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Howard Duckson (Earth-47920) (Discuss).
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Quote1 Aw, clam up, bud! You don't even know the meaning of the word! Finding yourself in a world of talking hairless apes--Now that's absurdity! Quote2
Howard the Duck[src]

History

Early life[]

Howard the Duck was hatched on Duckworld, a planet in another universe, where intelligent life evolved from waterfowl. Duckworld resembles mankind's Earth in an astounding number of ways, including the fact that ducks speak English. He was the son of a Ronald and Henrietta, a working class catholic couple living in New Stork. He had two siblings Theresa and Orville.[16] As a child, he discovered an amazing potential intellect, however he was continuously bullied by other children as a result. He eventually decided to give up on his studies, wasting his potential.[17] Further details about Howard's past on Duckworld are still unknown. Indeed, there are conflicting accounts as to the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

Arrival on Earth[]

Howard vanished from his home world when the power hungry demon Thog the Nether-Spawn used his magic to cause the interdimensional cosmic axis to shift. Howard was dislodged from his home dimension and dropped into the middle of the Florida Everglades on Earth-616 at the site of this world's Nexus of All Realities, a place from which travel to all other dimensions is said to be possible. In an effort to set the cosmic axis right and return home, the reluctant Howard joined with Korrek the barbarian, who also came from another dimension, the young Earth-born sorceress Jennifer Kale, Dakimh the Enchanter, and the Man-Thing. The battle against Thog ended for Howard when he fell off the other-dimensional Stepping Stones of Oblivion.[18][19][20]

Cleveland[]

He landed back on our Earth in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, where he first faced the menace of Garko, the Man-Frog.[21][22]

Bessie, the Hellcow[]

Howard the Duck wanted to establish a reputation in Cleveland. As such, he sought to earn a position on the Cleveland police force by catching this mysterious farm stalker. During the investigation, he finds Bessie, the Hellcow, who attacked him, but Howard kept her at bay with a push broom. During the fight, he used the mallet and wooden stake to seemingly end the blood-sucking bovine's hellish existence once and for all. Despite his heroism, however, Howard was still denied a position on the Cleveland police force, much to his dismay.[23][24]

Meeting Beverly Switzler[]

In Cleveland, Howard first met the young life model Beverly Switzler who was a captive of the costumed criminal accountant Pro-Rata. Howard and Beverly escaped and began living together.[25]

Although Howard attempted to live as normal a life as possible, considering that he is a talking duck on a world of human beings, he continually ran afoul of various unusual menaces including Turnip Man,[26] Count Macho,[4] Winki Man,[27] Emile "The Goat" Klout[28] and the Gingerbread Man.[29]

Howard came to public notoriety when he became a candidate for the United States presidency on a very minor party ticket.[30] He was even the target of an assassination plot as someone hired Doctor Angst and his Band of the Bland to kill him. Howard defeated his would-be assassins with the help of the Defenders and they were sent to prison.[31] As it turned out, the assassination was unnecessary as the general populace refused to believe that Howard was a real talking duck, thinking of him instead as a dwarf in a duck suit. As a result, the public dismissed his candidacy as a joke.[32]

He continued to battled villains such as The Bellhop,[33] Le Beaver,[34] Kong Lomerate,[35] Kidney Lady,[36][37] Rev. Joon Moon Yuc[32][38] and Roxxon.[39]

Doctor Bong[]

His most notable arch nemesis was Doctor Bong. Through cleverness, persistence, and good luck, Howard always managed to defeat or escape his adversaries.[40]

S.O.O.F.I.[]

Howard went up against a hate group called S.O.O.F.I. who were "trying to restore order to the world".[41]

Bzzk'joh[]

While relaxing in his apartment Howard was attacked by a salt shaker with arms and legs on a giant house fly, but they were unable to defeat him. Dakimh and Man-Thing arrived to ask Howard for his help and was reluctantly transported to to Land Between Night and Day, where they were reunited with Korek and Jennifer Kale. Dakimh brought them there to battle Bzzk'joh.[42] Bzzk'Jho attacked them and Jennifer was forced to use her power to bring Naac-P30, and Tutu, two Druid Droids that helped Howard, Korrek, and Man-Thing stop Jho. When Howard still refused to help, Korrek threatened Howard. Howard conceded when he tried to use the gun that was given to him by Dakimh and it turned out only to shoot a comedic flag. Riding Dakimh's ship, the Epoch Weasel, into the universe to get to Jho's base, the Imperium Emporium, the group escaped one of their delivery truck weapons. However, their ship was damaged, forcing them to land at the Hollywok Cantina. There they tried to find transport, dealing with Real Californians. Being told to speak to Big Mac about getting transport. Korrek tried to do so politely, however, he violently attacked Mac when he refused them transport, causing the Real Californians to attack them. Howard managed to dispel them using the Farce through his gun, incapacitating them all. Securing a new ship, the group managed to burst into Bzzk'joh's Imperium Emporium, a giant spaceship themed after a box store. There they fought through Jho's army, and freed Jennifer, escaping just as the Emporium was set to explode, destroying Jho and all his followers.[43] They returned Howard to Earth-616 New York, but he experienced nothing but trouble when he tried to help a few New Yorkers [44]

Circus of Crime[]

