Power Broker organization (Thing, Captain America stories)

cap381-walker-augmented POWER BROKER Inc.

Membership: Bludgeon (Anthony Manning), Brick, Dr. Seth Forrest, Mr. Frost, Angela Golden, Curtiss Jackson (aka Power Broker, founder), Dr. Lund, Mr. Lynch, Maggie, Dr. Karl Malus, Mangler (Lucius O'Neil), nurse, Power Tools (especially Buzzsaw, Drill, Jackhammer), recruiter, Sweat Shop,;
unidentified agent, unidentified

Purpose: Augmentation of physical strength, often with payment delayed and given as a percentage of future profits.

Aliases: None

Affiliations: Auntie Freeze (Ann Fraley), Grapplers, General Lewis Haywerth, Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation
possibly Edward Garner

recipients of the strength-augmentation procedure: Bantam (Roberto Velasquez), Battle Star, Bludgeon (Anthony Manning), Brick, Cruz, Demolition Dunphy (Dennis Dunphy; later Demolition Man & D-Man), Mr. Frost, G.I. Max, Grapplers wrestlers (Letha/Hellen Feliciano, Magilla, Poundcakes, Titania/Davida DeVita/Lascivious; unrevealed mutation status include Battleaxe, Butterball, Capriole, Cowgirl, Screaming Mimi/Melissa Gold/Songbird, Sushi, Vavavoom), Hammerhand (Rico Lazar), Left-Winger (Hector Lennox), Mr. Lynch, Misfit, Ms. Marvel (Sharon Ventura), Power Tools (especially Buzzsaw, Drill, Jackhammer), Right-Winger (Jerome Johnson), Sweat Shop, Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation wrestlers (roughly 75% estimated as strength-augmented by Power Broker, including Demolition Dunphy (Dennis Dunphy, later D-Man), Mangler, Mister Clean, Red Zeppelin, Sawbones; unrevealed mutation status include Blacksmith, Caveman, Icepick, Jersey Devil, Kid Stuff, Little John, Speedo, Steamroller, Swami Riba, Cootie Weiss), U.S.Agent (John Walker; formerly Super-Patriot and Captain America), numerous unidentified security guards at his San Fernando mansion, failed augments; deaugmentation failures (who were subsequently reaugmented)
recipients of Dr. Seth Forrest's procedure: Alicia/Marcia Guzman, Emi Ishida, Melanie, and Jake (formerly NitaYoung), Seth Forrest, at least 396 other women, numerous mutates,

Enemies: Battlestar (Lemar Hoskins), Captain America (Steve Rogers), Demolition-Man/D-Man (Dennis Dunphy), Marcia/Alicia Guzman, Emi Ishida, Melanie, and Jake (formerly NitaYoung), Ms. Marvel (Sharon Ventura), Red Zeppelin, Thing (Ben Grimm), USAgent (Johnny Walker)

Base of Operations: Multiple former bases in Los Angeles, California;
other bases across the country

Aliases: P.B.I.

First Appearance: (Behind-the-scenes, Power Broker strength-augmented beings seen) Thing I#28 (October, 1985);
(Power Broker name used) Thing I#33 (March, 1986);
(Power Broker, Inc. name used) Captain America I#331 (July, 1987)

Thing holding card History:
(Captain America I#364/2 (fb) - BTS) - Jackson founded Power Broker, Inc., the USA's number one strength augmentation clinic.

(Thing I#35 (fb) - BTS / Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89: Power Broker entry) - Jackson set up an office in Los Angeles. He kept his true identity secret, being known to most people with whom the company had dealings only as Power Broker.

(Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89: Power Broker entry) - Jackson employed Dr. Karl Malus as his chief scientist and strength augmenter; Malus was presumably the creator of the strength-augmentation process.

(Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89: Power Broker entry) - Those undergoing the strength augmentation process received a battery of chemical and radiation treatments (via augmentation chambers) that mutagenically altered their bodies If a subject had the genetic makeup that enabled him or her to undergo the treatment successfully, the subject would receive enhancement of many physical attributes, most notably strength (and durability). However, a number of subjects did not have this kind of genetic makeup, and the process instead was transformed into misshapen, mentally defective, monstrosities.

(Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89: Power Broker entry) - Jackson had many of his Power Broker, Inc. employees subjected to the strength augmentation process; among these are the firm's moving men, the Sweat Shop.

(Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89: Power Broker entry) - Power Broker, Inc. supplied superhumanly strong henchmen and agents for extraordinary criminal masterminds.

(Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89: Power Broker entry) - Power Broker, Inc. worked with the US Army on "Project: Augment," in which soldiers who were members of Special Task Force 17, commanded by Lt. Michael Lynch, volunteered to have their strength enhanced to superhuman levels. Only the soldier G.I. Max was known to have successfully completed the process.

(Captain America I#381/2 (fb) - BTS) - An agent of Power Broker, Inc. encountered recently retired soldiers Lemar Hoskins, Jerome Johnson, Hector Lennox, and Johnny Walker; he gave them his card and then convinced them to travel to Los Angeles where they could gain real super-powers from Power Broker, Inc.

(Captain America I#381/2 (fb) - BTS / USAgent I#1 (fb) - BTS) - All four men agreed and did so, and they were all successfully strength-augmented.

(Captain America I#381/2 (fb) - BTS) - To pay for the treatment, Power Broker's job counselor suggested they try out for the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation; however, while they were in-line for tryouts, they were instead convinced by Ethan Thurm to allow him to become their agent, and he convinced Walker to pursue his dream of becoming a costumed super hero. Walker became the Super-Patriot, while the other three helped promote him as the Bold Urban Commandos (BUCkies).

(Thing I#35 (fb) - BTS /Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89: Power Broker entry) - Roughly 75% of the UCWF's wrestlers were supplied by the Power Broker.

(Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89: Power Broker entry) - Many undergoing the strength augmentation process, including most of the UCWF members, were given a highly addictive artificial drug obtainable only from Power Broker, Inc. In return for an undisclosed percentage of the clients profits, he or she was given a steady supply of this drug in the form of pills.
The augmentees were told the drug stabilized their mutation and that without it they would die.

(Thing I#28 - BTS) - A number of Power Broker strength-augmented men tried out for and joined the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation, including Demolition Dunphy, Mangler +/- Cootie Weiss.

(Captain America I#329 - BTS) - Dennis Dunphy was the 15th recipient of the strength-augmentation process.

(Thing I#35 (fb) - BTS / Captain America I#330 (fb) - BTS) - Some of the subjects rejected the strength augmentation process. These failed augments were kept in cells, but when they ran out of space to house them, they began to dump them into the sewers.

(Thing I#29 (fb) - BTS) - UCWF members Cavemen, Blacksmith, Jersey Devil, Swami Riba, and another unspecified teammate may or may not have received the strength augmentation process.

(Thing I#31 (fb) - BTS) - UCWF member Mister Clean may or may not have received the strength augmentation process.

(Thing I#32 (fb) - BTS) - UCWF member Speedo may or may not have received the strength augmentation process.

(Thing I#33 (fb) - BTS) - UCWF members Icepick and Little John may or may not have received the strength augmentation process.

(Thing I#34 (fb) - BTS) - Many, if not all, of the new Grapplers -- the new women's division of the UCWF -- were strength-augmented by Power Broker, Inc.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#18: Letha) - Letha was strength-augmented by Power Broker.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#20: Letha) - Titania was strength-augmented by Power Broker.

(Thing I#33 (fb) - BTS) - Grapplers Battleaxe, Butterball, Capriole, Cowgirl, Sushi, Vavavoom may or may not have received the strength augmentation process.

(Thing I#33 (fb) - BTS) - The Thing asked Dunphy where all of the super-strong people joining the UCWF were coming from. Dunphy skirted the issue by claiming his muscles came from pumping iron every day and then distracted him by asking about Sharon Ventura.

(Thing I#33 - BTS) - When Sharon Ventura showed spunk in getting in the middle of the fight between the Grapplers and the Thing, Auntie Freeze felt she could use Sharon and gave her a card for the Power Broker (555-6725) so she could "realize great abilities and adventure!"

(Thing I#33 (fb) - BTS) - Sharon called the Power Broker and was informed that he guaranteed he could increase one's strength 100 times "or your money back."

(Thing I#33 - BTS) - Sharon later discussed with the Thing how she was thinking of contacting the Power Broker to get her strength enhanced so that she might join the Grapplers. Realizing that this might be where the super-powered wrestlers were coming from, Ben snatched the card away from her and told her she wasn't going to do it. Though he argued that it probably wasn't legal and that she might get hurt, Sharon became angry with his telling her what to do, and she departed, telling him she had already called Power Broker.

