History
Angola was a country in Southern Africa, bordered by Umbazi to the north-northwest, by the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north-northeast, by Zambia to the east, by Burunda and Namibia to the south, and by the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Cabinda was an Angolan exclave and province, separated from the rest of Angola by a strip of territory belonging to Democratic Republic of the Congo.[1]
The territory currently known as Angola was under Portuguese control as a colony. In 1452, Portuguese explorer Rugato Munoz travelled inland from the Angolan coast, discovering the communities that would eventually become Burunda, first another Portuguese colony, until in the 20th century both Angola and Burunda became independent countries.[1]
In recent years, Angola had been ravaged by military conflicts,[2] including with neighboring country Democratic Republic of the Congo[1] and in its own land,[3] which required intervention of both international professional military[4] and soldiers of fortune.[5] S.H.I.E.L.D. agents "Dum Dum" Dugan and Jasper Sitwell, and possibly others, had parachuted in Angolan territory just in the middle of a skirmish, except for Sitwell who miscalculated, failed to reach the drop zone and was stuck on a tree for some time.[4] Mercenary Jean-Paul "Frenchie" Duchamp was also active in Angola, where he helped an unnamed American male to the point of the latter feeling indebted to Duchamp; he'd settle this account years later by giving Duchamp information the latter was looking for.[5] A surplus of military weaponry was available in Angola and Microchip obtained at least two Russia-made TM-46 anti-tank land mines in Angola for the use of his partner the Punisher,[2] yet other mines remained there: mercenary Andrew Booth was active in Angola when he accidentally stepped on a mine, his flesh mutilated by the shrapnel. Booth's associates recovered him and saved his life by turning him into a robotic-looking cyborg who adopted the name Assassin-8. Years later, with Booth settled in London, a manipulative stranger convinced him that Spider-Man[3] (who had never met Booth or been to Angola)[6] was responsible for the bomb that had changed Booth's life for the worse,[3] so that Booth would try and kill Spider-Man;[7] Booth failed in this mission and was accidentally killed, still believing in Spider-Man's guilt.[6]
In more recent times, Burunda was ruled by deranged General-President Raul Bushman, known to perform atrocities on his population.[8] Burunda decided to close its borders with Angola and Namibia,[1][8] which was good for these latter countries as it prevented Bushman's barbarousness from infecting their own countries. This failed to stop either Moon Knight or Arsenal from illegally entering Burunda's territory from Angola, both to oppose Bushman's regime.[8]
While Angola recognized the sovereignity of Krakoa,[9] the Angolans still were reluctant to comply with their obligations. Angola agreed to give Krakoa some captured mutants in exchange for a shipment of medicines but, when the Angolan soldiers met with Krakoan represenatives Bishop and Pyro, members of the Marauders, the Angolans tried to alter the conditions in their own favor, even threatening to resort to violence. As they were meeting on a beach and the weather was inclement, Bishop bluffed that their partner Storm was causing a tempest that, Pyro added, could easily end up with lightning bolts directly launched to the metal weapons the soldiers were holding. Intimidated, the Angolan soldiers agreed to comply with the original agreement. Storm would only know about this exchange months later.[10]
Alternate Realities[]
Earth-1218 (Our Reality)[]
Manly Wade Wellman (1903-1986), reputed author of fantasy, science-fiction and horror stories published in pulp magazines, and writer of stories published in Captain America Comics #11 (1941) and Captain America Comics #16 (1942) for Timely Comics, was born in 1903 in the village of Kamundongo in Angola, then Portuguese West Africa.[11]
In 2002, Marvel writer Michael Fleisher (1942-2018) became a freelance anthropological consultant on research assignments for humanitarian organizations around the world, travelling to Angola in 2007.[12]
After leaving Marvel in 2012, writer Michael Hoskin (b. 1978) became a missionary and spent a year in Angola, improving the quality of a local library.[13]
Earth-11326 (Age of X)[]
On Earth-11326, Gambit's adopted father Jean-Luc LeBeau was imprisoned in Angola, under unrevealed charges.[14]
Earth-82324 (Home to Miracleman)[]
On Earth-82324, British terrorist Steven Cambridge met an American man in Angola who told him about a nuclear explosion the latter had witnessed in Yucca Flats; the American man was later killed by Communist forces.[15]
Earth-199999 (Marvel Cinematic Universe)[]
On Earth-199999, Elektra had an Angolan teacher of Capoeira who returned to Angola during the winter season; as Elektra could not learn Capoeira during that time, she was taught ballet.[16]
In present times, Angola was technologically advanced enough to have Internet servers providing international service, including one in the city of Luanda. One of these servers was used to transmit part of the code of the Framework, a technology that, after being modified by Holden Radcliffe, had become too powerful to be processed except in a distributed way all over the world, making it more difficult to track.[17]
Reality Unknown ("Blechhula!")[]
In a world based on blaxploitation movies combined with the horror genre, Angola was not the name of a country, but of the wife of an African Prince who visited Transylvania. Count Dracula wooed Angola in vain, then, when opposed by the Prince, turned the Prince into a vampire and imprisoned Angola in a cell, apparently until she died. Centuries later, the Prince came back as a vampire and found a woman who looked like his long-lost wife.[18]Points of Interest
Trivia
- In a memo from Henry Gyrich to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s G.W. Bridge discussing Cable's so-called task force, Gyrich mentioned "that whole Angola thing" out of context, suggesting that Cable (or his impersonator Stryfe) may have had operated in Angola.[19]
See Also
- 3 appearance(s) of Angola
- 10 mention(s) of Angola
- 2 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Angola
- 4 image(s) of Angola
- 1 article(s) related to Angola
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Marvel Atlas #2
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Punisher Armory #7
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Spider-Man (UK) #607
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. #3
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Marc Spector: Moon Knight #34
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Spider-Man (UK) #610
- ↑ Spider-Man (UK) #609
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Marc Spector: Moon Knight #13
- ↑ House of X #5
- ↑ Marauders #20
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Schweitzer, Darrell. "Wellman, Manly Wade", in St. James Guide To Fantasy Writers, ed. David Pringle, London, St. James Press, 1996, ISBN 1-55862-205-5, (p. 596-98).
Pelan, John (2010). Manly Made Wellman: American Mythmaker (Epilogue to Hellboy: The Crooken Man and Others). Epilogue: Dark Horse Comics. ISBN 978-1-59582-477-6. - ↑ Michael Fleisher: Comic Book Writer, 1942-2018. Retrieved on 27 August 2024.
- ↑ Michael Hoskin's profile at universomarvel.com. Retrieved on 16 July 2024.
- ↑ Age of X Communiqués #2
- ↑ Miracleman #1
- ↑ Marvel's Daredevil S2E05
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S4E14
- ↑ Spoof #4
- ↑ Cable - Blood and Metal #1