BRAN MURPHY

Real Name: Bran Murphy

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Bodyguard

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Bran the Blessed (Bendigeidfran), Jazinda (Jazinda Kl'rt-spawn), Arthur Moore, Mrs. Murphy, Erin Murphy, She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters)

Enemies: Formerly Jazinda (Jazinda Kl'rt-spawn), She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters);
(while Bran the Blessed was controlling his body) Arthur Moore, Hercules (Heracles), Patrick

Known Relatives: Mrs. Murphy (wife), Erin Murphy (daughter)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: 271 Carey Street in Lakewood, Ohio, USA

First Appearance: (Bran the Blessed utilizing Bran Murphy's form) She-Hulk II#24 (February, 2008);
    (full name revealed, fully seen) She-Hulk II#28 (June, 2008)

Powers/Abilities: Bran Murphy has no inherent superhuman powers though, as part of his occupation as a bodyguard, he maintains a Handgun Carry permit allowing him to carry a handgun at all times. He also often carries a hidden knife as well.

    While possessed by the Celtic demigod Bran the Blessed, Bran Murphy had superhuman strength and durability, sufficient enough to easily lift and hurl the superhumanly strong She-Hulk and withstand physical attacks from her. He was also capable of sensing through Bran the Blessed, granting him the ability to see and hear what Bran the Blessed saw and heard, even if Bran the Blessed was acting independently of Murphy, and see shapeshifters as they truly were. The two could temporarily act independently of one another but Bran the Blessed would ultimately need to return to Bran Murphy's body to regain his strength. The connection between the two also lessened Bran Murphy's lifespan, ultimately leaving Bran Murphy sick, feverish and near death but severing the connection would immediately restore Bran Murphy's vitality.

Height: 5'0"
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 120 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown

History:
(She-Hulk II#28 (fb) - BTS) - Bran Murphy was a bodyguard for hire that was married and had daughter named Erin. He eventually lived in a small home at 271 Carey Street in Lakewood, Ohio and due to the nature of his line of work, Murphy had a file with law enforcement but was never actually charged with a crime, only suspected.

(She-Hulk II#30 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, the Celtic demigod Bran the Blessed learned of Bran Murphy on Earth and, liking that they shared a name, sought to use him as a human host, promising much to Murphy. The two soon formed a bonded "partnership" through which Bran the Blessed could act on Earth by utilizing Bran Murphy's form. Despite being able to act independently of his human host, Bran the Blessed had to periodically return to Bran Murphy's body to regain his strength and the act of being bonded to a Celtic demigod put an intense strain on Bran Murphy's body. Bran the Blessed eventually fell in with a group that took an interest in remolding the superheroine She-Hulk in their image, though Bran the Blessed kept much of this information a secret from Bran Murphy.

(Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica - Bran the Blessed entry - BTS) - In addition to using Bran Murphy's human form as a host, Bran the Blessed also occasionally used Bran Murphy's identity while acting on Earth through Murphy.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z HC Vol. 14 - Bran the Blessed entry - BTS) - Bran the Blessed's connection to and usage of Bran Murphy's identity was kept a secret.

(She-Hulk II#24 - BTS) - Utilizing Bran Murphy's form, Bran the Blessed visited O'Shea's pub in Manhattan, New York, soon noticing She-Hulk sitting at the bar. Pretending to flirt with She-Hulk, Bran the Blessed set off a bomb just outside the bar, killing several and enraging She-Hulk, who opted to save as many lives as possible rather than go after Bran.

(She-Hulk II#25 - BTS) - She-Hulk had her bounty hunter partner Jazinda use her computer systems to recreate an image of Bran Murphy and run an FBI check on him, soon pulling his last known address in Cleveland, Ohio.

(She-Hulk II#27 - BTS) - She-Hulk remained determined to track down Bran Murphy so she and Jazinda made their way to Ohio, only to turn back when they saw a news report showing Larry Ryan, a man they had recently rescued from a battle between two aliens, had been arrested for the murder of his wife despite the alien Froma Cazon having committed the act.

(She-Hulk II#28 (fb) - BTS) - After receiving anonymous death threats, sorcerer Arthur Moore hired Bran Murphy to act as his bodyguard. Together, they went to a Cleveland Browns football game.

