OLD ONE

Real Name: Donaldo Pritchard

Identity/Class: Human (1940s era)

Occupation: Criminal

Group Membership: Leader of Poison, Inc.

Affiliations: Mugsy Murdock

Enemies: John Bradley, Corkey, Red Ribando, Terror (Laslo Pevely)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: His hideout on Dugan Road, somewhere in an unidentified American city

First Appearance: Mystic Comics I#9/3 (May, 1942)

Powers/Abilities: Described as a "crime plotter par excellence," the Old One displayed no paranormal physical abilities. He seemed to be knowledgeable in chemistry, particularly in the creation of poisons--he also developed different methods to secretly administer poisons to his victims.

Despite his advanced age, the Old One seemed to be in good physical shape, and he was able to withstand getting punched by the superhumanly-strong Terror without any lasting ill effects. Although he employed three henchmen, the Old One usually seemed to make the arrangements for his murders himself.

Height: 5'8" (by approximation)
Weight: 150 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: White (balding)

History:
(Mystic Comics I#9/3 (fb) - BTS) - The past of the Old One is largely unrevealed, but his talent and reputation for arranging crimes earned him amicable relationships with some of the leaders of the criminal underworld.

(Mystic Comics I#9/3) - The Old One summoned his three henchman to his hideout with a business proposition--he suggested they form a murder-for-hire operation called "Poison, Inc.", and they would use the Old One's poisons to kill for profit.

   The Old One met with his first "client"--construction company owner John Bradley. Bradley had been accused of paying off politicians by Corkey, the editor of the Daily Star newspaper, so Bradley paid the Old One the sum of $5000 to eliminate Corkey.

   That night, the Old One and one of his henchmen broke into the offices of the Daily Star and booby-trapped Corkey's typewriter with a poisoned needle attached to the shift key; the next day, when Corkey began to type, he became the first victim of Poison, Inc.

   The news of Corkey's death reached the attention of that relentless foe of the underworld known as the Terror--knowing that Bradley was Corkey's bitterest enemy, the Terror went to Bradley's home and beat a confession out of him. Bradley admitted that he had paid the Old One and Poison, Inc. to commit the murder, and he even gave the Terror the address of the Old One's hideout--unknown to Bradley, the Old One happened to be outside his door and heard every word, and he vowed to make Bradley pay for his betrayal.

   After the Terror left, the Old One went inside Bradley's home under the pretense that he was just making a "social call"; the Old One suggested that they should have a drink to celebrate their recent "business deal, " so Bradley poured them both a glass of wine--as Bradley's back was turned, the Old One poured a few drops of liquid poison into Bradley's wine glass. When he drank his wine, Bradley collapsed to the floor and died an instant later.

   Meanwhile, the Terror went to the Old One's hideout and fought with two of his henchmen; but the Old One wasn't present because he had his third henchman drive him to visit another "client"--protection racketeer Mugsy Murdock. Murdock paid the Old One the sum of $10,000 to kill his rival Red Ribando, who was trying to cut in on Murdock's territory.

   The Old One had his henchman drive him to Ribando's business office so he could pay him a "friendly" visit. The Old One offered Ribando a cigar, which he gladly accepted; but Ribando died when he puffed the poisoned stogie. Just then, the Terror (who happened to be passing by the area and saw the Old One arrive) came into the office, but while he was punching the Old One, the henchman entered and clubbed the Terror from behind with the butt of his gun. The Old One and his henchman drove the unconscious Terror to the waterfront and threw him off a pier so he would drown--unknown to the devilish killers, the cold water revived the Terror, who surfaced and headed back to the Old One's hideout.

   When the Old One and his henchman got back to their hideout, the other two henchmen told them that they had been attacked by "some guy with a skull-face"--the Old One assured them not to worry because their assailant was now at the bottom of the harbor. But just then, the Terror came crashing through the window and warned the killers that their hour of judgment was at hand--after pummeling the three henchmen, the Terror punched the Old One.

   The Terror transformed back to his alter ego of Laslo Pevely and marched all the criminals to the police station. But rather than face execution for his crimes, the Old One lit a cigar (the same poisoned variety he had earlier given to Red Ribando) and committed suicide, and Poison, Inc. was no more.