After finally meeting up with the cruise ship that rescued Paul and Winda, now befriended by socialite Iris Raritan, he attended her party on Long Island, where he was abducted by the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime. Paul was shot and left in a coma, and Winda, abandoned by Paul and Iris, was apparently assaulted by a hobo.[45][46] After defeating the Circus of Crime, Howard, plagued by pessimistic dreams, went his own way, as he had at the beginning of the series.[47][48] Howard returned to Cleveland.[49]

Howard the Duck Vol 1 30

Iron Duck

Showdown with Doctor Bong[]

He battled Doctor Bong and teamed up with Claude Starkowski, a former Vietnam vet who believed that he was the genius behind the creation of Iron Man's Armor. Claude created for Howard a suit of Iron Man-inspired armor, with springs and built-in flame thrower, plus a device which hopefully would neutralize Bong's powers. Lee and Howard returned to the hospital where Bong appeared to challenge Howard just as they finished setting up.[3] He used his bell to freeze everyone, however it did not effect Howard who was protected not only by his armor but by cotton balls stuffed in his ears. The two engaged in a battle across the hospital, where Howard, in spite of being greatly outmatched, was able to lure Dr. Bong to the device which negated his powers. However the device malfunctioned and Bong managed to grab Howard. With only one compartment untried, Howard opened up the armor's hip unit to find a small hammer. Remembering what happened to Bong last time he hit the bell on his head, Howard took the hammer and hit Bong on the head with it. The resulting peel from the bell transported both Bong and Howard away and freed everyone from Bong's paralysis. Howard and Bong rematerialized in Bong's castle, where Bong used his bell to strip Howard of his armor and removed his cotton balls. However, before Bong could finish Howard, Beverly stopped him, showing him cloned babies she made and threatened to send a letter to the media outing him as a negligent parent. Conceding and taking the cloned children, Dr. Bong angrily teleported Howard and Beverly back to the hospital. There they were reunited with Lee, and Winda who had come out of her coma.[50]

Return to Cleveland[]

Now living in Cleveland again Howard battled new weird adversaries.[51]

Drakula[]

When Howard was on his way home from the laundromat, he was attacked out of the blue by Dracula. Realizing Howard was not human he fled. Howard now started to display vampire like tendencies. He changed into traditional vampire garb and tried to attack Winda. Mistaking his bloodthirst for lust, Bev kicked Howard out of the house. The sometime vampire hunter Harold H. Harold came looking for Howard and explained that his affliction was purely a disillusion. After a few failed attacks due to not having any teeth, they found him and tried to snap him out of the disillusion. Dracula arrived and tried to turn Bev, but Howard staked him with a piece of a picket fence. Seeking immortality, Harold foolishly removed the stake, and Dracula turned him. Three days later Howard read of reports of Harold clawing his way out of his grave.[52]

Howard the Duck Vol 2 6

Return to Duckworld[]

Howard and Beverly arrived on Duckworld on Earth-791021. On this world, Beverly was considered the freak of the pair. Howard was eventually realized to have been the "Drake" who had vanished a few years back. Initially fleeing from overzealous worshipers, Howard led Beverly back to his former home, the base of the WACkies, and they learned what Rev. Godfrey Gander had done. Howard spoke up to the crowd, denouncing Rev. Godfrey and revealing the message he had intended for them. Though initially reluctant, the Duckworldians agreed to start thinking for themselves, while Gander vowed vengeance for losing his franchise. Howard worked to win his people over to Beverly, appearing with her on the Tonight Show with Johnny Quackson. In a "This is Your Life" pastiche, Howard was reunited with his parents and his sister Theresa, now a nun, and brother Orville, now a mortician. However, the next guest, Dr. Ludwig von Cluck, actually a paid agent of Gander, attempted to use his Surrogate Sniffer super-vacuum machine to expose Beverly as a robot. It instead exposed her by tearing off all of her clothes. The appearance of a naked human appalled the Duckworldians. Howard and Beverly fled alongside fellow guest Truman Capoultry. A former ally of Gander, Capoultry wished to follow Howard's word and helped them escape. To help them return to Earth, Capoultry brought them to Ducktor Strange, Mallard of the Mystic Arts, who was a drunk and living in an alley. Before Strange could do anything, Rev. Gander, Scrounge McDrake, and their allies showed up and attempted to gun down Howard, Bev, Capoultry, and Strange. Bev kicked a trash can into their attackers, after which they overpowered them one-by-one. Strange cast a spell sending them back to Earth-616, and while Gander saw this as a chance to revive the WACkies, Capoultry vowed to write a new book, telling the true story of Howard, which would foil Gander's plans.[16]

Back on Earth-616[]

Arriving back in Earth-616, at the Nexus of All Realities in Florida there they teamed up with Man-Thing again to battle Kong Lomerate.[53] Howard and Bev got jobs at a retirement home in Miami where they run afoul of the grand designs of the Grey Panther.[54] The pair wound up in New Orleans where Bev was kidnapped by Black Talon as an intended sacrifice by a voodoo cult.[55][56]

Spider-Man[]

