Santos (Earth-148611 / "New Universe"; ruler of South Pacific nation)

santos-southpacific-148611-seated SANTOS

Real Name: Santos

Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-148611/"New Universe") human

Occupation: Briefly the president of an unidentified South Pacific nation

Group Membership: Former leader of an unidentified South Pacific nation;
formerly the leader of a revolution in an unidentified South Pacific nation

Affiliations: Formerly Louis "Treetop" Barrington, Mark Hazzard, Mal Rossi

Enemies: Louis "Treetop" Barrington, Mark Hazzard, Mal Rossi; Maria (daughter of the former president); the former president (indirectly his wife, Carmen, but they probably wanted her dead, too)

Known Relatives: Unidentified widow

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly an unidentified presumably island nation in the South Pacific

First Appearance: Mark Hazzard: Merc#1 (November, 1986)

Powers/Abilities: Santos was experienced with handguns and a rocket launcher, although he was a sub-stellar marksman.

While seemingly acting to liberate his oppressed people, he seemed to be more than happy to oppress them when he was in power.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'8")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 150 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

History:

(Mark Hazzard: Merc#1 (fb) - BTS) - Santos, leader of the rebels of this nation, had long dreamed of claiming leadership of his nation. He gathered together a group of rebels, seeking to overthrow the current president. The odds seemed hopeless, they had no allies, and many people would have turned Santos over for the reward.

hired Mark Hazzard, Mal Rossi and pilot Louis "Treetop" Barrington to bring the president to them, dead or alive.

(Mark Hazzard: Merc#1 - BTS) - Hazzard slew the president, as well as his wife, Carmen, when she tried to kill him, and a number of the president's former soldiers perished in the attempt to claim leadership by right of succession.

(Mark Hazzard: Merc#1 (fb) - BTS) - Santos and the rebels came down from the hills.

(Mark Hazzard: Merc#1) - Seated at the former president's desk, Santos told Hazzard and Rossi that they would be heroes to his people. Finding a ring in the treasure chest, he considered that it would look lovely on his wife. He told Hazzard and Rossi that with the president gone, freedom could finally be restored.

However, when Hazzard asked him if open elections would now be held, Santos explained that not immediately, as many of their citizens were so stupid that they wouldn't know what to do with freedom just handed to them. Affairs must be stabilized, as citizens who were against us when we were rebels must be weeded out, as they would otherwise cause problems. "...I will step down and elections will be held. In a year or two. Once peace is restored. You understand. Now this ring looks good on me, don't you think?"

Mark Hazzard: Merc#1 (fb) - BTS) - Meanwhile, Santos' men tied up Maria, the late president's daughter, in her bedroom.

(Mark Hazzard: Merc#1 - BTS) - As Santos' men flipped a coin over who would get to have Maria first, which they explained to Rossi when he queried them, and they added that their great leader, Santos, would get her eventually, presuming his wife didn't find out. Hazzard and Rossi forced the soldiers to "let them have her first," after which they took Maria and escaped out the window. santos-southpacific-148611-rocketlauncher

(Mark Hazzard: Merc#1 (fb) - BTS) - Slaying Santos' men who tried to stop them, Hazzard and Rossi then tied Maria to a tree while they buried nails and shotgun shells.

(Mark Hazzard: Merc#1 - BTS) - Santos' men pursued Hazzard and Rossi, stepping on and being slain by the buried shells and the pungi sticks Rossie had left.

Other rebels traveled by jeep to the mercenary's waiting helicopter, where they fired at Treetop. Realizing Hazzard had done something to screw up their deal, Treetop shot the man with the rocket launcher, after which he shot into their gas tank, and Rossi fired a flare pistol that blew them up via the leaked fuel.

(Mark Hazzard: Merc#1) - Having arrived in another jeep, Santos himself fired his rocket launcher at the now airborne helicopter, carrying Rossi and Treetop. With Santos' poor aim, Treetop was able to dodge his first shots, but Hazzard realized that he needed to get to them as soon as possible so they could get out of there before Santos got lucky. santos-southpacific-148611-shot

With Maria literally fighting against his trying to get her to safety, Hazzard finally let Maria go so he could reach the helicopter without further endangering his allies.

Maria rushed to Santos' men, calling out for help, but they assumed that she was trying to distract them, and they mowed her down with machine gunfire.

Treetop then turned the helicopter around and either he, Hazzard or Rossi fired its guns at Santos and his men. Before he could order the rocket launcher to be brought around, Santos took a bullet in the throat. The new president fell, his mouth licking dirt and the screams of his men in his ears. He was furious over this setback. His men, being loyal followers, followed him to the next life.

(Mark Hazzard: Merc#1 - BTS) - As they hadn't been paid yet, Treetop landed the helicopter, and he and his allies claimed what they could from their foes' possessions.

Comments: Created by Peter David and Gray Morrow.

See the New Universe primer.

This was a great story, but I wish the South Pacific island nation on which they had lived was identified. Maybe it was Bali Hai...

This profile was completed 8/20/2025, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the New Universe's 40^th anniversary 's celebratory event

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Santos should be distinguished from:

SANTOS, CARLOS - Legion of Living Lightning, immigrant to USA from Mexico, sought to establish benevolent dictatorship in USA to save it from people who didn't love it as much as he did, killed in the destruction of their base--Tales to Astonish I#97
SANTOS, HECTOR - vampire, destroyed by Blade--Tomb of Dracula IV#1
SANTOS, IARA DOS - see SHARK GIRL--Wolverine and the X-Men I#20
SANTOS, JOSE - younger brother of Living Lightning, son of Maria and Carlos--Avengers West Coast Annual#6/4
SANTOS, - wounded in Iraq, saved by Flash Thompson at the cost of Thompson's legs--Amazing Spider-Man I#574
SANTOS, LISA - New York, public defender, defended Blade--Blade III#3
SANTOS, LUZ "LUCY" - neighbor of Dan Ketch in the Bronx, owner of Fidel the cat, owner of Bronx store, saved on numerous occasions by Ghost Rider/Dan Ketch, whom she saw as a demon trying to seduce her--Ghost Rider III#70
SANTOS, MARIA - mother of Living Lightning and Jose, widow of member of Legion of Living Lightning--Avengers West Coast Annual#6/4
SANTOS, MIGUEL - see LIVING LIGHTNING--Avengers West Coast I#63
SANTOS, RAMON - Stone Perfs, killed by Terminizer--Avengers Spotlight I#32
SANTOS, Mrs. - People's Defense Association of Harlem, allied with the vampire Andras Juhasz to decrease local crime--Vampire Tales I#6/2
other Santos characters, groups, items, events, races or places...

images: (without ads)
Mark Hazzard: Merc#1, pg. 8, panel 7 (seated at president's desk);
       pg. 9, panel 2 (face/upper);
          panel 3 (face, closeup);
       pg. 16, panel 5 (rocket launcher);
       pg. 19, panel 1 (shot)

Appearances:
Mark Hazzard: Merc#1 (November, 1986) - Peter David (writer), Gray Morrow (artist), Jim Owsley (editor)

First posted: 10/26/2026
Last updated: 08/20/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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