Alcatraz baseheroes downCORPORATION-WEST's
ALCATRAZ BASE

Classification: Technology/criminal base

CreatorUnrevealed;
    it was presumably created by scientists in the employ of the 
Corporation, although it could also have been created by a private contractor, or just purchased from another group/individual.

User/Possessors: Corporation-West; notably Curtiss Jackson and his guards/security agents

Location: Beneath Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay

First AppearanceCaptain America I#230 (February, 1979)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: It served as one of Curtiss Jackson's bases of operations as head of the Corporation-West.

    The main chamber had "row upon row of computer terminals, rivaling those of SHIELD...the mighty tidewater dynamo fed by the controlled currents from the two mighty sea gates." 

    The sea gates could be opened to rapidly flood the facility to whatever level was desired.

Most notably it had the facilities to restrain other superhuman operatives. 

    A being of normal strength might be strained in chains, especially near the lowest point by the sea gates.

    Bruce Banner was restrained in an electro-sleep harness to keep him unconscious and prevent him from turning into the Hulk.

    It had machine guns that could swiftly target and execute victims.

    It was staffed by a number of Corporation security agents.

    All of the bases operations could be controlled via the Command module/Emergency Escape Capsule.

banner-stasis

History
(Captain America I#228-230 (fb) - BTS / Marvel Legacy: The 1970s handbook / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: A to Z Vol. 2) - Believing that Jim Wilson was the key to controlling the Hulk, Jackson used Blue Streak and the Vamp to help capture Wilson’s uncle the Falcon, imprisoning him in a Corporation base beneath the defunct Alcatraz prison in San Francisco.

(Captain America I#229 - BTS) - After being exposed as a Corporation agent and being beaten into submission, Blue Streak revealed that the Falcon was being held at Alcatraz. floodgates opened

(Captain America I#230 - BTS) - Posing as police officers, Corporation agents subdued and captured Bruce Banner and brought him to Curtiss' Alcatraz base.

(Captain America I#230) - Captain America, accompanied by Marvel Man and the Vamp, accessed the Corporation's Alcatraz base and found the unconscious Falcon in chains.

    Curtiss, from behind a glass shield within his command module, introduced himself, confirmed his role as manager of the Corporation's West Coast operations, and warned  that with a flip of the switch he could open the sea gates that would swiftly drown the Falcon.

    They were interrupted by the arrival of East Coast Corporation manager, Kligger, who had captured Jim Wilson and then traveled there with aid from his agent Moonstone. Kligger explained that he wished to execute Captain America to fully satisfy the board, and he offered to trade Wilson in exchange.

    Infuriated at the manipulations, Marvel Man blasted the device keeping Banner unconscious, after which Jackson directed costumed Corporation agents to stop the heroes and prevent them from getting to Kligger or Jim Wilson. The stress turned Banner into the Hulk, who attacked the Corporation agents as well.

    Fearing Hulk might bring the whole island down on them, Cap tried to calm the Hulk, but the enraged Hulk subdued Cap with a bear hug, which caused him to pass out. Kligger then transformed Vamp into her powerful Animus-form, which teamed up with Moonstone to blast the Hulk into submission.

guns kligger-gunned_down(Incredible Hulk II#232) - Recovering, the Hulk smashed Moonstone aside and attacked Animus; meanwhile a revived Cap freed the Falcon. After Animus encased the Hulk in rock, Kligger again suggested a bargain, and Jackson -- after reminding Kligger they were in his base and he could snuff them all with the push of a button -- noted he liked Kligger's style and suggested perhaps they could work something out.

    Cap's shield then struck the glass in front of Jackson, cracking it. Moonstone fled as the Hulk broke free, and the Hulk incapacitated Animus/Vamp, after which Kligger, refusing to surrender and be jailed like a common criminal, called upon Jackson, who directed a quartet of machine guns to gun down Kligger.

    As Cap and the Falcon protected Jim, Marvel Man blasted the guns, and the Hulk leapt at the glass in front of Jackson, insisting he come out so Hulk could "break him a little." As the Hulk smashed the spot previously cracked by Cap's shield, which progressively cracked,  Jackson noted it was designed to take a bazooka blast without a scratch. Jackson then sent his Command module/Emergency Escape Capsule hurtling away down a pneumatic escape tube. Unwilling to allow Jim's captor to escape, the Hulk leapt down the tube after him.

    Jackson desperately fled the infuriated Hulk in his Emergency Escape Capsule.

Comments: Created by Roger McKenzie, Roger Stern, Sal Buscema, and Don Perlin.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Corporation's Alcatraz base should be distinguished from:


guards guards-as-copsguards/security agents

(Captain America I#230) - Posing as police officers, Corporation agents subdued Bruce Banner with tranquilizer guns. They then drove Fred's van into a large yellow truck, which they then drove him down the California freeway.

(Captain America I#230 (fb) - BTS) - Jackson's agents brought Banner to Curtiss' Alcatraz base and secured him in the electro-sleep harness

(Captain America I#230) - A group of the costumed agents continued to watch ove Banner as Captain America, Marvel Man, and Vamp arrived, followed shortly thereafter by Kligger, to whom Vamp revealed her alliance.

    When Marvel Man blasted the harness holding Banner, Jackson ordered the agents to stop the heroes, insisting that they not get to Kligger or Wilson. The group's presumptive leader instructed the others to fan out to accomplish, but they were not match for Cap, or Marvel Man, or the Hulk after Bannner transformed. One of the agents ordered the others to keep firing on the Hulk as he had to have a weak spot, but this only angered the Hulk further; he grabbed the agents' guns, crumpled them into a ball, and hurled that ball at the guards, knocking the rest of them out. 

(Captain America I#230 - BTS / Incredible Hulk II#232) - The guards were unconscious or otherwise behind-the-scenes for the remainder of the conflict.

--Captain America I#230 (Captain America I#230, [230 (fb)], 230, [230], Incredible Hulk II#232





images: (without ads)
Captain America I#230, pg. 4, panel 7 (Corporation agent/guards as cops);
        pg. 8, panel 3 (alcatraz base);
        pg. 10, panel 4 (Banner in stasis);
        pg. 12, panel 2 (guards);
        pg. 16, panel 2 (floodgates);
Incredible Hulk II#232, pg. 1 (by floodgates; heroes fallen);
        pg. 13, panel 3-4 (guns);
            panel 5 (Kligger gunned down)


Appearances:
Captain America I#230 (February, 1979) - Roger McKenzie (plot), Roger Stern (script), Sal Buscema (penciler), Don Perlin (inker), Jim Salicrup (assistant editor), Roger Stern (editor)
Incredible Hulk II#232 (February, 1979) - Roger Stern (plot), David Michelinie (script),
Sal Buscema (penciler), Mike Esposito (inker), Jo Duffy (editor)
Incredible Hulk II#233 (March, 1979) - Roger Stern (writer), Sal Buscema (penciler), Chic Stone (inker), Allen Milgrom (editor)


Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Last Updated: 12/17/16

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