SAMANTHA EDEN
Real Name: Samantha Eden
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Freelance photojournalist, briefly employed by Bloodstone as Press Agent
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Ulysses Bloodstone, Billy Brand, Brad Carter, Eric Koenig, Tony Stark
Enemies: The Conspiracy, Domino (Dominic Dunsinane), Goram
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "Sam"
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly Bloodstone Island;
formerly Marseille, France
First Appearance: Rampaging Hulk I#1/2 (January, 1977)
Powers/Abilities: Samantha is a resourceful photojournalist with well-placed connections with such VIPs as Tony Stark. She has enough knowledge of technology to be able to activate Bloodstone Island's defense system after only studying it a short time. She has enough courage to stand her ground and take photos as the monstrous Goram attacks. According to Brad Carter, she is a "real good masseuse."
Height: 5'5" (by approximation)
Weight: 128 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Presumably brown (see comments)
Hair: Presumably black (see comments)
History:
(Rampaging Hulk I#2/2 (fb) - BTS) - Samantha wrote a series of articles about the disappearances of prominent scientists, unaware they had been abducted by Centurius.
(Rampaging Hulk I#3/2 - BTS) - At a certain point Samantha met and befriended Tony Stark.
(Rampaging Hulk I#1/2 - BTS) - Sam's friends and connections around the world included film star and Bloodstone assistant Brad Carter who referred to Sam as an "old friend." It was unclear if this friendship included a past romantic relationship. It was also unclear whether Sam knew that Brad worked for Bloodstone.
(Rampaging Hulk I#1/2 (fb) - BTS) - Hearing about Bloodstone, Samantha decided he was newsworthy. She began tracking him in Sao Paulo, Brazil, boarding a ship in Rio De Janeiro because Bloodstone was on board.
(Rampaging Hulk I#1/2) - On deck, she spotted some suspicious-looking men and took pictures of them. She came up to Bloodstone's stateroom to warn him but the men attacked Brad Carter and Bloodstone first. After defeating the men, Bloodstone found Sam in Brad Carter's room giving him a neck massage. When Goram attacked the ship soon after, Bloodstone ordered Brad to take Sam to safety but she refused, fearlessly standing her ground to take photos of the giant creature. After Bloodstone repelled Goram, Sam asked Brad to explain things. Brad started to brush her off but Bloodstone, deciding that she may be of help in their upcoming "deadly mission" invited her to join them at "The Island."
(Rampaging Hulk I#2/2) - After the ship docked at New York Harbor, Sam, Brad, and Bloodstone took a sub-skimmer to "what we affectionately call Bloodstone Island," according to Brad. They arrived to find Goram attacking. As Bloodstone battled Goram, Sam took pictures. She suggested to Brad that this was all a publicity stunt for his next film but Brad assured her that the battle was real. Bloodstone captured Goram but the mercenary Killer Shrike arrived and freed him. As Goram departed, Brad followed in the sub-skimmer, discovering a secret underwater hideout. After Bloodstone defeated Shrike, he told Sam that he had lived 10,000 years with a "single burning purpose" that had caused him to lose "the man inside me." He opened his files to her so she could start her article on him. In the file, Sam found clippings of an article she wrote about disappearances of prominent scientists. Bloodstone told her that now Brad was also missing. Sam wondered if Bloodstone had allowed her to join him because of her series. Bloodstone denied this but told her that, since it had worked out this way, he hoped to utilize her press connections and her knowledge of the deep background not printed in the articles. Sam decided to help and told him he should begin by talking to Tony Stark.
(Rampaging Hulk I#3/2 - BTS) - Sam told Bloodstone that Tony Stark hung out at Stark Industries, Long Island and if he found Iron Man, he would find Stark. When Bloodstone mentioned Sam to Iron Man, he replied, "Sam, huh? How is she these days?" proving that Stark knew her personally. Together, Bloodstone and Iron Man rescued Brad from Centurius.
(Rampaging Hulk I#4/2) - Left alone after Killer Shrike's attack, Sam familiarized herself with the island's defense controls so that they attacked Bloodstone and Brad when they returned. She apologized to Bloodstone for abusing the "free reign" of the base. Bloodstone told her he understood but still asked her to leave the island. He also offered her a job as his Research Agent and Public Relations Co-Ordinator to safeguard his image now that he was in the public eye. Overwhelmed, Sam told him that she doesn't know what to say. He told her to think about it, sent her off with Eric Koenig, who had helped escort Bloodstone back to his base. Bloodstone told Sam that he would make arrangements for her to join him in New York in two days. Sam took Air France Flight 402 from New York to Marseille, France, where she lived. She considered Bloodstone's offer, feeling it was the opportunity of a lifetime but feeling strange because she knew so little about Bloodstone. As she entered her home, a man ambushed her at gunpoint. He introduced himself as Domino and insisted she told him everything she knew about Bloodstone or else he would shoot her.
