MISTER RASPUTINMISTER RASPUTIN
Real Name: Pavel Plotnick, formerly Rasputin
Identity/Class: Human magic-user
Occupation: Insurance Claims Adjuster for Sitko Insurance; former would-be world conqueror
Group membership: None
Affiliations: Cloak, Ikonn; formerly an unnamed assassin
Enemies: Dr. Strange (formerly)
Known Relatives: Lamar and Lavinia Plotnick (children),
wife (unnamed);
Grigory Efimovich Rasputin (ancestor), Colossus (Piotr Rasputin), Illyana Rasputin, Mikhail Rasputin, Nikolai Rasputin, Peter Jr., many others (distant relations)
Aliases: Mr. Plotnick; Mr. Plotnik
Base of Operations: Fernwood, Ohio;
formerly Manhattan, New York
First Appearance: Strange Tales I#145/2 (June, 1966)
Powers: Mr. Rasputin possesses moderate
magical knowledge and ability, enabling him to cast illusions,
immobilize others, teleport himself or others, project magical
bolts, and form mystic shields. His skills are more than enough
to manipulate civilians, but do not compare to those of a master,
such as Dr. Strange.
He possesses a handgun and the skill to use it, and is now very
experienced in insurance claims.
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 179 lbs.
Eyes: Black
Hair: Bald with white fringe
History: Mr. Rasputin believes himself to be descended from the illustrious Rasputin, of Russian history (see comments). Believing himself to be worthy enough to control the world, he underwent unspecified training in the mystic arts.
(Strange Tales I#145/2) - Mr. Rasputin began to appear at various sites of military or political power and steal documents. The effects of his magic were detected by Dr. Strange, who confronted him. Rasputin attacked Strange, but soon found that Strange's abilities dwarfed his own. Rasputin pulled out a gun and shot Strange, who narrowly managed to escape, and went to a nearby hospital. Rasputin hired an assassin to finish off Strange, but Strange sent his astral self to confront Rasputin anew. Weakened by his gunshot wound, a recent struggle with Tazza, and using only his astral self, Strange was now barely a match for Rasputin. However, attacking on three fronts (using his cloak, his amulet, and his own astral self from three locations), Strange managed to overcome Rasputin. Strange then erased Rasputin's mind of magic, stopped the would-be assassin, and sent both Rasputin and the assassin to confess to the police.
(Cloak and Dagger III#1(fb)) - While in prison,
Mr. Rasputin realized that he was "small potatoes" and
decided to retire from the world-conquering game. He abandoned
his study of the black arts, and instead studied actuarial tables.
When he was released from
prison, he moved to a nice, quiet community in Fernwood, Ohio. He
took a nice, boring job as an insurance claims adjuster, was
married and had two kids. He legally changed his name to Plotnick,
so that "my kids wouldn't have to live down that Rasputin
thing...and if I ever thought about going back, the thought of a
super-villain named Mister Plotnick was enough to stop me!"
(Cloak and Dagger III#1) - Plotnick returned home to find that his son, Lamar, had gotten into his magic books and somehow captured the superhero Cloak. Plotnick freed Cloak, teleported Cloak to Dagger's side, and sent Lamar up to do the dishes.
Comments: Created by Dennis O'Neil and
Steve Ditko.
Revamped by Terry Austin and Dan Lawlis.
Here's a capsule summary on the original Rasputin. It's taken from a 9th Grade Social Studies report, but it's good enough for me.
Cloak commented that if his encounter with
Lamar were told in a 1950s horror book, it would have been called:
"I was trapped on the Terrible Pool-Table of Plotnick!"
In Giant-Size Defenders#1, Clea performed a spell to project the pasts of the Defenders (Dr. Strange, Hulk, Namor) in order to teach the Valkyrie (Brunnhilde) about them. This spell summoned shadowy versions of their old enemies to fight them. Dr. Strange was attacked by a false version of Mr. Rasputin, but he summoned the other Defenders to his side. Namor shattered the false Rasputin's form.
In the recent X-Men: Colossus Bloodline series, it was revealed that
Colossus, his son Peter, Magik and Mikhail Rasputin are all descendants of
Grigori Rasputin, through his relationships with his lovers, or 'celestial
wives', who had been genetically modified by Sinister with the 'Essex
Factor'. In X:CB#1, their cousin Larisa reveals that all the descendants of
Grigori Rasputin have been murdered (by Mr. Sinister). The only ones
remaining alive were Colossus, Mikhail, Larisa, their uncle Vladimir, and
Peter (Larisa and Vladimir were dead by X:CB#5).
Mr. Rasputin, as well as his children Lamar and Lavinia Plotnick, as
descendants of Grigori, may have also been slain (although this was never
mentioned in X:CB). The 'where are they now' section of Marvel Legacy: 1960s
confirms the relationship with Colossus. It is possible that the murdered
family members referred to by Larisa includes them. If so, a BTS appearance
with the death of Mr. Rasputin may be considered.
Alternatively, Mr. Rasputin may be descended not from one of the 'celestial
wives' of Rasputin, but rather his historical marriage to Praskovia
Federovna Dubovina (which predates his lovers), and through his legitimate
children Maria, Dmitri, or Varya. The last two kind of faded into history,
it is possible they are his ancestors. For a continuation of the Rasputin
name, the descent would possibly be legitimate, although it is known Elena
(the 'celestial wife' who is the great-grandmother of Colossus) gave her son
the surname of Rasputin in honor of Grigori.
--Wolfram Bane
Mister Rasputin has an entry in Marvel Legacy: The 1960s Handbook.
CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:
Heis the son of the man who was once the
supervillain known as Mr.
Rasputin. After serving his time,
Rasputin retired, changed his name to Plotnick, and had a family.
One day, Lamar, now around age 5, dug into his father's old books
of magic. He drew a pentagram on his pool table and cast a spell
to summon a demon to do his bidding. Lamar somehow screwed up the
spell, so that instead of a demon, he actually summoned the
superhero Cloak. Cloak was trapped within the pentagram and tried
to persuade Lamar to set him free so he could aid his partner
Dagger, who was in the middle of a battle against the forces of
their enemy Mister Jip. Lamar believed Cloak to be a demon, and
so assumed he was lying to him. Lamar contemplated the best use
for his new demon-slave, such as turning his sister bald, or
drinking his yucky milk. Fortunately, Mr. Plotnick eventually
returned home, discovered Cloak, and set him free. He told Lamar
to stay away from his books of magic, and sent him up to do the
dishes...the old fashioned way.
--Strange Tales II#17 (August, 1988)
(StrT#17, 18, C+D III#1
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#145 (June, 1966) - Denny O'Neil (writer), Steve Ditko (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Cloak & Dagger III#1 (October, 1988) - Terry Austin (writer), Dan Lawlis (pencils), P. Craig Russell (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Last updated: 04/23/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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