DERRICK GRATHAM

Real Name: Derrick Gratham

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Unrevealed;
    former intern at the Daily Bugle

Group Membership: Formerly the Daily Bugle interns;
    at least formerly the Empire State University student body and football team

Affiliations: At least formerly Meredith Campbell, Lynn Walsh

Enemies: Phil Urich (they just disliked each other)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "The Dork" (from Phil Urich)

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    at least formerly Empire State University, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York;
    formerly worked out of the Daily Bugle building, Manhattan, New York

First Appearance: Green Goblin#7 (April, 1996)

Powers/Abilities: Derrick had no superhuman powers, but was athletic, being notably skilled at football.

    He was, at least by his own report, intelligent and a straight-A student, with training in marketing and sales.

    He appreciated modern art, or at least claimed to in order to impress women.

    Derrick had an overly-inflated sense of self.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'2")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 220 lbs.)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond
   

History:

(Green Goblin#7 (fb) - BTS) - Majoring in marketing at Empire State University, Derek also was captain of its football team and worked in sales at the Daily Bugle. He sought to someday control his own publishing empire.

(Green Goblin#7 (fb) - BTS) - Having obtained a number of passes to the new exhibit at the Idelson Museum of Art from Jacob Conover, Lynn Walsh invited the other Daily Bugle interns, including Meredith Campbell, Derek Gratham and Phil Urich to join her.

(Green Goblin#7) - At the exhibit, Derek thanked Lynn for inviting him, noting that with football and his academic workload, he rarely had time for the simple pleasures. Stating that he was a big fan of modern art sculptures, he expressed that it glorified rather than apologized for workday world. Less if more, and ornament is crime.

    Fellow intern Phil Urich, who had been hoping that it was just going to be him and Lynn, was annoyed with Derek's presence and jealous of Lynn's attention to him.

    When there was a crash in the next hall (as Steel Slammer broke through a window and flew in), Derek rushed to the sound, voicing that people might need his help. As the Steel Slammer blasted at approaching security guards, Derrick then grabbed Lynn, telling her not to panic and that he had her, to which she replied that she was hardly panicking.

    After the Steel Slammer stole the Archaic Sphinx exhibit and departed, Phil Urich -- not having brought his Green Goblin equipment -- noted his embarrassment over tripping while trying to rush the Steel Slammer. Derrick told Phil that he shouldn't worry, as not everyone was cut out to be a hero "like yours truly."

(Green Goblin#13 (fb) - BTS) - Falling sales and decreasing advertisement revenues forced the Daily Bugle to downsize, and they cut the permanent staff by nearly 20% and fired most of their paid interns, including Meredith Campbell, Derek Gratham, Phil Urich and Lynn Walsh. Derrick fainted when he heard the news.

(Green Goblin#13) - Derek was apparently rubbing tears from his eyes when Phil approached him, intending to sympathize with his plight. However, embarrassed over having fainted, Derek assumed that Phil and the others had been laughing about it. Shouting that it was no big deal and that he didn't need this crummy job, Derek stormed off, stating that he was a straight-A student and would graduate with honors, that his future was secure, and that he was going to be somebody, "Which is a lot more than a loser like you can ever claim!"

   This profile was completed 03/22/2026, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25^th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Derrick Gratham should be distinguished from:

• other "Derek" or "Gratham" characters, groups, items, events, races or places...

First posted: 09/04/2026
Last updated: 03/22/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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