The Shocker
Real Name: Herman Schultz
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man 46
What's His Problem? The Shocker's one of those refreshingly simple bad guys who doesn't come with a ton of emotional baggage and twisted psychoses. He's just a burglar and occasional mercenary with a costume and a gimmick. Simple as that.
Abilities: The Shocker is a competent street fighter and experienced thief with considerable mechanical aptitude--he actually designed and built his own costume and weaponry, proving he's a lot smarter than most folks give him credit for.
Weapons: The Shocker's foam-lined, synthetic fabric costume absorbs all vibrations and establishes a vibrational shield that deflects normal blows and allows him to slip from almost any grasp. His suit's vibro-shock units trigger a pump-action compressed air mechanism that releases a series of rapid-succession, high-pressure air blasts through his gauntlets. Thrown from a distance, the resultant impacts can easily crumble solid concrete and severely damage the human body. Even the She-Hulk's been stunned by his vibro-blasters, though she overcame him with the aid of Hawkeye.
Favorite Quote: "Hey, you! The Shocker wants to be a millionaire -- so hop to it!" (Defenders 64. In one of the more inspired moments of his crime career, the Shocker was wreaking havoc at the Stock Exchange when he decided to get creative and threatened a nearby stock broker. The broker played the market accordingly; the Shocker left the scene a million bucks richer. Let's hear it for capitalism!)
Heroes He Keeps Running Into: Spider-Man has defeated the Shocker many times over. He's considered part of Spidey's upper-echelon villains more by virtue of persistence than power; the web-head keeps defeating him, and the Shocker keeps coming back for more.
People Who Think He's Not So Bad: The Shocker has had various criminal allies, including his fellow Spidey-foes and the Masters of Evil, but few have ever held him in esteem. As super-villains go, the Shocker gets less respect than Rodney Dangerfield.
Most Despicable Act: The Shocker's deeds are seldom truly despicable, but he has attempted some pretty impressive crimes: one of his more ambitiously imaginative efforts was a multi-million extortion scam in which he threatened to sever key junctions beneath New York City's streets, spelling out his name in the city's selectively extinguished lights. Who says he's not master criminal material?
by Sean McQuaid
Shocking Sound Bytes!
From Spider-Man: The Animated Series. All sounds in .wav format.
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