Clay Quartermain

Clay Quartermain is a fictional character, a secret agent appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Clay Quartermain
Clay Quartermain as depicted in Strange Tales #167 (April 1968). Art by Jim Steranko.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Strange Tales #163 (December 1967)
Created by	Jim Steranko (writer / artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Clay Quartermain
Team affiliations	S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Paranormal Containment Unit Hulkbusters
Abilities	Trained in espionage, firearms, hand-to-hand combat

Publication history

Created by writer-artist Jim Steranko, he first appeared in Strange Tales #163 (December 1967).

Described as a "blond-haired, fast-talking, grinning Burt Lancaster" sort,^[1] Clay Quartermain appears as an agent of the fictional espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., beginning in the feature "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." in Marvel Comics' Strange Tales in 1967, and continuing into the subsequent series Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. in 1968. He was the S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison to the "Hulkbusters" military program, and a supporting character since The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #187 (May 1975).

A Life Model Decoy (LMD) replica of the character was a featured character in the 1988 miniseries Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.

Quartermain has since had guest appearances in issues of Alias, Cable, The Defenders, Marvel Team-Up, The Pulse, Silver Sable and the Wild Pack, and the miniseries Secret War; in the "Nick Fury" feature in the omnibus Marvel Holiday Special (January 1994); and in the "Elite Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." feature in the one-shot Captain America 2000 (November 2000). He also led the S.H.I.E.L.D. Paranormal Containment Unit in the 2005–2006 series Nick Fury's Howling Commandos.

Fictional character biography

Clay Quartermain is a high-ranking agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who first works with Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine while in conflict with the Yellow Claw.^[2][3][4]

Quartermain later joins the "Hulkbusters" operation led by General Thunderbolt Ross for the U.S. military to capture the Hulk.^[5]

In 2007, Quartermain is retconned into being a former romantic interest of Jessica Jones as well as the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Paranormal Containment Unit and a new incarnation of the S.H.I.E.L.D. "Hulkbusters" unit while recruiting She-Hulk.^[6] He is also an advisor to a co-called commander during the Hulk's rampage.^[7]

In the Alias series, Quartermain works with Jessica Jones to uncover a conspiracy against the President of the United States by investigating Mattie Franklin, a superheroine who was trapped in mysterious circumstances.^[8][9] Additionally, a flashback reveals he befriended Jones while the latter was recovering from a months-long ordeal with the Purple Man.^[10]

Quartermain is killed by Doc Samson after learning of a conspiracy involving the Red Hulk.^[11][12]

LMD version

An Life Model Decoy (LMD) of Quartermain, which initially believed himself to be the original, was involved in a conspiracy involving the Delite LMDs and rebelled upon learning of not being human after several confrontations with Fury and was seemingly killed.^[13]

However, the LMD of Quartermain later returns as an ally of Deadpool and Spider-Man.^[14]

Other versions

An alternate universe variant of Clay Quartermain from Earth-1610 appears in Ultimate Marvel as a S.H.I.E.L.D. field agent working for Nick Fury.^[15][16]

In other media

• Clay Quartermain appears in Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., portrayed by Adrian Hughes.
• Clay Quartermain appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, voiced by Troy Baker.^[17] This version is a field agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and an acquaintance of the Avengers.