Werewolf by Night

Werewolf by Night on the Marvel Directory}}

The old-style short-snout version of Marvel's Werewolf. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT Medium: Comic books Published by: Marvel Comics First Appeared: 1972 Creators: Gerry Conway (writer) and Mike Ploog (artist) If this site is enjoyable or useful to you, Please contribute to its necessary financial support. Amazon.com or PayPal In the early 1970s, expecting the superhero trend to fade just as it had in the late '40s, Marvel Comics prepared for a …

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… wholesale move into new categories of story. One of the genres they'd succeeded with before was horror; and besides, the Comics Code Authority had just relaxed its strictures in that area — and so, just between 1971 and '72, they introduced Tomb of Dracula, a new version of the western character Ghost Rider, Monster of Frankenstein and several others. Even one of the long-underwear guys, The Beast, a charter member of The X-Men, got a grisly new look for the new decade. One of the longer-lasting and better-remembered of the bunch was Werewolf by Night, which debuted in the February, 1972 issue of Marvel Spotlight, a try-out title along the lines of DC's Showcase. It ran three issues there, then moved out into a title of its own. The first issue was dated September, 1972.

The protagonist was Jack Russell, who, on reaching the age of 18, fell heir to a family curse. Every night of the full moon (a full moon lasting three nights by werewolf reckoning), he would turn into a rampaging, uncontrollable beast strongly reminiscent of a Hollywood-style werewolf (i.e., sort of wolf-like, but with a human-style short snout and upright stance). Later interactions with various supernatural denizens of the Marvel Universe left him looking less man-like when in werewolf mode. Also, at various times in the character's history, he's been able to control his transformations and even, occasionally, to retain his human intellect — all depending, of course, on the needs of whatever happens to be the current storyline.

Werewolf by Night's creators were Gerry Conway (Ms. Marvel, Firestorm), who scripted his first few adventures, and artist Mike Ploog. Ploog, who had previously worked in animation, was unknown in comics when Werewolf started, but quickly made a name for himself in that medium. His artwork was strongly influenced by Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit and one of America's most highly regarded cartoonists. Ploog's art was very favorably received, but his career in comics was brief. He went back to animation in the mid-1970s, and has seldom been seen in comics since. Later, the character was drawn by Gil Kane (Star Hawks), Don Perlin (The Defenders) and other talents.

Unexpectedly, the superheroes didn't collapse again — in fact, Moon Knight, a minor success in that genre, was introduced in Werewolf by Night #32 (August, 1975). Still, the horror-style characters had healthy sales. This one wasn't a notable success in merchandising, but did appear on the occasional lunch box or Slurpee cup. He was also the subject of a book-and-record set, i.e., a package containing a comic book and a record to provide a sound track for it. He enjoyed a respectable five-year run in his own comic (ending with #43, March, 1977) before hitting the guest star circuit.

He remained mostly a guest star, appearing just often enough to keep his trademark current, for a little more than 20 years. In 1998 he was back in a book of his own, but that lasted only six issues. His story was continued in Strange Tales (a revival of the 1950s-60s title that introduced Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.), which he shared with Man-Thing, but that run was even briefer. From there, he moved into The Supernaturals, a four-issue mini-series where he interacted with several of Marvel's characters from various astral planes. That one ended in December, 1998; since '99, he's been back on the guest star circuit.

But he may not be for long. There is now a movie version in development by Dimension Films and Crystal Sky, and news of its progress leaks out from time to time. Of course, lots of movies that go into development are never seen in theatres — but still, it looks like Jack's curse isn't going to be lifted any time soon.

— DDM

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Werewolf by Night Marvel Comic Book Series- When It Was Cool Remembers the Monster Series. By: Karl Stern (@dragonkingkarl, @wiwcool, karl@whenitwascool.com)

PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online! Werewolf 1.png The Comics Code Authority relaxed it rules on monsters in 1971 as we discussed in our Tomb of Dracula article and it became possible to publish code-approved comic books with werewolves. The Werewolf by Night character first appeared in Marvel Spotlight issue 2 in February 1972. The lead character's name was Jack Russell leading to the obvious dog jokes.

Werewolf 2.png After the try out run in Marvel Spotlight issues 2-4, the Werewolf by Night got his own solo series in September 1972. Gerry Conway described working on the series as "a lot of fun" because the horror genre was a refreshing change from the superhero stories that had been the staple of mainstream comics for years. Werewolf by Night was published for 43 issues and ran until March 1977.

Werewolf 4.png While most of the run of Werewolf by Night was standard monster fare for the era, the series took a superhero turn with issue #32 in August 1975 which saw the first appearance of a cult favorite character who would have numerous solo series over the year even to the current day- Moon Knight. Moon Knight was originally created with his silver attire and silver crescent darts to be a werewolf hunter before finally turning against the shadowy organization which hired him and becoming a hero.

WW32.JPG WW32_2.JPG Werewolf by Night was dormant for most of the 1980s. The character's appearance was radically revamped in Moon Knight issue 29 in March 1983 (pictured below).

WW New.JPG Werewolf by Night was later revived in the pages of Marvel Comics Presents anthology series, where he appeared occasionally from 1991-1993.

Werewolf by Night actually had a short lived second series in 1998 which ran for six issues. That series was written by Paul Jenkins and penciled by Leonardo Manco. After the book's cancellation, the story was continued in the pages of Strange Tales, which also featured the Man-Thing. That volume of Strange Tales was canceled after only two issues due to low sales.

In 2007, Marvel published a one-shot entitled Legion of Monsters: Werewolf by Night, with art by Greg Land.

In January 2009, Jack Russell was featured in the four-issue limited series Dead of Night Featuring Werewolf by Night, from Marvel's MAX imprint. The series was written by Duane Swierczynski, with art by Mico Suayan.

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Werewolf By Night Omnibus
IMG_2813 Werewolf By Night Omnibus painted cover under the dust jacket by Mike Ploog with updated digital coloring. Just opened the new monstrous Werewolf By Night omnibus from Marvel. This thing is awesome! Collects Marvel Spotlight 2-3, Werewolf By Night 1-44, Marvel Team-up 12, Tomb of Dracula 18, Giant-size Creatures 1 (first Tigra), Giant-size Werewolf 2-5, Marvel Premiere 28 (Legion of Monsters), and material from Monsters Unleashed magazine 6-7.

This is one helluva treat for Halloween. Painted cover by Ploog with WBN #1 cover by Ploog and the Werewolf vs Moon Knight on the back. Dust jacket by Ploog or DM jacket by Arthur Adams. The painted cover has very good digital painting that adds to the original artwork.

IMG_2839 Painted back cover as the Werewolf meets Moon Knight. On his 18th birthday, Jack Russell discovers that he inherits a family curse by transforming into the Werewolf. Now, under the full moon, he becomes a blood-curdling beast. He must protect his younger sister, Lissa, while trying to discover the secret of the Darkhold or anything that can release him from this curse. All the while, he fends off all manner of evil horrors that want the Darkhold for their own malevolent intent.

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Jack Russell meets Tigra (Greer Nelson’s first appearance as Tigra), Dracula, the Monster of Frankenstein, Spider-Man, Morbius the Living Vampire, Moon Knight and Iron Man.

IMG_2830 Marvel does the omnibus format right, including Gene Colan and Tom Palmer’s take on the Werewolf in the two-part Dracula crossover. This is a fantastically produced volume. Yes Ploog’s werewolf is the definitive one but later issues have some gripping stories, such as # 38, which is one of my favorites in the whole run. In #38, Doug Moench and Don Perlin have Jack caught between a man and his child on the run from a makeshift posse hired by his ex-wife. The issue ends with a surprise guest-star as Jack continues on his supernatural theme.

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Yes, the concept of a teen that transforms for three days a month but is otherwise quite normal lends itself to narrow plot possibilities. This led to a few weird plot maneuverings over the course of the title. Also, with several writers on the series, some of the recurring characters went through odd inconsistencies. Some of the themes wouldn’t be out-of-place in the more tame titles from the pre-code horror era, some of the stories try to be “relevant” for the 70s, which in turn, make them appear dated. A few of these stories would transcend in any era (minus the bell bottom pants 🙂 ). Given these items, this volume is still packed with fun, old-school stories.

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This is the best continuous werewolf story ever done in the comics medium and was one of Marvel’s more successful new titles in the Bronze Age across any genre. Werewolf By Night was the first attempt in comics history to give a recurring title dedicated to a werewolf. Roy Thomas described his thoughts as trying to graft a heroic werewolf in the style of Dracula merged with the formula of “a teenager going through difficult changes” that made Spider-man a success.

1160 pages of comics with 16 pages of extras. Extras include the covers from the trade paperbacks, an Art Adams cover, the original unaltered cover of Dracula vs the Werewolf, and a ton of quarter-sized original artwork. Beautifully arranged omnibus! Thank you, Marvel!

Before the Marvel Age dawned with the Fantastic Four and Stan Lee/Martin Goodman dusted off the name Marvel Comics again, the comic company that the industry referred to as Timely was published under the globe of Atlas.

The original name “Werewolf By Night” was used in the Atlas horror anthology Marvel Tales 116 July 1953.

That issue featured a fantastic cover by Atlas stalwart Joe Maneely and is in effect a bonus three-panel comic. This cover and 5-page story should’ve been included as an extra in the omnibus, but the rest is spectacular. As a special treat, we’ve posted the full story on thefanaticfour!

As an added special treat, we are also posting Dashing Donnie Heck’s first story for Atlas from Mystery Tales #25 in 1955. Two months before werewolves were banned under the Comics Code, Don Heck penciled a tale which just so happened to be called “Werewolf Beware“. I don’t have a copy of the original, but I do have Dead of Night #4, which conveniently reprints this story that has a heroic werewolf.

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Don Perlin first drew the Werewolf on this team-up with Spider-man. Perlin teamed up with Ross Andru for the artwork. Spider-man goes to San Francisco.

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Morbius the living vampire faces off against the Werewolf, with cover and interior art by Gil Kane. I always liked Morbius. Maybe we will get a trade of his stories soon?

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Tom Sutton drew a vicious werewolf. Too bad we didn’t see more of him in the series. Maybe it was too scary?

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OCTOBER 31, 2015 FERAL ATOMCOLLECTED EDITION REVIEWSBRONZE AGE, DON PERLIN, DRACULA, GENE COLAN, GIANT-SIZE WEREWOLF, HORROR, MIKE PLOOG, MOON KNIGHT, SPIDER-MAN, WEREWOLF, WEREWOLF BY NIGHT 2 thoughts on “Werewolf By Night Omnibus” First Pre-code Werewolf Story by Don Heck – The Fanatic Four February 27, 2016 at 2:28 am Reply […] if Marvel superb Werewolf By Night Omnibus wasn’t stuffed to the gills (fangs?) with werewolf stories, thefanaticfour decided to give […]

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The Original Werewolf By Night Story – The Fanatic Four February 27, 2016 at 2:30 am Reply […] doing a review of Marvel’s Werewolf By Night Omnibus, we figured we would unearth the original tale that carried this awesome name back in the Atomic […]

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https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ced15a6959930779decdf513f44cbe48.jpg "In most every way but one, I’m just your average Californian teenager—but it’s that one way in which I’m not that’s the kicker. Some fellows are shy with chicks; others have trouble with trig and senior-year calculus. Me, I’m a werewolf… A bona-fide werewolf-by-night." Werewolf by Night (Jack Russell, birthname Jacob Russoff) is a comic book character and star of the series by the same name, created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Mike Ploog as a direct response to The Comics Code Authority's 1971 rule revision that allowed werewolves to be portrayed. The character debuted in Marvel Spotlight vol. 1 #2 in February of 1972 and was granted his own title which ran for 43 issues (September, 1972 - March, 1977). In 1998 Werewolf by Night was given a short-lived revival, which sadly was cancelled before it could reach a conclusion.

Outside of his own titles, Jack has weaved his way through a number of other Marvel comic books over the years, such as Spider-Woman, Moon Knight, West Coast Avengers, X-Factor, Marvel Zombies and Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme. In 2009 there was the the four-part Dead of Night Featuring Werewolf by Night as part of Marvel's MAX imprint, providing an alternate and mature take on the character.

On his eighteenth birthday Jack Russell finds he has inherited the curse of the werewolf, and has to battle an array of villains, ranging from vampires to gorgons to circus folk, most of which need him in some way or another for the execution of their Evil Plan. During The Dark Age of Comic Books, he turned into a bit of an anti-hero, Walking the Earth and fighting rogue supernatural creatures who give the rest of them a bad name. As of the 2010s Jack mainly serves as a member of the Legion of Monsters, protecting other monsters from being killed and providing a safe haven for them.

See this page for a full list of Werewolf by Night’s comic book appearances in chronological order, up to 2008.

The werewolf appears in the Super Hero Squad universe: in The Superhero Squad Show season 2 episode "This Man-Thing, This Monster", and as a playable character in Super Hero Squad Online. He is also seen in Jill Valentine's ending in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man TV-show as the leader of the Howling Commandos. A film adaptation was in the works in 2005 with cast and crew to be announced "shortly" and filming to start somewhere in 2006, but for reasons unknown nothing was heard from it again.

