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History

Hugh Bradley (Earth-616) from Captain America Comics Vol 1 14 0002

Hugh Bradley

Hugh Bradley was part of a Mojave Indian Agency that traded with the Native Americans that lived in the Mojave Desert. At some point during World War II, he became a traitor to his country by allying himself with the Imperial Japanese and became a spy, due to promises of great wealth. He assisted in subversive activities by using his knowledge of the Native Americans to create the secret identity of the Vulture. Gathering a group of easily manipulated Native Americans to form the "Vulture Tribe", then arming them to attack a shipment of explosives being shipped from Camp Lehigh to Camp Mojave.

Unfortunately for the Vulture, among the caravan were Private Steve Rogers and company mascot James Barnes who managed to fight off the Vulture and his men as Captain America and Bucky.

Later, resuming his civilian guise, Hugh then presented himself to the military with information on the Vulture Tribe. Feeding them misinformation how the tribe is an ancient society that hates white people, he offered to try and ferret out members among the Blackhawk tribe in the area. That night, resuming his guise as the Vulture, Bradley and his minions caught Captain America and Bucky snooping around the ancient Native American village which they were hiding out in. The Vulture had Captain America knocked out and took Bucky and a prospector named Pete (who was unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time) prisoner.

Captain America soon caught up to the Vulture and, deducing that he was really a Japanese spy, battled him one-on-one. Knocking out the Vulture, Cap went looking for Bucky and Pete in the Vulture's temple hideout. There, the revived Vulture activated a massive robot disguised as a statue of a Native American idol. While Cap was busy fighting off this robot, the Vulture attempted to kill him with a grenade. However, the resulting explosion only separated the two men between a wall of rubble. Returning to his prisoners, the Vulture had Bucky and Pete tossed into a pit that was rapidly flooded with water, hoping to drown them. Captain America soon freed Bucky and Pete, and they caught the Vulture with a Japanese general plotting their next move. A fight broke out, and Cap, Bucky and Pete were able to beat everyone into submission. With the Vulture defeated, the Japanese soldiers and rogue Native Americans surrendered. Captain America then unmasked the Vulture revealing him to be Hugh Bradley.[1]

Bradley's status after unrevealed, but presumably he was taken into military custody. His fate following the end of World War II remains unrecorded.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Bradley wore a disguise that made him appear to be Native American, including a lifelike mask and likely make-up on all of his exposed skin. He wore a wooden mask fashioned in the shake of a vulture's beak on his face that obscured his nose.

Weapons

As the Vulture, Bradley wielded a traditional Native American bow and a quiver of arrows.

See Also

Links and References

References

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