Masked Marauder | |
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Art by John Romita
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | Daredevil #16 (May 1966) |
Created by |
Stan Lee John Romita, Sr. Frank Giacoia |
In-story information | |
Full name | Frank Farnum |
Team affiliations | Maggia |
Notable aliases | Mr. Dunn |
Abilities | Skilled inventor Genius engineer Trained martial artist Wields various weapons |
The Masked Marauder is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He briefly served as the central villain of the Daredevil title.
The Masked Marauder first appeared in Daredevil #16-19 (May-August 1966), and was created by Stan Lee, John Romita, Sr., and Frank Giacoia.
The character subsequently appears in Daredevil #22-23 (November-December 1966), #26-27 (March-April 1967), Iron Man #60-61 (July-August 1973, Werewolf by Night #42-43 (January, March 1977), and The Spectacular Spider-Man #25-28 (December 1978-March 1979). The character appears again many years later in Punisher War Journal #4 (April 2007).
The Masked Marauder received an entry in the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z: Update #3 (2007).
Frank Farnum was the manager of the Manhattan building in which the law offices of Nelson and Murdock reside. How and why he became the Masked Marauder has never been revealed. He first appeared as an already successful crime leader with men, money, and resources at his command.
The Masked Marauder first came to the public's attention in a confrontation with Spider-Man; Spider-Man foiled his plans, but the Marauder himself escaped. He later clashed with Spider-Man again, with the same result, when he launched a big attack on the World Motors Building in order to steal a new auto engine design, the XB-390, intending to modify it into a weapon.
In order to prevent Spider-Man from stopping him a third time, he ordered a half dozen of his men to impersonate Daredevil and attack Spider-Man, hoping to draw the two super-heroes into conflict. When he heard of a fight between Spider-Man and Daredevil through a live news broadcast, he executed a fresh assault on the World Motors Building and stole the XB-390. However, J. Jonah Jameson set a trap by announcing the XB-390 is useless without the formula for fueling it. Falling for the deception, the Masked Marauder attacked the World Motors Building again, and his plans were yet again foiled by Spider-Man. Enraged, he defeated Spider-Man and tried to kill him, but was stopped by Daredevil. Once again all of his men were captured. While fleeing the scene he overheard Foggy Nelson, a lawyer working out of an office in his building, insinuating to Karen Page that he is really Daredevil. Days later, he noticed Page going into the law office late one evening; his suspicious aroused, he confronted her in his civilian identity in the hope she'd let slip some of Nelson's secret. (Due to an editorial oversight, he is referred to as "Mr. Dunn" in this scene.) However, Page gave nothing away and collapsed into a faint during their conversation. During this time he employed Nelson to draw up new leases for his building; it is never revealed if this was genuinely a matter of business, or an excuse to more closely study the man he believed to be Daredevil.