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Attributes

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 175 lbs

Eyes: Black with Green irises

Hair: Bald

Features: Hooked nose

Summary

Created By: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko

Real Name: Adrian Toomes

Current Aliases: None

Former Aliases: None

Dual Identity: Publicly known

Current Occupation: Professional Criminal

Former Occupation: Electrical Engineer

Citizenship: United States of America

Legal Status: Criminal record in U.S.

Place of Birth: Staten Island, New York

Marital Status: Widowed

Known Relatives: Malachi Toomes (nephew, deceased); unnamed son; Ramona (daughter in law); unnamed son; Marcus (older brother)

Known Confidants: None

Known Allies: Electro, Mysterio, Hobgoblin II (deceased), Shocker, Scorpia, Beetle, Doctor Octopus, Kraven (deceased), Sandman, Owl, Chameleon (deceased), Venom

Major Enemies: Spider-Man, Gregory Bestman, Blackie Drago, Mr. Morgan, The Vulturians, Daredevil, Scarlet Spider (deceased), Kaine, New Mutants, Prowler, Hobgoblin I

Usual Bases: New York City

Former Bases: Las Vegas, Atlantic City

Current Groups: Sinister Six IV (Electro, Mysterio, Sandman, Kraven II)

Former Groups: Sinister Six I (Doctor Octopus, Electro, Kraven, Mysterio, Sandman), Sinister Six II (Doctor Octopus, Electro, Hobgoblin II, Mysterio, Sandman)

Education: Masters of Science degree in electrical engineering

Powers & Paraphenalia

Strength Level: In costume: 700lbs, out of costume: Normal

Powers: No Innate Powers

Abilities: Toomes is a brilliant electronics engineer with a great talent for invention.

Equipment: Armed flight-suit housing electromagnetic anti-graviton generator allowing silent flight for up to 6 hours at a maxium altitude of 1,100 feet with percise manuverability. The Vulture's top speed is 95m.p.h.

Weapons: Carries some form of plasma pistol & several genades of unknown types.

Limitations: Old age.

Background

For much of Adrian Toomes' criminal career the villain known as the Vulture has been obsessed with two things; Revenge, and Death (particularly his own). Toomes's career as a criminal began when he discovered his then partner Gregory Bestman (in the engineering firm of Bestman & Toomes) had been cheating him out of his share of the profits. The elderly Toomes confronted Bestman and in doing so discovered that he, Toomes, had somehow gained incredible strength.

Toomes had already begun work on his now infamous electromagnetic flying harness and discovered that exposure to its unique raditation had granted him super-human strength. Bestman threw Toomes out of the company. Enraged, the elderly inventor took his creation with him, to perfect it as a weapon against his former partner. Dubbing himself the Vulture, Toomes ransacked his former company, robbing the place blind. Intoxicated with his newfound power and the ease with which he comitted his crime, the Vulture went on a wild crime spree, daring the police to catch him. This brought him into conntact with Spider-Man, who cleverly defeated his winged foe.

Along with Kraven the Hunter, Electro, Mysterio and Sandman,Toomes was a founding member of the Sinister Six, which was led by Doctor Octopus. The Six kidnapped Aunt May and Betty Brant in order to draw out Spider-Man. Each villian took on Spider-Man mano a mano, with the battlegrounds suited to the crook's strengths. Vulture met Spider-Man at the top of the Empire State Building and forced the web-slinger to throw away his web shooters. Despite the loss of his most versitile weapon, Spidey'e amazing agility was enough to overwhelm Toomes, and Spider-Man went on to face the next challenger.

From this point he was perpetually at deaths door. Most were false alarms, but they lead to some ridiculous capers (fighting over embalming fluid, SHEESH!) But recently the Vulture learned that the prolonged use of his harness had given him inoperable cancer. Toomes then decided none of his enemies would out live him, so he tried to kill as many of them he could, failing with only Spider-Man. Ironically, Toomes tried to commit one act of goodness before his death. In a previous attempted theft, Vulture had taken the elderly Nathan Lubensky hostage when Spider-Man arrived at the scene. Toomes tried to fly away with Nathan, but accidentally dropped him, causing his death.

In one of those comic book coincidences, Lubensky had been a friend of Toomes and was the fiance of Peter's Aunt May. Wrecked by guilt over causing his friends death, Adrian went to Aunt May to beg her forgiveness. In a rage, May slapped Vulture and forbade him from ever coming to her house again. Peter stayed the night with May to keep watch over her, and when Adrian returned, he took off with Peter when the police arrived. Toomes swore to Peter that he didn't mean to kill Nathan and Peter began to believe that Adrian was truly sorry for his crimes, until he saw the body of Gregory Bestman on the floor of Vulture's hideout. Peter managed to escape and come back as Spider-Man, defeated Vulture and brought him back to May to force him to appologize. She couldn't do that, and could only say that forgiveness was between Toomes and God.

Toomes's desperation for a cure led him to team with the Chameleon, who was in the midst of a plan, concocted by Harry Osborn right before his death, to avenge Kraven's death (enough villain overlap for you?). Over the course of these invents the Vulture found himself rejuvenated, the cancer gone from his system and his youth restored. As a result Toomes updated his costume to a suit of battle-armor, complete with a host of new weapons. The "new" Vulture proven to be even more short-tempered, cruel and dangerous than the "old," as his youth depended on his ability to drain the vitality out of others. He joined the Sinister Seven (a reorganized version of his former team the Sinister Six) in their attempt to kill the villain-slaying Kaine.

Vulture tried commiting mass murder with an experimental virus that he stole from the military. He liked being his stronger, youthful self and couldnt bear anyone remembering what a weak old man he had been. With the help of the Owl, Vulture was going to spread the virus all over New York via vultures, eagles and other birds. They were defeated by Spider-Man and Daredevil, but not before one of the birds infected Peter with the virus. Peter only survived after Doctor Octopus created an antidote.

Toomes's rejuvenation didn't last long, though. During a battle with Spider-Man, he was attacked by David Kalen (D.K.) who somehow sucked the youth from him. Easy come, easy go.As bitter as ever, the Vulture joined yet another Sinister Six after the Reboot, in an attempt to kill Dr. Octopus as revenge for Octavius betraying the Six in their previous criminal efforts.

As much as he would deny it, Vulture does have a kind side. He would consider it a weakness, but not only did he ask May for forgiveness, he also has stolen to provide for his young grandson. He didn't even know he had a grandchild until his daughter in law brought him in to Riker's Island to meet Adrian. Toomes's son was in jail for armed robbery, the boy had been diagnosed with leukemia and his mother had no way to pay for the treatments. With the aid of Electro, he stole $20 million but the money was lost in a fight with Spider-Man. Peter managed to get $5 million to the boy's mother but Vulture was far from grateful, and keeps fighting Spider-Man on a regular basis.

Saving his grandson's life has not changed anything for Toomes. He went through a forced transformation after Stegron brought a crystal from the arctic, bringing out the inner animal of everyone in New York. Like a real vulture, Toomes began murdering and eating the corpses of random people. He also took on Spider-Man after Peter revealed his identity on TV during the Superhuman Registration Act. He attacked Deborah Whitman at her book signing, hoping to lure out Peter. He suffered a heart attack in mid air while battling Spidey. Lately, he was kidnapped by a former Sinister Six member: Alyosha Kravinoff.

Thanks To:

The assistance of the Marvel Chronology Project is gratefully acknowledged.

Character Appearances