Dr. Arthur Nagan
Dr. Arthur Nagan
is a brilliant surgeon and an even greater inventor. Dr. Nagan
invented an injection that will allow any part of any lifeform to
be replaced by a similar version of that lifeform. Dr. Nagan
thought about how so many parts of the ape's body are superior to
their human counterparts. Dr. Nagan opted for the quick road to
better health and simply had his head transplanted onto the body
of a very robust ape.
Mystery Tales #21-Dr. Arthur Nagan tests his new injection as he attempts to replace a sheep's sick lungs with the healthy lungs of a dog. The operation is a success and Nagan decides he should now try replacing human's organs with an animal's. Nagan gives a dying man an ape's organ and his injection. Two weeks later the man is healthier than ever. Nagan thinks that it would be a good idea to replace in man certain parts of an ape that are generally stronger than that of its human counterpart thereby possibly extending a normal man's life span. Nagan takes a bunch of old rich men with him to Africa in order to capture apes and fashion for the old men young and vital body parts. They capture an ape. One by one Nagan takes the ape's organs out and after placing the ape's parts in the old men he takes the old men's parts and puts them in the apes. The old men are revitalized and thrilled. Nagan thinks about opening an ape organ bank where even young men might come to guarantee longer lives for themselves. Nagan determines that besides the brain and a few minor organs almost the ape's organ's are superior to man's. Later that night the ape with all the used men's organs escapes, but since Nagan was near done with him anyway he figures he will simply go catch another. Three days later Nagan still has not returned from his hunt. They send out search parties. Another three days pass and the search party is not heard from either. One of the men charters a plane to search. Finally they spot Nagan watching them from a bush. The search party is jumped by apes. Nagan says that the first ape warned the others. They figured that since the ape's bodies were so much better than man's they would find a quicker method of transplant. Nagan steps out of the bush to reveal that his entire body is that of an ape's.
Defenders #21- Dr. Nagan watches Hulk leap away grateful that he did so before wrecking his house. Nagan walks back into his house knowing that everyone is gawking and pitying him. Nagan gets back in to find his partner, Jerry Morgan, has perfected the serum they had been working on. Nagan reveals that he has found the candidate to use the serum on, but didn't tell Jerry because he doesn't work well under pressure. Nagan and Morgan meet their new partner Chondu the Mystic. Nagan uses a diamond tipped needle to implant the serum directly into Chondu's skull. Chondu blankets the city in his power. All sleeping people jump up and start acting psychotic. During the confusion Nagan is robbing stores on Diamond Row. He thinks of some new transplant experiments he will fund with the diamonds. Nagan thinks that controlling people is the true power. Nighthawk jumps Nagan from behind, but is stunned when he finds that Nagan is not human. Nagan hits Nighthawk with his bag of stolen goods. Nagan runs away and gets into the getaway car and leaves.
Defenders #31-
Nagan shoots Nighthawk with a tranquilizer and captures
him. Nighthawk awakens bound to a table. Nagan tells Nighthawk
that once they're sure his body is still fit they are going to
remove his brain and put Chondu's brain in his body. Nighthawk
asks what will happen to his brain. Nagan says that unless they
find some special use for it they'll probably just throw it away.
The Defenders defeat Chondu, but don't realize it is him because
he is in the real body of Nighthawk.
Defenders #32- Strange discovers Chondu's identity. Nagan ponders squeezing Nighthawk's brain and destroying it, but is stopped by Jerry Morgan. Nagan introduces Ruby to Morgan. With Jack Norris controlling Nighthawk's body the Defenders track Nighthawk's brain to Nagan's house. Ruby catches them by surprise knocking them all out when her head explodes.
Defenders #33- Chondu the Mystic watches through a globe
in the body of a deer Strange placed his consciousness. Nagan
carries Valkyrie and Strange as Ruby carries Hulk to the lab.
Nagan hooks Hulk, Strange, and Valkyrie up to a thought pattern
altering machine. They leave Nighthawk off because they think he
is still Chondu. Since the process takes a while Nagan calls a
meeting. Nagan wants a full report on Chondu's activities, but
Jack Norris manages to deflect the question by asking about the
group's true focus. Nagan says that they are all shunned by
society and all fell that their superior intellects qualifies
them to rule the world. Nagan lets the Defenders up, but they
still remember that they want Nighthawk's brain. The effects of
the mind control won't be revealed for some time. Nagan shoulder
blocks Valkyrie, but then has to dodge the Hulk's blow. Hulk hits
the ground and levels the house. Jack Norris grabs Nighthawk's
brain and flies away. Nagan still thinks Chondu is in Nighthawk's
body so he doesn't worry. Ruby ensnares the Defenders in a sticky
goo that allows Nagan and the others to escape.
