HOWARD the DUCK
(Reality-89517)

Real Name: Unrevealed;
    possibly Beverly Switzler OR NOT (see comments)

Identity/Class: Extradimensional / Alternate Reality (Earth-32951; see comments) apparent human

Occupation: Adventurer

Group Membership: Legion of Howards (Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Howard the Duck of Earth-88011, Howard the Roboduck of Earth-19171, the Mjolnir-wielding Howard the Duck of Earth-20160, Sister Howard the Duck of Earth-32951, Strangeduck of Earth-80118);
    see comments

Affiliations: S.H.I.E.L.D. of Earth-616 (notably Leo Fitz and indirectly Jeremiah Warrick...and -- even less directly -- Phil Coulson);
    Howard the Duck; (you know...not FROM -616, but lives there);
    she may or may not have had any closer connection to the Mjolnir-wielding Howard the Duck of Earth-20160 and/or Howard the Roboduck;

Known Relatives: Unrevealed;
    possibly the same as Beverly Switzler of Earth-616
Presumably the same as the "mainstream" Howard the Duck;

Base of Operations: Presumably mobile throughout the universe of Reality-89517;
    perhaps across realities on a regular basis in the Legion of Howards

First Appearance:  S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10 (November, 2015)

Powers/Abilities: Howard-89517 did not demonstrate any superhuman powers or any special abilities, but it would seem likely that she had some skills in order to act as an interdimensional adventurer/warrior.

    She was strong enough to hold onto someone's ankle with one hand and support the weight of three beings likely weighing a collective 160 lbs. with her other hand for at least several seconds.

    She acted as the lead voice of the Legion of Howards, at least when they first enountered mainstream Howard.

Height: Unrevealed; perhaps 5'4"
Weight: Unrevealed; perhaps 125 lbs.
Eyes: Unrevealed; light blue or green
Hair: Red

History:

(S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, a red-haired human (or at least humanoid) woman adopted the identity of Howard the Duck, wearing a mask featuring a duck-bill and otherwise not much in the way of duck-y.

(S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10 (fb) - BTS) - Howard the Duck helped form the Legion of Howards, a "cross-existential reality force" (group of alternate reality) Howard the Ducks that fought for "hyperjustice," including <at least> the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Howard the Duck of Earth-88011, Howard the Roboduck of Earth-19171, the Mjolnir-wielding Howard the Duck of Earth-20160, Sister Howard the Duck of Earth-32951), and Strangeduck of Earth-80118.

(S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10 (fb) - BTS) - The Legion of Howards did not invite the Howard the Duck active on Earth-616 because, well, you know...
    For the rest of the profile, I'm going with the 616-dwelling Howard for conciseness/clarity/because I feel like it).

(S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10 (fb) - BTS) - The Multiversal "Spider-Verse" conflict involving numerous alternate reality Spider-beings fighting the spider-totem-eating Inheritors led to progressive spatial anomalies that apparently threatened the entire Multiverse.

    After the "Zipper Unripper" was spat out by the chaos, Earth-616's S.H.I.E.L.D. mystic agent Jeremiah Warrick determined that it could only be utilized to mend the damage by a being from an alternate reality. It was determined that Howard the Duck could be that being.

(S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10 (fb) - BTS) - The Legion of Howards gathered to oppose the threat of Ducanard of Earth-15110, who felt he was born to create a perfect pate from the blended livers of one single duck who existed in many forms across diverse realities.

(S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10 - BTS) - On Earth-616 Warrick and fellow agent Leo Fitz summoned (616-dwelling) Howard the Duck and informed him of his role, after which Warrick magically transported Howard to an alternate Earth (or perhaps a location where realities were crossing-over) to utilize the Zipper Unripper...and then he accidentally transported Fitz there as well.

(S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10 (fb) - BTS) - Strangeduck informed the rest of the Legion that the 616-dwelling Howard had the device needed to save their universes.

(S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10) - The Legion of Howards encountered the 616-dwelling Howard and Fitz and introduced themselves, with Howard-89517 taking the lead, referencing Ducanard, and identifying herself and Howard the Roboduck.

