Angar the Screamer

• Core Identity: Angar the Screamer is a tragic and often manipulated supervillain whose superhumanly powerful voice can induce vivid, often terrifying, hallucinations and amnesia in his victims.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: Originally a radical social activist empowered as a living weapon, Angar (David Alan Angar) is primarily a B-list antagonist, frequently clashing with street-level heroes like Daredevil and serving as a hired gun or partner in various criminal enterprises. His legacy is carried on by several successors who have adopted his name and powers.
• Primary Impact: Angar's most significant impact on the Marvel Universe is arguably through his partnership with and influence on Melissa Gold, a.k.a. Screaming Mimi. His death was a catalyst in her long and complex journey to reform and become the heroic Avenger known as Songbird.
• Key Incarnations: In the Prime Comic Universe (Earth-616), he is David Angar, a human whose larynx was mutated by Titanian technology. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), he is reimagined as Gordon, an Inhuman with the additional power of teleportation who acts as a loyal protector of his people.

Angar the Screamer first burst onto the scene in Daredevil #100, published in June 1973. He was conceived during a particularly creative and socially conscious period for Marvel Comics, brought to life by the visionary writer Steve Gerber and the legendary artist Gene Colan. Gerber, known for his surreal, philosophical, and often satirical storytelling, created Angar as a reflection of the counter-culture movements and political radicalism of the early 1970s. The character's origin as a disillusioned activist given dangerous power was a classic Gerber trope, blending superhero fantasy with pointed social commentary. Colan's distinctive, shadowy, and fluid art style perfectly captured the disorienting nature of Angar's powers. His visual depiction of the hallucinations induced by Angar's scream—warped, nightmarish landscapes and twisted figures—became the definitive representation of the character's threat. Angar was designed not as a world-conquering megalomaniac, but as a more grounded, ideologically driven antagonist, making his initial confrontations with heroes like Daredevil and the Black Widow feel personal and psychologically charged. While he has never sustained his own series, Angar has remained a persistent threat in the Marvel Universe, notable for his unique power set and his tragic, often-exploited, personal history.

The origin of Angar the Screamer is a prime example of the divergence between Marvel's comic book and cinematic universes, with two entirely separate characters sharing the same core sonic power concept.

The man who would become Angar the Screamer was David Alan Angar, a well-meaning but radical social activist and folk singer from San Francisco. Disgusted by what he saw as the corruption of corporate media and the failures of the political establishment, Angar volunteered for an experimental procedure he believed would benefit humanity. The experiment was secretly financed and conducted by Kerwin J. Broderick, a corrupt lawyer, but the technology itself was provided by the Titanian eternal known as Moondragon. Moondragon, in one of her more ethically ambiguous schemes, sought to create an agent who could help her combat cosmic threats, starting with the dragon-like alien Fin Fang Foom. Using advanced Titanian science, she subjected Angar's vocal cords and nervous system to a powerful energy bombardment. The procedure was a success in that it granted him superhuman abilities, but it was a disaster for David Angar's psyche. His mind was fractured, and his peaceful, idealistic worldview was warped into one of militant aggression. Now equipped with a “hypersonic scream” that could cause anyone within earshot to experience vivid, personalized hallucinations of their greatest fears, Angar became a formidable weapon. Broderick immediately sought to use him for his own ends, directing the newly christened “Angar the Screamer” to disrupt a concert intended to expose Broderick's criminal activities. This brought him into immediate conflict with Daredevil and the Black Widow. Though he initially overwhelmed them with his psionic assault, they eventually realized the purely illusory nature of his attacks and defeated him. This first encounter established the pattern for much of Angar's career: a powerful but psychologically unstable individual, easily manipulated by more cunning villains and ultimately defeated by heroes who could overcome the fear his powers generated. His origin is a tragic tale of idealism twisted into villainy, a man who wanted to change the world for the better but was instead transformed into a living nightmare.

