Clay Quartermain is a fictional character, a secret agent appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history

Created by writer-artist Jim Steranko, he first appeared in Strange Tales #163 (December 1967).

Described as a "blond-haired, fast-talking, grinning Burt Lancaster" sort,[1] Clay Quartermain appears as an agent of the fictional espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., beginning in the feature "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." in Marvel Comics' Strange Tales in 1967, and continuing into the subsequent series Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. in 1968. He was the S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison to the "Hulkbusters" military program, and a supporting character since The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #187 (May 1975).

A Life Model Decoy (LMD) replica of the character was a featured character in the 1988 miniseries Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.

Quartermain has since had guest appearances in issues of Alias, Cable, The Defenders, Marvel Team-Up, The Pulse, Silver Sable and the Wild Pack, and the miniseries Secret War; in the "Nick Fury" feature in the omnibus Marvel Holiday Special (January 1994); and in the "Elite Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." feature in the one-shot Captain America 2000 (November 2000). He also led the S.H.I.E.L.D. Paranormal Containment Unit in the 2005–2006 series Nick Fury's Howling Commandos.

Fictional character biography

Clay Quartermain is a high-ranking agent of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. who first worked with S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury during a conflict with Yellow Claw. Quartermain is part of the U.S. military's "Hulkbusters" operation, which attempted to capture and contain the Hulk. Quartermain and many other agents are seemingly killed by the "Deltan" variety of S.H.I.E.L.D. LMD androids (see below), but turns out to have survived.

Quartermain is later retconned into being a former romantic interest of Jessica Jones as well as the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Paranormal Containment Unit and a new incarnation of the S.H.I.E.L.D. "Hulkbusters" unit while recruiting She-Hulk.[2] He is also an advisor to a co-called commander during the Hulk's rampage.[3]

In the Alias series, Quartermain works with Jessica Jones to uncover a conspiracy against the President of the United States by investigating Mattie Franklin, a superheroine who was trapped in mysterious circumstances.[4][5] Additionally, it is revealed Quartermain initially met Jones while the latter was recovering from a months-long ordeal with the Purple Man.[6]

Quartermain is found dead in a suspected attack of the Red Hulk.[7] It is later revealed that Quartermain was killed by Doc Samson after inadvertently learning of a plot by Thunderbolt Ross and Samson to keep the Red Hulk's identity secret.[8]

LMD doppelgänger

A Life Model Decoy of the character is part of a self-aware, renegade "Deltan" variety of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s LMDs.[9] The most advanced of the Deltite LMDs, he rebels upon learning it was not human, and is killed after several confrontations.[10] The LMD of Quartermain later returns as an ally of Deadpool and Spider-Man.[11]

Other versions

An alternate universe version of Clay Quartermain from Earth-1610 appears in the Ultimate Marvel imprint.[12][13]

In other media

References

  1. ↑ "Amazing Heroes #26 (July 1, 1983): "Fury of the Past: A Nick Fury Hero History" by Lou Mougin". Archived from the original on October 28, 2009. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
  2. ↑ She-Hulk (vol. 2) #14 - 17 (January - April 2007)
  3. ↑ The Invincible Iron Man #19 (September 2007)
  4. ↑ Alias #1-4 (November 2001-February 2002)
  5. ↑ Alias #16 (January 2003)
  6. ↑ Alias #26 (November 2003)
  7. ↑ Hulk (vol. 2) #4 (June 2008)
  8. ↑ Hulk (vol. 2) #23 (June 2010)
  9. ↑ Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 (July 1988)
  10. ↑ Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. #6 (November 1988)
  11. ↑ Spider-Man/Deadpool #23 (January 2018)
  12. ↑ Ultimate Spider-Man #27 (November 2002)
  13. ↑ Ultimate Six #3 (December 2003)
  14. ↑ "Clay Quartermain Voice - The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 18, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_Quartermain