Werewolf by Night provides examples of the following tropes: Aborted Arc: WbN vol.1 ends with Buck being attacked and his house burning down, setting up for a new storyline. After the book was cancelled, this was hastily resolved in Marvel Team-Up #93. Absurdly Spacious Sewer: Sarnak's base of operations in vol. 1. In WbN vol.2 Jack uses them to lock himself up during the full moon. May be justified in that Jack works as a sanitation engineer and thus has knowledge of where to go, along with the access to it. Still, it means he stands knee-deep in Grimy Water for three nights a month but doesn't experience any drawbacks. Not even with that nose of his. Alien Sky: Biphasia has two moons. And I Must Scream: Being turned into a stone statue for all eternity, but still being able to think. “The agony of life was over… the nightmare of hell was just begun!” Artifact Title: It's been quite a while since Jack was restricted to transforming at night. Badass Longcoat: Most prominently seen in volume 2. In Wolverine First Class #11 Jack pulls one out of a dumpster. Badass Normal: Even though he's regularly tied up and/or knocked unconscious, Buck Cowan deserves credit for willingly going head to head against super-powered beings for Jack's sake. Bears Are Bad News: Jack had to once battle a bear that had silver claws on its front paws. Beneath the Earth: Crawl down through the mist near Devil's Grotto and you'll end up in space. Better to Die than Be Killed: Off-screen in Legion of Monsters: Werewolf by Night. Blasphemous Boast: It got Aelfric burned at the stake as seen in WbN vol.1 #3. Boom, Headshot!: Deadpool blows apart Jack's head with a shotgun for sleeping with his wife Shiklah. Breaking the Bonds: Jack is tied down regularly, but easily breaks free when the moon rises. The Bro Code: Averted. Jack sleeps with his best friend Morbius' ex but nothing is made of it. By the Lights of Their Eyes: In Shadows & Light #3 Jack's face gets obscured by shadows; his eyes are glowy white dots. Character Title Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Jack’s girlfriend Terri last appears in WbN vol.1 #2, and is then never seen again. Most characters from volume 1 are never mentioned after the series' end, like Buck, Philip and Raymond Coker. Comic-Book Time: Lissa and her daughter have aged much quicker than Jack. Lissa, about a year younger than her brother, has an 18-year-old daughter. Yet Jack still looks like he is somewhere in his early/mid thirties. Cool Bike: Jack rides one. Cool Old Guy: Buck, although he is only ‘old’ in comparison to the other characters. Couldn't Find a Lighter: Downplayed in volume 2 #6. Jack asks Ghost Rider if he's got a light and it looks like he's going to use the other's flaming head — but then lights his cigarette with the candle on the bar table. Crossover: Many, most frequently with Morbius, Spider-Woman, Moon Knight and Ghost Rider. The werewolf has fought the Hulk on at least two occasions. Cursed with Awesome: Zig Zagged. At their creation, werewolves weren't "cursed" but merely given a useful ability; it later became a curse when humans got out of touch with nature and the way to control those abilities got lost over time. So when Jack becomes a werewolf on his eighteenth birthday, it really is a curse: forced to painfully transform three times a month with no control. But when he finally does learn how to control it, he starts to enjoy the abilities it gives him, seeing it as being given the best of both worlds: "Your curse can be a blessing." Unfortunately, the curse seems to have a way of striking back. You can transform any time you want? Your uncontrolled werewolf form during the full moons will become stronger and more violent. You're happy you won't have to change at all anymore, not even during the full moon? You'll lose the ability, and from now on you'll be forced to have visions of hell when you transform. Cut Short: WbN vol. 2 was canceled due to poor sales; the story was continued in Strange Tales, which was canceled as well after two issues. This leaves many plot threads that are never resolved, most notably the ramifications of the cure gone wrong. Damsel in Distress: Lissa, Jack's sister whom he often has to save. Dangerous Eighteenth Birthday: The werewolf curse present in the Russoff bloodline comes into effect on the bearer's eighteenth birthday. Deathbed Confession: Jack’s mother tells him the truth about his father right before she dies. Death Is Cheap: Jack dies in Morbius #12; by #13 he’s already been resurrected. The Deep South: The setting of Legion of Monsters: Werewolf by Night. Deface of the Moon: Jack dreams about several large companies using the moon as the world's biggest billboard; it upsets him tremendously that someone would deface "his love" like that. He is glad when he wakes up because he's sure such a thing could never happen in real life, apparently oblivious to the newspaper with a headline reading "NASA says ads on moon a possibility" lying on his bed. Depending on the Artist: Jack’s hair is stated to be a light red, but it’s frequently shown as blond, dark red, auburn, brown or even black. Likewise, his eyes are blue in writing, but frequently green or brown in print. How good-looking Jack is varies wildly as well. In Legion of Monsters: Werewolf by Night he could pass for a male model, while in Marvel Zombies 4 he looks like a ragged bum you wouldn’t want to run in to after dark. Put them together and they're hardly recognizable as the same character, even though the issues are only two years apart. Depending on the Writer: Two storylines published near-simultaneously feature two very different versions of Jack: in Punisher v7 #11-14 and Legion of Monsters #1-4 he’s a hotheaded Jerk Ass who’s usually in for a fight; in X-Factor #222-224 he’s a mildly funny, well-mannered guy protecting others. Jack speaks without an accent up until Morbius the Living Vampire #12, where he suddenly start using colloquialisms like the contraction “ain’t” and dropping g’s at the end of words. From there on out his accent fluctuates between ‘school book’ and ‘street thug’. How werewolves act, think and function can vary from issue to issue. Are they creatures that just want to find a forest to run in and be left alone by everyone? Killing machines with an insatiable lust for blood? Predators simply looking for something to eat? Or wild humans with certain primal traits amplified? Can they think or not, talk or not, and do they remember their full moon actions the following morning or not? How much control does Jack have over his actions when transformed, with or without a full moon? For the first several years of the title, there was a fundamental uncertainty about Jack's mental relationship to the werewolf. Was it a dark side of his own character or a completely separate entity? Different writers came down on different sides of this question, and one of the most visible signs of this confusion was inconsistent narration. Jack frequently handled his own narration in the first person. Sometimes this would include the werewolf's actions; at other times he would speak of the wolf strictly in the third person. And sometimes the entire comic would be thrown into third-person omniscient narration, muddying the waters further. Destination Defenestration / Super Window Jump: “Window smashing is [the werewolf’s] specialty.” Disabled Snarker: Freddie in WbN v2. Disappeared Dad: Jack grew up without his biological father, who died when he was a child. Dream Within a Dream: Midnight Sons Unlimited #7 is this. Dreaming of Things to Come: Leading up to his 18th birthday, Jack has dreams of himself as a werewolf that get increasingly worse. Drowning My Sorrows: Jack has a habit of this in WbN v2, often seen with a bottle of bourbon. Apparently he has promised his girlfriend Roxanna many times he'd stop drinking, but doesn't. Eldritch Abomination: Topaz’ soul; the creature near Devil’s Grotto. Every Car Is a Pinto: Many cars featured throughout the series blow up upon crashing. One even explodes upon hitting a couple of trashcans. Fainting: All women in volume 1 are prone to this. Family-Unfriendly Death: The original 1970s run of had plenty of these moments. In the Giant-Size Werewolf #5 tale "The Plunder of Paingloss", at the climax of one of the darker and more surreal stories in this series (which, for its era, was saying something), furry Jack Russel gets his claws into Sardanus, a gigantic demigod who's revealed to be in reality a skinny dude in tighty-whities. The enraged werewolf "ripped him to shreds anyway" in a red-washed panel that featured the near-naked dude straddled by the werewolf, whose bloody claws were ripping the dude's belly open. The ribbons of gore and screaming look of horror on the face of Sardanus were in no way mitigated by the EC Comics device of single-hue coloring. The next panel featured a triumphant Paingloss and the werewolf standing over Sardanus' literally gutted body, as seen from a foreground view over the dead man's shredded abdomen. For 1975, this was about as terrifying as Code-approved comics could get. Someone at the editorial office was asleep at the switch when that issue went through! A Friend in Need: Jack toward Morbius, and vice versa. Very notably in Morbius the Living Vampire #12-15, when Morbius is resurrected without his soul. Jacob: I—I have to separate myself from this madness. Jack: Coward! I guess we see who Morbius's real friends are now. I'm going after him. He needs help. Fully-Embraced Fiend: Jack is this to Morbius in Morbius v1 #12, going so far as to say the vampire should just go with the hunger, not against it. Morbius shoots back Jack is the one who needs help, not he. Several years later, it seems Morbius was right. Funetik Aksent: Many characters have them in volume 1, most notably Joshua Kane, who speaks with a Southern drawl. Jack develops one after Morbius the Living Vampire v1 #12. Fur Against Fang: Played straight with his battle against Dracula in The Tomb of Dracula. Otherwise mostly averted: while Jack does occasionally fight them, his best friend is a vampire(-ish), and his niece is a half-vampire. Gentle Giant: Elmo, who was part of the circus sideshow that kidnapped Jack. Glowing Eyes of Doom: The werewolf’s eyes are usually a glowy red or yellow, but sometimes a combination of the two or pure white as well. (According to the Marvel Handbook they should red.) Hereditary Curse: The werewolf curse affects every descendant of Gregory Russoff, Jack's father. In reality, the curse is even more widespread: every descendant of the 18th century Grigori Russoff carries it in their blood, but with them it remains dormant. Heroic Sacrifice: Buck nearly dies protecting Buttons from Jack during a full moon, shielding her body with his own and taking all the blows. Humans Are Morons: For a while Jack sees normal people as monkeys and going to places as bars as going to the zoo. At least he admits it sounds egotistical. Hybrid Monster: Lissa is transformed into a were-demon after being simultaneously hit by the light of the full moon and Glitternight’s light. Hybrid Overkill Avoidance: Jack gets infected with the zombie virus, but because his biochemistry changes when he transforms it remains limited to his human form. So hitting the human zombie with magically created moonlight gives back a healthy (but feral) werewolf. I Am What I Am Rhona: How do you live with it? With—being what you are? How can you stand it? Jack: What's the other option? Trying to be something I'm not? I Hate You, Vampire Dad: Averted. Jack loves his father, even if he passed the curse onto him. I Kiss Your Foot: Jack kisses Martine Bancroft's foot after a romp. It's definitely meant as erotic. "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Buck tries this occasionally, to little avail. I'm Having Soul Pains: Part of the transformation; see Painful Transformation below. Incurable Cough of Death: Played with in that Jack doesn't die but turns into an undead instead, in Marvel Zombies. Intergenerational Friendship: 19-year-old Jack and 40-something Buck. Interspecies Romance: Almost all of Jack's longer-term girlfriends are human. He's also slept with a succubus (Deadpool's wife Shiklah); it's implied he's had threesomes with her and a gorgon. Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Raymond Coker seems like an antisocial loner with a personal vendetta against Jack, but it turns out he has a good reason for it: he’s a werewolf as well. After he has been cured, the very first thing he thinks is wanting to be turned into a werewolf again, just so Jack would be able to kill him and be cured as well. Kind Restraints: Buck locks up Jack on several occasions to keep both him and everyone else safe, but it's usually to little avail: either the werewolf breaks out or This example contains a YMMV entry. It should be moved to the YMMV tab.Buck opens the door to check on him. Later Jack takes to locking himself up, but sometimes still requests others' help — like Bruce Banner's. Let's You and Him Fight: When Jack runs into Iron Man, he is mistakes for a criminal and they start to fight. Like Father, Like Son: “Ah, Jacob—you’re a big lad, eh? Big like your father—bright like your mother!” Love at First Punch: Martine burns Jack's hand with a cigarette; he transforms, ready to rip her apart. The scene cuts away and the next time we see them they've just had sex. Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter: Marlene, Miles Blackgar's daughter. Magical Land: Biphasia, an alternate time/world/dimension (even Jack isn't sure). It's split in two: on one side it's perpetually day, on the other perpetually night. Major Injury Underreaction: After being run through with several silver katanas in Punisher vol.7 #13: “Acupuncture. Tickles.” Messy Hair: In volume 2 it's a good indicator of Jack's state of mind. Mirrors Reflect Everything: At the end of WbN vol.1 #1, Marlene and her father are turned to stone when she looks into the mirror. Monster Mash: The werewolf has fought vampires, the Hunchback of the Notre Dame, gorgons, zombies, golems, the monster of Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde and more. Jack is part of the Legion of Monsters; taken up to eleven when the Legion governs Monster Metropolis. Moral Dilemma: In WbN vol.1 #5 Jack is promised a cure that may prevent his sister from becoming a werewolf too – but he’ll have to kill a senile old man for it. My God, What Have I Done?: Maria utters these words almost exactly in Giant-Size Werewolf #3 after the insanity is cleared from her mind and realizes she nearly killed her grandson. Name of Cain: Joshua Kane, hunter of big game who decides it’ll be fun to hunt Jack, and his brother Luther. Nebulous Evil Organisation: The Committee, which seeks to create an economic boom by causing incidents and fear. Nephewism: Jack's mother remarried her late husband's brother, meaning Jack's stepfather is also his uncle. New-Age Retro Hippie: Hippies pop up here and there in volume 1 as This example contains a YMMV entry. It should be moved to the YMMV tab.Acceptable Targets. Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!: Many villains (accidentally or intentionally) kill their accomplices, leaving Jack with at least a little less blood on his hands. Nonhumans Lack Attributes: In the few occasions that the werewolf isn't wearing any pants he doesn't have any genitals. Averted in the Franken-Castle storyline, where the werewolf's nipples are visible even despite the fur. Not Using the "Z" Word: The zuvembies are very obviously zombies, but due to the Comic Code’s restrictions they couldn’t be called that. Jack: “You mean they’re zo—” SKRASH Odd Friendship: With Morbius. Off with His Head!: Werewolf Super Strength enables Jack to rip off a mook's head with his bare hands, as seen in Punisher v7 #11 Our Souls Are Different: Souls pop up regularly in the series. They can be transformed, for example into chains or Eldritch Abominations. Topaz lost part of her soul, but it doesn’t seem to change her at all. Lissa loses her soul as well, but it is replaced with the soul of Taboo, again seemingly without consequences. In WbN vol.1 #42 it’s implied Fire-Eyes now inhabits Jack’s soul. Pædo Hunt: Jack goes after a pedophile in Shadows & Light #3. Parental Abandonment: Jack’s biological father died when he was a child; his mother dies in the very first issue. People Jars: After being infected with the undead virus, Morbius keeps Jack in one, as seen in The Amazing Spider-Man #622. Pragmatic Adaptation: What the intended movie adaptation was going to be. Robert Nelson Jacobs' (writer of Chocolat) script was about Jack "falling in love with a beautiful but deadly Bounty Hunter". Precision F-Strike: Jack uses "stinking" for the longest time, and if he swears, it's mostly Symbol Swearing. So when he finally drops his first all-out F-bombs (albeit in the Alternate Universe of Dead of Night featuring Werewolf by Night), it's pretty significant: "You fuckers. You lousy, lousy fuckers." Psychic Powers: Topaz uses them to keep the werewolf in check. Purple Prose: Some of the descriptions in volume 1 are definitely… unique. Rape and Revenge: In Shadows & Light #3 it’s revealed Jack was molested as a boy; he goes after a pedophile partly out of revenge. Red Eyes, Take Warning: According to the Marvel handbook, this should be the case: the werewolf's eyes are yellow when Jack is transformed and fully in control of himself; when he transforms involuntarily and becomes a dangerous, wild animal, they are red. Unfortunately the colorists don't quite adhere to this and the two colors often get switched around. Religion of Evil: The Brotherhood of Baal in Giant Size Werewolf #2, among others. Rescue Sex: Subverted in Midnight Sons Unlimited #7. Jack steps in during a robbery on a grocery store; afterwards the girl behind the register asks how she can ever repay him. He gets free groceries. Scenery Censor: On the rare occasion that Jack is naked before or after his transformations, he is covered by shadows or objects. Series Continuity Error: In Spider-Woman vol.1 #49 it’s said six years have passed since Jack’s inherited the curse, meaning he’s 24. But in Marvel Comics Presents #57, which takes place later in the continuity, it’s said Werewolf by Night vol. 1 #6 was only 2 years ago, which would make him 20. The '70s: As WbN vol.1 was published between 1972 and 1977, what did you expect? The Shadow Knows: In several panels in Shadows & Light #3 a human Jack casts a werewolf shadow right before nightfall. Shout-Out: To some of the Hollywood horror greats, like Lon Chaney Jr., Boris Karloff and Maria Ouspenskaya, as well as the Marx Brothers, Errol Flynn, Marlon Brando, Humphrey Bogart and The Rolling Stones. In Ghost Rider vol.2 #55 Jack wears a shirt of The Howling. Speech Bubbles: Occur in many variations, changing from series to series. For example, in WbN vol.1 #42-43, Jack’s speech bubbles get thick, jagged edges when in werewolf form (a police officer describes it as "Mercedes McCambridge in The Exorcist"). In X-Factor his speech bubbles are black with white lettering. Spell My Name with an "S": The spelling of Jack's father's first name alternates between Philip and Phillip. Buck Cowan's last name is misspelled as Cohen in one issue. Stealth Pun: Jack is said to own a place on Landon Road. The late Michael Landon starred in I Was a Teenage Werewolf. Strapped to an Operating Table: Very common. Stock Shout-Outs: A poster reading “See you next Wednesday” appears in Jack’s room in Midnight Sons Unlimited #7, which is director John Landis’ Creator Thumbprint. Landis directed An American Werewolf in London. Suicide by Cop: Jack demands Morbius kill him during their Suicide Mission in Marvel Zombies 4 after he has been infected with the zombie virus. Morbius refuses. Suicide Mission: It’s implied the risk was one of the reasons Jack joined Morbius’ Midnight Sons mission in Marvel Zombies 4 in the first place. Taken for Granite: Everyone on the island is eventually turned into stone statues by Marlene. Taking the Bullet: Maria Russoff throws herself into the path of a silver knife meant for Jack. Tap on the Head: All. The. Time. These Hands Have Killed: After waking up next to a dead body in WbN v2 and telling his father he thinks he's killed someone. Threatening Shark: When Jack dives into the sea to hide from the cops in the earlier issues, he is attacked by a shark. Tome of Eldritch Lore: The Darkhold, originally Satanic scrolls that Jack’s father had bound into a book. Reading it was the catalyst that awakened the werewolf curse in his blood. Transformation Sequence: It comes with the trade. Überwald: Transylvania, Jack’s birthplace, visited on several occasions. Vitriolic Best Buds: Jack can be rather harsh towards Morbius, yet Morbius still refers to Jack as his best friend. He even goes against direct orders and tries to save the werewolf after he has become infected with the zombie virus. Voodoo Zombie: Although in volume 1 they’re called Zuvembies due to the CCA’s restrictions of that time. We All Live in America: Inverted in volume 2. Jack is shown to have a bidet in the bathroom of in his small New York apartment. The issues were penciled by Leonardo Manco, an Argentine artist. In Argentina bidets are a standard feature of homes but they are rare in North America. Weird Moon: The moon is full three times a month – on one occasion even four. Well-Intentioned Extremist: Sarnak has gathered an army of mind-controlled beings and has been after a werewolf for years... to fix the economy. Weirdness Censor: Averted for the most part. While a lot of people think the werewolf is a guy wearing a mask, they do catch on after they get a good look. And a lot of people suspect something weird is going on with Jack shortly after meeting him. Who Writes This Crap?! / Self-Deprecation: Jack takes a jab at Morbius, another comic book character owned by Marvel Comics: "Ha! You're such a cliché. So emo all the time about the tragedy of bloodlust like some bad Twilight fanfic." Writers Cannot Do Math: Going by the number of full moons that appear in WbN vol.1, several years must have passed, but Jack remains 19. You Killed My Mother: Jack suspects Philip Russell is responsible for his mother’s death. He’s not. Previous Index Next Man-Thing Creator/Marvel MAX Deadpool Welcome to Hoxford Werewolf Works A Hairy Problem Welcome to Hoxford Horror Comic Books Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse Jonah Hex The '70s Adam Warlock Vixen Creator/Gerry Conway Wonder Woman Weapon H Marvel Comics Characters Wiccan Warlock Marvel Comics Series What If?

