THE HUMAN HAZE

Real Name: Steve Cochrane

Identity/Class: Ghost/"post-death entity" (see comments)

Occupation: (see comments)

Group Membership: Anti-Registration Underground (All-Out/Unarmed Training Automaton Attacker/Richard Taine, Awe-Striker/Cecily Johnson, Basic Black/Norman Gentry, Battlestar/Lemar Hoskins, Brain Spasm/Dennis Hoxie, Canasta/Henry Cavanaugh, Captain Kinship/Edward Randlebuck, Dahntu/Charles Luc Phan, Freeware (Kurt Duryea),  Gladiatrix/Robin Braxton, Green Guardswoman/Natalie Bell, Harbormaster/Sean Beckett, Haunter/Mark Runnemyer, Iguanid/Tom Boldstep, Johnny Justice/Jonadab Megyscol, Kruzado/Dorothy Cardoza, Lawman/Leon Frankfurt, Leather Angel/Andrew Mussawyr, Masked Rose/Josie Tyler, Natural/Beru Addison, Network/Valerie Martin, Orange Crusher/Andy Gardner, Panthrax/Alex Mitchell, Peace-Lover/Barry Kanczeski, Qiblah/Jared Nelson, Saint Hildegard/Sonya van Jagt, Scorecard/Bill Merrick, Skybolt/Zack Zimmerman, Solo/James Bourne, Spaceheat/Charles Yaméogo, Staten Island Star/Russell Feldman, Stone-Tough/Ted Pendleton, Tosser/Ferris Hartke, Typeface/Gordon Thomas, U.S. Annie/Harriet Best, Warbug/Bernard Van Buren, Winter Woman/Angela Stover, Xantippe/Mandy Atkinson, Zapster/Langley Saint-Margaret, others); see comments

Affiliations: See comments

Enemies: (At least formerly) S.H.I.E.L.D. and its "Cape-Killers"
    see comments

Known Relatives: See comments

Aliases: See comments

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    previously an unidentified Anti-Registration Underground safehouse in Manhattan, New York
    see comments

First Appearance: (Unidentified) Civil War: Front Line#4 (September, 2006);
   (identified) Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#14 (2010)

Powers/Abilities: See comments

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'7" ; see comments)
Weight: Unrevealed (variable; see comments)
Eyes: Unrevealed (see comments)
Hair: Unrevealed (see comments)

History: See comments.

(Civil War: Front Line#4 (fb) - BTS / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#14: Anti-Registration Underground (fb) - BTS) - Following the Stamford disaster, where hundreds had perished during a battle between New Warriors and four Raft escapees, Iron Man (Tony Stark), Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) and others worked with US officials to develop the Superhuman Registration Act (SHRA), outlawing any crimefighting activities by unregistered super heroes. 

    Vigilante Typeface, although his identity was already known, resolved to fight a perceived assault on freedom, and he organized an Anti-Registration Underground, beginning with ex-government operative Battlestar and anti-terrorist Solo, to support super heroes who continued fighting crime without SHRA approval. Their ranks were soon supplemented by mystic-armored Freeware; bodysuit-enhanced Green Guardswoman; Masked Rose, leader of super-team T,J,A.W. (Truth, Justice, and the American Way), empowered by accidental mutant blood exposure; exoskeleton-empowered Network; and cyborg Skybolt. Via a covert interview with Alternative reporter Sally Floyd, ARU members publicized their perspective, and several other anti-registration heroes joined, including the Human Haze.

(Civil War: Front Line#4) - The Human Haze was present with the ARU when S.H.I.E.L.D. raided the ARU's safehouse and arrested most of its members.

    As the ARU members debated whether to seek and join Captain America (Steve Rogers)'s Secret Avengers, a better organized and equipped anti-SHRA unit, or to remain independent, armored S.H.I.E.L.D. Cape-Killers, accompanied by Iron Man, Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers), Wonder Man (Simon Williams) and at least ten unidentified flying heroes, raided the base. Caught by surprise, few ARU members managed to effectively fight back against their more powerful and organized opponents. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. captured over 40 members, the Harbormaster, the Awe-Striker, Canasta, Dahntu, the Green Guardswoman, and the Tosser evaded capture, as did the Masked Rose, who had been absent seeking new recruits. 

(Civil War: Front Line#5/2 - BTS) - ARU prisoners, such as Typeface, were seen being sent to the Prison 42.

(Civil War#6 - BTS) - The Secret Avengers and the Superhuman Registration Act resistance arrived at Prison 42 to free the prisoners.

