(Power Man#28, 30-31)-Along with his enforcer Cockroach Hamilton and Piranha Jones bought information from Harry Wentworth concerning the Adonis Chemical Company's shipments of a lethal bacteriological agent through New York City. Luke Cage was hired to find out who Wentworth was selling information to, but he arrived on the scene just as Hamilton was in the process of killing Wentworth. After a short battle, Hamilton, using "Josh," blasted Wentworth to his death and shot Cage, dislocating the hero's shoulder. Hamilton then went back to his apartment and took a phone call from Piranha Jones. Jones met Hamilton at Jones' penthouse, and the two finalized their plans for the hijacking. Meanwhile, Cage (having gotten his arm popped back into place) was fired by the Adonis Chemical Company, but he determined to prevent the theft after learning how dangerous the shipment was.

In the course of his further investigations, Cage was attacked by Hamilton and some of Jones' men at the Harlem River docks. Cage beat off the other gangsters, but Hamilton gassed him with "Josh." Hamilton had Cage tied across the River's drawbridge, intending for the bridge to pull him apart. Naturally, Hamilton left Cage to his fate and so allowed the hero to break loose.

Jones and Hamilton sent their agents to hijack the truck, but Cage and police Lieutenant Quentin Chase appeared on the scene. Hamilton and Jones joined the fight when Cage appeared. During the course of the fight, a canister of the bacteriological agent cracked, and Cage was forced to pound it until it exploded to save the city. However, Cage was left unconscious by the blast and a beating with "Josh", and Jones and Hamilton carried him to Jones' penthouse suite. Hamilton was singularly unimpressed by the feast and philosophical monologue Jones used to impress Cage, but then Cage broke free and began fighting the two again. This time, Cage wisely focused on Hamilton first, bashing him away and then wrecking "Josh" before Hamilton's horrified eyes. When Cage and Jones fell into the latter's pool of piranhas, Jones took the opportunity to seal the two in and fled the scene.

(Terror, Inc.#6 (fb) )-Jones managed to escape conviction for all the charges against him, and relocated to the suburban community of Stamford with Hamilton in tow, hoping to leave his criminal life behind. He maintained his fearsome reputation for protection, but found that the community would not accept him. Three women, Vita Buchetta, Ann Repucci, and Annette Cortese came forth and shamed the community into accepting Jones. Unfortunately, the trio were simply using Jones to start their own criminal careers. When they became publicly known as criminals, Jones' community standing was again ruined.

(Terror, Inc. #6-7)-Jones planted information about the women's criminal activities on a video game cartridge, only to have it stolen from him. Terror, Inc. was hired by an unknown party to kill Piranha Jones, and both he and the Punisher interrupted Jones' attempts to buy the disk back when they tried to kill him. Hamilton was unable to defend Jones because "Josh" kept jamming. Back at his headquarters, Hamilton watched as Jones ordered his men to find the cartridge, and promised he and "Josh" would do better next time. Later, at the mall where the cartridge was hidden, Hamilton and all other parties were tricked by Terror, Inc. into a firefight to cover Terror, Inc's search for the cartridge.

On examining the information on the cartridge, Terror, Inc. realized that Jones had hired him. Terror, Inc. saved Jones from the mobsters and the arriving Punisher, but the unwitting Hamilton and the others chased Terror, Inc. and Jones in cars. However, Terror, Inc. outmaneuvered them all, leaving Hamilton to shout apologies on behalf of himself and "Josh" at the departing Jones. Terror, Inc. later killed Jones, who had been the unknown party who hired him in the first place.

(Black Panther III#16-17)-Hamilton was one of several villains gathered by the Deadly Nightshade to attack the Black Panther. The attack was a delaying tactic on the part of Nightshade's employer, Erik Killmonger, and so the Panther and the Falcon summoned a number of other heroes to the scene. Hamilton and his allies Stiletto, "Boss" Morgan, and Cottonmouth battled the Panther, the Falcon, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage in Harlem for a short while until the sudden arrivals of Brother Voodoo, Black Goliath, and Everett K. Ross (well, maybe not Ross) allowed the Panther to end the "stupid villain bop."