Howard, working as a taxicab driver, had driven a customer to New York all the way from Cleveland. This man, calling himself Status Quo, was a mild-mannered librarian when the constant advent of new fads drove him to madness. Wanting to destroy all fads, Status Quo began studying how the media and advertisers help encourage fads, and came to New York in order to speak to people and convert them to his anti-fad group. This eventually led to a giant demonstration in Central Park where surprisingly, Status Quo managed to gather a large crowd and earn himself a legion of followers. These followers were armed with gimmicked fads (rocket powered skateboards, exploding frisbees etc.) and sent out to attack anyone who supported any kind of fad. The chaos brought the attention of Spider-Man who tried to quell the mob, and prevent them from spreading beyond Central Park, while Howard was chased after by some anti-fad goons who thought he was trying to perpetuate a fad himself. Spider-Man eventually teamed up with Howard and the two managed to expose Status Quo as a hypocritical terrorist in front of live news cameras, discrediting him and causing his followers to break up. Afterwards, Howard and Spidey split up, and Howard returned to his cab where he finds a police officer waiting for him to write him up on a number of traffic violations.[57]

Andy the Angel[]

Howard was in San Francisco on Christmas Eve where he was on the Golden Gate Bridge depressed and contemplating suicide. He was stopped by an Angel called Andy. Andy decided to try and boost Howard confidence and morale; he showed to Howard how the lives of its friends would have unfolded if Howard had never come to Earth-616. He showed Howard Earth-83234. They visited his friends Paul Same, Arthur Winslow, and Beverly Switzler. To Howard and Andy's horror, all his friends’ lives would be better without him. Believing that he had failed, and his life was worse than Howard's without his wings, Andy considered suicide himself, but Howard tried to stop him. Howard took Andy for drink rather than having either of them kill themselves. This act ironically won Andy his wings because, after all, it was a successful mission.[58]

Leaving Beverly[]

Howard walked away from Beverly at her request. After that, he is mistaken for "Duck Drake, Private Eye", met Ceci Ryder when hitch-hiking, and battled the Gopher.[59]

Alexis the Duck[]

Howard later won ten million dollars from the American Garden and Family grand prize. However, the fun and the fame changed him, losing contact with Bev. Dr. Dwight Clive convinced him to use the rest of his money to create a mate for himself. Using cell samples, he created Alexis the Duck, but unwittingly used a brain taken from the body of the spoiled wife of a personal injury attorney. Alexis turned out to be a bitter gold digger who left Howard. Broke he returned home to Cleveland.[14]

Ducktor Doom[]

The Whoatcher had heartburn and created a cosmic burp that accidentally zapped Spider-Ham of Earth-8311 and Howard into an alternate dimension. They emerged on Earth-905237 in the castle of Ducktor Doom. Working together they battled Doom, but the Whoatcher took some antacids, neutralizing the effects of the cosmic burp. Howard and Spider-Ham were sent home before the burp, disrupted Doom's weapon, which was the perfect synthesis between science and magic and with which he had intended to conquer the world. Howard felt that he got off easy, but Duktor Doom materialized in the alley behind him.[60]

She-Hulk[]

Jennifer Walters (Earth-616) and Howard Duckson (Earth-791021) from Sensational She-Hulk Vol 1 14 001

Meeting She-Hulk

She-Hulk accidentally pulled Howard through a cosmic wormhole, along with physicist Brent Wilcox, and prevented other universes from crowding out Earth-616.[61] Howard met the Critic, traveled to the Baloneyverse, and battled Dr. Angst and his cohorts.[62][63]

Generation X[]

In California, Chamber and Skin of Generation X hitchhiked down a highway. After several cars flew past them, one of the vehicles stopped to offer the two mutants a ride. The driver of the vehicle was none other than Howard the Duck.[64] Howard and the mutants stopped at a bar to get some drinks, and the bartender informed them that their establishment did not serve ducks. Violence ensued and Howard was forced to rely upon his martial arts training in Quack-Fu to avoid injury. Chamber unleashed his mutant powers and began questioning the bar patrons about someone named Tores. To everyone's surprise, Miguela Tores was actually a sultry young woman with a green stripe tattooed across her right eye. She entered the bar and began asking questions. While Chamber and Howard deal with Tores, Skin sneaked away from the bar. He disguised himself as an old man and went to the cemetery to visit his own grave. There, he met his mother and managed to console her without letting on that he was, in fact, her son.[65] Outside in the Bio-Sphere, Howard and his girlfriend Beverly arrived. Franklin, Artie, and Leech were thrilled at the notion of having a talking duck to pal around with. Howard had no real interest in hanging out with children, but the kids dragged him to their tree-house. Inside they found Tana Nile. Tana is a Rigellian who crash-landed on Earth a short while ago. Leech had been sneaking her food from the school, and nobody but the children were even aware of her presence.[66] Howard tried to find a way to get the children to safety. Black Tom raided the tree house and prepared to kill them. Howard drove Black Tom back by setting him on fire with the lit end of his cigar. As the tree house erupted into flames, Howard, Artie, Franklin, Leech, and Tana Nile discovered the Man-Thing present on the estate. Recognizing that the Man-Thing is the gateway into the dimensional rift known as the Nexus of All Realities, Howard convinced the others to dive into the creature's slimy body in the hopes of escaping. Their plan appeared to work and they disappeared inside the Man-Thing’s mass.[67]

Daydreamers[]