(Thing I#34 (fb) - BTS) - Battleaxe told Sharon about Power Broker.

(Thing I#34 (fb) - BTS) - Sharon made an appointment to see Power Broker.

(Thing I#35 (fb) - BTS) - Jackson's contacts within the UCWF told him they could use Sharon Ventura after he had finished with her strength-augmentation.

(Thing I#34 - BTS) - Sharon announced she would be ready to join the Grapplers in the next week or two.

(Thing I#35 - BTS) - As she approached the Power Broker's office in a rough neighborhood, Sharon began to question whether she should go through with it. After being overwhelmed by a trio of criminals and saved by Lt. Michael Lynch, she resolved to make herself even better through Power Broker.

The Thing discovered Dunphy taking his pills from Power Broker, although Dunphy claimed they were just for nerves; regardless, the Thing took Dunphy's Power Broker card and resolved to investigate the matter further after they were done with their video promotion.

While in the waiting room filling out paperback that included some very personal questions, Sharon was impressed with how nice Power Broker's offices were on the inside, and she considered that for the prices he charged, he should have enough money to move into a nicer neighborhood.

(Thing I#35) - The nurse then escorted Sharon for her "personal interview" (screening) in which the room was initially pitch black, after which blinding bright lights came on behind Jackson (or more likely a manequin through which he spoke). After apologizing for the blinding lights but assuring her they were necessary, the Power Broker introduced himself as the Power Broker and informed her that -- having reviewed her application -- he was ready to describe their procedure. He continued that her forms indicated she was capable of meeting the monetary requirements and that his contacts in the UCWF had told him they could use her after their session was complete; with the UCWF she could earn enough to make back her initial investments. He explained how their trained staff would treat her with a small dose of radiation to raise her body's natural abilties to their highest level; next she would be injected with certain stabilizing enzymes to help her body fight possible side effects of the treatment; lastly, she would be submitted to a second treatment to bring her strength up to the level needed to compete in the UCWF. As he told her to relax before the treatment began, the lights clicked off again, and he bade her good day and thanked her for calling on his services.

(Thing I#35) - The Broker's men (Brick and another, unidentified, male, both augmented) led Sharon through a portal into an augmentation chamber and strapped her into the equipment; despite her hesitation and then insistence to stop the process and its intense lights, Dr. Karl Malus introduced himself, noting how the Power Broker financed his work, and continued with the process.

(Thing I#35 - BTS) - Meanwhile, the Thing resolved to check out the Power Broker before Sharon could. When Dunphy expressed that Ben should not get involved, Ben insisted he had to do it for Sharon's sake, and he correctly suspected that Dunphy knew something about the Broker he wasn't telling.

(Thing I#35) - When Sharon had hallucinations of her father, Malus cut the radiation. However, roughly an hour after her treatments started, when Malus approached her to give her an injection as the second part of her treatment (secretly an addictive drug to make her beholden to Power Broker), she tore out of her restraints and refused to accept the injection. As she fled, Broker's agents (the same who had strapped her in), realized she was finished prematurely and tried to stop her.

(Thing I#35 (fb) - BTS) - Malus presumably informed Jackson of Sharon's premature escape, and Jackson had the various UCWF members gather outside of his facility to capture her; those refusing would not get further "stabilizing" pills.

(Thing I#35 (fb) - BTS) - Dunphy refused to follow the Broker's orders and was cut off from his "stabilizer" supply.

(Thing I#35) - However, Sharon easily subdued Brick and his partner (crediting her previous training had given her a stronger and faster base than them) and then dodged a barrage of ray beams. As multiple strength-augmented men charged after her, she fled through a door to a room containing the cells of what she realized must be failed, hideously mutated augments. Though she worried that perhaps that injection was what was needed to prevent her from ending up like the mutates, as the other guards rushed in, she dove out a window. Landing on a nearby wall, she climbed own via a pipe, only to be grabbed and pulled down by the gathered UCWF members. Fortunately for Sharon, the Thing, who had encountered and been joined en route by Lt. Lynch, arrived and helped fight off the wrestlers. When Malus rushed out and attempted to give Sharon that final injection, Lynch tackled Malus. As more of Power Broker's augmented agents arrived, the Thing instructed Sharon and Lynch to escape while he held them off...which he did.

(Thing I#35 - BTS) - Sharon and Lt. Lynch rushed to the McPheron hotel, the UCWF's hotel, to the room of Auntie Freeze, who provided Sharon with the costume she had had made for her and ascented that she had intended for her to be called Ms. Marvel.

Auntie Freeze excused herself to take a phone call from the Power Broker, who said Sharon knew too much and that he wanted her dead; and that any of his clients that didn't help him get what he wanted were cut off (from the drug he gave them).

Auntie then excused herself from the room and gathered the Grapplers, who surrounded Sharon and Lynch.

Meanwhile, the Thing headed back to his room (317), expecting to find Sharon, but instead encountering Dunphy, in the throws of withdrawal from the Power Broker's "stabilizing" drug. Dunphy explained what had happened and encouraged the Thing to "do 'em in."

Ben soon arrived to help Sharon and Lynch against the Grapplers, and he helped them escape the building, with the goal of getting Sharon into hiding. He also called an ambulance to take care of Dunphy. As he rushed Sharon and Lynch into an alley to escape the pursuing Grapplers, he speculated that the Stabilizer" drug was required to "control some ugly side effect is power gizmo caused."

(Thing I#36 (fb) - BTS) - Power Broker had his base completely cleaned out.

(Thing I#36 - BTS) - Accompanied by Sharon/Ms. Marvel and Lt. Lynch, the Thing broke into Power Broker's base, only to find it completely cleaned out. As the Thing suffered from a headache and dizziness, the UCWF wrestlers (including Mangler and Mr. Clean) and the Grapplers (including Magilla & Poundcakes) showed up and attacked. After too many blows to the head, the Thing collapsed, and some of the wrestlers realized that if Power Broker was gone they weren't going to get their pills anyway. When Sharon struck the Thing in the face to try to get him to snap out of it, he revived, but was wracked with agony and began to mutate further. The wrestlers worried that they might suffer this same fate and tried to capture him in hopes of learning a cure; after fighting a pair off, the Thing finally gave up and passed out when the group piled on top of him.

The Thing went to the hospital before breaking out and fleeing as his mutation progressed.

( Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition Trade Paperback: Power Broker entry / Captain America I#328 (fb)) - Deprived of their addictive "stabilizer" drug, the UCWF and other augmentees addicted to it suffered agonizing withdrawal symptoms but fully recovered thereafter.

Power Broker, Inc. laid low.

(Captain America I#331 (fb) - BTS) - Though Lt. Lynch begged her not to, Ms. Marvel spent a few months trying to track down the Power Broker's new base of operations.

(Captain America I#331 (fb) - BTS) - When Ms. Marvel got close, she set up a meeting with Lt. Lynch to tell him about it, but she was ambushed and overpowered by ten of the Power Broker's men. She was taken to Jackson's private underground lab and experimented on for months. During that time, she overheard how the Power Broker had been involved in some secret projects with the military.

(Captain America I#329 (fb) - BTS) - Having noted both the super-strength and the particular fighting style of the Super-Patriot (John Walker) during a fierce, frustrating, and indecisive battle, Captain America suspected a connection to the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation.

(Captain America I#328 - BTS) - Captain America traveled to the Los Angeles headquarters and training center for the UCWF to investigate whether Super-Patriot had been one of them. Dunphy discussed his origins, the Power Broker, and the UCWF with Cap. Dunphy obtained Garner's file of wrestlers and applicant, but none of them seemed to match Super-Patriot to Cap. Nonetheless, Cap remained convinced there was a connection between his foe and Power Broker, and Dunphy joined Cap in investigating Power Broker further, taking the secret identity D-Man.

They investigated the last base the West Coast Avengers had on Malus, with whom had Cap had some experience and who Cap suspected might be associated with the Power Broker due to his expertise in strength augmentation. This base, as well as the base in which Dunphy had been augmented and two other locations proved to be long-abandoned. After another four days of separating and investigating LA's gyms, spas, and other places where Power Broker might send him talent scouts, Dunphy got a card from a scout at How Lee's Karate Academy.

