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! 
- —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 Roman Catholic couple living in New Stork. He had two siblings, Theresa and Orville.[19] 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.[20] 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-lord Thog the Nether-Spawn used his demonic powers 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 of Ktharta, who also came from another dimension, the young Earth-born sorceress Jennifer Kale, Dakimh the Enchanter, and the Man-Thing, the guardian of the Nexus. The battle against Thog ended for Howard when he fell off the other-dimensional Stepping Stones of Oblivion.[21][22][23]
Cleveland[]
He landed back on Earth-616 in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, where he first faced the menace of Garko, the Man-Frog.[24][25]
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 cross. During the fight, he used a 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.[26][27]
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.[28]
Although Howard attempted to live as normal a life as possible, considering that he was a talking duck on a world of human beings, he continually ran afoul of various unusual menaces including the Turnip Man,[29] Count Macho,[5] the Winky-Man,[30] Emile "The Goat" Klout[31] and the Gingerbread Man.[32]
Howard came to public notoriety when he became a candidate for the United States Presidency on a very minor party ticket.[33] He was even the target of an assassination plot as someone hired Doctor Angst and his group, the 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.[34] 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.[35]
He continued to battle villains such as the Bellhop,[36] Le Beaver,[37] Kong Lomerate,[38] the Kidney Lady,[39] the Rev. Joon Moon Yuc and the Yuccies,[40] and Roxxon.[41]
Doctor Bong[]
His most notable arch-nemesis was Doctor Bong. Through cleverness, persistence, and just plain good (if not dumb) luck, Howard always managed to either defeat or escape from his adversaries.[42]
S.O.O.F.I.[]
Howard went up against a hate group called S.O.O.F.I. (Save Our Offspring From Indecency) who were "trying to restore order to the world".[43]
Bzzk'joh[]
While relaxing in his apartment Howard was attacked by a salt shaker with arms and legs on a giant housefly, but they were unable to defeat him. Dakimh and the Man-Thing arrived to ask Howard for his help and he was reluctantly transported to the Castle in the Sky over the Land Between Night and Day, where they were reunited with Korrek and Jennifer Kale. Dakimh brought them there to battle the demon Bzzk'joh.[44] Bzzk'jho attacked them and Jennifer was forced to use her power to bring NAAC-P30 and 2-2 2-2, two Druid Droids that helped Howard, Korrek, and the 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 spaceship, the Epoch Weasel, into the universe to get to jho's kingdom, 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 and 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 base, the Death Store, a giant spaceship themed after a box store. There they fought through jho's armies and freed Jennifer, escaping just as the Death Store was set to explode, destroying jho and all of his followers.[45] They returned Howard to Earth-616 New York, but he experienced nothing but trouble when he tried to help out a few New Yorkers [46]
The 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.[47] After defeating the Circus of Crime Howard, plagued by pessimistic dreams, went his own way, as he had at the beginning of the series.[48][49] Howard then returned to Cleveland.[50]
Iron Duck
Showdown with Doctor Bong[]
He battled Doctor Bong and teamed up with Claude Starkowitz, a former Vietnam vet who believed that he was related to Tony Stark, the personal armorer to Iron Man, and the genius behind the creation of Iron Man's Armor. Claude created for Howard a suit of Iron Man-inspired armor with springs and a built-in flamethrower, plus a device which would, hopefully, neutralize Bong's powers. Lee and Howard returned to the hospital, where Bong appeared to challenge Howard just as they finished setting up.[4] 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 the last time that 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 off, Beverly stopped him, showing him cloned babies that she 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.[51]
Return to Cleveland[]
Now living in Cleveland again, Howard battled new weird adversaries.[52]
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 into a vampire, but Howard staked him with a piece of a picket fence. Seeking immortality and listening to the dying Dracula claiming that he could give it to him, Harold foolishly removed the stake, and Dracula turned him into a vampire. Three days later, Howard read of reports of Harold clawing his way out of his grave.[53]
Howard and Beverly on Duckworld
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 (Witness to the Ascension Cult), and they learned what the Rev. Godfrey Gander had done. Howard spoke up to the crowd, denouncing Rev. Godfrey and revealing the message that 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 his 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, the 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.[19]
Back on Earth-616[]
