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Articles:
Conspiracy!
by Sean Kleefeld
Some time back, a two-issue limited series called Conspiracy proposed the idea that nearly all of
Marvel's super-powered heroes were created as part of a government plan to make sure they had control
of these potential threats. The original story was initally dismissed by most as a What If? scenario,
but stories within comics have suggested otherwise. According to the allegations, a group called Control was set up shortly after Gormuu's attack on Earth. (Fantastic Four #271) The government felt that with the increasing number of super-powered beings appearing, they ought to have a better handle on how these Marvels' powers worked. That way, should a super-powered being pose a threat to anyone, they would be better able to understand the villain's powers and therefore be better able to contain the threat. So they funded and controlled most of the major experiments in the U.S. at that time, resulting in the creation of many now-famous heroes and villains. The original six members of Control were eventually killed or left the group as it grew exponentionally larger and today it remains unclear who is even in it, let alone who runs the organization. In doing research, I have found a number of connections between Control and the Commission for Superhuman Activities and I suggest that the Commission is an official out-growth or a more evolved form of Control. (I have the major players of both groups listed below.)
What I have done here is created a list of all the allegations found in Conspiracy (as well as any other books I could find) in roughly chronological order and then compiled any supporting evidence for each claim. I found a surprising amount of evidence and present it all here for you to draw your own conclusions. Please feel free to contact me if you have any corrections or additions.
Allegation | Supporting Evidence |
|---|---|
|
The Alamagordo Nuclear Research Facility was an elaborate cover for government-sponsored studies in genetic
mutation that employed Kurt Marko, Alexander Ryking and Brian Xavier. X-Men (vol. 2) #s 12-13 |
The Armageddon Man was the result of the research done in Alamagordo. X-Force #88 |
|
Marko, Ryking and Xavier had ties to the Shiva Scenario aspect of the original Weapon X Project.
X-Men (vol. 2) #s 12-13 | |
|
Col. Edward Harrison had many covert operations which involved Thor. Conspiracy #1 |
Learning of several prominent scientists "defecting" to the Reds, Dr. Don Blake offers himself (not Thor)
as bait to aid his "old friend, Colonel Harrison, in Washington!"
Journey Into Mystery #87 |
| Control
was created approximately one week after Gormuu landed on Earth, at
Dr. Reed
Richards'
(Mr.
Fantastic) suggestion. Conspiracy #2 | |
|
Control
was headed by Gen. Cecil B. Slinkard, Gen. Thaddeus E. Ross, Gen. Lewis Haywerth, Col. Harrison, Bolivar Trask,
and Howard Stark. Conspiracy #1 | A "Gen. Haywerth" was involved in two attempts
to recreate the Super-Soldier Formula. Captain America #333 Gen. Ross was involved in the first gamma bomb experiment. Incredible Hulk #1 Tony Stark (Iron Man) was contracted by Col. Harrison to design S.H.I.E.L.D.'s arsenal. Iron Man: The Iron Age #2 Gen. Slinkard was Commander-in-Chief of an Air Force Base outside of Washington. He shot at the Invaders as they tried to appropriate military equipment to save Winston Churchill. Conspiracy #1 |
|
Col. Harrison, under Gen. Ferguson, directed funding for
Dr. Richards. Conspiracy #1 | While in Central
City, Dr.
Richards' consulted directly with a "Gen. Fegusson" during Gormuu's attack. Fantastic Four #271 |
| Roxxon had Howard Stark assisinated to
try to gain total control of Stark Industries. Iron Man: The Iron Age #1 | |
| Col. Harrison eliminated
Dr.
Richards' funding of the
Pocket
Rocket. Conspiracy #1 | Government funding was abruptly cut for
Dr.
Richards' Pocket
Rocket. Fantastic Four #11 |
| Dr.
Richards, Susan
Storm (Invisible
Woman), Johnny
Storm (Human
Torch), and Ben
Grimm (Thing)
were used as human guinea pigs during the
Pocket
Rocket experiment. Conspiracy #1 | The original
Pocket
Rocket co-pilots, Burroughs and Hennesey, were unexpectedly pulled from the project shortly before its
completion. Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #11 |
| Gen. Ross controlled
funding for Dr. Bruce Banner's (Hulk) gamma bomb experiment. Conspiracy #1 | Gen. Ross contacted Dr. Banner and offered him
a salary "far more than you'll be paid in the private sector or as a teacher." Incredible Hulk #-1 |
| Igor Drenkov was the spy that intentionally allowed the gamma bomb
to explode in Dr. Banner's presence and tried to steal his plans. Incredible Hulk #393 | |
| Gen. Slinkard brought Dr. Otto
Octavius (Dr. Octopus) to New York State Atomic Research Center. Conspiracy #1 | Dr. Octavius gained his powers at a "US Atomic
Research Center" just outside of New York City. Amazing Spider-Man #3 |
| Control
provided funding for the Thinker.
