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Comic Creator

Don Heck

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Donald L. Heck was an American comics artist best known for co-creating the Marvel Comics characters Iron Man, the Wasp, Wonder Man, Black Widow and Hawkeye, and for his long run penciling the Marvel superhero-team series The Avengers during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books.

Don Heck

Upcoming Comics

Son of Origins of Marvel Comics: Marvel Tales #1 Son of Origins of Marvel Comics: Marvel Tales #1
JUN
14
Marvel Comics
Son of Origins of Marvel Comics: Marvel Tales #1

Credited within these Comics

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Tales of Suspense
57
Marvel Comics
Tales of Suspense
1959 - 1968
The Avengers
53
Marvel Comics
The Avengers
1963 - 1996
The Avengers
48
Marvel UK
The Avengers
1973 - 1976
Tales to Astonish
43
Marvel Comics
Tales to Astonish
1959 - 1968

Credited Characters

Ace of Spades
Ace Android
Ace of Spades
Prime Earth
Alexander Gentry
Alexander Gentry
Earth-616
Alexander Summers
Alexander Summers
Earth-616
Anton Vanko
Anton Vanko
Earth-616
Armageddon
Prime Earth
Armand Duquesne
Earth-616
Arnold Astrovik
Earth-616
Arthur Parks
Earth-616
Assassin
Maria
Assassin
Earth-616
Atalanta
Atalanta
Prime Earth
Axonn-Karr
Earth-616
Baltag
Baltag
Earth-6311
Baron Blitzkrieg
Prime Earth
Bill Foster
Bill Foster
Earth-616
Black Widow
Natasha Romanova
Black Widow
Earth-616
Blizzard
Gregor Shapanka
Blizzard
Earth-616
Boris Bullski
Boris Bullski
Earth-616
Carelius
Earth-6311
Clint Barton
Clint Barton
Earth-616
Cobra
Klaus Voorhees
Cobra
Earth-616
Colby
Earth-616
Collector
Taneleer Tivan
Collector
Earth-616
Commander Steel
Henry Heywood Sr.
Commander Steel
Prime Earth
Commissar (Android)
Earth-616
Crimson Dynamo
Anton Vanko
Crimson Dynamo
Earth-616
Crimson Dynamo
Boris Turgenov
Crimson Dynamo
Earth-616
Darryl Frye
Darryl Frye
Prime Earth
Doctor Yen
Chao Yen
Doctor Yen
Earth-616
Elias Weems
Earth-616
Emerson Bale
Earth-616
Farley London
Earth-616
Firebrand
Gary Gilbert
Firebrand
Earth-616
Franz Anton
Earth-616
Fred Davis Jr.
Fred Davis Jr.
Earth-616
Fujiko Watanabe
Earth-616
Gaea
Gaea
Earth-616
Gary Gilbert
Gary Gilbert
Earth-616
Geoffrey Ballard
Geoffrey Ballard
Earth-616
Godfried Herter
Earth-616
Gor-Tok
Earth-616
Gordon Keefer
Earth-616
Goro Watanabe
Earth-616
Gregor Shapanka
Gregor Shapanka
Earth-616
Gor-Tok
Grotesk
Earth-616
Hammerhead
Louis Browning
Hammerhead
Earth-616
Happy Hogan
Happy Hogan
Earth-616
Harrington Byrd
Harrington Byrd
Earth-616
Havok
Alexander Summers
Havok
Earth-616
Hawkeye
Clint Barton
Hawkeye
Earth-616
Henry Heywood Sr.
Prime Earth
Ho Yinsen
Ho Yinsen
Earth-616
Howard Stark
Howard Stark
Earth-616
Hoy
Earth-616
Hu Chen
Earth-616
Immortus
Nathaniel Richards
Immortus
Earth-6311
Imus Champion
Imus Champion
Earth-616
Iron Man
Tony Stark
Iron Man
Earth-616
Ironed Man
Bony Stark (Earth-665)
Ironed Man
Alterniverse
Ixar
Ixar
Earth-616
Jacques Duquesne
Earth-616
Joseph Jennings
Earth-616
Justice
Vance Astrovik
Justice
Earth-616
Kalia Campbell
Kalia Campbell
Prime Earth
Keeper of the Flame
Lann
Keeper of the Flame
Earth-616
Kevin O'Brien
Earth-616
King Cobra
Klaus Voorhees
King Cobra
Earth-616
King of Spades
Joseph Carny
King of Spades
Prime Earth
Krono
Earth-616
Hathor-Sekhmet
Lion God
Earth-616
Liso Trago
Earth-616
Living Laser
Arthur Parks
Living Laser
Earth-616
Lorna Dane
Lorna Dane
Earth-616
Lucy Barton
Lucy Barton
Earth-616
Mack Nathan
Mack Nathan
Prime Earth
Madame Zodiac
Marissa
Madame Zodiac
Prime Earth
Mandarin
Mandarin
Earth-616
Mantis
Mantis
Earth-616
Marianne Rodgers
Marianne Rodgers
Earth-616
Marya Peskyov
Earth-616
Mesmero
Vincent
Mesmero
Earth-616
Milos Masaryk
Milos Masaryk
Earth-616
Mister Hyde
Calvin Zabo
Mister Hyde
Earth-616
Gordon Keefer
Monk
Earth-616
Morgan Stark
Morgan Stark
Earth-616
Myrmidon
Myrmidon
Earth-616
Natasha Romanova
Natasha Romanova
Earth-616
Nikos Aegeus
Nikos Aegeus
Prime Earth
Nubia
Nubia
Prime Earth
Roger Phillips
Number Five
Earth-616
Godfried Herter
Number Four
Earth-616
Marya Peskyov
Number One
Earth-616
Farley London
Number Three
Earth-616
Samson Washington
Number Two
Earth-616
Overseer (Super-Computer)
Overseer (Super-Computer)
Earth-616
Pepper Potts
Pepper Potts
Earth-616
Peter van Zante
Earth-616
Piledriver
Jerome Whale
Piledriver
Earth-616
Porcupine
Alexander Gentry
Porcupine
Earth-616
Prince Rey
Prince Rey
Earth-616
Queen of Spades
Mona Taylor
Queen of Spades
Prime Earth
Rainbow Raider
Roy G. Bivolo
Rainbow Raider
Prime Earth
Ramrod (Cyborg)
Ramrod (Cyborg)
Earth-616
Ravonna Renslayer
Ravonna Renslayer
Earth-6311
Red Raven (Construct)
Red Raven (Construct)
Earth-616
Roger Phillips
Earth-616
Saburo Yoshida
Saburo Yoshida
Earth-616
Samson Washington
Earth-616
Scarecrow
Ebenezer Laughton
Scarecrow
Earth-616
Scarlet Centurion
Nathaniel Richards
Scarlet Centurion
Earth-6311
Shiro Yoshida
Shiro Yoshida
Earth-616
Spider-Man (Android)
Earth-6311
Spymaster
Spymaster
Earth-616
Stephanie de la Spiroza
Earth-616
Sunfire
Shiro Yoshida
Sunfire
Earth-616
Super Nova
Garthan Saal
Super Nova
Earth-616
Supreme Serpent
Tai Chen
Supreme Serpent
Earth-616
Swordsman
Jacques Duquesne
Swordsman
Earth-616
Taneleer Tivan
Taneleer Tivan
Earth-616
Ten of Spades
Wanda Wayland
Ten of Spades
Prime Earth
Thunderboot
Moses Lewton
Thunderboot
Earth-616
Elias Weems
Time Master
Earth-616
Titanium Man
Boris Bullski
Titanium Man
Earth-616
Tomo Yoshida
Earth-616
Troy Nathan
Troy Nathan
Prime Earth
Unicorn
Milos Masaryk
Unicorn
Earth-616
Vance Astrovik
Vance Astrovik
Earth-616
Veronica Vogue
Earth-616
Vincent
Vincent
Earth-616
Jason Cragg
Voice
Earth-616
Water Wizard
Peter van Zante
Water Wizard
Earth-616
Window Washer
Earth-616
Wong Chu
Wong Chu
Earth-616
Wong-Chu
Earth-616