(Civil War#7 / Amazing Spider-Man I#538 / Civil War: Front Line#10-11 - BTS) - The Secret Avengers penetrated Prison 42, freeing many prisoners. When the combined anti-registration forces were confronted by Iron Man's pro-registration forces, Secret Avenger Cloak (Tyrone Johnson) teleported both groups to Manhattan. Freed ARU prisoners took part in the battle between the pro and anti-registration heroes, spanning from the Negative Zone prison to the streets of New York. In the ensuing battle, which caused severe damage, the Thunderbolts' Venom (Mac Gargan) apparently killed Typeface. Other fatalities may also have occurred. Following Captain America's surrender to forestall further civilian risk, Battlestar and possibly others avoided recapture.

    The government offered amnesty in return for registration. Although Gladiatrix rejected the offer, Network registered under the 50 States Initiative, while Solo also registered but pursued independent interests. Presumably additional ARU members followed Gladiatrix's example, others followed Network's or Solo's, and still more remained at large.

Comments: Created by Created by Paul Jenkins and Ramon Bachs.
    Codename, real name, and nature provided by Ronald Byrd

   During the production of the Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007) writer Paul Jenkins provided Ronald with authorization to provide identities, real names for the various background Anti-Registration Underground characters, and to flesh them out as much as he wanted. Ronald provided identities and real names for the Anti-Registration Underground entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#14 (2010). There wasn't room to provide much more than that in that entry. However, Ronald had backgrounds and histories in mind for these characters when he provided their names.
    Sadly, Ronald recently passed away. I (Snood) completed this profile with aid from "Spider-Mike" Fichera as a tribute to our friend Ronald to help complete his Marvel legacy, the Anti-Registration Underground.
    While the information is unofficial until it sees print, here is the full story behind the Human Haze:

REAL NAME: Steven Zefram "Steve" Cochrane
ALIASES: None
IDENTITY: Publicly known
OCCUPATION: Adventurer, former notary public
CITIZENSHIP: USA, legally deceased
PLACE OF BIRTH: Richmond Hills, Queens, New York City, New York
KNOWN RELATIVES: Janice Cochrane (biological mother), Clarissa Bee (adoptive mother), unidentified biological father
GROUP AFFILIATION: Formerly Anti-Registration Underground, "the Spider-Friends"
EDUCATION: Some college courses
SHRA CLASSIFICATION: Post-Death Entity
FIRST APPEARANCE: Civil War: Front Line#4 (2006)

HISTORY: When the Maggia's Hammerhead (Joseph), hoping to set enemies against each other, started a gang war between several organized crime factions -- the Cartels (Colombian), the Geondal (South Korean), the Kielbasa Posse (Polish), the Mafia (Italian), the Milieu (French), the Molina (Russian), the 'Ndrangheta (German), the Syndicates (British), the Triads (Chinese), the Yakuza (Japanese), and the Yardies (Jamaican), among others -- Steve Cochrane was one of several bystanders killed during the conflict. However, due to the seemingly random factors that govern violent deaths, Cochrane remained on the Earthly plane as a ghost. In the morgue, his ectoplasmic form -- clad in ghostly garments (mask, cape, shorts, and boots) that his psyche had created from his memories of playing "super-hero" as a child -- emerged from his deceased physical form, in full view of several witnesses and security cameras. Instinctively drawn to his killers, he confronted them in their hideout -- which, inasmuch as Cochrane's presence in itself was considered worthy of investigation, police officers who had followed him to the site were able to legally enter without a warrant -- and discovered illegal activities within, allowing them to arrest several gang members. Cochrane subsequently assisted Spider-Man (Peter Parker) and other costumed adventurers in their efforts to defeat the invading extraterrestrial called the Emperor of the Eastern Galactic Sector, via his ability to get close enough to distract or mislead the Emperor without risk of harm to himself.

Over the following months, the intangible Cochrane visited several known or suspected sites of criminal activity, typically prompting panic in those present, thereby providing police officers with legitimate excuses for entering said residences, allowing them to lawfully disrupt ongoing illegal activities and arrest perpetrators. When one officer joked that Cochrane's spectral presence at a crime scene made typical police regulations "a little hazy," the expression caught on, and Cochrane was soon nicknamed "the Human Haze." After several successes, the Haze visited Fisk Tower, headquarters of the Kingpin of Crime himself, Wilson Fisk, but Fisk, having anticipated such a visit, had instructed his employees to ignore the Haze, regardless of how he provoked them, in order to avoid police involvement. He then lured the Haze into a trap based on technology extrapolated from the "exorcist guns" deployed by Frank Drake, Sam Buchanan, and others to attack supernatural beings on a molecular level and possibly destroy them. However, the technology had never before been used on, specifically, ghosts, and its only effect was to give the Haze the ability to change from ghostly form to physical form and back again. Now able to again physically interact with others, the Haze made a half-hearted attempt to return to his former life but, having no close friends and little need for a salary, decided to maintain his intangible form unless circumstances required otherwise. 