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Don Rico (artist).

Old One's real name was revealed in Terror (Pevely)'s handbook profile in All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z HC#12 (2009).

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Old One has no known connections to:

Poison, Inc. has no known connections to:

John Bradley has no known connections to:

Corkey has no known connections to:

Red Ribando has no known connections to:

Poison, Inc.

A murder-for-hire organization formed by the Old One and his three unidentified henchmen, they would use the Old One's poisons to kill for profit.

Poison, Inc. would be responsible for the deaths of Corkey, John Bradley, and Red Ribando--although the killings for Corkey and Ribando were hired assignments for $5000 and $10,000 respectively, the killing of Bradley was done in revenge for Bradley's betrayal of Poison, Inc. to the Terror.

The criminal organization was eventually broken up by the Terror, who took the four murderers to the police station; but rather than face execution for his crimes, the Old One committed suicide with one of his poisons, thus bringing an end to Poison, Inc.

(The Old One employed one henchman to drive him around, but it's unclear what function the other two performed.)

--Mystic Comics I#9/3

John Bradley

The owner of a construction company, he had apparently been paying graft money to politicians.

Bradley faced legal troubles because Corkey, the editor of the Daily Star newspaper, was writing articles accusing him of making payoffs, so Bradley paid the Old One $5000 to kill Corkey.

Following the murder of Corkey, the Terror went to Bradley's home because he knew that Bradley was Corkey's bitterest enemy. After the Terror gave him a beating, Bradley confessed that he hired the Old One to kill Corkey--unknown to Bradley, the Old One was outside his door and heard every word.

As revenge for Bradley's betrayal of him, the Old One later tricked Bradley into drinking a poisoned glass of wine.

--Mystic Comics I#9/3

Corkey

Corkey (first name unrevealed) was the editor of the Daily Star newspaper; he had written articles concerning John Bradley paying graft money to politicians, and thus earned Bradley's enmity, so Bradley hired the Old One to kill Corkey.

One night, the Old One and his henchman broke into the offices of the Daily Star and booby-trapped Corkey's typewriter with a poison needle hidden by the shift key.

The next morning, Corkey sat down at his typewriter and was about to write another article about Bradley's crooked dealings; but just as he pressed the shift key, Corkey was injected with poison and died moments later.

--Mystic Comics I#9/3

Red Ribando

Ribando was restaurateur who apparently had ties to organized crime; he was also acquainted with the Old One.

When Ribando tried to cut in on the territory of protection racketeer Mugsy Murdock, Murdock paid the Old One $10,000 to eliminate his competitor.

The Old One arrived at the business office of Ribando's cafe for what appeared to be a friendly visit, and he even offered Ribando a cigar; but the cigar was poisoned, and when Ribando puffed on it, the smoke paralyzed his lungs and he stopped breathing.

--Mystic Comics I#9/3

images: (without ads)
Mystic Comics I#9/3, p1, pan1 (Main Image - Old One)
Mystic Comics I#9/3, p1 pan3 (Headshot - Old One explains his business proposition to his henchmen)
Mystic Comics I#9/3, p7, pan6 (Old One smokes poisonous cigar to commit suicide)
Mystic Comics I#9/3, p7, pan7 (Old One dead on floor; Laslo Pevely (right))
Mystic Comics I#9/3, p1, pan2 (Old One tells his three henchmen about forming Poison, Inc.)
Mystic Comics I#9/3, p2, pan1 (John Bradley (left) speaks to the Old One)
Mystic Comics I#9/3, p3, pan7 (after being beaten, John Bradley confesses to the Terror)
Mystic Comics I#9/3, p2, pan6 (Corkey sits at his (booby-trapped) typewriter)
Mystic Comics I#9/3, p2, pan7 (Corkey gets injected with poisoned needle)
Mystic Comics I#9/3, p5, pan6 (Red Ribando (right) begins to smoke poisonous cigar; Old One (left))
Mystic Comics I#9/3, p5, pan7 (Red Ribando dies after smoking poisonous cigar)

Appearances:
Mystic Comics I#9/3 (May, 1942) - unidentified writer, Don Rico (pencils and inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First Posted: 10/07/2018
Last updated: 10/07/2018

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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