Superhero Alter Egos (Marvel's Bronze Age) Quiz

Answer: Frank Castle

Francis Castiglione (Frank Castle) first appeared in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #129 (Feb, 1974) with the intent to gun Spidey down for (supposedly) murdering Norman Osborne. The Punisher's willingness to go to any lengths to take out the bad guys made for a new kind of hero in the Marvel Universe, and his popularity skyrocketed. Before too long, he had four of his own titles, and regularly teamed up with more established heroes (including Spider-Man).

Castle has no special powers, other than being a sniper-quality shot and excellent at hand-to-hand combat.

Answer: Ororo Munroe

The mutant Ororo Munroe made her first appearance in "Giant-Size X-Men" #1 (May, 1975) as part of a new generation of X-Men, recruited by Professor Xavier to rescue the original team, missing on a mission to the island of Krakoa. Ororo was born to a Kenyan princess (and her American husband), and she lived for a time in Harlem, then in Egypt, where her parents were killed.

When Professor X recruits her, she is being worshiped as a goddess in the Serengeti, due to her powers over the weather.

Answer: Daniel Rand

Daniel "Danny" Rand made his debut in "Marvel Premiere" #15 (May, 1974). Danny earned the powers of the Iron Fist while training in the mysterious city of K'un-L'un, where he was raised after his parents died seeking the city (Danny's father had been there previously). After his training in martial arts, Danny defeated the dragon Shou-Lao the Undying to gain its power. From there, he returns to America to seek vengeance on the one responsible for his parents' deaths.

As the Iron Fist, Danny is able to focus his chi and pour the energy into his fists... making them super strong and impervious to injury, while also granting him the ability to heal himself and others. When he harnesses the power of the Iron Fist, all of his other abilities (martial arts) are enhanced.

Answer: Frankie Raye

Frankie Raye made her first appearance in "Fantastic Four" #164 (Nov, 1975), but she was only a supporting character to begin, a love interest for Johnny Storm (The Human Torch). It was later discovered that she had a latent superpower that had been suppressed in her memory by her stepfather, Phineas Horton, who had created the original Golden Age android, The Human Torch (NOT Johnny Storm). She had been exposed to the same chemicals that had given the android his powers over flame and to be able to fly.

Shortly after manifesting her powers, Frankie took on the persona of Nova, and volunteered to be (the planet-devourer) Galactus' new herald (replacing the Silver Surfer). Nova was killed in "Silver Surfer" #75 (Dec, 1992).

Answer: Ted Sallis

Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis first appeared in "Savage Tales" #1 (1971), part of a team of scientists located in the Everglades while working to recreate the Super Soldier serum (that created Captain America). When the techno-terrorist group AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics) assaulted them, Dr. Sallis escaped with the only sample of the serum. In the pursuit, Sallis injects himself with the serum, hoping to save himself, but then he crashes his car into the swamp and becomes transformed into the Man-Thing.

As the Man-Thing, Dr. Sallis only has dim memories of his former self, but he is empathic towards emotion. When enraged by fear, he is able to secrete a chemical that burns like acid.

Answer: Betsy Braddock

Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock made her debut in "Captain Britain" #8 (Dec, 1976), part of Marvel's U.K. line of comics. Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) is her twin brother. It was not until 1986 that she joined the X-Men, with a slightly different set of abilities than she was introduced with.

She began as a precog, but this was soon expanded to become telepathy. In the 1990s, her consciousness took over the body of a ninja (named Kwannon), acquiring her ninja skills in the process.

Answer: Kurt Wagner

Kurt Wagner's made his first appearance in "Giant X-Men" #1 (May, 1975), alongside other newly-recruited mutants, gathered to rescue the imperiled original X-Men team. Wagner was raised in a travelling Bavarian circus by a sorceress named Margali Szardos. It was later determined that Wagner was the child of Raven Darkholme (aka Mystique) and the demonic warlord Azazel.

Nightcrawler looks like a monster, with his blue skin, three-fingered hands, and prehensile tail. Along with his great agility, he also has the power to teleport, and when he does, there is a smell of brimstone left behind.

Answer: Jessica Drew

Jessica Drew first appeared in "Marvel Spotlight" #32 (Feb, 1977) before subsequently having her own comic that lasted for 50 issues. She was originally presented as having been an actual spider that was transformed into a human, but after her character was green-lighted for more stories, it was written into her history that the spider transformation was a memory implanted by HYDRA. In actuality, she gained her powers while still in her mother's womb after being bombarded with radiation. Spider-Woman was killed at the end of her self-titled series, but was resurrected with the "New Avengers" comic.

As Spider-Woman, Drew has great strength, speed and agility, and also can stick to surfaces by secreting a special fluid from her hands and feet. She also has the ability to discharge bio-energy through her hands, which she calls 'venom blasts'. Lastly, she produces pheromones of attraction to men and repulsion to women.

Answer: Johnny Blaze

Johnny Blaze debuted as the Ghost Rider in "Marvel Spotlight" #5 (Aug, 1972). He was a stunt motorcyclist with the travelling show 'Crash Simpson Stunt Cycle Extravaganza'. When his mentor and father-figure (Crash Simpson) fell sick with cancer, Blaze made a deal with (who he thought was) the devil, to save Crash from death. Blaze became the Ghost Rider, able to wield hellfire and riding a mystical motorcycle that also had hellfire (leaving flaming streaks behind when he rode it). His head would also become a flame-wreathed skull while he manifested the powers of the Ghost Rider.

Crash's cancer was cured, but then he was killed in a stunt shortly thereafter, trapping Blaze in his deal with the demon Mephisto (who had posed as Satan).

Answer: Felicia Hardy

Felicia Hardy made her first appearance in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #194 (Jul, 1979), presented as a highly-skilled cat burglar and acrobat, but with no inherent powers. After developing a relationship with Spider-Man, Hardy decided to try to obtain true powers by artificial means. After attempting to get help from the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and Henry Pym, she turned to the Kingpin, who managed to imbue her with a 'bad luck' power.

Hardy's bad luck power causes others to experience mishaps and accidents around her when she is under stress. Unfortunately, it also has the side effect of affecting anyone with whom she has long-term contact.