TANGLER

Real Name: Rodney "Rod" Weigand

Identity/Class: Alternate reality (New Universe) human paranormal

Occupation: Security guard, patient

Group Membership: Formerly the Clinic for Paranormal Research's Therapy Group B (Dementia, Freefall, Interface, Shock, Stalagmite, Wormhole)

Affiliations: Freefall (Arthur Benway), Stalagmite (Curtis Smith), Wormhole (Martin Murken)

Enemies: The Black Powers (Bazooka, Charlotte Beck, Blindspot, Chill, Indigo, Squirm), Randy O'Brien

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "Roddy"

Base of Operations: Mobile; formerly the Clinic for Paranormal Research, south of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA

First Appearance: (in dream) D.P.7 I#9 (July, 1987)
(real) D.P.7 I#14 (December, 1987)

Powers/Abilities: Tangler has the parability to create psychoplasmic tanglewire. The tanglewire has incredible tensile strength, making it difficult for people to escape the tanglewire when it wraps around their bodies.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'10")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 165 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown

History:

(D.P.7. I#19 - the Clinic) - Following the White Event on July 22, 1986 caused by the Star Brand, Rodney Weigand was one of many people who discovered they had paranormal abilities. On September 5, 1986, Rodney went to the newly-opened Clinic for Paranormal Research to learn how to control his parability. He was placed in Therapy Group B. He took the nickname, "Tangler."

(D.P.7. I#9 - BTS) - As the Clinic's staff Regulator, Receptor and Reinforcer reconditioned Randy O'Brien so that he would remain passive at the Clinic, Reinforcer gave him a dream in which Randy's Therapy Group C was competing in volleyball against Therapy Group B, including Rodney.

(D.P.7. I#14) - On July 19, 1987, the Clinic began giving staff positions to many of the patients to help make up for staffing shortcomings. Freefall and his friend Tangler were both chosen for the security force. Encountering Randy O'Brien in a hallway, the two of them jeered at him, saying as security guards, "it's our job to protect wimps like you." That night, Freefall and Tangler were hanging out in a stairwell when Charlotte Beck came by. When she tried to pass them, Freefall used his parability to make her float in the air, claiming he was going to look up her skirt to find out if she wore underwear. Charlotte used her parability to make both men slip on the stairs. Dave Landers arrived then and Charlotte claimed Freefall and Tangler had been "clumsy."

    The next day, Freefall and Tangler donned their security uniforms. They hassled the Black patient Blindspot twice, who informed the other paranormals in his gang the Black Powers. While they were touring the parking lot, Freefall and Tangler were confronted by Blindspot who warned them if they messed with again, they'd be in trouble. Ignoring his threat, both men used their parabilities on Blindspot, causing him to float in the air while Tangler surrounded him with tanglewire. However, the other Black Powers (Charlotte, Chill, Indigo and Squirm) ambushed them from behind. Charlotte used her parability to stick Freefall and Tangler in one place, making it easy for Chill, Blindspot and Indigo to beat them. The Black Powers left both men the parking lot, badly beaten. They were taken to the Clinic's intensive care unit.

(D.P.7. I#15) - Randy O'Brien visited Freefall and Tangler in the intensive care unit. Frefall demanded to know how much longer they'd be under intensive care and Randy believed it would be a few more weeks. Although they had refused to identify their attackers, Randy observed their frostbite injuries poined to Chill's involvement. Tangler retorted, "we fell down while eatin' popsickles." Randy insisted they could take disciplinary action against their attackers if they pressed charges but both men still refused to implicate the Black Powers.

(D.P.7. I#17) - Tangler and Freefall finished their recuperation and left intensive care. The two of them ambushed Blindspot and murdered him. That night, Freefall used his parability to hover himself and Tangler outside Chill's window; Tangler used his tanglewire to drag Chill through the window then cover his mouth. Freefall released Chill from his parability's effects while he was mid-air; Chill fell three stories to the pavement below, dying instantly. The next day, Freefall and Tangler ambushed Squirm while he was alone in the gym; Freefall made Squirm hover in the air while Tangler shoved tanglewire down his throat (however, Squirm survived their assault). Director Newhouse ordered an assembly at the Clinic and Tangler and Freefall attended, alongside Stalagmite and Wormhole from their therapy group. When director Newhouse told the patients they would have to shut down their special interest groups, a riot broke out. Bazooka and Indigo had already planned to kill Tangler and Freefall at the assembly and Bazooka immediately fired a blast at Tangler that hurled him out of the Clinic. Freefall used his parability to soften Tangler's fall but wasn't certain if he affected him in time.

(D.P.7. I#19 - the Clinic) - Following the riot, Freefall and Tangler fled the Clinic together.

Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald, Paul Ryan and Al Williamson.

    He basically has the same power as Squadron Supreme's Haywire, also created by Gruenwald and Ryan.

    Tangler and the rest of Therapy Group B first appeared in D.P.7 I#9 as characters in a dream forced upon Randy O'Brien as part of the reconditioning Regulator, Reinforcer and Receptor were putting him through. The dream suggests Randy was familiar with all the Therapy Group B members, who would have all been at the Clinic behind-the-scenes during the events of D.P.7 I#1. Tangler, for instance, had an antagonistic relationship with Randy in the dream, which turned out to be the case when he made his first actual appearance.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Tangler should not be confused with:

images: (without ads)
D.P.7 I#17, page 20, panel 1 (main)
D.P.7 I#19, Clinic profile (face)
D.P.7 I#17, page 13, panel 7 (powers)

Appearances:
D.P.7 I#9 (July, 1987) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Ryan (penciler), Al Williamson (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
D.P.7 I#14-15 (December, 1987-January, 1988) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Ryan (penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker), Howard Mackie (editor)
D.P.7 I#17 (March, 1988) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Ryan (penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker), Howard Mackie (editor)

First posted: 10/27/2026
Last updated: 10/26/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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