(Captain America I#328) - Cap called the number and -- investigating solo and without his shield and uniform to avoid detection -- entered the seeming ice cream parlor with the plan for Dunphy to come in after him in 30 minutes. Cap was interviewed (with a manequin posing as the interviewer and a voice transmitted in), his information evaluated as false, and then he was assaulted by Bludgeon and Mangler. Cap escaped and located Malus as he was preparing to start an augmentation, but Lt. Lynch then shot Cap in the back with a series of tranquilizers. Intrigued by Cap's extraordinary readings, Malus had Cap strapped into a treatment platform. As Malus began the process, his nurse reminded him that their captive had not signed the releases, but Malus assured her the Broker would not fire him for such an oversight. Meanwhile, D-Man broke in and fought past Mangler and Bludgeon, causing an alarm to sound that warned everyone to evacuate the premises.

(Captain America I#328 (fb) - BTS) - D-Man ran into and subdued Malus on his way to find Cap.

(Captain America I#328) - D-Man broke Cap out of the machine and then brought Malus to him. After Malus admitted Cap had been partially/temporarily augmented, D-Man offered to force Malus to complete the process, but Cap ultimately declined. D-Man headed out to scout the rest of the place and retrieve Cap's uniform and shield, while Cap planned to see if he could get Malus to tell him anything he had hoped to learn.

(Captain America I#329 (fb) - BTS) - After returning as planned, D-Man led Cap -- with Malus in tow -- in a tour of the facility, breaking open armored doors as needed. They found the place otherwise evacuated.

(Captain America I#329) - After concluding the tour in the boiler room, D-Man, having worked up an appetite, headed out to get dinner for them. Cap questioned Malus, who advised Cap to let him go and get out while he still had a chance, leading Cap to believe that if they waited, Power Broker's men would show up, likely desiring to recover his million dollar equipment. When the Sweat Shop showed up, Cap incapacitated Malus via pressure on his external carotid artery and carried him to a higher position of safety. The Sweat Shop began systematically searching the facility via infra-scanners to determine whether the place was secure before they began hauling. When two of the Sweat Shop members (Flaherty & Moranis) entered the boiler room, Cap ambushed them but soon confirmed his suspicion that they were strength-augmented, too, and while he had a tough time taking them down, back-up showed up, summoned by Moranis. cap329-failed-aug-sewer

Meanwhile, D-Man returned, found the Sweat Shop present, overpowered their sentry, and used their truck to crash his way in. Hearing the sound, the Shop leader ordered half of the men to head back upstairs to check it out. After Cap stunned one of the remaining Shop members, the others decided to take their fallen teammate and head out, as they were paid to move machinery, not to fight someone like Captain America. After leaving the room, they placed a large piece of non-essential machinery in front of the door, preventing Cap from escaping the room. While D-Man had been doing well against the five or so he had been fighting, when the rest of the group showed up they were able to beat him into unconsciousness after 10 minutes. They roused their fallen members, loaded up the equipment, and took Dugan with them as evidence of why they had such a tough time.

Meanwhile, Cap woke up Malus, who failed to alert the Sweatshop over the soundproofed walls and the noise they were making, just as Cap failed to alert the police who arrived after the Shop's departure. Cap located a drain covering, forced it open and pushed Malus through it (after shattering his bonds) as he jumped, despite Malus warning him that the sewers were where they had dumped all of the failed augments. Soon after, Cap was assaulted by some of these failed augments, allowing Malus to flee, although he was followed by the Werewolf (Jack Russell).

(Captain America I#329) - Meanwhile, a quartet of Sweat Shop members brought D-Man to the Power Broker, pummeling him into submission as he began to awaken. Ordering D-Man's mask removed, Jackson recognized him as Dennis Dunphy, augmentation#15. Appreciating the investiment in each augmentee, Jackson instructed D-Man to be taken to his private facility, where research and development could use another expendable.

(Captain America I#330 - BTS) - As Captain America fought his way past the failed augments, he vowed Power Broker would answer for these and other crimes.

cap330-failed-aug-sewers-2 Cap escaped from one group of failed augments only to encounter another group, but he was aided in overcoming his attackers by the Shroud and Night Shift (Brothers Grimm, Dansen Macabre, Digger, Gypsy Moth, Needle, Tatterdemalion, Ticktock, Werewolf) who recaptured Malus. Dansen Macabre forced Malus to answer their questions, and Cap had Malus lead them to the Power Broker's estate. The Shroud had Night Shift deliver the mutates to their base, the Tower of Shadows, after which Malus led them to an estate in San Fernando valley. There Cap pursued Jackson down an escape tunnel and coered him to bring him to Dunphy.

(Captain America I#330) - Cap and Jackson arrived in his private lab at the cells holding Dunphy and Ms. Marvel, where Jackson explained they were trying to determine the maximum amount of augmentation a subject could withstand and whether a subject could be deaugmented, respectively. Cap angrily insisted Jackson release both subjects, and when Jackson said he couldn't, Cap incapacitated him with a nerve pinch, deactivated the radiation lamps, and entered Dunphy's chamber. cap330-aug-chambers

(Captain America I#330 - BTS) - Two of Jackson's agents -- Maggie & Dr. Lund -- arrived, having heard the alarm sound when Jackson accessed the facility, and locked Dunphy in the chamber and then delivered a stimulant threw his injection port that sent the mutated and agonized Dunphy into a rage.

(Captain America I#330) - Maggie instructed Dr. Lund to help revive Jackson.

(Captain America I#330) - Dunphy had a heart attack while battling Cap, and Cap instituted CPR.

(Captain America I#331 - BTS) - Shroud and Ticktock located Power Broker's facility and overpowered Maggie and Lund.

(Captain America I#331) - After freeing Cap, the Shroud had Malus help stabilize Dunphy, while Ticktock held Maggie, Lund, and the still-unconscious Jackson at gunpoint. Ms. Marvel escaped her chamber as well.

(Captain America I#331 - BTS) - Cap convinced Ms. Marvel he was both trying to help her and punish the people who had hurt her. Following Malus' advice, they used the de-augmenter on Dunphy, reverting him to his previous levels.

(Captain America I#331) - Lt. Lynch then arrived via helicopter and attemted to convince Cap to let him take Jackson into custody, sending GI Max to neutralize Cap when he refused; Max was killed by Lynch's bullets ricocheting off Cap's shield.

(Captain America I#331: epilogue (fb) - BTS) - Ms. Marvel resisted capture by the army and protected Dunphy until the paramedics arrived.

(Captain America I#331: epilogue (fb) - BTS) - Dunphy stabilized under LA County Trauma Center care.

(Captain America I#331: epilogue (fb) - BTS) - Jackson was taken into LA police department custody. He was released on 1 million dollars' bail. Pending trial, he remained in the augmentation business.

(Captain America I#331: epilogue (fb) - BTS) - The soldiers of Task Force 17 were notified that Project: Augment had been put on indefinite hold.

(Captain America I#358/2 (fb) - BTS / USAgent I#2 (fb) - BTS) - Learning about Power Broker and strength augmentation from D-Man (with whom she had worked as Vagabond, alongside the Captain (Steve Rogers) and Nomad (Jack Munroe)), Priscilla Lyons traveled to Los Angeles and managed to get an interview with the Power Broker himself.

(Captain America I#358/2 - 359/2 - BTS) <10:15-10:29 pm> - A Scourge of the Underworld arrived on Jackson's San Fernando Valley estate. After contacting Haywerth for help, and Haywerth sent USAgent to the rescue. Jackson fled with Lyons via his bed-elevator into his subterranean tunnels.

(Captain America I#359/2) - Jackson led Priscilla to a railcar to his secure experimental laboratory.

(Captain America I#360/2) - Jackson sealed the several inch thick metal door on his laboratory and showed Lyons his private laboratory, with most augmentation being done in branch facilities. After the Scourge buried USAgent under rubble, Jackson watched in terror as the Scourge attached a bomb to the door that blew it in.

(Captain America I#361/2 (fb) - BTS) - Jackson sealed himself and Priscilla behind a second steel door.

cap362-overaugmented (Captain America I#361/2) <11:42-11:48 pm> - As Scourge taunted Jackson with his plans to blow in this door as well with more plastic explosives, Jackson desperately energized the augmentation device, strapped himself into the device, and -- acknowledging that while he had a 50/50 chance the process would work on him, he was certain to die without it -- instructed Priscilla to turn the dials to maximum in hopes he could overpower the Scourge.

(Captain America I#362/2 (fb) - BTS) - The augmentation process left Jackson so overmuscled that he couldn't move.