Daydreamers (Earth-616) from Daydreamers Vol 1 1 0001

Howard and the Daydreamers

Howard and the Daydreamers went sailing through the inter-dimensional byways of the Nexus, floating on a broken chunk of Earth. No one could really understand what was happening to them and Howard began to have a panic attack. Tana kept his attitude in check and reminds him that their first responsibility was to look after the children. Artie fell asleep and projected a vision of his nightmare: a dark, menacing shadowy figure. Before long, the Daydreamers arrived in a surreal fantasy world known as Nevernever-Narnozbia. Their earthen sled landed atop a woman (who looked suspiciously a lot like the Scarlet Witch) known as the Red Witch of the Southeast, squashing her flat. A bunch of rocky little stone Things ran out to greet the visitors, expressing their happiness that the witch was finally dead. Suddenly a man in drag named Strange arrived and thanked them for saving Nevernever-Narnozbia from the threat of the witch. Franklin expressed his desire to return home and Strange used the Eyeliner of Agamotto to direct them towards the King of the realm. Meanwhile, Howard the Duck was separated from the group and came upon a magic lamp. Rubbing the lamp, he summoned a green goblin-like genie who granted him three wishes. Howard wished for a way out of this mess, and the genie provides him with a Desoto. Driving along in the antique car, he eventually met back up with his friends only to become prisoners of the King. The King bore a strong resemblance to Doctor Doom – an old foe of the Fantastic Four. The Daydreamers tried to escape, and a fight broke out in the King's throne-room. The dark spectral figure from Artie's vision arrived and declared that he has come for Franklin Richards.[68]

The Dark Hunter attacks the Daydreamers proclaiming that he had come for Franklin Richards. The Daydreamers could not decide which is stranger: The evil villain standing before them, Doctor Strange in drag, or the fact that the Man-Thing could suddenly carry a conversation. Leech tried to siphon away the Dark Hunter's powers, but to no effect. Franklin asked Strange if he can send them home. Strange cannot send them back to Earth, but instead uses his magic wand to send them to another realm altogether. The group arrives in a bizarre cartoon-liked reality, which appears as if it were crafted from the mind of Doctor Seuss. Weird creatures are seen walking down the streets with distended lips and large tufts of hair on their heads. Like the characters from Doctor Seuss, everyone has a penchant for speaking in rhyme. The Daydreamers stop at a local diner to collect their thoughts. The staff at the diner becomes irate with Howard, who refuses to speak in rhyme. Franklin placates the offended food servers, but ordering their meals in rhyme for them. It does little good however as the Cadence Police arrive to arrest the Daydreamers. Howard wants to start a fight with them, but Tana convinces him that allowing them to be taken to jail might actually serve their better interests. Suddenly, Artie begins to distrust Franklin. He continues to have visions of the Dark Hunter and feels that Franklin is connected to the Hunter in an unhealthy fashion. Franklin lashes out at him, declaring that he should mind his own business. Later that night, the Dark Hunter comes for them. Tana Nile rips the bars off of their prison cell and they break free. She tries to keep the Dark Hunter at bay, but is unable to penetrate his shadowy form. Howard tries to get the Man-Thing to transport them back home, but the Man-Thing explains to him that he cannot control the power of the Nexus. Regardless, the Daydreamers dive into his slimy muck and access the Nexus of All Realities. When they exit, they find themselves on Duckworld – the planet of Howard's birth. They look around in shock and awe as they see a large bronze statue of Howard the Duck in the town square. To all accounts, Howard appears to be a hero of the people.[69]

Crowds of people begin swelling around the new arrivals, eager to welcome their hero home. In an effort to keep the excited mob at bay, Tana Nile picks up the Man-Thing] and begins swinging him about like a baseball bat. The Daydreamers duck down an alleyway and stealthily make their way towards Howard's home. Howard does not know why he is being hailed as a great hero, and he frankly doesn't care. The Man-Thing begins to lose his cohesion, and Tana has to help him along. They arrive at the house of Howard's parents, June and Ward. It is an idyllic two-story home with a perfectly manicured lawn and a white picket fence. June and Ward come out to greet the newcomers and they welcome Howard with open arms. Following a quick repast, Howard decides that he has had enough. He knows that this is not his true family and that his home life was never this perfect. As he shakes his head in denial, the imagery washes away and all is revealed to be an illusion. Meanwhile, the Man-Thing continues to fall apart. Tapping into the cosmic energies of the Nexus of All Realities has proven too taxing for his physical form and he can no longer maintain his cohesion. Before long, the Dark Hunter arrives on Duckworld and continues his pursuit of Franklin Richards. The Daydreamers leave Howard's faux household and proceed to a place known as the Richards Institute. Inside are two-dimensional cartoon versions of Franklin's parents, Reed and Susan Richards. The Dark Hunter tracks them down and they soon realize what the Hunter actually is – he is the living embodiment of Franklin Richard's repressed emotions. When the Daydreamers first interacted with the Nexus of All Realities, it reacted with Franklin's dormant mutant powers, creating a conduit into a pocket dimension inside Franklin's subconscious mind. Franklin never came to terms with the fact that his parents are gone – victims of the villain known as Onslaught. In his grief, he fabricated an imaginary, illusory world where he could effectively hide from his pain. Now having confronted his own fears in the form of the Dark Hunter, Franklin is finally ready to let go of his parents. As Franklin's pocket reality ceases to exist, the Daydreamers exit the Nexus of All Realities. They are back on Earth in the Florida Everglades, and the Man-Thing is back to his normal, inarticulate self.[70]

Back Home[]

