PROTECTOR
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Alternate
reality (Earth-77013) human conventional weapons-user
Occupation: Racketeer
Group Membership: None known
Affiliations: None known
Enemies: New York
Police Department, May Parker, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Mary Jane
"MJ" Watson; unidentified car owner, other unidentified elderly victims
of his protection racket
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "Buster," "Mangy, muscle-bound creep"
(from MJ Watson);
"Big Man," "Big Mouth," "Blue-Eyes," "Creepo,"
"Curly," "Large Person," "Melvin," "Old Man," "Seymour," "Sonny" (from
Spider-Man)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
possibly at least formerly an unspecified prison;
at least formerly Manhattan, New York
First Appearance: (Mentioned)
Spider-Man Newspaper strip (September 10, 1979);
(partially seen/shadowed) Spider-Man
Newspaper strip (September 14, 1979);
(fully seen) Spider-Man
Newspaper strip (September 18, 1979)
Powers/Abilities:
The Protector was large and strong (presumably at an athlete level) and
and experienced brawler.
He carried a rawhide bullwhip,
with which he can strike with great accuracy and force,
numbing/immobilizing a person's arm, knocking down a large sign,
shattering a picture frame or opening a door.
He is also able to swiftly hotwire a
car.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'5")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 265 lbs.)
Eyes: Dark (likely brown)
Hair: Blue (Spider-Man twice
called him "Blue Eyes"; his eyes weren't seen that clearly, even in the
Sunday color strips, but they looked dark, and I would have otherwise
thought that they were brown)
Other Distinguishing Features: He
has a skull and crossbones tattoo on the lateral aspect of his left
brachium (upper arm).
History:
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/11/1979 (fb) - BTS) - The Protector threatened a number of elderly
people, including May Parker, to pay for his "protection" or he would
hurt them. As the seniors could not afford to pay for a hotel or
otherwise move away, most payed the racket.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/10/1979 - BTS) - When Peter Parker visited his Aunt May, she was
reluctant to open the door, concerned that it might be the Protector.
After Peter announced himself, she opened the door and noted her
concern.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/11/1979 - BTS) - May told Peter about the Protector's racket and that
he would be by to collect that day but that she did not have the money
to pay him.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/12-13/1979 - BTS) - When May's friend Anna Watson stopped by, Peter
sent May to stay with her for a couple days to get her away so he could
deal with the Protector.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/14/1979) - Seeing Peter sending May away in a bus, the Proctector
considered that the "old crow" had left "babyface" behind, and he
appreciated having a little more challenge as he was getting rusty.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/15/1979) - The Protector observed Peter looking out of the window of
May's apartment.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/17/1979) - The Protector knocked at the apartment door, and when
Peter opened the door, he advised him that he should have gotten out of
there when he had the chance.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/18/1979) - The Protector demanded the money May "owed" him, grabbing
Peter by the shirt and noting that he got really mad when he wasn't
paid. 
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/19/1979) - Peter
aruged that she had never borrowed anything, the Protector told him it
was for his protection services. When Peter argued that May didn't his
protection, the Protector cracked his whip, shattering a picture frame
to demonstrate the types of accidents that could happen without his
services.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/20-21/1979) - The Protector asked Parker whether he would pay up or
get worked over, and Peter told him, "neither," intending to use his
spider-powers to teach him a lesson. However, they were interrupted by
the doorbell, and both men suspected it was May returning (although
why she would ring the doorbell rather than just open the door is beyond
me).
Peter warned the Protector that it could be the police, but the
Protector mockingly put his arm around Parker and said there was no law
against visiting a pal. The Protector then used his whip to open the
door, and when he saw Mary Jane "MJ" Watson standing there, he replied
that they had hit the jackpot.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/22/1979) - After learning that her aunt Anna had already left with
May, MJ asked be introduced to the Protector, who told her that this
was her lucky day.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/23-24/1979) - After the Protector told Peter they would settle their
business another day, he and MJ hit it off, and she decided to leave
with him. Peter tried to warn MJ, but she assumed that he was just
jealous, and she reminded him of his recent girlfirend, Carole
Jennings, before leaving with the Protector.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/25/1979) - Peter changed into Spider-Man and headed down to stop him.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/26/1979) - When MJ tried to guess which car was the Protector's, he
told her to just pick the coolest one. Watching from a distance,
Spider-Man considered that he needed to take down the Protector when he
was alone and that he would wait until MJ left.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/27/1979) - As the Protector hotwired a car, MJ asked if he was sure
that this was his car, and he told her, "It
will be, baby, soon as I get it started."
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/28/1979) - MJ realized the Protector was stealing the car, but he
told her he was just setting it free. When she tried to to tell him she
didn't want any part of that, he grabbed her by the arm, kidding that
she didn't have a sense or humor, but he forced her into the car and
started to drive away. When the car owner rushed at them, shouting that
that was his car, the Protector used his bullwhip to knock a shoe
repair sign off the wall above the man, and it dropped on him and
incapacitated him. As he drove off, the Protector taunted him with, "Any yahoo who can't watch where he's going
shouldn't drive!"
