MANDRILL

Real Name: Jerome Beechman

Identity/Class: Human mutant

Occupation: Criminal

Group Membership: Hood's gang (Answer (Aaron Nicholson), Blackout (Lilin), Blood Brother, Bushwacker, Centurius, Chemistro (Calvin Carr), Corrupter, Crossfire, Cutthroat, Deathwatch, Dr. Demonicus, Griffin, Hood, Jigsaw, Living Laser, Madame Masque, Purple Man, Razor-Fist (Douglas Scott), Scarecrow (Ebenezer Laughton), Shockwave, Vermin, Wizard (formerly Bentley Wittman), Wrecking Crew);
    formerly Crossfire’s gang (Controller, Corrupter, Crossfire, Mister Fear (Alan Fagan)), Black Spectre

Affiliations: Absorbing Man, Aragorn, Armadillo, Brass Bishop, Bushmaster, Crusader, Dragon Man, 8-Ball, Electro, Fem-Force (Athene, Selma), Figment, Frog-Man, Gargoyle (Isaac Christians), Grey Gargoyle, Grizzly, Hydro-Man, Kangaroo (Brian Hibbs), John King, Klevshin, Lord Shingen, Mad Thinker, Man-Bull, Mongoose, Mutant Force (Burner, Lifter, Peeper, Shocker, Slither), Nekra, Nitro, Powderkeg, Punisher (Frank Castle), Rhino, Sandman, Silencer, Silver Samurai, Skecher, Squid, Swarm, Taskmaster, Tiger Shark, U-Foes (Vector, X-Ray), Vulture (Adrian Toomes)

Enemies: Lord Dunbar Ainsley, Rozalyn Backus, Beetle (Abner Jenkins), Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff), Danielle Cage, Captain America (Steve Rogers), Judge Clark, Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Defenders (Clea, Hellcat, Hulk (Bruce Banner), Nighthawk, Valkyrie (Brunnhilde)), Grim Reaper, Guardian (Heather Hudson), Iron Man (Tony Stark), Jessica Jones, Kraven the Hunter (Alyosha Kravinoff), Patrick McShane, General Mojo, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, New Avengers (Luke Cage, Dr. Strange, Echo, Iron Fist (Danny Rand), Ronin (Clint Barton), Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Wolverine), Night Nurse, Gerald O’Hara, Milton Rosenblum, Sentry, Shanna the She-Devil, Jakuna Singh, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), Lem Stover, Thing, Thunderbolts (Atlas (Erik Josten), Citizen V (Helmut Zemo), Songbird), Tigra, U-Foes (Ironclad, Vapor, Vector, X-Ray), Wasp, Courtland Whitehead, Dian Wilkins, Wong, Yellowjacket (Henry Pym)

Known Relatives: Frederic Beechman (father), Emily Beechman (mother)

Aliases: Hensley Fargus, "Monkey-Face" (given by Hulk)

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    formerly unrevealed bases in Central America, Colorado, and Africa

First Appearance: Shanna the She-Devil I#4 (June, 1973)

Powers/Abilities: Mandrill’s mutant powers grant him super-human strength and enhanced agility, speed, stamina, durability, and reflexes. Mandrill consistently emits pheromones through his sweat glands which cause women, when the pheromones are smelled, to become incredibly attracted to Mandrill, who can then direct them at his will, making his powers seem almost hypnotic in effect. Continued exposure to Mandrill’s pheromones will cause many women to be his “slaves” for prolonged periods of time, though some women are able to resist his pheromones through unknown means, others have resisted due to being prepubescent. Electric shock can disrupt Mandrill’s control over others. Mandrill has also used technological means to enslave the minds of others. Mandrill has, at times, had access to various technological and even mystic devices in his various plots, including self-destruct devices, aircraft, armored tanks, powerful muscle relaxers, and a large zeppelin. He has returned from seeming death at least three times under unknown circumstances.

Height: 6'0''
Weight: 270 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown

History: (Daredevil I#110 (fb)) - Claiming to be born in New Mexico in 1944 (see comments), Jerome Beechman was born a mutant to a scientist and his wife after the scientist was exposed to radiation. Jerome was born with extra body hair and grew with a simian-like appearance, constantly tormented by his peers. At age ten, his parents left him in the desert to die, and Jerome quickly met Nekra, an albino girl who'd been born to an African American couple, seemingly as a result of the same radioactive exposure. Over the following six years, they lived like gypsies and educated themselves by listening to school lessons through windows. Eventually they were attacked by frightened villagers, and Nekra discovered she had the power to turn hatred into greater strength. She and Jerome, who used his own natural strength and agility, defeated their attackers.