While Man-Thing became a self-appointed guardian of Franklin, Howard went off on his own and was captured by the Cult of Entropy.[71] Although he was last seen him in the swamp, he stated that he was thrown into baggage and transported on a plane. The cult wanted him because he had part of the Nexus of All Realities, which shattered during Heroes Reborn, inside him, which he knew because it was making him nauseous. Man-Thing entered his gullet, and Howard vomited him back out with the fragment, but the former was left desiccated and practically dead.[72]

He then encountered Namor, who thought he had slain the creature, but Howard explained that he would not be lugging his friend's body if that were the case. Howard set Man-Thing down in the water, and he revived during the conversation with Namor. Once he saw that Man-Thing was alive and well, he bid Namor farewell and told him he was returning to Cleveland.[73]

Ben Reilly[]

He worked with Spider-Man (Ben Reilly) in a fight against the Circus of Crime, Howard and Beverly get stuck in a warehouse full of anthropomorphic ducks, briefly meeting the Savage Dragon and Destroyer Duck. The group left in the belief that they had brought the correct Howard with them.[74]

Ghost Rider[]

Jennifer Kale attempted to return Howard home many times but he accused her and Doctor Strange of being responsible for bringing him to Earth-616. She accidentally teleported Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy into her New York apartment.[75] The disoriented dinosaur attempted to eat Howard, but spat him out when shot with Ghost Rider's Hellfire Gun. They then went on a rampage through the city before being subdued by Ghost Rider. Howard related to the pair, being trapped in a world he was never meant to be in, and wandered off.[76]

Santa Claus[]

Howard got a job as a department store Santa Claus, which got him dragged to the North Pole, where the real Santa Claus had sold out to Hydra.[77]

Howard the Mouse[]

Howard the Duck (Earth-47920) from Howard the Duck Vol 3 5 0001

Howard the Duck in Mouse form

Beverly obtained a job at a company owned by Doctor Bong who turned Howard into a Giant Mouse, but the process was unstable and he cycled through different forms before settling on the mouse again.[78] Bong joined with Kenneth Flogg to gain the Amulet of Pazuzu, but Howard obtained it first, gained its power, and used it to slay Flogg's assistant Ian Whippingham.[79] They next stayed at the Boarding House of Mystery, joining their fellow tenant Splatter Gomorrah in exposing talk show host Iprah as a marketing franchise.[80] However, she was possessed by the demon-angel hybrid Deuteronomy. Howard used the cigar of the Saint of Therapists, Sigmund Freud, to banish Deuteronomy, however he decided to take a puff of the cigar which disintegrated him and sent him to Hell.[81] He was saved by God himself who, grateful for him dealing with Deuteronomy, shared with Howard the Meaning of life before returning him to Earth back in Duck Form.[82][83]

Howard the Duck tried to sue the director George Lucas over a movie, represented by Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway.[84][85]

Civil War[]

As an interdimensional non-human being, Howard the Duck was compelled to register under the Superhuman Registration Act along with Beverly.[5] He attempted to do so during the Civil War[86] but learned his socially disruptive life had created so many bureaucratic headaches that the government's policy was that Howard, the so-called infamous "Duck Man of Cleveland" did not exist. This lack of government oversight delighted him: "No more parking tickets, no taxes, no jury duty".[5][87]

M.O.D.O.T.[]

After he defeated M.O.D.O.T.'s scheme to control the public through mass media, his attorney, Jennifer Walters, had him registered with the government. including all relevant responsibilities and the President made him a citizen with a full presidential pardon.[88]

A.R.M.O.R.[]

At some point, Howard was made part of the Ohio Initiative, but the team was eventually shut down by the Feds for unrevealed reasons.[8] He was subsequently made an agent of A.R.M.O.R., and was hired by Morbius the Living Vampire on a private mission to travel through the multiverse of different types of zombies and collect a sample of each zombie. Before he could go, he was to search for Machine Man and recruit him. One week after being enrolled, Howard found Machine Man drunk and depressed for his girlfriend Jocasta went back to her former husband Ultron. Howard was able to convince Machine Man to join him on their mission.[89]

Fearsome Four[]

Fear Itself Fearsome Four Vol 1 1 Textless

Fearsome Four

During the Fear Itself event, Howard formed a team called the Fearsome Four with She-Hulk, Frankenstein's Monster, and Nighthawk to stop the Man-Thing who found himself driven to an uncontrollable rage, caused by the immense levels of fear generated by the Serpent's hammer-wielders across the world.[90] Facing various alternate universe heroes and the Psycho-Man, brought to Earth by the Man-Thing's connection to the Nexus of All Realities [91] The four were eventually able to confront their own fears and calm the Man-Thing, bringing an end to his rampage and saving the world, before going their separate ways.[92]

Cynical Duck & Swizzle[]

Howard Duckson (Earth-791021) and Beverly Switzler (Earth-616) from Spider-Man Back in Quack Vol 1 1 001

