Prowler (Marvel Comics)
The Prowler is an alias used by several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. These characters are primarily depicted as wearing a green and purple battle suit with a cape and clawed gauntlets.
Prowler
- Hobie Brown:
- The Amazing Spider-Man #78 (November 1969)
- Second Prowler:
- Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #47 (October 1980)
- Rick Lawson:
- The Sensational Spider-Man #16 (May 1997)
- Aaron Davis:
- Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1 (November 2011)
- Hobie Brown (Clone):
- The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 4 #17 (August 2016)
- Miles G. Morales:
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June 2023)
- Hobie Brown:
- Stan Lee (writer)
- John Buscema (co-artist)
- Jim Mooney (co-artist)
- John Romita Jr. (idea)
- Second Prowler:
- Stan Lee (writer)
- Steve Ditko (artist)
- Rick Lawson:
- Todd DeZago (writer)
- Mike Wieringo (artist)
- Aaron Davis:
- Brian Michael Bendis (writer)
- Sara Pichelli (artist)
- Hobie Brown (Clone):
- Dan Slott (writer)
- R.B. Silva (artist)
- Miles G. Morales:
- Phil Lord
- Christopher Miller
- David Callaham
- Hobie Brown:
- Defenders
- The Outlaws
- Wild Pack
- Parker Industries
- Aaron Davis:
- Sinister Six
- Hobie Brown:
- Hornet
- Aaron Davis:
- Iron Spider
- Technological genius
- Skilled hand-to-hand combatant
- Use of hypnotic aids and conventional hand-held weapons
- Battle suit grants:
- Wall crawling
- Gliding via cape
- Titanium-laced claws
- Gauntlets capable of shooting compressed air blasts, sleeping pellets and other projectiles
The original version, Hobie Brown,[a] was created by Stan Lee, John Buscema and Jim Mooney,[1] based on a drawing by 13-year-old John Romita Jr., who also named the character.[2] The character was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #78 (November 1969) as an adversary to the superhero Spider-Man.[1] An African-American teenage prodigy, Hobie created the Prowler technology to operate as a petty thief, but following his encounter with Spider-Man, he was convinced to turn his life around. Since his redemption, Hobie has served as a valuable ally to Spider-Man, as well as a superhero in his own right, leading the 1994 limited series Prowler.
Additionally, several other characters have used the Prowler alias and technology in the mainstream Marvel universe, including an unnamed self-titled "Second Prowler" (created by Lee and Steve Ditko) and medical intern Rick Lawson (created by Todd DeZago and Mike Wieringo). A clone of Hobie Brown (created by Dan Slott and R.B. Silva) serves as the lead character of a second Prowler limited series, which ties-in with the 2016–2017 storyline "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy".
The Ultimate Marvel equivalent, Aaron Davis, was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, and was introduced in Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1 (November 2011) as the career criminal uncle of this reality's Spider-Man. Davis was incorporated into the primary Marvel continuity following Secret Wars as a separate version operating independently from the others.
Both Hobie Brown and Aaron Davis have appeared in several media adaptations outside of comics, including films, animated series, and video games. Davis in particular is portrayed by Donald Glover in the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and voiced by Mahershala Ali in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). Additionally, both actors make cameo appearances in the animated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), in which Jharrel Jerome also voices Miles G. Morales, an original incarnation of the Prowler who will return in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Fictional character biography[edit]
Hobie Brown[edit]
Hobie Brown is the original iteration of Prowler. Born in the Bronx, New York, he was a bright but angry African-American teenager who got fired from his window washer job. Intending to use his engineering skills for personal profit, he devised a plan to steal items while disguised as a supervillain and then return said items as Hobie. Donning his green and purple Prowler costume for the first time, Hobie set out to rob the payroll office of the Daily Bugle, figuring that would garner him quick publicity. However, he was caught in the act by Peter Parker. While struggling with Parker, he drew editor J. Jonah Jameson's attention. Parker, with no way to defeat Prowler without giving away his own secret identity, contrived to get thrown through a window during the struggle, and used spider-powers to save himself once outside. Traumatized by the events, the shaken Hobie made his escape to the building's roof, only to be confronted by Spider-Man. Spider-Man vanquished and unmasked Hobie, but realized he was just a misunderstood kid (just like Peter once was), so instead of handing him over to the police, he advised him to rethink his life.[6]