(Daredevil I#110 (fb) - BTS) - Jerome soon discovered his talent to control women through his pheromones. He realized that this was why Nekra was so loyal to him.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition I#8) - As his appearance grew more ape-like, Jerome took the name Mandrill on himself.

(Shanna the She-Devil I#4 (fb) - BTS) - Mandrill, in an attempt to gain control over several African nations, allied with Nekra and established a small religion of female followers who tattooed themselves in his name; the tattoos were applied by his aide, Skecher. Mandrill kidnapped several across the continent that could prove useful to his coup, including millionaire Gerald O'Hara.

(Shanna the She-Devil I#4) - Mandrill gathered more that he hoped to manipulate in his slowly developing power base, including diamond merchant Lem Stover (who Mandrill hoped to use for funding), diplomat Lord Dunbar Ainsley, military man General Mojo, and civil serviceman Patrick McShane, with Shanna O'Hara, known as Shanna the She-Devil, standing by. The men refused to serve Mandrill and he and his women warriors attacked them. Later, when Shanna returned to Mandrill's headquarters, she was captured, but quickly broke free. Mandrill sicced several real mandrills on her and tried to make a run for it, but Shanna and S.H.I.E.L.D., including Agent Jakuna Singh, apprehended him. Shanna was furious that Gerald O'Hara, her father, was still missing.

(Shanna the She-Devil I#5 - BTS) - Nekra organized the women warriors at the temple and led them in a revenge plot against Shanna, planning on releasing Mandrill next, but Shanna defeated her.

(Daredevil I#111 (fb) - BTS) - Nekra murdered Patrick McShane and escaped. Shanna received word that her father, Gerald O'Hara, had been murdered, and later surmised that he was killed by Mandrill's ally, Silver Samurai, who rescued Mandrill from his own cell because the Samurai's father owed the Mandrill a debt of honor.

(Marvel Two-in-One#3 (fb) - BTS) - Posing as diamond dealer Hensley Fargus, and received O'Hara's estate, having been appointed beneficiary in the will. He likely used this money to fund his new schemes.

(Daredevil I#109 (fb) - BTS) - Mandrill organized his female followers into an organization called Black Spectre, having them disguise themselves with bulky armor to hide their gender. They plotted to confuse the country through terrorism and racism, and then to step in and rule the country after chaos ensued.

(Daredevil I#108 (fb) - BTS) - Black Spectre plotted to steal government printing plates and exacerbated gang wars. When Foggy Nelson got to close to the truth, Mandrill had Nelson shot.

(Daredevil I#108 - BTS) - Using a gas grenade, agents of Black Spectre stole printing plates during a battle between Daredevil and Beetle.

(Daredevil I#109 (fb) - BTS) - Over the following months he saw Black Spectre involved in a race riot at the Statue of Liberty, placing a Swastika on the Washington monument, draping Independence Hall in black, and adding Adolf Hitler's face to Mt. Rushmore.

(Daredevil I#109) - Black Spectre organized a riot over money counterfeited from the stolen plates on Wall Street, while Nekra captured Black Widow and returned her to Mandrill. Beetle and Daredevil disrupted Black Spectre's agents and sent them fleeing.

(Marvel Two-in-One#3) - Black Spectre infiltrated an American play and mechanically hypnotized two of the actors, dressed as Hitler and Captain America, to kill each other. Daredevil pursued a Black Spectre agent and was lead back to their zeppelin headquarters, joined by the Fantastic Four's Thing. Nekra, Black Widow, and other Black Spectre members fought the men until Mandrill mechanically hypnotized them as well. The men were tossed free from the ship.

(Daredevil I#110) - Daredevil battled two Black Spectre representatives who'd pursued him, and they were apprehended and imprisoned, but they were killed via an auto-destruct triggered by Mandrill to avoid exposure. Mandrill learned Daredevil's true identity from Black Widow. Mandrill, in black armor, took a shuttle from the zeppelin to Murdock's apartment. He revealed himself to Daredevil and explained his origins. He briefly battled Daredevil before the police arrived and Mandrill fled.

