Digger (Marvel Comics)

Digger is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

The Roderick Krupp version of Digger first appeared as a story narrator/host in the horror anthology series Tower of Shadows #1 (September 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, the Roderick Krupp version of Digger played a role similar to that of Tales from the Crypt's The Crypt Keeper of the 1950s EC Comics and later HBO television series. 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 the Man-Thing, a four-issue miniseries 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. The Digger sequences in the miniseries 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.

The Gamma Mutate version of Digger first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2 #51 and was created by J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr.

Roderick Krupp
Digger generally is depicted with green skin, although in some instances it appears blue.

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. The team made the mansion its headquarters. Krupp was eventually apprehended by the Mockingbird of the superhero team the Avengers.

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. The virus cloud begins to rain blood, and reanimates the Night Shift as zombies. 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.

Digger and the rest of the Night Shift are hired by Snapdragon to kill the Moon Knight on behalf of Count Nefaria who was operating as the Kingpin of Los Angeles. When they fail and are bailed out of prison by Snapdragon's lawyer, Count Nefaria reduces Digger, Dansen Macabre, the Needle, the Tatterdemalion, Tick-Tock, and the Misfit to ashes.

During the "Spider-Geddon" storyline, Digger and Dansen Macabre turn up alive as they, the Brothers Grimm, Skein, and new member Waxman rob a bus of people only to be thwarted by the Superior Octopus (Doctor Octopus' mind in a Proto-Clone of Peter Parker). The Superior Octopus agrees to spare them more pain in exchange that the Night Shift becomes his agents, where he will compensate them from his own funds. They agree to the terms and are ordered to return the stolen items. The Superior Octopus leaves, advising them never to cross him or they will not live long enough to regret it.

Digger was later with the Night Shift when they assisted the Superior Spider-Man in fighting Terrax. Then they assisted in searching for survivors.

Digger, Dansen Macarbe, and Skein fight Spider-Man of Earth-41145 and Spiders-Man of Earth-11580 and are defeated by them.

As a restored Doctor Octopus watches the funeral of his Elliot Tolliver alias from afar, Digger is seen finishing his digging. He is told by Doctor Octopus to distribute a severance pay to the rest of the Night Shift in exchange that they don't bother him again and warns them to not go visit the Brothers Grimm in the hospital.

Gamma mutate
On July 3, 1957, crime boss Morris Forelli killed the six rival crime bosses Freddie Carnevale, Santo Castellani, Jimmy "Little Man" Desanti, Louis Fredone, Tony Mascapone, George Sims, and their chief lieutenants during a meeting in Las Vegas and buried their bodies in the desert. Sometime later, a gamma bomb test occurred in the part of the desert where they were buried which fused their corpses together into a patchwork gamma zombie who planned revenge on Morris Forelli. Because Digger is made up of those criminals, Digger is referred to with pronouns like "we" and "them". This led to Digger encountering Spider-Man who managed to defeat them with a plan that would render them inert.

Sometime later, the Green Door allowed Digger to revive themselves like it did with every gamma-based character and they became an underling of Rose at the time when he was meeting with Tombstone and White Rabbit.

During the "Gang War" storyline, Digger informs Rose that their men are ready. When Beetle leads the Sinister Syndicate to Sugar Hill, Manhattan to claim it from Diamondback, they find that the rest of the men not defeated by the Sinister Syndicate had been defeated by Rose and Digger. Digger and Rose fight the Sinister Six until some armored soldiers come in with one of them quoting "Light 'em up"! As the armored soldiers working for Wilson Fisk take Rose away, Digger recovers from the attack as Beetle and White Rabbit tell them what happened while offering him a job. Digger was seen with the Sinister Syndicate and their allies when they are facing the Maggia. They tell White Rabbit that Rose is currently getting disciplined by his father. During the battle in Central Park, Digger tackles Count Nefaria. He and Beetle are blasted by Madame Masque's gauntlets which she received from Rabble, but both of them make a good recovery by the time Spider-Man and his allies arrive. As Tombstone orders White Rabbit to have those on their side pull out of Central Park, Digger tackles Spider-Woman and Elektra's Daredevil appearance on their way out.

Powers and abilities
The Roderick Krupp version of Digger has a slightly superhuman level of strength and excellent regeneration. He also feels little to no pain.

The gamma mutate version of Digger possesses super-strength, enhanced durability, super-speed, enhanced agility, revival through the Green Door, and the combined criminal memories and skills of the criminals that make them up.

Marvel MAX
The Roderick Krupp version of Digger hosts Dead of Night Featuring the Man-Thing, a four-issue miniseries starring an alternate continuity version of the Man-Thing.