LIVE WIRELIVE WIRE
Real Name: Rance Preston
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Criminal, circus performer;
former cowboy
Group Membership: Circus of Crime (Bruto
the Strong Man/Bruce Olafsen, Clown/Eliot "Crafty" Franklin, Dragon
Man, Fire-Eater/Tomas Ramirez, Great Gambonnos/Ernesto & Luigi
Gambonno, Human Cannonball/Jack Pulver, Princess Python/Zelda DuBois, Rajah/Kahir
Mahadevu,
Ringmaster/Maynard Tiboldt, Sultan
the
elephant, Teena the
Fat Lady/Mary Stenson)
Affiliations:
Max Fury, Ivan Karlovich,
Psycho-Man,
Shellshock,
Taskmaster;
formerly Devil Dinosaur, Moonboy
Enemies: Avengers (Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Valkyrie/Brunnhilde, Venom/"Flash" Thompson), Black Ant (Eric O'Grady LMD), Black Goliath (Bill Foster), Black Panther (T'Challa), Devil Dinosaur, Red Fowler, Corky Franklin, Ghost Rider (John Blaze), D.W. Griffith, Hulk (Bruce Banner), Inhumans (Black Bolt/Blackagar Boltagon, Karnak, Medusa/Medusalith Amaquelin), Alicia Masters, Mercs for Money (Deadpool/"Wade Wilson," Domino/Neena Thurman, Gorilla-Man/Ken Hale, Hit-Monkey, Machine Man/X-51, Masacre, Negasonic Teenage Warhead/Ellie Phimister), Moonboy, Power Man (Luke Cage), Power Pack (Alex Power, Jack Power, Julie Power, Katie Power, Franklin Richards), Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Claire Temple, Thing (Ben Grimm), Kate Waynesboro, Yancy Street Gang
Known Relatives: Unidentified ex-wife
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile
First Appearance: Fantastic Four Annual I#5
(November, 1967)
Powers/Abilities: Live
Wire used an electric lariat for various tricks, including
ensnaring intended victims who he could then electrocute. Good at
horseback
riding, Live Wire wore insulated gloves and clothing that protected him
from the
electric currents. He had also used electric guns in combat.
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
History:
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition I#2 (fb)
– BTS) – Rance Preston was born in Houston, Texas and became a cowboy,
specializing in performing rope tricks while working on a ranch. He
eventually
began performing with an electric lariat, wearing insulated gloves and
clothing
to protect him from electric shock. Calling himself Live Wire, he
embarked on a
criminal career. At some point, he got a divorce.
(Fantastic Four Annual I#5 (fb) – BTS) – Live
Wire, Ivan Karlovich
and Shellshock were recruited by Psycho-Man to be his operatives on
Earth.
(Fantastic Four Annual I#5) – When Psycho-Man gave
the men
orders, Live Wire grew annoyed and tried attacking Psycho-Man with his
electric
gun and lariat but it couldn't penetrate Psycho-Man's armor. Psycho-Man
used his
devices to fill the men with fear, reminding them who was in charge,
then
ordered them to seek Component Five, which had been delivered
accidentally to
Alicia Masters. After stunning the Thing, they stole the Component then
took
it to a remote island, where Psycho-Man planned to build a giant
emotion ray. When
Black Panther and the Inhumans investigated, Live Wire shocked Black
Bolt and
wrapped Medusa in his lariat but Karnak knocked him aside with a blow.
Psycho-Man's
plots were soon foiled.
(Power Man I#25 (fb)) – Live Wire snuck away from
the others
and laid low for a time. When he saw news about the Circus of Crime
being
apprehended, he developed a plan. Using his electric lariat, Live Wire
freed them from
their prison transport van.
(Power Man I#24 (fb) – BTS) – Live Wire joined the
Circus of
Crime.
(Power Man I#24) – Live Wire stunned Power Man and
Black
Goliath, who had been sparring with each other. The Circus of Crime
closed in,
with Ringmaster determined to recruit the two heroes, whose allies
Claire
Temple and D.W. Griffith stood nearby.
(Power Man I#25) – When Princess Python cruelly
zapped
Claire Temple with an electric prod, Live Wire was frustrated by her
brutality
and vocalized it. Despite his new doubts in his team, Live Wire stopped
Griffith from stealing Ringmaster's hat, using a stun instead of a kill
charge.
Temple soon escaped, resulting quickly in the heroes being released
from their
hypnosis. In the following battle, Live Wire refused to kill with his
lariat
and he was defeated by a throw from Black Goliath.
(Marvel Two-in-One I#70 (fb) – BTS) – Keeping the
supplies
that Psycho-Man had given them, Live Wire and Shellshock kept their
equipment
and went on a series of robberies.
(Marvel Two-in-One I#70) – Live Wire and
Shellshock planned
to rob the home of Alicia Masters. Learning she was moving into the
Baxter
Building with Thing, they knocked out the movers and then took over the
moving
responsibilities, loading her expensive statues into the truck. They
planned
to take off with the truck but Thing sat on the back, so they took a
sharp
corner to knock him off. After getting the van repainted, the villains
thought
they were safe but Thing attacked them. Live Wire was knocked aside but
he
took Alicia Masters hostage until the Yancy Street Gang dumped water
over his
head and Live Wire was electrocuted and defeated.
