mcnamara-harvey-esu-profHARVEY McNAMARA

Real Name: Harvey McNamara

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Registrar

Group Membership: Empire State University administrator/registrar's office

Affiliations: Spider-Man (Peter Parker)...although he really didn't seem to fully appreciate his life-saving efforts...

Enemies: Foolkiller (Greg Salinger) and other students whose grants were delayed, etc.;
    he had something of an antagonistic relationship with the dean of student personnel, who forced him to work overtime to get his job done

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: At least formerly an upper floor of the Empire State University administration building, ESU, Manhattan, New Yorkmcnamara-harvey-esu-face

First Appearance:  Amazing Spider-Man I#225 (February, 1982)

Powers/Abilities: Harvey McNamara was experienced in student registration, records-keeping, providing transcripts, etc.

    He did not appear to be particularly industrious or efficient, and he preferred others to do his work for him or to let it go for a while regardless of the consequences to the students.

Height: Unrevealed (he didn't seem exceptionally short nor tall, so perhaps 5'6" to 5'10")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 180 lbs.)
Eyes: His eye color was not clearly seen behind his glasses
Hair: Gray (receding hairline; likely brown or black in youth)

History:
(Amazing Spider-Man I#225 (fb) - BTS) - Foolkiller (Greg Salinger) resolved to wait for fools to meddle with his life; by their very nature they would seek him out, so he could end their useless lives.

(Spectacular Spider-Man II#58 (fb) - BTS) - Salinger signed up for a computer course for his minor at Empire State University, but the registrar apparently mixed things up so he ended up in Chemistry 101.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#225) - Salinger's scholarship grant was tied up in red tape in the registrar's office.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#225 (fb) - BTS) - Foolkiller sent one of his cards to the registrar Harvey McNamara. However, the ESU mail room failed to deliver it to McNamara in a timely fashion.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#225 - BTS) - Salinger was stuck waiting in the admissions office and missed Peter Parker's lecture.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#225 - BTS) - The dean of student personnel pressured McNamara to get all of his paperwork completed. McNamara requested extra secretaries to get things done, but he was apparently denied.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#225 - BTS) - Salinger later met with Parker, apologizing for missing his class and complaining how his grant was still tied up in red tape in the registrar's office. Peter shared that a lot of students had been having trouble in that regard and that the dean of student personnel was furious. Greg replied that he wished the dean had gotten involved sooner as his tuition bill was coming due, and he added that if things got much worse, there would be some students taking matters into their own hands.

    That evening, Peter Parker observed Foolkiller (although he didn't know who it was at the time) scaling the ESU administration building, and he changed into his Spider-Man costume to investigate.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#225) - Putting in some forced overtime, McNamara silently cursed the paperwork he had to do, considering that if the dean wasn't breathing down his neck, he would let it wait another month. He further considered that if they had just given him the extra secretaries, things wouldn't pile up.mcnamara-harvey-esu-spdm

    Slipping in through the window, Foolkiller told McNamara that his time was up. When McNamara questioned who was there, Salinger asked if he wasn't expecting the Foolkiller. McNamara replied that he hadn't been expecting anyone and then further answered Foolkiller's next query, noting that he had not received his card in the mail. Cursing the postal service, Foolkiller nonetheless resolved that McNamara had been a fool for too long, and this was his finished. Before he could execute McNamara, however, Spider-Man swung in and kicked him back. Worry that he would never get those papers processed, McNamara hid behind his desk and hoped he would be safe from "those maniacs."

    While Spider-Man dodged Foolkiller's blasts via advance warning from his Spider-Sense, Foolkiller blasted the ceiling where he stood, causing him to fall to the ground. Warning McNamara that he would be back to settle with him, Foolkiller to leap through a window and use his sash as a para-glider to land safely.

    As he used a binder to cover his head and protect his head from the sprinklers that had been set off by the laser blasts, McNamara asked Spider-Man what he was waiting for and told him to go stop that maniac. "He ruined my paperwork! He wrecked my office! He called me a fool!"

    Dazed, wet and annoyed, Spider-Man replied, "Not to mention that he tried to kill you, eh?"

(Amazing Spider-Man I#225 - BTS) - Spider-Man caught to the Foolkiller as he ran down the Manhattan street minutes later, but Foolkiller, having researched and memorized the subway schedules, blasted a hole in the street, leapt atop a train that was passing underneath.

    Having suspected that Foolkiller was actually his friend Greg Salinger, Spider-Man eventually defeated Foolkiller and left him for the police.

Comments: Created by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr.

    This story was my introduction to the Foolkiller. Great story, and Foolkiller was a great character under Roger Stern and Steve Gerber...and then they wrote him into Deadpool stories and made him some mercenary. Horrific characterization...

    I don't know that much about academic administration, etc., but I believe the registrar is all about records, and the bursar would be payments. But, perhaps the records, transcripts, etc. from the registrar were the source of the delay in grant approval.

    I know when I was in vet school, 7 of 9 semesters had delays for my student loans from the bursars office. Fools!!! I ate a LOT of Ramen noodles in those days...6 packs for a dollar, hard to beat, when you need to eat!

    This profile was completed 10/30/2025, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Harvey McNamara should be distinguished from:

images: (without ads)
 Amazing Spider-Man I#225, pg. 6, panel 6 (profile, working at desk);
       pg. 7, panel 6 (face/upper, hiding behind desk);
       pg. 8, panel 6 (yelling at Spider-Man)
Appearances:
 Amazing Spider-Man I#225 (February, 1982) - Roger Stern (writer), John Romita Jr. (penciler), Bob Wiacek (inker), Tom De Falco (editor)

First posted: 09/23/2026
Last updated: 10/30/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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