Defenders #35- Dr. Nagan finishes "improving" Chondu the Mystic's original body. As he, Jerry Morgan, and Ruby walk out they are stunned to see Nebulon and a fawn suddenly appear. Nebulon turns to yell at the fawn for accessing his dimension spanning powers. Nagan asks who he is and what he is doing here. Nebulon answers that coming here was not of his own choice. Chondu the deer spells out in psychic power that he is Chondu. Nagan grabs the fawn by the neck asking him how he could've failed. Chondu sends a mental projection blaming Strange for his current state. Once they understand what has happened Ruby asks Nebulon if he wants to stick around. Nebulon doesn't and teleports away. Nagan says that suits him as he didn't care for Nebulon's looks. Besides Chondu deserves their attention now. Dr. Nagan finishes putting Chondu back into his "improved" body. Chondu now has crimson bat-wings, a horn on his head, fangs, the tongue of a serpent, lampreys have replaced his arms, and the legs, feet, and talons of a large bird. Ruby explains to Chondu that his mind is now immortal and can be placed in a new body if he wants. Chondu is defeated by Valkyrie while trying to get a new body.
Defenders annual #1- After watching a tape from Jack Norris that reveals to them that they have been the victim of mind control, by Arthur Nagan, the Defenders decide they need to investigate the actions of both Nebulon and the Headsmen. In France, Nighthawk and Red Guardian discover that the "Bozeau" or Nebulon's bozo followers are in direct conflict with Compagnie de Lux, a corporation that Nighthawk realizes he funds. Red Guardian takes the place of a female Bozeau and winds up talking to Nebulon, via teleconferencing, about her "triumph". When Guardian begins to recommend something she is taken for reconditioning. Nighthawk discovers that Arthur Nagan is the head of Compagnie de Lux. Nighthawk sees the Bozeau building now missing among some smoke, and Jerry Morgan holding the gun that did it. When Nighthawk gets closer Morgan blasts Nighthawk too. In India, Cage and Valkyrie come across Dr. Arthur Nagan who is shrinking people down and placing them in a box. Valkyrie has the box and runs with it. Nagan sends his troops after her, and Nagan himself stays behind to deal with Luke Cage. Cage flips Nagan off his back. Nagan tries an ethnic slur to raise Cage's ire. Cage attacks, but Nagan side steps. Cage is distracted by a group of dying people long enough for Nagan to gas him into a miniature state. Nagan's help fights for their solution to population control. Nagan returns and shrinks Valkyrie. The two of them are placed in Nagan's box. In Los Angeles, Jack Noriss exposes Ruby Thursday as Ruby of the Headsmen, but is captured after doing so. In Washington DC, the president is about to appoint Mr. Nebul to the UN when Strange uses magic to clamp his mouth. Suddenly the president, Mr. Nebul, and Dr. Strange all disappear in a puff of smoke. Nagan and the other Headsmen now control the Earth with the president, the leader of India, the Defenders, and Nebulon all shrunk by Jerry Morgan's reducing gas. Nebulon says that their energies are useless in the dome. Strange sends his spirit form for help. Hulk comes crashing into the Headsmen's hideout. Ruby tries to shoot Hulk with her head floating around him. Hulk gets his hand stuck in Ruby's head. Hulk smashes open the dome, and returns the others to regular size. Hulk defeats Ruby wrapping her head in a steel piece. Power Man knocks out Dr. Nagan. Dr. Strange goes inside Nebulon's mind and shows him what it means to be human. Nebulon says Earth is beyond redemption. He leaves. Strange says they must set out to dissolve the Headsmen's power base.