Cynical Duck & Swizzle

Howard and Beverly were brainwashed and forced to work for S.O.O.F.I. as Cynical Duck and Swizzle. They promoted S.O.O.F.I. at a public speech held for them by J. Jonah Jameson. Spider-Man interrupted a S.O.O.F.I. indoctrination at the New York Public Library, and Beverly and the other S.O.O.F.I.s saw Spidey as a semi-demonic figure and attacked. Spidey escaped with Howard and broke his brainwashing because Beverly was threatened. Howard quickly explained S.O.O.F.I.'s goals to Spider-Man. As Spider-Man publicly announced his long-standing support for S.O.O.F.I., Howard confronted Bev as she stood by the Supreme S.O.O.F.I.. Howard broke through to Beverly, reminding her of their past. The leader ordered the S.O.O.F.I.s to throw the pair into the special Blanditron at Guantanamo Bay, and Beverly kept them at bay with her whip. Spidey attacked them and unmasked the Supreme S.O.O.F.I., while the others escaped though their teleporter. Howard believed S.O.O.F.I. would lay low for awhile after such a defeat, and also hoped their Florida Everglades base might lead them to meet up with the Man-Thing.[10]

Ducky Dozen[]

Ducky Dozen (Earth-616) from Marvel Zombies Destroy! Vol 1 1 0001

Ducky Dozen

Because of his experience with zombie-infested worlds and his leadership of Machine Man, Howard was chosen as the leader of, as he dubbed them, the Ducky Dozen.[93] The team was comprised of himself, several golden age heroes, Dum-Dum Dugan, and Battlestar who is also a veteran of a zombie incident. Upon entering Earth-12591, the Ducky Dozen fought hordes of zombie Nazis and Asgardians, but suffered grave losses as most of the members were either killed or zombified in battle.[94] After successfully accomplishing their mission Howard, Dugan, Taxi Taylor, and Battlestar were the only members left to survive and returned to Earth-616 along with the Riveter, the only survivor of Earth-12591's resistance team the Suffragists.[95][96]

Doop[]

Howard teamed up with friend Doop to battle Robo-Barbarians in Dimension ZZZ. They beat the horde back with nothing but a broken sword, a rubber chicken with nails in it, and a gun that shoots bees.[97]

Original Sin[]

After the death of the Watcher and the activation of the secrets buried in his eye, Howard discovered that he had the potential to be the most intelligent being in Duckworld. After evading a squirrel while driving, he was thrown flying and used his intellect to calculated his way to land to safely in a dumpster.[17]

A Living Nexus of All Realities[]

Howard the Duck Vol 5 5 Textless

Howard returned to his business as a private eye, working in the same building as She-Hulk in Brooklyn. One of his first new clients was Jonathan Richards, who hired Howard to retrieve a necklace stolen by the Black Cat. With the help of Tara Tam, a new ally, Howard managed to recover the necklace, but his way to give it back to Richards he found himself kidnapped by the Collector,[98] allied with the Guardians of the Galaxy to escape the villain's collection,[99] and confronting the Ringmaster, who had been hypnotizing old people into robbing for him.

During his third attempt at recovering the necklace, from the Ringmaster this time, Howard was approached by Richards, who revealed himself to be the Skrulls Talos the Untamed, and explained the true nature of the stone in the necklace: it was one of the several Abundant Gems.[100] Once Talos fled the scene, Howard and Tara sought the help of Doctor Strange to learn more about these Abundant Gems. Joined by the Human Torch, the heroes failed to race Talos for the final gem, and the villain made himself with the Abundant Glove.[101] In the middle of the battle during which Tara publicly revealed his shapeshifting abilities to help fight the energy constructs created by Talos, Howard managed to snatch the Abundant Glove from the villain and defeat him.[102]

Howard eventually set out to return to his home dimension, and traveled to Florida to find the Nexus of All Realities to reach this goal. However, his attempt to use the Compassion Gem of the Abundant Glove to help him find his way home merged him with the Nexus.[103] The fusion turned Howard into a Living Nexus which could also be used to teleport to different destinations willingly instead of randomly, as the Nexus normally acted. Howard's new-found powers caught the attention of numerous people who desired to use Howard for their own ends, including gender-bent clones of Howard and Rocket Raccoon named Linda and Shocket, who wanted to rescue everyone trapped in Collecton and escape to another universe.

Howard the Duck Vol 6 5 Textless

Howard agreed to help Linda and Shocket, and on their way to Collecton, they were pursued by both Skrulls and the Stranger.[104] Howard was seemingly rescued from the Stranger's clutches by Scout, a cosmic-powered girl who wanted to give Howard as a gift to Galactus and prove herself worthy of being his new herald. With the help of Silver Surfer and the Guardians of the Galaxy, Howard's allies rescued him.[105] Using a portion of the Power Cosmic granted to him by Silver Surfer, Howard brought his allies to Collecton and helped both defeat the Collector and free its prisoners, who used Howard's powers as the Living Nexus to return to their homes. When Howard was separated from the Nexus and used it to return home, he was accidentally sent to the doorstep of Bev's new house.[6] Following a bittersweet and brief reunion, Howard returned to New York.[106]

Battle Against the Sparkitects[]

While investigating a case for actress Lea Thompson, Howard discovered that the nefarious Mojo of Mojoverse had turned him into the unwitting protagonist of his own reality show. However, in order to ensure Howard's life remained interesting for the ratings, he had hired the services of Chipp and Jho, two members of the race of reality warpers known as the Sparkitects, who had subtly influenced Howard's life and been responsible for most of his recent misadventures.[107]

The two Sparkitects became directly involved with Howard's confrontation against Mojo after realizing that the villain could find out that Howard discovering the reality show was an attempt by them to shut down Mojo's program and cut ties with him. When Howard confronted Chipp, the Sparkitect stabbed and killed him.[108] However, Jho's attempt to redeem his wrongs brought Howard back to life, after manipulating Doctor Strange into returning his soul to his body.

