Bill Mantlo was born on November 9, 1951. His ability to turn in scripts overnight made him an indispensable fill-in writer. He also was the first to write about Bruce Banner being abused as a child, was a phenomenal franchise writer, and created many lasting characters (see below) who were adapted in TV and film. After souring on the industry, he became a public defender and then, tragically, a victim of a hit-and-run that left him penniless and permanently institutionalized. He brought in a lot of money for Marvel, and it’s painful to see how he has been neglected over the years. If you like his work, you can donate here.
TOP 20 CHARACTERS CREATED BY BILL MANTLO
- Hypno Hustler. Just kidding. Rocket Raccoon is his #1.
- Cloak and Dagger
- White Tiger
- The U-Foes
- Jean DeWolff (betcha didn’t know about this one!)
- ROM the Spaceknight and Dire Wraiths
- Soviet Super Soldiers (as a team), and member Ursa Major
- Lady Deathstrike
- The Micronauts
- Modred the Mystic
- Captain Universe
- Jack of Hearts
- Ollie “Steel Spider” Osnick
- Marvel’s versions of The Transformers
- Swarm
- Carrion
- Collective Man
- Copperhead
- Crime Master
- Sabra