Herman SchultzShocker

Like a bad penny, New York?s most shocking crook-for-hire, the Shocker, always seems to turn up. With an ear out for any and every criminal scheme that might turn a profit, the Shocker has been a constant thorn in the side of Spider-Man and other Big Apple-based Super Heroes for a long, long time. Greed drives this engineer-turned-outlaw, and with the help of his vibro-shock gloves, he is the bane of banks and armor cars throughout the five boroughs.

SHOCKING STARTS

Born Herman Schultz, the man who would become the Shocker dropped out of high school, intent on using his self-taught brilliance in the field of engineering for a fast payday. Schultz immediately fell into a life of crime, opting to pursue robbery, burglary, and safe-cracking as get-rich-quick endeavors.

Eventually, during his third stint in prison, Schultz would use tools and parts found during his assigned work in the prison machine shop to covertly manufacture a weapon that could emit intense vibrational waves. Using his new toy to tear down a prison wall, Schultz escaped and?after wearing a padded costume and mask designed to protect himself from the vibrations he created?anointed himself the Shocker.

Modifying his weapon into a pair of gloves, Schultz would set his sights on stealing lots of cash and destroying safes and vaults with the click of his gauntlets. It was during this initial spree that he would encounter Spider-Man for the first time, notably defeating the Web-slinger in their introductory fight.

GOOD VIBRATIONS

Shocker is a gifted engineer and inventor?innovative when it comes to any tech that can help him achieve his goal of running off with massive amounts of loot. His trademark vibro-gloves, which can be activated with thumb switches on each hand when he makes a fist, emit a series of high-pressure air blasts that deliver a powerful vibrating concussive force. With them, he can unleash vibrational punches that can crumble structures, break into safes, stop vehicles, fell foes, and generally cause chaos and destruction all around him.

Shocker?s suit is specially padded and protected so that Schultz himself isn?t harmed by the potentially lethal power of the vibro-units. The suit can also shake off Spider-Man?s webbing. Over the years, Shocker switches up his gadgetry a few times, sometimes putting the vibro-power in the suit itself, sometimes in his boots, even once in the back of his costume so that a vibration blast could stop sneak attacks.

FRAZZLED FOES

Given his criminal pursuits, Shocker has gathered quite a few foes in the Super Hero community.

First and foremost, the Shocker has been a perpetual pain for New York?s hometown hero Spider-Man. The Wallcrawler is the first Super Hero Shocker encounters after donning his costume for the first time and the one he has crossed paths with the most over the years.

Shocker comes close to defeating Spider-Man on several occasions. Though, he often finds himself undone by serendipitous circumstances, leading him to lose confidence in himself and saddling him with low self-esteem for long stretches of time. Despite their deadly dance though, Shocker has also let Spider-Man go a few times, thinking their rivalry to be a noble one and that neither side should die without dignity.

Shocker also runs afoul of many of New York?s other notable crime fighters, including the Fantastic Four, the Punisher, and lethal vigilante the Scourge, who almost ends him.

SHAKY ALLIANCES

Shocker has made many allies and criminal cohorts during his years of deviant behavior, but no one he can truly count on as a friend and confidant.

One of the first Super Villain groups Shocker joins is Egghead?s Masters of Evil, alongside Radioactive Man, Moonstone, Tiger Shark, and Beetle. Later, he finds himself within the ranks of Hobgoblin?s Sinister Seven and Norman Osborn?s Sinister Twelve. On various occasions, Shocker also teams with Trapster, Rhino, Hydro-Man, Speed Demon, and Boomerang.

?No honor among thieves? is the philosophy that always haunts Shocker, however, as he often finds himself warring with his own teammates in an attempt to either double-cross or thwart someone else?s double-cross. Shocker, in the midst of evil plots, brawls with Tiger Shark, turns on Trapster, rebels against Dr. Octopus, tries to blackmail Simon Steele, inadvertently frames Electro, and feuds with both Rhino and Hydro-Man. His duplicitous nature, along with his easily shaken confidence, makes Shocker a very temperamental partner in crime.