Frog-Man

In Daredevil #25 (1965), writer Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan created and introduced a criminal named Vincent Patilio who creates electrical "leaping coils" and becomes the costumed villain Leap-Frog. The villain appeared in a handful of stories and then made his final appearance as an active criminal in Iron Man #126-127, published in 1979. Three years later, writer J. M. DeMatteis decided to revive the idea of Leap-Frog but as a more comedic, light-hearted character, a would-be hero rather than a villain. Named "Frog-Man", this new character was introduced as Eugene's previously unknown son in Marvel Team-Up #121 in June, 1982 (with a cover date of September). The series Marvel Team-Up featured Spider-Man joining forces with one or more Marvel characters in each issue, and issue #121 paired the web-slinger with his longtime friend and occasional rival Johnny Storm, the Fantastic Four member known as the Human Torch. Frog-Man's first story was illustrated by artist Kerry Gammill who designed Eugene's civilian appearance. Frog-Man appears again in The New Defenders #131 (May, 1984), in a story plotted by his creator J. M. DeMatteis, scripted by Peter B. Gillis, and with art by Alan Kupperberg and Christie Scheele. In the story, Frog-Man remarks that he has only had two adventures and hopes to become a more impressive hero by joining the superhero group known as the New Defenders. Frog-Man then meets team members Beast, Angel, and Iceman. The same issue introduced a new, comical would-be villain known as the Walrus, a man who is given superhuman strength by "omicron rays" and then takes inspiration from his favorite Beatles song, declaring he now has the "proportional strength of a walrus" (a joke by DeMatteis on how Spider-Man is often described as having "the proportional strength, speed, and agility of a spider"). The Amazing Spider-Man #266 (July, 1985) presented a story written by Peter David and with art by Sal Buscema and Joe Rubinstein. In the story, writer Peter David mistakenly refers to Eugene Patilio as Eugene Colorito. The story also shows Frog-Man meeting the would-be teenage hero Spider-Kid and the mutant Toad, a former member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. The issue ends with the three deciding to become a crime-fighting team called the "Misfits" (due to Spider-Man using this word to describe the trio). In 1993, the April issue of Marvel Age #124 featured an April Fool's Day ad for a new Misfits team with a membership of Frog-Man, Squirrel Girl, Razorback, and 3-D Man. Frog-Man appears next in Marvel Fanfare #31-32 (1987), in a two-part story plotted by Frog-Man creators J. M. DeMatteis and Kerry Gammill, scripted by DeMatteis, with art provided by Gammill along with inker Dennis Janke and colorist Bob Sharen. The story features Frog-Man meeting Captain America. Frog-Man then aids Captain America and the superheroes he previously met (Angel, Iceman, Beast, Human Torch, and Spider-Man) against the villain Yellow Claw. The issue also features Spider-Man and Vincent Patilio developing a respect for each other, leading Spider-Man to later remark that Eugene's father remind him of his own Uncle Ben. Frog-Man does not appear again until 1991 in The Spectacular Spider-Man #184, though he only appears on the last page as a lead-in for the subsequent story. The Spectacular Spider-Man #185 presents a story written by J. M. DeMatteis, with art by Sal Buscema and Bob Sharen. The story explains Eugene's absence from comics since 1987 as a result of the young man now attending college and living on a campus outside of New York City. The issue also introduces Eugene's Aunt Marie, who lives with his father and acts as a surrogate mother, and further expands Eugene's childhood and that his mother died before he was a teenager. The story features the villains White Rabbit (who now sees Frog-Man as her arch-enemy) and the Walrus, who join forces as "the Terrible Two." At the end of the story, Vincent presents a new version of the frog-suit that now has a strength-enhancing exoskeleton and more accurate leaping controls. ==Fictional character biography==

