HOWARD the DUCKEarth-2149
HOWARD the DUCK
Earth-2149
Real Name: Presumably Howard; see comments
Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-2149/"Marvel Zombies"); see comments
Occupation: Predator; see comments
Group Membership: "Zombies" of Earth-2149; see comments
Affiliations: None known; see comments
Enemies: Dazzler (Alison Blaire) of Earth-2149, Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) of Earth-2149, Ash Williams of Earth-2149, Ash of the Earth-818793 (Army of Darkness reality); likely others that he has eaten; see comments
Known Relatives: None; see comments
Aliases: "Short stuff" (from Ash Williams of Earth-818793;
he was described in the narrative as "an
anthropomorphized, extraterrestrial, infected, cannibal, zombie duck"; see comments
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
last seen a short distance from Dr. Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, Greenwich Village, New York, Earth-2149;
see comments
First Appearance: Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness#2 (June, 2007)
Powers/Abilities: An anthropomorphic duck,
Howard has webbed feet, a bill and feathers, but lacks wings. He
apparently has an enhanced olfactory sense (smell), enabling to track
those nearby even if blinded.
As one of the "zombies" of Earth-2149, Howard's body was technically deceased, allowing him to survive conventional assaults that would otherwise kill his living form; he did not need heat or oxygen, and he did not bleed. Even being cut in half transversely (dividing his upper and lower halves) only prevented him from using his legs. He could still move and function as an upper body and head.
As a "zombie," he constantly
craved flesh and especially brains. Despite not having visible teeth,
he could easily bite through a human skull. Presumably, like other such
"zombies," if bit a victim but did not consume his or her brains, that
person would become a similarly affected and powered zombie.
See comments
Height: 2'7"
Weight: 40 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Feathers: Yellow
(the above stats are adapted from mainstream Howard, see comments)
 |
History:
(Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness#2 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Howard the Duck-2149 was bitten (apparently just over his left eye) by one of the zombies of his world. As he was not devoured by the zombies, he was transformed into a flesh- and brain-eating zombie himself.
(Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness#2 / Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness#3 (fb)) - After destroying a number of zombies, Ash Williams of Earth-2149 was shocked by seeing his alternate reality counterpart from Earth-818793. As Ash-2149 struggled to grasp this, Howard caught him off guard, biting off the top of his head, including a chunk of skull and brains. Howard noted, "Yummm. Tastes like chicken."
(Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness#3) - As Howard continued to feast on Ash-2149's brains, Dazzler -- assuming this Ash to be the Ash Williams of Earth-818793 with whom she was working -- screamed out, but Howard told her "Patience, sweetknees...you're next."She blinded him with a burst of light, but Howard -- calling her "princess" -- informed her that his big nose would be able to sniff her out, even if he couldn't see her. As Howard charged her, however, Ash-818793 used his chainsaw to cut Howard in half. |  |
| (Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness#3) - As Ash-818793 turned to talk to Dazzler, she warned him that Howard was not dead and was still continuing after him. Just before Howard could bite Ash-818793, the Scarlet Witch of Earth-2149 apparently transformed Howard into glass as she clarified that Howard had died when he was bitten and infected with "this ghastly pestilence." She continued that now Howard was dead and gone, and Ash-818793 made certain of this by kicking and shattering the apparently hollow glass Howard (as he probably would have hurt his foot kicking solid glass, and a solid glass Howard would likely have fallen over and/or broken, but not shattered so readily). Ash-818793 then introduced himself to Wanda, "Ash Williams, ladies, kicking glass and taking names." | 
|
(S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10)
- As the Legion of Howards closed the Omniversal Zipper on the Liverer,
the various Howards were sent to the respective realities.
The Earth-616-dwelling Howard saw a number of realities as he sought to return "home."
Among these realities was
apparently Reality-2149's Howard (or a similar zombie/monster/demonic
Howard), see on Howard's face's immediate left (his left, not our left as viewing it...3 o'clock on the picture...the one that look like a zombie...c'mon!)
Comments: Created by John Layman and Fabiano Neves.
Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness#2
makes it seem like Howard killed the legendary Ash of the Army of
Darkness reality. The next issue has a flashback that clarifies that
Howard had killed Ash-2149...however, the perspective and events in #2
don't quite fit with the flashback, and it seems more like a planned
trick/retcon.
I don't know that we can ASSume that this Howard shares the past of Howard the Duck; (you know...not FROM -616, but lives there; for the rest of the profile, I'm going with the 616-dwelling Howard for conciseness/clarity/because I feel like it)
For example, 616 dwelling Howard isn't
extraterrestrial, because he's from Earth, just an alternate Earth.
Having Duckworld be a separate world fits more with Howard of the
newspaper strip...although I believe there appeared to be Duckworlders
in the Intergalactic Council in the Maximum Security story arc.
Then again, it also calls him a cannibal, and a duck
eating humans would be carnivorous, but not cannibalistic...
Howard-616 dislikes chickens in general, some prejudice pre-existing on his homeworld; however, as a zombie, he would have overcome revulsion/dislike due to hunger. Plus, it was just supposed to be funny...
Thanks to Mike Castle for reminding me of the designation for Earth-818793.
Wolfram Bane adds:
The
home dimension of Ash Williams, Earth-818793, was numbered after the release
dates of the three movies of the Evil Dead franchise: Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987) and Army of Darkness
(1993).
CLARIFICATIONS:
Howard the Duck-2149 should be distinguished from:
Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness#2, last page, panel 2 (Sitting behind bitten-off-Ash's head);
#3, pg. 6, panel 1 (biting into Ash's head; face close-up);
panel 5 (mostly full);
pg. 7 (cut in half);
pg. 8, panel 4 (turned to glass);
panel 5 (shattered)
Appearances:
Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness#2-3 (June-July, 2007) - John
Layman (writer), Fabiano Neves (artist), Robert Kirkman (consultant),
Nicole Boose and John Barber (consulting editor), Ralph Macchio (editor)
S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10 (November, 2015) - Mark Waid (writer), Evan "Doc"
Shaner (artist) Jon Moisan (assistant editor), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First posted: 12/22/2020
Last updated: 12/27/2020
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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