Origin
Richard Deacon was a thug that associated himself with other lowlife criminals. Deacon and his crew would kidnapped an older gentleman and a young woman. They were held hostage in a rundown building down by the Waterfront until the police arrived. Spider-Man entered the building and took down most of the thugs. Deacon ran out of the building with the girl until Spider-Man saved her. Deacon went out fighting and shot it out with the cops. Deacon was apparently hit and fell into the river. Deacon never surfaced and was presumed dead. Deacon survived and overheard a conversation between Jonah Jameson and Dr. Harlan Stillwell about the creation of a new hero to get rid of Spider-Man. Jameson left the building as Dr. Stillwell was finishing his progress with musca domestica, the common house fly. Deacon crawled into Stillwell’s secret laboratory and forced him at gunpoint to transform him into a new man so he can get his revenge on Spider Man. Deacon was strapped to Stillwell’s machine and within seconds, all his atoms were impregnated with the genetic coding of the common fly. The transformation was successful and Deacon became the human Fly. Jameson received a phone call from Dr. Stillwell and was told that something has come up. Jameson rushed to the secret laboratory and found Dr. Stillwell dead from a gunshot to the heart. Jameson heard this constant buzzing near him until he was swept away by the Fly and held captive. The Fly flew into the office of Robbie Robertson with Peter Parker present and told them that he had Jameson. Deacon told them that he will hold Jameson captive until he gets a crack at Spider Man. Deacon wanted Spider-Man to meet him at the New York Colosseum at midnight with the press and television crews present. Spider-Man eventually appears and the Fly strikes. Spider-Man fakes a fall during the fight and lays low until the Fly reveals Jameson’s location. Jameson is tied up, perched high on a metal girder with the Fly as Spider-Man tries to creep in from behind. The Fly can see in all directions and smacks Spider-Man. The Fly tosses Jameson off the building but Spider-Man saves him with his web net. Spider Man webs up the Fly’s wings so he can’t unleash an ultrasonic backlash and proceeds to bombard the villain with kicks and punches. The Fly is finally taken down with one thunderous right punch and webbed up for the authorities.
Creation
The Fly was created by Len Wein and Bill Mantlo in 1976 and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual # 10.
Story Arcs
The Fly reappears in New York and follows a man from the Egyptian Delegation to his hotel room. The Fly breaks through the window and steals his invitation to the King Tut exhibit. The Fly would run into Spider-Man and Jameson who were linked together with a bomb attached to their wrists. The Fly fought both men on the building rooftops but Spider-Man could barely defend himself with Jameson handcuffed to him. The Fly would throw both men off the building and assumed the wall-crawler was dead when he was laid out on the streets below. Spider-Man survived the fall and suffered a concussion. Deacon entered the King Tut exhibit dressed as a regular civilian and placed a small package behind a gold statue. Spider-Man suspected that the Fly was somewhere inside the exhibit and entered through a rooftop window. The guards saw Spider-Man inside the Egyptian exhibit when the package left by the Fly exploded. The Fly set off a smoke bomb as a distraction so he could steal precious artifacts from the Art of Dresden show while the guards were preoccupied with the King Tut exhibit. Spider Man would catch up to the Fly as he tried to escape with his loot. A fight would ensue outside in the snow but the Fly manages to escape when he slams Spider-Man into a concrete obelisk. The Fly is later apprehended by the police when they shoot him down with a special gun provided by SHIELD.
The Fly would later seek out the assistance of Dr. Karl Malus when his powers were slowly deteriorating and would gradually fade into nothingness. Dr. Malus recommended transferring the powers of another superhuman into Deacon’s body and settled on Spider-Woman as the best choice. The Fly attempted to kidnap a man named Scotty McDowell who was placed in a cryogenic freeze-unit inside a hospital to lure out Spider-Woman. However, the Fly didn’t anticipate the curvaceous beauty to be there when he broke into the hospital and was forced to flee when he was zapped by a venom-blast. The Fly would later lure Spider-Woman out when he causes a freeway overpass to collapse with his ultrasonic backlash. Spider Woman hits the Fly with another venom-blast but he is not fazed due to a special cybernetic retrieval cell attached to his arm. This cell was able to absorb most of the ray-blast and with it, Dr. Malus learned that Spider-Woman’s body had bio-regenerative capabilities that enabled her to fire bio-electric bursts. Dr. Malus told the Fly that a full scale blood infusion was absolutely necessary if he hoped to acquire Spider-Woman’s power on a permanent basis. The Fly would return to the hospital and successfully steal Mr. McDowell’s body inside the cryogenic chamber. Spider-Woman disguised herself as a male civilian inside Mr. McDowell’s room and followed the Fly back to Dr. Malus. Spider Woman crashed the party and was able to defeat the Fly when she vaulted over his backlash emission and knock him out with a punch.
Moon Knight and his friend, Frenchie would find the Fly breaking into the apartment of the vacationing rich. The Fly enters through a sliding glass door and pops open the safe with an ultrasonic backlash from his wings. He empties the safe and proceeds outside. He notices Moon Knight from behind and smacks him with a left backhand. Moon Knight kicks the Fly in the gut and he falls off the building. Moon Knight checks the ledge and sees the Fly standing safely on the building wall. The Fly lunges at Moon Knight and punches him in the face. The Fly starts beating his wings at top speed and unleashes a powerful backlash that severely injures Moon Knight. The Fly escapes while Moon Knight is unable to walk due to serious spinal damage.
