Junta (comics)

Junta

Junta, art by Joe Bennett.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Black Panther vol.3, #9
Created by Christopher Priest (writer)
Dan Fraga (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego Manuel Diego Armand Vicente
Team affiliations The Crew
C.I.A
Defenders
Notable aliases Junta, Danny Vincent
Abilities Gravity control.

Junta is a fictional antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Christopher Priest and Dan Fraga in Black Panther vol.3, #9.

Fictional character biography

Vulcan Domuyo

Manuel Diego Armand Vicente was born in the United States but raised in his parents' native (fictional) South American country of Vulcan Domuyo. Vulcan Domuyo is reminiscent of pre-Castro Cuba except that Vulcan Domuyo was built around an active volcano.

Vicente grew to become a high-ranking officer of Los Cuarenta Ladrones (the LCL), meaning "the Forty Thieves," a dismissive colloquialism for El Ministerio de Asuntos Internacionales Armó Servicio de Vulcan Domuyo—the Vulcan Domuyan Secret Police. Moreover, due to his dual citizenship, Vicente (who used the alias Danny Vincent) became an agent for U.S. intelligence, writing books for the National Security Agency. Danny regularly did black bag operations for the LCL and the Americans with the code-name Junta.

Wakanda

In a recent operation, Danny accepted money from a CIA front, by way of a Russian mobster, to fund an operation to de-stabilize the African nation of Ghudaza. Supposedly, this would be nearly impossible to trace back to the American intelligence community, who hoped to ultimately de-stabilize Ghudaza's neighboring nation, Wakanda. Unfortunately, Danny's operation caused Ghudaza to degenerate into civil war and resultant ethnic genocide, sending a flood of refugees into Wakanda.

Later, the LCL, the Russian mob, and the rogue CIA agents Danny worked with earlier formed a shadowy transcontinental cooperative called XCON. XCON began replacing highly placed political figures with clone-like duplicates. XCON also began killing key intelligence operatives, causing Danny to flee his former employers of the LCL. As insurance for his own safety, Danny took with him the President of the United States, as XCON had replaced him with a duplicate some weeks before. Danny sought help from operatives of the Black Panther, ultimately teaming with the Panther's ally, Queen Divine Justice. Danny and Queen finally returned the President safely to the White House at the same time the Black Panther and his ally Iron Man managed to topple XCON.

Little Mogadishu

Danny was left a pariah, as neither the LCL, his U.S. contacts, nor any espionage agency would talk to him. Danny found his way to his birthplace in Queens, New York, turning to freelance mercenary work.

When we meet Danny in issue #3 of the Crew, he has just moved into Little Mogadishu and supposedly intends to take over his late father's failing dry cleaning business. He is interviewing for store employees when word of the derailment of the "Money Train" comes over the news.

Danny knows that Grace & Tumbalt, the gang-owned corporation that developed Princeton Walk (and consequently created Little Mogadishu) launders money for the CIA. Danny reasons Grace & Tumbalt's connections are his way back into the spy game. He ingratiates himself with Grace & Tumbalt operative Nigel "Triage" Blacque, who sends Danny out to investigate the Money Train derailment as a test of his abilities.

Danny makes it to The Money Train, only to find Kasper Cole (The White Tiger) pinned down by crossfire. He rescues Tiger as a matter of convenience— more to get him out of the way. He explains his gravity powers by telling Kasper he's the son of a super-villain. Kasper knows from Black Panther’s files that Danny is actually the super-spy Junta, but plays along so he can keep an eye on Junta.

In fact, the subway was derailed by Jim Rhodes (War Machine), who had declared war on the 66 Bridge Gang, as they were also responsible for the death of his sister. Rhodes gets the drop on Junta and Kasper Cole, leaving them handcuffed together by the wreck, but he later relents and winds up helping them escape.

Rhodes had actually placed a chemical tracer on the Money Train so as to trace the agents of the 66 Bridges Gang to the top echelons. Rhodes pulls together Danny as well as Kasper Cole and Josiah X into an erstwhile team as each of them had reasons of their own to see the end of the 66 Bridges Gang. Junta, for his part, now sees an opportunity to hand Triage over to his superiors in the 66 Bridges of Chicago, earning back his underworld cred. The team managed to bring down scores of crooked cops, politicians and justice officials, as well as Triage. After a climactic battle, Danny personally turns Triage over to the authorities, despite the fact that this action will sever all his former underworld connections.[1]

The Defenders

Post Civil War, Junta is listed among the superhumans being considered as a potential recruit by the Initiative.[2] He is as-yet unregistered when he is recruited by Nighthawk to serve temporarily with the Defenders.[3]

Powers and abilities

The origin of Danny Vincent's powers remain unrevealed. His body actually exists in a "gravity well," somehow forcing his body out of synch with reality. In fact, without a way to control the gravity field around him, Danny would implode, drawing him and anything within an eight-mile (13 km) radius into a miniature black hole. Because of the intense gravitational forces that are a part of his body, anyone who comes into unprotected contact with his skin will experience severe disorientation and nausea.

Danny wears a special mechanical belt to regulate his powers; it monitors and synchronizes his contact with the world around him. By adjusting this belt, Danny can avoid most kinds of attacks, deflect projectiles, walk on walls and ceilings, lessen his rate of falling, and even phase through objects.

Junta has a small floating servo-tech robot in his house programmed with his mother's memories and speech patterns, and which speaks only in Spanish. According to him he "salvaged" it while working in Latveria, the homeland of Doctor Doom. This, of course, is a lie.

References

  1. ↑ digital-priest.com: The Crew: Junta
  2. ↑ Anthony Flamini & Ronald Byrd (w), Scott Kolins (p), Scott Kolins (i). Civil War: Battle Damage Report 1 (March 2007), Marvel Comics
  3. ↑ Joe Casey (w), Jim Muniz (p), Cam Smith (i). "The Movement You Need" The Last Defenders 3 (July 2008), Marvel Comics

External links

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