Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Kenny McFarlane
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kong | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
Kenny McFarlane, (a.k.a. King Kong, or Kong), is a fictional character in comic books published by Marvel Comics', in Marvel's Ultimate Universe. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, he appears in the pages of Ultimate Spider-Man. Kenny is one of the few characters not based on a counterpart from Marvel's main continuity.
Contents |
Obese, yet strong, Kenny is the best friend of Flash Thompson. He is also a good acquaintance of Liz Allen and Mary Jane Watson.
Kenny attends Midtown High School where he plays basketball for the school team. There, he can regularly be found cooperating with Flash bullying Peter Parker. However, without Flash in the vicinity, he shows a more likeable side and is often shown being friendly and open to Peter, even letting Peter stay at his house after Peter had a fight with his uncle Ben.
Peter is quick to point out this fact in Issue 65, Detention, when he tells Kong: "You're best friends with someone who treats you like crap. He hangs around with you- I'm sorry, but he hangs around with you solely to make himself feel superior. And the truth is- you are ten times the guy he is. But you let him treat you like this. You let him."
When Peter Parker is bitten by the genetically enhanced spider that gave him his powers, Kenny crushes the spider under his sneakers, killing it. Later, noticing changes in Peter's physical strength and abilities, and recalling the spider bite, he deduces that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Flash and Liz refuse to believe him and demand he prove it by kicking Peter from behind. Peter's spider sense warns him that the kick is coming, and he willingly takes the abuse (even to the point of forcing tears) rather than reveal his abilities, which appears to dissuade Kenny. This confrontation is observed by new-student Gwen Stacy, who sticks up for Peter by pulling a knife on Kong.
Kenny still has a fascination with Spider-Man, even to the point of hero worship. Upon hearing about the upcoming Spider-Man movie, Kenny enters a casting call for extras. His only line was "Look in the sky, it's Spider-Man!" With the film's success, he achieved some fame in his school.
Kenny has a cameo in the Ultimate Spider-Man videogame, and his character can be seen in the models section of the special features.
- Writer Brian Michael Bendis did not name Kenny consistently during his run on Ultimate Spider-Man. In the first scenes, he is called by his nickname of King Kong (lately it's just been "Kong", or his real name). In the first issue, his last name was hinted to be Harlan, and in issue #15, his mother called him Clifford. In issue #82, his name was finally revealed to be Kenny McFarlane. However, in the "Official Handbook of the Ultimate Marvel Universe", he was referred to as "Kong Harlan, aka Clifford Kenneth Harlan." He now refers to himself as Kenny McFarlane, and in an interview with Bendis [1], it is confirmed that this is his real name.