Publisher Marvel Comics Notable aliases Amazon, Wilma | Alter ego Katrina Luisa Van Horn Creators Jim Mooney, Gerry Conway | |
Created by Jim Mooney
Gerry Conway Team affiliations HYDRA
Advanced Idea Mechanics
Masters of Evil
Thunderbolts Abilities Superhuman strength and durability, and size-alteration through Pym Particle exposure First appearance Marvel Team-Up #8 (April 1973) Affiliations Thunderbolts, Masters of Evil, Hydra, Advanced Idea Mechanics Similar Crimson Cowl (Justine, Flying Tiger, Joystick, Jolt, Skein | ||
The Man-Killer (real name Katrina Luisa Van Horn) is a fictional supervillain in Marvel Comics' universe.
Contents
Publication history
Man-Killer first appeared in Marvel Team-Up volume 1 #8 (April 1973) by Gerry Conway and Jim Mooney.
The character subsequently appeared in Daredevil vol. 1 #121 (May 1975), 123 (July 1975), Iron Man vol. 1 #126-127 (September–October 1979), and Marvel Team-Up vol. 1 #107 (July 1981), where she seemingly died. The character appeared several years later in Web of Spider-Man Annual #3 (1987), and made several appearances in Thunderbolts vol. 1, including issues #3 (June 1997), #18-20 (August–November 1998), 23-25 (February–April 1999), 27 (June 1999), 30 (September 1999), 34-35 (January–February 2000), 39-42 (June–September 2000), and in Deadline #2 (July 2002). After joining the Thunderbolts, and taking the name Amazon, she appeared in Thunderbolts vol. 1 #64-65 (July–August 2002), 67 (September 2002), 69 (October 2002), 71 (November 2002) Marvel Universe: The End #5-6 (July–August 2003), Thunderbolts vol. 1 #73-75 (December 2002-February 2003), 80-81 (August–September 2003), New Thunderbolts #18 (April 2006), and Thunderbolts vol. 2 #100 (May 2006).
Man-Killer received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z 2006 #7.
Fictional character biography
Katrina Luisa Van Horn was an Olympic skier and is a militant feminist. After engaging in an argument with anti-Women's Liberation skier Karl Lubbings, the two took their disagreement to the slopes. Katrina was an Olympic-level skier, but Lubbings cut her off and both skiers plunged off the mountain. Katrina was severely injured and disfigured. She was fitted with a powered exoskeleton, and took the name Man-Killer (she no longer wears the exoskeleton so it is probable her strength has been enhanced somehow). She has worked freelance and as an agent for HYDRA. She has been a member of the Masters of Evil under the Crimson Cowl. As Amazon, she was briefly a member of the Thunderbolts under Hawkeye. She had fought Spider-Man on some occasions.
During an altercation with the Thunderbolts, Katrina told Songbird that she'd rather not fight her, as she had no problems with women, just with men (Songbird attacked her anyway). Some time later however, Erik Josten (Atlas of the Thunderbolts) discovered Katrina working as a bartender in his team's adopted home of Burton Canyon, Colorado. When Josten became a regular at the bar Katrina was congenial towards him, pretending not to recognize him as Atlas. Whatever animosity Katrina may or may not bear towards men, she has proven herself capable of working alongside them with a minimum of personality conflicts.
Man-Killer is seen to be among the new recruits for Camp H.A.M.M.E.R.
Powers and abilities
Robotic implants replacing and/or compounded with bones and nerves, which give her superhuman powers, good athletic abilities, and the ability to throw knives at a range of hundreds of meters.
She was given Pym particles to grow in strength proportionate to size.
