Digger (comics)

Digger
First Page from Dead of Night Feartuing Man-Thing #3 Art by Nick Percival
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Tower of Shadows #1 (Sept. 1969)
In-story information
Alter ego	Roderick Krupp
Team affiliations	Night Shift

Digger (Roderick Krupp) is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared as a story narrator/host in the horror anthology series Tower of Shadows #1 (Sept. 1969), in the story "At the Stroke of Midnight" by writer-artist Jim Steranko.

Publication history

Originally designed as one of the hosts of Tower of Shadows and its sister title, Chamber of Darkness, both beginning in 1969, Digger played a role similar to that of Tales from the Crypt's Crypt Keeper of the 1950s EC Comics and later HBO television series.^[1] Providing a panel or two of introductory material leading into and usually closing the story itself, Digger appeared sporadically through the nine-issue run of Tower of Shadows and the eight-issue run of Chamber of Darkness.

Digger was worked into Marvel's main shared universe, the Marvel Universe in 1987, returning with other lesser-known characters in Captain America #329 (May 1987). He appeared with these other characters as a member of the team the Night Shift, supervillain antagonists who were then primarily used in the series Avengers West Coast during the 1990s.

Digger appeared as part of the "Night Shift" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #5.

After a long period in which the character had no appearances, a new version of Digger appeared in 2008. Returning to his roots, he was used as the narrator for Dead of Night Featuring Man-Thing, a four issue limited series published by Marvel as a part of its mature content MAX imprint. In this series Digger tells his version of the Man-Thing's origin as well as three other semi-connected tales starring the Man-Thing and other characters related to that protagonist. These Digger sequences in the comic series were painted by artist, Nick Percival.

In 2009, the Marvel Universe version of Digger appeared in Marvel Zombies 4. This series also featured the character's (very temporary) death and undead resurrection.

Fictional character biography

Digger generally is depicted with green skin, although in some instances it appears blue.^[2]

Roderick Krupp, a serial killer who buried his victims alive while telling them macabre stories, became known as Digger for his modus operandi. Living in a decrepit Los Angeles, California mansion known as the Tower of Shadows, he was eventually contacted by the vigilante the Shroud and recruited for the supervillain team the Night Shift.^[3] The team made the mansion its headquarters. Krupp was eventually apprehended by Mockingbird of the superhero team the Avengers.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Digger appears with the Night Shift, as part of the Hood's gang. They battle the Midnight Sons, and Digger fights Morbius, the Living Vampire who breaks Digger's shovel and buries it into his skull. He and the Night Shift are killed when the zombie virus from the Marvel Zombies earth mutates and becomes airborne.^[4] The virus cloud begins to rain blood, and reanimates the Night Shift as zombies.^[5] Dormammu assumes control of the Night Shift and uses them to fight the Midnight Sons. When Jennifer Kale and the Black Talon contain the virus within the Zombie (Simon Garth), the Night Shift members, although still in an undead state of being, halt their rampage. The Hood teleports away with them.^[6]

Powers and abilities

Digger has a slightly superhuman level of strength and excellent regeneration. He also feels little to no pain.

Footnotes

1. ^ Janson, Tim Mania Comics: "Comic Review: Dead of Night Featuring Man-Thing #1
2. ^ Although Marvel.com gives Digger's skin color as green, a certain number of panels, and the Marvel.com image itself, show seen him blue.
3. ^ Captain America #329
4. ^ Marvel Zombies 4 #2
5. ^ Marvel Zombies 4 #3
6. ^ Marvel Zombies 4 #4 (2009)

References

• Grand Comics Database
• The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators

External links

• Digger profile at Marvel.com