- Crime Master
-
The Crime-Master is a Marvel Comics super-villain, of the professional-criminal type, and an enemy of Spider-Man. Created by writer Stan Lee and designed by artist Steve Ditko, he first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #26 (July 1965). The character was most notable for having briefly been the partner of the Green Goblin. Both villains aspired to take over the criminal mobs of New York and formed an uneasy partnership. They were both aware of the other's secret identity which kept them from outwardly betraying the other. The Crime-Master only lasted one issue and was killed in Amazing Spider-Man #27; however, there was a second Crime-Master in the 1970s, and new stories were written in the pages of Untold Tales of Spider-Man that featured the original character before his death.
Contents
Publication history
The Crime-Master debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #26, his identity unknown. He was killed and revealed as Nicholas "Nick" "Lucky" Lewis after his death. His son, Nicholas Lewis Jr. became the second Crime-Master in Marvel Team-Up #39 (November 1975) and #40 and teamed up with the second Big Man. This Crime-Master did not know the identity of his partner and betrayed and shot to death the Big Man, who turned out to be his girlfriend Janice Foswell, daughter of Frederick Foswell, the original Big Man, after unmasking. Devastated by the discovery, Lewis Jr. has not appeared as The Crime-Master since.
The original Crime-Master was also featured in an untold story from before his death in Untold Tales of Spider-Man #23 (August 1997) and again in Untold Tales of Spider-Man #25. That issue is somewhat controversial as it alters the storyline from Amazing Spider-Man #26-27. This story shows the Crime-Master and Green Goblin reveal their identities to each other. The Goblin, however, is wearing a mask of J. Jonah Jameson under his Goblin mask so as to suggest that The Crime-Master really believed that Jameson was the Goblin instead of Norman Osborn. This does not make sense in the continuity of Amazing Spider-Man #26 as thought bubbles reveal that the Goblin is concerned about The Crime-Master revealing his identity.
Fictional character biography
Nicholas Lewis Sr. ("Lucky Lewis")
The Crime Master 
Publication information Publisher Marvel Comics First appearance Amazing Spider-Man #26 (July 1965) Created by Stan Lee
Steve Ditko (designer)In-story information Alter ego Nicholas "Nick" "Lucky" Lewis Nick "Lucky" Lewis was a masked criminal who attempted to organize all non-Maggia New York City crime gangs under his control. He was opposed by Spider-Man, and his attempt failed when he was killed.[1]
Nicholas Lewis Jr.
Crime-Master Publication information Publisher Marvel Comics First appearance Marvel Team-Up #39 (Nov 1975) Created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema In-story information Alter ego Nicholas "Nick" Lewis Jr. Nick Lewis Jr. adopted his father's Crime-Master guise as a would-be avenger of his father's death. He was also defeated by Spider-Man, but unlike his father, he was not killed by police.[2]
New Crime Master
Crime-Master Publication information Publisher Marvel Comics First appearance Venom #1 (March 2011) Created by Rick Remender and Tony Moore In-story information Alter ego Unknown A new, currently undentified, Crime Master has appeared in the new Venom series. He is a shrewd planner, with substantial resources, with many hanchmen, chief among them the new Jack O'Lantern. His paths first crossed with Flash Thompson (The current Venom) when Flash was sent to stop a mad scientist who has developed powerful Antarctic Vibranium bullets for Crime Master.
Other versions
Marvel Noir
An un-named Crime-Master exists in the Marvel Noir universe, and serves as one of the primary antagonists in Spider-Man Noir: "Eyes Without A Mask." He is the Crime-Master who has taken over New York since Norman Osborn was put on trial as The Goblin. His enforcers include The Enforcers and Sandman. He also helps to sponsor Otto Octavius in his experiments on African-Americans. He is dating Felicia Hardy, but is enraged when he finds out that she sheltered Spider-Man, and slashes her critically. She phones the FBI Agent Jean DeWolff, who then goes to Ellis Island and busts Crime Master.[3]
Other media
Video games
- The Crime-Master is mentioned by Vulture's henchmen in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. This version seems to be an enforcer working for Hammerhead. In his orders, he killed Fancy Dan and put him in a garbage can due to him flirting with Hammerhead's girlfriend Janice Foswell.
References
External links
- Crime Master I at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
- Crime Master II) at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
- SamRuby.com has a bio of The Crime Master
Categories:- Comics characters introduced in 1965
- Characters created by Stan Lee
- Characters created by Steve Ditko
- Fictional gangsters
- Marvel Comics supervillains
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
