GINGERBREAD MAN
Real Name: None
Identity/Class: Nearly mindless creation; Not so impressive engine of destruction
Occupation: Rampager
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Creation of Patsy Dragonsworth
Enemies: Howard the Duck and Reverend Joon Moon Yuc
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Gingerbread Man, Incredible Cookie Creature, Cookie Monster, Monster Cookie
Base of Operations: Victorian Manor of Patsy and Mrs. Dragonsworth, somewhere in "mountain country" Pennsylvania
First Appearance: Howard the Duck I#6 (November, 1976)
Powers: The Gingerbread Man was roughly eight feet tall and presumably had superhuman strength. While it would likely not have been affected by some forms of injury, like penetrating wounds, its form was only slightly more durable than the average cookie. It could easily be broken apart, and was apparently not fire resistant. It is not known whether it was animated by magic, or just some bizarre energy quirk.
Patsy may have actually had some level of magical knowledge, or she was a genious/prodigy with electronics and pastry, or she was just really lucky.
History: Patsy Dragonsworth lived in a crumbling Victorian manor, along with her basically insane mother. Patsy was left on her own, and was believed by the local villagers to have been a witch, and to have created a monster in her basement. Patsy hired Beverly Switzler as a governess, which led to an encounter with Howard the Duck. Patsy had hired Heathcliff Rochester, a Lifestyle Consultant (real estate broker), to sell their manor, so they lease another crumbling Victorian manse...far away in Wisconsin. Rev. Yuc and his YUCCHIES sought to purchase the house, consecrate it as a seminary, and exorcise the evil forces Patsy had quartered there.
When questioned about the attack by the villagers, Patsy claimed to have only been creating cookies. She brought Howard and Beverly to the basement to show them them her "glorified Suzy Homemaker Oven," operated by two "D" batteries. Patsy activated the machine and revealed her cookies, a giant Gingerbread Man, which came to life and approached Howard and Beverly with malice in its candy eyes. Fearing that the monster wanted to devour them (with milk), and finding themselves locked in the basement, Howard figured it couldn't eat them if he ate it first. Howard jumped down and bit the right leg off the cookie creature, causing it to fall into the "oven", causing a power overload, which set the manor on fire. Howard and Beverly fled, narrowly escaping the manor as it blew up. The creature, as well as Patsy and her mother, where apparently killed in the explosion.
Comments: Created by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan.
The Title: "From the Oven...It Rises"
Rev.Yuc was also in the manor when it blew up, but was tossed to safety. The same thing could easily have happened to the creature, Patsy, or her mother.
The creature didn't actually attack anyone, but was destroyed nonetheless.
Howard figured Patsy was actually a 37 year old dwarf...an escapee from some penitentiary's death row...a hate driven, bloodthirsty, anti-social deviant. Beverly thought Patsy was just a product of her environement.
Only Gerber could write this story, which while silly, was still entertaining.
Appearances:
Howard the Duck I#6-7 (November-December, 1976) - Steve Gerber (writer), Gene Colan (artist), Steve Leialoha (inker), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Last updated: 05/12/12
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters,
Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real
thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at:
http://www.marvel.com