(Rampaging Hulk I#5/2) - Domino and Samantha had brunch at a Cafe in Marseille. Sam called for help, telling the other diners that she was being held against her will. Domino told the other diners that Sam was having "her little joke" and they, apparently, believed him. When Sam asked why she should stay and talk to him, Domino told her he would just find her again if she left.
(Rampaging Hulk I#6/2) - Sam returned to New York and went to Bloodstone's hotel. There, she found Brad and Bloodstone, who was fighting agents of the Conspiracy. After Bloodstone won the fight, the trio took a cab to Harlem. They entered Cliff's Pink, a seedy bar run by William Brandon Montague III who was known as Billy Brand. Billy was the personal guardian of Bloodstone's Minibase 6, which was located in the bar's back room. Bloodstone gave Billy a programming tape he had grabbed in the Conspiracy's hotel suite. They deciphered the code and got the message "Yesod is in Cancer." Bloodstone told Sam that "Yesod should be a cabalistic reference, Cancer an astrological one but they don't mean anything together." He asked Sam to research it "from every angle" and "see if you can decode the other gibberish" on the tape. Bloodstone also told Sam that he assumed by her presence that she had taken the job as his press agent. He asked her to report back as soon as she learned anything.
(Rampaging Hulk I#8/2) - At the New York Public Library, Sam researched "Yesod is in Cancer" and decided it was nonsense, that the Conspiracy program tape was a red herring. Domino arrived and told her that Bloodstone was dead. Emotionlessly, Sam said, "Oh? Well, then, I suppose there's no reason to pursue this research assignment, is there?" When Domino was surprised at her callousness, she said, "I'm a journalist, Mr. Domino and Ulysses Bloodstone was a story while he lasted." She asked how he died and Domino would not say. "I'll find out my own way. I've got my sources," she told him. Domino admitted he had been a distraction to keep Sam from reawakening "certain dormant qualities in Bloodstone's personality which might have saved his life." While Domino refused to say which qualities. Sam assumed it had to do with Bloodstone being "interested" in her. She admitted to herself that she had led him on for the sake of the story. "But if a bigger bore ever walked the earth, I've never met him! Poor Ulysses.. fun to watch, agonizing to know. Rest in peace."
Comments: Created by John Warner (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Rudy Nebres (inks).
All of Samantha's appearances are in black and white. Her hair color and eye color are presumed by their shading.
It is a bit odd that Domino, a man in a black mask, can tell the Marseilles Café diners that Sam is having a joke when she says she is being held against her will and they apparently believe him.
In Rampaging Hulk I#4/2, Bloodstone offers Samantha the job of "Research Agent and Public Relations Co-Ordinator" but when he assumes she has accepted the job in Rampaging Hulk I#6/2, he only refers to her job as "Press Agent."
Bloodstone's acceptance of Sam, his telling her that he has "lost track of the man inside me," his denial that he brought her to Bloodstone Island because of her series on the disappearing scientists all indicate that he was attracted to her immediately.
It is implied in Marvel Legacy: 1970s Handbook that Domino hypnotized Samantha into feeling indifference to Bloodstone's death, although Domino seems surprised at her reaction. Perhaps Domino hypnotized the diners at the Marseilles Café as well.
The real world explanation for Sam's indifference is that Steve Gerber took over the writing from John Wagner and was asked to wrap up the whole complex series in one 19-page story.
Profile by Al Sjoerdsma
CLARIFICATIONS:
Samantha Eden has no known connections to
images: (without ads)
Rampaging Hulk I#1, p49, pan5 (using camera)
Rampaging Hulk I#1, p54, pan6 (closeup)
Rampaging Hulk I#2, p60, pan2&&3 (old news clippings)
Rampaging Hulk I#5, p40, pan4&&5 (held against her will)
Appearances:
Rampaging Hulk I#1/2 (January, 1977) - John Warner (writer/editor), John Buscema (pencils), Rudy Nebres (inks)
Rampaging Hulk I#2/2 (April, 1977) - John Warner (writer/editor), Bob Brown (pencils), Rudy Nebres (inks)
Rampaging Hulk I#4/2 (August, 1977) - John Warner (writer/editor), Val Mayerik (pencils), Sonny Trinidad (inks)
Rampaging Hulk I#5/2 (October, 1977) - John Warner (writer), Val Mayerik (pencils), Bob Wiacek (inks), Roger Slifer (editor)
Rampaging Hulk I#6/2 (December, 1977) - John Warner (writer), Alan Kupperberg (pencils), Sonny Trinidad (inks), Roger Slifer (editor)
Rampaging Hulk I#8/2 (April, 1978) - Steve Gerber (writer), Alan Kupperberg & Rod Santiago (pencils), Rudy Mesina (inks), David Kraft (editor)
Last updated: 02/10/17
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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