Publisher Marvel Comics Team affiliations Frightful Four Affiliation Frightful Four | Alter ego Bram Velsing Creators George Tuska, Bill Mantlo | |
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Created by Bill Mantlo
George Tuska Abilities Gifted scientist
Rides the "Hellhorse"
Use of weapons
Steel alloy body armor grants:
Superhuman strength and durability First appearance Iron Man #101 (August 1977) Similar Melter, Temugin, Blizzard, Firebrand, Living Laser | ||
Dreadknight (Bram Velsing) is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Contents
Publication history
The character first appeared in Iron Man #101 (Aug. 1977) and was created by writer Bill Mantlo and penciller George Tuska.
Fictional character biography
Bram Velsing is a Latverian scientist, unsatisfied with serving Doctor Doom whom he referred to as a "grotesque mockery" and thought himself as his superior. Upon learning of Velsing's treacherous ideals, Doom permanently grafts a skull-like cybernetic helmet to Velsing's head, scarring him. Velsing flees, and comes under the care of Victoria Frankenstein who nurses him back to health at Castle Frankenstein. The character gains a variety of weapons and rides the "Hellhorse", a mutated bat-winged flying horse genetically engineered from Nathan Garrett's flying horse by Victoria Frankenstein. Calling himself the Dreadknight, the character attempts to force more resources from Frankenstein to defeat Doctor Doom but is defeated by Iron Man, Frankenstein's Monster, and Victoria's mutated charges The Children.
Velsing is revived by the mystical villains Morgan Le Fay and Mordred, and menaced Captain Britain, Victoria Bentley, and Sean Dolan but is defeated by Dane Whitman.
Hawkeye impersonated Dreadknight in order to get close to the Thunderbolts.
Following Doctor Doom's apparent death at the hands of Onslaught, Dreadknight briefly takes over Latveria and battles Spider-Man.
Dreadknight later appeared fighting Tony Stark and apparently still serving (but resenting) Doctor Doom.
Powers and abilities
Dreadknight wears a steel alloy body armor granting him superhuman strength and durability. The character uses a power-lance capable of projecting energy blasts; electrified steel cable bolas; miniature missiles; and also uses a carbon dioxide pistol that fires concentrated nerve gas which can render unconscious or kill opponents. Dreadknight rides the "Hellhorse", a mutated bat-winged flying horse that was genetically engineered by Victoria Frankenstein from the winged horse that was used by Nathan Garrett.
Bram Velsing is also a gifted scientist with skills as an engineer.
Ultimate Marvel
In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Bram Velsing appears in a suit of armor based on Ultimate Iron Man's designs in the 2009 Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars series. Although his armor features a skull motif and is painted in a color scheme reminiscent of his mainstream Marvel Universe counterpart, he is never called Dreadknight. The German-born Velsing made his home in a renovated Castle Frankenstein where he fought Iron Man with the help of Justine Hammer. At the end of their encounter, Iron Man locked down the defeated Velsing's armor leaving him to suffocate. At one point during the battle, Velsing asks why a girl (in this case, the Ultimate version of Justine Hammer) is in his presence "without a leash."