(Captain America I#362/2) - Jackson's dense musculature protected him from Scourge's bullets, after which USAgent subdued Scourge.

(Captain America I#362/2 - BTS) - USAgent called for am ambulance, escorted Priscilla out of the labyrinthine sub-basement, and then prepared to take the Scourge to the police, only to have another Scourge slay the captive one.

(Captain America I#363/2 (fb) - BTS) - Jackson was taken to Los Angeles County Hospital.

(Captain America I#363/2 (fb) - BTS) - Desiring access to his equipment in the Power Broker facilities, Malus sent Bludgeon and Mangler, as well as at least two other strength-augmented agents, to capture Priscilla Lyons to learn what had happened at Jackson's estate.

(Captain America I#363/2 - BTS) - The day after Jackson's mutation, Malus' agents brought Lyons to his car, and he convinced her to tell him what had happened the night before. Telling her he wished to keep Power Broker, Incorporated in business, Malus instructed Lyons to get Jackson's fingerprints using his Epidermold; in exchange, he offered to give her free augmentation (which she no longer wanted) or to set her free, as per her preference

(Captain America I#363/2) - Priscilla Lyons -- wearing a bracelet allowed Malus to track her location and hear her speech, and which could be remotely detonated by him -- traveled to Jackson's room. He asked if she had come to see his freakish, completely muscle-bound form, and she -- feeling sympathy for his plight -- told him she just thought he might need a friend.

(Captain America I#364/2) - As Jackson expressed frustration that his top scientist (Malus) had not contacted him to arrange de-augmentation, Priscilla squeezed his hand into the Epidermold (which he did not even feel). Not wanting any pity, he urged her to leave. She left him her address (or at least she was strongly considering doing so) as she departed.

(Captain America I#364/2 - BTS) - Priscilla pressured Malus into meeting her solo and releasing her from the bracelet, after which she incapacitated him, squished the Epidermold, and contacted USAgent, giving him information on the activities and location of Power Broker's employees.

(Captain America I#375/2 (fb) - BTS / Captain America: America's Avenger: Karl Malus entry) - Power Broker had Malus' legs broken for his betrayal, then promptly re-hired him to try to resolve his over-augmented state.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition#21) - Malus designed a tongue-operated exo-skeleton and hover-harness to grant Jackson some degree of mobility

(Captain America I#374/2 (fb) - BTS) - The Power Tools kidnapped Red Zeppelin for Power Broker. Ethan knew who did it, and he suspected the Power Tools would be sent to snuff him before he could blow the whistle on them.

(Captain America I#375/2 (fb) - BTS) - Multiple people strength-augmented by Power Broker were captured by Power Broker's agents and placed in Adamantium restraints. Periodically, Power Broker's goons would take one of the captives for Malus to test the de-augmentation process on.

(Captain America I#373/2 - BTS) - Ethan Thurm arranged to meet with Battlestar to protect him from Jackson's agents, Power Tools (Buzzsaw, Jackhammer, Screwdriver), who them ambushed the pair.

(Captain America I#374/2 - BTS) - Battlestar did well fighting off the Power Tools until Jackhammer captured Ethan and threatened to kill him unless Battlestar surrendered, which he did. Battlestar was subsequently gassed into submission.

(Captain America I#375/2) - Battlestar was placed in Adamantium stocks along with Red Zeppelin and at least 5 other strength-augmented men they had captured. Red Zeppelin was taken for de-augmentation testing by the strength-augmented agents Mr. Frost and Mr. Lynch.

(Captain America I#376/2 (fb) - BTS) - All 18 de-augmentations were considered by Malus to have failed to some degree. Most ended up disfigured in some way, such as being lop-sided, or having muscles melted into fat. Red Zeppelin was left with soft and rubbery bones, barely able to move.

(Captain America I#375/2) - Battlestar was brought into the chamber where Karl Malus and Jackson (wearing his Hover-Harness exoskeleton) were waiting. Jackson noted this to be the 19th one Malus was going to test and questioned when he would have the process perfected; Malus told him it would take just 1-2 more.

After Malus gassed Battlestar into unconsciousness and he was set-up under the de-augmentation equipment, Jackson recognized him as the super hero Battlestar and warned that he wasn't just another small-time wrestler whose disappearance wouldn't be noticed. Malus explained that Thurm had alerted Battlestar, and with what he had learned, he was going to have to be dealt with anyway. Jackson agreed that this was necessary.

With Jackson's approval, Malus activated the de-augmentation process.

(Captain America I#376/2) - As the de-augmentation process completed in Battlestar, Malus announced this effort appeared to have been a complete success. Jackson urged Malus to treat him next, but Malus advised him that they should wait until he had run a complete battery of tests to make sure there were no hidden side effects. Jackson begrudgingly agreed, but instructed Malus to be quick about it and noted he would be in his quarters.

(Captain America I#377/2 (fb) - BTS) - After Lynch and Frost gathered Malus' paraphernalia, Malus arranged for Jackson to meet him back in the lab.

(Captain America I#376/2 - BTS) - When Lynch and Frost tried to take Battlestar for testing, Battlestar was able to slip past them and take hostage Malus and threaten to break his neck. Power Tools arrived as back-up, but then USAgent arrived as well.

(Captain America I#377/2 - BTS) - As USAgent battled the Power Tools and other strength-augmented Power Broker agents, Battlestar forced Malus to take him to Power Broker.

(Captain America I#377/2 (fb) - BTS) - Jackson used his hover-harness to float at the top of the room.

(Captain America I#377/2) - After Battlestar entered with Malus, Jackson swooped down and grabbed Battlestar, but Battlestar got free and then threatened to destroy the augmentation/de-agumentation equipment. USAgent then instructed Malus to re-augment Battlestar.

(Captain America I#378/2 (fb) - BTS) - Jackson presumably floated helplessly as Malus re-augmented Battlestar.

(Captain America I#378/2) - Upon the completion of Battlestar's re-augmentation, USAgent insisted the other de-augmentation victims be re-augmented next.

(Captain America I#378/2 (fb) - BTS) - Over the next 4 hours, all of the de-augmented men were successfully re-augmented.

(Captain America I#378/2 - BTS) - As the final re-augmentation completed, USAgent smashed Malus machine.

<unrevealed> - Under unrevealed circumstances, Jackson was reverted back to his pre-augmentation state.

(USAgent II#3 (fb) - BTS / Maximum Security) - During the events of "Maximum Security" -- in which the Intergalactic Council sought to distract humanity by transferring alien criminals to Earth and making it an Intergalactic Penal Colony -- Jackson was intent on recruiting some of these alien criminals into his employ.

(USAgent II#3 (fb)) - Jackson found and bonded with a neurosynaptic creature, allowing her to spawn neuro-synaptic leech offspring, which granted mental control over others when placed on those beings' heads or necks.

(USAgent II#3 (fb) - BTS / 1-3) - Jackson allied with Senator Leon Warkowsky in a plot to bond the leeches to all of the members of an international assemblage of the heads of state, as well as the captains of industry, granting him great political and business power. Jackson was thwarted by USAgent, who stripped the mother creature off of his back, and then taken into police custody.

(Captain America I#615.1 (fb) - BTS) - Power Broker Inc. hired former special forces soldier David Rickford to turn him into the new Captain America. Seeking to manipulate Rogers into becoming Captain America again, Nick Fury (posing as the Power Broker) made a deal with Dr. Karl Malus, who augmented Rickford's strength and other physical abilites.

(Captain America I#615.1 - BTS) - Malus and Power Broker (Fury) watched their Captain America (Rickford)'s training against dummies with his shield. Impressed by Rickford's workout Power Broker (Fury) sent him out for his first public appearance.

(Captain America I#615.1 - BTS) - Fury informed Sharon Carter about the new Captain America (David Rickford) and tipped her and Rogers off where Rickford would first appear.

(Captain America I#615.1 - BTS) - Rogers and Carter watched from afar Captain America (Rickford) apprehending a bunch of robbers. Afterward he was interviewed by WNYZ News' Frank Farmington. Rickford told the press that he picked up the mantle of Captain America because the country needed a Captain America.