(She-Hulk II#28 (fb)) - Finally arriving at Bran Murphy's Lakewood, Ohio home and learning from his daughter that Murphy was on a bodyguard job at a football game, She-Hulk and Jazinda deduced that Murphy was likely at a Cleveland Browns game and they visited the stadium, where Moore and Murphy were sitting in the area known as the "Dawg Pound." As the game progressed, Jazinda and She-Hulk posed as vendors in an attempt to find Murphy in the crowd and Arthur Moore soon ordered hot dogs for himself and Murphy. Bran Murphy noticed Jazinda's sidearm and stood up, reaching for his gun as he questioned why a "vendor" would be carrying a sidearm. Pointing his gun at Jazinda, Murphy ordered her to put up her hands and when he threatened to shoot if she did not comply, She-Hulk rushed over to step in. Still possessed by Bran the Blessed, Bran Murphy easily grabbed She-Hulk mid-jump and held her over his head, remarking that he thought she still had some respect for the law before hurling her out onto the football field. Jazinda immediately blasted Murphy with her gun but the unfazed Bran Murphy responded by shooting Jazinda and suggesting to Moore that they leave. Murphy then quickly tried to usher Arthur Moore out of the stadium but Jazinda returned to kick Murphy in the face. Despite his initial shock to see Jazinda still alive, Bran Murphy brandished a knife and attempted to stab Jazinda. She-Hulk returned soon after and announced that Murphy would be returned to New York to answer for his crimes, prompting Bran Murphy to claim he had never been to New York. She-Hulk managed to get the upper hand in the battle and when she accused him of setting off a bomb in New York, Murphy insisted he had done no such thing.

    Arthur Moore eventually interrupted the fight by summoning the police and She-Hulk exclaimed to the police that Bran Murphy was wanted for questioning in a New York bombing case despite having no warrant or court documents. Moore, on the other hand, announced to the police that he had a restraining order against She-Hulk, who continued to insist Bran Murphy was a bomber. When she mentioned Bran Murphy's Irish accent and weird arm tattoo, neither of which Murphy appeared to possess, She-Hulk was asked to go with the police. As She-Hulk was led away by the police, Moore checked on Murphy, who claimed he would be fine after a minute or two. The recovering Bran Murphy muttered to the possessing spirit of Bran the Blessed that he had been assured he'd be left alone and he expressed a demand to have his life back.

(She-Hulk II#29) - Still possessed by Bran the Blessed, Bran Murphy met Arthur Moore at his Cleveland, Ohio estate, where Moore announced that Murphy's service had concluded and offered Murphy a drink. Bran Murphy thanked Moore for the offer but asked if Moore was sure his services would truly no longer be needed. Moore assured Murphy that the supposed person who was making the death threats, She-Hulk, was now in jail but Bran argued that She-Hulk could easily break out. Moore insisted that She-Hulk would not break out before downing his drink as the possessed Bran Murphy smiled, Bran the Blessed starting to assume control of Bran Murphy's body. Moore then bragged about his part in arranging events that got She-Hulk disbarred and how she likely felt like she deserved to be punished for her recent actions and Bran listened intently until Moore suddenly seized up while gloating about She-Hulk's gullibility. Bran then remarked that gullibility could indeed be charming but also fatal. He then uttered "Drink up" as Moore keeled over, poisoned.

(She-Hulk II#30 (fb) - BTS) - Bran the Blessed separated himself from Bran Murphy's body to act independently and visit a bar, where he and the Greek demigod Hercules got into a bar fight. As the fight progressed between Bran the Blessed and Hercules, Bran Murphy laid feverish in his home, watched over by his wife and daughter.

(She-Hulk II#30 (fb)) - She-Hulk was informed of the poisoning of Arthur Moore and freed from jail to aid in stopping both Hercules and the now giant-sized Bran the Blessed, who was still acting independently of the increasingly sickened Bran Murphy. While She-Hulk was battling Bran the Blessed, Jazinda posed as Jennifer Walters and visited Bran Murphy's home, suspecting that Murphy's wife was hiding him. After knocking out Murphy's wife and assuming her form, Jazinda was led into Bran Murphy's room by Murphy's daughter Erin. The sickly Bran Murphy, seeing through Bran the Blessed's eyes, immediately recognized Jazinda and began explaining to her his bonding to Bran the Blessed and Bran the Blessed's plans for She-Hulk. Sensing danger to his human host's life, Bran the Blessed saw through Bran Murphy's eyes and learned of the information Bran Murphy was providing to Jazinda. As Bran the Blessed headed back toward Bran Murphy's home, the dying Bran Murphy insisted that he would die on his own terms and asked that Jazinda make his death a quick one. Before Jazinda could kill Murphy, however, Hercules managed to decapitate Bran the Blessed's giant physical form, effectively severing the bond between Bran Murphy and Bran the Blessed. His health immediately returning, Bran Murphy jumped to his feet and happily announced that he could sense Bran the Blessed no longer. The somewhat suspicious Jazinda promised to look into Bran Murphy's claims to be on the safe side.

(Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica - Bran the Blessed entry - BTS) - His connection to Bran Murphy was confirmed severed and Bran the Blessed quickly acquired a new human host.