In the MCU, the character concept of Angar the Screamer was adapted and dramatically altered for the television series Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Here, the character is an Inhuman named Gordon. He is not a social activist and has no connection to Moondragon or Titanian technology. Gordon's origin is tied directly to the Inhuman mythology established in the show. As a young man, he underwent the process of Terrigenesis, a transformative ritual that unlocks the latent alien DNA within certain humans, granting them superpowers. For Gordon, the Terrigen Mists not only granted him the ability to generate powerful, disorienting sonic waves—a clear nod to Angar's scream—but also took away his eyes. More significantly, he gained the ability to generate localized quantum fields, allowing him to teleport himself and others over vast distances. Following his transformation, he was brought to Afterlife, a hidden Inhuman sanctuary led by Jiaying, the mother of Daisy Johnson (Quake). Traumatized by his transformation and hunted by a world that feared him, Gordon became one of Jiaying's most fiercely loyal and trusted agents. He served as Afterlife's primary scout and transport, using his teleportation to rescue newly transformed Inhumans and bring them to safety. Unlike the comic book Angar, who is primarily a villain driven by fractured ideology or simple greed, Gordon is a sympathetic antagonist. His motivations are rooted in the protection and preservation of his people. He sees S.H.I.E.L.D. not as heroes, but as a profound threat to the Inhuman way of life, an organization that has historically hunted and experimented on people like him. This adaptation transforms the character from a lone, mentally unstable criminal into a dedicated soldier in a war for his species' survival, making his eventual death at the hands of Leo Fitz and Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie a tragic consequence of the escalating conflict between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Inhumans.

The core concept of a sonic-based power remains consistent, but its specifics, origins, and associated abilities differ significantly between the two main continuities.

David Angar's powers are the result of a targeted mutation of his larynx and nervous system by advanced extraterrestrial technology. He has no special equipment and relies entirely on his unique physiology.

• Powers and Abilities:
• Hypersonic/Psionic Scream: Angar's primary weapon is his voice. By screaming, he can release a high-frequency sonic wave that directly affects the auditory and nervous systems of those who hear it. This is not merely a concussive blast like that of Black Bolt; its effects are primarily psychological.
  • Hallucinations: The most common effect of his scream is the induction of vivid, complex, and often terrifying hallucinations. These illusions are highly personalized, drawing upon a victim's subconscious fears, memories, and psychological traumas. A hero might find themselves reliving their greatest failure, battling a long-dead foe, or trapped in a nightmarish landscape. The realism of these hallucinations makes it nearly impossible for most to distinguish them from reality, effectively incapacitating them.
  • Amnesia: With sustained exposure or by modulating the frequency of his scream, Angar can cause temporary or even permanent memory loss. He has used this to make victims forget entire events, their own identities, or the fact that they were ever attacked.
  • Emotional Manipulation: His scream can also induce specific emotional states, such as intense fear, rage, or despair, overwhelming a target's rational thought.
  • Unconsciousness: At its highest intensity, his scream can overload a person's sensory input, rendering them unconscious.
• Peak Human Conditioning: While not a master martial artist, Angar maintained a level of physical fitness consistent with an active individual. However, he is not a notable hand-to-hand combatant and is highly vulnerable if an opponent can get close enough to prevent him from screaming.
• Weaknesses:
• Vulnerability to Silence: Angar's primary weakness is anything that can prevent him from screaming. A gag, a precision blow to the throat, or a power that dampens sound can render him completely helpless. Heroes like Daredevil, with his superhuman senses, can often pinpoint Angar before he can vocalize.
• Psychological Instability: The experiment that gave him his powers also left him mentally fractured. He is prone to emotional outbursts, paranoia, and is easily manipulated by villains who offer him purpose or direction. This instability makes him an unreliable partner and often leads to his downfall.
• Line of Sight/Hearing: His power requires a target to be within audible range. It does not work through soundproof barriers or on deaf individuals.
• Personality: David Angar is a tragic figure. He began as an idealist who genuinely wanted to effect positive change. Post-transformation, he became bitter, confused, and angry. He often clings to a distorted version of his old revolutionary rhetoric, but his actions are those of a common criminal. He feels a sense of profound loss for the man he used to be, a vulnerability that was most evident in his relationship with Screaming Mimi, with whom he shared a bond of shared damage and outsider status.
• Successors:
• Kerwin J. Broderick: In a bizarre twist of fate, the corrupt lawyer who first exploited Angar, Kerwin J. Broderick, later underwent a similar procedure to gain his powers. Operating briefly as the new Angar in the pages of Thunderbolts, he was quickly defeated.
• Unnamed Female Angar: During The Hood's rise to power, a new, unnamed woman appeared in his criminal syndicate using a power-harness that replicated Angar the Screamer's abilities. She was a loyal enforcer for the Hood but demonstrated little of the original's personality or backstory.