Rickford returned to the Area 501 Laboratory, but it had been abandoned by Malus and Fury. At the lab AIM agents, tipped off by Fury, shot Rickford and abducted him. Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter came too late to prevent the abduction, but Rogers followed AIM and jumped on their plane. Inside the ship AIM readied Captain America (Rickford) to turn him into a new MODOK, but Steve Rogers broke into the ship and saved him. They jumped off the heavily damaged vessel and landed in the Hudson River. At the shore Rogers told Rickford to stop wearing the Captain America uniform because he would never forgive himself if Rickford got killed as Captain America. Rogers threatened to lock up Rickford for reckless endangerment if he didn't quit as Captain America. Rickford took off the mask and replied that eventually somebody had to wear the Captain America mantle again.

(Avengers: Solo#1 (fb) - BTS) - At some point Angela Golden joined Power Broker, Inc. (aka PBI).

(Avengers: Solo#5 (fb) - BTS) - This newest Power Broker Inc. incarnation sought to develop formulas to enhance people, intending to sell these to governments, drug lords, and anyone who could bid highly enough.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb)) <Allegedly 2 years before the main story> - Angela Golden and Dr. Karl Malus approached Dr. Seth Forrest for Power Broker, Inc. to fund and oversee his research. Golden assured him that he just had to plan how to spend his fee and she would take care of how it would become profitable for Power Broker, Inc.

As he could not figure out how why the others were trying to profit from a calcium study, Forrest tried to figure out what they were trying to accomplish (see comments)

(Avengers: Solo#5 (fb) - BTS) - Power Broker Inc. experimented in secret on unwitting volunteers in legitimate studies, such as Forrest's calcium study.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb)) - Forrest considered Malus and Golden's methods sloppy and their records amateurish.

(Avengers: Solo#5 (fb) - BTS) - Going behind the back of Golden and Malus Forrest took the opportunity to further his pet project Pharmy with Power Broker Inc.'s funding.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb)) - Golden found additional investors for Power Broker Inc.'s research into a super-soldier gestational formula promising the investors early access to newfound data. She lied about Captain America's support of the project, and Forrest found himself implicated in the matter and afraid of what the investers or the law might do to him if he tried to expose them.

(Avengers: Solo#3 (fb) - BTS) - Power Broker Inc. tried four specific formulas, meant to produce four different specific traits in the children the female test subjects would have someday.

(Avengers: Solo#3 (fb) - BTS) - There were five clinics, each with approximately 400 subjects.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb)) - Forrest allegedly thought the whole thing was a sham, just swindling investors, until the subjects started getting sick and dying.

(Avengers: Solo#3 (fb) - BTS) - At least 15 women died, while over a hundred women...had unspecified issues. Only one woman (Nita) was confirmed to have received the incendiary formula.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb)) - Forrest resolved to go to the medical board when he realized the formulas were working, just not as they expected. The metabolic inhibitor formula was the first to show success.

(Avengers: Solo#3 (fb) - BTS) - Nita Young (later known as Jake) was experimented on with an incendiary formula, but also took other meds (hormone replacements, as she was undergoing a sex change) she didn't report, which altered the outcome of the trial.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb) - BTS) - Melanie's metabolic formula that granted her the ability to slow down her metabolism and play dead.

(Avengers: Solo#5 (fb) - BTS) - Emi Ishida gained super-strength.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb)) - After discovering the true nature of the empowerment, Forrest saw the immediate damage to the subjects, but he told no one, not even Golden, Malus, or the medical board; allegedly he was trying to protect the project.

Forrest told the medical board that the calcium supplements must have been contaminated, and that the study had to be shut down.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb) - BTS) - Golden and Malus suspected treachery, and they went through his home and found all of his notes.

(Avengers: Solo#5 (fb) - BTS) - Golden promised Forrest to aid him in driving Malus out of the project. She wasn't aware Forrest was lying to her and the board of Power Broker Inc. and actually planned to sell his formulae to all nations that could afford it.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb) - BTS) - Golden showed Forrest's notes to Malus; they showed a more profitable, less time-consuming option involving granting superhuman abilities to the women and not their children.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb) ) - Forrest and Golden ousted Malus from the project, and Golden and Malus got into a fight at Forrest's house, which was burnt down. Forrest fled, but Golden seemingly forced him to ally with her to continue the research.

(Avengers: Solo#1 (fb) - BTS) - A deceased apparent duplicate of Forrest's body was placed in his home. It was found by firefighters.

Golden and Forrest framed former test subject Nita Young for setting fire to Seth Forrest's home.

(Avengers: Solo#3 (fb) - BTS) - They presumably did this in hopes of drawing out Nita, as they really wanted the subject with the incendiary power.

(Avengers: Solo#5 (fb) - BTS) - Forrest found a private prison that was happy to arrange a work-release program in which he could work on granting super-powers to the inmates.

(Avengers: Solo#5 (fb) - BTS) - Forrest made sure his process was irreversible early on, considering that a selling point.

(Avengers: Solo#1 (fb) - BTS) - At some point Golden hired Trapster.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb)) - Trapster was in it for the strength-enhancing drugs while Golden kept working on the drugs to make them suggestible, enabling her to control the disfigured criminal subjects.

Trapster pressured Forrest to give him the data on the strength limits, and Forrest told him subject 12 could live 1400 lbs.; as this was the upper limit, there was no need to press further.

(Avengers: Solo#3 (fb)) - When test subject Alicia Guzman began to feel sick, as if she had a bad flu, she went back to the facility that had given her the initial treatment. She saw pictures of Captain America all over the facility. A Power Broker agent told her to wait, and a clinican would be right in to see her. When she saw a number of large, threatening men approaching the facility, she broke out and escaped.

(Avengers: Solo#3 (fb) - BTS) - Alicia/Marcia Guzman, Dr. Emi Ishida, Melanie, and Jake (formerly Nita Young) joined forces. They investigated the clinics that had treated the other women in hopes of finding other "positives," but they found the clinics had already been stripped. They did find some files referring to a central laboratory, but they found no information on where that lab might be.

(Avengers: Solo#5 (fb) - BTS) - By keeping vital parts of his research to himself, Forrest pushed past Golden in the command structure.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb) - BTS) - At some point Golden started taking a formula herself, and it made her sick.

(Avengers: Solo#5 (fb) - BTS) - Unbeknownst to her, Forrest had tricked her and only gave her a fake formula, preventing her from gaining any superhuman abilities while actually making her sick

(Avengers: Solo#5 (fb) - BTS) - They continued their trials on criminals, who were given to them by a private prison as part of a work-release program. Forrest used a disfiguring formula on them, promising a cure to keep them in line.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb) - BTS) - Forrest made Golden and the mutates believe they needed to capture the successful test subjects from the women trials because according to him they were their only hope for a cure.

(Avengers: Solo#2 (fb) - BTS) - Golden and Forrest tracked down their former test subjects over the next six months.

(Avengers: Solo#1 (fb) - BTS) - Golden ordered Tulio Guzman, Marcia's brother, to be killed when he found out too much about their experiments and also set Hawkeye on their trail.

(Avengers: Solo#1 (fb) - BTS) - Golden hired Chance to kill Hawkeye, but he failed partially due to Trace (Marcia Guzman)'s interference.

(Avengers: Solo#1 - BTS) - Golden sent Trapster to take out Hawkeye and then go after Trace (Marcia).

(Avengers: Solo#2 (fb) - BTS) - Golden sent her drug-enhanced mercenaries to capture Trace (Marcia) and her allies. She stayed in contact with them and watched from within her limousine as Trace slowly lost control. Hawkeye then came to Trace's aid.

(Avengers: Solo#2) - After Hawkeye took out Golden's driver and then confronted her, Golden ordered her mercs to hold their fire. She told Hawkeye that Trace was an industrial saboteur who had broken into, stolen from, and destroyed a facility for which she was responsible, and she asked for Hawkeye's aid. Realizing she could not coordinate her drugged mercenaries without it, Hawkeye destroyed her laptop. Trace pushed over Golden's limousine and, joined by Hawkeye, defeated the mercenaries and Trapster.

(Avengers: Solo#3) - Hawkeye and Trace (Alicia Guzman) defeated Trapster and a number of armed Power Broker Inc. agents.

(Avengers: Solo#3 (fb) - BTS) - Golden sent a bunch of lawyers to shield Trapster and the enhanced mercs from interrogation, but not Chance.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb) - BTS) - Forrest allegedly tried to escape, but was captured by Golden and brought to her vehicle.

(Avengers: Solo#4 (fb) - BTS) - Golden and Forrest planned to set up the former test subjects by either leading them to Golden or leading Golden to them after dealing with Hawkeye, who Golden was afraid would get Trapster or Chance to talk.

(Avengers: Solo#3 - BTS) - As Golden had feared, Hawkeye learned from Chance about Power Broker Inc., his contact being Golden and that most of the mercs were paid with a drug.