Hobie took Spider-Man's advice to heart and gave up his criminal ways. He later impersonated Spider-Man at the hero's request – Spider-Man wearing a webbing mask – to convince Peter's friends that Parker was not Spider-Man after Peter 'confessed' the truth while suffering delirium due to the flu, thus creating the impression that Parker had merely been confused.[7] Hobie was convinced that Spider-Man was involved somehow in Police Captain George Stacy's death, and unsuccessfully tried to bring Spider-Man to justice.[8] Hobie eventually married his love Mindy S. McPherson, and settled down into a career as a construction worker.[8][9]
Hobie began to look after his 'little brother' Manuel "Manny" Lopez as a part of the Big Brother Program. When Manny was murdered, Prowler believed the White Tiger (Hector Ayala) was responsible and attempted to bring White Tiger to justice.[10] Prowler attempted to join the super-hero group the Defenders, only to be tossed into the harbor by Valkyrie, at which point he decided to retire his identity.[11] However, his Prowler equipment is later stolen by a cat burglar to commit crimes for fashion criminal Bella Donna. Hobie was eager to join the search for the thieves, but Spider-Man insisted that he stay home so he would not get into trouble, since the second Prowler had committed a felony murder. When the second Prowler was subsequently defeated by Spider-Man, the stolen equipment was returned to Hobie.[12]
Prowler later appeared in California during Peter's Webs book deal.[13] He is first seen attacking the Black Fox (Raul Chalmers) for possession of a chalice to keep Mindy out of prison. Mindy accepted a bookkeeping job at Transcorp New York. The company was caught in some shady stock deals and Mindy was set up and blamed for the crimes. Seeing it as the only way to clear Mindy's name, Hobie re-donned his Prowler costume and found the books which Mindy had been blamed for stealing. He hid the books on an information chip and put the information chip on the chalice, where no one would look for it. Prowler and Spider-Man then teamed up to take on the Black Fox to regain possession of the chalice. Hobie vindicated his wife of stock fraud charges with the help of Spider-Man and the Black Fox.[14]
Prowler later attempted to vindicate Spider-Man of a crime and first encountered Silver Sable and the Outlaws (including rehabilitated villains like Sandman, Rocket Racer and Puma).[15] His safety designs were stolen by Justin Hammer. Hobie proved the design flaws during an encounter with Hammer's hirelings.[16] Hobie fought Black Tiger (a.k.a. his brother Abraham Brown of the Sons of the Tiger) as an initiation test for Silver Sable.[17] Prowler joined with Spider-Man and the Outlaws against the Avengers and the Space Phantom.[18] Prowler was hired along with the Outlaws to retrieve a Symkarian nuclear device in England.[19] Prowler then formally joined the Outlaws to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a Canadian official.[20]
His costume and equipment were stolen by Nightcreeper and Prowler then battled him and the Vulture (Adrian Toomes). This story also revealed that his brother is Abraham.[21]
Later, Hobie was paralyzed during the Great Game.[22] In follow-up appearances,[23] he began regaining movement of his paralyzed limbs- evidence suggests that his paralysis was more a result of mental rather than physical damage, as he was feeling frustrated over the recent theft of his costume, eventually regaining full mobility.[24] While recovering, Hobie provided Spidey with a jetpack used when assuming the Hornet identity during the Identity Crisis storyline.[25]
Prowler was captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. in Ms. Marvel's Civil War tie-in.[26] Escaping incarceration, he attended the wake for Stilt-Man (Wilbur Day), along with many other villains and former villains. Prowler narrowly escaped injury as Spider-Man and Puma escorted him from the wake shortly before it was bombed by the Punisher.[27]
When Peter Parker elevated Parker Industries into a global franchise with Spider-Man officially acting as a "bodyguard" as part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel branding, Hobie Brown is hired to act as Spider-Man in situations where the public would expect to see Peter and Spider-Man in the same place. Following the fight against Zodiac's Pisces Sect, Peter tells Hobie to change into his Prowler costume and that they'll retrieve the Webware together before Zodiac undoes his encryption.[28]