Realizing he couldn't wait any longer, Spider-Man took
off after the Protector and MJ.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/29/1979) - MJ told the "mangy,
muscle-bound creep" to let her out of the car, but he told her that he
liked a spunky chick. As Spider-Man pursued them, the car owner
directed the police to follow him.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
9/30/1979) - Spider-Man held back, not wanting to risk harm to MJ.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/01/1979) - As the Protector drove wildly, MJ shouted for somebody to
stop him, but he told her she was wasting her lungs, as this was New
York: "Who's gonna care?"
Meanwhile, a child playing with a ball ran out onto the street.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/02/1979) - Alerted by MJ to the boy's presence, the Protector
replied that it was too late to stop, but Spider-Man webbed the young
boy and pulled him to safety.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/03/1979) - After returning the young boy to his mother, Spider-Man
realized that he couldn't wait any longer.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/04-05/1979 - BTS) - Spider-Man
ran out of web fluid mid-swing, recovered and "borrowed" a motorcycle
(pulling its driver off and then driving away on the motorcycle).
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/06/1979) - Traffic allowed Spider-Man to catch up to the Protector and
MJ in stolen car.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/07-08/1979) - The Protector's reckless driving forced him to screech
to a stop to avoid hitting a truck, although he told the truck driver, "Learn how ta drive, dum-dum!"
Telling the Protector that he had almost killed them, MJ tried to climb
out of the car, but he held her wrist, telling her she wasn't going
anywhere. At that point, Spider-Man tore off the driver's side door of
the stolen car and told the Protector, "Neither
are you, Big Man!"
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/9-12/1979) - Although the Protector told Spider-Man that this was
none of his business, Spider-Man helped MJ out of the car. Unimpressed
with Spider-Man's reputation or "corny costume, the Protector
confronted Spider-Man, warning him. However, having forgotten he was
out of web-fluid, Spider-Man was caught off guard and nailed in the
left shoulder by the whip, leaving his left arm numb and useless.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/13-15/1979) - Appreciating the Protector's advantage from a
distance, Spider-Man feigned weakness and being trapped against a wall,
and the Protector bragged that the whole city was going to see
Spider-Man get whupped. However, after luring the Protector in,
Spider-Man leapt forward and kicked him in the face.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/16/1979) - Knocked to the ground, the Protector got back up, telling
Spider-Man to score one for him, but that nobody tricked him twice.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/17-19/1979) - As he swung his whip, the Protector proclaimed,
"Here's the wrap-up, mister -- compliments of the Protector!" However,
Spider-Man caught the whip in his hand. Warning Spider-Man that he only
one good arm and that he was twice Spider-Man's size, the Protector
instructed the "pipsqueak" to hand over his whip. Instead, Spider-Man
crushed it's handle into powder and dropped it to the ground.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/20-21/1979) - Still unintimidated, the Protector told the crowd,
"Nobody
better blink, hear? This ain't gonna take me long!" Once I polis you
off -- They'll all be beggin' me for protection." However, Spider-Man
dropped low and then kicked the Proector, knocking him through the air
and to the ground.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/22-23/1979) - As the dazed Protector wondered what had hit him,
Spider-Man lifted him into the air, advised him that it was not nice to
hassle senior citizens. Continuing that they had better see to it that
he never did that again, Spider-Man then carried him up the wall of a
building as the Protector begged him to let him go...until they got
high off the ground, and the Protector begged him not to let him go.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/24/1979) - With the police witnessing, Spider-Man told the Protector
to talk, and the Protector shouted out they he had been threatening
senior citizens and making them pay protection money.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/25/1979) - Returning to the ground, Spider-Man tossed the Protector
to the police, but they held Spider-Man at gunpoint, telling him that
they were taking him in, too.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/25/1979) - The police advised Spider-Man that they had him on
charges of vehicular theft and reckless endangerment, and the Protector
added, "Get me a lawyer! I wanna sue
him, too!" Spider-Man distracted the police and took off.
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/26/1979) - As one of the policemen shouted that Spider-Man was getting
away, MJ said "So what? He caught the
Protector for you."
(Spider-Man Newspaper strip
10/31 - 11/01/1979 - BTS) - His arm in a sling, Peter welcomed May back
as she got off of the bus, telling her he had sprained his arm carrying
books home from the library. He asked her, Isn't it great that they
arrested the Protector?" She admitted that it was, but noted that "that
horrible Spider-Man" was still at large.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee
and John Romita Sr.
"Hit the jackpot" is a self-homage to when Peter
Parker first met Mary Jane Watson in Reality-616, when she told him, "Face it, Tiger, you just hit the jackpot!"
While the police often go after Spider-Man after he
risked his life to stop a super-villain or to save someone, Spider-Man
really took unnecessary risks and damaged civilians' property in this
encounter. Spider-Man clearly could have prevented the massive
escalation with the Protector. Peter Parker could have taken down the
Protector before he ever opened the door for MJ. He could have told MJ
that the man was a racketeer threatening his Aunt May. Spider-Man could
have webbed the Protector and yanked him away from MJ before he ever
stole the car. And, his spider-sense should have allowed him to dodge
the Protector's whip.
