Summary

Howard the Duckis a Marvel character like no other . A talking , anthropomorphic duck’s egg from another dimension , Howard is the inspiration of writer Steve Gerber and creative person Val Mayerik . From the get go , Howard ’s solo title scar the fowl against a all-inclusive variety of screwball characters , in a variety of flakey situations . From Regency - era real estate broker to vampire Bos taurus , Howard the Duck gave the Marvel Universe a act of kooky character , and here are the 10 best , ranked .

10Heathcliff Rochester

First Appearance:Howard the Duck#6

Howard encountered the odd Heathcliff Rochester ahead of time in his fourth dimension on Earth . A material estate agent , Heathcliff , was put in charge of sell a supposedly haunted firm , and mistook Howard for the buyer . His name is a mashup of Heathcliff , from Emily Brontë’sWuthering Heightsand Mister Rochester , from Charlotte Bronte’sJane Eyre . pull from his namesake , Heathcliff Rochester coif up as a Regency - era highjacker , right down to the gymnastic horse . Billing himself as a “ lifestyle consultant,”this cosplaying real estate agent is but one of many freakish fictional character originating inHoward the Duck .

Cult hero Howard the Duck celebrates his 50th day of remembrance and Marvel has used the occasion to call out a harsh truth about him .

9SUDD, the Scrubbing Bubble That Walks Like a Man

First Appearance:Howard the Duck#20

Aplay on a classic can bowl cleaner ad , SUDD was one of the untamed characters first appear inHoward the Duck . SUDD began life as a regular homo who worked as a dishwashing machine . An acolyte of the bizarre and puritanical SOOFI fad , he was transformed into a tool made of soap bubble after an accident . Armed with these raw powers , SUDD begins “ clean up ” the street and scatter the SOOFI schedule . Howard was able to stop SUDD by hitting him with common household chemical , such as maize succus . SUDD ’s appearance was a harbinger of Howard ’s battle with the SOOFIs in the following issue .

8Bessie, the Vampire Cow

First Appearance:Giant-Size Man-Thing#5

Bessie the Vampire Cow was one of the first “ baddie ” Howard the Duck facedafter arriving in our reality . Bessie was a regular cow , but after Dracula attacked her , she became one of the undead , go on a killing rampage . Howard becomes a reluctant vampire hunter , in the end destroying Bessie . Bessie the Vampire Cow comprehend just about everything expectant aboutHoward the Duck . The book trafficked in surreal theatrical role and dark humor , two boxes that Bessie the Vampire Cow checks . Having such a wild character early on was a good indication of what direction Gerber was taking Howard .

7Le Beaver

First Appearance:Howard the Duck#9

Le Beaver was one of Howard the Duck ’s most unequaled enemy , and the man who undermine his run for President . A Canadian “ superpatriot , ” Le Beaver , seek retaliation on the United States for queer his effort to dam Niagara Falls . His next campaign was to arrange Howard ’s Presidential bid , and then blur him , causing price to the American psyche . Le Beaver ’s avowedly dark scheme was countervail by his absurd castor exoskeleton . This type ofjuxtaposition , of dark and comedic elements , was common inHoward the Duck , and Le Beaver exemplified it .

The ' 90s innovate some truly flaky ideas to Marvel Comics persistence , include and specially in What If ? comics . Here ’s the 10 most underrated !

6The Spanker

First Appearance:Marvel Treasury Edition#12

Social commentary was abound inHoward the Duck , and the Spanker good representedthis . The Spanker was once the headmaster of a individual school , stripped of his rubric for overweening paddling . cuss revenge on high society , he became the Spanker , dish out corporal punishment to anyone who make in his means . While the character is over the top , he is make a pointed commentary on spanking . somatic penalization , which includes spanking , was still common practice in the mid-1970s , and Gerber used aHoward the Duckstory to call it out .

5The Kidney Lady

First Appearance:Howard the Duck#2

Not every oddball character inHoward the Duckwas a one - off villain – some of them would become fall back characters , such as the Kidney Lady . Howard first match the Kidney Lady on a bus not long after arriving in our reality . She believes in a vast conspiracy that exists solely to poison people ’s kidney , including hers . The Kidney Lady has a lamentable backstory : she was jilted by a door - to - door salesman . Broken up , she sought solacement in a book on kidneys . The Kidney Lady travel the buses of Cleveland , spreading her message to anyone who will mind – but mostly annoying fellow passenger .

4Winky-Man

First Appearance:Howard the Duck#4

Unlikeother role on this list , who were Howard ’s foes , Winky - Man was somethingof an ally . Another resident of Howard and Beverly Switzler ’s apartment building , artist Paul Same , was having vivid dreams , 1 where he was a costume vigilance man . shortly , these dreams started coming true in the wake world , leave to one of the most flaky costume vigilance man in the Marvel Universe : Winky - Man ! Paul would become one of Howard ’s best friends , deal many risky venture with him . The mind for the character finds Echo in the cult hero Sleepwalker .

In his 50th anniversary special , Howard the Duck has some option actor’s line for a group that desire to gain all IP and broadcast their stories to the galaxy .

3Pro-Rata, Chief Accountant of the Universe

First Appearance:Howard the Duck#1

By the time Howard get his own title , he had already fight some really bizarre villains , but Pro - Rata ’s arriver signaled the beginning of greatness . A financial wizard in both senses of the Logos , Pro - Rata mixed the worlds of finance and magic . Residing in a tower built of quotation circuit board ( yes , really ) , Pro - Rata sought the Jeweled Key , which he believed would make him a graven image . Pro - Rata kidnapped Howard to force him to retrieve the Key , but Howard was able-bodied to give up him . Pro - Rata is also notable for introducing Howard to Beverly Switzler , his respectable friend on Earth .

2The Turnip Man

Arthur Winslow , the Turnip Man , was one of the airheaded foes Howard the Duck confront – and also one of the most powerful . The friend and roommate of Beverly Switzler , Arthur worked as a dark watcher while waiting for his literary life history to take off . One night , Winslow bump a turnip from outer blank that bring together with him and promised to accomplish his fantasies of being a hero . Instead , the turnip led Arthur on a violent disorder , one that Howard was able to stop . The turnip was destroyed , and Arthur was able to resume his normal life – and was never seen again .

1Doctor Bong

First Appearance:Howard the Duck#15

Doctor Bong is the weirdest , most unmated villain Howard the Duck ever encountered . While the name may lead fans to think of the instrument used to fume marijuana , in fact Doctor Bong ’s name derives from his bell - regulate head . When rung , it can do a number of amazing feat , such as teleport Doctor Bong anywhere on Earth . Doctor Bong is easy the most powerful villain on this list , and while others have only come along in the pages ofHoward the Duck , Bong would go on to jeopardize others , including Deadpool , as well .

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Howard the Duckwas a watershed record book in Marvel history , marking the instant when the counterculture invaded the Marvel Universe . Steve Gerber and his collaborators infused it with a number of surreal elements , including some truly outrageous , off - the - bulwark characters .

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Howard the Duck looks exasperated as Spider-Man peers through a window at him

Split image of Captain America by Ed Brubaker and Daredevil by Frank Miller

Howard the Duck along with the Avengers, including Doctor Strange and Hulk

Howard the Duck Harsh Truth 50th