Soon afterward, the Haze encountered fellow superhuman adventurer Nanaboscy Man, an avatar of the Anasazi trickster god Nanabozho, who had come to Manhattan in pursuit of Massachusetts-based superhuman Rapattak, who had in turn come with the intent of killing one of Spider-Man (Peter Parker)'s deadliest enemies, Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius), against whom Rapattack harbored a grudge for as yet unrevealed reasons. The Haze joined Nanaboscy Man in his search, and the pair eventually found Rapattack battling two members of Octopus's criminal organization, the Sinister Six -- Electro (Max Dillon) and the Vulture (Adrian Toomes) -- as part of his grudge against Octopus, unaware that Octopus had little concern for his underlings when not engaged in criminal activities. Spider-Man arrived and fought all three criminals, but before the Haze and Nanaboscy Man could attempt to assist Spider-Man in his efforts, the question was rendered moot by the arrival of the insane superhuman vigilante Venom (Eddie Brock), who attacked all involved. While Spider-Man shifted his attention to and fought Venom, the Haze and Nanaboscy Man battled the three other criminals, keeping them occupied while Spider-Man overcame Venom. After Venom fled, Spider-Man defeated both Rapattack and the Sinister Six members. Before pursuing Venom, Spider-Man, recognizing the Haze from the battle with the Emperor of the Eastern Galactic Sector months before, thanked the pair for their assistance and departed. Based on this tenuous "connection" to Spider-Man, the Haze and Nanaboscy Man approached several of Spider-Man's former allies -- including the Bobster, Captain Zero, Enigma (Tara Virango), Frog-Man (Eugene Patilio), the Living Pharaoh (Akasha Martinez), and the Steel Spider (Olliver Osnick), among others -- to offer them membership in a proposed super-team called "the Spider-Friends." However, the pair's efforts met with little interest, and Nanaboscy Man soon returned to his native Canada.

Following the passage of the Superhuman Registration Act (SHRA), the Human Haze declined to register, in part out of concern that registration would interfere with his practice of assisting the police, and in part because the SHRA's language did not formally acknowledge the existence of a "quasi-ghost" such as himself. Although the authorities had no effective means to take disciplinary measures against him, he joined Typeface's Anti-Registration Underground in solidarity with his fellow adventurers. When S.H.I.E.L.D. raided the A.R.U.'s safehouse, the Haze, rather than risk encouraging further violence, surrendered along with most A.R.U. members present but immediately escaped via his intangibility once he felt certain that there would be no risk of further violence if he did so. Following the SHRA's repeal, the Haze received a pardon for his escape from police custody, then resumed his typical crimefighting activities without government interference.

HEIGHT: 5'7" WEIGHT: Variable (formerly 0 lbs.; formerly 147 lbs.)

EYES: Green HAIR: Red

ABILITIES/ACCESSORIES: Initially, the Human Haze possessed the typical attributes of a human ghost, such as intangibility, invisibility, flight (highest possible speed undetermined), limited shape-shifting, the ability to exist indefinitely without sustenance or sleep, and virtual immortality. He subsequently acquired the ability to effortlessly shift from ghostly form to material form and back again, while retaining his ability to fly; whether or not he can exercise his other ghostly abilities while in material form is as yet unrevealed.

  Profile by Ronald Byrd, Snood, and Multi-Tasking Mike Fichera.

CLARIFICATIONS:

The Human Haze should not be confused with:

• HAZE of Earth-928 circa 2099 A.D. - enemy of Doom--Doom 2099#6
• PURPLE HAZE of Earth-148611 (Martin ?? ) - Para-Troop member, generates purple mist to asphyxiate others--DP7 #30
• PURPLE HAYES - aka NOSFERATA--Sensational She-Hulk II#19
• HUMAN METEOR (Duke O'Dowd) - World War II, Battle Axis, Irish-American explorer, discovered lost city of Bayakura, trained to alter molecules by them, initially acted as a force for good, joined Battle Axis to fight against the British--Champion Comics#7 (Harvey publications), Invaders II#1
• other "Human" or "Haze" characters, groups, items, events, races or places...