Spider-Man: Homecoming: Who Is The Shocker?

Spider-Man will be facing more than just the Vulture in
Spider-Man: Homecoming, which is now in theaters. The
web-slinger will also face a D-list villain from yesteryear, the
Shocker. Many fans may not be too familiar with this character,
since he doesn’t often appear in the comics. So who is the Shocker
and where does he come from?

This will be the first appearance of Shocker on the big screen.
Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo, Total Recall) plays
Herman Schultz in the film, who goes on to become Shocker #2,
according to IMDb. The comic book version of the
Shocker first made his debut in the pages of The Amazing
Spider-Man #46 in 1967. The character was created by legendary
writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita.

The man under the Shocker mask is New York City-born engineer
Herman Schultz. This inventor dropped out of high school and used
his talents to become the world’s best safe-cracker. However, he
was eventually caught and put in prison for his crimes.

While incarcerated, Schultz developed gauntlets that could shoot
air blasts that vibrate at a high frequency. After using his new
powers to escape prison, he became a super-powered criminal and one
of Spider-Man’s many villains.

In addition to his gauntlets, Shocker developed a suit that
would allow him to absorb the shock from his weapon. In later
years, Schultz upgraded his suit further, allowing him the ability
to create a protective vibrational field. You may be wondering
where the “shock” part comes from The Shocker. Well, his powers are
not at all electricity based; they instead revolve around
projecting and absorbing force or shock.

In the realm of comics, there aren’t a lot of great stories
involving this Silver Age character. Aside from a few one-shots,
the only serious story of note is “The Origin of the Species” from
2010. During that event, Norman Osborn–also known as the Green
Goblin–has a baby, and Spider-Man’s villains are out to take the
Goblin’s kin away from him. Shocker isn’t the star of the story,
but he’s around for the entirety of it.

The book that every comic book fan–and Shocker fan–should read
is Superior Foes of Spider-Man. The 12-issue series
follows a group of Spider-Man’s lesser-known villains as they plan
a heist. The Shocker has his own interesting arc in this book,
which involves him babysitting the disembodied head of
Silvermane–which is shown above. It’s hilarious and one of the few
series that gives readers an inside look into the world of
villainy.

If you’re looking for more stories involving Shocker, check
these comics out.

• Superior Foes of Spider-Man: Not only is it one of
  Marvel’s best and weirdest books of the 21st century, it’s a great
  comedy and heist comic. This was a 12-issue miniseries, available
  in trade.
• “Origin of the Species”: The villains in Spider-Man’s life are
  after the Green Goblin’s child. Takes place in Amazing
  Spider-Man #642-647.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is out now. You can check out our review here. You can also
learn more about characters and elements in the film by checking
out “Who Is The Vulture” and “What Is Damage Control.”