RAYMOND TRASK
Real Name: Raymond Trask
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Entrepeneur, casino owner
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Spider-Man (Peter Parker), numerous unidentified bodyguards
Enemies: Black Fox, Chance (Nicholas Powell), Mr. Grouper, Kingpin (Wilson Fisk), Nathan Lubensky, Vulture (Adrian Toomes), numerous unidentified business rivals
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Trask Temple in Atlantic City, New Jersey;
owner of the Trask Center in New York City, New York;
formerly mobile on the cruise ship Dutchess
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man I#336 (August, 1990)
Powers/Abilities: Trask is a self-centered billionaire with criminal connections. He owned casinos, a shopping complex and a cruise ship named the Duchess, which had at one point been equipped with spear guns, net cannons and lasers.
Height: Unrevealed (6'; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed (190 lbs.; by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
History:
(Amazing Spider-Man I#336 (fb) - BTS) - Raymond Trask refused Kingppin's offer to allow his Atlantic City casinos to join Kingpin's organization.
(Amazing Spider-Man I#336 - BTS) - Kingpin hired the Vulture to assassinate Trask as an example to others. He allowed wagers on the outcome.
Mr. Grouper, who had bet all his money on Trask's assassination, wasn't convinced after Kingpin presented Vulture as the assassin. Grouper hired Chance to insure a positive outcome for him and offered Chance $100,000 as payment if he succeeded.
Nathan Lubensky was among the people betting on Trask's death because he considered Trask to be an arrogant manipulator. (see comments)
(Amazing Spider-Man I#336) - Trask arrived on the Duchess on the Hudson River in New York City and introduced himself to the waiting crowd. Moments later the Vulture attacked him with grenades. Trask jumped out of harm's way, but his bodyguards were no match for the Vulture. Trask looked fearful when he was faced with certain death at the hands of the Vulture, but Spider-Man came to his aid. While Spider-Man battled Vulture in the sky, the assassin Chance showed up to take a shot at Trask as well. Trask's bodyguards and the local authorities shot at thim, but he dodged all their bullets. He failed to dodge Spider-Man's web though and fled with his helmet completely webbed up, which left his scanners inoperable. Vulture fled as well after nearly taking May Parker hostage. Lubensky protected her from the Vulture, but died of a heart attack.
(Amazing Spider-Man Annual I#25/5 (fb) - BTS) - Raymond Trask planned to take revenge on Chance for his assassination attempt. He equipped his cruise ship with weapons and loaded it with explosives to set it up as a trap for Chance.
(Amazing Spider-Man Annual I#25/5) - Raymond Trask with two bodyguards paid a visit to Nicholas Powell (aka. Chance) in his Manhattan penthouse. Trask claimed that once again one of his business rivals planned to have him assassinated and hired Chance with a wager for $20,000 to keep him alive. Chance agreed to the terms.
(Amazing Spider-Man Annual I#25/5 - BTS) - Chance found the Duchess at the precice coordinates provided to him by Trask. He was surprised when the decks were deserted and weapons emerged from the ports. Chance escaped the steel net cannons, the spear guns and laser cannons. He found explosives below deck and used acid darts to create a hole. He then allowed one of the lasers to lock on to him and shoot through the hole, blowing up the cruise ship in the process.
(Amazing Spider-Man Annual I#25/5) - In his office at the Trask Temple in Atlantic City Raymond Trask looked at his watch and was sure that Chance was dead. He was surprised when Chance appeared moments later, blasted through the office's window and demanded to be paid. Raymond Trask gave him the $20,000 he owed to Chance, but vowed to not forget what Chance had done to him.
(Amazing Spider-Man I#349 (fb) - BTS) - At some point Trask opened the Trask Center, a living/shopping complex in New York City.
Trask bought the Star of Zaire diamond and renamed it Trask Diamond. He planned to leave in on view as a publicity stunt at the Trask Center inside a state-of-the-art theft-proof display case.
(Amazing Spider-Man I#349) - Trask vowed to an audience at the Trask Center that the Trask Diamond would soon make its debut. When Trask had the box lowered the diamond was gone. Spider-Man caught the Black Fox, who had stolen the diamond, and the old burglar willingly handed over a fake diamond. Spider-Man then returned the "diamond" to Raymond Trask, who thanked Spider-Man before one of Trask's employers dropped it to reveal the "diamond" to be made of glass.
Comments: Created by David Michelinie & Todd McFarlane.
Nathan Lubensky, who had a massive gambling problem, probably lost some money in one of Trask's casinos at some point!
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Raymond Trask has no known connection to:
images (without ads)
Amazing Spider-Man I#336, p11, pan1 (main)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual I#25, p50, pan3 (head shot)
Appearances:
Amazing Spider-Man I#336 (August, 1990) - David Michelinie (writer), Erik Larsen (pencils), Mike Machlan (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man Annual I#25/5 (1991) - David Michelinie (writer), Steve Ditko (artist), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man I#349 (July, 1991) - David Michelinie (writer), Erik Larsen (pencils), Randy Emberlin (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
First Posted: 01/25/2022
Last updated: 01/25/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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