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Background
Stone-Face is an African-American Harlem gang-lord specializing in
numbers-running and protection money. He plays up his African heritage for
his own selfish ends, seeking to increase racial tension in order to fill
his own coffers.
One of his numbers runners is Jody Casper, nephew to Sam Wilson a.k.a The
Falcon. Jody thinks Stone-Face is the biggest man around. When he is
nabbed by the police, Jody is sure Stone-Face will come through for him.
But it is Captain America who speaks up for Jody, earning him a suspended
sentence. When Stone-Face learns that Jody has gone free, he believes that
his numbers runner has ratted on him. He sends two hoods to Jody's house
to teach him a lesson. This brings Captain America and the Falcon into the
fray. After taking care of the two hoods, they beat up and capture
Stone-Face. All of this teaches Jody that crime does not pay.
Out on bail, Stone-Face (now called Stone Face) captures the Falcon, then
blackmails the Governor of New York, telling his representative that any
attempt to build a State Office Building in Harlem will be destroyed by
rioting unless the state hands over a million dollars in cash.
Unfortunately, his abduction of the Falcon brings Captain America and
Spider-Man down on him. Those two heroes, along with the freed Falcon,
take down Stone Face and hand him over to the police.
Somehow, Stone Face (now called Stoneface) manages to escape and make his
way to Nigeria. Lonely for an American woman, he kidnaps Leila, who just
happens to be the Falcon's girlfriend. Falcon, now sporting a pair of
wings, and the Black Panther get together and knock the stuffing out of
Stoneface again.
Released from a Nigerian prison after just a few months, Stoneface (now
again called Stone-Face) uses his money and influence to return to the
United States and start up the Young Watchers, a "Guardian Angels-type"
vigilante group that uses real "do-gooders" to cover up the activities of
the crooked inner circle. Spider-Man and the Falcon team up to defeat
Stone-Face and his gang, while the honest Young Watchers decide to stay
together and protect the neighborhood.
After this fiasco, Stone-Face (back again to being Stoneface) grows his
hair and beard long, gets new hired muscle named Rufus and Jackson, and
concocts some ridiculous scheme to hold an auction for international spies
or something like that. Unfortunately, Power Man and Iron Fist get wind of
the whole thing. Luke Cage punches Stoneface across the room. Presumably,
he's been in prison ever since.
Thanks To:
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.
The assistance of the
Marvel Chronology Project is gratefully acknowledged.
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