(Avengers: Solo#3) - When Hawkeye left Ryker's Island he was assaulted by more drug-enhanced monstrosities sent by Golden.

(Avengers: Solo#3) - Trace (Emi) interfered and allowed herself to be overpowered by the mutates, who were ordered by Golden to capture her because she was their only chance for a cure. Trace hit Hawkeye with an energy blast to get him out of the way and give him a chance at following Golden's transporter on his Skycycle. Golden and the mutates took off in the transporter with Trace as their captive.

(Avengers: Solo#4) - The Power Broker mutates tried to tear off the Trace armor to see who was inside, but Trace fought them off. Dr. Forrest told Trace about a protected energy dampener and noted he had how he had been a prisoner (of Power Broker) for at least 6 months; and Trace vowed to free him.

Meanwhile, Hawkeye, in his skycycle, caught up to Golden's transporter; he futilely tried to convince her she was sick from the power formula and that she needed help. Hawkeye -- fighting his way past a couple mutates -- and Emi successfully "freed" Dr. Forrest from Golden's transporter. They expected Golden to turn around to try to recover Trace and Forrest, but she drove off, leaving her freed prisoners behind.

Forrest told the escaped mutates and Hawkeye a version of his history with Power Broker, telling them he wanted to help stop Golden and the group, telling them he had been told by Golden to leader her to them, but that he could instead lead them to her and take Power Broker Inc. by surprise; but they remained skeptical. As he appeared to have been beaten and had evidence of lung damage, they considered he may be being truthful.

(Avengers: Solo#5 (fb) - BTS) - Hawkeye and the four Power Broker mutates plotted to have Forrest take Alicia and Emi to a PBI ship at a dock on the Hudson river in New York City where Golden and her men would take them in. They planned to have Forrest betray them (betray PBI?) with Alicia and Emi then working from the inside, after which Hawkeye and Trace (Jake) would follow them and help them break out those imprisoned by Power Broker Inc.

power_broker_organization-mutates_vs_forrest (Avengers: Solo#5) - Though they were aware Forrest was somehow setting them up Hawkeye and the others agreed to play along. Golden welcomed Forrest on board her ship on the Hudson River with Emi and Alicia as his captives.

Soon after, Hawkeye and Trace boarded the ship, and Melanie helped take out the PBI agents blocking their planned exit. When Jake used the fire power, Forrest showed up, asking if it was Nita and then demanding to see the fire power. Revealing he was super-powered, Forrest tossed around Hawkeye and threatened to drown Melanie if Trace refused to come to his lab. As Hawkeye fought Forrest, Emi and Marcia pulled Melanie out of the water, and they got all of the imprisoned women onto another boat to take them to safety. Golden then arrived and sent the mutates after them. As Trace, Emi, and Melanie left with the former prisoners, the ship was slowly sinking and Alicia prepared to fight Golden; but Golden revealed that she had only received placebos from Forrest. Alicia let her be and swam with Golden back to the mainland.

Meanwhile, a pair of mutates restrained Hawkeye, while Forrest explained how he had gotten access to the men to mutate them. Hawkeye asked if the subjects knew that he had made a formula that didn't disfigure men, further questioning whether the disfigurement was meant to brand them, or whether there was a promise of a cure that was meant to keep them in line. Infuriated by their constant pain, the mutates released Hawkeye and closed on Forrest, asking if he knew it would hurt. He warned them away, but as water damage shut down the craft's electrical systems and eliminated any potential power dampeners, the mutates grabbed Forrest, threatening to pull him apart.

Hawkeye argued that if they let him turn Forrest over to the police, the Avengers would find a cure for what had been done to them; but Forrest explained he had made sure the process would be irreversible. Regardless, Hawkeye had Trace use fire to drive the others toward the boat, and Trace made sure to destroy the records of the formulae. As they approached the boat, Forrest taunted the mutates, telling them they were pathetic lowlifes that he had made worth something; in response, the mutates hurled Hawkeye and Trace out of the ship; the mutates and Forrest were still in the ship as it exploded.

Hawkeye swam down to find and pull to safety the only two mutates he could find, bringing them to the surface, along with Forrest's notes. As a bus took the rescued women to somewhere safe, Hawkeye promised to take Golden and the two mutates to the police. Alicia/Marcia, Emi, Melanie, and Jake headed to stay with Millie Collins and Toni Turner. The former four planned to help get the women they had rescued back to their lives and then planned to try to find the ones that were still missing; once they knew who had been identified, they planned to go to the police. Hawkeye gave them Forrest's notes (and Golden assured them that Forrest did not have copies)

Golden planned to tell everything she knew to the authorities because she knew how to survive in the world.

(Avengers: Solo#5 - BTS) - Hawkeye told Captain America and Iron Man about his experiences, telling them he still needed to pursue the Power Broker angle and also to find the prison that had sold its inmates for the second round of tests.

Comments: Created by Mike Carlin, Paul Neary, and Sam de la Rosa.

We know that Letha, Poundcakes, and Titania were strength-augmented by Power Broker...it seems likely that Screaming Mimi would have been augmented as well, but....

Interestingly, the OHotMU Deluxe Edition#10 contained a half-page profile on Power Broker, Inc., with no picture (at that time, the identity of Power Broker had not yet been revealed). OHOTMU Deluxe Edition TPB Vol. 5 replaced that entry with a 1.5 page entry on Power Broker (Jackson).

The Hawkeye story in Avengers Solo was really hard to follow...obviously Forrest was lying about some things in his explanation in Avengers Solo#4, but it's hard to tell what is true and what is not.

We also don't know for a fact that the Power Broker organization was associated with Jackson's former group, but given the presence of Malus, I'm considering it somehow connected, at least. For that matter, we have no idea whether Jackson was one of the behind-the-scenes players or not.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:

Power Broker Inc. has no known connections to:

Power Broker ( ) - amplified own powers, augmented Paul & Roger (Hardball) Brokeridge--Avengers: The Initiative Annual#1/3
--I believe this is the same character from Astonishing Ant-Man#1 with the Hench app, but I'm not positive.
POWER BROKER - see FURY, NICK - impersonated Power Broker (Jackson)--Captain America I#615.1

Power Broker Inc. should be distinguished from:
POWER BROKER (Curtiss Jackson) - founder of Power Broker Inc.--Machine Man I#7

augmentation chamber thing35-aug-chamber-rear

    Those approved for strength-augmentation were brought to the augmentation chambers.

    Power Broker, Inc's trained staff treated subjects with a small dose of radiation to raise their bodies' natural abilties to their highest level.

    Next they were typically injected with certain stabilizing enzymes to help their bodies fight possible side effects of the treatment.

    Lastly, they were submitted to a second treatment to bring their strength into superhuman levels.

(Captain America I#381/2 (fb) / USAgent I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Johnny Walker was successfully strength-augmented.

(Thing I#35) - The Broker's men (Brick and another, unidentified, male, both augmented) led Sharon through a portal and strapped her into the equipment; despite her hesitation and then insistence to stop the process and its intense lights, Dr. Karl Malus introduced himself, noting how the Power Broker financed his work, and continued with the process.

Sharon Ventura in augmentation chamber (Captain America I#330 (fb) - BTS) - Ventura, now Ms. Marvel, was captured by Power Broker's agent's and taken to Curtiss Jackson's private laboratory where it was attempted to de-augment her.

(Captain America I#328) - Via a contact made by a covert Demolition Man (Dennis Dunphy, aka D-Man), an uncostumed and shield-less Captain America entered a seeming ice cream parlor into a Power Broker facility. Cap was interviewed (with a mannequin posing as the interviewer and a voice transmitted in), his information evaluated as false, and then he was assaulted by Bludgeon and Mangler. Cap escaped and located Malus as he was preparing to start an augmentation, but Lt. Lynch then shot Cap in the back with a series of tranquilizers. Intrigued by Cap's extraordinary readings, Malus had Cap strapped into a treatment platform and began the process.

D-Man broke Cap out of the machine and then offered to force Malus to complete the process, but Cap ultimately declined.

(Captain America I#330 (fb) - BTS) - D-Man was brought to Jackson's private laboratory, where it was attempted to see how much augmentation a body could stand before dying.

(Captain America I#330) - Under duress, Power Broker (Jackson) brought Cap to his private laboratory and explained Dunphy's current fate. Cap angrily insisted Jackson release both subjects, and when Jackson said he couldn't, Cap incapacitated him with a nerve pinch, deactivated the radiation lamps, and entered Dunphy's chamber.