The returned Howard managed to defeat Chipp, who was later arrested by his superiors for meddling with reality for personal reasons. As a compensation for Chipp and Jho's damages, the leader of the Sparkitects Ax-L granted Howard one single wish, and Howard requested that he ensure that Beverly graduated from veterinary school and managed to establish her own business.[109]

Attributes

Power Grid[124]
:Category:Power Grid/Fighting Skills/Experienced Fighter:Category:Power Grid/Energy Projection/Multiple Types:Category:Power Grid/Energy Projection/None:Category:Power Grid/Durability/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Speed/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Strength/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Intelligence/Normal

Powers

Duckworldian Physiology: Howard's body, like those of his entire race, has similar characteristics to those of both common Earth ducks and common Earth human beings. He has hands and arms instead of wings, is covered with feathers and is unable to fly. Howard is similar to a human athlete who has trained his body to the fullest. Howard can stay alive in the space vacuum without suffering any harmful effects, even without using any type of suit that protects him from the environment or provides him with oxygen.[110] [105]

Enhanced Duckworldian Speed: After his training Howard has improved his speed, moving faster than the human eye can see. [4]

Super Reflexes and Precision: Howard's reflexes have been honed to the point of utmost precision, allowing him to allegedly move faster than the eye can see. He is also capable of catching a knife being thrown at him.[4]

Mystical Training: The Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange has also briefly tutored Howard in the mystic ways, indicating even those of Duckworld possess magical potential.[110][111][112][113][114] Under his mental guidance, Howard was capable of conjuring the Vapors of Valtorr, the Shield of the Seraphim, use transformation enchantments and even utilize another Eye of Agamotto and Cloak of Levitation along with his own garb for Howard the Duck, which the duck was able to command, despite his lack of Sorcerer Supreme title, though ultimately declining to study as Strange's apprentice. Dr. Strange has claimed that Howard has incredible potential, making him one of the most powerful sorcerers.[31]

Abilities

Martial Arts: Howard is a master in the little known martial art called Quak Fu, which he learned at the hands of Master C'haaj,[4] and hence is a surprisingly formidable opponent in hand-to-hand combat, which allows him to defeat opponents more powerful than himself.[110]

Willpower: As part of his Quack Fi training Howard reached a new state of consciousness and developed an immense willpower. Howard can use his will to break down material barriers with easy sum, apparently increasing his strength.[4]

Super Fast Learning: During his martial arts training, Howard dominated the irrelevance of chronological time, giving him the ability to master a life of studies and training in just three hours and seventeen minutes.[4]

Howard the Duck Vol 6 1 Hip-Hop Variant Textless
Genius Intellect: Howard discovered that he has the potential to be the most intelligent being in his home world and even in any other world, having an intelligence equal to or greater than that of Albert Einstein or Reed Richards. Howard let his intelligence atrophy over time, but he could easily become one of the most intelligent beings in any world.[17]

Weaknesses

  • Surprisingly for a duck, Howard cannot swim.[116][42]

Paraphernalia

Equipment

  • Usually seen with a stogie.[110]

Weapons

  • He has a powerful weapon he called the Big Freaking Gun (BFG) possibly given to him by Morbius the Living Vampire or from A.R.M.O.R. The weapon seems to be a cannon which is able to disintegrate anything he fires at. What the weapon is really called is unknown.[110]
  • Iron Duck Suit: At one point, Howard possessed a special "Iron Duck" suit of powered armor which possessed a flamethrower, a lamp, and springs enabling him to leap as high as one story.[110]
  • As Duckman, he had the Duckmobile and a utility belt filled with unknown paraphernalia.[110]
  • Black Suit: Howard uses a technological armor made of an unknown material, apparently he could throw laser beams through his hands and eyes. The suit includes a mace and a kind of whip. [117]
  • Mystic Stuff: During his mystical training Howard used another Eye of Agamotto and the Cloak of Levitation, in addition to a suit. Apparently these objects are completely identical to the originals, both in appearance and function. [31]

Notes

Trivia

  • As per Generation X #21, Howard possesses the ability to grow whiskers out of his duckbill.
  • Howard the Duck's phone number is (555)-DUK-DICK.[98]
  • Doctor Strange cast a spell on Howard which makes his tail feathers grow every time he calls him a jerk.[120]
  • Back in the 1970s, The Walt Disney Company threatened to sue Marvel Comics over Howard the Duck's similarities in design to Donald Duck. Marvel capitulated to Disney's demands, which included that they had to make Howard look like a design sheet that Disney supplied. The most notable difference was the inclusion of pants in the revised design.[121]
  • In Spider-Man Team-Up #5 written by Howard's creator, Steve Gerber, Howard was replaced by a duplicate in the main Marvel Universe, and changed his name to Leonard the Duck. Gerber's intent was to "take back" his characters, but it was not acknowledged by the company or the fans, and Gerber eventually killed off Leonard. However, Chip Zdarsky, the writer of Howard the Duck (Vol. 5), wrote the character as though he was the clone, out of respect for the late Gerber.
  • In the Deadpool the Duck miniseries, Howard was merged Deadpool to become Deadpool the Duck.
  • Howard's full name was first revealed in War of the Realms: War Scrolls #1. In the panel where this reveal happens, a footnote by writer Chip Zdarsky urged Marvel wikis to update with this information.
  • On Howard's homeworld the colloquial expression 'hair of the dog' is replaced with 'claw of the eagle'.[122]