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Werewolf By Night
CHARACTER » Werewolf By Night appears in 409 issues.

Victim of an ancient family curse, Jack Russell struggled for years with his bestial alter-ego. But over time has conquered his inner demons. Now he fights the dark forces that plague our world. He is an enforcer of justice, an avenger of shadows, and a Werewolf By Night. Character Wiki Videos (1) Images (111) Forum (6) News Recommended reading Comics Related Pages Werewolf By Night appears in 409 issues View all Werewolf by Night Werewolf by Night

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8 appearances

W erewolf By Night last edited by N00beditor3 on 10/24/18 12:27AM View full history Origin The story of werewolves begins with the ancient Wolf God/Demon, believed to be one of the Elderspawn, the children of the Elder Gods. Millions, possibly billions, of years ago, the Wolf Demon spawned a race of Wolf-Men who warred against other Elderspawn such as the Bird-Women, Harpies, Bat-Men, Flying Fiends, Demons, Goblins, Serpent Men (spawn of the Elder God Set), and Spider-Men (spawn of Omm). Some of these races enslaved the developing humans, but by 20,000 B.C., most of the Elderspawn had been slaughtered or driven into seclusion, briefly rising to challenge societies such as Valusia and Atlantis. The Wolf-Men could assume human form, and humans scratched or bitten by them became Wolf-Men in turn. They could survive most injuries, but were vulnerable to silver and fire. Many Wolf-Men died in the Great Cataclysm of 18,000 B.C., and their ultimate fate is unknown.

Following the Cataclysm, the Fortisquian colonizers from the planet Arcturus came to Earth to investigate the fate of the Savage Land, which had been created by the alien Nuwali for the enigmatic Beyonders. A trio of colonizers based in the Savage Land acted as humanity's Caretakers. Amongst many other activities, they created the modern incarnation of werewolves: combining advanced genetic re-engineering science with earthborn magic (apparently tapping into the Wolf-Demon's power), they bound the spirit and DNA of the captured wolf Windracer into a humanoid. This hybrid, later known as Greysire, spread this gift to humanity via scratches and bites, and then by heredity. The resultant race was known as brethren by wolves and werewolves by humanity, but the gift became a curse as man fell out of harmony with his primal self.

While reports of lycanthropy (becoming a werewolf) in the Russoff line stretch back many centuries, the first confirmed manifestation is Grigori Russoff in 1795. Dracula slew Grigori's wife Louisa after he refused to acknowledge Dracula's primacy upon his return to Transylvania. Grigori then ambushed and destroyed Dracula, but was turned into a werewolf by Lydia, a werewolf formerly imprisoned by the vampire lord. Grigori took a second wife, but accounts vary as to why lycanthropy failed to pass to his descendants. Sometime prior to May, 1930, Grigori's descendant, Gregor, obtained the legendary Darkhold scrolls, binding them back into book form. Reading lycanthropy's origins in the Darkhold under a full moon triggered the dormant curse, turning Gregor into a werewolf. Gregor further transcribed much of the Darkhold into Grigori's diary, essentially creating a Darkhold copy, which he used as his own diary.

Perhaps seeking a cure, Gregor sold part of his estate - including Wundagore Mountain - to Jonathan Drew, who shared it with partner Herbert Wyndham (the future High Evolutionary). The Russoff werewolf slew Jonathon's wife, Merriem, and Wyndham designed a suit of silver-coated armor to protect himself, enabling Russoff's capture. Russoff stayed with the Evolutionary, who kept the werewolf safely contained for decades. Russoff eventually used the Darkhold to summon Chthon to cure him, and the Elder God nearly broke through the earthly plane; but the sorcerer Magnus forced Russoff to banish Chthon, who lashed out with a parting blast that slew Gregor. Despite contrary accounts, the Gregor Russoff who stayed with the High Evolutionary seems to have been the grandfather (or great-grandfather) of Jack Russell. Having the same name and presumably using the same diary contributed to earlier confusion. It would seem more likely that the elder Gregor was the one who transcribed the Darkhold into the diary.

Decades later, another Gregor Russoff married Laura, the former girlfriend of his younger brother Philip. Jacob (later Jack) was born soon after, and Laura was pregnant with Lissa within two years of marriage; however, when lightning struck Russoff's Transylvanian castle during a full moon, the werewolf Gregor escaped confinement and began attacking villagers, who tracked down and killed Russoff with silver bullets. Gregor's mother, Maria, was stoned and driven from the village, living with Gypsies and learning magic. After Gregor's death, Laura found Philip - who had moved to Los Angeles, anglicizing his name to Russell - and they married after a year; Jack and Lissa remained unaware of Philip's past.

Approximately fifteen years later, the criminal Committee learned of Gregor's curse and blackmailed Philip, threatening to reveal his secrets. To protect Laura's name, Philip paid them but had second thoughts and canceled payment, causing the Committee to send Max Grant to kill Laura. Critically injured in a car crash on Jack's 18th birthday, Laura barely had time to tell Jack about his true father and the curse of the werewolf, making Jack promise not to harm Philip, before dying. Having inherited lycanthropy the night before, Jack slew Grant, but also wrongly blamed Philip for some time. Laura left Castle Russoff in Jack's name, but Philip, the trustee, sold the castle to Miles Blackgar, who had it moved to an island off California's coast.

Character Creation Werewolf by Night made his first appearance in Marvel Spotlight #2 in 1972 by Gerry Conway, and Mike Ploog.

Character Evolution Jack spent the next few years transforming on the three nights of the full moon into savage werewolf form. He learned of the Darkhold from Nathan and Agatha Timly, who briefly kidnapped the Werewolf and met grisly ends. Befriending writer Buck Cowan, Jack sneaked into Blackgar's castle and stole the Darkhold, encountering Miles Blackgar and his daughter Marlene, whose petrifying power slew both Blackgars. After fighting off the deformed Cephalos' plot to drain his power to stabilize Cephalos' form, Jack had Father Ramon Joaquez translate the Darkhold. The priest died after being possessed by the Darkhold's former custodian, 12th century Mad Monk Aelfric, and the indestructible Darkhold vanished.

Jack encountered Joshua Kane, who hunted the Werewolf, and his brother, Luther Kane, who offered to prevent Lissa from becoming a werewolf in exchange for Jack kidnapping billionaire recluse Judson Hemp; he also met mentalist Swami Rihva, who sought the Werewolf's blood to reveal the treasure-map of the ancient sorcerer Kaman-Ru on his " Bloodstone"; the possessing demon Krogg; and Spider-Man and Moondark the Magician. Jack then fought the sonic-weapons of Sarnak, his first brush with the criminal Committee who wished to enslave the Werewolf.

After fighting the sociopathic Hangman (Harlan Krueger), Jack was entranced by Topaz, the familiar of the sorcerer Taboo, who sought the Darkhold. Taboo had used the tome decades before to grant his son, Algon, a golden touch, but had lost the book in mid-spell, trapping Algon in a mindless state. Lacking the Darkhold, Taboo transferred Philip Russell's mind into Algon, but both Algon and Taboo died, restoring Philip, who explained Laura's death and reconciled with Jack and Lissa. Traveling to Transylvania alongside Topaz, with whom he had bonded, Jack discovered the Russoff diary/Darkhold copy, the Werewolf battled Dracula, and the book was lost in the Alps. Jack and Topaz encountered the kyphotic Half-Mad before returning to the U.S., and Jack fought the Committee's Behemoth robot and then Ma Mayhem, assisted by werewolf Raymond Coker.

Jack joined the newly-mutated Tigra against Hydra, battled vampires Louis Belski and Liza Pyne, opposed Ma Mayhem and her ally Baron Thunder, and joined Coker against Lou Hackett (a policeman transformed into a werewolf by a magic ring), who was killed in the struggle. The Werewolf joined Frankenstein's Monster against the Satanic Brotherhood of Baal (who had abducted Lissa), then fought the disfigured Atlas and the Jekyll/Hyde-like DePrayve. Jack briefly returned to Transylvania following Topaz's psychic summons and encountered Maria Russoff, who used Gypsy magic to raise zombies to slay the villagers who had driven her off. Maria sacrificed herself to save Jack from her zombies upon learning he was her grandson.

In Blackgar's Castle, Werewolf, Topaz, and the repentant spirit fragment of Taboo battled the necromancer Glitternight, who transformed Lissa Russell into a were-demon; the process of curing Lissa also purged her of the threat of lycanthropy, though she would still pass it on to her children. After battling Morbius the Living Vampire and slaying the demon worshiped by Brad Wrangle, the Werewolf was briefly transported to the divided dimension Biphasia by Satanist Joaquin Zaire, and he aided Paingloss against the sorcerer Sardanus. During a subsequent ski trip, the Werewolf nearly slew Buck Cowan, after which he was captured by the Committee-paid mercenary Moon Knight, who set him free when he realized Jack's humanity and the Committee's intentions. The Werewolf then briefly joined the Ghost Rider, the Man-Thing and Morbius in the group the Legion of Monsters in an unwittingly slaying the benevolent alien Starseed, who intended to cure them all.

The Werewolf, Topaz, and others then battled and were nearly driven mad by the ghost of 19th-century black magician Belaric Marcosa, but they freed the trapped spirits of Marcosa's enemies, who destroyed him, and the grateful spirits healed Buck. The enigmatic Three Who Are All ( Burning Snake, Goat Child, and Hooded One) - an ancient extra-dimensional group who had formerly included Glitternight and a fifth member, Fire-Eyes - sent Jack, Topaz, Raymond Coker, and Brother Voodoo to Haiti, where the Werewolf and Fire-Eyes destroyed Glitternight. In the process, Jack gained control of his Werewolf persona, though he still only transformed under moonlight and still lost control during the three nights of the full moon.

The Werewolf joined with Iron Man against the Maggia's Masked Marauder and his Tri-Animan, and he teamed with Spider-Woman against Morgan Le Fay, who sought the Darkhold; the mercenary Enforcer; and mad scientist Dr. Karl Malus, who briefly controlled Russell against her. Russell also joined Spider-Man and Ghost Rider against the Tatterdemalion, former agent of Sarnak.

After being temporarily captured alongside a number of costumed adventurers by the Locksmith, Russell began mutating into more savage and lupine form, a late effect from Malus' treatment. He fled Satanists Morning Star (Schuyler Belial) and his Left Hand Path, who wished to use his blood to become werewolves, then sought aid from the now-human Michael Morbius in controlling his savage self, leading to a battle with the West Coast Avengers. With assistance from Iron Man, he later saved Lissa from Morgan Le Fay's attempt to possess her.

