingly told Richie they went with the Thing due to his better looks. When Richie was possessed by the Marauder, Wolf realized his error and asked the Thing’s forgiveness.
(The Thing I#28) –The Thing’s tenure with the team lasted two weeks. During this time, Wolf and the others practiced with him and incorporated him into their stunts. The biggest and last one involved the rest of the team leaving their bikes and forming a pyramid on the Thing, with Wolf balanced on his immediate right and Wrench on his back. When the Thing decided to leave the team, Wolf expressed his regrets, saying how much he had grown to like their new team member.
(Captain America I#408/1) - Wolf, riding his motorbike, gave Jack Russell (in his werewolf form) a lift after Jack's lycanthropic adventure with Captain America. (See comments).
Comments: Developed by J.M. DeMattis (script), Mike Zeck (pencils), and John Beatty & Joe Rubenstein (inks).
According to my research, the entire concept of Team America was created by Ideal Toys to sell a toy line and was later licensed by Marvel. The line actually began as Evel Knievel. According to the Evel Knievel Toy Museum, the line came about when Knievel was arrested for assault in the late 1970s. Retooling the line, the Evel Knievel figures became the Wolf, Honcho, R.U. Reddy and the Marauder with accompanying vehicles.
The team’s first appearance was in the Captain America issue (with the implication that they had been around a while), yet issue one shows the team coming together, and issue 2 opening seconds after the first. I put the Captain America issue between two and three.
He is alternatively called either Wolf or THE Wolf in most of his appearances with no real distinction.
Issue 4 clearly states that Wolf had grown up in “El Barrio”, which is the name for two largely Hispanic communities: one in East Los Angeles, the other in Harlem. Due to the clues in the story and the art (Pleasureland seems to be a stand in for Coney Island and the skyline is more in line with portrayals of New York City for that time period), I believe the story takes place in the latter.
“Project: New Genesis”? Seems to be invoking the Forever People.
In issue 12, Wolf and the others are flatly told they are mutants, yet when Professor X explains it to them again, they act shocked.
He is not named in his (alleged) cameo at the end of Captain America I#408. Thanks to Patrick D. Ryall for noting this appearance.
Profile by David Lawrence.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Wolf has no known connections to:
Carlos Montoya was Reina’s brother; He ran away, searching for his friends who had disappeared. He found them hooked up to the arcade machines in the Pleasureland arcade. He was later rescued by Wolf and Manuel..
--Team America#4
A former romantic flame of Wolf's, Reina Montoya asked Ricardo Vasquez to find the Wolf to see if he could return her brother, Carlos.
--Team America#4
A kind older woman and mother to Carlos and Reina, Mrs. Montoya had fond memories of Wolf when he was child. She was deeply distraught over her son’s disappearance.
--Team America#4
Manuel Olvidos was the leader of the Silent Stalkers, and Wolf often called him Stalker. He helped Wolf find the missing runways and shut down the kidnapping ring.
--Team America#4
Ricardo Vasquez was a young boy who came from the same neighborhood as Wolf. He asked for Wolf's help when his neighbor’s son, Carlos, vanished.
--Team America#4
images:
(without ads)
Team America#4, cover (main image)
Team America#4, p27, pan7 (full body)
The Thing I#28, p3, pan4 (full body Thunderiders uniform)
Team America#4, p5, pan6 (Carlos Montoya)
Team America#8, p8, pan5 (Reina Montoya)
Team America#8, p8, pan6 (Mrs. Montoya)
Team America#8, p8, pan3 (Manuel Olvidos)
Team America#4, p7, pan5 (Ricardo Vasquez)
Appearances:
Captain America I#269 (May, 1982) - J.M. DeMattis (script),
Mike Zeck (pencils), John Beatty, Mike Zeck & Joe Rubenstein
(inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Team America#1 (June, 1982) - Jim Shooter (script), Mike
Vosburg (pencils), Vince Colleta (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
Team America#2 (July, 1982) - Jim Shooter, Denny
O’Neil & Bill Mantlo (script), Mike Vosburg
(pencils), Vince
Colleta (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
Team America#3 (August, 1982) - Bill Mantlo (script), Luke
McDonall (pencils), Mike Vosburg (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
Team America#4 (September, 1982) - Bill Mantlo (script), Luke
McDonall (pencils), Mike Vosburg (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
Team America#5 (October, 1982) - Bill Mantlo (script), Alan Kupperburg
(pencils), Vince Colleta (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
Team America#6 (November, 1982) - Bill Mantlo (script), Alan Kupperburg
(pencils), Vince Colleta (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
Team America#7 (December, 1982) - Bill Mantlo (script), Luke
McDonall (pencils), Vince Colleta (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
Team America#8 (January, 1983) - Jim Shooter & Bill Mantlo
(plot/script), Don Perlin (pencils), Vince Colleta (inks), Jim Shooter
(editor)
Team America#9 (February, 1983) - Jim Shooter & Bill Mantlo
(plot/script), Mark Bright (pencils), Vince Colleta (inks), Jim Shooter
(editor)
Team America#10 (March, 1983) - Steven Grant (script), Alan
Kupperburg (pencils), Vince Colleta (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
Team America#11 (April, 1983) - Jim Shooter & Tom DeFalco
(plot/script), David Simmons & Sharon Weiss (pencils), Jim
Shooter
(editor)
Team America#12 (May, 1983) - Jim Shooter (script), Don
Perlin (pencils), Vince Colleta (inks), Jim Shooter (editor)
New Mutants I#5 (July, 1983) - Chris Claremont (script), Sal
Buscema (pencils), Bob McCloud (inks), Louise Jones (editor)
New Mutants I#6 (August, 1983) - Chris Claremont (script),
Sal Buscema (pencils), Armando Gill & J. Tartag (inks), Louise
Jones
(editor)
New Mutants I#8 (October, 1983) - Chris Claremont (script),
Sal Buscema (pencils), Bob McCloud (inks), Louise Jones (editor)
The Thing I#27 (September, 1985) - Mike Carlin (script), Ron
Wilson (pencils), Paul Ryan (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
The Thing I#28 (October, 1985) - Mike Carlin (script), Ron
Wilson (pencils), Brett Breeding (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Captain America I#408/1 (October, 1992) - Mark Gruenwald
(script), Rik Levins (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (inks), Mike
Rockwitz (editor)
First Posted: 11/30/2009
Last updated: 05/16/2011
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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