(Captain America I#330 - BTS) - Two of Jackson's agents -- Maggie & Dr. Lund -- arrived, having heard the alarm sound when Jackson accessed the facility, and locked Captain America in the chamber with Dunphy and then delivered a stimulant through Dunphy's injection port that sent the mutated and agonized Dunphy into a rage.

(Captain America I#330 - BTS) - Cap evaded Dunphy's attacks, hoping he would burn the drugs out of his system or he would collapse from exhaustion, but instead Dunphy had a heart attack and collapsed. Cap instituted CPR.

(Captain America I#331) - Shroud opened the chamber, after which he had Malus help stabilize Dunphy.

(Captain America I#331 - BTS) - Following Malus' advice, Power Broker's agents, supervised by the Shroud, et.al., used the de-augmenter on Dunphy, reverting him to his previous levels.

(Captain America I#360/2) <11:21-11:33 pm> - Fleeing the Scourge of the Underworld, Jackson brought Priscilla Lyons to his private laboratory.

(Captain America I#361/2) <11:42-11:48 pm> - As Scourge taunted Jackson with his plans to blow in the door with plastic explosives, Jackson desperately energized the augmentation device, strapped himself into the device, and -- acknowledging that while he had a 50/50 chance the process would work on him, he was certain to die without it -- instructed Priscilla to turn the dials to maximum in hopes he could overpower the Scourge.

As Scourge's explosives went off, Jackson felt his muscles afire and wondered when he would see the change. He convinced Priscilla that Scourge wanted him, not her, and offered her anything to stall him. Scourge elected to spare Priscilla and entered the augmentation chamber.

(Captain America I#362/2 (fb) - BTS) - The augmentation process left Jackson so overmuscled that he couldn't move.

(Captain America I#375/2) - Red Zeppelin was taken for de-augmentation testing by the strength-augmented agents Mr. Frost and Mr. Lynch.

With Jackson's approval, Malus activated the de-augmentation process.

(Captain America I#376/2) - As the de-augmentation process completed in Battlestar, Malus announced this effort appeared to have been a complete success.

(Captain America I#377/2) - After Battlestar threatened to destroy the augmentation/de-agumentation equipment, USAgent instructed Malus to re-augment Battlestar.

(Captain America I#378/2 (fb) - BTS) - Jackson presumably floated helplessly as Malus re-augmented Battlestar.

(Captain America I#378/2) - Upon the completion of Battlestar's re-augmentation, USAgent insisted the other de-augmentation victims be re-augmented next.

(Captain America I#378/2 (fb) - BTS) - Over the next 4 hours, all of the de-augmented men were successfully re-augmented.

(Captain America I#378/2 - BTS) - As the final re-augmentation completed, USAgent smashed Malus machine.

--Thing I#35 (Captain America I#330-331, 360/2-362/2, 375/2-378/2

Note: The augmentation chamber is also shown in the main image, where it is empowering Johnny Walker (later Super-Patriot, Captain America, and USAgent), as well as the experimentation on Ms. Marvel and D-Man

augmented agents

This entry specifically refers to the two unidentified agents sent by Malus alongside Bludgeon and Mangler to bring Priscilla Lyons to him.

Brick and co-worker

(Thing I#35) - The Broker's men (Brick and another, unidentified, male, both augmented) led Sharon Ventura through a portal and strapped her into the equipment.

Despite her hesitation and then insistence to stop the process and its intense lights, Dr. Karl Malus continued the process.

(Thing I#35) - When Sharon tore out of her restraints and refused to accept the "stabilization" injection. As she fled, Broker's agents (the same who had strapped her in), realized she was finished prematurely and tried to stop her.

Sharon easily subdued Brick and his partner (crediting her previous training had given her a stronger and faster base than them)

--Thing I#35

Note: You can also see Brick and his co-worker in the augmentation chamber images.

card

Like any business card, the Power Broker card was given to people of interest who might want to contact Power Broker.

It was typically given to those with potential to receive the strength-augmentation procedure.

--Thing I#34 (35, Captain America I#328

Comments: Another type of card is shown at the top right of the main profile, as well as under the recruiter sub-profile.

deaugmentation failures

(Captain America I#377/2 (fb) - BTS) - After Lynch and Frost gathered Malus' paraphernalia, Malus arranged for Jackson to meet him back in the lab.

(Captain America I#376/2 - BTS) - When Lynch and Frost tried to take Battlestar for testing, Battlestar was able to slip past them and take hostage Malus and threaten to break his neck.

--(mentioned) Captain America I#375/2 (fb) - BTS; (seen) Captain America I#376/2

failed augments cap330-failed-aug-sewers

(Thing I#35 (fb) - BTS) - Some of the subjects rejected the strength augmentation process.

    These failed augments were kept in cells
.
(Thing I#35) - Fleeing from Power Broker's agents, Sharon Ventura went through a door to a room containing the cells of what she realized must be failed, hideously mutated augments.

    Though she worried that perhaps that injection was what was needed to prevent her from ending up like the mutates, as the other guards rushed in, she dove out a window.

(Captain America I#330 (fb) - BTS) - When Power Broker Inc. ran out of space to house their failed augments, they began to dump them into the sewers.

(Captain America I#329) - To escape from a sealed boiler room with a Power Broker facility, Captain America located a drain covering, forced it open and pushed Malus through it (after shattering his bonds) as he jumped, despite Malus warning him that the sewers were where they had dumped all of the failed augments.

    Soon after, Cap was assaulted by some of these failed augments, allowing Malus to flee, although he was followed by the Werewolf (Jack Russell).

(Captain America I#330) - As Captain America fought his way past the failed augments, he vowed Power Broker would answer for these and other crimes.

Cap escaped from one group of failed augments only to encounter another group, but he was aided in overcoming his attackers by the Shroud and Night Shift (Brothers Grimm, Dansen Macabre, Digger, Gypsy Moth, Needle, Tatterdemalion, Ticktock, Werewolf) who recaptured Malus.

(Captain America I#331: epilogue (fb) - BTS) - The Shroud brought the failed augments to the Power Broker's estate for treatment. They rampaged and caused ten million dollars of property damage at an early report.

Acknowledging that while he had a 50/50 chance the process would work on him, he was certain to die without it -- instructed Priscilla to turn the dials to maximum in hopes he could overpower the Scourge.

As Scourge's explosives went off, Jackson felt his muscles afire and wondered when he would see the change.

He convinced Priscilla that Scourge wanted him, not her, and offered her anything to stall him. Scourge elected to spare Priscilla and entered the augmentation chamber.

(Captain America I#362/2 (fb) - BTS) - The augmentation process left Jackson so overmuscled that he couldn't move.

--Thing I#35 (Captain America I#329-331, 361/2-362/2

Note: Failed augments are shown in the main section, including the literally muscle-bound Curtiss Jackson.

laser defenses

(Thing I#35) - Trying to escape the Power Broker's facility after augmentation but before receiving the "stabilizer" injection, Sharon Ventura fought her was past a pair of augmented agents.

She then dodged a series of ray beams from guns on the ceiling that targeted her.

Avoiding those, she was confronted by more augmented agents, and she fled through a door into the room where the failed augmentees were kept.

--Thing I#35

Lynch & Frost cap375-frost&lynch

(Captain America I#375/2 (fb) - BTS) - Battlestar was placed in Adamantium stocks along with Red Zeppelin and at least 5 other strength-augmented men they had captured. Red Zeppelin was taken for de-augmentation testing by the strength-augmented agents Mr. Frost and Mr. Lynch.

(Captain America I#375/2) - Battlestar was brought into the chamber where Karl Malus and Jackson (wearing his Hover-Harness exoskeleton to allow him to move and fly) were waiting. Jackson noted this to be the 19th one Malus was going to test and questioned when he would have the process perfected; Malus told him it would take just 1-2 more.

With Jackson's approval, Malus activated the de-augmentation process.

(Captain America I#376/2) - As the de-augmentation process completed on Battlestar, Malus announced this effort appeared to have been a complete success. Jackson urged Malus to treat him next, but Malus advised him that they should wait until he had run a complete battery of tests to make sure there were no hidden side effects. Jackson begrudgingly agreed, but instructed Malus to be quick about it and noted he would be in his quarters.

(Captain America I#377/2 (fb) - BTS) - After Lynch and Frost gathered Malus' paraphernalia, Malus arranged for Jackson to meet him back in the lab.

