Dr. WENDELLDr. WENDELL
Real Name: Wendell (first name unrevealed)
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Research scientist
Group Membership: Project Gladiator (Dr. Paul Allen, Dr. Wilma Calvin, Dr. Barbara Morse, Dr. Ted Sallis (later the Man-Thing), Jim; possibly Hamilton);
possibly S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division)
Affiliations: Loosely associated with Ka-Zar (Kevin, Lord Plunder) and Zabu;
if not a member of S.H.I.E.L.D., he was at least affiliated with them/it
Enemies: A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics), Dr. Paul Allen,
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Project Gladiator base in the Everglades swamps outside Citrusville, Florida
First Appearance: Astonishing Tales I#12 (June, 1972)
Powers/Abilities: Dr. Wendell was an experienced physician and presumably an experienced biochemist.
He was apparently experienced enough with a rifle to be allowed to carry one.
Height: Unrevealed (perhaps 5'9")
Weight: Unrevealed (perhaps 160 lbs.)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Brown (balding; male pattern baldness)
History:
(Astonishing Tales I#12 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Dr. Wendell joined Project Gladiator, working with project head Dr. Ted Sallis, as well
as Drs. Wilma Calvin, Paul Allen, Barbara Morse, and Wendell (and possibly Hamilton), and working out of a secret lab in
the Florida Everglades.
(Astonishing Tales I#12 (fb) - BTS) - SHIELD agents warned the members of Project Gladiator about A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) who sought to obtain their super-soldier process.
(Savage Tales I#1 (fb) - BTS /
Astonishing Tales I#12 (fb) - BTS) - After Sallis completed the process
and prepared to deliver it to Hamilton, Alan and another AIM agent slew
Hamilton. Having burnt his
notes upon suspecting treachery, upon being confronted by Alan and his associate, Sallis fled and injected himself with
the only sample of his formula. Sallis was ultimately transformed into
the monstrous Man-Thing who slew the two AIM agents.
(Astonishing Tales I#12 (fb) -
BTS) - Reports of the monstrous creature (the Man-Thing) prevented locals from helping
scouring the glades for evidence of Sallis, and it was feared that the
same creature that had burnt Brandt had also killed Sallis (obviously no one else was aware that Sallis was actually the Man-Thing).
(Astonishing Tales I#12 (fb) - BTS) -
At the Project Gladiator facility, an
AIM agent incited a mob opposing the experiments that may have created
the swamp monster, with the ultimate result of Wilma Calvin being shot
in the back.
(Astonishing Tales I#12 (fb) -
BTS) - Calvin was stabilized at Project Gladiator, presumably under the care of Dr. Wendell and perhaps others.
(Astonishing Tales I#12) - When Allen and Morse returned from their mission to recruit hunter-warrior Ka-Zar to recover Sallis before AIM, Dr. Wendell updated them that Dr. Calvin was barely hanging on. As Dr. Wendell was disturbed by the presence of Ka-Zar and his pet saber-toothed tiger, Zabu, Allen assured Wendell that they were the ones they had sought; Allen nonetheless asked Ka-Zar to have Zabu stay outside as they approached Dr. Calvin's bed, and Ka-Zar complied.
After the nurse updated Dr. Wendell that Dr.
Calvin had not regained consciousness in the last hour, Wendell
clarified that her status had not changed in the several weeks since
Allen and Morse's departure: She remained virtually comatose, only
briefly rousing long enough to murmur "Ted Sallis" or "Man-Thing."
(Astonishing Tales I#12 - BTS) - Still retaining some portion of Sallis' memories, the Man-Thing approached Project Gladiator base to check on Dr. Calvin; noise made in his departure led Ka-Zar to investigate and be captured by A.I.M.
(Astonishing Tales I#13) - After A.I.M. agents subdued the Man-Thing, and Zabu helped Ka-Zar escape custody, Dr, Wendell accompanied Drs. Allen and Morse in locating Ka-Zar, although Wendell was again fearful of "the beast" (Zabu).
Barbara Morse -- who was in command of the project with Sallis' disappearance and Calvin's incapacitation -- then ordered Dr. Calvin be taken to SHIELD headquarters. When five of the Project's manual laborers proved unable to pull the inert Man-Thing out of a pit, Dr. Wendell asked Ka-Zar to help, and Ka-Zar had the other men stand aside while he lifted the creature himself.
When Zabu spooked the horse Dr. Morse had called for to pull the Man-Thing back to the base in a wagon, Dr. Wendell predicted that Ka-Zar was going to have his hands full with Zabu when he got to Times Square.
(Astonishing Tales I#13 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Wendell returned to Project Gladiator base to prepare Dr. Calvin for the trip. Dr. Allen, secretly loyal to AIM, shot Wendell and took Dr. Calvin back to the AIM base.
(Astonishing Tales I#13) - Dr. Wendell rushed to Dr. Morse (who, along with Ka-Zar, witnessed the Man-Thing's containment facility), exclaiming that he had been shot. As he collapsed, he announced that Dr. Calvin had been taken by AIM, "and Dr. Allen--he--he*"
And then he died...
Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Dan Adkins.
Dr. Wendell died before he could
reveal Dr. Allen's actions, but Barbara Morse had suspected his true
nature, and she and Ka-Zar learned of his whereabouts under duress from
the captured AIM agent who had had Dr. Calvin.
Dr. Wendell may have been a
physician rather than a research scientist, or he may have been
something of both.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Dr. Wendell should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads)
Astonishing Tales I#12, pg. 8, panel 5 (head, oblique profile);
panel 7 (mostly full);
#13, pg. 7, panel 4 (running with rifle);
pg. 10, panel 4 (dying)
Appearances:
Astonishing Tales I#12 (June, 1972) - Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema (penciler), Dan Adkins (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
Astonishing Tales I#13 (August, 1972) - Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema & Rich Buckler (penciler), Dan Adkins (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 07/03/2020
Last updated: 07/03/2020
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and
© 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you
like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!