Subsequently mind-controlled into joining the mostly criminal Night Shift by Dansen Macabre, Russell stayed with them, allowing Macabre to keep the Werewolf tractable. Russell was the only member who knew their leader, the Shroud, was using the group to oppose other criminals and to prevent them from harming innocents. After encounters with Captain America, Moon Knight, and the Avengers, the Werewolf eventually developed resistance to Macabre's powers and turned on the Night Shift, after which he went solo. After battling the Hulk in the Midwest, Jack contacted his father Gregor's spirit to cure his lycanthropy, but was told he would die unless he accepted his beast. During the ensuing battle with the religious zealot Silver Dagger and the Braineaters, a cult of werewolves transformed in the past by Russell, Jack fully accepted his wolf-self, granting him full control and the best of both selves.

Major Story Arcs Russell assisted Dr. Strange against the alien Possessors, the Night Shift against an L.A. street gang, and Ghost Rider against a new group of Braineaters; Jack also narrowly survived a battle with Sabretooth and fought an unidentified Wendigo in Canada. Russell was captured by criminal scientist Nightshade who used his blood to create the Night Patrol, a group of werewolves in Starkesboro, Massachusetts. Captain America - also transformed into a werewolf - freed Russell and led the werewolves to defeat Nightshade's master, Dredmund Druid, who had used the Godstone to briefly become the powerful Starwolf. The Night Patrol was cured, after which Russell was drawn into a conflict involving the Midnight Sons as well as other supernatural beings in a killing spree.

During a meeting with Morbius, Jack was slain in battle by Switchblade (the insane Darkhold-powered Blade), but Jack was revived once Professor Louise Hastings broke Switchblade's spell. Russell befriended the again pseudo-vampiric (and now demon-possessed) Morbius, had a vision of advertisements on the moon causing mass insanity, and fought the Lilin Goblins, Mr. Hyde, and the sadist Morphine. For a small period of time Jack also had an affair with Morbius's possessed former girlfriend Martine Bancroft also during the same time, Jack was trying to help Morbius over his bloodlust which as getting worse by the minute.

Jack again began losing control of the Werewolf, locking himself in a cage under full moons, and even glimpsing visions of Hell as he transformed. From the Cult of the Third Moon's dying leader, Walter Clark, Russell learned that only the legendary Wolfblade could control his lupine self. With the aid of Smedley, a mysterious benefactor, Russell recovered all three parts of the Wolfblade, battled the original Wolf Demon in a branch of Hell, completed the puzzle by reaccepting both selves, and seemingly regained control. However, after Jack visited friends Freddie and the disfigured Lump, Smedley sent him to investigate a series of killings, and evidence pointed to Jack as the killer. As Russell began to mutate further, Smedley said Jack just hadn't been careful enough in his wish to be freed from the wolf demon and that he must embrace the disease or it would destroy him. Uncertain how to accomplish this, Jack found a confidant in Lump, who cared for the Werewolf as he hid out in the sewers. While Jack's new girlfriend, Roxanna, remained blissfully unaware of his dual existence, the Werewolf was tracked down by a pair of detectives, escaping only after they were slain by the Cult of the Third Moon. Though Jack's subsequent fate is unknown, he was later seen sensing the arrival of the mystic assassin Hellphyr.

Recently, Jack Russell came to Salvage, Alabama to save the Pynchon family from townsfolk led by Cal Escher. Young Rhonda Pynchon was the only one left after her mother and twin sister Suzie chose death by gun or knife. The girl was drowning her sorrows in Sullivan's bar right next to the cemetery when the gang attacked her, triggering a transformation in her with tarot cards and then trying to kill her. Russell interfered, transforming into Werewolf while Rhonda decided to do the same. After killing the violent gang, Russell and Rhonda left the town, determined to control their affliction and live their lives without fear, which will feature Werewolf-By-Night. The three preview pages show Moon Knight fighting an enormous werewolf, while the written preview explains, "Something awful is happening out there in the back alleys that have become [Moon Knight's] new home. Blood-smeared walls raked with claws tell half the story. But to know the whole truth, Moon Knight will have to step into the arena and stare down a creature fueled by instinct and fury. To survive, he must become what he faces." This actually turned out to be an anniversary (of what it is unknown, as neither the date/year of publication nor the issue number coincided with any significant Moon Knight-related event) issue featuring a brand new, retcon story taking place between Moon Knight's first clash with the Werewolf and before he gained his own series. In this story Moon Knight rescues Jack from a criminal enterprise wherein samples of his blood are used to temporarily mutate homeless people into pseudo-werewolves who are then provoked into fighting each other as a spectator sport. Moon Knight frees Jack, who has degenerated into a near-mindless feral state, from his captors; the Werewolf proceeds to rampage attacking both his tormentors and Moon Knight, who subdues him before restoring his freedom to him.

Marvel Zombies 4 Jack recently joined up with his old friend Morbius and became a part of the supernatural group the Midnight Sons. He aids them looking for Simon Garth and Deadpool who escaped A.R.M.O.R. the escape lead him and the Midnight Sons on a ship infested by zombified Men-Fish. The sip is later destroyed and Werewolf's senses lead the to the two zombies. He later ends up fighting his former Night Shift members Tatterdemalion and Digger. Later Jack is infected by the zombie storm cloud and tries to kill Jennifer Kale who in desperation seeks aid of Dormammu to escape him. He later attacks Morbius blaming him for everything and is about to kill him. Morbius fights back and finds out that Jack may be infected as a zombie, but as a werewolf he is not. Jennifer Kale then uses a full moon spell to completely turn the zombie Jack into his werewolf state.

Legion of Monsters/Franken-Castle During story arc The List, The Punisher meets his grisly end at the hands of Daken/Dark Wolverine and his dismembered remains are thrown off a rooftop and into the gutter of the alleyway below. Director of HAMMER, Norman Osborn, wants to see the evidence but his employees run into the Man Thing and are subsequently vaporised.

After being resurrected by Morbius a gruesomely distorted patchwork of his former self, Frank Castle gains consciousness and immediately freaks out, being surrounded by these creatures of the night. Jack Russell is there trying to advise Morbius that resurrecting the vigilante is a bad idea when Castle awakens and goes on the rampage. But apparently they need him.

The Legion of Monsters is now currently operating beneath the streets of New York City, where they have sought solace from their ultimate enemy and a greater monster than any of them; the monster hunter Robert Hellsgaard. Hellsgaard has come for an ancient and powerful artifact of great power that Morbius has hidden. But when he comes to get it, bringing with him a legion of monster slaying bionic samurai, they initiate a full scale attack that is nothing short of an act of genocide.

In this arc, Werewolf permanently in his lycanthropic state, is Morbius' closest friend and right hand man. There to advise Morbius, his literal leader-of-the-pack/alpha male instinct is threatened by the addition of Franken-Castle not just typically because he like Hellsgaard is a breed of monster not associated with his own kind, but because he is potentially a great threat to the legion's salvation.

Werewolf and Castle clash from the outset in a battle of wits and insults, Werewolf being reduced to the image of a mangy stray by Castle but with Castle himself reminded of the animal he became long before they made him a virtual Frankenstein's Monster. Given the choice between joining the Legion of Monsters or simply laying down and dying, Castle despaired and depressed by his state, skulks off into the sewers to die but when Hellsgaard and his army attack, it comes down to Werewolf alone to stem the tide and he comes across a samurai with the scarring of a werewolf's claws on his armour. Hellsgaard's army haven't just come straight for the legion, they've been wiping out monsters worldwide.

Surrounded, injured and fighting with his every last ounce of strength and bad attitude, Werewolf is saved by Franken-Castle who proceeds to cut through Hellsgaard's army effortlessly and the two fight side by side begrudgingly with the help of the Man Thing. But although they literally raise hell, Morbius and Manphibian have been captured, along with the mysterious artifact, the Bloodstone, and their rescue and the salvation of the Legion of Monsters now depends on the tumultuous alliance of Werewolf by Night Jack Russell and Franken-Castle.

They learn that Hellsgaard's reason for his demented sense of vengeance towards all monsters is because a werewolf slaughtered Hellsgaard's family along with their entire township. In return, Hellsgaard wiped out the werewolf but didn't stop there until finally Dracula, the Prince of Darkness himself, sent Hellsgaard to Hell. Upon learning of Hellsgaard's origin, Franken-Castle leaves Werewolf in charge of the Legion of Monsters until the rescued Morbius is returned.

Lastly, after Castle is resurrected as his former self upon being imbued with the demonic power of the Bloodstone, he is left to roam wild on Monster Island, to regenerate and regroup his thoughts. But he is put in danger of growing insane with the rage of the Bloodstone. With the arrival of the artifact's heir, Elsa Bloodstone, to rightfully reclaim it, the Legion must deal with her to protect their own kind, which means possibly killing Castle to get it back. All but Werewolf want to be rid of the curse of the Bloodstone and Frank Castle peacefully, but when a well-meaning gunshot fails to kill Castle and a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the unstoppable and insane killer is initiated, Werewolf above all assumes control of the hunt and yet is forced to use all his resolve to ensure that Castle doesn't wipe out the Legion as Werewolf first feared.

Powers and Abilities Werewolf by Night has the power of lycanthropy, the curse of the werewolf. As such his power is affected, but not entirely controlled by, the moon. The more full the moon in the night sky the more wolven Jack becomes. In his transformed state he has increased strength, dexterity and agility. He also holds heightened senses and a healing factor. Last, Jack has razor sharp claws and teeth as a wolfman.

His enhanced vision extends to the ultraviolet and infrared ranges, allowing him to examine the physical and mental state of other individuals. He is virtually impossible to kill, recovering from non-fatal wounds ten times faster than an average human. His werewolf lineage seemed more durable than other werewolves for unknown reasons.

His strength is not well charted, though he has been shown to easily out muscle such powerhouses as Sabretooth.

Jack can also choose to infect others with lycanthropy via a bite or scratch. For a long while, this was not a choice, all bitten by Jack would either die or become a werewolf. Though, after years of training and control, Jack can now choose who joins him as a creature of the darkness.

In his human form, Russell relies on his above average intelligence and peak human physical abilities. It is not shown if he has heightened senses, but he does have a stronger healing factor, but not as strong when he is in his wolf form. In human form he has been shown to heal from a bullet within minutes.

Alternate Realities Earth-37072 This reality is ruled by Kulan Gath and Werewolf by Night is one of his servants.

Earth-666 In this reality, he is a part of the team known as the Supernaturals. He helps them fight Jack-O-Lantern and his horde of demons/monsters.

MAX No Caption Provided Jack was the only survivor of a werewolf massacre in a little town. The police found him with a drop of blood on his forehead. He was very sick up and quiet with few friends through puberty and childhood. Mysteriously his parents took him to the Babylon Group until the age of 12. However when he was 18 he was invited at a farewell party, where he got drunk and got away from his friends to see his reflection in the nearby water only to see a wolf. The next day he woke up in his bed covered in blood and found his parents torn to pieces in their bed. On the wall there was written: "They lied to you".

From then on he started running all over the world trying to find a cure to his curse or psychosis. He lived as a fugitive by being hunted down by police and changing names 4 times. Every full-moon he tries to get away from civilians but in vain. Once he ate a detective, disfigured his female partner and even killed a tramp. He tried the Bible and scientific methods to deal with his condition but the only effective method was to lock himself up 3 days a month in a big silver chamber situated at an abandoned factory in a remote area in Philadelphia. Sometimes the werewolf cut himself to write messages on the wall. This took him years gaining a lot of money to do it and had to ignore people who asked what it was for. When buying tools for it he met a girl called Cassandra a.k.a Cassie and they fell in love though she never came to know his real name. After a year she was pregnant but he had to lock himself up as usual. After 3 days he returned home only to find his wife killed, her stomach torn to shreds and the baby missing with writing on the wall saying: "It's a girl". Shocked, the police surrounded his house to catch him. He managed to escape and hide from them for almost a month. When the next full-moon came he met the female detective he disfigured years before and explained that he was about to be caught. He entered the building, saw that the chamber was broken and was taken into a plane by soldiers. He warned them to leave him but they put him asleep and the next day he woke up with everyone around him dead in the crashed plane. As he got out he instinctively killed the pilot who was about to shoot him. The werewolf crashed the plane purposely at the uninhabited town where the massacre occurred in 1983. He went to the cemetery and saw his parents' tombstones and realized the truth. Another werewolf attacks him and Jack now seems to have control over his transformations. He wins the fight but both are captured by Babylon Group soldiers and are taken to the clinic. Doctor Kalbfleisch, who used to visit him told him everything. Jack is framed by the Babylon Group to get to them and that the other werewolf is actually his sister Jenny, who also stole his baby by killing Cassie because she was searching for his blood and caused the 1983 massacre.

The Babylon Group had been taking patients who are born with inter-species abilities and have tests run on them against their will. Jenny died from the wounds suffered in the fight. They told him to help his daughter with his condition too but he refused and tried to escape with his daughter but was stopped by their patients: a vampire and a female Frankenstein-type monster.The Doctor and a co-worker shoot him with a chemical-laced buckshot and take his daughter and him back into custody.

Ten years later his daughter, now at her adoptive parents' house, learns the truth of that night from blood memory and has her first transformation. She kills the parent's who happened to be the ones to shoot her father and lock him up, and goes to set her father free.