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. War of the Realms: War Scrolls #1
  2. Howard the Duck #19
  3. 3.0 3.1 Howard the Duck #30
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Howard the Duck #3
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Civil War: Choosing Sides #1
  6. 6.0 6.1 Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #5
  7. Deadpool the Duck #1
  8. 8.0 8.1 Marvel Zombies 5 #2
  9. Howard the Duck (Vol. 4) #1
  10. 10.0 10.1 Spider-Man: Back in Quack #1
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Howard the Duck (Vol. 4) #3
  12. 12.0 12.1 Howard the Duck (Vol. 4) #4
  13. Howard the Duck #20
  14. 14.0 14.1 Howard the Duck #33
  15. Amazing Spider-Man: Full Circle #1
  16. 16.0 16.1 Howard the Duck (Vol. 2) #6
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Original Sins #2
  18. Fear #19
  19. Man-Thing #1
  20. Man-Thing #22
  21. Giant-Size Man-Thing #4
  22. Frantic Special #1
  23. Giant-Size Man-Thing #5
  24. Deadpool Team-Up (Vol. 2) #885
  25. Howard the Duck #1
  26. Howard the Duck #2
  27. Howard the Duck #4
  28. Howard the Duck #5
  29. Howard the Duck #67
  30. Howard the Duck #7
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 Marvel Treasury Edition #12
  32. 32.0 32.1 Howard the Duck #13
  33. Howard the Duck #8
  34. Howard the Duck #9
  35. Howard the Duck #10
  36. Howard the Duck #11
  37. Howard the Duck #12
  38. Howard the Duck #14
  39. Howard the Duck Annual #1
  40. Howard the Duck #1520
  41. Howard the Duck #21
  42. 42.0 42.1 Howard the Duck #22
  43. Howard the Duck #23
  44. Howard the Duck #24
  45. Howard the Duck #25
  46. Howard the Duck #26
  47. Howard the Duck #2728
  48. Marvel Two-In-One #46
  49. Howard the Duck #29
  50. Howard the Duck #31
  51. Howard the Duck (Vol. 2) #14
  52. Howard the Duck (Vol. 2) #5
  53. Howard the Duck (Vol. 2) #7
  54. Howard the Duck (Vol. 2) #8
  55. Howard the Duck (Vol. 2) #9
  56. Frantic #9
  57. Marvel Team-Up #96
  58. Bizarre Adventures #34
  59. Howard the Duck #32
  60. Marvel Tales (Vol. 2) #237
  61. Sensational She-Hulk #1415
  62. Sensational She-Hulk #1617
  63. Savage Hulk #1
  64. Generation X #20
  65. Generation X #2122
  66. Generation X #23
  67. Generation X #25
  68. Daydreamers #1
  69. Daydreamers #2
  70. Daydreamers #3
  71. Man-Thing (Vol. 3) #5
  72. Man-Thing (Vol. 3) #6
  73. Man-Thing (Vol. 3) #7
  74. Spider-Man Team-Up #5
  75. Ghost Rider (Vol. 3) #81
  76. Ghost Rider (Vol. 3) #82
  77. Howard the Duck Holiday Special #1
  78. Howard the Duck (Vol. 3) #12
  79. Howard the Duck (Vol. 3) #3
  80. Howard the Duck (Vol. 3) #4
  81. Howard the Duck (Vol. 3) #5
  82. Howard the Duck (Vol. 3) #6
  83. Marvel Knights Double Shot #2
  84. She-Hulk #9
  85. She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #3
  86. Civil War: Battle Damage Report #1
  87. Mighty Avengers #1
  88. Howard the Duck (Vol. 4) #14
  89. Marvel Zombies 5 #15
  90. Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #1
  91. Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #23
  92. Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #4
  93. Marvel Zombies Destroy! #1
  94. Marvel Zombies Destroy! #23
  95. Marvel Zombies Destroy! #45
  96. Web of Spider-Man #129.2
  97. Wolverine & the X-Men #17
  98. 98.0 98.1 Howard the Duck (Vol. 5) #1
  99. Howard the Duck (Vol. 5) #2
  100. Howard the Duck (Vol. 5) #3
  101. Howard the Duck (Vol. 5) #4
  102. Howard the Duck (Vol. 5) #5
  103. Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #1
  104. 104.0 104.1 Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #3
  105. 105.0 105.1 Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #4
  106. Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #8
  107. Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #9
  108. Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #10
  109. Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #11
  110. 110.0 110.1 110.2 110.3 110.4 110.5 110.6 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #5
  111. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #5
  112. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #2
  113. All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #5
  114. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #5
  115. Avengers (Vol. 8) #41
  116. Howard the Duck #15
  117. Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #6
  118. Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue #1
  119. Marvel Swimsuit Special #1
  120. Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (Vol. 2) #27
  121. [[Cronin, Brian (20 September 2007) Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed Vol 1 121 CBR.com. Retrieved on 6 December 2017.|Cronin, Brian (20 September 2007) Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #121 CBR.com. Retrieved on 6 December 2017.]]
  122. Howard the Duck (Vol. 4) #2
  123. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #5
  124. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 5
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