(Daredevil I#111) - Silver Samurai, Nekra, and Black Spectre kidnapped Shanna, and Mandrill told Samurai that his debt would soon be paid off. Mandrill planned to dissect Shanna's brain, to decipher how she resisted his pheromones. Silver Samurai and Black Spectre then attacked the Empire State Building in a large scale plot to jam all of America's communication lines. 

(Daredevil I#112) - With the country's communications scrambled, Black Spectre prepared to make its final moves. Mandrill and Nekra captured Daredevil and set his body near Shanna's, planning to dissect him as well. Mandrill threatened the Avengers and Fantastic Four to not attack him, claiming he'd set of an atomic bomb if they did so. With Black Spectre and aboard the zeppelin, Mandrill placed a large idol of himself in front of the White House, then entered the building, sitting in the president's chair when Daredevil attacked him. Mandrill and Daredevil battled on the roof until the zeppelin exploded and Daredevil knocked Mandrill to the ground, briefly thinking him dead, but Mandrill managed to escape.

(Defenders I#79 (fb) - BTS) - Mandrill gathered his old followers and recruited new ones, forming many women into an army called Fem-Force. He also hired the five-membered Mutant Force to serve him. He put together a plot to establish new financial capital for himself and sent his army to retrieve a gold store at a military base.

(Defenders I#78 -BTS) - Fem-Force and Mutant Force attacked the military base at Las Animus, Colorado and were repelled by conveniently nearby heroes Hellcat, Valkyrie (Brunnhilde), Wasp, and Yellowjacket (Hank Pym). Yellowjacket was taken hostage, and Fem-Force led the heroines into a trap.

(Defenders I#79) - Fem-Force and Mutant Force continued battling the heroines until they were captured and Mandrill used his pheromones to enslave them to his will. Despite Mutant Force’s protestations, Mandrill appointed the powerful Valkyrie as the head of his armies. When two of his captives, a young girl named Dian Wilkins and the Wasp, managed to escape, Mandrill set his army into motion, sending them against the military base again.

(Defenders I#80) - Mandrill observed the battle from afar, still holding Yellowjacket captive and taunting the hero. When Defenders’ member Nighthawk managed to free the heroines from Mandrill’s control, they quickly defeated Mutant Force and Fem-Force. Mandrill anticipated them attacking him and escaped to his Central American base, launching Yellowjacket in an escape rocket to cover his escape.

(Defenders I#86) - Mandrill purchased some smuggled Wakandan technology off the black market, using his agent, Klevshin, to sell some of it for money. Klevshin was killed, however, and the supply of technology cut off, disgusting Mandrill. He continued planning his revenge on the Defenders from his South American villa.

 (Defenders I#89) - Mandrill sent his Fem-Force to attack the Defenders for revenge. They took a canister of his pheromone and unloaded their airship over Nighthawk’s penthouse. They were shocked to find Daredevil inside after they blew a hole in the wall. The women quickly attacked and subdued him with a dart containing muscle paralyzer strong enough to put down Hulk (so they claimed). They took Daredevil and locked him in a bank vault, after Mandrill ordered they do so.

(Defenders I#90) - From Central America, Mandrill loaded up the Fem-Force in the ship to go battle the Defenders. A group of Fem-Force saw Hellcat enter Nighthawk’s apartment and subdued her, though she fought them off with her Shadow-Cloak before they put her under Mandrill’s control. Mandrill then led his forces to the courthouse where they interrupted the trial of Nighthawk (who’d departed) and put Valkyrie and Judge Clark under his sway, opposing Hulk and lawyer Milton Rosenblum. Daredevil and Nighthawk soon attacked and Mandrill fled in a cab. Hellcat was released from his control, but Valkyrie was not.