Gordon's abilities are the result of his Inhuman genetic heritage being activated by Terrigenesis. His powers are innate and far more versatile than his comic book counterpart.

• Powers and Abilities:
• Teleportation: Gordon's primary and most-used power is his ability to create spatial gateways to teleport himself and others across the globe nearly instantaneously. He navigates through a dark, crystalline dimension as a conduit. This ability makes him an invaluable asset for extraction, infiltration, and rapid deployment for the Inhumans of Afterlife. The teleportation is signaled by a shimmering distortion in the air.
• Sonic/Concussive Waves: As a nod to the original Angar, Gordon can project powerful sonic or concussive waves. However, the MCU depicts this less as a scream and more as a directed blast of force emanating from his hands or body. The effect is not hallucinatory but physically concussive, capable of knocking people off their feet, deflecting projectiles, and causing disorientation. It is a secondary, defensive ability compared to his teleportation.
• Enhanced Senses: Having lost his eyes during Terrigenesis, Gordon developed a form of extrasensory perception, likely a type of sonar or spatial awareness, that allows him to “see” and navigate his environment flawlessly.
• Weaknesses:
• Technological Disruption: Gordon's teleportation can be tracked and even predicted by advanced S.H.I.E.L.D. technology. Furthermore, certain energy frequencies or physical barriers can disrupt his ability to form a stable portal, as seen when he was impaled by a pipe while teleporting during his final battle.
• Emotional Loyalty: His greatest strength—his loyalty to Jiaying and the Inhuman cause—is also a critical weakness. Jiaying's manipulation and extremist views lead him into direct and fatal conflict with S.H.I.E.L.D. He never questions her orders, even when they become increasingly violent, making him an unwitting pawn in her destructive plans.
• Personality: Gordon is portrayed as a calm, confident, and deeply dedicated individual. He is a mentor figure to newly transformed Inhumans like Lincoln Campbell, guiding them through the fear and confusion of their change. He is a true believer in the Inhuman cause and Jiaying's leadership. He is not motivated by chaos or personal gain but by a sincere desire to protect his people from a world he knows will hate and fear them. This makes him a far more complex and sympathetic character than the Earth-616 Angar.

As a villain, Angar's “allies” were more often partners-in-crime or temporary employers. His most significant relationship was with Melissa Gold.

• Screaming Mimi (Melissa Gold): Angar's most defining partnership was with fellow sonic-powered villain Screaming Mimi. They met while both were being held at Project: PEGASUS. Recognizing a kindred spirit in the damaged and powerful Melissa, Angar broke them both out, and they embarked on a notorious crime spree. Their powers complemented each other perfectly; Angar's hallucinations would disorient targets, leaving them vulnerable to Mimi's more destructive, focused sonic screams. They developed a genuine, albeit dysfunctional, romantic relationship. Angar was arguably the first person to show Mimi genuine affection, and his subsequent murder had a profound and lasting impact on her, serving as a major turning point that put her on the path to joining the Thunderbolts and becoming the hero Songbird.
• The Hood (Parker Robbins): After being killed by a mind-controlled Bullseye, Angar was one of the many deceased supervillains resurrected by The Hood using the powers of the demon Dormammu. In this new state, he was little more than a zombie-like enforcer, completely loyal to The Hood and his criminal empire. He fought alongside Hood's gang against the New Avengers and during the Siege of Asgard. This “alliance” was one of pure magical servitude, robbing Angar of what little agency he had left.

Angar never achieved the status of a true arch-nemesis to any single hero, but he had several recurring adversaries.

• Daredevil (Matt Murdock): As the hero of his debut story, Daredevil is one of Angar's most frequent foes. Matt Murdock's unique sensory abilities give him a distinct advantage. His radar sense allows him to “see” through Angar's hallucinations, perceiving the physical world as it truly is. This makes him one of the few street-level heroes who can effectively neutralize Angar's primary weapon. Their battles are often a contest of sensory perception versus sensory overload.
• Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff): Present at his first appearance, the Black Widow has also faced Angar on multiple occasions. As a master spy trained to resist psychological manipulation and interrogation, Natasha possesses the mental fortitude to fight through the fear and confusion induced by Angar's scream. Her pragmatic, non-powered fighting style, focused on disabling an opponent quickly and efficiently, is perfectly suited to closing the distance and silencing Angar before he can fully unleash his power.

