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THE RANGER

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human mutate, citizen of the United Kingdom (see comments)

Occupation: Mercenary

Group Membership: None, formerly CIA

Affiliations: Betty Brant, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Arthur Stacy, Jill Stacy, formerly Agents of Anarchy

Enemies: Agents of Anarchy, Hydra, Spider-Man (Mattie Franklin), Senator Ward, Trapster (Peter Petruski), Wizard (Bentley Wittman), Z'Nox

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile 

First Appearance: Peter Parker: Spider-Man I#1 (January, 1999)

Powers/Abilities: The Ranger possessed super strength, enhanced reflexes and agility. A highly trained athlete, he was an expert marksman and was trained in a variety of (energy) weapons. In combat, he sometimes wielded two truncheons that could emit energy blasts of an unknown make. Ranger was a brilliant tactician and a highly intelligent observer of human behavior. He had access to memory wiping technology, was knowledgeable in a variety of scientific fields. He knew Spider-Man's secret identity and was aware of the existence of the Negative Zone.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'1")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 250 lbs.)
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black

History:

(Amazing Spider-Man II#24 (fb) - BTS) - The Ranger was an international man of mystery, formerly connected to the CIA before striking out on his own.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#23 (fb) ) - Years ago, Ranger agreed to go on a mission to Eastern Europe with two other operatives called Sentry (the future Senator Ward) and Seeker (Arthur Stacy). They were tasked to infiltrate and destroy a Hydra research facility, but their mission went belly up, forcing the trio to retreat. Ranger wondered if Sentry was behind it, swearing to kill his teammate if he would dare betray him. Seeker stood up for him and they continued their anti-Hydra mission. Soon, they came across another lab complex in which the captured corpses of the alien Z'Nox were stored along with a new, deadly pathogen based on their biology. Ranger and Seeker killed the guards and prepared to destroy the building, but Sentry did turn against them. He stole a vial of the pathogen and covered his retreat by bursting a coolant tank.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#23 (fb) - BTS) - Sentry turned out to be working for the Z'Nox who had an interest in the pathogen. They met at a marketplace.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#23 (fb) ) - Ranger and Seeker tracked Sentry and the alien down and a firefight broke out. During the confrontation, the Z'Nox unleashed the pathogen which immediately killed innocent bystanders. Ranger and Seeker got away, incorrectly assuming Sentry and his alien ally were among the dead. 


(Peter Parker: Spider-Man I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Under unrevealed circumstances the Ranger was captured by US authorities and imprisoned. By then, he had become aware that Sentry had survived and was now living in New York as senator Ward, a popular politician who had a good chance at becoming president. Ranger, knowing of his crimes, decided to take care of his old enemy.

(Peter Parker: Spider-Man I#1) - Ranger was pleasantly surprised when his former allies the Agents of Anarchy attacked the prison transport that carried him. They were stopped by the new Spider-Man (Mattie Franklin) who trounced the armored troops while Peter Parker took photographs. The confrontation damaged the vehicle, shutting down the power-nullifying technology that kept Ranger down. He immediately burst free and made a run for it.

(Peter Parker: Spider-Man I#1 - BTS) - Ranger got hold of a pair of his signature energy weapons again and learned senator Ward would be arriving later that day at JFK Airport.

(Peter Parker: Spider-Man I#1) - Ranger found himself opposed at the airport by both Spider-Man and Peter Parker. He failed in his mission to kill Ward, who seemed to be clueless about the Ranger's identity.

(Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1999 I#1 - BTS) - Senator Ward conspired to take on his enemies along with Wizard and Trapster. Ward had them kidnap Ranger and used Betty Brant (who was investigating Ward) to lure Spider-Man to the site where Wizard had built his Dimensional Matrix Transponder designed to tap the energy of the Negative Zone (a process that would destroy most of New York city).

(Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1999 I#1) - Ranger was trapped in a virtual reality plane by Wizard and made to believe he was a fierce knight ruling over hordes of minions. Ranger tried to kill Spider-Man and Brant until he regained his senses. At that point, they were joined in the virtual reality by Wizard and Trapster who gloated at their prisoners who believed they were free (but actually locked up in control chairs gummed up with Trapster's glue). Wizard planned to let Ranger, Spider-Man and Betty Brant die with the activation of the Dimensional Matrix Transponder, but through a supreme feat of concentration Ranger managed to free himself and the others. With the villains soon defeated, Ranger used a device to erase Betty Brant's memory of the events before taking off again. He refused to answer Spider-Man's question about why he tried to kill senator Ward, simply stating: "Keep your eyes open. You will learn."

