BISON

Real Name: Billy Kitson

Identity/Class: Mutated human

Occupation: Reluctant criminal, former basketball player

Group Membership: None;
Formerly Crimson Cowl's Masters of Evil

Affiliations: Armadillo (Antonio Rodriquez), Shamari Asbery, Beetle (Janice Lincoln), Luke Cage, Condor, Constrictor (Frank Payne), Frog-Man (Eugene Patilio), Gorilla-Man (Arthur Nagan), Hippo, Kangaroo (Brian Hibbs), Killer Shrike (Simon Maddicks), Lady Octopus (Dr. Carolyn Trainer), Owl (Leland Owlsley), Ox (Raymond Bloch), Panda-Mania, Puma (Thomas Fireheart), Razorback, Rhino (Aleksey Sytsevich), Scorpia (Elaine Coll), Scorpion (Mac Gargan), Serpent Solutions (Anaconda/Blanche Sitznski, Black Mamba/Tanya Sealy, Coachwhip/Beatrix Keener, Cottonmouth/Burchell Clemens, King Cobra/Klaus Voorhees, Viper/Jordan Dixon), Skeleton Ki, "Snake" Marston, Squid (Don Callahan), Stegron (Dr. Vincent Stegron), Tarantula (Anton Rodriquez), Thunderstrike, Toad (Mortimer Toynbee), Vulture (Adrian Toomes), White Rabbit (Lorina Dodson);
former ally of Seth, Quicksand and Mongoose

Enemies: Arcade, Black Ant, Alex DePaul, Jack Flag, Guardians of the Galaxy (Bug, Groot, Major Victory, Mantis, Rocket Raccoon), Hunter-Bots, Kraven the Hunter (Sergei Kravinoff), S.H.I.E.L.D., Star-Lord (Peter Quill), Taskmaster (Tony Masters), Thunderbolts

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Negative Zone Prison 42;
formerly New York City;
formerly Mount Charteris

First Appearance: Thunderstrike#13 (October, 1994)

 

Powers/Abilities: Bison possesses superhuman strength of an unknown degree, roughly equivalent to Luke Cage; he can use his strength to perform a "Hulk-clap", creating a powerful blast of wind; he also has a durable hide, able to resist extreme injuries, and twin horns atop his head.

 

 

History: (Thunderstrike#13 (fb))- Billy Kitson was a champion basketball player whose talents won him a college scholarship, and he seemed certain to become a professional player. However, during a game, he was accidentally tripped by another player, and broke his leg, ending his dreams, and straining his relationship with his girlfriend, Shamari Asbery.

BTS - Kitson came into contact with Seth, who transformed him into the Bison. In exchange for his servitude, Seth apparently promised to eventually restore him to normal, with a fully healed leg.

 

 

(Thunderstrike#13)- Seth sent the Bison to capture a sample of Inferno-42 from SHIELD, while Shamari contacted Luke Cage, and asked him to help Billy. Cage, alongside the Avenger Thunderstrike, investigated the SHIELD files Bison had attempted to access, leading them to the very SHIELD base where agent Alex DePaul was disposing of Inferno-42. The three men there ran afowl of Bison, with his allies Quicksand and Mongoose, also working for Seth.

(Thunderstrike#14) - Bison joined Quicksand and Mongoose in battling Cage and Thunderstrike, but when he found that Shamari had followed him there, he realized he had become a monster, and turned on Quicksand, blowing her apart with a clap of his hands. As the SHIELD base fell apart around them, destroyed to protect Inferno-42, Bison helped free DePaul from his ruined Mandroid armor. In the aftermath, DePaul let Bison go free for saving his life.

 

(Thunderbolts I#24-25) - Bison joined the Crimson Cowl's Masters of Evil, and half-heartedly participated in their plot to wreck the Earth with weather modulators--all he wanted was the money to transform himself back to normal, so he could be with Shamari. After their base was infiltrated by the Thunderbolts, Bison was defeated by them in combat.

(Guardians of the Galaxy II#9 (fb) - BTS) - Bison was sent to Negative Zone Prison 42.

(Guardians of the Galaxy II#9) - After the guards had abandoned the prison Bison became one of the prison's leaders fighting against King Blastaar's hordes. Upon meeting Star-Lord he decided it would be best to open the gates for Blastaar and let him invade Earth. Star-Lord and Jack Flag stopped him and his fellow conspirators.

(Guardians of the Galaxy II#10) - Bison, Condor and Gorilla-Man attacked Jack Flag and Peter Quill while Blastaar's troops invaded the prison. The Guardians of the Galaxy (Bug, Groot, Major Victory, Rocket Raccoon, Mantis) came to their aid and defeated the villains.

SECRET WARS III HAPPENED

(Amazing Spider-Man V#17 (fb) - BTS) - Bison was among the animal-themed villains captured by Taskmaster and the Black Ant on behalf of Arcade and Kraven the Hunter, then placed inside Central Park after being in stasis for a time.

(Amazing Spider-Man V#17 - BTS) - Hunter-Bots controlled by Arcade's clients at the Plaza Hotel advanced on the villains in Central Park, including Bison.

(Amazing Spider-Man V#18) - Bison was hit by multiple bullets to the chest.

(Amazing Spider-Man V#19) - Spider-Man found him lying lifeless on the ground with other victims of the Hunter-Bots.

(Amazing Spider-Man V#20.HU (fb)) - With arrows stuck in his chest and arms he begged for mercy, but got none as one of the robot hunters kept beating on him.

   He got away and joined Vulture's group of villains to fight the Hunter-Bots.

Comments: Created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz.

He was probably one of the many unidentifiable villains seen at the end of Amazing Spider-Man V#16 (April, 2019) trapped in energy cages on a mountainside somewhre in Africa, but we don't know for sure.

Profile by Prime Eternal. Update by Markus Raymond (Amazing Spider-Man).

CLARIFICATIONS:
Bison should not be confused with:


 

 

 

Shamari Asbery is Billy Kitson's girlfriend, and brought in Luke Cage to help him after he became involved with Seth. It was Shamari's presence that inspired Billy to turn on his allies, and, when last heard of, the two were hoping to be married.
--Thunderstrike#13-14

 

 

 


Appearances:
Thunderstrike#14 (November, 1994) - Tom DeFalco & Ron Frenz (writers), Ron Frenz (pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Thunderbolts I#24-25 (March-April, 1999) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Scott Hanna (#24), Al Vey (#25) & Bob Wiacek (#25) (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Guardians of the Galaxy II#9 (March, 2009) - Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (writers), Brad Walker & Carlos Magno (pencils), Victor Olazaba & Jack Purcell (inks), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Guardians of the Galaxy II#10 (April, 2009) - Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (writers), Brad Walker (pencils), Victor Olazaba & Livesay (inks), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man V#18 (May, 2019) - Nick Spencer (writer), Humberto Ramos (penciler), Victor Olazaba (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man V#19 (June, 2019) - Nick Spencer (writer), Gerardo Sandoval (artist), Nick Lowe (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man V#20.HU (July, 2019) - Nick Spencer (writer), Cory Smith (penciler), Mark Morales (inker), Nick Lowe (editor)


First Posted: 03/25/2002
Last updated: 03/08/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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