Red Wolf

Red Wolf's History

William Talltrees was a man born in Wolf Point, Montana. He was the son of Rebecca and Thomas Talltrees, a Cheyenne tribal leader, and grew up hearing tales of the legendary Red Wolf. William witnessed his father being intimidated into selling his property to corrupt businessman Cornelius van Lunt and his enfoncer Jason Birch; that night, van Lunt's henchmen killed William's family. William swore vengeance, finding and donning the ceremonial garb of Red Wolf. Owayodata visited him and imbued the young man with his spiritual legacy, granting him superhuman powers. The new Red Wolf found a wolf cub that he named Lobo and trained to be his companion. Following the two criminals back to New York, he was able to gain vengeance on them with the aid of the Avengers.

Alongside Tigra, Red Wolf battled the Super-Skrull and the Rat Pack. Alongside Phantom Rider III, Firebird, Texas Twister, and Shooting Star, he battled the Hulk, and rescued Rick Jones from the Corruptor. Red Wolf joined these other four heroes as part of the first incarnation of the short-lived superhero team, the Rangers. Alongside the Defenders, Red Wolf battled some trolls. Alongside the Rangers again, Red Wolf battled the West Coast Avengers while under the influence of the demon Riglevio possessing Shooting Star.

It was revealed that Will Talltrees was part of a squad of Marines during the Vietnam War, along with Willie Lincoln, Josh Cooper, Jim Rhodes and others named Fong and Janes. They were part of an attack on a village that resulted in the slaughter of the parents of The Bengal. As an adult, Bengal resurfaced to take vengeance on those Marines, but has since turned away from his vendetta. Red Wolf suffered a crisis of faith caused by his defeat at the hands of the Bengal.

Some time later, Red Wolf adopted a new wolf cub. Alongside Doctor Strange and the Black Crow, Red Wolf stopped the Cheyenne pantheon from taking vengeance for the Cheyenne people. Red Wolf later battled false eco-terrorists in the employ of Roxxon Oil Company. They tried to destroy a Roxxon pipeline crossing a Canadian and an American Blackfeet Indian Reservation, as well as to assassinate Mellisa Sparrow Bear, an Indian negotiator.

Weeks after the end of the superhero Civil War, Red Wolf was seen as a member of Texas' new government-sponsored superhero team, the revived Rangers, as part of the Fifty State Initiative Program.

During the Secret Invasion, a Skrull had posed as Lobo and attacked Delroy Garrett, Eric O'Grady / Ant-Man and the Rangers in a Skrull/wolf-like form. When Red Wolf asked it what they did with the real Lobo, the Skrull-Lobo says that he'll learn his wolf's fate soon enough when he shares it with him. Delroy and Red Wolf subdued the Skrull-Lobo and Shooting Star shot him. The Rangers come into conflict with Kaine (alias Scarlet Spider) in Houston, then they joined forces with him to battle a monster made of pure energy.