WENDIGO
Real Name: Paul Cartier
Identity/Class: Human (Canadian) mutate (supernatural)
Occupation: Forrest creature, cannibal
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Georges Baptiste, Henri Cluzot
Enemies: Hulk (Dr. Bruce Banner), Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett)
Known Relatives: Marie Cartier (sister)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: North Woods, Canada
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#162 (April, 1973)
Powers/Abilities: The Wendigo curse transformed Cartier into a large muscular form covered with white fur and possessing fang-like teeth, clawed hands and feet, and a long powerful tail. As Wendigo he possesses extraordinary stamina and enhanced reflexes and speed. Cartier's persona was able to surface from the Wendigo's mind and communicate telepathically with others. Cartier was able to retain his human intelligence via the use of magic.
Height: (Cartier) 5'10"; (Wendigo) 9'7"
Weight: (Cartier) 175 lbs.; (Wendigo) 1800 lbs.
Eyes: (Cartier) Brown; (Wendigo) Red
Hair: (Cartier) Blonde; (Wendigo) White fur
History:
(Incredible Hulk II#162 (fb) - BTS) - Aware of the stories of the Wendigo stalking the woods, Canadian Paul Cartier went on a hunting trip to gather food, along with his friends Georges Baptiste and Henri Cluzot. Some time later, they were attacked by a pack of wolves who lethally injured Cluzot. Taking refuge in a nearby cave, Cartier and Baptiste were stuck there for three days with the body of Cluzot. On the fourth morning, the starving Cartier could no longer restrain himself and started to feed on the corpse of his deceased friend. Baptiste awoke to find Cartier eating their friend. Tasting human flesh turned Paul into the Wendigo, who immediately decided to keep Baptiste trapped in the cave as a new source of food.
(Incredible Hulk II#162 - BTS) - When Paul and the others didn't return, Cartier's sister Marie feared the worst and organized a search party. Through unrevealed ways, Cartier was able to use his mind inside the Wendigo to telepathically lure the Hulk (Bruce Banner) to the Canadian woods. There, he ran into Marie's expedition. After she mistook Hulk for Wendigo, Marie explained the situation to the gentle giant who even offered to help out.
(Incredible Hulk II#162) - The Wendigo was sleeping next to the cave Baptiste was trapped inside of when the Hulk happened to encounter him. Furious to be disturbed, the Wendigo attacked the behemoth, allowing Baptiste to escape the cave. He didn't get too far because as a means of ending the fight, Wendigo tossed both Hulk and Georges off a nearby cliff. The emerald behemoth rescued Baptiste, incorrectly assuming he was Marie's brother Paul.
(Incredible Hulk II#162 - BTS) - Hulk returned to Marie, who explained to him that the man he's saved was actually Paul's friend Georges Baptiste. After he had rested up, Baptiste revealed what had happened to him, Paul and Cluzot and how Cartier had become the Wendigo. Realizing what was going on, Hulk figured he still hadn't helped Marie and ran off to find and capture the Wendigo, because he felt the doctors might be able to cure him.
(Incredible Hulk II#162) - After the Hulk found the Wendigo, Paul's mind actively struggled to reach out to the Hulk, desperate to fight off the creature's innate bestial nature. In the end, Paul was unable to ward off the inevitable. Sensing the last remnant of humanity was gone from Wendigo. disappointed Hulk let the creature stumble off into the woods unopposed.
(Incredible Hulk II#180 (fb) - BTS) - Unable to find peace with her brother's fate, Marie Cartier began to study dark magic and mystic rituals looking for a way to free Paul from the Wendigo's curse. She was reluctantly aided by the recovered Georges Baptiste who only agreed to go along with her plans because he secretly loved her. Marie eventually came up with a plan to transfer the Wendigo affliction to another host, planning to make the Hulk the next carrier of the curse.
(Incredible Hulk II#180 - BTS) - Georges found he was unable to persuade Marie to abandon her monstrous and inhuman plans. Therefore, he stood by while Marie used her newfound magical abilities to contact the Hulk. She succeeded in luring him to her, sweet talking the simple minded man monster while preparing him for the imminent transfer. When the Hulk succumbed to the narcotics she'd laced his food and drink with, Marie prepared to summon the Wendigo.
(Free Comic Book Day: Wolverine) - Department H received a priority-one mission from the Ministry of Defense and send agent Wolverine in as they thought him to be the only man who could stop the Hulk and Wendigo.
(Incredible Hulk II#180) - The Wendigo was unable to withstand Marie's mystical calls. He arrived at her hideout, remarkably docile and cooperative because of her spells. However, the Hulk had revived and upon seeing his former enemy he grew furious and attacked. The fight destroyed Marie's humble home, even as Georges got her outside before it completely collapsed. They watched the two monsters duke it out from a safe distance and were as surprised as the duelling duo when the fight was interrupted by the arrival of the Wolverine (he had been sent by the Canadian government to locate and stop the Hulk, see comments).