Conspiracy #2 | |
|
Control's "funding of Stark Industries allowed the creation of Iron Man."
Conspiracy #2 | Tony Stark was contracted by Col. Harrison to
design
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s
arsenal.
Iron Man: The Iron Age #2 |
|
Gen. Cecil B. Slinkard directed funding for Dr. Hank Pym (Giant-Man). Conspiracy #1 | |
|
Control caused the accident that
granted Matt Murdock (Daredevil) his powers. Conspiracy #1 |
Gen. Slinkard directed funding for Elias Starr (Egghead). Conspiracy #1 |
Starr was fired by the U.S. Government Atomic Energy Board for being rumored to have "attempted to sell secret
atomic information to the highest foreign bidder!" Tales to Astonish #38 |
|
At an Aspen retreat, Gen. Ross and Col. Harrison chose Nick Fury over Glenn Talbot to run
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Conspiracy #2 | Tony Stark first suggested the idea for
S.H.I.E.L.D. to
a small presidential counsel. Fury #1 Rick Stoner, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first director chosen by the US President, was shot and left for dead on his first solo mission. Fury #1 Trask had an Aspen ranch called Nirvana. Conspiracy #2 |
|
Gen. Haywerth managed Trask's Sentinel project. Conspiracy #1 | Trask talked with Henry Peter Gyrich concerning government
involvment and funding during early stages of his Sentinel project. Uncanny X-Men #-1 A "Gen. Haywerth" and Gyrich later both served on the Commission for Superhuman Activities. Captain America #333 |
|
Control provided funding for
Calvin Zabo (Mr. Hyde).
Conspiracy #2 | |
|
Control provided funding for Dr.
Myron MacLain.
Conspiracy #2 | Dr. MacLain worked for
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Avengers #68 |
|
Control provided funding for Ted
Sallis (Man-Thing).
Conspiracy #2 | |
|
Reporter Cliff Garner faked his own death.
Conspiracy #1 | Stabbed with the handle of a steel comb ninety
eight times, what looked like Garner's mutilated body was found by
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Conspiracy #2 |
|
Gen. Slinkard "peddled classified tech secrets" to Roxxon, Stane, Brand Corp, Osborn Chemicals, "Drexel Cord's
bunch," the Maggia, Hydra, and AIM.
Conspiracy #2 |
Jake Fury (Scorpio) leaked Stark Industries blueprints for newly-designed
S.H.I.E.L.D.
equipment to Hydra. Fury #1 Hydra used Roxxon ships for weapons deliveries. Fury #1 Hydra operative Arnim Zola "developed" LMDs in tandem with S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury #1, Fury/Agent 13 #2 Brand did "a lot of top secret government work" that necessitated having "a small army" in their public reception area. Amazing Spider-Man #234 |
|
Gen. Slinkard was burned alive and thrown from the top of the World Trade Center. Conspiracy #2 | |
| The organization that first "released" Frank Castle (Punisher) from Ryker's
Island, the Trust, was a private organization funded by "industrialists, financiers, ex-military, movie stars,
journalists." Punisher #1 | |
|
Gen. Haywerth worked with Dr. Valerie Cooper's Commission for Superhuman
Activities.
Conspiracy #s 1-2 | A "Gen. Haywerth" is on the
Commission
for Superhuman Activities. Captain America #s 333 |
|
The Commission
for Superhuman Activities performed experiments on Julia Carpenter (Spider-Woman) granting her super
powers. Avengers West Coast #84 | |
|
Curtiss Jackson (Power Broker) contacted Gen. Haywerth for protection when he was under assault by a
Scourge. Captain America #358 | |
|
Maggia boss Vincent Mangano: "The USAgent?! What is he doing here? I'll have a word or two with the
Commission
[for Superhuman Activities] when this is over..." Punisher: No Escape | |
| Set up and authorized by the CSA,
Operation Vigilance was a CIA/Duexieme
Bureau/KGB/MI-7 joint venture that's sole purpose was
to dismantle the Vision and remove all traces of his existence from every mainframe imaginable. West Coast Avengers #44 |
Control
Gen. Cecil B. Slinkard (deceased)
Gen. Lewis Haywerth
Gen. Thaddeus E. Ross
Col. Edward Harrison
Howard Stark (deceased)
Bolivar Trask (deceased)
Commission for Superhuman Activities
Dr. Valerie Cooper
Gen. (Lewis?) Haywerth
Henry Peter Gyrich (demoted to Wakandan liason)
George Mathers
Adrian Sammish
Ray Sikorsky
Orville Sanderson
Martin Farrow
Wesley Werner
Douglas Rockwell (deceased)
Last updated May 17, 2004.
All textual content ©2008 Sean Kleefeld.
The Fantastic Four and all related characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are Trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc.
Copyright ©2008 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.