Sensational She-Hulk #1- Dr. Arthur Nagan, and the Headsmen, hire the Ringmaster and the Circus of Crime to test the She-Hulk. Nagan monitors Ringmaster as he defies the plans of Nagan and his three million dollar fee. Jerry Morgan says he doesn't like the plan, or how Chondu will react to it. Nagan says he isn't concerned about that. She-Hulk has an altercation with a runaway wagon. Nagan puts on a gorilla's mask to walk around the circus. As the Circus accuses Princess Python of the wagon rolling incident they see a gorilla out and tell Glamazonia to re-capture it. She-Hulk bursts through the car's wall. Nagan has to run. Nagan throws barrels at She-Hulk, but she bats them away. Nagan leaps over She-Hulk, grabs Ringmaster's hat, and reverses Ringmaster's hypnosis. She-Hulk captures the Circus of Crime so Nagan says they can use the three million to hire someone else. He hands Ringmaster's hat to Ruby.
Sensational She-Hulk #2- Nagan continues to monitor She-Hulk. This time Nagan hired Mysterio to capture She-Hulk. Since She-Hulk views Mysterio as no threat he gets over confidant and he gases her unconscious. Nagan offers Mysterio a place in the Headsmen, but Mysterio declines. Nagan gives him the suitcase. Morgan is worried that Mysterio will get revenge because they gave him counterfeit thousands and newsprint. Nagan says he has already taken steps to ensure Mysterio won't bother them. Nagan wants She-Hulk's body to put Chondu's head on it. Chondu has been driven insane by the "improvements" Nagan put on his original body. Nagan starts to cut She-Hulk's head off.
Sensational She-Hulk #3- Nagan, and the other Headsmen discover that She-Hulk's body is still about 95% functional without her head on it. Spider-Man deactivates the device meant to kill Mysterio. Mysterio gives up the Headsmen and their location to Spider-Man. Spider-Man arrives in time to help the Headsmen with a rampaging Chondu. Spidey webs him to the ceiling. Ruby tries to shoot Spider-Man, but he dodges. Nagan tries to grab him, but Spider-Man flips him. Morgan uses She-Hulk's body by remote control to fight him. She-Hulk wakes up to see her body fighting Spider-Man. Nagan says to confuse Spider-Man they need to confuse his "danger sense". They attack from all angles and She-Hulk's body grabs him and smashes him against a wall. Nagan tells She-Hulk's head that he put the device in Mysterio's suitcase because he knew it would call out to Spider-Man's spider-sense. He had hoped Spider-Man would get rid of Mysterio before he could tell Spider-Man about them. Nagan finishes putting Chondu's head on She-Hulk's body. Chondu isn't pleased again. Chondu throws Nagan. Chondu throws Ruby. He grabs Spider-Man and says he wants to have a powerful MALE body. Spidey wakes up and knocks Chondu's head off. A tiny head inside the neck brace tells Spider-Man that the body is a clone of She-Hulk's. They were unable to cut She-Hulk's head off. The Headsmen try to escape in a big spikey vehicle. Spidey puts She-hulk in front of the thing, and She-Hulk rips it in two. Nagan tries to run, but She-Hulk punches him unconscious. The Headsmen are taken into custody.
Avengers: Deathtrap- The Vault- Dr, Nagan is seen being freed from his cell by Electro. Nagan is not pictured again, but suffice it to say the villains lose.
Web of Spider-Man #73- Dr. Arthur Nagan, and the other Headmen, sit inside a van outside Alicia Masters gallery show that Peter Parker is attending. Chondu asks if Spider-Man is near. Nagan tells Chondu to relax or he will burn out the life support systems that he installed in his neck. Chondu says he wants Spider-Man’s body. They are able to track Spider-Man’s bio signature from when they ran tests on him during She-Hulk #1-3. At the gallery the window smashes in. Nagan leaps through. He tells everyone that he just wants Spider-Man. As Peter rushes off to change Johnny Storm turns to the Human Torch. Torch puts a flame circle around Nagan. Nagan leaps out of the fire, and grabs a woman. He says he will snap the woman’s neck. Ruby strikes Torch down from behind. Spider-Man swings in. Spider-Man kicks Nagan in the face, and then dodges until Torch wakes up. Torch circles them all in flame. Ruby shoots arrows out of her head, and the flame circle dies, as Torch must dodge. Nagan leaps at Spider-Man. Spider-Man double punches into Nagan’s face. The fight goes on until Spider-Man grabs Nagan and spins him around and around, and then throws him into the other Headmen. Spider-Man webs them down and leaves to change back into Parker.
Marvel Comics Presents #97-
Defenders vol. 2 #8- behind the scenes
RETURN TO DR. STRANGE'S DEFENDERS