Hangman (Marvel Comics)

Hangman is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Harlan Krueger was born in Los Angeles, California. He was a fanatical moviegoer who idolized movie stars of the past (such as John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, and Alan Ladd). He identified with these heroic figures, developing a simplistic view of good and evil in real life, deciding that evildoers should pay for their crimes with their lives.

After being court-martialed from the army for torturing prisoners of war, Krueger resolved to take the law into his own hands and became the masked vigilante the Hangman. His modus operandi involved executing male criminals while leaving female ones alive but imprisoned to 'protect them' from corruption (many died of starvation while in captivity). After years of stalking criminals with a noose and scythe, he came into conflict with the Werewolf by Night.^[2] He later battled the Werewolf again and DePrayve.^[3] Hangman then seemingly allied with Doctor Glitternight and Moon Knight against the Werewolf. However, all three of them were illusions created by the ghost of the 19th century black magician Belaric Marcosa.^[4]

Hangman next stalked one of the Brothers Grimm, who had been stealing from diamond merchants. Mistaking one Brother Grimm (Jake) for his target (William), he pursued him to a pyrotechnics building and saw him seemingly die in an explosion.^[5] He was later one of the criminals captured by the Locksmith and Tick-Tock.^[6]

While attending a Hollywood costume party held for the premiere of a horror movie to 'purge' yet more 'unworthy souls' (in other words, target members of the film industry for execution), the Hangman killed a disguised woman, thus inadvertently violating his own moral code. As he knelt over the corpse in remorse, he was apparently fatally stabbed in the back by film reviewer Matthew O'Brien, who had been trying to stop the Hangman from his latest killing spree, impaling the Hangman on his own scythe.^[7]

Harlan Krueger was an athletic man with no superhuman powers. He carried a 30-foot (9.1 m) length of half-inch hemp rope, terminating in a hangman's noose. He also used a harvesting scythe with an eight-foot wooden handle and curved four-foot single-edged steel blade. He received Army hand-to-hand combat training.

Krueger had extensive knowledge of American cinema, particularly the films of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.

Jason Roland was an aspiring actor who made a deal with a demon (later revealed to be Satannish^{[volume & issue needed]}) to make his career successful.^{[volume & issue needed]} He was trapped in a monstrous form and hid out for years.^{[volume & issue needed]} He eventually encountered the Night Shift and convinced them to deal with Satannish to increase their powers. They were defeated by the Avengers West Coast.^[8]

Satannish later used the Hangman as part of his Lethal Legion, made up of some of the most notorious figures in history given superhuman powers; for example, Stalin transformed into the superstrong giant Coldsteel. Mephisto aided the Avengers West Coast in defeating Satannish and his minions.^[9]

Much later, Hangman surfaced again when a demon named Bloodbath revealed that his former wife had sired a son he did not know about. Bloodbath forced Hangman to kill people for him for a while, until X-Factor Investigations found out about the killings and fought, then helped him.^[10]

As Hangman, Roland had magically enhanced physical abilities, including strength and durability, making him strong enough to fight Wonder Man. His rope was enhanced magically to make it practically indestructible. He was also able to levitate his rope and can climb the rope even if it is not attached to any other objects. Roland remained in nearly constant contact with Satannish, who could further enhance his powers if needed.

• Hangman (Roland) at The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• http://marvel.com/universe/Hangman