Arriving back in Earth-616, at the Nexus of All Realities in Florida, they teamed up with the Man-Thing again to battle Kong Lomerate.[54] Howard and Bev got jobs at a retirement home in Miami where they ran afoul of the grand designs of the Grey Panther.[6] The pair wound up in New Orleans where Bev was kidnapped by the Black Talon as an intended sacrifice of 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 found 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's confidence and morale; he showed 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 of his friends’ lives would have been better off without him. Believing that he had failed and that his life was worse than Howard's because he believed that would never get his wings, Andy considered suicide himself, but Howard succeeded in stopping him from doing so. Howard offered to buy Andy a 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 broke up with Beverly at her request. After that, he was mistaken for "Duck Drake, Private Eye".[55] He then met Ceci Ryder when hitchhiking and battled the Gopher, afterwards ending up back in Cleveland.[59]
Alexis the Duck[]
Howard later won 10 million dollars from the American Garden and Family grand prize contest. However, the fun and the fame changed him, causing him to lose 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.[16]
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 and 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 then Ducktor Doom materialized in the alley behind him.[60]
She-Hulk[]
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 the Band of the Bland again.[62]
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.[63] 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 Quak 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 dealt 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.[64] Outside in the Bio-Sphere, Howard and his girlfriend Bev 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 treehouse. Inside they found Tana Nile. Tana was a Rigellian who crash-landed on Earth a short while ago. Leech had been sneaking her food from the school, and no one but the children were even aware of her presence.[65] Howard tried to find a way to get the children to safety. Black Tom Cassidy 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 treehouse 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 body.[66]
Daydreamers[]
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 for them 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 had come for Franklin Richards.[67]
The Dark Hunter attacked the Daydreamers proclaiming that he had come for Franklin Richards. The Daydreamers could not decide which was stranger: the evil villain standing before them, Doctor Strange in drag, or the fact that the Man-Thing could suddenly carry on a conversation. Leech tried to siphon away the Dark Hunter's powers, but to no avail. Franklin asked Strange if he could send them home. Strange could not send them back to Earth, but instead used his magic wand to send them to another realm altogether. The group arrived in a bizarre cartoon-liked reality, which appeared as if it were crafted from the mind of Dr. Seuss. Weird creatures were seen walking down the streets with distended lips and large tufts of hair on their heads. Like the characters from Dr. Seuss, everyone had a penchant for speaking in rhyme. The Daydreamers stopped at a local diner to collect their thoughts. The staff at the diner became irate with Howard, who absolutely refused to speak in rhyme. Franklin placated the offended food servers by ordering their meals in rhyme for them. It did little good, however, as the Cadence Police arrived to arrest the Daydreamers. Howard wanted to start a fight with them, but Tana convinced him that allowing them to be taken to jail might actually serve their better interests. Suddenly, Artie began to distrust Franklin. He continued to have visions of the Dark Hunter and felt that Franklin was connected to the Hunter in an unhealthy fashion. Franklin lashed out at him, declaring that he should mind his own business. Later that night, the Dark Hunter came for them. Tana Nile ripped the bars off of their prison cell and they broke free. She tried to keep the Dark Hunter at bay, but was unable to penetrate his shadowy form. Howard tried to get the Man-Thing to transport them back home, but the Man-Thing explained to him that he cannot control the power of the Nexus. Regardless, the Daydreamers dove into his slimy body and accessed the Nexus of All Realities. When they exited, they found themselves on Duckworld – the planet of Howard's birth. They looked around in shock and awe as they saw a large bronze statue of Howard the Duck in the town square. To all accounts, Howard appeared to be a hero of the people.[68]
Crowds of people began swelling around the new arrivals, eager to welcome their hero home. In an effort to keep the excited mob at bay, Tana Nile picked up the Man-Thing and began swinging him about like a baseball bat. The Daydreamers ducked down an alleyway and stealthily made their way towards Howard's home. Howard did not know why he was being hailed as a great hero and frankly, he did not care. The Man-Thing began to lose his cohesion, and Tana had to help him along. They arrived at the house of Howard's parents, June and Ward. It was an idyllic two-story home with a perfectly manicured lawn and a white picket fence. June and Ward came out to greet the newcomers and they welcomed Howard with open arms. Following a quick repast, Howard decided that he had had enough of this. He knew that this was not his true family and that his home life was never this perfect. As he shook his head in denial, the imagery washed away and all of it was revealed to be an illusion. Meanwhile, the Man-Thing continued to fall apart. Tapping into the cosmic energies of the Nexus of All Realities had proven too taxing for his physical form and he could no longer maintain his cohesion. Before long, the Dark Hunter arrived on Duckworld and continued his pursuit of Franklin Richards. The Daydreamers left Howard's phony household and proceeded to a place known as the Richards Institute. Inside were two-dimensional cartoon versions of Franklin's parents, Reed and Susan Richards. The Dark Hunter tracked them down and they soon realized what the Hunter actually was – he was 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 were 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 was finally ready to let go of his parents. As Franklin's pocket reality ceased to exist, the Daydreamers exited the Nexus of All Realities. They were back on Earth-616 in the Florida Everglades, and the Man-Thing was back to his normal, inarticulate self.[69]
