DWIGHT CLIVE

Real Name: Dr. Dwight Clive

Identity/Class: Human scientist; presumably Canadian

Occupation: Geneticist

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Formerly "Babbette," Howard the Duck, Ed "MacMann"

Enemies: Alexis the Duck

Known Relatives: Alexis the Duck (creation)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: A village near (or in) the Reservation of the Algonquin Native Peoples, Ontario, Canada

First Appearance: Howard the Duck I#33 (September, 1986)

Powers/Abilities: Dr. Clive is a medical genius, specializing in cloning, gene-splicing, etc.

History:
(Howard the Duck I#33 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Clive spent years delving into the mysteries of life, designing the means to create life, yet lacking the funds.

(Howard the Duck I#33 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Clive performed research at a university but failed to achieve tenure and was eventually let go.

(Howard the Duck I#33 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Clive crudely grew some creatures from cultures.

(Howard the Duck I#33 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Clive did a weekly television spot, "Words to Live by..." on Canuck Cable at the Reservation of the Algonquin Native Peoples.

(Howard the Duck I#33) - After one of his shows, in which he entreated people to pay him to create life, Clive learned of Howard the Duck, who had just won $10, 000, 000. Clive headed South to Howard's mansion in Cleveland, catching him immediately after he had parted ways with Beverly Switzler. Clive convinced Howard that his loneliness was derived from not having another duck-person to share his life. For the cost of Howard's remaining fortune, Clive would create a suitable companion for him. After much discussion, Clive brought Howard and his personal assistant Ed to a castle in the north to which he had his laboratory equipment shipped.
    Clive found that Howard's cells were highly suitable for cloning. Using a beautiful French-Canadian woman ("Babbette"as his female cell donor, Clive developed a female duck-woman body. Clive then sent Ed to obtain a brain for the body.

(Howard the Duck I#33 (fb) - BTS) - Ed obtained the brain from the corpse of a recently-deceased, spoiled, overindulged wife of an upwardly mobile personal injury attorney (it was small and easy to carry).

(Howard the Duck I#33) - Clive completed work on Alexis and summoned Howard and Ed to witness as he awakened her. With some maniacal cackling and a lot of noise and energy output from his machinery, Clive began the process, which proved to powerful for the machinery, causing it to explode. Alexis, however, awakened unharmed, and Howard was instantly smitten.
    Over the next several weeks, Clive patiently worked to educate Alexis in the ways of the world, but found that the only concept she grasped was basic math, and only how to run numbers up, not down. Finally Clive introduced Alexis to Howard, but she quickly turned out to be a cold, money-hungry shrew. After further research, Clive realized the source from which Ed had obtained the brain. Devastated by what he had created, Clive took to drinking. When Howard left Alexis behind at the castle, Clive begged Howard to take him with  him.

Comments: Created by Christopher Stager and Val Mayerik.

He's named, of course, after Dwight Frye (who played Fritz the hunchback) and Colin Clive (Dr. Frankenstein) from the 1931 Frankenstein film.
--Madison Carter

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

images:
Howard the Duck I#33, p10, panel 1 (tv spot)
        p16, panel 6 (face)
        p20, panel 1 (lab)

Appearances:
Howard the Duck I#33 (September, 1986) - Christopher Stager (scripter/co-plotter), Val Mayerik (artist/co-plotter), Jim Salicrup (editor)

Last updated: 05/12/12

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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