And then Spider-Man pulled a motorcycle rider off of
his bike and stole his bike to go after the Protector. Did the man get
his motorcycle back and/or was it damaged. He ripped off the driver's
side door of the stolen car. Sure, the Protector was recklessly and
criminally endangering others, but who pays for civilian property
damage? I would think their insurance companies would try to make
Spider-Man liable.
This profile was
completed 08/02/2026, but
its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th
anniversary 's celebratory event.
Thanks to Loki for suggesting the Protector to
represent the Spider-Man newspaper strip's characters and series..
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
This
Protector should be
distinguished from:
- "protection
racket
thugs"
-
sought to pressure Mike Tucker to pay protection money, beaten
up by
Solarman--Solarman#2
- PROTECTOR
( ) - battled Captain America (Jeff Mace) and Bucky
(Fred Davis) in 1947--Captain America: Patriot#2 (2010)
- PROTECTOR
(Gerald Marsh) - attempted protection racket, defeated by
Ant-Man--Tales to Astonish I#37
- PROTECTOR -
android created by Rhunians, destroyed--Thor I#219
- PROTECTOR -
entity from 1 million years in Earth’s future, last of her kind, fell
in love with Nathan Cooper when he arrived there, mutated him into
Megaman. Various energy powers--Nova I#8
- PROTECTOR
(Thoran Rul) - Xandarian, Champions of Xandar, Prime Thoran/Protector
of the Living Computers, mind merged with computers of Xandar to
defend
them from Skrulls, killed when Skrulls bombed remnants of Xandar.
Possesses all knowledge recorded in
computers of Xandar, psionic abilities--Fantastic Four I#205
- PROTECTOR - see
NOH-VARR--Dark
Avengers Annual#1
- PROTECTOR (Isaac Ikeda) -
Pan Guard, Agents of Atlas - aka Protector of Pan--Agents of Atlas
III#1
- PROTECTOR (Yond-R) -
Starforce Blue rookie--Marvel Team-Up IV#5
- "PROTECTOR of DETROIT"
- see NAIN
ROUGE--Great Lakes Avengers I#1
- PROTECTOR of SOLDIERS
- see CAPTAIN
JEREMY MERRICK--United States of Captain America#4
- PROTECTOR of the PUNY
- see MACHO-MAN--Spidey
Comics#652/2
- PROTECTOR of the REALM
- see ARCHON--Rom#19/2
- PROTECTORS -
name for shields wielded by Marak's
people circa 203,000 BC--2001: A Space Odyssey#3-4
- PROTECTORS
- Life Foundation,
group of at least three mercenaries paid to undergo surgery to make
themselves incredibly strong, but also made them totally subservient.
Large + bald + white males, each has one hand converted into the form
of a weapon--Amazing Spider-Man I#321
- PROTECTORS of PEACE
-
characters from Protectors of Peace comic, briefly brought to life by
Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius using one of Reed's
inventions--Free Comic Book Day
- PROTECTORS of the
UNIVERSE
(Ree,
Stygian Starbender, Trantra, Captain Mar-Vell, Quasar/Vaughn, Andwella
) - those who have served as agents of Eon, most wore Quantum
Bands--Captain Marvel I#26
- PROTECTORATE -
four large robots built by Fabian Stankowicz from remnants of
Sentinels
used by Onslaught, patterned after Captain America + Ant-Man + Iron
Man
+ Thor, initially designed to replace the Avengers lost in Onslaught,
began to attack everything they saw as a mutant when Fabian attempted
to cyberlink with their CPU, disabled when Edwin Jarvis helped Fabian
break free from the Sentinel CPU’s control--Avengers Annual 1999
- PROTECTORATE
of Earth-253
(Citydweller,
Nightfighter,
Professor X, Technocrat,
Thor,
White Bird, Nicola Zeitgeist) - super-heroes, failed to prevent
Qabiri
from destroying their world--X-Man#71
- PROTECTORATE COUNCIL
GUARD of
Earth-4935 - --X-Force
II#2
- PROTECTROIDs -
androids, present at the Citadel at the End of Time, defended "Those
Who Sleep" (Time-Keepers or Time-Twisters)--Thor I#245
- other "Protector"
characters, groups, items, events, races or places...
images: (without
ads)
Spider-Man Newspaper strip (September 19, 1979), panel 2 - using
whip, black & white;
(September 21, 1979), panel 2 - upper/face, oblique;
(September 28, 1979), panel 4 - grabbing MJ's arm;
(October 10, 1979), panel 2 - upper, cracking whip,
B&W;
(October 12, 1979), panel 3 - holding whip, full
Appearances:
Spider-Man Newspaper strip (September 10/1979 - November 1, 1979) - Stan
Lee (writer), John Romita Sr. (artist)
First posted: 09/27/2026
Last updated: 08/02/2026
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.!
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