Back Home[]
While the Man-Thing became a self-appointed guardian of Franklin, Howard went off on his own and was captured by the Cult of Entropy.[70] 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 had shattered during Heroes Reborn, inside him, which he knew because it was making him nauseous. The Man-Thing entered his gullet, and Howard vomited him back out with the fragment, but the former was left desiccated and practically dead.[71]
He then encountered Namor the Sub-Mariner, 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 the Man-Thing down in the water, and he revived during the conversation with Namor. Once he saw that the Man-Thing was alive and well, he bid Namor farewell and told him that he was returning to Cleveland.[72]
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.[73]
The 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.[74] The disoriented dinosaur attempted to eat Howard, but spat him out when he was shot with the Ghost Rider's Hellfire Shotgun. They then went on a rampage through the city before being subdued by the Ghost Rider. Howard related to the pair, being trapped in a world he was never meant to be in, and wandered off.[75]
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.[76]
Howard the Mouse[]
Howard the Duck in mouse form
Beverly obtained a job at a company that was owned by Doctor Bong who turned Howard into a mouse, but the process was unstable and he cycled through different forms before settling on the mouse form again.[77] 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.[78] 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.[79] However, she was possessed by the angel-demon 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.[80] 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 his duck form.[81][82]
Howard the Duck tried to sue the director George Lucas over a film, and was represented by Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway.[83][84]
Civil War[]
As an interdimensional non-human being, Howard was compelled to register under the Superhuman Registration Act along with Beverly.[7] He attempted to do so during the Civil War[85] but learned that his socially disruptive life had created so many bureaucratic headaches that the U.S. government's policy was that Howard, the so-called infamous "Duck Man of Cleveland", did not exist. This lack of government oversight delighted him: "For the rest of my life... no more parking tickets - or taxes - or jury duty. Heck, I couldn't even vote if I wanted to! This is even better than Christmas in Vegas!"[7][86]
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.[87]
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.[10] 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 multiverses 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.[88]
The Fearsome Four[]
The Fearsome Four
During the Fear Itself event, Howard formed a team called the Fearsome Four with the 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.[89] Facing various alternate universe heroes and the Psycho-Man, brought to Earth by the Man-Thing's connection to the Nexus of All Realities, [90] 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.[91]
Cynical Duck and Swizzle[]
Cynical Duck and Swizzle
Howard and Bev were both 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 Bev and the other S.O.O.F.I.s saw Spidey as a semi-demonic figure and attacked him. Spidey escaped with Howard and broke his brainwashing because Bev was being 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 Bev, 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 Bev 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 a while after such a defeat, and also hoped their Florida Everglades base might lead them to meet up with the Man-Thing.[12]
The Ducky Dozen[]
The 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.[92] The team was comprised of himself, several Golden Age heroes, Dum Dum Dugan, and Battlestar, who was 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.[93] After successfully accomplishing their mission Howard, Dugan, Taxi Taylor, and Battlestar were the only members left that had survived and returned to Earth-616 along with the Riveter, the only survivor of Earth-12591's resistance team the Suffragists.[94][95]
Doop[]
Howard teamed up with his 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 shot bees.[96]
Original Sin[]
After the death of Uatu 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 calculate his way to land safely in a dumpster.[20]
A Living Nexus of All Realities[]
Howard returned to his business as a private eye, working in the same building as the 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 on his way to give it back to Richards he found himself kidnapped by the Collector,[97] allied with the Guardians of the Galaxy to escape the villain's collection,[98] and confronted 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 Skrull Talos the Untamed, and explained the true nature of the stone in the necklace: it was one of the several Abundant Gems.[99] 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 more powerful with the Abundant Glove.[100] 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 alien villain and defeat him.[101]
Howard eventually set out to return to his home dimension, and traveled to Florida to find the Nexus of All Realities in order 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.[102] 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 Raccoon, who wanted to rescue everyone trapped in Collecton and escape to another universe.
