Comic books are mostly known for superheroes and soaring action, but there was a time when the colored page held every type of story from every well-known creator. Among the most recognizable characters, some who were once beloved have become obscure references in Marvel's massive canon.
Immensely talented composer Michael Giacchino, late of crafting the stellar score for The Batman, is set to direct a Halloween special for Marvel on Disney+. The one-hour story is set to star Gael Garcia Bernal as the lesser-known seventies horror icon Werewolf by Night. This will be the character's first live-action appearance, but he's got a long history on the comics page.
There are two characters to use the name Werewolf by Night, though both are more often just referred to as Werewolf. The original Werewolf was a man named Jack Russel, yes, like the dog. Real name Jacob Russoff, lycanthropy runs in the Russoff line for generations, dating back to 1795. Jack's father was a werewolf who escaped his self-imposed containment and was killed by angry townspeople, leaving Jack to flee with his mom and sister to the US.
Jack's mom was later murdered in an intentional car accident by her chauffer, but in her final moments, she shared Jack's background with him. Jack became a werewolf for the first time to avenge his mother through visceral violence. Thanks to a mysterious and powerful being, Jack gained the power to change at will and retain his human brain in werewolf form. As Werewolf, he fought crime with his immense strength and powerful claws. Unfortunately, he was still subject to the full moon and had to cage himself during that time. He's fought alongside Iron Man and Michael Morbius against foes like Morgan Le Fay and Aelfric, the Mad Monk.
Werewolf by Night began life as a short story in 1954 before the notorious Comics Code Authority clamped down on monsters in the medium. In 1971, the CCA pulled back, and the first official appearance of the character took place in Marvel Spotlight #2. The character's solo story ran for 43 issues over the following five years, but Russell popped up in a number of other characters' narratives over the years.
The original run is unquestionably best known for the fact that Moon Knight made his first appearance in Issue #32, but that character went on to overshadow Werewolf. Russell appeared throughout Moon Knight stories, including the 1983 issue that included a full redesign for the character. Throughout the early nineties, he was a supporting character in Morbius, The Living Vampire. In 1998, he got a six-issue second volume, which spilled over into Strange Tales. He's also been a part of teams like the Midnight Sons and the Legion of Monsters.
Russell's last known appearance on comic pages came in 2017, in Deadpool Vol 6 #28. It's a fairly embarrassing exit for Jack, he's shot in the head by Wade Wilson after being caught in bed with his wife. Jack survives due to his lycanthropy but hasn't turned up in a Marvel comic since. Jack Russell's story is mostly built around supporting other larger Marvel characters. The big turning point came when he was completely overshadowed by already B-list character Moon Knight. Having a bigger icon appear in the pages of a smaller character's solo project can be an easy death knell. It's surprising Werewolf by Night popped up as often as he did, but not so shocking that he's not the main character of much. Luckily, Jack Russell isn't the only Werewolf by Night that occupies Marvel Comics.
Jake Gomez is a teenage kid who discovers at 13 that he has the ability to transform into a werewolf. Unlike Russell, Gomez's lycanthropy is controlled by his emotions, rather than the moon. His primary nemesis is an unethical pharmaceutical company that kidnaps people to experiment upon. He tangles with US Marshall Red Wolf, partially just for the puns. Red Wolf later becomes Gomez's trainer in the ways of the werewolf. There are only four issues of Gomez's story as Werewolf by Night, written by Benjamin Jackendoff and Taboo of Black Eyed Peas fame. It's referred to as volume three of Werewolf by Night, and it could have further issues as it came out over the previous two years.
Werewolf by Night is a strange character in Marvel's catalog. His deceptively simple Universal monster appearance hides a complex family history. His superhuman abilities are reigned in by the constant risk of losing control. His enemies are almost always fellow monsters, as are the overwhelming majority of his unique allies. Introducing either Werewolf to the Marvel Cinematic Universe could open up an interesting chunk of the comics for adaptation. Hopefully, Marvel and Disney are willing to explore the horror corner of the source material with their upcoming special this Halloween.