• Lethal Legion: Angar was briefly a member of one of the many incarnations of the Lethal Legion, a supervillain team assembled by Count Nefaria. He served as a distraction and crowd-control specialist for the group, though his tenure was short-lived and ended in defeat.
• The Hood's Criminal Empire: Following his resurrection, Angar became a core member of The Hood's supervillain army. This was the largest and most organized group he was ever a part of. He participated in major conflicts, including the Skrull invasion of New York and the assault on Asgard, fighting against the combined might of Earth's heroes.

Angar's debut storyline perfectly encapsulates his initial concept. Hired by the corrupt politician Kerwin J. Broderick, Angar attacks a rock concert where his ex-girlfriend, folk singer Heather Glenn, is about to expose Broderick's crimes. His scream plunges the entire crowd, along with Daredevil and Black Widow, into a mass hallucination. The heroes are forced to battle their own inner demons—Daredevil sees a twisted version of his father, while Black Widow relives traumas from her Red Room training. It's a classic Steve Gerber plot that focuses on the psychological over the physical. Daredevil ultimately overcomes the illusions by focusing his radar sense, realizing the world he's perceiving doesn't match the physical reality, and defeats the mentally unstable Angar. This story established Angar as a unique threat whose powers tested a hero's mind rather than their strength.

This period defines Angar's most significant relationship. After escaping Project: PEGASUS with Screaming Mimi, the pair are recruited by the Grapplers, a team of female wrestlers-turned-mercenaries, to attack the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation. The story arc is notable for showing the deep, if twisted, bond between Angar and Mimi. They function as a highly effective unit, with their sonic powers creating chaos and confusion. When they are eventually defeated by Captain America and The Thing, their loyalty to each other is clear. This storyline is crucial for understanding the later motivations of Melissa Gold as Songbird, as her memories of Angar, and his violent death, would haunt and inspire her for years to come.

During the “Utopia” crossover event, Norman Osborn's Dark Reign is in full swing. To quell riots in San Francisco, Osborn unleashes his “Dark X-Men” and other operatives. Angar, who had been lying low, is captured. Norman Osborn's resident psychopath, Bullseye (posing as Hawkeye), is tasked with interrogating him. When Angar refuses to cooperate, a mind-controlled Bullseye simply murders him by slashing his throat, silencing the Screamer permanently. However, this was not his end. Parker Robbins, The Hood, later uses his demonic powers to perform a ritual that resurrects Angar, along with many other fallen villains, to serve in his army. Angar returns as a hollow shell of his former self, a silent and obedient enforcer. He fights for The Hood through major events, a grim parody of his former life, before finally being killed again during the fall of The Hood's empire. This arc cemented Angar's status as a tragic pawn, used and discarded by more powerful forces even in death.

While Angar the Screamer has not been a major focus of large-scale alternate reality events like Age of Apocalypse, his mantle and concept have been adapted in significant ways.

• MCU: Gordon (Earth-199999): As detailed extensively above, the most prominent alternate version of Angar is Gordon from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. This version is a complete reimagining rather than a direct adaptation. By making him a teleporting Inhuman loyalist, the MCU writers kept the core idea of a sonic-powered individual but embedded him in a completely different mythology and gave him a more sympathetic, tragic motivation. This Gordon is a protector and soldier, a far cry from the mentally unstable criminal of the comics.
• Successor: Kerwin J. Broderick (Earth-616): The first man to exploit David Angar ironically became his first successor. In Thunderbolts #54, the lawyer Kerwin J. Broderick, seeking power, subjected himself to a modified version of the original experiment. He briefly operated as the new Angar the Screamer but lacked the power and control of the original. He was quickly defeated and imprisoned, serving as a minor but ironic footnote in the Angar legacy.
• Successor: The Hood's Angar (Earth-616): During the “Dark Reign” era, after the original Angar's death, The Hood equipped an unidentified female member of his syndicate with a custom-built technological harness that replicated Angar's powers. This new Angar was a competent fighter and participated in several of the Hood's major operations, including the attack on the New Avengers. She possessed the powers but none of the history or personality of David Angar, functioning purely as a thematic replacement in The Hood's army of legacy villains. Her current whereabouts are unknown.

• Daredevil
• Songbird
• The Hood (Parker Robbins)
• Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Inhumans

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