Other Media Television Ultimate Spider-Man Ultimate Spider-Man Werewolf by Night appears in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "This Man-Thing, This Monster," voiced by Rob Paulsen. In Ultimate Spider-Man, Jack Russell was part of a monster squad team similar to the Midnight Sons run by Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. along with Frankenstein, the Mummy and Man-Thing. Ultimately Blade joined the team and they fought Dracula alongside Spider-Man, but in the end The Mummy was the villain they should have been worried about. This version of Russell seemed to be in complete control of his wolf form and stays in that form permanently. He was voiced by Ross Lynch. Werewolf by Night appears in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episodes "Hulking Commandos" and "Planet Monster: Part 2," voiced by Nolan North. The episode "Days of Future Smash: Dracula" featured Jack Russell's Victorian ancestor, who was also voiced by North. Video Games Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Marvel vs. Capcom 3 In Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Werewolf by Night is one of the monsters that appears in Jill Valentine's ending. Werewolf by Night is a playable character in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online. Werewolf by Night is an unlockable character from the 2017 Halloween event in Marvel Avengers Academy. Merchandise Marvel Legends Marvel Legends Werewolf by Night was featured in The Classic Marvel Figurine Collection from Eaglemoss Publications. Werewolf by Night was featured in the Minimates line from Diamond Select as part of a box set that also included Doctor Strange, Morbius and Blade. Diamond Select produced a Werewolf by Night bust. Werewolf by Night was featured in the HeroClix figure game. Werewolf by Night was featured in ToyBiz's Marvel Legends line as part of a boxed set with Dracula, Zombie and Frankenstein's Monster. by TaboolaPromoted Links From The Web A Piece Of Aluminum Foil May Change The Way You Use Your Phone! Tip Tricks 5 Things Scientists Need to Make Actual Avatars ANA Travel Unlimited People in Heavy Credit Card Debt Are in for a Big Surprise Savvy Finance - Debt Relief Quotes What Does Your Last Name Mean? Ancestry 'Captain America: Civil War' Teaser Revealed on Jimmy Kimmel

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General Information Super Name Werewolf By Night Real Name Jacob Russoff Aliases Jacob Russoff Werewolf Jack Russell Publisher Marvel Creators Gerry Conway Mike Ploog Gender Male Character Type Other First Appearance Marvel Spotlight #2 - Werewolf by Night Appears in 409 issues Birthday n/a Died Ghost Rider #26 - The Former Things, Part One: The Second Coming of Daniel Ketch Powers Agility Berserker Strength Claws Feral Healing Intellect Invulnerability Shape Shifter Stamina Super Hearing Super Sight Super Smell Super Speed Super Strength Tracking Unarmed Combat Themes None Popular on Comic Vine 42Article Injustice Vs. Masters Of The Universe Comic Is A Giant Sandbox Of Nostalgia 14Article DC's Green Lantern Corps Series Has Some Real "Daddy Issues" 37Article Deadpool 2 Totally Ruins X-Men's Already Ludicrous Movie Timeline 29Article Deadpool 2: Who Is Cable? Recent Movies Teams Friends Enemies A.R.M.O.R. Legion of Monsters Marvel Monsters Midnight Sons Night Shift S.T.A.K.E. Supernaturals Vizier's Guard Werewolves Recent issues

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The Werewolf by Night (birth name Jacob Russoff, legal name Jacob Russell, nicknamed Jack) is a fictional character, an antiheroic werewolf appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Werewolf by Night (usually referred to by other characters simply as the Werewolf) first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #2.

Publication history
With the relaxation of the Comics Code Authority's rules in 1971, it became possible for the first time to publish code-approved comic books with werewolves. The Werewolf by Night character first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #2 (Feb. 1972) and was based on an idea by Roy Thomas. The series name was suggested by Stan Lee and the initial creative team was Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog, who worked from a plot by Roy and Jean Thomas for the first issue. Readers have often pointed out that the lead character's name, Jack Russell, is also a breed of dog. Conway has said that while he cannot remember how he came up with the name, it is unlikely that he was making this canine reference consciously, since he did not own a dog and never lived with one growing up.

After the test run in Marvel Spotlight #2-4, the character graduated to his own eponymous series in September 1972. Conway described working on the series as "a lot of fun" because the horror genre made a refreshing change from the superhero stories that had been the staple of mainstream comics for years. Werewolf by Night was published for 43 issues and ran through March 1977. Issue #32 (August 1975) contains the first appearance of the Moon Knight. Jack Russell co-starred with Tigra in Giant-Size Creatures #1 (July 1974), which was the first appearance of Greer Grant as Tigra instead of as the Cat. That series was retitled Giant-Size Werewolf with its second issue.

Jack Russell was dormant for most of the 1980s. The character's appearance was radically revamped in Moon Knight #29 (March 1983). He guest-starred in various issues of Spider-Woman, West Coast Avengers and Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme.

The Werewolf by Night was later revived in the pages of Marvel Comics Presents, where he appeared irregularly from 1991-1993. He made regular appearances as a supporting cast member in the pages of Morbius: The Living Vampire from 1993-1995. A letters page in an issue of Morbius mentioned that a Werewolf by Night miniseries by Len Kaminski and James Fry was in the works, but the miniseries was never published.

Werewolf by Night volume 2 ran for six issues in 1998. The series was written by Paul Jenkins and penciled by Leonardo Manco. After the book's cancellation, the story was continued in the pages of Strange Tales, which also featured the Man-Thing. That volume of Strange Tales was canceled after only two issues due to poor sales.

In early 2007, Marvel published a one-shot entitled Legion of Monsters: Werewolf by Night, with art by Greg Land.

In January 2009, Jack Russell was featured in the four-issue limited series Dead of Night Featuring Werewolf by Night, from Marvel's mature readers MAX imprint. The series was written by Duane Swierczynski, with art by Mico Suayan.

He was featured as a member of Morbius' Midnight Sons in Marvel Zombies 4 in 2009.which is shit

First manifestation
While reports of lycanthropy (becoming a werewolf) in the Russoff line stretch back many centuries, the first confirmed manifestation is Grigori Russoff in 1795. Dracula slew Grigori's wife Louisa after he refused to acknowledge Dracula's primacy upon his return to Transylvania. Grigori then ambushed and destroyed Dracula, but was turned into a werewolf by Lydia, a werewolf formerly imprisoned by the vampire lord. Grigori took a second wife, but accounts vary as to why lycanthropy failed to pass to his descendents. Sometime prior to May 1930, Grigori's descendent, Gregor, obtained the legendary Darkhold scrolls, binding them back into book form. Reading lycanthropy's origins in the Darkhold under a full moon triggered the dormant curse, turning Gregor into a werewolf. Gregor further transcribed much of the Darkhold into Grigori's diary, essentially creating a Darkhold copy, which he used as his own diary.

Gregor sold part of his estate — including Wundagore Mountain — to Jonathon Drew, who shared it with partner Herbert Wyndham (the future High Evolutionary). The Russoff werewolf slew Jonathon's wife, Merriem, and Wyndham designed a suit of silver-coated armor to protect himself, enabling Russoff's capture. Russoff stayed with the Evolutionary, who kept the werewolf safely contained for decades. Russoff eventually used the Darkhold to summon Chthon to cure him and the Elder God nearly broke through the earthly plane; but Magnus the Sorcerer forced Russoff to banish Chthon, who lashed out with a parting blast that slew Gregor. Despite contrary accounts, the Gregor Russoff who stayed with the High Evolutionary seems to have been the grandfather (or great-grandfather) of Jack Russell. Having the same name and presumably using the same diary contributed to earlier confusion. It would seem more likely that the elder Gregor was the one who transcribed the Darkhold into the diary.

Birth of Jack
Decades later, another Gregor Russoff married Laura, the former girlfriend of his younger brother Philip. Jacob (later Jack) was born in Mediaş, Transylvania, soon after, and Laura was pregnant with Lissa within two years of marriage; however, when lightning struck Russoff's Transylvanian castle during a full moon, the werewolf Gregor escaped confinement and began attacking villagers. They tracked down and killed Russoff with silver bullets. Gregor's mother, Maria, was stoned and driven from the village, living with gypsies and learning magic. After Gregor's death, Laura found Philip - who had moved to Los Angeles and anglicized his name to Russell - and they married after a year; Jack and Lissa remained unaware of Philip's past.

Approximately 15 years later, the criminal organization known as the Committee learned of Gregor's curse and blackmailed Philip, threatening to reveal his secrets. To protect Laura's name, Philip paid them, but had second thoughts and canceled payment, causing the Committee to send Max Grant to kill Laura. Critically injured in a car crash on Jack's 18th birthday, Laura barely had time to tell Jack about his true father and the curse of the werewolf, making Jack promise not to harm Philip, before dying. Having inherited lycanthropy the night before, Jack slew Grant, but wrongly blamed Philip for some time. Laura left Castle Russoff in Jack's name, but Philip, the trustee, sold the castle to Miles Blackgar, who had it moved to an island off the California coast. Jack battled a motorcycle gang, infecting its members with lycanthropy.

On the road
Jack spent the next few years as a traveler, transforming on the three nights of the full moon into a savage werewolf form. He learned of the Darkhold from Nathan and Agatha Timly, who briefly kidnapped the Werewolf and met grisly ends. Befriending writer Buck Cowan, Jack sneaked into Blackgar's castle and stole the Darkhold, encountering Miles Blackgar and his daughter Marlene, whose petrifying power slew both Blackgars. After fighting off the deformed Cephalos' plot to drain his power to stabilize Cephalos' form, Jack had Father Ramon Joaquez translate the Darkhold. The priest died after being possessed by the Darkhold's former custodian, the 12th century mad monk Aelfric, and the indestructible Darkhold vanished. Jack encountered Joshua Kane, who hunted the Werewolf, and his brother, Luther Kane, who offered to prevent Lissa from becoming a werewolf in exchange for Jack kidnapping billionaire recluse Judson Hemp; he met mentalist Swami Rihva, who sought the Werewolf's blood to reveal the treasure-map of the ancient sorcerer Kaman-Ru on his "Bloodstone"; the possessing demon Krogg; and Spider-Man and Moondark the Magician. Jack then fought the sonic-weapons of Sarnak, his first brush with the criminal organization known as the Committee, who wished to enslave the Werewolf.

Working with Topaz
After fighting the sociopathic Hangman (Harlan Krueger), Jack was entranced by Topaz, the familiar of the sorcerer Taboo, who sought the Darkhold. Taboo had used the tome decades before to grant his son, Algon, a golden touch, but had lost the book in mid-spell, trapping Algon in a mindless state. Lacking the Darkhold, Taboo transferred Philip Russell's mind into Algon, but both Algon and Taboo died, restoring Philip, who explained Laura's death and reconciled with Jack and Lissa. Traveling to Transylvania alongside Topaz, with whom he had bonded, Jack discovered the Russoff diary/Darkhold copy, the Werewolf battled Dracula and the book was lost in the Alps. Jack and Topaz encountered the kyphotic Half-Mad before returning to the U.S. and Jack fought the Committee's Behemoth robot and then Ma Mayhem, assisted by werewolf Raymond Coker. Jack joined the newly mutated Tigra against HYDRA, battled vampires Louis Belski and Liza Pyne, opposed Ma Mayhem and her ally Baron Thunder, and joined Coker against Lou Hackett (a corrupt policeman who could transform into a werewolf by using a magic ring), who was killed in the struggle. The Werewolf joined Frankenstein's Monster against the Satanic Brotherhood of Baal who had abducted Lissa, then fought the disfigured Atlas and the Jekyll/Hyde-like DePrayve. Jack briefly returned to Transylvania following Topaz's psychic summons and encountered Maria Russoff, who used Gypsy magic to raise zombies to slay the villagers who had driven her off. Maria sacrificed herself to save Jack from her zombies upon learning he was her grandson.

In Blackgar's castle, Werewolf, Topaz and the repentant spirit fragment of Taboo battled the necromancer Doctor Glitternight, who transformed Lissa Russell into a were-demon; the process of curing Lissa purged her of the threat of lycanthropy, though she would still pass it on to her children. After battling Morbius, the Living Vampire and slaying the demon worshipped by Brad Wrangle, the Werewolf was briefly transported to the divided dimension Biphasia by Satanist Joaquin Zaire and he aided Paingloss against the sorcerer Sardanus. During a subsequent ski trip, the Werewolf nearly slew Buck Cowan, after which he was captured by the Committee-paid mercenary known as the Moon Knight, who set him free when he realized Jack's humanity and the Committee's intentions. The Werewolf joined the Ghost Rider, the Man-Thing, and Morbius in unwittingly slaying the benevolent alien Starseed, who had intended to cure them all.

The Werewolf, Topaz and others then battled and were nearly driven mad by the ghost of 19th-century black magician Belaric Marcosa, but they freed the trapped spirits of Marcosa's victims, who destroyed him, and one of the grateful spirits, magician Gideon Blaine, healed Buck. The enigmatic Three Who Are All (the Hooded One, the Burning Snake and the Goat Child) — an ancient extra-dimensional group who had formerly included Glitternight and a fifth member, Fire-Eyes — sent Jack, Topaz, Raymond Coker and Brother Voodoo to Haiti, where the Werewolf and Fire-Eyes destroyed Glitternight. In the process, Jack gained control of his Werewolf persona, though he still only transformed under moonlight and still lost control during the three nights of the full moon.

With other heroes
The Werewolf joined with Iron Man against the Maggia's Masked Marauder and his Tri-Animan and he teamed with Spider-Woman against the mercenary Enforcer. The mad scientist Dr. Karl Malus captured and performed scientific experiments on Russell to control him and use him against Spider-Woman; Russell escaped and apprehended Malus with the aid of Spider-Woman. Russell joined Spider-Man against the Tatterdemalion, a former agent of Sarnak. After being temporarily captured alongside a number of costumed adventurers by the Locksmith and Tick-Tock, Russell began mutating into a more savage and lupine form, a late effect from Malus' treatment. He fled Satanists Morning Star (Schuyler Belial) and his Left Hand Path, who wished to use his blood to become werewolves, then sought aid from the now-human Michael Morbius in controlling his savage self, leading to a battle with the West Coast Avengers. With assistance from Iron Man, he later saved Lissa from Morgan Le Fay's attempt to possess her.

The Night Shift
He was subsequently mind-controlled into joining the mostly-criminal Night Shift by Dansen Macabre. Russell was the only member who knew their leader, the Shroud, was using the group to oppose other criminals and to prevent them from harming innocents. After encounters with Captain America, the Moon Knight and the Avengers, the Werewolf eventually developed resistance to Macabre's powers and turned on the Night Shift, after which he went solo. After battling the Hulk in the Midwest, Jack contacted his father Gregor's spirit to cure his lycanthropy, but was told he would die unless he accepted his beast. During the ensuing battle with the religious zealot Silver Dagger and the Braineaters, a cult of werewolves transformed in the past by Russell, Jack fully accepted his wolf-self and his personae merged, altering his powers and granting him full control and the best of both selves.

Russell assisted Doctor Strange against the alien Possessors, the Night Shift against an L.A. street gang and the Ghost Rider against a new group of Braineaters; Jack narrowly survived a battle with Sabretooth and fought an unidentified Wendigo in Canada. Russell was captured by criminal scientist Nightshade who used his blood to create the Night Patrol, a group of werewolves in Starkesboro, Massachusetts. Captain America - also transformed into a werewolf - freed Russell and led the werewolves to defeat Nightshade's master, Dredmund the Druid, who had used the Godstone (the former gem of the Man-Wolf) to briefly become the powerful Starwolf. The Night Patrol was cured, after which Russell was drawn into a conflict involving the Midnight Sons and was slain by Switchblade (the insane Darkhold-powered Blade), but Jack was revived once Professor Louise Hastings broke Switchblade's spell. Russell befriended the again pseudo-vampiric (and now demon-possessed) Morbius, had a vision of advertisements on the moon causing mass insanity and fought the Lilin Goblins, Mr. Hyde and the sadist Morphine. Jack had an affair with Morbius' possessed former girlfriend Martine Bancroft.