Before The Clone Conspiracy storyline and crossover, wanting to know more about New U Technologies, Peter sent Prowler to infiltrate. He ended up encountering Electro (Francine Frye). Prowler was chased around by Electro and was accidentally killed.[29] In the aftermath, Doctor Rita Clarkson took Spider-Man to where some people that were subjected to the New U Technologies treatment were being held. The Prowler was among those people, as it turned out that he was not killed by Electro.[30] Julia Carpenter later talks to the real Prowler, who just emerged from cryo-sleep, and tells him about his clone's actions.[31] Hobie is then seen talking to Peter about his future, wondering which direction he will take. He then heads home, where he is last seen conflicted about his own identity.[32]
Hobie next attacks the F.E.A.S.T. Center, which was re-established by May Parker. He tells Spider-Man that he was investigating a crowdfunding group called Fairgray Pay after he funneled some money to help a sick friend, which never reached him, and broke into the center since it's almost wholly funded by the group. He and Spider-Man break into the company's head office with help from Marnie, Peter's neighbor known also as The Rumor.[33] After an intense battle, Spider-Man, Prowler and the Rumor escape, with help from Captain America. Prowler is left in his home after being knocked out from the fight. He later wakes up to find that Spider-Man managed to defeat the head of Fairgray Pay with help from Iron Man who bought the company and turned into a division of Stark Unlimited. During their conversation, Prowler is offered a job as the new head of Fairgray Pay, which he quickly accepts.[34]
During the "King in Black" storyline, Hobie is shown to have taken up the alias of Hornet during the Symbiote invasion.[35]
During the "Gang War" storyline, Hobie as Hornet had heard about Aaron Davis' exploits as Prowler. He has him operate as Prowler again by giving him one of his Prowler costumes to find out what Hobgoblin has planned for Brooklyn. Hobie warns Aaron that if he slips up, he will repossess the Prowler identity.[36]
"Second Prowler"[edit]
At one point, Bella Donna (Narda Ravanna) stole Hobie Brown's costume and equipment and hired a cat burglar that Spider-Man fought a long time ago to become the new Prowler. During one of his crimes, Prowler accidentally kills a guard. Furthermore, the witnesses see his silhouetted profile and believe Spider-Man to be implicated in the murder. Eventually, Spider-Man captures both Bella Donna and the Prowler, clears both his and the original Prowler's name, and returns Hobie's stolen equipment.[12][37] This Prowler is later seen at the "Bar With No Name" attending Stilt-Man's wake, and calls himself the "Second Prowler". He has a brief fight with the original Prowler at Stilt-Man's funeral. Sometime after the original Prowler leaves, the Punisher poisons the guests' drinks and blows the place up.[38] It is later mentioned that "they all had to get their stomachs pumped and be treated for third-degree burns".[39]
Powers and abilities[edit]
The Prowler's various iterations have no superhuman powers, although Hobie Brown is naturally inventive, especially in the field of pneumatics despite no formal education in that science. Each one relies on a suite of technical gimmicks. Prowler wears modified coveralls interwoven with denim and stretch fabric, equipped with gas cartridge bracelets and anklets capable of propelling projectiles at high velocity. Their arsenal of projectiles include steel darts ("flechettes"), gas pellets, small explosives, magnesium flares and cleaning fluid. Prowler has been known to use hypnotic aids and conventional hand-held weapons. Each wears steel-tipped gauntlets for scaling walls and shock absorbent foam rubber insulated boots. He also wears a cape which contains a network of pneumatic filaments which expand with air to give it a rigid structure, allowing him to glide for short distances.
A technological genius, Hobie Brown has also designed the cybernetically-controlled wing harness used by Hornet (Peter Parker during Identity Crisis), although he himself was unable to use it due to the weight. He is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, possessing a green belt in taekwondo.
Other versions[edit]
House of M[edit]
In the altered timeline of the House of M storyline, Hobie Brown serves as a technician in Luke Cage's resistance.[71]
Marvel Zombies[edit]
A zombified version of Prowler (Hobie Brown) from the Marvel Zombies universe is seen during the Ultimate Fantastic Four story "Crossover". He is depicted in a scene standing near the side of Tigra on the two-page layout of the zombies.[72]
Ultimate Marvel[edit]
The Ultimate Marvel versions of Hobie Brown and Rick Lawson are alluded on a list of cat burglars on the Daily Bugle database.[73]