Comments: Created by Peter David, Shawn Moll and Victor Olazaba.

This profile was finished on 07/28/2025, but saved for the late Peter David's birthday!

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Bran Murphy should be distinguished from:

Mrs. Murphy

Mrs. Murphy was the wife of Bran Murphy and she was fiercely protective of her husband, feeling as if the police constantly hounded him due to his job as a bodyguard and association with the less-than-scrupulous people who tended to hire him. When bounty hunters She-Hulk and Jazinda visited the Murphy home, Mrs. Murphy heard her daughter Erin talking to someone at the door and came to investigate. Upon seeing the two dressed in FBI hats and unaware the hats were from Freeman Bonding, Inc. rather than the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mrs. Murphy angrily exclaimed that she didn't care what her husband had been suspected of, as he had been suspected numerous times but never charged with a crime. Holding her daughter tight, Mrs. Murphy slammed the door on She-Hulk and Jazinda. When Jazinda later returned, determined to find Bran Murphy after the Celtic demigod Bran the Blessed grew to giant size and rampaged through the city, Mrs. Murphy exclaimed that Jazinda could not just come into her home. When Jazinda refused to leave despite her orders to do so, Mrs. Murphy pulled a gun on Jazinda and threatened to shoot if she did not leave. Jazinda responded by shapeshifting into Mrs. Murphy's form, surprising Mrs. Murphy long enough for Jazinda to knock her out. Jazinda then remained in Mrs. Murphy's form in order to not scare Mrs. Murphy's daughter until she was led by the daughter to the sickly Bran Murphy.

--She-Hulk II#28 (#30,
Erin Murphy

Erin Murphy was the daughter of Bran Murphy and his wife, who was fiercely protective of Erin. When bounty hunters She-Hulk and Jazinda visited the Murphy home to investigate Bran Murphy, whom they thought had bombed a Manhattan bar, the naive Erin happily identified her father as the man the two were searching for and told them her father was on a bodyguard job at a local football game before Mrs. Murphy intervened and slammed the door on She-Hulk and Jazinda. When Jazinda later returned to locate Bran Murphy after the giant Bran the Blessed rampaged through Cleveland in Bran Murphy's form, Erin heard the commotion of Jazinda fighting with Mrs. Murphy and entered the living room to find Jazinda in Mrs. Murphy's form. Unaware that Jazinda had shapeshifted into the form of her mother and thinking Jazinda was her mother, Erin naively brought Jazinda to a back room, where the increasingly sickened Bran Murphy lay. Erin suggested they take Bran to a hospital despite Mrs. Murphy's earlier insistence that they couldn't and Jazinda ushered Erin out of the room, claiming she would take care of Bran Murphy.

--She-Hulk II#28 (#30,
images: (without ads)
She-Hulk II#30, p19, pan3 (Bran Murphy in underpants, main image)
She-Hulk II#30, p19, pan5 (Bran Murphy, headshot)
She-Hulk II#28, p10, pan6 (Bran reaching for his gun)
 She-Hulk II#28, p16, pan1 (Bran Murphy, ushering Mr. Moore with his gun drawn)
She-Hulk II#29, p1, pan2 (Bran standing in orange shirt)
She-Hulk II#30, p7, pan5 (Mrs. Murphy)
She-Hulk II#30, p8, pan5 (Erin Murphy)

Appearances:
She-Hulk II#24 (February, 2008) - Peter David (writer), Shawn Moll (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Stephen Wacker (editor)
She-Hulk II#25 (March, 2008) - "The Whole Hero Thing, Part 1" story - Peter David (writer), Shawn Moll (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Stephen Wacker (editor)
She-Hulk II#27 (May, 2008) - Peter David (writer), Val Semeiks (pencils), Dave Meikis (inks), Stephen Wacker (editor)
She-Hulk II#28 (June, 2008) - Peter David (writer), Val Semeiks (pencils), Dave Meikis, Victor Olazaba (inks), Stephen Wacker, Bill Rosemann (editors)
She-Hulk II#29 (July, 2008) - Peter David (writer), Val Semeiks (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Stephen Wacker, Bill Rosemann (editors)
She-Hulk II#30 (August, 2008) - Peter David (writer), Val Semeiks (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica (2009) - Anthony Flamini (head writer, coordinator), Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Paul Cornell (consulting writers), Kevin Sharpe, Mario Gully, Gus Vasquez, Ben Oliver, Pablo Raimondi (Pantheon art), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z HC Vol. 14 (2010) - Val Seimkis (Bran the Blessed entry art)

First posted: 09/23/2025
Last updated: 07/28/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other 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.!

Back to Characters