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Gladiator | |
Aliases: | Gladiator |
Continuity: | Marvel Universe |
Notability: | Antagonist |
Type: | Supervillain |
Gender: | Male |
Race: | Human |
Location: | New York City, New York |
Status: | Alive |
First: | Daredevil, Vol. 1 #18 |
Actor: | Matt Gerald |
Melvin Potter is a fictional comic book supervillain who went by the code name, Gladiator. He is part of the mainstream Marvel Universe and is a frequent foe of Daredevil. He has been associated with the Emissaries of Evil, the Maggia and was a frequent partner of the Masked Marauder. Gladiator was first introduced in July, 1966 in Daredevil, Volume 1 #18.
Origin[]
Melvin Potter was once just a short-tempered costume maker working out of a shop in New York City. Considering his chosen venue, it was not surprising that many of his customers came in asking for superhero and supervillain costumes. This irritated Potter, who felt that all superheroes were just "swaggering braggarts". One day, a lawyer named Foggy Nelson came into the store and ordered a Daredevil costume for himself as part of an ongoing ploy to win the affection of secretary Karen Page. Nelson convinced Potter to assist him in his agenda by staging what was to be a mock battle, in which Nelson (as Daredevil) would defeat him. This only provoked Potter's ire, but he agreed to help him regardless. He fashioned a costume for himself consisting of a helmet and twin circular blades attached to gauntlets on his forearms. Calling himself Gladiator, he met with Nelson for their faux battle, but Potter was not out to help Foggy impress some girl. He was playing for keeps. Fortunately for Nelson, the real Daredevil arrived on the scene and defeated the Gladiator. [1]
Equipment[]
- Wrist blades: Gladiator wore twin gauntlets that were fitted with motorized circular saw blades that were made out of titanium and could cut through most material.
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Melvin Potter was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr..
- Another Marvel Universe character named Gladiator is Kallark, who is a purple-skinned alien with a mohawk and the leader of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard.
- After a stint in prison, Melvin mett Betsy Beatty, who convinced him to reform. After he was released, he found work as a bodyguard. Ironically, his most notable client was actually his oldest foe - Matt Murdock.
Statistics[]
- Height: 6'6"
- Weight: 300 lbs.
- Eyes: Blue
- Hair: None
- Strength level: Peak human conditioning.
Related categories[]
See also[]
External Links[]
Appearances[]
- Daredevil 18 (1st appearance)
- Daredevil 22
- Iron Man Vol 6 3