HAMMERHAND

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Alternate reality (Earth-77013) human cyborg

Occupation: Mob boss

Group Membership: His own gang of thugs

Affiliations: Horace Smithson

Enemies: Chris Falk, May Parker, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Joe Roberston

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Crime Czar (title given in the pages of the Daily Bugle)

Base of Operations: New York City, New York

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (August 10th, 2002)

Powers/Abilities: His hands were constructed of cybernetically grafted chromium steel which granted him superhuman strength sufficient to punch large dents into heavy steel girders and were later modified with the ability to shock others with a stunning dose of electricity.

Height: Unrevealed (6'2"; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed (300 lbs.; by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Black

History:
(Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (August-October, 2002) - BTS) - The villain calling himself Hammerhand was once a former mob enforcer that through unknown means had his hands replaced by cybernetic chromium steel ones which enhanced his physical strength. Abandoning his real name, he set himself up as New York's new crime Czar and plotted his criminal enterprises using fake companies and organizations to funnel his criminal profits. His criminal exploits were chronicled in the Daily Bugle labeling him New York's new crime boss, but the newspaper did not know his identity.

(Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (August-October, 2002)) - Hammerhand came into conflict with Spider-Man when the hero confronted a pair of his men who were leaning on and intimidating a Mr. Horace Smithson to funnel money through his fake non-profit organization to help disadvantaged children. The two criminals were chased off leaving Spider-Man to help Horace Smithson to his feet. Horace, secretly in league with Hammerhand, convinced Spider-Man to make an appearance at an upcoming fundraiser to help disadvantaged children where he was photographed for an article in the Daily Bugle.

   Spider-Man later met up with the two same thugs that accosted Horace Smithson earlier but was ambushed by Hammerhand who punched him and knocked the unsuspecting hero to the floor. He went on to tell Spider-Man that he was New York's new crime lord and Horace Smithson worked for him. Hammerhand then produced a series of photos of Spider-Man's involvement with the fake charity and blackmailed him into helping him commit further crimes and provided him a watch with a radio to keep in touch when needed.

   Hammerhand contacted Spider-Man and ordered him to break into a guarded warehouse where some advanced technology was stored and took a picture of him doing it. He further tried to blackmail the hero by having Spider-Man's crimes printed in the newspaper. When Joe Robertson refused to print them, Hammerhand then lured him into following Horace Smithson into a trap to kidnap him to entice Spider-Man into helping commit further crimes. He then brought Joe Robertson with him and flew off in a helicopter, but Spider-Man chased after the escaping criminal. Spider-Man caught up but Hammerhand threatened to kill Joe Roberston and then ordered Spider-Man to help robbing an armored car with his gang, but he was set up when the armored car contained a large force of well armed cops who took out his gang and arrested them. Hammerhand managed to run off with Joe Roberston and once again boarded his helicopter to escape but Spider-Man caught up to them. During the confrontation above the treeline, Hammerhand was accidentally knocked out of the helicopter's open door during the struggle and Spider-Man and Joe Robertson managed to escape to safety before the helicopter crashed into the surrounding countryside. Hammerhand was last seen laying in a heap with a raised outstretched hand.

(Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (January 15th) - BTS) - Hammerhand was running a phishing scam and Aunt May became one of the victims.

(Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (January 16th - 26th) - BTS) - Hammerhand also organized a crime spree. Spider-Man and the police managed to foil two, but couldn't prevent a bank robbery.

(Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (January 27th-February 2nd, 2004) - BTS) - Aunt May told Peter that her bank account had been cleared out after she sent her account number to a website.

(Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (February 3rd-15th, 2004) - BTS) - Former hacker Chris Falk created a tracer program to find out where the website was sending the information to. After some waiting he informed Peter and Mary Jane that the computer the website was hosted on a computer in state prison.

(Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (February 20th-March 28th, 2004)) - Spider-Man found out that Hammerhand was behind all the schemes by using the computers in prison for the scam. The warden didn't believe Spider-Man at first because he regularly checked Hammerhand's computer, but the Spider-Sense told Spider-Man that something was wrong with Hammerhand's hand and told the warden to check Hammerhand's metal hand. Hammerhand took the warden hostage and fled prison in an armored car. On the way he revealed to the warden how he had organized several crimes and scams from prison. Spider-Man soon caught up to the armored car, pulled the warden out and webbed up the front window. Hammerhand crashed the car and was defeated by Spider-Man, who crushed his metal hands. He then handed Hammerhand over to the warden and suggested to replace Hammerhand's metal hands with plastic.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee & Larry Lieber.

He appeared to possess an unusual body shape that seemed much too large when compared to his head size. It is possible that he had other cyborg enhancements hidden beneath his oversized suits and overcoat that were not revealed. These unknown enhancements may have allowed him to survive his apparent death from falling out of his helicopter and impacting with the ground.

Since 1987, Alex Saviuk and Joe Sinnott worked on the Sunday Spider-Man Newpaper Strip. Alex Saviuk would later replace Larry Lieber as the main artist in 2018 after his retirement.

Profile by AvatarWarlord. Update by Markus Raymond (2004 appearances).

CLARIFICATIONS:
Hammerhand has no known connections to:

Horace Smithson

He worked for Hammerhand and ran his fake charity to help disadvantaged children to funnel his illegal money from his criminal enterprises. He, along with a couple of Hammerhand's thugs, set up Spider-Man by faking a mugging and when Spider-Man chased off the two thugs, Horace asked him to stage a public event with him by performing some of his Spider-Man abilities in front of a large crowd to help make more money for the charity. The publicity stunt was successful in bringing in more money for the charity and Horace thanked Spider-Man for his aid. Horace Smithson was lying of course, and Spider-Man's Spidey sense kicked in, but he was unable to pinpoint why. The next day Spider-Man went to Horace Smithson's charity office but found it locked and abandoned and Spider-Man feeling he was set up vowed to track down Horace. Horace was later spotted by Spider-Man along with the two thugs that had previously accosted him and led the hero into a trap where he was confronted by Hammerhand. Horace was present when Hammerhand sent Spider-Man to break in a warehouse to steal some high-tech weapons that were guarded inside. Smithson was later followed to Hammerhand's base by Joe Robertson who was taken hostage to lure out Spider-Man. Horace Smithson and Hammerhand's thugs (set up by Spider-Man) were later arrested during a failed attempt to rob an armored car containing a large group of well armed cops.

--Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (August 2nd-8th, 13th, 26th, September 9th, 23rd, October 10th, 15th, 17th)

unidentified thugs

Two unidentified criminals employed by Hammerhand. They, alongside Horace Smithson, staged a fake mugging to set up Spider-Man and were chased off. They later aided Hammerhand in leading Spider-Man into a trap where Hammerhand confronted Spider-Man and blackmailed him into working for him with a series of incriminating pictures of his involvement with the fake charity that he threatened would get published in the Daily Bugle. They later captured Joe Robertson at gunpoint when he followed Smithson into an awaiting trap by Hammerhand to capture him to lure out Spider-Man. The thugs (set up by Spider-Man) were later arrested during a failed attempt to rob an armored car containing a large group of well armed cops.

--Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (August 2nd-7th, 27th-29th, October 5th, 15th, 17th)

images: (without ads)
Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (August 30th, 2002), pan3 (main image)
Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (September 1st, 2002), pan4 (face)
Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (September 1st, 2002), pan1 (punching a girder)
Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (October 27th, 2002), pan6 (death scene)
Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (August 8th, 2002), pan1 (Horace Smithson)
Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (August 27th, 2002), pan3 (Thugs)

Appearances:
Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (August 2nd-October 25th, 2002) - Stan Lee (writer), Larry Lieber (pencils and inks), Alex Saviuk (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks)
Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip (January 15th-March 28th, 2004) - Stan Lee (writer), Larry Lieber (pencils and inks), Alex Saviuk (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks)

First Posted: 08/23/2021
Last updated: 04/24/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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