ROCO THE RAGMAN
Real Name: Roco
Identity/Class: Terrestrial humanoid (probably
Ragman race (see comments)) (circa 1900 (see
comments))
Occupation: Scavenger
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Briefly the vampire Victor Krycek
Enemies: People he encountered while briefly partnered with Krycek
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Small hut in rural USA
First Appearance: Adventures Into Weird
Worlds#22/1 (September, 1953)
Powers/Abilities: As a Ragman (see comments),
Roco is composed of rags and has no blood. His head is slightly larger
and more bulbous than a standard human's. He lives as a hermit and is
completely unafraid of supernatural predators. Roco hoards old clothing
and may use these to replace old rags of his body, thereby aiding his
longevity. Presumably he is vulnerable to fire.
Height: 5'5"
(by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Gray
Hair: Bald (gray at temples)
History:
(Adventures Into Weird Worlds#22/1 (fb) - BTS) - From
a small hut, Roco the lone rag dealer roved small nearby towns in a horse
and old cart, collecting old rags, sometimes even from dead people.
(Adventures Into Weird Worlds#22/1) - One evening
after a long unsuccessful day seeking rags, Roco the Ragman chanced
upon a pale
vampire finishing a victim. Completely unafraid, he stopped the vampire
from making a mess and took the corpse's clothes. Initially confused by
Roco's fearless approach, the vampire offered a partnership wherein
Roco would gain access to a house so that the vampire could enter and
eliminate the owners while Roco could then steal the clothes. The
vampire even offered a wooden stake to Roco for safety that he could
use should the vampire ever attack him. That night, the duo plundered
several homes and they returned to Roco's hut, the cart full with
clothes. Over many more nights, they preyed upon more homes until Roco
refused to venture out anymore as his hut was full of rags and clothes.
Angered and thirsty, the vampire threatened Roco, but he brought out
the wooden stake. The duo slept in an uneasy truce until the vampire
attacked Roco for his blood but found none; instead Roco stood revealed
in his bare Ragamn form and killed the vampire with the stake.
Comments: Created by Carl Wessler & George Roussos.
Roco states that he's "a ragman",
not "the ragman", indicating that there's more of his type
around, potentially another hidden race, instead of just a vocation. It
seems that apart from his head and hands, he is wrapped thick in rags,
presumably around a skeletal human-like frame (otherwise a more
flexible body would be expected). He may even be a type of undead; the
story hints at the start with the vampire stating "no man can live
without blood in his veins!"
Ragman should still be around -- unless the Bloodstones or other creature hunters got to him.
I'm assuming it's set in the late 1800s to around 1900. No cars are seen and there's only gas light for street lighting. An American-style fire hydrant is shown in the street.
"Ragman" is another term for "rag-and-bone man",
who lived in extreme poverty and survived on proceeds and what they
could find. They were found more in the 19th Century and early 20th
Century, but declined as social conditions improved.
Victor Krycek's name was revealed in the Appendix of the handbook Vampires: The Marvel Undead#1 (December, 2011).
Thanks to Grand Comics Database for creator information.
Roco the Ragman predates DC's supernatural hero Ragman.
This profile was completed 02/10/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Roco the Ragman has no known connections to:
images:
(without ads)
Adventures Into Weird Worlds#22/1, p5, pan7 (main image)
p1, pan3 (headshot)
Appearances:
Adventures Into Weird Worlds#22/1 (September, 1953) - Carl Wessler
(writer), George Roussos (pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 09/02/2021
Last updated:
08/29/2021
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.
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