Howard agreed to help Linda and Shocket, and on their way to Collecton, they were pursued by both Skrulls and the Stranger.[103] 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 the Silver Surfer and the Guardians of the Galaxy, Howard's allies rescued him.[104] Using a portion of the Power Cosmic granted to him by the 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.[8] Following a bittersweet and brief reunion, Howard returned to New York.[105]
Battle Against the Sparkitects[]
While investigating a case for actress Lea Thompson, Howard discovered that the nefarious Mojo of the 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.[106]
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 off all ties with him. When Howard confronted Chipp, the Sparkitect stabbed and killed him.[107] 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.[108]Attributes
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.[109] [104]
Enhanced Duckworldian Speed: After his training Howard has improved his speed, moving faster than the human eye can see. [5]
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.[5]
Mystical Training: The Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange has also briefly tutored Howard in the mystic ways, indicating even those of Duckworld possess magical potential.[109][110][111][112][113] 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.[34]
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,[5] and hence is a surprisingly formidable opponent in hand-to-hand combat, which allows him to defeat opponents that are more powerful than himself.[109]
Willpower: As part of his Quak Fu 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.[5]
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.[5]
Weaknesses
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Howard is usually seen with a cigar.[109]
Weapons
- He has a powerful weapon that he called the Big Freaking Gun (BFG), which was 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 it at. What the weapon is really named is unknown.[109]
- 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.[109]
- As Duckman, he had a Duckmobile and a utility belt filled with unknown paraphernalia.[6][109]
- Black Suit: Howard uses a technological armor made of an unknown material; apparently he could shoot laser beams through his hands and out of his eyes. The suit includes a mace and a kind of whip. [116]
- Mystic Stuff: During his mystical training Howard used another Eye of Agamotto and Cloak of Levitation, in addition to a suit. Apparently these objects are completely identical to the originals, both in appearance and in function. [34]
Notes
- Howard was originally from Duckworld on Earth-47920 but this was later retconned to Earth-791021.
- Howard was featured in both Marvel Swimsuit Specials.[117][118]
Trivia
- As per Generation X #21, Howard possesses the ability to grow whiskers out of his bill.
- Howard's phone number is (555)-DUK-DICK.[97]
- Doctor Strange cast a spell on Howard which makes his tail feathers grow every time that he calls him a jerk.[119]
- 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.[120]
- 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 either 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 all Marvel wikis to update themselves with this information.