More on Don Heck

Don Heck was born on January 2, 1929, in the Queens borough of New York City. He attended Woodrow Wilson Vocational High School in Jamaica and Community College in Brooklyn. Milt Caniff's and Jack Davis's work influenced him strongly. His first professional art assignment came in 1949 at Harvey Comics, where he copied newspaper strips for reprinting in comic books. The next year he turned freelance and sold work to Hillman Comics (who mainly published war and crime titles), Quality Comics (later folded into DC), and Toby Press (later bought by Charlton), all of it uncredited. In 1952 he sold work to Comic Media and finally saw his name in print on titles such as Danger, Death Valley, Horrific, War Fury, and Weird Terror. Two years later he penciled Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, based on an NBC TV program starring Buster Crabbe.

Heck met Stan Lee through Pete Morisi, another artist, with whom he had worked at Harvey. He started in September 1954 and worked on almost every title Atlas produced at the time, including mystery, horror, war (e.g. Torpedo Taylor in Navy Combat), sci-fi, jungle (e.g. Cliff Mason in Jungle Tales and Jann of the Jungle), and western stories.
A furor broke out in 1957 over the gore and violence in horror comics, which led to the creation of the Comics Code Authority and censorship. Atlas lost its distribution network and had to cut back to a fraction of its output. For Heck that meant a layoff of a year and a half, during which he drew model airplane designs. Lee rehired Heck to replace Joe Maneely, who had died in an accident. When Heck returned to Atlas, its name had changed to Marvel and the mix of titles had changed to romance and science fiction. He contributed dozens of stories to Journey into Mystery, Strange Tales, Tales of Suspense, and Tales to Astonish before they ever featured the heroes that made them famous, as well as obscure titles such as Love Romances, My Own Romance, Strange Worlds, and World of Fantasy.
Heck graduated to the name "Dandy Don" when he started drawing heroes such as Thor and Giant-Man. His greatest claim to Marvel fame, however, may have been his contribution to the birth of Iron Man. Along with editor Stan Lee, writer Larry Lieber, and cover artist Jack Kirby, he created the Armored Avenger in Tales of Suspense #39 and (with three short breaks) drew his adventures for almost three years. Heck gave Tony Stark his movie-star good looks by basing him on Errol Flynn.
Artistically, Heck's influence is most strongly remembered from Avengers. The ubiquitous Kirby had pencilled the first 8 issues, but Heck took over on #9 (October 1964) and remained the primary artist on Avengers until 1967. Before, he had always inked his own work, and he preferred to do so, but he adapted to the situation. He also began contributing covers on a regular basis. Along with Kirby and Steve Ditko, Heck was one of the three major Marvel artists in the 1960's. He drew almost every Marvel hero.
In the late 1960s Heck branched out. He worked on The Man from UNCLE for Western Publishing and on the Phantom strip for newspapers. In 1970 he began doing some work for DC as well as Marvel, where he still worked on titles such as Amazing Spider-Man and X-Men.
During the early 1970s Heck suffered through a series of illnesses. His output slowed but never stopped. By 1979 he worked almost exclusively for DC, although he returned to Marvel in 1988 for a few projects.
Heck died of lung cancer on February 23, 1995. He was known for his ability to depict glamorous places and people, and for his willingness to take on last-minute assignments.

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