The Big Wheel
Attributes
| Eyes: | Brown |
| Features: | Wears glasses, surrounds himself with a whole honkin' lot of metal. |
| Hair: | Purplish-grey |
| Height: | 5'5" |
| Weight: | 140 lbs. |
Powers
| Abilities: | None (You can say that again.) |
| Equipment: | A large metal wheel with two large waldo-arms, mounted guns, rocket launchers, "molybdenum steel treads" allowing it to crush anything in its path and a revolving outer shell that protects the rider inside from attack. |
| Limitations: | Impatient, dense as a box of rocks, sold dopey equipment by the Tinkerer. |
| Strength Level: | Normal human |
| Weapons: | The aforementioned guns, launchers, and arms attached to the giant wheel. |
Summary
| Citizenship: | United States |
| Created By: | |
| Current Occupation: | Presumed dead |
| Dual Identity: | Known to the Rocket Racer and the Tinkerer |
| Education: | College educated |
| Former Bases: | New York City |
| Former Occupation: | Crooked businessman |
| Known Confidants: | The Terrible Tinkerer |
| Known Relatives: | Margaret (Wife) |
| Legal Status: | Unclear. Do authorities know Weele was the Big Wheel or is he just presumed missing? |
| Major Enemies: | The Rocket Racer, Spider-Man |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Place of Birth: | Not revealed |
| Real Name: | Jackson Weele |
Background
”The Rocket Racer is Back in Town!”
Jackson Weele, a businessman who has been embezzling from his company, hires the Rocket Racer to steal the incriminating "Minerva Document", the main evidence against him. The Racer, however, decides to hold back the evidence and blackmail Weele for twice his promised fee.
Sure that he will be imprisoned for his embezzlement and tired of being taunted by the Rocket Racer, who sarcastically refers to him as "Big Wheel", Jackson decides to commit suicide. The Racer prevents him from going through with it. He brags to Weele that his skateboard has been souped up by the Tinkerer. This gives Jackson an idea. (Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #182)
”…And Where the Big Wheel Stops, Nobody Knows!”
Weele visits the Tinkerer and requests equipment to get vengeance on the Racer. He tells the Tinkerer about his humiliating nickname. This gets the Tinkerer's creative juices flowing and proves either that the Tinkerer has a subversive sense of humor or that even a criminal genius designer can have his off days.
What the Tinkerer conjures up for Jackson is a giant single metal wheel with waldo-arms. It's big, fast, rolls up walls, and can crush anything in its path. The rider sits in the center and is not affected by the wheel spinning around him. (Though I bet he got awful dizzy trying to peek through.) Jackson Weele has become The Big Wheel.
The Big Wheel immediately sets out after the Rocket Racer and Spider-Man gets caught up in the chase as well. When Spidey webs up the Racer on the roof of a building, the Big Wheel climbs the wall and bears down on the helpless duo. But the web-swinger leaps away with the Racer and Weele, who was in such a hurry for vengeance that he never bothered to learn how to really control the machine, can't stop his contraption from toppling off the roof and plunging into the Hudson River.
Spider-Man tries to rescue Weele but is unsuccessful. It was presumed that the Big Wheel sank directly to the bottom, dooming the unfortunate man inside. It was a long time until he resurfaced. (Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #183)
“Read Em and Weep”
While at a charity poker game with the Fantastic Four, the Black Cat, Angel and Dr. Strange, Richards asked who was the most ridiculous enemy they’ve fought. Spider-Man said it was Big Wheel. The Human Torch mentioned that he was working as a bouncer at the Rusty Nail. Also, that his first name is Axel. (Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 2) #21)
“Amends”
As Spider-Man was dealing with Stilt-Man, he was suddenly aided by Jackson Weele. Stilt-Man escaped and Weele explained that he was making amends to people he had hurt as Big Wheel. He had obviously survived falling into the river but his wife had left him and he had gone to jail for embezzlement. His life turned around after joining Villains Anonymous with Armadillo, Equinox, Man-Bull, and Schizoid Man. Spidey reluctantly let him be his sidekick for the day, until they came across the Shocker after robbing a bank. Spidey told Weele to stay out of it but he didn’t listen and his control panel was destroyed. The Big Wheel went out of control and crushed a bunch of cars until Spidey moved it over Shocker. Weele again felt like a failure but some kids asked him to crush some more cars, which gave him an idea. He joined a demolition derby and gave motivational speeches to other jailed villains. After a speech, he was approached by the Hypno-Hustler who said he had been inspired. Hypno-Hustler was soon free and Spider-Man had a headache. (Spider-Man Unlimited (Vol. 3) #12)
”Hero or Menace?”
As the new, not very impressive Sinister Six (Beetle, Overdrive, Shocker, Speed Demon, the Living Brain, and Boomerang) attacked Horizon Labs, they were apprehended by the Superior Spider-Man. Octavius shorted out their weapons with a power dampening field. Overdrive had been driving the Big Wheel. (Superior Spider-Man (vol. 1) #1)
Appearances
| Cover Date | Appearance Information |
|---|---|
| Jul 1978 | App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #182 |
| Aug 1978 | App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #183 |
| Origins told. | |
| Jan 2006 | App: Spider-Man Unlimited (Vol. 3) #12 (Story 1) |
| Mar 2013 | App: Superior Spider-Man #1 |
| Driven by Overdrive |
Thanks To
The assistance of the Marvel Chronology Project is gratefully acknowledged.
Some of the above information is extracted from the various versions of the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe and the more recent Marvel Encyclopaedias.