Deacon’s insect physiology begins to take over his mind and the Fly has disgusting urges when it comes to food. The Fly would raid a garbage scow on its way to the Brooklyn landfill because he is interested in their cargo. The Fly takes the crew out of commission and begins to feast on the garbage. Deacon reasserts himself after his meal and realizes he is becoming more insect than man. The Fly blamed Spider-Man and Jonah Jameson for everything and wanted to strike back. The Fly would come to the Daily Bugle and seek out Jameson. The Fly is about to pummel Jameson until he gets distracted by spilled soda and couldn’t resist. Spider-Man and the Black Cat come to the aid of Jameson but the sex-kitten is blasted from an ultrasonic backlash. The Fly and Spider-Man take the fight to the press rooms when Deacon is suddenly distracted by a half-eaten sandwich left from a worker. The sandwich ends up with Jameson until he gets lifted off his feet by the Fly. Deacon dropped Jameson right above the giant press machine but was saved by the Black Cat. Spider-Man socks the Fly on the chin and wraps him up with his webbing. The Fly warns Spider Man that his powers would go screwy one day and proceeds to finish his sandwich with moldy cheese.
The Fly would be placed in the Bwainstein Psychiatric Center for the Criminally Maladjusted and held inside a concrete cell. Two workers were going to feed the Fly his daily regiment of potato peelings, banana skins, rotten fruits and vegetables when they noticed a huge hole in the wall. The Fly escaped and was seeking vengeance on Spider-Man. The Fly would hide in an alley across town until he sees Spider Man swinging towards him. The Fly notices a simple trash man nearby but ignores him as he takes flight. The Fly is shot in the back and falls into the dumpster. The Scourge of the Underworld was disguised as the trash man and claims the Fly as another victim.
Dark Reign
Currently the Hood has resurrected some of the victims killed by the Scourge of the Underworld including the Fly. The Hood has augmented the abilities of some of these resurrected criminals which makes them much more dangerous. The Hood told his new army that the Scourge was secretly the Punisher and he has ordered them to eliminate Frank Castle. The spell that brought them back to life only lasts thirty days and only the Hood can extend their lives.
The Fly ends up wreaking havoc in a shady motel after he kills a girl named Tina and eats the flesh off of one of her thighs exposing bone. A girl named Millie calls for help and a four man SWAT team gets ready to move in. The men enter the room and fire a barrage at the Fly. Deacon blocks the gunfire with his wings and rush towards the men. The Fly decapitates three men with his wings and sears the flesh off of one man’s face with his acidic vomit. The Fly takes the girl hostage when the Punisher appears. The Fly deflects Castle’s attack with his wings and kills his female hostage with his vomit. The Punisher tackles the Fly and begins to punch him with his spiked knuckles. Castle kicks the Fly out of a window and slices off one of his wings. The Fly crashes onto a car but Bird-Man takes him away when the Avengers arrive. In actuality, the Avengers are just elaborate illusions created by Mirage and they all disappear when Castle knocks out the villain disguised as Captain America. The Fly’s wing grows back and he is discovered by Letha, Lascivious and other members of the resurrected crew. They regroup and come after the Punisher. The Fly intercepts the Punisher as he leaves an alleyway and slices his motorcycle in half. Punisher crashes to the ground and is surrounded by the Fly, Lascivious, Letha and the Hijacker. The Punisher would use an electrified whip to zap the Fly and toss him into Lascivious. Whether the Fly was killed in action remained to be seen.
Savage Six
Human Fly appeared alive and well again when had been kidnapping and storing people to eat in a bell tower in New York City. Venom arrives to stop him but Deacon spits acid on the bell which falls on-top of Flash. Venom tosses the bell back at Deacon and manages to apprehend him.
Deacon is later part of a prisoner transport when he tells Flash about his son who is in danger because of money he owes to Kingpin. Hobgoblin (Phil Urich) arrives and attempts to kill Deacon but Venom releases him. Human Fly spits acid in Hobgoblin’s face and flies off. Hobgoblin catches up to him as they battle on-top of a train. Deacon savagely takes down Hobgoblin and is about to kill him when he stabs him in his side. Venom returns and allows Deacon to escape and save his son as Human Fly leaves Flash with a note which reads that he has no son.
Crime-Master (Bennett Brant) calls Human Fly for a meeting to recruit him for his new Savage Six, to take down Venom. While negotiating their terms Venom attacks them, though is interfered with by Eddie Brock. Deacon takes off to earn his keep.
Powers & Abilities
The Fly has the genetic coding of the common house fly impregnated in his atoms and possesses superhuman traits likes the ability to fly, cling to walls, ability to see in every direction, superhuman durability and superhuman strength. Fly has the strength to lift up to 3 tons, had reflexes 3.5 times faster than normal humans, and 3 times the endurance of an Olympic marathon runner. The Fly can create a powerful ultrasonic backlash when he flaps his wings at top speed. This backlash can drive opponents away, cause disorientation from the sound and is strong enough to cause massive fissures in concrete. Since the Fly has been augmented by the Hood, his wings are capable of severing various materials like wood, some metals and flesh. His wings are capable of deflecting gunfire when he beats his wings at high speed. He can also regenerate new wings if they are sliced off or heavily damaged. The Fly also projects a highly acidic vomit from his mouth that can melt flesh in seconds.
In Other Media
Television
- The Human Fly makes a cameo appearance in the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends episode “Attack of the Arachnoid.”
Merchandise
- The Human Fly was featured in Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line as part of an Amazon-exclusive Spider-Man box set.