(Defenders I#91) - Mandrill forced Judge Clark to begin calling the proceedings the way he wanted her to.  At his headquarters, Mandrill reveled in his victories before Fem-Force, and appointed Valkyrie his second-in-command. Mandrill led his forces to the Arrowshaft Nuclear Plant, not knowing that Daredevil had tagged along in pursuit. He surprised his parents, holding his father at gunpoint and taking over his mother, who led Fem-Force below in the facility on a day when a women’s group was marching outside. He had a portion of Fem-Force move to open the nuclear levels and, despite opposition from Hellcat, one of Fem-Force, Selma, was able to do so. Mandrill, his father, and the rest of Fem-Force donned containment suits and were shocked when Nighthawk and Daredevil attacked. Mandrill held his father hostage and rushed forward into the radiation chamber, where Mandrill forced his father to take off the suit, hoping to expose his father, killing him. Hulk burst through the wall and Mandrill threatened to blow up the reactor until Hulk successfully shut it down. Mandrill prepared to fire his gun at the Hulk, who’d become Bruce Banner, but his mother shot him in the back, seemingly killing him.

(Avengers West Coast#66/2) - After finding Nekra's corpse near Grim Reaper's grave, Mandrill tracked down the Reaper seeking revenge, but the Reaper turned his scythe on Mandrill, seemingly slaying him and absorbing his energy, leaving Mandrill a withered husk.

(Alpha Flight I#121) - Alongside several super-villains, Mandrill, having somehow survived, attended the auction that Brass Bishop was holding. Guardian of Alpha Flight and Spider-Man attacked, and Spider-Man diverted Rhino into Mandrill, knocking Mandrill unconscious.

(New Warriors I#36) - Mandrill was transferred to another cell within the Vault, bopped on the head by a guard.

(Thunderbolts Annual 1997 (fb)) - Mandrill escaped the Vault alongside several other villains, and attacked new heroes Citizen V (Helmut Zemo), Atlas, and Songbird, all members of the Thunderbolts, when they opposed them. Mandrill tried to control Songbird, but she hit him with a sound construct and knocked him out.

(She-Hulk I#5) - Mandrill was transferred to the Big House, a prison where villains were kept at small sizes while full-sized guards watched over them. Mandrill allied with Mad Thinker and others in plotting a jailbreak. Mad Thinker's plot did not allow for Mandrill to escape, but Mandrill agreed with it anyway for unknown reasons. The carefully orchestrated plot went off as planned. Mandrill was reduced even further in size and he entered the nose of one of the female guards in order to take control over her, his power reduced due to his small stature.

(She-Hulk I#6 - BTS) - The Big House escapees were recaptured.

(Spider-Man: Breakout I#3 (fb)) - Mandrill joined up with a mutant gang in prison, but was called over by Crossfire's gang, along with Mr. Fear, Controller, and Corrupter.

(Spider-Man: Breakout#1 (fb)) - Mandrill, Crossfire's gang, and the U-Foes plotted their escape, but their escape plan was ruined when one of the prison guards betrayed them. Believing that the U-Foes had turned them in, Mandrill and the others grew to hate the U-Foes.

(New Avengers#1) - Electro broke dozens of villains, including Mandrill, out of the Raft.

(New Avengers#2) - The villains, as they worked to escape, were attacked by Spider-Man (Parker), Captain America (Rogers), Spider-Woman (Drew), Luke Cage, Sentry, and Iron Man (Stark). Captain America delivered one blow to Mandrill.

(New Avengers#3) - Some villains fought the heroes and were captured while other villains escaped.

 (New Avengers#4 - BTS) - Mandrill was confirmed as one of the Raft escapees.

(Spider-Man: Breakout#1/New Avengers#4) - Mandrill made a break for it with the others in Crossfire's gang in an underground ship. He grew angry that he didn't have time to rip out Vector's throat.

(Spider-Man: Breakout#2) - After a few skirmishes with the U-Foes in the streets, Crossfire moved his gang from Coney Island to another hideout, though Mr. Fear had been arrested.

(Spider-Man: Breakout#3) - Mandrill helped the gang to break into the building of Courtland Whitehead, controlling some women to get in and ordering the women to kill themselves if they were exposed. They did this in order to track down Rozalyn Backus (the guard who'd betrayed them).

(Spider-Man: Breakout#4) - Crossfire's gang (sans Corrupter) finally found Backus, and took hundreds of hostages via mind-control before confronting her. Spider-Man was there as well.

(Spider-Man: Breakout#5) - While cuddling and carousing with some of the female hostages, Mandrill was attacked by Vapor, who his power had no control over as she was not flesh and blood, and he tried to run for it. He was knocked unconscious by Ironclad and X-Ray, and later re-arrested, along with Crossfire and Controller.

