Timothy Dugan

Timothy Aloysius Cadwallader "Dum Dum" Dugan was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He was born into a poor family of Irish immigrants. At the young age of 14 he joined the circus as a strongman and part-time prizefighter to make money. He was on tour in England on the lead up to World War II.

In early 1941, Dugan was traveling with the circus through Europe. In the Netherlands, Dugan first met Nick Fury, the man who would become his closest friend, who was then a performer in a stunt flying act and parachute instructor. Dugan helped Fury and Sam Sawyer escape the Nazis during a mission. Dugan later joined the British Army.

When Sawyer was charged with creating Fury's First Attack Squad, also known as the Howling Commandos, Sawyer invited Dugan to become second in command. After training, the unit was dispatched back behind enemy lines in France to recover Free French resistance fighter who was captured by Nazi soldiers. This was a vital rescue mission since they knew the date and time of an impending Allied landing on the beaches of Normandy. With the help of Free French resistance fighters they rescued the man from the Nazis before he could be forced to talk. His exceptional strength saved the day in several of his adventures with the group. During his time with the Howlers Dugan became skilled on all Allied small weapons and gained experience in all forms of hand to hand combat, especially Judo. With his trademark derby, Dum Dum frequently struck fear into the Nazi and Japanese enemies in mission after mission. The Howling Commandos were so feared by the Third Reich that a counter squad of elite fighters, the Blitzkrieg Squad was formed, and among their number, bar room brawler Siegfried, whose story of defeating six men with his bare hands made it to the ears of Von Strucker, was chosen to stand against Dum Dum Dugan.

After seeing combat in a French coastal town, Fury was called back to base where he was informed that the Nazis were getting ahead in the race to develop an atomic bomb. Posing as sailors the Howling Commandos managed to smuggle their way into Germany to seek out the laboratory in the town of Heinemund where the atomic weapons were being developed. Initially Dugan was captured by the Nazi's and the rest of the Howling commandos attempted to free him but they realized the only way they could get near the lab was to allow themselves to be captured and placed into a nearby concentration camp. Breaking free, Fury and his Commandos attacked the Germany laboratory, sabotaging the scientists works there. After they fled the exposed rods of nuclear material reached critical mass and destroyed the lab in a massive nuclear explosion. It is possible that this set back is what caused Nazi leader Adolf Hitler to call off any further development of atomic weapons.