ROADKILL
Real Name: Roadkill
Identity/Class: Magical creation
Occupation: Seeker of false vengeance
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Pam Daly and Nightmare (creators); Splatt the Flat Cat (partner)
Enemies: Clea, Dr. Strange, Namorita, Punisher (Frank Castle), Secret Defenders, Sleepwalker
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile on Route 66 throughout the USA
First Appearance: Dr. Strange III#38 (February, 1992)
Powers/Abilities: Roadkill was initially a fragile, special effects "prosthesis" which mimicked semi-human form and movement. The magical form was virtually immune to physical harm and could regenerate completely if damaged. It could generate a flaming demonic truck (or transform other trucks into that form), enabling it to return to run down other vehicles. It could accomplish other feats of destruction via its magical energies, such as formation of a magical chainsaw, rearranging of objects, etc. It presumably derived power from the Nightmare realm, but ultimately was under the control of the mind of its creator, Pam Daly. It also possessed superhuman strength in the 800 lb.-25 ton range.
Height: 7' 6" Weight: 400 lbs.
History: Roadkill was conceived by Pam Daly as a character to narrate the horror shows on Horror TV (HTV). He played a character who had been killed by a hit-and-run trucker on Route 66. He, along with his pet and fellow victim, Splatt the Flat Cat, was built by the special effects people for HTV and became a popular icon for their station, much like the Crypt Keeper.
(Dr.
Strange III#38) - The
demon Nightmare brought the television image of Roadkill to life,
and it reached through the screen of the TV and pulled Dr.
Strange, Clea and Rintrah into the Nightmare realm, and then took off, planning to
try his luck on the other side of the fourth wall.
(Secret Defenders#4-5) - Roadkill began traveling down
Route 66 murdering any motorists he encountered, blaming them for
the hit-and-run accident from his imagined origin. Dr. Strange
assembled Namorita, the Punisher, and the Sleepwalker as his
Secret Defenders to investigate the murders. Namorita recognized
the pattern of locations (St. Louis, Missouri, Oklahoma City,
Amarillo) from the old song, Get Your Kicks on Route 66.
Strange and his allies first sought to cut to the finish in Los
Angeles, the new location of HTV (formerly based in Manhattan).
They broke in and blasted the Roadkill prosthesis to pieces
before realizing it was not connected to the magical creature.
They then intercepted Roadkill and battled him without success,
and he injured Namorita in the process.
The Punisher and Dr. Strange caught up with Roadkill again in
Winona (after figuring out that that city was out of order in the
song), and he soundly defeated them. The whole group met up with
him again in Los Angeles and fought to save Pam Daly from him
when he terrorized the HTV studio. Strange and Sleepwalker linked
their powers, combined with an electric jolt from a loose cable
from the studio equipment, sending Roadkill back into Pam's
imagination. Back on Route 66, Roadkill and Splatt were run down
by Pam, driving an angry looking truck.
Comments: Created by Roy Thomas and Geof Isherwood.
Roadkill's actually more of a grayish color, and has a big tire-track across his chest.
I just realized that the tv show the Hitchhiker may
have inspired Roadkill.
--John McDonagh
Route 66, or at least portions of it, had closed years before, but Roadkill was able to magically reform them to draw in unwitting victims.
I like the Route 66 remake by Depeche
Mode, personally.
If you've got a high speed connection and want the whole version, click this
link:
www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/route66.mp3
CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:
She was one of the Producers for Horror TV, and the brainchild behind Roadkill. He remains trapped within her mind.
--Secret Defenders#4 (5
Also a creation of Pam's imagination, Splatt served as Roadkill's sidekick, both on HTV and out on Route 66. Splatt is probably similarly immune to conventional forms of injury, but demonstrated no significant offensive abilities. He primarily engaged in dialogue with Roadkill, criticizing his actions.
--Dr. Strange III#38 (Secret Defenders#4, 5
Appearances:
Dr. Strange III#38 (February, 1992) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writers), Geof Isherwood (pencils), Jim Sanders III (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Secret Defenders#4-5 (June-July, 1993) - Roy Thomas (writer), Andre Coates (pencils), Don Hudson (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Last updated: 06/10/14
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!