(I Heart Marvel: Web of Romance#1) - After being apprehended by Spider-Man, Mandrill hung suspended, upside-down, in the hero's webbing. Spider-Man, while waiting for the authorities to apprehend Mandrill, discussed possible Valentines' gifts for his wife. Mandrill, rather defensive about his red-hued behind, bantered with Spider-Man until the hero departed.

(Daughters of the Dragon#4) - After eating curry, Mandrill played a game of dominoes with Sandman.

(New Avengers#35) - Alongside several villains, Mandrill attended a meeting organized by the Hood, took a 20,000 cash payment, and agreed to join the Hood's organized gang, with another head being John King. The Hood beat up Tigra to prove his power, and the villains, while celebrating, watched a video of this.

(New Avengers Annual#2) – As part of the Hood's gang, including Answer, Blackout, Blood Brother, Bushwacker, Centurius, Chemistro, Corrupter, Crossfire, Cutthroat, Deathwatch, Dr. Demonicus, Griffin, Hood, Jigsaw, Living Laser, Madame Masque, Purple Man, Razor-Fist, Scarecrow, Shockwave, Vermin, Wizard, and the Wrecking Crew, Mandrill attacked the New Avengers (Luke Cage, Dr. Strange, Echo, Iron Fist, Ronin (Barton), Spider-Man (Parker), Wolverine), Wong, the Night Nurse, Jessica Jones, and Danielle Cage at the home of Dr. Strange. A massive battle broke out, during which Mandrill tackled Spider-Man, before the villains were taken down by a Zom-powered Strange and soon arrested by SHIELD.

(Punisher War Journal II#14 (fb) - BTS) - Mandrill was captured by Kraven the Hunter (Alyosha Kravinoff) alongside Rhino, Bushmaster, Gargoyle (Isaac Christians), Tiger Shark, Kangaroo (Brian Hibbs), Aragorn, Vulture (Adrian Toomes), Mongoose, Man-Bull, Dragon Man, Frog-Man, Swarm and Grizzly. The animal-themed villians were kept in cages aboard a ship with bombs around their necks to keep them from escaping. Kraven was a cruel keeper, feeding them only occasionally.

(Punisher War Journal II#14) - Kraven killed Aragorn and fed the horse to the prisoners, who refused to eat. Later, Kraven used his skills and potions to drive all the captives into bestial rages. He set them loose on his sinking ship to attack the Punisher (Frank Castle).

(Punisher War Journal II#15) – Enraged, Mandrill attacked Punisher, who took down Mandrill with a series of punches. Mandrill’s left eye was dislodged in the attack.

(Secret Invasion#1 - BTS) - The Mandrill was confirmed to be a prisoner aboard the Raft when a tehchnological malfuction hit the prison.

Comments: Created by Steve Gerber, Ross Andru, and Vince Colletta.

    Mandrill had an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition#8, and in Avengers: Most Wanted Files (after his Raft breakout).

    It was once mentioned that Mandrill's origin took place in 1944; this is topical, however, with Marvel's sliding time scale. It presumably just means that the Mandrill was 29 years old in that story.

    A thousand thank yous to John Kaminski for his image assistance on the Daredevil images! Thank you!!!

Profile by Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Mandrill has no known connections to

• any other "Man" or "Drill" characters or characters named after primates

Frederic and Emily Beechman

(Daredevil I#110 (fb)) - Mr. Beechman worked at a radiation facility where he was exposed to radiation.

(Defenders I#91/Daredevil I#110 (fb) - BTS) - When the Beechmans’ son Jerome was born a mutant, Mrs. Beechman sensed that he may be dangerous to women and sent her husband out with the baby to leave it to die in the desert. Mr. Beechman took pity, though, and left the child near water, hoping he would survive.

(Defenders I#91) - The child, now grown to be the dangerous Mandrill, attacked the Beechmans at their place of work, Arrowshaft Nuclear Plant, and took mental hold of his mother while holding his father at gunpoint. They entered the facility with Mandrill, who planned to use the plant for villainous purposes. The Defenders and Daredevil arrived to aid them, however, and Mr. Beechman, in the reactor without a containment suit, watched his wife shoot Mandrill in the back, seemingly killing him. He was rushed to the hospital (Frederic).

--Daredevil I#110 (Daredevil I#110 (fb), Defenders I#91/Daredevil I#110 (fb) - BTS, Defenders I#91