Killer Shrike

Killer Shrike is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history

He first appeared in Rampaging Hulk #1 (January 1977) and was created by John Warner and John Buscema.

Fictional character biography

Simon Maddicks

Simon Maddicks was born in Williamsburg, Virginia. He began his career as a soldier in the United States Army. However, after that, not even Maddicks recalls much about his own past for some reason. When he was selected to be a special agent of the Roxxon Oil Company, Maddicks became a mercenary and professional criminal, more specifically a special agent in covert operations. He was sent to the Mutagenics Laboratory of the Brand Corporation, where he underwent extensive conditioning which increased his human abilities. He also underwent surgery which implanted a miniature anti-gravity generator in his spine. Roxxon later gave Maddicks his super-villain costume and the codename "Killer Shrike".

For his first mission, Roxxon sent him to infiltrate the subversive organization called the Conspiracy, which Roxxon learned about through major purchases of technology from the Brand Corporation. The Conspiracy sent Killer Shrike to capture a monster known as Goram. Unfortunately for Killer Shrike, the plan was thwarted by the super-hero known as Ulysses Bloodstone who short-circuited the villain's electrical weapons, badly injuring him. Feeling sorry for Killer Shrike's condition, Bloodstone's agents sent the villain to a New York hospital, where he lay comatose for several weeks.