Shaggy Man (comics)

Shaggy Man
The Shaggy Man as depicted in Justice League of America #45 (June 1966).
Art by Mike Sekowsky.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceOriginal:
Justice League of America #45 (June 1966)
Created byGardner Fox (scripts)
Mike Sekowsky (pencils)
In-story information
Abilities

Shaggy Man is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Most of the Shaggy Men are depicted as artificial lifeforms with regenerating abilities and have been created by different people.

Publication history

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The Shaggy Man debuted in Justice League of America #45 (June 1966) and was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky.[1] That story also introduced a second Shaggy Man created to combat the first. The original Shaggy Man returned in Justice League of America #104 (Feb. 1973). Its body returned in JLA #24 - 26 (Dec. 1998 - Feb. 1999) and was updated and rechristened "the General" after General Wade Eiling transplanted his mind into it. The General reappeared in the "World War III" storyline JLA #36 - 41 (Dec. 1999 - May 2000).

The second character reappeared in a one-shot story in Justice League of America #186 (Jan. 1981) and in Crisis on Infinite Earths #9-10 (Dec. 1985-Jan. 1986).

A Shaggy Man created by Lex Luthor debuted in Justice League of America Wedding Special (Nov. 2007), the first chapter of a storyline that continued in Justice League of America #13-15 (Nov. 2007 - Jan. 2008).

A Shaggy Man created by Professor Ivo debuted in Justice League of America Vol. 3 #4. He later returned as a tool of Black Manta and N.E.M.O. in Aquaman: Rebirth #8-9 (2016).

Writer Mike Conroy noted that the Shaggy Man was "a mountainous cross between Frankenstein's monster and the Sasquatch".[2]

Fictional character biographies

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First Shaggy Man

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The Shaggy Man is a synthetic humanoid created by Professor Andrew Zagarian using plastic-like artificial tissue and salamander DNA. Following a power surge, it is transformed into a monstrous, mindless form. Throughout its appearances, the Shaggy Man battles the Justice League before being rendered inert after they remove its hair. General Wade Eiling later recovers Shaggy Man's body and transfers his consciousness into it to prevent his inevitable death from a brain tumor.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

Second Shaggy Man

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The second Shaggy Man was created by Professor Zagarian to battle the first during its first encounter with the Justice League.[4] After Batman sends it into space, Shaggy Man returns in Crisis on Infinite Earths, where Green Arrow kills it.[9][10]

Lex Luthor's Shaggy Man

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A new version of Shaggy Man created by Lex Luthor appears as a member of the Injustice League.[11][12] However, Green Lantern and Red Arrow tranquilize him and bring to the Justice League's Christmas party.[13]

Java

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In Brightest Day, Simon Stagg performs an unknown experiment that enables his assistant Java to transform into a Shaggy Man. He is defeated by Stagg's former minion Freight Train, who has defected to the Outsiders.[14]

Professor Ivo's Shaggy Man

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A new incarnation of Shaggy Man is introduced in The New 52. This version is a robot created by Professor Ivo who wears a fur coating and is a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains.[15]

Powers and abilities

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The Shaggy Man possesses superhuman strength and durability, can regenerate rapidly, and does not need sustenance or rest.[4] Thanks to its synthetic physiology, it can adapt to harsh environments and does not age.[6]

Professor Ivo's Shaggy Man is a robot who can adapt instantaneously to counter its opponents.

Other versions

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A Bizarro World counterpart of Shaggy Man appears in DC Comics Presents #71.[16]

In other media

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References

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  1. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-4654-8578-6.
  2. ^ Conroy, Mike. 500 Comicbook Villains, Collins & Brown, 2004.
  3. ^ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Supervillains. New York: Facts on File. p. 314. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
  4. ^ a b c Justice League of America #45 (June 1966). DC Comics.
  5. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 268. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  6. ^ a b Justice League of America #104 (Feb. 1973). DC Comics.
  7. ^ General Mills Presents: Justice League #1. DC Comics.
  8. ^ JLA #24 - 26 (Dec. 1998 - Feb. 1999). DC Comics.
  9. ^ Justice League of America #186 (Jan. 1981). DC Comics.
  10. ^ Crisis on Infinite Earths #10 (Jan. 1986). DC Comics.
  11. ^ Justice League of America Wedding Special #1 (Nov. 2007). DC Comics.
  12. ^ Justice League of America (vol. 3) #14 (July 2014). DC Comics.
  13. ^ DC Universe Holiday Special #1. DC Comics.
  14. ^ Outsiders (vol. 4) #35 (Feb. 2011). DC Comics.
  15. ^
    • Justice League of America (vol. 3) #4 - #5 (July - August 2013). DC Comics.
    • Aquaman (vol. 8) #7 - #9 (September - October 2016). DC Comics.
    • Justice League (vol. 3) #37 (May 2018). DC Comics.
    • Damage (vol. 2) #15 - #16 (May - June 2019). DC Comics.
    • Dark Crisis #1 - #3 (June - August 2022). DC Comics.
    • Dark Crisis #6 - #7 (January - February 2023). DC Comics.
  16. ^ DC Comics Presents #71. DC Comics.
  17. ^ Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  18. ^ "Super Friends #20 - A Hair Raising Tale (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved July 29, 2024.