Losing control
Jack again began losing control of the Werewolf, locking himself in a cage while under the full moons, and even glimpsing visions of Hell as he transformed. From the Cult of the Third Moon's dying leader, Walter Clark, Russell learned that only the legendary Wolfblade could control his lupine self. With the aid of Smedley, a mysterious benefactor, Russell recovered all three parts of the Wolfblade, battled the original Wolf Demon in a branch of Hell, completed the puzzle by reaccepting both selves and seemingly regained control. However, after Jack visited friends Freddie and the disfigured Lump, Smedley sent him to investigate a series of killings in which the evidence pointed to Jack as the killer. As Russell began to mutate further, Smedley said Jack just had not been careful enough in his wish to be freed from the Wolf Demon and that he must embrace the disease or it would destroy him. Uncertain how to accomplish this, Jack found a confidant in the Lump, who cared for the Werewolf as he hid out in the sewers. While Jack's new girlfriend, Roxanna, remained blissfully unaware of his dual existence, the Werewolf was tracked down by a pair of detectives, escaping only after they were slain by the Cult of the Third Moon. Though Jack's subsequent fate is unknown, he was later seen sensing the arrival of the mystic assassin Hellphyr.

In the Legion of Monsters: Werewolf by Night one-shot, Jack Russell came to Salvage, Alabama to save a family of law-abiding werewolves from a group of townsfolk led by Cal Escher. Young Rhonda was the only one left in the family after her mother and her sister Suzie chose death by gun or knife. The girl was drowning her sorrows in Sullivan's bar next to the cemetery when the gang attacked her, revealing her werewolf nature by means of a tarot card ("The Moon") and then trying to kill her. Russell interfered, transforming into the Werewolf while Rhonda decided to do the same. After killing the violent gang, Russell and Rhonda left the town, determined to control their affliction and live their lives without fear.

The Moon Knight rescues Jack from a criminal enterprise wherein samples of his blood are used to temporarily mutate homeless people into pseudo-werewolves, who are then provoked into fighting each other as a spectator sport. The Moon Knight frees Jack, who has degenerated into a near-mindless feral state, from his captors; the Werewolf proceeds to rampage attacking both his tormentors and the Moon Knight, who subdues him before restoring his freedom to him.

Marvel Zombies 4
Werewolf appears as part of the new Midnight Sons team to hunt down zombies who escaped A.R.M.O.R. headquarters and prevent the contagion from spreading. Prior to the team's mission, he records a video will and testament telling his sister he is happy in life. He was given a vaccine developed by Morbius. In their search for the missing zombie Deadpool, the team battles and kills zombie Men-Fish and their leader, the Piranha. After battling the Hood's Night Shift and watching ally the Man-Thing seemingly die in a battle against Deadpool, Russell's vaccine fails him and he becomes a zombie. He then confronts Jennifer Kale. He battles Morbius, who realizes that Jack's werewolf form is not subject to the virus, and Jennifer Kale summons a moonlight spell to transform him into the Werewolf. Jack is later restored to normal by Morbius, who developed a cure for the zombie virus using Spider-Man's blood and samples of the zombie virus from different realities.

Punisher
After the death of Frank Castle, Morbius pieces the Punisher together again and enlists his help in saving monsters from extinction. Jack Russell, the Man-Thing and the Living Mummy are part of the Legion of Monsters, who fight those who would wipe out all monsters. The Punisher aids this group in protecting an underground city that has many innocent, sentient monsters.

X-Factor
Russell appears among many mystical beings of lupine and feline nature drawn to the headquarters of X-Factor Investigations by the imminent birth of the mutant Wolfsbane's child, fathered by the Asgardian wolf prince Hrimhari. While many of the gathered beings wish to acquire the child for their own ends (due to its status as a hybrid of human mutant and Asgardian god), Russell seems intent on protecting mother and child, likening the call that drew him to Wolfsbane to the hymn "O Come All Ye Faithful", and takes them into the woods of upstate New York to hide. Once the child is born, it is rejected by a shaken Wolfsbane due to its vicious, feral nature and her own religious beliefs. The cub appears to be caught up in a convergence of the mystic forces seeking it, vanishing explosively from the Earth; however, Russell finds the child hiding in a cave (unknown to its mother and the other members of X-Factor) and takes it under his care.

Civil War 2
Deadpool, upon the disbandment of the Mercs for Money, discovered that Russell had an affair with his wife Shiklah. Deadpool then promptly blew off Jack's head with a blunderbuss, but Shiklah revealed Jack would survive.

Birth of Jack
Decades later, another Gregor Russoff married Laura, the former girlfriend of his younger brother Philip. Jacob (later Jack) was born in Mediaş, Transylvania, soon after, and Laura was pregnant with Lissa within two years of marriage; however, when lightning struck Russoff's Transylvanian castle during a full moon, the werewolf Gregor escaped confinement and began attacking villagers. They tracked down and killed Russoff with silver bullets. Gregor's mother, Maria, was stoned and driven from the village, living with gypsies and learning magic. After Gregor's death, Laura found Philip - who had moved to Los Angeles and anglicized his name to Russell - and they married after a year; Jack and Lissa remained unaware of Philip's past.

Approximately 15 years later, the criminal organization known as the Committee learned of Gregor's curse and blackmailed Philip, threatening to reveal his secrets. To protect Laura's name, Philip paid them, but had second thoughts and canceled payment, causing the Committee to send Max Grant to kill Laura. Critically injured in a car crash on Jack's 18th birthday, Laura barely had time to tell Jack about his true father and the curse of the werewolf, making Jack promise not to harm Philip, before dying. Having inherited lycanthropy the night before, Jack slew Grant, but wrongly blamed Philip for some time. Laura left Castle Russoff in Jack's name, but Philip, the trustee, sold the castle to Miles Blackgar, who had it moved to an island off the California coast. Jack battled a motorcycle gang, infecting its members with lycanthropy.

On the road
Jack spent the next few years as a traveler, transforming on the three nights of the full moon into a savage werewolf form. He learned of the Darkhold from Nathan and Agatha Timly, who briefly kidnapped the Werewolf and met grisly ends. Befriending writer Buck Cowan, Jack sneaked into Blackgar's castle and stole the Darkhold, encountering Miles Blackgar and his daughter Marlene, whose petrifying power slew both Blackgars. After fighting off the deformed Cephalos' plot to drain his power to stabilize Cephalos' form, Jack had Father Ramon Joaquez translate the Darkhold. The priest died after being possessed by the Darkhold's former custodian, the 12th century mad monk Aelfric, and the indestructible Darkhold vanished. Jack encountered Joshua Kane, who hunted the Werewolf, and his brother, Luther Kane, who offered to prevent Lissa from becoming a werewolf in exchange for Jack kidnapping billionaire recluse Judson Hemp; he met mentalist Swami Rihva, who sought the Werewolf's blood to reveal the treasure-map of the ancient sorcerer Kaman-Ru on his "Bloodstone"; the possessing demon Krogg; and Spider-Man and Moondark the Magician. Jack then fought the sonic-weapons of Sarnak, his first brush with the criminal organization known as the Committee, who wished to enslave the Werewolf.

Working with Topaz
After fighting the sociopathic Hangman (Harlan Krueger), Jack was entranced by Topaz, the familiar of the sorcerer Taboo, who sought the Darkhold. Taboo had used the tome decades before to grant his son, Algon, a golden touch, but had lost the book in mid-spell, trapping Algon in a mindless state. Lacking the Darkhold, Taboo transferred Philip Russell's mind into Algon, but both Algon and Taboo died, restoring Philip, who explained Laura's death and reconciled with Jack and Lissa. Traveling to Transylvania alongside Topaz, with whom he had bonded, Jack discovered the Russoff diary/Darkhold copy, the Werewolf battled Dracula and the book was lost in the Alps. Jack and Topaz encountered the kyphotic Half-Mad before returning to the U.S. and Jack fought the Committee's Behemoth robot and then Ma Mayhem, assisted by werewolf Raymond Coker. Jack joined the newly mutated Tigra against HYDRA, battled vampires Louis Belski and Liza Pyne, opposed Ma Mayhem and her ally Baron Thunder, and joined Coker against Lou Hackett (a corrupt policeman who could transform into a werewolf by using a magic ring), who was killed in the struggle. The Werewolf joined Frankenstein's Monster against the Satanic Brotherhood of Baal who had abducted Lissa, then fought the disfigured Atlas and the Jekyll/Hyde-like DePrayve. Jack briefly returned to Transylvania following Topaz's psychic summons and encountered Maria Russoff, who used Gypsy magic to raise zombies to slay the villagers who had driven her off. Maria sacrificed herself to save Jack from her zombies upon learning he was her grandson.

In Blackgar's castle, Werewolf, Topaz and the repentant spirit fragment of Taboo battled the necromancer Doctor Glitternight, who transformed Lissa Russell into a were-demon; the process of curing Lissa purged her of the threat of lycanthropy, though she would still pass it on to her children. After battling Morbius, the Living Vampire and slaying the demon worshipped by Brad Wrangle, the Werewolf was briefly transported to the divided dimension Biphasia by Satanist Joaquin Zaire and he aided Paingloss against the sorcerer Sardanus. During a subsequent ski trip, the Werewolf nearly slew Buck Cowan, after which he was captured by the Committee-paid mercenary known as the Moon Knight, who set him free when he realized Jack's humanity and the Committee's intentions. The Werewolf joined the Ghost Rider, the Man-Thing, and Morbius in unwittingly slaying the benevolent alien Starseed, who had intended to cure them all.

The Werewolf, Topaz and others then battled and were nearly driven mad by the ghost of 19th-century black magician Belaric Marcosa, but they freed the trapped spirits of Marcosa's victims, who destroyed him, and one of the grateful spirits, magician Gideon Blaine, healed Buck. The enigmatic Three Who Are All (the Hooded One, the Burning Snake and the Goat Child) — an ancient extra-dimensional group who had formerly included Glitternight and a fifth member, Fire-Eyes — sent Jack, Topaz, Raymond Coker and Brother Voodoo to Haiti, where the Werewolf and Fire-Eyes destroyed Glitternight. In the process, Jack gained control of his Werewolf persona, though he still only transformed under moonlight and still lost control during the three nights of the full moon. Open main menu Wikipedia Search Wikipedia 5 EditWatch this pageRead in another language Werewolf by Night Page issues For other Werewolf characters in comics, see Werewolf (comics). The Werewolf by Night (birth name Jacob Russoff, legal name Jacob Russell, nicknamed Jack) is a fictional character, an antiheroic werewolf appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Werewolf by Night (usually referred to by other characters simply as the Werewolf) first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #2.

Werewolf By Night Werewolf by Night cover.JPG Partial cover of Werewolf by Night #1, "Eye of the Beholder!" (Sept. 1972) by artist Mike Ploog. Publication information Publisher Marvel Comics First appearance Marvel Spotlight #2 (Feb. 1972) Created by Roy Thomas Gerry Conway Mike Ploog In-story information Alter ego Jacob Russoff (given name) Species Werewolf Team affiliations Legion of Monsters Midnight Sons Night Shift Notable aliases Jack Russell (adopted name) Abilities In werewolf form: Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, durability, reflexes and sense of smell Accelerated healing factor Razor-sharp claws and teeth Contents Publication history Edit With the relaxation of the Comics Code Authority's rules in 1971, it became possible for the first time to publish code-approved comic books with werewolves.[1] The Werewolf by Night character first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #2 (Feb. 1972) and was based on an idea by Roy Thomas. The series name was suggested by Stan Lee and the initial creative team was Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog,[2] who worked from a plot by Roy and Jean Thomas for the first issue. Readers have often pointed out that the lead character's name, Jack Russell, is also a breed of dog. Conway has said that while he cannot remember how he came up with the name, it is unlikely that he was making this canine reference consciously, since he did not own a dog and never lived with one growing up.[1]

After the test run in Marvel Spotlight #2-4, the character graduated to his own eponymous series in September 1972.[3] Conway described working on the series as "a lot of fun" because the horror genre made a refreshing change from the superhero stories that had been the staple of mainstream comics for years.[1] Werewolf by Night was published for 43 issues and ran through March 1977.[4] Issue #32 (August 1975) contains the first appearance of the Moon Knight. Jack Russell co-starred with Tigra in Giant-Size Creatures #1 (July 1974), which was the first appearance of Greer Grant as Tigra instead of as the Cat.[5][6] That series was retitled Giant-Size Werewolf with its second issue.[7]

Jack Russell was dormant for most of the 1980s. The character's appearance was radically revamped in Moon Knight #29 (March 1983). He guest-starred in various issues of Spider-Woman, West Coast Avengers and Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme.

The Werewolf by Night was later revived in the pages of Marvel Comics Presents, where he appeared irregularly from 1991-1993. He made regular appearances as a supporting cast member in the pages of Morbius: The Living Vampire from 1993-1995. A letters page in an issue of Morbius mentioned that a Werewolf by Night miniseries by Len Kaminski and James Fry was in the works, but the miniseries was never published.

Werewolf by Night volume 2 ran for six issues in 1998.[8] The series was written by Paul Jenkins and penciled by Leonardo Manco. After the book's cancellation, the story was continued in the pages of Strange Tales, which also featured the Man-Thing. That volume of Strange Tales was canceled after only two issues due to poor sales.

In early 2007, Marvel published a one-shot entitled Legion of Monsters: Werewolf by Night, with art by Greg Land.

In January 2009, Jack Russell was featured in the four-issue limited series Dead of Night Featuring Werewolf by Night, from Marvel's mature readers MAX imprint. The series was written by Duane Swierczynski, with art by Mico Suayan.[9]

He was featured as a member of Morbius' Midnight Sons in Marvel Zombies 4 in 2009.

Fictional character biography Edit First manifestation Edit While reports of lycanthropy (becoming a werewolf) in the Russoff line stretch back many centuries, the first confirmed manifestation is Grigori Russoff in 1795. Dracula slew Grigori's wife Louisa after he refused to acknowledge Dracula's primacy upon his return to Transylvania. Grigori then ambushed and destroyed Dracula, but was turned into a werewolf by Lydia, a werewolf formerly imprisoned by the vampire lord. Grigori took a second wife, but accounts vary as to why lycanthropy failed to pass to his descendents. Sometime prior to May 1930, Grigori's descendent, Gregor, obtained the legendary Darkhold scrolls, binding them back into book form. Reading lycanthropy's origins in the Darkhold under a full moon triggered the dormant curse, turning Gregor into a werewolf. Gregor further transcribed much of the Darkhold into Grigori's diary, essentially creating a Darkhold copy, which he used as his own diary.