Comments: Created by Don McGregor, George Tuska, and Rich Buckler

Another great Don McGregor villain. If I ran Marvel, Hamilton would become the Kingpin's chief assassin just so he could appear monthly in Daredevil. I strongly recommend any of McGregor's Marvel work, which included the old Killraven series; Power Man#28, 30-35; and the great Black Panther serial in Jungle Action.

For that matter, I also recommend Priest's Black Panther series. If nothing else, get yourself issues#15-17 for a real treat.

Some further "inside" information, courtesy of Bob Almond, the inker for the Black Panther:

• My copy of the script to Black Panther #16 lists Nightshade's allies as: Morgan, Stiletto, Discus and Gamecock.  I recall that editor Ruben Diaz was a big Cockroach fan and requested Priest use him. He replaced Gamecock (last seen in Cap by Grueny and Lim (and since in Wolverine II#167--Snood)) but I do not recall why Discus was replaced with Cottonmouth.
• Sal created a heavy-duty new weapon for him as seen in BP#16&17.  When that weapon was destroyed or exhausted off-camera I suggested to Sal that we have him pull out 'Josh' for a nostalgic payoff for older readers as seen on pages 8,9,13 and 14.

The Power Man story was interrupted because McGregor and/or Buckler couldn't make their deadlines, leading to the infamous "Mr. Fish" fill-in.

In the original Power Man issues, it's completely unclear what Jones plans to do with the bacteriological agent. Presumably it's an extortion scheme of some sort, but who knows?

In case you don't know, Sherman Helmsey (sp?) is the name of the actor who played George Jefferson on the show, the Jeffersons. I'm pretty sure this show got its start on All in the Family (Archie Bunker), believe it or not!

Profile by Omar Karindu.

Clarifications:
"Cockroach" Hamilton has no confirmed ties to:

• Cockroach, a mystically mutated insect and foe of Howard the Duck and Hemlock Shoals
• the Cockroaches, mutated cockroaches that destroyed the original SHIELD Helicarrier, @ Sensational She-Hulk Graphic Novel
• Father Darklyte, leader of the Legion of Nihilists. After is seeming destruction, his lantern of power fell to the ground and shattered releasing an army of cockroaches, @ Marvel Spotlight I#23
• The Inheritor from Beyond, a New Man evolved from a cockroach by the High Evolutionary, @Incredible Hulk II#149
• Tordenkakerlakk, the Thunder Cockroach, a mystic creation of Kurudred the Blood-Drinker, @ Spider-Man: Hooky Graphic Novel
• The Painter, aka Wilhelm von Vile and the Perilous Painter, leader of the Avant Guard II, who also exploded into a mess of cockroaches, @ Strange Tales I#108 (blew up in Web of Spider-Man#76)
• the Undying, a group of bodiless extra-terrestrials who transferred back and forth between human hosts until trapped in the bodies of cockroaches by cable, @ Cable II#79.
• ...but there is a connection: The Cockroach Conspiracy

Harry Wentworth was the "leak" at Adonis Chemical who sold Jones and Hamilton the information. Wentworth only wanted to escape his dreary life, but Hamilton killed him anyway to tie up loose ends despite Wentworth's pleading.
--PowM#28

Appearances:
Power Man#28 (December, 1975) - Don McGregor (writer), George Tuska (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Power Man#30 (April, 1976) - Don McGregor (writer), Rich Buckler & Arvell Jones (pencils), Keith Pollard (inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Power Man#31 (May, 1976) - Don McGregor (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Crusty Bunkers (inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Terror Inc.#6-7 (December, 1992 - January, 1993) - D.G. Chichester (writer), Jorge Zaffino & Mark Texeira (#6) (pencils), Jorge Zaffino (ins), Marc McLaurin (editor)
Black Panther III#16-17 (March-April, 2000) - Christopher Priest (writer), Sal Velluto (pencils), Bob Almond (inks), Ruben Diaz (editor)

Last updated: 04/28/04

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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