DEAN "DEADMAN" DONNELLY

Real Name: Dean Donnelly

Identity/Class: Human (World War I era)

Occupation: Sheriff of Clearwater, Arizona;
    formerly soldier

Group Membership: None;
    formerly US Army

Affiliations: R. J. Collins, Victoriano Huerta, Hutchins, Jacob, Madeline

Enemies: Soldaderas, Pancho Villa

Known Relatives: Colleen (fiancee)

Aliases: Deadman

Base of Operations: Clearwater, Arizona, USA

First Appearance: Gunhawks II#1 (April, 2019)

Powers/Abilities: Dean Donnelly was an experienced soldier who wielded firearms. As a sheriff, he carried a pistol. He was also an adept horse rider.

Height: 6'1" (approximate)
Weight: 190 lbs. (approximate)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown

History: (Gunhawks II#1 (fb)) - Dean Donnelly was a soldier during the Mexican Revolution and served in Presidente Victoriano Huerta's militia. Receiving word that the rebel leader Pancho Villa was hiding out in a village near Coahuila, Dean was one of twelve militiamen sent to kill Villa and his men. However, Villa was not in the village nor any other enemy soldiers. Regardless, Dean and his fellow soldiers opened fire on the town and massacred many of the civilians. The Soldaderas vowed to kill all twelve men for their crimes. The other eleven men were killed with only Dean surviving.

(Gunhawks II#1 (fb) - BTS) - By 1914, Dean had become the sheriff of Clearwater, Arizona and was engaged to the schoolteacher Colleen. He collected many bounties from criminals he killed but donated all the money to build schoolhouses.

(Gunhawks II#1) - One day, he encountered a team of three Soldaderas near Lester's Creek. Dean killed two of them and left the third wounded but had to retreat back to Clearwater to tend a bullet wound he received from one of the Soldaderas. He ordered Jacob to prepare a posse then went to Colleen to tell her about the Soldaderas. Dean wanted Colleen to leave Clearwater and hide out in Phoenix but Colleen refused to abandon him.

As Donnelly tried to prepare the town for the Soldaderas, Jacob rode up to inform him that some 40 to 50 Soldaderas were approaching town. Just then, a gunshot killed Jacob. Donnelly ordered the women and children to hide in the Hotel Madeline while the men were to barricade the town for the attack. Donnelly fought the Soldadera who killed Jacob and they each hit the other with a bullet in the stomach. When Donnelly told the Soldadera that what he did wasn't personal and only "a job," she accused him of being the worst of the dozen because he believed in nothing. Realizing that further fighting would endanger the town (and likely aware that with his stomach wound he could not continue fighting indefinitely), Donnelly surrendered to the Soldadera on the condition that they harm no one in Clearwater. She agreed and guided him out of town to the other Soldaderas, who were waiting to perform their final judgment on Donnelly. Donnelly was presumably killed by the Soldaderas once he reached their camp.

Comments: Created by David Lapham, Maria Lapham and Luca Pizzari.

The 2019 Gunhawks one-shot was one of many such comics published that year to celebrate Marvel's publishing history but, like most of its ilk, didn't actually have anything in common with the original Gunhawks series besides the name. See Kid Cassidy and Reno Jones for the original Gunhawks.

The Mexican Revolution lasted 1910-1920 but the USA's part lasted 1910-1913 - in other words, immediately before the main action in Gunhawks II#1.

This profile was completed 7/20/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Dean "Deadman" Donnelly should not be confused with:


Colleen

Colleen was the schoolteacher in Clearwater, Arizona. She was engaged to marry Dean Donnelly. After Dean told her about his past in the Mexican Revolution, he asked her to leave Clearwater before the Soldaderas attacked but she refused to abandon him. Colleen tried to convince Dean to leave with her and escape them together but he ultimately surrendered to the Soldaderas rather than jeopardize the town. Colleen watched as he left with the Soldaderas.

--Gunhawks II#1














R.J. Collins

R.J. Collins was a reporter from Chicago who came to Clearwater, Arizona to write a story about the town. He was interested in learning more about Dean Donnelly but the arrival of the Soldaderas canceled those plans. Collins watched as Donnelly surrendered to the Soldaderas.

--Gunhawks II#1














Hutchins

Mayor Hutchins was the community leader of Clearwater, Arizona. He welcomed R.J. Collins to the town and tried to introduce him to Donnelly but this was interrupted by the attack of the Soldaderas. Hutchins tried to help the town put up barricades against the Soldaderas but ultimately Donnelly surrendered to them.

--Gunhawks II#1














Jacob

Jacob was Dean Donnelly's deputy in Clearwater. Dean asked Jacob to prepare Clearwater for trouble from the Soldaderas but after Jacob saw the Soldaderas coming and went to tell Dean, one of the Soldaderas shot Jacob in the chest, killing him instantly.

--Gunhawks II#1














Madeline

Madeline was the owner of the Hotel Madeline in Clearwater, Arizona. She was a friend to Dean Donnelly and to Colleen. When the Soldaderas attacked Clearwater, Donnelly sent the women and children to the hotel for safety.

--Gunhawks II#1















Soldaderas

The Soldaderas were female soldiers who fought for Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution. Many of them carried rifles and wore face paint, painting skulls on their faces. One band of Soldaderas took particular umbrage when a dozen US Cavalry massacred a village near Coahuila. The Soldaderas hunted down each of the twelve men and killed them until only Dean Donnelly remained. In 1914, three of them found him in Clearwater, Arizona. Donnelly killed two of them but the third escaped and returned with dozens of additional forces. As they invaded Clearwater, they killed Donnelly's deputy Jacob. Donnelly fought back against the Soldaderas at first but when he confronted one of them, they each wounded the other. The wounded Soldadera accused Donnelly of being the worst of the twelve because it was just "a job" to him and accused him of believing in nothing. Realizing that further fighting would risk more lives in the town, Donnelly surrendered to the wounded Soldadera, who led him out of town to her allies. They presumably killed Donnelly once he was outside of Clearwater.

--Gunhawks II#1











images: (without ads)
Gunhawks II#1, page 3, panel 1 (main)
Gunhawks II#1, page 18, panel 6 (head)
Gunhawks II#1, page 6, panel 2 (Collins)
Gunhawks II#1, page 8, panel 5 (Colleen)
Gunhawks II#1, page 6, panel 1 (Hutchins)
Gunhawks II#1, page 14, panel 4 (Jacob)
Gunhawks II#1, page 6, panel 5 (Madeline)
Gunhawks II#1, page 17, panel 2 (Soldaderas)

Appearances:
Gunhawks II#1 (April, 2019) - David Lapham, Maria Lapham (writers), Luca Pizzari (artist), Jake Thomas (editor)

First posted: 09/10/2021
Last updated: 09/07/2021

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 http://www.g-mart.com/ for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters