Silvermane

Publication history

He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #73 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema.

Fictional character biography

Silvio Manfredi, nicknamed "Silvermane" for his near-white hair, is a professional criminal originally from Corleone, Sicily that started his criminal career as a racketeer in the Maggia organized crime group, eventually becoming a criminal organizer and mastermind.

In his first appearance, he forced Dr. Curt Connors into making a mystical youth potion from an ancient clay tablet. He first crossed paths with the Lizard and Spider-Man during this scheme. Drinking the serum made Silvermane younger, but its effect unintentionally led to him becoming a child and then reached the point before the age of birth and disappearing completely. Silvermane eventually reappeared, revealing that he had mystically aged to his forties. He climbed through the ranks and became the crime family's head; he eventually formed an alliance with HYDRA, a worldwide organization determined to take over the world and became their Supreme Hydra. He was defeated by Daredevil, Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.. Silvermane reappeared in New York in an attempt to unite all of New York's gangs under his leadership and take over the criminal underworld, but his plans were complicated by the return of the Green Goblin (Bart Hamilton). The Goblin opposed him, and during a confrontation between the Goblin, Silvermane and Spider-Man, Silvermane fell from a great height but survived.

Silvermane has hired many criminals, such as Hammerhead, and he has also been known to be a rival of the Kingpin. Silvermane once attempted to assassinate an amnesiac Kingpin. His former partner Dominic Tyrone assumed the identity of the Rapier and sought vengeance against Silvermane's betrayal by attempting to slay him. A flashback one-shot focused heavily on Silvermane's lifetime of corruption. The framework was the reporter Ben Urich investigating the Mafia. He found Silvermane was a legendary Mafia figure for decades; mothers would even warn their children to behave or 'One-Eye' would get them.

In his old age, Silvermane's injuries resulted in undoing the effects of the rejuvenation serum. Though bedridden, he continued to run his criminal empire until Dagger nearly killed him. Silvermane attempted to prolong his life by transforming himself into a cyborg. Kingpin gained control of his cyborg body until Dagger restored his life energy to him. His cyborg body was badly damaged by the first Jack O'Lantern during a gang war between Hammerhead and the Kingpin. Silvermane used a remote-controlled android doppelganger to battle Spider-Man. This was part of an attempt to boost the power of his remaining organic parts by harvesting parts from the superhuman body of Spider-Man. He attempted to drain his nemesis's radioactive blood to mobilize a new stronger cyborg body. Silvermane confronted Deathlok and the Punisher while setting up a major drug operation outside a grammar school. He is still an active member of the Maggia.

Silvermane attempted to take part in a meetup of various criminal warlords, during a time when Wilson Fisk had fallen from power. The meeting's goal was to divide up Fisk's resources, but it did not go well. Silvermane was caught in the crossfire between Secret Empire forces and the Punisher. This was purely by coincidence as he was simply staying at the same motel as Punisher was. Silvermane used the resources of his semi and the cyborg bodies stored within to battle his way through the attackers and leave.

It was revealed some time later that Silvermane was killed during a shootout against Owl's gang at a New York City scrap yard. He was picked up by a magnet and dropped into a garbage compactor, crushing him to death and leaving the already troubled Maggia crime syndicate without a leader. Months later, he apparently returns along with various other deceased members during the Maggia's losing battle with the forces of Mister Negative. However this is later revealed to be a ruse by Maggia member Carmine, and that "Silvermane" was actually a robot controlled by a hired Mysterio in order to secretly give Carmine more influence in the syndicate's decision-making. The tables are turned on Carmine when Mysterio uses the robot to murder him, seemingly as a plot to take over the Maggia himself.

Silvermane's head was still alive as it was found by a young boy when he traveled into the scrap yard. His head was in the possession of the boy who is currently building a robot, but then is stolen by Shocker. The head is used as leverage by the The Superior Foes of Spider-Man to head the Maggia family, but the team doubles crosses each other. Shocker defend the mob boss from the Punisher, so Silvermane nominates him as don of the Maggia family.

Powers and abilities

Silvermane was once a normal human being with no superhuman abilities. He was a superb hand-to-hand combatant, an excellent marksman, and a brilliant strategist and organizer. He is typically armed with various handguns and a Thompson .45 caliber machine gun. Later, Silvermane's brain, vital organs, and head were transplanted into a cyborg body, increasing his physical abilities and giving him superhuman strength and senses. However, Silvermane's organic body parts are those of a frail 80-year-old man, and hence quite vulnerable.

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate Marvel version of Silvermane had a brief cameo in Ultimate Spider-Man. With Wilson Fisk lying low due to legal problems, Silvermane decided to work with Hammerhead to wrestle him out of the seat of power. He told Hammerhead that all he needed was a little 'up here' (referring to his intelligence). Hammerhead, however, wanted it all to himself. He smashes Silvermane's head, saying "I think I got enough up here already."

He was also mentioned as a leader of a mob which included Hammerhead in Ultimate X-Men. It is stated that he owes a debt to Nathaniel Essex.

Also, the Ultimate incarnation's real name is shown in the Daily Bugle as Allan Silvermane, though later in the same comic Fisk refers to him as Silvio Manfredi. Due to his status as a high-ranking crime lord, it is likely one or both of these names are aliases.

House of M

Silvermane appeared in the House of M reality as a younger crime boss on the many families captured by the NYPD's Brotherhood unit.

Television

Video games