Gregor sold part of his estate — including Wundagore Mountain — to Jonathon Drew, who shared it with partner Herbert Wyndham (the future High Evolutionary). The Russoff werewolf slew Jonathon's wife, Merriem, and Wyndham designed a suit of silver-coated armor to protect himself, enabling Russoff's capture. Russoff stayed with the Evolutionary, who kept the werewolf safely contained for decades. Russoff eventually used the Darkhold to summon Chthon to cure him and the Elder God nearly broke through the earthly plane; but Magnus the Sorcerer forced Russoff to banish Chthon, who lashed out with a parting blast that slew Gregor. Despite contrary accounts, the Gregor Russoff who stayed with the High Evolutionary seems to have been the grandfather (or great-grandfather) of Jack Russell. Having the same name and presumably using the same diary contributed to earlier confusion. It would seem more likely that the elder Gregor was the one who transcribed the Darkhold into the diary.

Birth of Jack Edit Decades later, another Gregor Russoff married Laura, the former girlfriend of his younger brother Philip. Jacob (later Jack) was born in Mediaş, Transylvania, soon after, and Laura was pregnant with Lissa within two years of marriage; however, when lightning struck Russoff's Transylvanian castle during a full moon, the werewolf Gregor escaped confinement and began attacking villagers. They tracked down and killed Russoff with silver bullets. Gregor's mother, Maria, was stoned and driven from the village, living with gypsies and learning magic. After Gregor's death, Laura found Philip - who had moved to Los Angeles and anglicized his name to Russell - and they married after a year; Jack and Lissa remained unaware of Philip's past.

Approximately 15 years later, the criminal organization known as the Committee learned of Gregor's curse and blackmailed Philip, threatening to reveal his secrets. To protect Laura's name, Philip paid them, but had second thoughts and canceled payment, causing the Committee to send Max Grant to kill Laura. Critically injured in a car crash on Jack's 18th birthday, Laura barely had time to tell Jack about his true father and the curse of the werewolf, making Jack promise not to harm Philip, before dying. Having inherited lycanthropy the night before, Jack slew Grant, but wrongly blamed Philip for some time. Laura left Castle Russoff in Jack's name, but Philip, the trustee, sold the castle to Miles Blackgar, who had it moved to an island off the California coast. Jack battled a motorcycle gang, infecting its members with lycanthropy.[10][11]

On the road Edit Jack spent the next few years as a traveler, transforming on the three nights of the full moon into a savage werewolf form. He learned of the Darkhold from Nathan and Agatha Timly, who briefly kidnapped the Werewolf and met grisly ends. Befriending writer Buck Cowan, Jack sneaked into Blackgar's castle and stole the Darkhold, encountering Miles Blackgar and his daughter Marlene, whose petrifying power slew both Blackgars. After fighting off the deformed Cephalos' plot to drain his power to stabilize Cephalos' form, Jack had Father Ramon Joaquez translate the Darkhold. The priest died after being possessed by the Darkhold's former custodian, the 12th century mad monk Aelfric, and the indestructible Darkhold vanished. Jack encountered Joshua Kane, who hunted the Werewolf, and his brother, Luther Kane, who offered to prevent Lissa from becoming a werewolf in exchange for Jack kidnapping billionaire recluse Judson Hemp; he met mentalist Swami Rihva, who sought the Werewolf's blood to reveal the treasure-map of the ancient sorcerer Kaman-Ru on his "Bloodstone"; the possessing demon Krogg; and Spider-Man and Moondark the Magician.[12][13] Jack then fought the sonic-weapons of Sarnak, his first brush with the criminal organization known as the Committee, who wished to enslave the Werewolf.[14]

Working with Topaz Edit After fighting the sociopathic Hangman (Harlan Krueger), Jack was entranced by Topaz, the familiar of the sorcerer Taboo, who sought the Darkhold. Taboo had used the tome decades before to grant his son, Algon, a golden touch, but had lost the book in mid-spell, trapping Algon in a mindless state. Lacking the Darkhold, Taboo transferred Philip Russell's mind into Algon, but both Algon and Taboo died, restoring Philip, who explained Laura's death and reconciled with Jack and Lissa. Traveling to Transylvania alongside Topaz, with whom he had bonded, Jack discovered the Russoff diary/Darkhold copy, the Werewolf battled Dracula[15] and the book was lost in the Alps.[16] Jack and Topaz encountered the kyphotic Half-Mad before returning to the U.S. and Jack fought the Committee's Behemoth robot and then Ma Mayhem, assisted by werewolf Raymond Coker. Jack joined the newly mutated Tigra against HYDRA,[17] battled vampires Louis Belski and Liza Pyne, opposed Ma Mayhem and her ally Baron Thunder, and joined Coker against Lou Hackett (a corrupt policeman who could transform into a werewolf by using a magic ring), who was killed in the struggle. The Werewolf joined Frankenstein's Monster against the Satanic Brotherhood of Baal who had abducted Lissa,[18] then fought the disfigured Atlas and the Jekyll/Hyde-like DePrayve. Jack briefly returned to Transylvania following Topaz's psychic summons and encountered Maria Russoff, who used Gypsy magic to raise zombies to slay the villagers who had driven her off. Maria sacrificed herself to save Jack from her zombies upon learning he was her grandson.[19]

In Blackgar's castle, Werewolf, Topaz and the repentant spirit fragment of Taboo battled the necromancer Doctor Glitternight, who transformed Lissa Russell into a were-demon; the process of curing Lissa purged her of the threat of lycanthropy, though she would still pass it on to her children. After battling Morbius, the Living Vampire[20] and slaying the demon worshipped by Brad Wrangle, the Werewolf was briefly transported to the divided dimension Biphasia by Satanist Joaquin Zaire and he aided Paingloss against the sorcerer Sardanus.[21] During a subsequent ski trip, the Werewolf nearly slew Buck Cowan, after which he was captured by the Committee-paid mercenary known as the Moon Knight, who set him free when he realized Jack's humanity and the Committee's intentions.[22][23][24] The Werewolf joined the Ghost Rider, the Man-Thing, and Morbius in unwittingly slaying the benevolent alien Starseed, who had intended to cure them all.[25]

The Werewolf, Topaz and others then battled and were nearly driven mad by the ghost of 19th-century black magician Belaric Marcosa, but they freed the trapped spirits of Marcosa's victims, who destroyed him, and one of the grateful spirits, magician Gideon Blaine, healed Buck. The enigmatic Three Who Are All (the Hooded One, the Burning Snake and the Goat Child) — an ancient extra-dimensional group who had formerly included Glitternight and a fifth member, Fire-Eyes — sent Jack, Topaz, Raymond Coker and Brother Voodoo to Haiti, where the Werewolf and Fire-Eyes destroyed Glitternight. In the process, Jack gained control of his Werewolf persona, though he still only transformed under moonlight and still lost control during the three nights of the full moon.[26]

With other heroes Edit The Werewolf joined with Iron Man against the Maggia's Masked Marauder and his Tri-Animan[27][28] and he teamed with Spider-Woman against the mercenary Enforcer.[29] The mad scientist Dr. Karl Malus captured and performed scientific experiments on Russell to control him and use him against Spider-Woman; Russell escaped and apprehended Malus with the aid of Spider-Woman.[30] Russell joined Spider-Man against the Tatterdemalion, a former agent of Sarnak.[31] After being temporarily captured alongside a number of costumed adventurers by the Locksmith and Tick-Tock, Russell began mutating into a more savage and lupine form, a late effect from Malus' treatment. He fled Satanists Morning Star (Schuyler Belial) and his Left Hand Path, who wished to use his blood to become werewolves, then sought aid from the now-human Michael Morbius in controlling his savage self, leading to a battle with the West Coast Avengers.[32] With assistance from Iron Man, he later saved Lissa from Morgan Le Fay's attempt to possess her.[33]

The Night Shift Edit He was subsequently mind-controlled into joining the mostly-criminal Night Shift by Dansen Macabre. Russell was the only member who knew their leader, the Shroud, was using the group to oppose other criminals and to prevent them from harming innocents.[34] After encounters with Captain America, the Moon Knight and the Avengers, the Werewolf eventually developed resistance to Macabre's powers and turned on the Night Shift, after which he went solo. After battling the Hulk in the Midwest, Jack contacted his father Gregor's spirit to cure his lycanthropy, but was told he would die unless he accepted his beast. During the ensuing battle with the religious zealot Silver Dagger and the Braineaters, a cult of werewolves transformed in the past by Russell, Jack fully accepted his wolf-self and his personae merged, altering his powers and granting him full control and the best of both selves.[35][36][37][38][39][40]

Russell assisted Doctor Strange against the alien Possessors, the Night Shift against an L.A. street gang and the Ghost Rider against a new group of Braineaters; Jack narrowly survived a battle with Sabretooth and fought an unidentified Wendigo in Canada. Russell was captured by criminal scientist Nightshade who used his blood to create the Night Patrol, a group of werewolves in Starkesboro, Massachusetts. Captain America - also transformed into a werewolf - freed Russell and led the werewolves to defeat Nightshade's master, Dredmund the Druid, who had used the Godstone (the former gem of the Man-Wolf) to briefly become the powerful Starwolf. The Night Patrol was cured, after which Russell was drawn into a conflict involving the Midnight Sons and was slain by Switchblade (the insane Darkhold-powered Blade), but Jack was revived once Professor Louise Hastings broke Switchblade's spell. Russell befriended the again pseudo-vampiric (and now demon-possessed) Morbius, had a vision of advertisements on the moon causing mass insanity and fought the Lilin Goblins, Mr. Hyde and the sadist Morphine. Jack had an affair with Morbius' possessed former girlfriend Martine Bancroft.[41]

Losing control Edit Jack again began losing control of the Werewolf, locking himself in a cage while under the full moons, and even glimpsing visions of Hell as he transformed. From the Cult of the Third Moon's dying leader, Walter Clark, Russell learned that only the legendary Wolfblade could control his lupine self. With the aid of Smedley, a mysterious benefactor, Russell recovered all three parts of the Wolfblade, battled the original Wolf Demon in a branch of Hell, completed the puzzle by reaccepting both selves and seemingly regained control. However, after Jack visited friends Freddie and the disfigured Lump, Smedley sent him to investigate a series of killings in which the evidence pointed to Jack as the killer. As Russell began to mutate further, Smedley said Jack just had not been careful enough in his wish to be freed from the Wolf Demon and that he must embrace the disease or it would destroy him. Uncertain how to accomplish this, Jack found a confidant in the Lump, who cared for the Werewolf as he hid out in the sewers. While Jack's new girlfriend, Roxanna, remained blissfully unaware of his dual existence, the Werewolf was tracked down by a pair of detectives, escaping only after they were slain by the Cult of the Third Moon. Though Jack's subsequent fate is unknown, he was later seen sensing the arrival of the mystic assassin Hellphyr.[42]

In the Legion of Monsters: Werewolf by Night one-shot, Jack Russell came to Salvage, Alabama to save a family of law-abiding werewolves from a group of townsfolk led by Cal Escher. Young Rhonda was the only one left in the family after her mother and her sister Suzie chose death by gun or knife. The girl was drowning her sorrows in Sullivan's bar next to the cemetery when the gang attacked her, revealing her werewolf nature by means of a tarot card ("The Moon") and then trying to kill her. Russell interfered, transforming into the Werewolf while Rhonda decided to do the same. After killing the violent gang, Russell and Rhonda left the town, determined to control their affliction and live their lives without fear.[43]

The Moon Knight rescues Jack from a criminal enterprise wherein samples of his blood are used to temporarily mutate homeless people into pseudo-werewolves, who are then provoked into fighting each other as a spectator sport. The Moon Knight frees Jack, who has degenerated into a near-mindless feral state, from his captors; the Werewolf proceeds to rampage attacking both his tormentors and the Moon Knight, who subdues him before restoring his freedom to him.[44]

Marvel Zombies 4 Edit Main article: Marvel Zombies 4 See also: Marvel Zombies (series) Werewolf appears as part of the new Midnight Sons team to hunt down zombies who escaped A.R.M.O.R. headquarters and prevent the contagion from spreading. Prior to the team's mission, he records a video will and testament telling his sister he is happy in life. He was given a vaccine developed by Morbius. In their search for the missing zombie Deadpool, the team battles and kills zombie Men-Fish and their leader, the Piranha. After battling the Hood's Night Shift and watching ally the Man-Thing seemingly die in a battle against Deadpool, Russell's vaccine fails him and he becomes a zombie. He then confronts Jennifer Kale. He battles Morbius, who realizes that Jack's werewolf form is not subject to the virus, and Jennifer Kale summons a moonlight spell to transform him into the Werewolf.[45] Jack is later restored to normal by Morbius, who developed a cure for the zombie virus using Spider-Man's blood and samples of the zombie virus from different realities.[volume & issue needed]

Punisher Edit After the death of Frank Castle,[46] Morbius pieces the Punisher together again and enlists his help in saving monsters from extinction. Jack Russell, the Man-Thing and the Living Mummy are part of the Legion of Monsters, who fight those who would wipe out all monsters. The Punisher aids this group in protecting an underground city that has many innocent, sentient monsters.[47]

X-Factor Edit Russell appears among many mystical beings of lupine and feline nature drawn to the headquarters of X-Factor Investigations by the imminent birth of the mutant Wolfsbane's child, fathered by the Asgardian wolf prince Hrimhari. While many of the gathered beings wish to acquire the child for their own ends (due to its status as a hybrid of human mutant and Asgardian god), Russell seems intent on protecting mother and child, likening the call that drew him to Wolfsbane to the hymn "O Come All Ye Faithful", and takes them into the woods of upstate New York to hide. Once the child is born, it is rejected by a shaken Wolfsbane due to its vicious, feral nature and her own religious beliefs. The cub appears to be caught up in a convergence of the mystic forces seeking it, vanishing explosively from the Earth; however, Russell finds the child hiding in a cave (unknown to its mother and the other members of X-Factor) and takes it under his care.[48][49][50]

Civil War 2 Edit Deadpool, upon the disbandment of the Mercs for Money, discovered that Russell had an affair with his wife Shiklah. Deadpool then promptly blew off Jack's head with a blunderbuss,[51] but Shiklah revealed Jack would survive.[52]

Powers and abilities Edit Jack Russell is a descendant of the mystically-altered offshoot of humans known as Lycanthropes. During the night of the full moon and the two nights surrounding it he is forced to transform into a werewolf, a large, powerful form which is a hybrid of human and wolf, and loses his human intellect. Through a series of events, he is also capable of transforming voluntarily outside of the full moon, at which time he remains in control of himself.

