Man-Bull
Real Name: Bull Taurus
AKA: Savage
First Appearance: DareDevil 78
What's His Problem? A two-bit enforcer for the mysterious Mr. Kline, Man-Bull was forced into an experimental strength-enhancing process after DareDevil foiled his attempt to nab a couple of "specimens" off the street. He ended up with not only the strength of a bull, but the hide and horns of one as well. Blaming DareDevil for his condition, he went after Hornhead every chance he got. At first Taurus was of the opinion that might made right; as scheme after scheme went bad, he begin to understand that super-villainy without intellect to back up the muscle was a pretty miserable career. His mental facilites crumbling and his search for a cure proving futile, he retired to a farming community. There Man-Bull spent a lot of time munching on cows and eventually went one-on-one against the Hulk in a semi-suicidal attempt to end his misery.
Powers: Man-Bull's enhanced physique made him many times stronger than the average hood; he once carried a gold statue weighing several tons through New York, and could battle the Incredible Hulk without being immediately reduced to paste. Man-Bull never did have either the brains or the fighting technique to go with his brawn, however; most super-heroes survived encounters with him by dancing nimbly out of his way.
Favorite Quote: "I was just gonna beat you to a pulp...now I'm gonna murder you!" (DareDevil 79; Man-Bull becomes incensed when DareDevil refuses to yield to Taurus' sheer power).
Heroes He Keeps Running Into: Since it was DareDevil's interference that forced him into the experiment, Taurus always blamed DD for his dilemma and became so obsessed with revenge that, after being cured, he deliberately re-mutated himself for a shot at smashing his scarlet-clothed nemesis. This resulted in several confrontations with DareDevil's then-girlfriend, the Black Widow. He also had to deal with Tigra back when she was the Cat, and got slammed into prison by Iron Man. Finally realizing that super-villainy really required smarts to go along with the muscle, Man-Bull fled the big city and ended up terrorizing a farming community, where he and the gray Hulk clashed.
People Who Don't Think He's So Bad: The guys Man-Bull hung out with before his transformation liked him well enough to take on his vendatta against DareDevil, although no one since then seems to have cared much. Despite his repeated confrontations with Matt Murdock's costumed alter ego, Murdock willingly acted as defense counselor for Taurus when he thought Man-Bull got a bum deal on a murder charge. It was the Hulk, however, who had some sympathy for a bad guy trapped in a monster's body; after fighting with the now-animalistic Man-Bull, the Hulk tried to intercede on his behalf with an irate lynch mob. The Man-Bull didn't want to be saved; in fact, he just got really, really depressed at the thought of surviving another day, much to the Hulk's renewed annoyance.
Most Despicable Act: Before gaining his powers, Taurus just beat people up a lot. After becoming the Man-Bull, he developed a ruthless streak. He suckered DareDevil into taking a bullet, off'd lackeys when he felt he no longer had use for them, and routinely double-crossed bosses such as the Matador and the Owl. His most ambitious project was when he poisoned San Francisco's water supply in an attempt to create a city of human Bull types. Nowadays the ones who need to be most frightened of Man-Bull are the cows he likes to consume raw.
by Jeanne Burch, with an assist by Chris Lawrence