- On Howard's homeworld the colloquial expression "hair of the dog" is replaced with "claw of the eagle".[121]
See Also
- 218 appearance(s) of Howard Duckson (Earth-47920)
- 13 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Howard Duckson (Earth-47920)
- 31 minor appearance(s) of Howard Duckson (Earth-47920)
- 39 mention(s) of Howard Duckson (Earth-47920)
- 13 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Howard Duckson (Earth-47920)
- 380 image(s) of Howard Duckson (Earth-47920)
- 32 quotation(s) by or about Howard Duckson (Earth-47920)
- 3 victim(s) killed by Howard Duckson (Earth-47920)
Links and References
References
- ↑ War of the Realms: War Scrolls #1
- ↑ Howard the Duck #19
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 3) #1–6
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Howard the Duck #30
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Howard the Duck #3
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Howard the Duck (Vol. 2) #8
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Civil War: Choosing Sides #1
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #5
- ↑ Deadpool the Duck #1
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Marvel Zombies 5 #2
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 4) #1
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Spider-Man: Back in Quack #1
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Howard the Duck (Vol. 4) #3
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Howard the Duck (Vol. 4) #4
- ↑ Howard the Duck #20
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Howard the Duck #33
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Spider-Boy (Vol. 2) #9
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man: Full Circle #1
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Howard the Duck (Vol. 2) #6
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Original Sins #2
- ↑ Fear #19
- ↑ Man-Thing #1
- ↑ Man-Thing #22
- ↑ Giant-Size Man-Thing #4
- ↑ Frantic Special #1
- ↑ Giant-Size Man-Thing #5
- ↑ Deadpool Team-Up (Vol. 2) #885
- ↑ Howard the Duck #1
- ↑ Howard the Duck #2
- ↑ Howard the Duck #4
- ↑ Howard the Duck #5
- ↑ Howard the Duck #6–7
- ↑ Howard the Duck #7
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 Marvel Treasury Edition #12
- ↑ Howard the Duck #13
- ↑ Howard the Duck #8
- ↑ Howard the Duck #9
- ↑ Howard the Duck #10
- ↑ Howard the Duck #11–12
- ↑ Howard the Duck #13–14
- ↑ Howard the Duck Annual #1
- ↑ Howard the Duck #15–20
- ↑ Howard the Duck #21
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 Howard the Duck #22
- ↑ Howard the Duck #23
- ↑ Howard the Duck #24
- ↑ Howard the Duck #25–26
- ↑ Howard the Duck #27–28
- ↑ Marvel Two-In-One #46
- ↑ Howard the Duck #29
- ↑ Howard the Duck #31
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 2) #1–4
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 2) #5
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 2) #7
- ↑ 55.0 55.1 Howard the Duck (Vol. 2) #9
- ↑ Frantic #9
- ↑ Marvel Team-Up #96
- ↑ Bizarre Adventures #34
- ↑ Howard the Duck #32
- ↑ Marvel Tales (Vol. 2) #237
- ↑ Sensational She-Hulk #14–15
- ↑ Sensational She-Hulk #16–17
- ↑ Generation X #20
- ↑ Generation X #21–22
- ↑ Generation X #23
- ↑ Generation X #25
- ↑ Daydreamers #1
- ↑ Daydreamers #2
- ↑ Daydreamers #3
- ↑ Man-Thing (Vol. 3) #5
- ↑ Man-Thing (Vol. 3) #6
- ↑ Man-Thing (Vol. 3) #7
- ↑ Spider-Man Team-Up #5
- ↑ Ghost Rider (Vol. 3) #81
- ↑ Ghost Rider (Vol. 3) #82
- ↑ Howard the Duck Holiday Special #1
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 3) #1–2
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 3) #3
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 3) #4
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 3) #5
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 3) #6
- ↑ Marvel Knights Double Shot #2
- ↑ She-Hulk #9
- ↑ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #3
- ↑ Civil War: Battle Damage Report #1
- ↑ Mighty Avengers #1
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 4) #1–4
- ↑ Marvel Zombies 5 #1–5
- ↑ Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #1
- ↑ Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #2–3
- ↑ Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #4
- ↑ Marvel Zombies Destroy! #1
- ↑ Marvel Zombies Destroy! #2–3
- ↑ Marvel Zombies Destroy! #4–5
- ↑ Web of Spider-Man #129.2
- ↑ Wolverine & the X-Men #17
- ↑ 97.0 97.1 Howard the Duck (Vol. 5) #1
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 5) #2
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 5) #3
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 5) #4
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 5) #5
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #1
- ↑ 103.0 103.1 Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #3
- ↑ 104.0 104.1 Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #4
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #8
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #9
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #10
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #11
- ↑ 109.0 109.1 109.2 109.3 109.4 109.5 109.6 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #5
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #5
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #2
- ↑ All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #5
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #5
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #41
- ↑ Howard the Duck #15
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 6) #6
- ↑ Marvel Illustrated: The Swimsuit Issue #1
- ↑ Marvel Swimsuit Special #1
- ↑ Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (Vol. 2) #27
- ↑ [[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.]]
- ↑ Howard the Duck (Vol. 4) #2
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #5