GERALD MILLSGERALD MILLS
Real Name: Gerald Mills
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Former director of Caxon Oil Company
(perhaps just a branch in New Mexico)
Group Membership: Caxon Oil Company
Affiliations: Devon
Caxon (see comments);
formerly Captain Barkan
Enemies: Captain Barkan, Linda Lee Black and her sister, Blackbyrd (Nathaniel Alexander Byrd), Abraham "Abe" Brown
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "Mr. High and Mighty Mills" (from Linda
Lee Black)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly a Caxon
Oil Company office in Albuquerque, New Mexico
First Appearance: Deadly
Hands of Kung Fu I#12 (May, 1975)
Powers/Abilities: Mills was experienced as the director of a branch of Caxon Oil Company. While he could maintain his composure when threatened by an irate employee, he melted under the pressure of fearing that a major deal was going south. He readily followed the lead of Devon Caxon.
He was more than willing to participate in plots to sell nuclear materials for foreign nations.
While he was used to dealing with indirect murder carried out on his orders, he was will to shoot people (with the intent to kill) and burn down a building to cover evidence.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'8-5'11")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 150-180 lbs.)
Eyes: Unrevealed (black-and-white comic; apparently dark, likely
brown)
Hair: Dark with white streaks on the sides
History:
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#12/2 - BTS) - Gerald Mills was at least a director of Caxon Oil Company,
the head local officer at a branch in Albuquerque,
New Mexico, overseeing a factory that processed
highly radioactive
materials for use in other nuclear power plants (see
comments)
Mills and Caxon Oil Company represented a lot of money in that part of the state and had substantial influence.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#12/2 -
BTS) - Caxon apparently transported the
radioactive material it was bringing into the country to a warehouse on
Manhattan's Lower East's docks/wharf. Caxon also allegedly made a deal with "some tiny third world country" to receive a
load of
illegal plutonium in exchange for helping plan a revolution in that
country. 
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#12/2 - BTS) - Traveling to the Lower East Side's docks at midnight, Blackbyrd explained that Linda Lee's notes identified the warehouse they were investigating as the dumping ground for a lot of the radioactive material that Caxon Oil Company was brining into the country.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#12/2) - As Mills and Caxon arrived at the docks, Blackbyrd got closer to hear/see what was going on.
As Mills and Caxon approached the ship, a man greeted them, noting
that the skipper (Barkan) had been waiting over an hour and was plenty
raw about
it. Mills replied that the money they had paid their skipper should
have been enough to soothe his nerves, and he instructed the sailor to
show them in. 
When the sailor was concerned about "the lady," Mills instructed him that "Miss Devon" was to come with him, as she was "my -- eh -- secretary. You understand, sailor?"
"Miss Devon" smiled as the sailor's eyes roved freely over her, and the two men exchanged a wink of understanding...
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#12/2 - BTS) - After Mills and "Miss Devon" had been escorted inside, Blackbyrd and Abe Brown took out the guards from their car.
They then listened inside as...
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#12/2) - Captain Barkan told Mills that this operation had cost him quite a bit of grief, to which Mills responded that he had been well paid for this.
While acknowledging that, Barkan further noted that he had considered that some folk would pay an awful lot to hear of the smuggling and other operations they were conducting.
After the sweating and desperate Mills turned to his "secretary," asked what they could do and noted they would have to give them more money, a sudden change came over Devon's face, as her mask of servility was dropped.
As all within (and Blackbyrd and Brown outside) watched in shocked silence, Devon drew a gun on Captain Barkan, telling him he had made a foolish move and should have accepted the agreed-upon arrangement, after which she shot him in the head, presumably fatally.
When Mills -- used to dealing with indirect murder carried out on his
orders -- stood shocked, Devon yelled at him to pay attention, after
which she instructed him that the plutonium was aboard the tanker and
that their men were ready to cast off. She then ordered him to make
sure that no trace of this place was left for anyone who might come
looking. When asked if he understood her, Mills nodded. 
Not certain whether she could count on Mills, Devon stared at him for a moment before departing through a back door (intending to avoid being seen being seen by the guards at the car, unaware that they had been incapacitated).
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#12/2 - BTS) - Sending Abe after Devon, Blackbyrd went after Mills ("the shaky dude in there with the matches").
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#12/2) - After Mills had dumped over a fuel tank, Blackbyrd vengefully approached from behind, telling Mills to go ahead and reach for his gun, as nothing could make him happier.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#12/2 -
BTS) - Mills turned and
fired on Blackbyrd.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#12/2 (fb) - BTS) - Taking a nasty wound in his right arm from Mills, Blackbyrd's shot apparently subdued Mills non-fatally and prevented him from setting fire to the warehouse.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#12/2) - Hearing the gunshots, Devon shrugged, remembering her daddy's comment about the worth of directors. She climbed down a ladder into a waiting motorboat and departed, but Abe Brown leapt atop the boat to prevent her escape.
(Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#12/2 (fb) - BTS) - Blackbyrd contacted the Harbor Patrol / US Coast Guard (see comments), who came to the warehouse. Mills agreed to reveal what he knew if the Harbor Patrol kept Blackbyrd from coming after him again.Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo, George Perez, & Rico Rival.
Mills' boss-lady was first referred to
as "Miss Devon," and
then later revealed to be "Miss Caxon." So, we know that her last name
was Caxon and that she wasn't married, but we don't know for sure that
her first name was Devon...for the purpose of this profile, I've
ASSumed that it was, but we all know what it means to assume, and that
first name is not official until it sees print...
She was also referred to as his mistress, but I think this simply meant
feminine for master rather than any true romantic relationship, but we
don't know that for sure, either.
While Roxxon had already appeared in 1974, it wasn't the main oil/corrupt corporation of the Marvel Universe at that time...and so, this story had Caxon...all plays on Exxon and/or other oil companies...
The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu#12 story was supposed to take place on April Fool's Day (it also said 1975, but the year is certainly topical).
The story repeatedly refers to the
power plants' process as nuclear FUSION (combing smaller atoms into
larger ones). I'm no nuclear physicist, but my understanding is that
nuclear power plants use nuclear fission (splitting larger atoms into
smaller ones)...especially in the 1970s.
Plutonium has both reactor-grade and weapons-grade
forms...you can look it up to learn more.
This profile was completed 12/05/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Gerald Mills should be distinguished from:
Appearances:
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu I#12/2 (May, 1975) - Bill
Mantlo (writer), George Perez (penciler), Rico Rival (inker), John
Warner (assistant editor), David Kraft (associate editor), Archie
Goodwin (editor)
First posted: 09/23/2026
Last updated: 12/05/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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