(Amazing Spider-Man II#23) - Ranger reconnected with Arthur Stacy at his house just as he was meeting with Spider-Man about Senator Ward. Within moments, the house was attacked by Ward's men, leaving Spider-Man briefly dazed. When he regained his senses, he saw Stacy and the Ranger running off together. Spider-Man was unable to track them, but they found him later that day when he was trying to keep Jill Stacy safe from Senator Ward's Z'nox infected henchmen. Ward then involved himself in the fray, announcing that he had carried the Z'Nox pathogen within him for years and now the aliens had returned, ready for him to release it upon the world.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#24) - Before kidnapping Arthur Stacy to make him the new carrier of the Z'Nox virus, Ward infected Spider-Man and the Ranger. The two heroes split up, but Ranger soon realized what the rash on his body meant: he was turning into one of Ward's Z'Nox infected zombies. Relying on his street smarts, Ranger traced Spider-Man's steps and, guessing his identity, sought the hero out when he was plain Peter Parker. Explaining that the pathogen had become airborne and was now infecting everyone around them, they went after Ward and Stacy because they reasoned the senator would have an antidote. Facing the rapidly deteriorating Ward in his underground lair, they fought off Z'Nox troops and Ward himself who now planned to use both Spidey and the Ranger as pathogen carriers who had to infect everyone at the United Nations. With the world's leaders infected, he could use the antidote to gain global dominance. His plans failed when Spider-Man grabbed the antidote and subjected him to it, thereby eliminating the main source of the pathogen. Ranger then stepped up, telling Spider-Man to get Stacy to safety as he prepared to fulfill the promise he made Ward long away: he would kill him for betraying him. Moments after Spider-Man and Stacy let the underground lair, Ward exploded. His massive form, laced with the antidote, turned into a fine mist that covered the city, conveniently curing anyone who was already infected by the Z'Nox pathogen. Ranger's fate remained unresolved (see comments).

Comments: Created by Howard Mackie, John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna

Talk about a potentially interesting character trapped in a mire of convoluted, nonsensical storylines. Without fear of contradiction: the Mackie/Romita era wasn't a particular highlight for the Spider-Man books and the senator Ward 'epic' is a prime example. The stories about him read as needlessly complicated and suffer from plotholes big enough to fly a Quinjet through. Did Ward suffer from amnesia? Why would he bother with Arthur Stacy? What was the point of sending Wizard and Trapster after Ranger? Who were the Agents of Anarchy and were they trying to free Ranger or kill him? How was he captured in the first place? Questions, so many questions and no fitting answers.

Here's another question: did the Ranger survive his confrontation with Ward? Possibly. Spider-Man did pour some of the antidote into the pink, bubbling flesh cauldron that Ward had become. Some of it could have reached the Ranger.

During their first (and only) fight Mattie Franklin noticed the Ranger had a British accent. "Maybe a little bit of North England, the Cotswolds"

Profile by Norvo.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Ranger should not be confused with:

images: (without ads)
Amazing Spider-Man II#24, p10, pan4 (main image)
Amazing Spider-Man II#23, p3, pan2 (with Sentry and Seeker)
Peter Parker Spider-Man I#1 p19, pan1 (attacking with truncheons)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1999 I#1 p17, pans3&4 (remembers who he is)
Amazing Spider-Man II#24, p20, pan4 (in final combat with Ward)

Appearances:
Peter Parker: Spider-Man I#1 (January, 1999) - Howard Mackie (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1999 I#1 (June, 1999) - Howard Mackie (writer), John Buscema (pencils & inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#22 (October, 2000) - Howard Mackie (writer), John Romita, Jr. (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#23 (November, 2000) - Howard Mackie (writer), John Romita, Jr. (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#24 (December, 2000) - Howard Mackie (writer), John Romita, Jr. (pencils), Randy Elliott & Dan Green (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)

First Posted: 03/15/2022
Last updated: 03/15/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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