RAT PACK

Membership: "Kojak," Sparks, Stitches, Strafe, unidentified others

Purpose: To extort landlords and businessmen for protection

Aliases: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Andre, FDNY, Lisa, Power Man (Luke Cage), Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Mary Jane Watson

Base of Operations: The Bronx, New York, USA

First Appearance: Marvel Team-Up I#75 (November, 1978)

History: (Marvel Team-Up I#75 (fb) - BTS) - The Rat Pack made a name for themselves as an arson mob that ran a protection racket amongst the Bronx neighborhoods in New York, extorting money from landlords and businessmen and burning down any business that refused to pay. Whenever they needed extra money, they would resort to robbing an easy target, such as a night club.

(Marvel Team-Up I#75 (fb)) - The Rat Pack held up the popular Studio 13 dance club, ordering everyone present to freeze. Noticing Peter Parker go into the bathroom shortly after they appeared, Rat Pack member Sparks informed his teammate Stitches of the situation and Stitches investigated the bathroom, only to be met with Spider-Man, who punched Stitches through the bathroom door. Shocked that Spider-Man would be at a dance club, another of the Rat Pack was taken down by Luke Cage, who introduced himself to the thug as Power Man by punching him in the face. Spider-Man knocked out another Rat Pack member but another soon took a girl named Lisa hostage and ordered everyone to freeze until the Rat Pack left. Despite Spider-Man's insistance that he could stop the Rat Pack before Lisa was hurt, Power Man suggested they wait it out and stop the Rat Pack later on their own turf to keep Lisa safe. Three hours later, after the Rat Pack had let Lisa go free, Power Man and Spider-Man met back up, where Power Man informed Spider-Man about the Rat Pack. Noticing a car pulling up that contained one of the Rat Pack members from the Studio 13 holdup, Spider-Man jumped down and confronted "Kojak" while Power Man made an entrance by jumping down through several floors to the Rat Pack's cellar base. As Power Man fought the Rat Pack, the member known as Sparks dumped a container of gasoline on Power Man and ran for it, coming face-to-face with Spider-Man. One of the Rat Pack began taunting the dazed Power Man and soon caused an explosion when he lit the gasoline with a lighter. The building soon went up in flames and Power Man deduced that the Rat Pack likely didn't warn anyone else in the building but before he could rush in to save anyone, Spider-Man insisted he enter the building to save civilians, as he was lighter and more agile than Power Man.

Comments: Created by Chris Claremont, Ralph Macchio, John Byrne and Al Gordon.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Rat Pack has no known connections to

"Kojak" has no known connections to
 Lisa has no known connections to
 Sparks has no known connections to
 Stitches has no known connections to
 Strafe has no known connections to

"Kojak"

"Kojak" was one of the Rat Pack members who participated in the Studio 13 holdup and was later witnessed returning to the Rat Pack's headquarters by Spider-Man, who confronted the thug.




--Marvel Team-Up I#75

Lisa

Lisa was a patron of the Studio 13 night club, where her uncle Nick was paying for that night's event. When the Rat Pack invaded the night club, one of their members took Lisa hostage, forcing Spider-Man and Power Man to back off while they escaped. Once sufficiently away from the two heroes, the Rat Pack let Lisa go free.





--Marvel Team-Up I#75

Sparks

Sparks was a member of the Rat Pack who participated in the Studio 13 holdup. Shortly after the Rat Pack arrived at Studio 13, Sparks informed his teammate Stitches that he had witnessed a man going into the bathroom. When Spider-Man and Power Man got involved, Sparks escaped with the rest of the Rat Pack when one of their number took a girl named Lisa hostage. Later, Sparks was present when Power Man jumped through several floors to bust in on the arsonist gang. Shocked, Sparks hurled a container of gasoline onto Power Man and ran for it, only to wind up face-to-face with Spider-Man.





--Marvel Team-Up I#75

Stitches

Stitches was one of the Rat Pack members who participated in the Studio 13 holdup and was informed by Sparks that a man had went into the bathroom moments after their arrival. Stitches decided to investigate, asking where the man was hiding in the bathroom, only to be met by Spider-Man, who punched Stitches through the bathroom door.






--Marvel Team-Up I#75

Strafe

Strafe was one of the Rat Pack members at their headquarters when Power Man jumped through several floors to bust in on the arsonist gang. Strafe watched as Sparks hit Power Man with a container of gasoline and another member lit his lighter, causing a massive explosion. He presumably escaped with the other Rat Pack members inside when the building went up in flames.




--Marvel Team-Up I#75

images: (without ads)
Marvel Team-Up I#75, p4, pan4 (Rat Pack, main image)
Marvel Team-Up I#75, p5, pan1 (Rat Pack, headshots)
Marvel Team-Up I#75, p7, pan5 ("Kojak")
Marvel Team-Up I#75, p6, pan3 (Lisa)
Marvel Team-Up I#75, p8, pan2 (Sparks)
Marvel Team-Up I#75, p5, pan2 (Stitches)
Marvel Team-Up I#75, p9, pan1 (Strafe)

Appearances:
Marvel Team-Up I#75 (November, 1978) - Chris Claremont (plot), Ralph Macchio (script), John Byrne (pencils), Al Gordon (inks), Bob Hall (editor)

Last updated: 08/01/16.

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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