URSA the MAN BEAR
Real Name: Original name unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human (Old West era), raised by animals-type
Occupation: Hunter/Gatherer
Group Membership: Former member of the Cheyenne tribe
Affiliations: Friends with a group of bears ("The Shaggy Ones")
Enemies: Red Wolf (Johnny Wakely), troops of Fort Rango
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: The Bearskin Brave (yes, really), Bear Brother
Base of Operations: The Old West, outside Fort Rango, @ the mid-late 19th Century
First Appearance: Red Wolf#4 (November, 1972)
Powers: None. Ursa was very strong and a reasonably skilled grappler (from wrestling bears, of course). He was also an accomplished horseman and was skilled with several basic weapons stolen from the Cheyenne tribe. He was willing to keep people or other animals to feed or defend his people, the bears.
History: (RedW#4(fb)) - The man known as Ursa was lost in the frozen wilderness as an infant, but was rescued and raised by bears. He became strong from wrestling them, and he learned their hunting skills, etc. He learned to speak the language of the Cheyenne by listening to campfire conversations, from a distance. He also stole weapons and learned to use them on his own.
(RW#4) - While trying to steal a pony herd and injuring a Cheyenne named Little Elkhorn, Ursa came into conflict with Red Wolf. Ursa pummelled the smaller hero and prepared to crush him with a large rock, but Red Wolf kicked him over the edge of a cliff, but he landed in water and so was not killed. Upon recovering, he raised a group of the Shaggy Ones and attacked, overpowered, and stole a Fort Rango provision train, including a small herd of cattle. This was mistaken by the soldiers as an attack by a tribe of Native Americans, dressed in bear costumes. Meanwhile, a group of renegade Cheyenne known as the Crazy Dog warriors blamed the white men for the previous theft of their pony herd. As with everything else, this threatened war between the red and the white man, and so Red Wolf headed off to save the day. He again encountered Ursa and the two struggled briefly until Red Wolf inadvertently knocked Ursa into a hot springs crater, apparently killing him. Red Wolf and Lobo then found the cattle herd, drove off the bears, and returned them to the men of Fort Rango.
Comments: Created by Gardner Fox and Syd Shores.
He was "mighty as An Ha Dei, the Bear."
CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:
--all of whom are presumably named after Ursa Major, the
Great Bear, which is the Greek name for the constellation also
known as the Big Dipper. I forget the back story.
--although, they are all separated by time and could be from
the same family line.
Appearances:
Red Wolf#4 (November, 1972) - Gardner Fox (writer), Roy Thomas (dialogue re-write/editor), Syd Shores (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks)
Last updated: 09/04/11
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
All characters mentioned or pictured are
™ and � 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights
Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real
thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: https://www.marvel.com