    When the 616-dwelling Howard questioned the Legion's story, asking why he had never been invited to join their group, the other Howards all looked away awkwardly (presumably preferring to avoid voicing something like, "because you're a jerk.").

(S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10) - As the Mjolnir-wielding Howard-20160 advised the 616-dwelling Howard that he needed to use the tool he had been given to save all of their universes, Ducanard suddenly impaled Howard-20160 with his long fork deal, apparently killing him. Clearly distraught, Howard-89517 screamed "Ducky!"

    After Ducanard blew up Howard the Roboduck-19171, explained his motives (in French, but there were subtitles/translation boxes), and wounded Fitz with his fork-deal, Fitz apparently modified pieces of Roboduck into a weapon he used to blast and incapacitate Ducanard.

    A blast from the giant Liverer them apparently incinerated Ducanard. Seeing the giant, partially open zipper/warp on the Liverer, the 616-dwelling Howard drew the Zipper Unripper, but the Liverer grabbed the 616-dwelling Howard, causing him to drop the Unripper. 

    However, Sister Howard, aided by Fitz, used the Unripper to grab the Liverer's zipper and pull it down to reclose it.

    Howard-89517 noted that it was working and the zipper was closing, and she grabbed Fitz's foot and helped pull; Strangeduck then grabbed Bev's foot, and the Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Howard/Thing/Duck-88011 grabbed Strangeduck's foot and held Howard.

    As the zipper approached closure, Fitz noted that everyone was headed back to their proper realities and they had to stay together if they wanted to end up back home.

(S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10 - BTS) - Glimpsing and considering multiple other realities, the 616-dwelling Howard nonetheless completed the zipper's closure and returned to Earth-616 with Fitz.

    Warrick noted that the Multiversal anomaly had vanished a second before Howard and Fitz had reappeared.

Comments: Created by Mark Waid and Evan "Doc" Shaner.

    Pretty much everything we know about Howard-89517 is discussed above, so anything else is purely speculative. So, let's speculate...

• Is Howard-89517 Beverly Switzler?
• It's the logical assumption, as she is the human woman, and certainly the red-headed woman most associated with Howard.
• She's less curvaceous than Bev, but maybe her physical activities lead her to be more lean, or it's just artistic license
  
• But, logical doesn't mean accurate, does it?
• Maybe it's Mary Jane Watson, or one of the Jackpots, or Patsy Walker, or Satana, or any number of redheads built like the average comic book woman...
  
• So...maybe...
  
• Is Howard-89517 human and/or a woman?
• Presumably, and there's nothing to contradict this, but...
• She could be a Skrull or some other shape-changer
• Or perhaps a robot
  
• Why did a human(oid) woman adopt the title Howard the Duck and wear a costume with an "H" at the top, indicating it to be important somehow?
• It seems likely TO ME(!) that (a) Howard the Duck came to this reality and fell in love with a human woman. When that Howard died, his lover adopted his name.
• As mainstream Howard (with the exception of his adventures with A.R.M.O.R.) generally didn't actively pursue heroics, perhaps his Earth-89517 counterpart was different...or perhaps the circumstances of his demise drove Bev or whoever to a super-heroic career
• But, maybe Howard was somehow transformed into a human woman...mainstream Howard was briefly a human man (and much later a mouse and a number of other weirdo-mutates) due to genetic manipulation
• Or maybe Mephisto was involved...
• Or, maybe it was something weird and unusual that we've never even heard of...
  
• We must all email or mail Marvel to demand to know the further adventures and past history of this Howard the Duck!
  

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Howard the Duck-89517 should be distinguished from:

• other Howard counterparts...or redheads...
  

images: (without ads)
SHIELD #10, pg. 9 (calves up; main image);
       pg. 11, panel 1 (face, closer-up);
        pg. 18, panel 2 (Howard-chain on zipper);
          panel 4 (Howards getting warped back home)

Appearances:
S.H.I.E.L.D.III#10 (November, 2015) - Mark Waid (writer), Evan "Doc" Shaner (artist) Jon Moisan (assistant editor), Tom Brevoort (editor)

First posted: 08/29/2020
Last updated: 08/29/2020

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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