Mandrill
Real Name: Jerome Beechman
First Appearance: Shanna the She-Devil 4.
Died In: Avengers West Coast 65. He turned up alive and kicking in Thunderbolts Annual '97
What's His Problem? Jerome Beechman and Nekra Sinclair were born mutants thanks to accidental radiation exposure suffered by their parents: Beechman was born a black child to white parents, and Sinclair an albino child to black parents. Both children were abused, and met in the desert after Nekra had run away and Beechman had been abandoned there to die by his parents. Together, the two outcasts lived a nomadic life, feeding and educating themselves on the run. Eventually, they discovered their mutant powers when they used them to defend themselves from human persecution; drunk with their newfound power, the downtrodden duo soon began hatching ambitious plots of conquest opposed by various costumed adventurers.
Powers: The Mandrill had slightly superhuman strength and an ape-like physique that began to take shape after his powers kicked in. His primary super-power was the ability to emotionally and mentally manipulate women through pheromone emissions. Among other things, the Mandrill used this ability to muster fiercely devoted armies of female warriors willing to die or kill for him. Few women could resist him, and those who couldn't became addicted to his presence if they remained in his thrall for too long.
Favorite Quote: "All women must love the Mandrill--they have no choice! That is my power, and the instrument of my destiny!" (Defenders 79.)
Heroes He Kept Running Into: Mandrill's first recurring adversary was jungle babe Shanna the She-Devil, but his foremost foes were Daredevil and DD's occasional teammates, the Defenders. Together, they foiled many of Mandrill's misogynistic misdeeds and earned his life-long hatred.
People Who Think He's Not So Bad: Nekra loved Mandrill like a brother until he abandoned her, and she usually hates practically EVERYBODY (it's part of her mutant power). The feeling must have been fairly mutual, 'cause Mandrill tried to avenge Nekra after her seeming death at the hands of the Grim Reaper. The Reaper finished Mandrill off after an exceedingly brief scuffle--a cheap, throwaway death for a longtime Marvel villain.
Most despicable act: During one of his worst rampages, Mandrill locked Daredevil in an airless vault to suffocate, forced Valkyrie to fight her best friend Hellcat to the death, tried to kill his own father and almost touched off a nuclear disaster. Everyone survived--thanks in part to the Mandrill being shot by his own mother. You know you're bad when your own mommy tries to kill you twice--and unrepentantly, at that!
by Sean McQuaid
