Origin
Jonas Harrow was a former surgeon that would lose his medical license and practice for performing unsanctioned and illegal experiments on some of his patients. Some time later, Harrow would find a man barely clinging to life after being severely beaten in a seedy section of Manhattan called the Bowery. Harrow took this man from the alleyway into a secret location where he replaced broken bones from his skull with an unbendable steel alloy. Harrow wanted to rebuild his reputation and after three days of surgery, his patient emerged a new man and would become a powerful gangster known as Hammerhead.
Creation
Jonas Harrow was created by Roy Thomas and Jim Starlin in 1972 and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man # 114.
Major Story Arcs
The Kangaroo Bounces Back
Jonas Harrow would resurface later and offer a proposal to a man named Frank Oliver aka the original Kangaroo who was living as a lowlife bum that didn’t have the nerve to steal again after a prior defeat by Spider-Man. Oliver agreed to allow Harrow to use his unusual talents on him in exchange to fulfill his plan. After a painful but simple procedure, Oliver’s physical attributes were enhanced after Harrow implanted several filaments of transmitters and receivers to some of his nerves and provided an apparatus made of plastic and steel to his hands and lower legs. Compressed air jets on each limb apparatus enhanced his punching power and leaping abilities. Harrow wanted to talk to Oliver about his plans but the Kangaroo swatted the doctor away and left to seek out Spider-Man. The Kangaroo would find the wall-crawler and a fight ensued but the Kangaroo was forced to flee when he experienced unbearable pain in his head. A voice in his brain told him to return back to Jonas Harrow. Kangaroo discovered that Harrow had implanted a mental peacemaker underneath his skin that could control his subject with a twist of a dial or a remote control. Harrow wanted the Kangaroo to fulfill his obligation and steal a radioactive isotope from a special lab on the Hudson River. The Kangaroo is confronted by Spider-Man but he would not let anything stop him from getting the isotopes. The Kangaroo would die once he opened the door holding the isotopes from the intense radiation that incinerated him in a matter of seconds. Harrow was outside the lab when he saw Spider-Man emerge from the building and knew that the Kangaroo had failed. Harrow walked away and vowed to keep trying until he would win and gain power.
Murder on the Wind
Harrow returns some time later after he implants a device inside the head of Will-O-The-Wisp and forces him to obey his commands. Harrow wanted Will-O-The-Wisp to steal some plans but the mission was thwarted by Spider-Man. Harrow told Will-O-The-Wisp to kill Spider-Man for being a thorn in his side after he defeated two of his greatest re-creations: Hammerhead and the Kangaroo. Harrow wanted the wall-crawler eliminated before proceeding to his master plan. Will-O-The-Wisp and Spider-Man would engage each other above of Times Square where Harrow watched as he blended with the crowd. Will-O-The-Wisp told Spider-Man that a certain disreputable scientist implanted a device in his skull that would scatter his atoms across the city if he failed to slay the wall-crawler. Spider-Man offers to help but Will-O-The-Wisp says the pain is too unbearable if he would to fail. Will-O-The-Wisp grabs Spider-Man as he touches an electrical billboard sign and sends a surge of energy into the webhead’s body. Spider-Man tells Will-O-The-Wisp that he will lose his humanity if the wall-crawler dies and that their always better choices. Will-O-The-Wisp lets go of Spider-Man because he knows deep inside that he is no murderer. Will-O-The-Wisp plummets from the sky and dissipates into the sky as Jonas Harrow walks away from the crowd.
The Long Night
Jonas Harrow would work for the Roxxon company inside a deep underground cavern beneath New York City where they have Dragon Man captive and placed inside a special chamber. Dr Harrow wanted to learn the secret of Dragon Man in order to create an army of synthezoids for Roxxon. Things go array when a clan of vampires led by Bonham set off an explosion inside the subway tunnels that derails a subway with the Thing and She-Hulk inside. The explosion also compromises the integrity of the chamber and Dragon Man escapes. Dr. Harrow orders Chief Compton to search for his prize possession but they are forced to flee when the vampires attack.
The Initiative
Jonas Harrow was among the many super-villains recruited to join The Hood‘s Masters of Evil syndicate. Offering his scientific knowledge, Harrow helped the team reprogram the Deathlok cyborg and aided the team in battling the New Avengers.
Dark Reign
Unbeknownst to the rest of the Masters of Evil, their leader The Hood had an unspoken deal with Norman Osborn who had recently ascended to power and took over most of the country’s security. Harrow, alongside Chemistro, were the first to discover that something wasn’t right when the Masters of Evil were dispatched to seemingly do Norman Osborn’s dirty work in battling the Avengers again.
When the Hood lost his powers and was absent for a while, Harrow used the moment to announce to the rest of the team of the Hood’s deal with Osborn and how he had lied to them. Presenting himself as a capable leader, Harrow shared with the team something he and Chemistro had been working on – a Power Drainer which they would use to attack Osborn and his Avengers team and re-negotiate any deal The Hood previously had with Osborn.
Harrow led the Masters of Evil to Times Square where they began a random attack on the public to draw the attention of Osborn and his team. However, they also attracted the notice of the New Avengers who opposed the team. Activating the Power Drainer, the New Avengers were mostly rendered powerless and defeated. Osborn’s team arrived shortly afterwards and were similarly instantly made powerless.
Harrow, hacking into Osborn’s Iron Patriot armor, then began to negotiate new terms for the Masters of Evil and offered Osborn the Power Drainer as a sign of good faith. The two came to an agreement wherein, in order for the Masters of Evil to publicly act, they would join the Initiative and pose as heroes.
Harrow and his Masters of Evil were aboard the H.A.M.M.E.R. helicarrier to meet with Osborn when The Hood arrived. Angered at the Masters stupidity for not believing in him, The Hood shot Harrow dead for usurping leadership of the team. The Hood then reprimanded the team and told them they’d screwed up because now they were officially working for Osborn, whereas under the Hood’s leadership they were independent in exchange for doing occasional favors.
Powers & Abilities
Jonas Harrow is a brilliant surgeon and scientist that specializes with implants that enhances the strength, physical attributes and abilities of some of his patients.