(Captain America I#377/2 - BTS) - As USAgent battled the Power Tools and other strength-augmented Power Broker agents, Battlestar forced Malus to take him to Power Broker.

(Captain America I#377/2 (fb) - BTS) - Jackson used his hover-harness to float at the top of the room.

nurse

    Operating out of the Power Broker's "original" base, she acted as both nurse and receptionist.

(Thing I#35 - BTS) - She received Sharon Ventura.

(Thing I#35) - After Ventura filled out the paperwork, the nurse announced that the Power Broker was ready to see her for her personal interview.

    She then guided Ventura into the office to meet Power Broker.

--Thing I#35

recruiter

(Captain America I#381/2 (fb) - BTS) - An agent of Power Broker, Inc. encountered recently retired soldiers Lemar Hoskins, Jerome Johnson, Hector Lennox, and Johnny Walker.

He convinced them to travel to Los Angeles where they could gain real super-powers from Power Broker, Inc.

--Captain America I#381/2

screening

    Prior to receiving strength-augmentation, potential subjects filled out paperwork on their past and medical issues.

    Potential clients' financial status and credit histories were reviewed to ascertain whether they were capable of meeting the Power Broker's monetary requirements.

    In at least some of the earliest cases, candidates were guided to join the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation, where they could make enough money to make the process worth their initial investments.

    The seeming personal interview involved blinding lights to disorient the interviewee, while scanners evaluated the subject's physical parameters. These scanned both for the candidate's abilities as well as evaluating the veracity of the candidate's responses to questions, The Power Broker sometimes apologized for the lights while assuring the candidate that they were necessary.

    The apparent Power Broker present at these interviews was (at least in the couple instances observed) actually a manequin through which (presumably) the real Power Broker spoke from a safe distance.

    In some cases, the Power Broker reviewed the strength-augmentation process.

(Captain America I#328) - Out of costume, Steve Rogers (Captain America) was interviewed (with a manequin posing as the interviewer and a voice transmitted in), his information evaluated as false, and then he was assaulted by Bludgeon and Mangler.

--Thing I#35 (Captain America I#328

"stabilizer" drug thing35-stabilizer_drug

The final step in the strength augmentation process was an injection of a "stabilizer" drug, allegedly to keep the augmentation process stable; in reality, the drug was addictive and designed to keep the subjects dependent on regular pills supplied by Power Broker; this made the subjects inclined to follow instructions from Power Broker.

(Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89: Power Broker entry) - Many undergoing the strength augmentation process, including most of the UCWF members, were given a highly addictive artificial drug obtainable only from Power Broker, Inc. In return for an undisclosed percentage of the clients profits, he or she was given a steady supply of this drug in the form of pills.
The augmentees were told the drug stabilized their mutation and that without it they would die.

(Thing I#35) - The Thing discovered Dunphy taking his pills from Power Broker, although Dunphy claimed they were just for nerves; regardless, the Thing took Dunphy's Power Broker card and resolved to investigate the matter further after they were done with their video promotion.

While filling out paperback that included some very personal questions, Sharon was impressed with how nice Power Broker's offices were on the inside, and she considered that for the prices he charged, he should have enough money to move into a nicer neighborhood.

(Thing I#35 (fb) - BTS) - Dunphy refused to follow the Broker's orders and was cut off from his "stabilizer" supply.

--Thing I#35

waiting room

    Sharon Ventura was very impressed with the waiting room given how seedy was the neighborhood in which it was based.

    Like any waiting room, it was the place in which patients were received, and where they filled out their paperwork prior to seeing the Power Broker.

(Thing I#35) - Sharon Ventura visited

    --Thing I#35

Note: The waiting room discussed in this sub-profile specifically refers to the one within Power Broker's "original" base.

images: (without ads)
Thing I#33, pg. 12, panel 7 (card from Auntie Freeze to Sharon Ventura);
    #35, pg. 7, panel 4 (PBI office and nurse);
        pg. 8, panel 3-4; interview with mannequin and Sharon Ventura);
        pg. 9, panel 2 (entrance to augmentation chamber);
            panel 4 and 7 (Sharon Ventura in augmentation chamber)
        pg. 11, panel 7 (Malus and the "stabilizer drug");
       pg. 14, panel 1 (Brick and other agent - full, distant), panel 4 (other agent kneed in face);
            panel 6 (ray beams);
        pg. 15, panel 4 (failed augments - cages)
Captain America I#329, last page, panel 2 (failed augments);
        pg. 18, panel 2 (D-Man & Ms. Marvel in restraint);
    #330, pg. 1 (failed augments, holding Cap under water);
        pg. 6, panel 1 (second group of failed augments);
    #362/2, pg. 5, panel 1 (Jackson over-augmented);
    #363/2, pg. 2, panel 6 (unidentified augmented agents);
    #375/2, pg. 2, panel 5 (Mr. Frost & Mr. Lynch) - also seen fully body on pg. 3, panel 1
    #376/2, pg. 3, panel 4 (de-augmentation failures);
    #381/2, pg. 2, panel 3 (Power Broker agent & card);
        panel 6 (John Walker augmented);
Avengers: Solo#3, pg. 18, panel 3 (Forrest's male mutates leaping out of the back of a truck)
    #5, pg. 13, panel 5 (Forrest's mutates restraining Forrest)

Appearances:
Thing I#28 (October, 1985) - Mike Carlin (writer), Ron Wilson (breakdowns), Brett Breedings (finishes), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Thing I#29 (November, 1985) - Mike Carlin (writer), Ron Wilson (breakdowns), Paul Ryan (finishes), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Thing I#31 (January, 1986) - Mike Carlin (writer), Ron Wilson (breakdowns), Kim DeMulder (finishes), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Thing I#32 (February, 1986) - Mike Carlin (writer), Ron Wilson (breakdowns), Dave Simons (finishes), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Thing I#33-34 (March-April, 1986) - Mike Carlin (writer), Ron Wilson (breakdowns), Kim DeMulder (finishes), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Thing I#35-36 (May-June, 1986) - Mike Carlin (writer), Paul Neary (breakdowns), Sam de la Rosa (finishes), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#10: Power Broker, Inc. (September, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer/producer), Peter Sanderson, Steve Saffel (writer/researchers), Harry Eisenstein, David Wohl (editorial assistants), Howard Mackie (assistant editor)
Captain America I#328-329 (April-May, 1987) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (penciler), Vince Colletta (inker), Don Daley (editor)
Captain America I#330 (June, 1987) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Tom Morgan (penciler), Sam DeLaRosa (inker), Don Daley (editor)
Captain America I#331 (July, 1987) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (penciler), Vince Colletta (inker), Don Daley (editor)
Captain America I#358/2 (September, 1989) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mark Bright (penciler), Don Hudson (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#359/2-360/2 (Early-Late October, 1989) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mark Bright (penciler), Don Hudson (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#361/2-362/2 (Early-Late November, 1989) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mark Bright (penciler), Don Hudson (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#363/2 (Late November, 1989) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mark Bright (penciler), Don Hudson (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#364/2 (December, 1989) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mark Bright (penciler), Don Hudson (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#373/2 (July, 1990) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mark Bagley (penciler), Don Hudson (inker), Michael Heissler (assistant editor), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#374/2-375/2 (Early-Late August, 1990) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mark Bagley (penciler), Dan Panosian (inker), Michael Heissler (assistant editor), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#376/2-377/2 (Early-Late September, 1990) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mark Bagley (penciler), Dan Panosian (inker), Michael Heissler (assistant editor), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#378/2 (October, 1990) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mark Bagley (penciler), Dan Panosian (inker), Michael Heissler (assistant editor), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Captain America I#615.1 (May, 2011) - Ed Brubaker (writer), Mitchell W. Breitweiser (penciler, inker, & letterer), Lauren Sankovitch (associate editor), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers: Solo#1-2 (December, 2011 - January, 2012) - Jen Van Meter (writer), Roger Robinson (artist), Tom Brennan (editor)
Avengers: Solo#3 (February, 2012) - Jen Van Meter (writer), Al Barrionuevo (pencils), Raul Lopez (inks), Tom Brennan (editor)
Avengers: Solo#4 (March, 2012) - Jen Van Meter (writer), Roger Robinson (artist), Tom Brennan (editor)
Avengers: Solo#5 (April, 2012) - Jen Van Meter (writer), Roger Robinson & Declan Shalvey (artists), Tom Brennan (editor)

First Posted: 01/31/2017
Last updated: 01/31/2017

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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