Eugene Patilio is born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Italian-American engineer Vincent Patilio and Rose Patilio. Rose contracts cancer and eventually dies before Eugene is a teenager. The loss of Rose is hard on Vincent and his son. Vincent's sister Marie assumes the role of surrogate mother to Eugene, eventually moving into the house to help. He then reveals his identity to Spider-Man and the Human Torch and explains his motivations. Although Spider-Man, the Torch, and Vincent all advise that Eugene never again attempt such a dangerous act, the teenager swears he will make his father proud as the "fabulous Frog-Man." and as Frog-Man he is assigned to the Initiative's Kentucky team known as Action Pack. Eugene is only with the team a short time before he is kidnapped by the alien shape-shifting Skrulls. While Eugene is imprisoned, a Skrull infiltrator takes his place, preparing to help a wide-scale invasion. The "Secret Invasion" is later discovered and the infiltrators defeated. After returning to Earth, Eugene briefly participates in an emotional support group made up of Initiative members whose identities were stolen by the Skrulls. During the "Fear Itself" storyline, Frog-Man appears at a meeting held by Prodigy regarding magical hammers that have crashed into the earth. He is part of Gravity's team and helps battle Crossbones. He is later seen with the team during a massive earthquake caused by a battle between Gravity and Hardball and helps them in their fight against Thor Girl, who had recovered her designated powers. During the "Spider-Island" storyline, Frog-Man witnesses terrorists with spider-powers attacking the United Nations and decides he is needed again. Introducing himself as a former member of the Avengers Initiative, he teams up with current Avengers Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, and Jessica Jones against a spider-empowered Flag-Smasher. Although his actions cause danger to himself and inadvertently lead Ms. Marvel to have her nose broken, Frog-Man succeeds in saving Hawkeye's life and then defeats Flag-Smasher by vomiting on the villain (a result of nausea due to consuming too much chili before battle). For this victory, Frog-Man gains the three heroes' grudging respect. Following the incident, Eugene becomes a busboy at Isaac's Oysters, a Greenwich restaurant run by Isaac Christians / Gargoyle, a former member of the Defenders. Later on, Iron Man decides he needs a team of heroes to help defeat Korvac, but is advised this move would be most effective if the heroes are less famous and with abilities and techniques completely unknown to the villain. Among Iron Man's recruits are Frog-Man and Gargoyle. They and other heroes join Iron Man on an adventure against Korvac in outer space, leading Frog-Man and others to jokingly refer to the team as the "Space Friends." During this adventure, Frog-Man is killed in action, but quickly resurrected by Iron Man, who has temporarily obtained cosmic powers. ==Powers and abilities==

As Frog-Man, Eugene has worn two costumes that protect his body and give him physical enhancements. The original, classic costume (first worn by his father as the villain Leap-Frog) was specially padded to protect the wearer from surface impact and attacks by combatants who may have some small degree of superhuman strength. The frog-suit absorbs most of the impact, forcing the wearer to bounce rather than face serious injury. The original suit's other main feature were electrically-powered "leaping coils" in the boots that allowed the wearer to have their agility enhanced as much as "a dozen times" and allowed them to leap as high as 6 stories in the air. The suit's padding and leaping coils also allowed the wearer to punch with slightly more strength than they would normally have and to kick with superhuman strength. By the time Eugene attends college, his father creates a new, improved version of the Frog-Suit that now has high-tech exoskeleton built within. Along with providing added protection against superhuman attack and conventional weapons, the second frog-suit increases the wearer's strength several times, allowing low-level superhuman punches along with the previous enhancement of superhuman kicks. The second suit also has a computer guidance system that allows for greater coordination of the wearer's leaping ability and enhanced agility. Each of Eugene's suits is controlled and empowered by a "power pack" unit attached to the back, resembling a backpack. Controls on the power pack allow Frog-Man to enhance or lower the power levels of his strength and agility, as well as how powerful his superhuman leaps will be. However, Eugene is not skilled in the operation of these controls and tends to grant himself too much or too little power in a fight. This often causes him to crash or leap without full control over his direction and momentum. Eugene Patilio is fluent in American sign language. Although he is a member of the YMCA, Eugene only occasionally engages in physical exercise and is a below average combatant without his Frog-Man suit. In the past, Frog-Man has claimed he has the "proportionate strength, speed, and agility of a frog" as well as "frog-sense" that warns him of danger. This is a lie. == Reception ==

Accolades • In 2020, CBR.com ranked Frog-Man 3rd in their "10 Weirdest Spider-Man Team-Ups In Marvel Comics" list and 10th in their "Marvel Comics: 10 Silly Heroes Who Deserve A Badass Remake" list. • In 2022, Screen Rant included Frog-Man in their "15 Strangest Marvel Comics Superheroes Of All Time" list. ==In other media==

• Frog-Man makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the ''Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes'' episode "The Cure" as a failed applicant to the Fantastic Four. • Eugene Patilio appears in the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode "Ribbit and Rip It", portrayed by Brandon Stanley. This version goes by his father Vincent Patilio's codename of Leap-Frog and wears a suit developed by superhero suit tailor Luke Jacobson. ==References==