#90: BUSHWACKER
In the late 80s, comics were changing, and Super Villains with traditional powers and abilities were falling out of fashion for more edgy, contemporary ideas. Enter The Bushwacker. A former C.I.A. operative-turned mutant hunting killer, Carl Burbank, AKA Bushwacker had the unique ability to turn his arms into guns. (although, they never explained where the ammunition came from, or how that's really any more advantageous than just having, you know, normal arms and normal guns.) He was first introduced hunting down Wolverine in Daredevil #249. (Because in 1987, Wolverine was basically appearing in every Marvel book, or at least those that the Punisher wasn't already guest-staring in....) Ann Nocenti and Rick Leonardi had a great run on that book, and Bushwacker actually had a strong presence throughout the next decade. Oddly enough, this concept would later be revisited with the even more forgettable X-Men character Random, one of the lamest 90s characters in a decade plagued by lame characters.
#89: THE PRANKSTER
No matter which iteration we're talking about, Oswald Loomis, or The Prankster, as he's unfortunately known, is the single most unlikely Super Man villain.
He'd barely be a conceivable threat for the Metropolis PD, let alone the Man of Steel.
But despite oozing lameness, he's been a persistent thorn in Supe's side for decades, popping up again and again, and despite being "modernized" he has not managed to get any more compelling.
#88: THE KANGAROO
Frank Oliver was an Australian boxer with great leaping ability because he, uh, lived with Kangaroos.
OK, look...I genuinely love this character. I mean, I get why other people don't, and I fully appreciate the ridiculous concept...but there's just something about the way Romita drew him...he looked like he could throw down in a street fight, and wasn't at all played for laughs, despite the cockamamie concept.
The same can't be said for the 2nd Kangaroo, who was played solely as a joke...he was basically a fan boy of the original Kangaroo and wore a cybernetic Kangaroo suit. Because 90s Spider-Man comics could be awful.
#87: PREDATOR
Man, DC had a character called The Terminator, too. I'm surprised there was no Commando. (The Viking Commando don't count.)
THIS Predator was a Green Lantern villain, originally portrayed as a physical manifestation of one of Carol Ferris' alternate personalities, similar to Star Sapphire.
Jesus, this character's story is convoluted and confusing, as it was later revealed that the Predator was the living embodiment of Love, just as Parallax is to fear.
Why the embodiment of love would have a big silver fire ax dangling from his hip I'll never know, but hey, he did look bitchin' for the time.
#86 THE HEADMEN
The backstory for the Headmen is actually quite interesting. Steven Gerber took 3 of the characters (Chondu the Mystic, Dr. Arthur Nagan and Dr. Jerry Morgan) from a 1950s horror comic (Weird Wonder Tales #7 to be exact) and united them with his original creation Ruby Thursday.
Nagan was the Gorilla-Man, a human head transplanted onto the powerful body of a Gorilla. Chondu The Mystic was a minor magician who at one point could transform into a monstrous demon-like form. Ruby Thursday had a artificial plastic, shape shifting orb for a head, that could form weapons and fire projectiles. And Dr. Jerry Morgan had...shrunken bones. Poor guy. Even Egghead is a more formidable foe.
They fought the Defenders, but it wasn't until Byrne's fantastic She-Hulk series that they gained any noteriety.
Purposefully weird, yes, but Steve Gerber pulled off weird better than almost anybody, especially in mainstream comics.
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