As a werewolf, Jack gains the proportionate physical advantages of a nearly 7-foot-tall (2.1 m) wolf. In this form, he possesses superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility and reflexes. He possesses a superhuman sense of smell, which carries over to his human form. He has razor-sharp teeth and claws that are able to rend light metals. The Werewolf is resistant to many forms of conventional injury and very hard to kill by conventional means. Though he can be severely wounded, he recovers from non-fatal wounds much faster than a human would. He is vulnerable to magical attacks and, like all supernatural creatures, he can be killed by weapons made of silver, due to its inherent mystical "purity".

Other versions Edit In Marvel's Earth-666, a version of the Werewolf appeared in Supernatural Tourbook and Supernaturals #1-4.

In the Marvel Adventures continuity, Jack Russel's family home is in Queens, New York. This brings him into conflict with Spider-Man after he reluctantly turns the somewhat-innocent Flash Thompson into a werewolf. Fortunately, Dr. Strange's knowledge of Romanian lycanthropy saves Flash.[53]

During Infinity Wars, when the universe was folded, Jack Russell got fused with Norman Osborn to create the Goblin by Night. Norman Russell was cursed to be the Goblin by Night, killed Ben and May Spector and nearly killed Peter Spector, leaving Peter to become the ArachKnight. During a battle with Peter, Norman got injured and got saved by his son, Harry Russell. While Harry was taking care of his father, Norman lost control and bit Harry, passing the curse on to him. Harry, now as the new Goblin by Night, starts using the Glider that Peter built prior to him to becoming the Goblin, leaving Norman free from the curse, being forgiven by Peter and deciding to find a way to cure Harry.[54]

In other media Edit Television Edit The Werewolf by Night appears in The Super Hero Squad Show, voiced by Rob Paulsen.[citation needed] In the episode "This Man-Thing, This Monster", Iron Man arrives and helps the Werewolf by Night fight an army of mummies led by N'Kantu, the Living Mummy until his girlfriend, Ellen, is captured. Together with Iron Man and the Man-Thing, the Werewolf by Night fights Dracula and his mummy army. After Dracula retreats, it is discovered that Ellen was turned into a vampire and joins the Werewolf by Night and the Man-Thing into forming a team that would defend the town from future monster attacks. The Werewolf by Night appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, voiced by Ross Lynch.[55] In the Halloween-themed episodes entitled "Blade" and "The Howling Commandos", he is a member of Nick Fury's Howling Commandos and seems to have had a bad history with Blade. The Werewolf by Night appears in Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., voiced by Nolan North.[56] In the episode "Hulking Commandos", he appears as a member of Nick Fury's Howling Commandos. In the episode "Planet Monster" [Pt. 2], the Werewolf by Night is with the Howling Commandos when they help the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. and the Avengers fight the forces of the Supreme Intelligence. The episode "Days of Future Smash: Dracula" featured the Werewolf by Night's grandfather (also voiced by Nolan North) who was around in 1890 during the Victorian era and helped the Hulk, Frankenstein's Monster and N'Kantu the Living Mummy into thwarting the Leader and Dracula's plan to blanket the Earth in darkness with their Gamma Furnace. Film Edit A film version of Werewolf by Night, written by Robert Nelson Jacobs, was announced in 2005. The film was due to begin filming in 2005, but no further developments took place.[57]

Video games Edit Jacob Russell appears in Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds in Jill Valentine's ending.[citation needed] He attacks Jill and Blade alongside other Marvel monsters. The Werewolf by Night is a playable character in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online.[citation needed] The Werewolf by Night is an unlockable character during the 2017 Halloween event in Marvel Avengers Academy.[citation needed] Reception Edit The Werewolf by Night was ranked #6 on a listing of Marvel Comics' monster characters in 2015.[58]

Collected editions Edit Essential Werewolf by Night Vol. 1 collects Marvel Spotlight #2-4, Werewolf By Night #1-21, Marvel Team-Up #12, Giant-Size Creatures #1, and The Tomb of Dracula #18, 576 pages, October 2005, ISBN 978-0785118398 Vol. 2 collects Werewolf By Night #22-43, Giant-Size Werewolf #2-5, and Marvel Premiere #28, 576 pages, November 2007, ISBN 978-0785127253 Essential The Tomb of Dracula Vol. 1 includes Werewolf by Night #15, 560 pages, 2004, ISBN 978-0785109204 Essential Monster of Frankenstein includes Giant-Size Werewolf #2, 496 pages, October 2004, ISBN 978-0785116349 Essential Moon Knight Vol. 1 includes Werewolf by Night #32-33, 560 pages, March 2006, ISBN 978-0785120926 Werewolf by Night: In the Blood includes Werewolf by Night vol. 2 #1-4 ISBN 978-0785132806 Werewolf by Night: The Complete Collection Vol. 1: Spotlight #2-4, Werewolf by Night #1-15, Marvel Team-Up #12, Tomb of Dracula #18 (October 17, 2017) Vol. 2: Werewolf by Night #16-30, Giant-Size Creatures #1, Giant-Size Werewolf #2-4, material from Monsters Unleashed #6-7 (February 13, 2018) Vol. 3: Werewolf by Night #31-43, Giant-Size Werewolf #5, Premiere #28, Spider-Woman #6, 19, 32, Marvel Team-Up #93, Ghost Rider #55, Moon Knight #29-30, material from Premiere #59 (May 15, 2018) References Edit Buttery, Jarrod (April 2014). "Ready for the Spotlight". Back Issue!. Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing (#71): 6–7. Sanderson, Peter; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2008). "1970s". Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 154. ISBN 978-0756641238. Roy Thomas came up with the idea for a series called 'I, Werewolf', narrated in the first person by a teenager who transformed into a werewolf. Stan Lee liked the concept but decided to name it 'Werewolf by Night'. The initial creative team on the series was scripter Gerry Conway and artist Mike Ploog. Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 157 Werewolf by Night at the Grand Comics Database "Giant-Size Creatures #1 (July 1974)". Grand Comics Database. Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 165: "Greer Nelson, the super-hero known as the Cat, was exposed to lethal radiation. To save her life, members of an ancient race called the Cat People transformed her into Tigra the Were-Woman, a catlike being." Giant-Size Werewolf at the Grand Comics Database Werewolf by Night vol. 2 at the Grand Comics Database Richards, Dave (December 19, 2008). "Swierczynski on Werewolf By Night". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2013. Thomas, Roy; Thomas, Jean; Conway, Gerry (w), Ploog, Mike (p), Ploog, Mike (i). "First Night" Marvel Spotlight #2 (February 1972) Conway, Gerry (w), Ploog, Mike (p), Ploog, Mike (i). "Werewolf By Night!" Marvel Spotlight #3 (May 1972) Manning, Matthew K.; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2012). "1970s". Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 69. ISBN 978-0756692360. Scripter [Len] Wein and plotter [Gerry] Conway teamed up for an issue [of Marvel Team-Up] penciled by Ross Andru that featured Spider-Man facing the threat of Jack Russell, the Werewolf by Night. Conway, Gerry; Wein, Len (w), Andru, Ross (p), Perlin, Don (i). "Wolf At Bay" Marvel Team-Up #12 (August 1973) Conway, Gerry (w), Sutton, Tom (p), Sutton, Tom (i). "The Sinister Secret Of Sarnak!" Werewolf by Night #10 (October 1973) Wolfman, Marv (w), Colan, Gene (p), Palmer, Tom (i). "Enter: Werewolf by Night" The Tomb of Dracula #18 (March 1974) Wolfman, Marv (w), Ploog, Mike (p), Chiaramonte, Frank (i). "Death Of A Monster!" Werewolf by Night #15 (March 1974) Isabella, Tony (w), Perlin, Don (p), Colletta, Vince (i). "Tigra the Were-Woman!" Giant-Size Creatures #1 (July 1974) Moench, Doug (w), Perlin, Don (p), Colletta, Vince (i). "The Frankenstein Monster Meets Werewolf By Night" Giant-Size Werewolf #2 (October 1974) Moench, Doug (w), Perlin, Don (p), Trapani, Sal (i). "Castle Curse!" Giant-Size Werewolf #3 (January 1975) Moench, Doug (w), Redondo, Virgil (p), Redondo, Virgil (i). "A Meeting of Blood" Giant-Size Werewolf #4 (April 1975) Moench, Doug (w), Montano, Yong (p), Montano, Yong (i). "The Plunder of Paingloss" Giant-Size Werewolf #5 (July 1975) Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 170: "In August [1975], Jack Russell, the Werewolf by Night, encountered a new mysterious enemy called Moon Knight, created by writer Doug Moench and artist Don Perlin." Moench, Doug (w), Perlin, Don (p), Perlin, Howie (i). "The Stalker Called Moon Knight" Werewolf by Night #32 (August 1975) Moench, Doug (w), Perlin, Don (p), Perlin, Howie (i). "Wolf-Beast Vs. Moon Knight" Werewolf by Night #33 (September 1975) Mantlo, Bill (w), Robbins, Frank (p), Gan, Steve (i). "There's a Mountain On Sunset Boulevard!" Marvel Premiere #28 (February 1976) Moench, Doug (w), Perlin, Don (p), Perlin, Don (i). "And Death Shall Be the Change" Werewolf by Night #41 (November 1976) Moench, Doug (w), Perlin, Don (p), Perlin, Don (i). "The Marauder and the Man of Iron" Werewolf by Night #42 (January 1977) Moench, Doug (w), Perlin, Don (p), Perlin, Don (i). "Terrible Threat of the Tri-Animan!" Werewolf by Night #43 (March 1977) Gruenwald, Mark; Grant, Steven (w), Infantino, Carmine (p), Esposito, Mike (i). "The Beast Within" Spider-Woman #19 (October 1979) Fleisher, Michael (w), Leialoha, Steve (p), Mooney, Jim (i). "The Fangs of Werewolf By Night" Spider-Woman #32 (November 1980) Grant, Steven (w), Sutton, Tom; Infantino, Carmine (p), Mooney, Jim (i). "Rags to Riches!" Marvel Team-Up #93 (May 1980) Engelhart, Steve (w), Milgrom, Al (p), Sinnott, Joe (i). "Ins and Outs!" West Coast Avengers v2, #5 (February 1986) Mallonee, Dennis (w), Hoberg, Rick (p), Akin, Ian; Garvey, Brian; Geiger, Steve (i). "A Renaissance of Magic!" Iron Man #209 (August 1986) Gruenwald, Mark (w), Morgan, Tom (p), de la Rosa, Sam (i). "Night Shift" Captain America #330 (June 1987) Kaminski, Len (w), Fry, Jim (p), Joyce, Brad (i). "Children of the Beast Chapter 1: The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" Marvel Comics Presents #54 (July 1990) Kaminski, Len (w), Fry, Jim (p), Joyce, Brad (i). "Children of the Beast Part 2: The Gathering Storm" Marvel Comics Presents #55 (July 1990) Kaminski, Len (w), Fry, Jim (p), Joyce, Brad (i). "Children of the Beast Chapter III: Trail of Blood" Marvel Comics Presents #56 (August 1990) Kaminski, Len (w), Fry, Jim (p), Joyce, Brad (i). "Children of the Beast Part 4: Leader of the Pack" Marvel Comics Presents #57 (August 1990) Kaminski, Len (w), Fry, Jim (p), Joyce, Brad (i). "Children of the Beast Chapter V: Communion" Marvel Comics Presents #58 (September 1990) Kaminski, Len (w), Fry, Jim (p), Joyce, Brad (i). "Children of the Beast Part 6: Reborn to Be Wild" Marvel Comics Presents #59 (September 1990) Trusiani, Lisa (w), Gilmore, Craig (p), Witherby, Mike (i). "New Blood" Morbius: The Living Vampire #30 (February 1995) Walsh, Brian (w), Deodato, Mike (p), Deodato, Mike (i). "The Gathering" Witches #1 (Early August 2004) Carey, Mike (w), Land, Greg (p), Leisten, Jay (i). "Smalltown Girl: A Werewolf By Night Tale" Legion of Monsters: Werewolf by Night #1 (April 2007) Benson, Mike (w), Deodato, Mike (p), Deodato, Mike (i). "In The Company Of Wolves" Moon Knight v6, #20 (September 2008) Van Lente, Fred; Walker, Kev (2010). Marvel Zombies 4. Marvel Comics. p. 128. ISBN 978-0785139188. Remender, Rick (w), Romita Jr., John (p), Janson, Klaus (i). "A Good Lie" Dark Reign: The List - Punisher #1 (December 2009) Remender, Rick; Liu, Marjorie; Way, Daniel (2011). The Punisher: Franken-Castle. Marvel Comics. p. 344. ISBN 978-0785144205. David, Peter (w), Lupacchino, Emanuela (p), Ortego, Guillermo (i). X-Factor v2, #222 (September 2011) David, Peter (w), Lupacchino, Emanuela (p), Ortego, Guillermo (i). X-Factor v2, #223 (October 2011) David, Peter (w), Lupacchino, Emanuela (p), Ortego, Guillermo (i). X-Factor v2, #224 (October 2011) Duggan, Gerry (w), Hawthorne, Mike (p), Pallot, Terry (i). "Good Help is Hard to Find" Deadpool v4, #17 (October 2016) Duggan, Gerry (w), Hawthorne, Mike (p), Pallot, Terry (i). Deadpool v4, #18 (November 2016) David, Peter (w), Norton, Mike (p), Lee, Norman (i). "Hair of the Dog That Bit Ya" Marvel Adventures #17 (September 2006) Infinity Warps: ArachKnight. Marvel Comics. Ferrell, Cody (September 21, 2013). "Terry Crews Is Blade In Ultimate Spider-Man's Halloween Special". Comic Book Therapy. Archived from the original on October 3, 2013. "Hulking Commandos". Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. Season 2. Episode 3. October 19, 2014. Disney XD. "Werewolf by Night Movie Update". SuperHeroHype.com. November 18, 2005. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2013. Buxton, Marc (October 30, 2015). "Marvel's 31 Best Monsters". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Werewolf by Night was part of the Marvel monster surge of the early '70s and remains one of Marvel’s most heroic classic monsters. External links Edit Werewolf by Night at Marvel.com Werewolf by Night at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe Werewolf by Night appearances in publication order Talk Last edited 6 days ago by Narky Blert Wikipedia Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted. Terms of UsePrivacyDesktop