(Incredible Hulk II#181) - The Wendigo was quickly knocked out, allowing Wolverine and the Hulk to give one another their undivided attention. This allowed Marie to take custody of the monster, taking it back to her nearby, wrecked hovel. Georges continued to plead with her to reconsider what he deemed her "unnatural, unholy and dangerous insanity" but she couldn't be persuaded. Marie exposed Wendigo to the vapors of slumber that would ensure he remained unconscious until they could capture the Hulk as well. Marie then went to work on a spell of subjugation that successfully incapacitated both Wolverine and the Hulk. Just as Marie and Georges got ready to drag the Hulk back in to complete the ritual, he shifted back into Bruce Banner. This truly convinced Baptiste that what they were doing was wrong: cursing a monster was one thing, but another man? Marie tried to blackmail Georges by claiming he owed a debt to both Paul and her but that did not convince him. Mourning the loss of the girl he'd loved, Georges decided to go through with the ritual, offering his own body to take on the curse of the Wendigo. He succesfully completed the transferal on his own, becoming the ravenous woodland monster and storming off into the wild. He left behind a thoroughly confused, newly freed Paul Cartier and his sister Marie, who succumbed to gentle madness when she realized the magnitude of the crimes she'd committed.
(Uncanny X-Men I#139 (fb) - BTS) - When the Wendigo (Georges Baptiste) attacked and killed members of the Parnall family in Canada, Alpha Flight was sent in. They were later joined by Wolverine and Nightcrawler, who recounted his first encounter with the Wendigo when he was looking for the Hulk.
(Wolverine: First Class#5 (fb) - BTS) - On their way to a military base in Quebec, Wolverine told Kitty Pryde about his history, including the time he fought the Wendigo.
(Wolverine II#129 (fb) - BTS) - While hunting a new Wendigo (Andre), Wolverine remembered how he had fought the Wendigo alongside the Hulk.
Comments: Created by Steve Englehart (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Sal Trapani (inks).
Paul Cartier's initial transformation was also seen in a flashback in Monsters Unleashed#9/5. Incredible Hulk II#181 has been reprinted in The Incredible Hulk and Wolverine#1 and 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time#3.
Paul Cartier received partial entries in the Wendigo profiles in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#14, Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Master Edition#14, Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Hulk (2004), All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Premiere (HC)#13.
Marvel editorial's policy was that the X-Men: First Class series was not set in Reality-616. However, Wolverine: First Class is now part of Reality-616 as Fred van Lente made his Wolverine: First Class villain Citadel return as part of Alpha Strike in Alpha Flight volume 4 (2011-2012). Speaking of that Alpha Flight series, in it appeared another Wendigo as part of Alpha Strike. Fred van Lente was kind enough to let us know it was supposed to be a new and unidentified host.
Wolverine: Origins#28 revealed Wolverine was not just send by the Canadian government, it was also his last mission as an agent of Romulus. A double-black op, a secret mission backed by an even more secret mission. Wolverine: Origins#29 revealed Professor X had already been monitoring Wolverine during his battle against Wendigo and the Hulk.
I'm not sure that the appearance of Citadel in
Alpha Flight confirms that Wolverine: First Class was Reality-616.
Personally, I support both Wolverine and X-Men: First Class being
Reality-616, and there are a number of points that support the stories
being so...but nothing that is 100% confirming.
Plus, even if the same Citadel, it only confirms the single First Class
issue he appeared in as being in 616, per instructions from editorial.
Any back reference to a First Class story only confirms that story, not
the other ones.
--Snood
Profile by Norvo & MarvellousLuke
CLARIFICATIONS:
This Wendigo is one of a line of similarly-inflicted beings, which include,
The Wendigo has no known connection to
images: (without ads)
Incredible Hulk II#162, cover (main image)
Monsters Unleashed#9/5, p2 pan4 (transformation)
Incredible Hulk II#162, p8, pan3 (first appearance)
Incredible Hulk II#181, p17, pan1 (cured)
Appearances:
Incredible Hulk II#162 (April, 1973) - Steve Englehart (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Sal Trapani (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Incredible Hulk II#180 (October, 1974) - Len Wein (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Jack Abel (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Incredible Hulk II#181 (November, 1974) - Len Wein (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Jack Abel (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Monsters Unleashed#9/5 (December, 1974) - Chris Claremont (writer), Yong Mantano (pencils), Len Wein (editor)
Free Comic Book Day: Wolverine (May, 2009) - Fred van Lente (writer), Gurihiru (pencils, inks), Nathan Cosby (editor)
Last updated: 08/14/15
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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