(Ghost Rider II#72 (fb) – BTS) – Live Wire and the
Circus of Crime broke
out of jail but chose to leave Ringmaster behind. After they recruited
new
member Fire-Eater, the team put Clown in as their leader. In time,
Clown ran
away from the Circus and the others tracked him down, living with his
father,
the clown Corky, at the Quentin Carnival.
(Ghost Rider II#72) – The Circus members took
turns
attacking the Carnival to convince Clown to return to them. Live Wire
overloaded the Carnival's generator, shutting off the power during a
performance, then leaving a note in the dirt for Clown. Later that
week, Clown
rejoined the team. When John Blaze followed him, Bruto knocked him out
and
Circus stood over him.
(Ghost Rider II#73) – With John Blaze tied up,
Clown
convinced the Circus to return to the Quentin Carnival and take it
over. To
show off for the others, Live Wire ensnared a rabbit with his lasso.
Clown
sided with the Carnival, taking it over as well and turning against the
Circus. During
the fight, Live Wire was tricked by Red Fowler into throwing his lasso
into the
electric mesh above the bumper cars and Live Wire was overloaded.
(Incredible Hulk II#292 (fb) – BTS) – The Circus
(Ringmaster,
Clown, Fire-Eater, the Great Gambonnos, Human Cannonball, Live Wire,
Rajah
(aboard his elephant Sultan), Teena the Fat Lady, Bruto the Strong Man
and
Princess Python (with Precious)) headed to Mexico, fleeing warrants.
Ringmaster
forced Dragon Man to perform with them.
(Incredible Hulk II#292) – When Live Wire and the
Circus saw Bruce
Banner arrive with his girlfriend Kate Waynesboro, Ringmaster forced
Banner to
change to Hulk and battle Dragon Man. Before the fight concluded, the
Big Top
was destroyed.
(Power Pack I#59) – At the MacFadden Brothers
Circus, the
Ringmaster tried convincing the Circus (Human Cannonball, Great
Gambonnos,
Clown, Bruto, Live Wire) to go legitimate but they wanted one last
major
heist, having heard that foreign royalty would be in the crowd. Clown
took over
leadership of the group and during the live performance, they tried
stealing the
crown off the prince but Power Pack and Franklin Richards, who were in
the
crowd, fought back and the Circus was easily stopped. When the police
arrived,
Ringmaster used his powers to make the Circus appear innocent.
(Amazing Spider-Man/Devil Dinosaur '98 Annual) – The Circus rehearsed for their new performances with Moon Boy and Devil, and their shows sold out. While the crowds gathered, however, Circus members robbed local stores. Soon, Spider-Man attacked, freeing Moon Boy from hypnosis, then helped take the Circus down. During the fight, Livewire was webbed up by Spider-Man.
(Secret Avengers I#29 (fb) – BTS) – Taskmaster,
working with
Max Fury, hired Live Wire and the Circus for an assignment in Bagalia.
(Secret Avengers I#29) – In Bagalia, members of
the Circus
(Princess Python, Clown, Bruto, Live Wire, Fire Eater) put on a daring
performance, torturing John Steele with plasma knives. When Steele
escaped, he
brutally defeated the Circus, tossing Live Wire into the giant snake's
mouth
and seemingly killing him. The Avengers (Valkyrie, Hawkeye, Agent
Venom,
Ant-Man) arrived to rescue Steele.
(Amazing Spider-Man V#18.HU (fb) ) - Live Wire helped Princess Python leave her husband, the Gibbon.
SECRET WARS III HAPPENED
Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Frank Giacoia.
Thanks to Ron Fredricks for the cleaned-up main.
Profile by Chadman.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Live Wire has no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition I#2,
p64, pan2 (main)
Fantastic Four I Annual#5, p16, pan1 (versus Medusa)
Secret Avengers I#29, p11, pan2 (Live Wire eaten by snake)
Appearances:
Fantastic Four Annual I#5 (November, 1967) – Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (penciler), Frank Giacoia (inker)
Power Man I#24 (April, 1975) – Tony Isabella (writer), George Tuska (penciler), Dave Hunt (inker), Len Wein (editor)
Power Man I#25 (July, 1975) – Bill Mantlo, Tony Isabella (writers), Ron Wilson (penciler), Fred Kida (inker), Len Wein (editor)
Marvel Two-in-One I#70 (December, 1980) – Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio (writers), Mike Nasser, Gene Day (artists), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Ghost Rider II#72-73 (September-October, 1982) – Roger Stern (writer), Bob Budiansky (penciler), Dave Simons (inker), Tom DeFalco (editor)
Incredible Hulk II#292 (February, 1984) – Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (penciler), Joe Sinnott (inker), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition I#2 (January, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer/editor), various artists
Power Pack I#59 (October, 1990) – Michael Higgins (writer), Tom Morgan (artist), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man/Devil Dinosaur '98 Annual (July, 1998) – Tom DeFalco (writer), Tom Lyle (penciler), Robert Jones (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Secret Avengers I#29 (September, 2012) – Rick Remender (writer), Matteo Scalera (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Deadpool & the Mercs for Money II#6 (February, 2017) – Cullen Bunn (writer), Brian Level (artist), Jordan White (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man V#18.HU (June, 2019) - Nick Spencer (writer), Ken Lashley (artist), Nick Lowe (editor)
First Posted: 10/17/2018
Last updated: 06/23/2019
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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