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HAPPY HOBART

Real Name: "Happy" Hobart (first name unrevealed; see comments)

Identity/Class: Normal human (1950s era)

Occupation: University student, president of the Phi Delta Gamma fraternity

Group Membership: State University cohort, Phi Delta Gamma fraternity

Affiliations: Fellow fraternity bullies (names unrevealed)

Enemies: Terry Brown, Joe (last name unrevealed)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: State University (see comments), USA

First Appearance: Suspense#17/2 (April, 1952)

Powers/Abilities: Happy Hobart is a bully who uses his burly size coupled with his aggressive and domineering attitude to intimidate and dominate others, with scant regard for consequences.

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 185 lbs.
Eyes: Dark brown (colored black in-story)
Hair: Brown

History:

(Suspense#17/2 (fb) - BTS) - Born to a rich family, Happy Hobart entered State University and became president of the Phi Delta Gamma fraternity, but soon earned a reputation for brutal hazing and harsh initiations of new fraternity recruits.

(Suspense#17/2 (fb)) - In 1951, frat member Joe warned Hobart of his harsh initiation of new member Terry Brown. Hobart scared the blindfolded Brown into thinking he was being force-fed worms (actually tinned spaghetti) that Brown had a heart attack and died. It was later reported in the university newspaper and Hobart formally sent his sympathies. But Hobart's brutal hazing of new recruits continued, from severe paddle beating on buttocks to throwing a freshman into an icy-cold lake. The last incident almost resulted in  drowning and several fraternity members (including Joe) quit in protest; Hobart was unrepentant and dismissive. A few nights later, Hobart organized an initiation at the nearby graveyard, loosely tying himself to the tombstone of Brown and intending to scream to bring the witless freshmen into the graveyard. However, Hobart instead met an unseen terror; unable to escape, Brown's grave opened up and swallowed up Hobart without a trace. Hobart's last moments were seen by Joe, who was too late to save the bully.

Comments: Created by uncredited writer writer & Werner Roth.

Presumably "Happy" was just a nickname and not his actual first name.

State University has had other notable students, including Reed Richards, Ben Grimm and Victor von Doom.

State University has several campuses, assuming this is the same university as that of the modern era. This is a good example of names being repeated/modified around this era; in this case the (admittedly generic) university name and Happy Hobart, sounding very similar to Happy Hogan (the Iron Man character).

Thanks to John Holstein for noting the early (pre-modern) State University appearance and for providing the scans.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Happy Hobart has no known connections to:

Terry Brown

Born in 1933, Terry Brown was a first-year undergraduate at State University and initiate in Phi Delta Gamma fraternity in 1951. He was bullied by Happy Hobart, president of the Phi Delta Gamma fraternity. One of the initiations Hobart forced onto Brown was consuming worms while blindfolded, although the worms were really tinned spaghetti. Scared, Brown wanted to leave but Hobart had his buddies hold him. Brown was so frightened that he suffered a heart attack and died. His death was reported in the university newspaper and he was buried in the nearby village. Weeks later, Hobart planned another nasty initiation to scare new freshmen by loosely tying himself to Brown's tombstone, but the terrified Hobart was instead swallowed up into Brown's grave (possibly pulled under by Brown's spirit/animated corpse).

 

 

 

--Suspense#17/2

images: (without ads)
Suspense#17/2, p3, pan1 (main image)
   p4, pan3 (headshot)
   p4, pan2 (tied up)
   p1, pan3 (Terry Brown blindfolded)
   p2, pan6 (State Univ. newspaper)

Appearances:
Suspense#17/2 (April, 1952) - uncredited writer, Werner Roth (pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 12/17/2022
Last updated: 12/17/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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