Happy Hogan

Harold "Harry" Hogan, commonly known as Happy Hogan, is a fictional supporting character of Iron Man in the Marvel Comics universe.

Fictional character biography

A former boxer with a history of losing his fights, Hogan is hired by Tony Stark as his chauffeur and personal assistant after Happy saves Tony's life in Tales of Suspense #45 (September 1963). Happy learns that Tony is Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #70 (October 1965).

In Tales of Suspense #74 (February 1966), a desperately ill Happy is mutated into a giant, savage, nearly mindless, superhumanly strong humanoid known as Freak when doctors tried to cure him using a cobalt ray machine powered by Stark's experimental "Enervator" device. Freak breaks loose and goes on a rampage, escaping before Iron Man can arrive to stop him.

Iron Man leads the Freak back to his laboratory but runs out of power and collapses. The Freak encounters Pepper Potts, who faints at the sight of him, and carries her away. The police fire on him, causing him to drop Pepper. Iron Man saves Pepper, and leads the Freak to his lab again. He is restored to his normal self in Tales of Suspense #76 (April 1966) when Iron Man exposes him to the Enervator once again, though he is afflicted with temporary amnesia that lasts until Tales of Suspense #83 (November 1966).

While later helping Iron Man rebuild his armor, Happy is again exposed to cobalt rays and is again transformed into the Freak. The Freak smashes Iron Man through a wall, and takes Pepper with him. Iron Man is able to again return Happy to normal.

The Collector later kidnaps Happy and Pepper, hoping to add the Freak to his collection. This draws Iron Man's attention, who intervenes and rescues his friends.

Later, while Happy is injured while wearing the Iron Man armor, Stark uses the Enervator to save him, thinking that he has corrected the problems with his device. Regardless, the device again transforms Happy into the Freak, who goes on another rampage. He exposes himself to cobalt materials, causing him to glow with energy that will eventually reach critical mass and explode. The two battle, until Stark is able to use the Enervator to again revert Happy to normal.

He marries Pepper Potts in Tales of Suspense #91 (July 1967) but they later divorce.

Happy has worked for almost all of Stark's companies including Stark Industries, Stark Enterprises and Stark Solutions. However, when Tony/Iron Man disappears during Onslaught saga, Hogan refuses to be employed by Stark-Fujikawa but is reemployed when Stark returns. He also remarries Pepper Potts.

With the Civil War causing Tony Stark considerable moral, political and emotional problems, Happy Hogan continues to give Tony much needed advice. In an important moment of crisis, he says to Tony: "You, my friend, are the only cape in the bunch [of superheroes] that's both one of us [that is, human] and one of them. Who else can see both sides the way you do?" On the night of his anniversary with Pepper, Hogan is attacked by the Spymaster (seeking to use Hogan as bait to draw out Iron Man). Spymaster threatens to kill Hogan first, then Pepper. Angered, Hogan grabs him by the neck and they fall several stories (Invincible Iron Man vol. 4 #13), leaving Hogan in a vegetative coma.

While he is in the coma, Pepper speaks to Tony during dinner. She tells him of Cobra McCoyle, a former boxing friend who took too many hits to the head. Cobra is unable to even feed himself and must be taken care of. Pepper tells Tony that Hogan has declared he never wants to end up like McCoyle.

At the end of Invincible Iron Man vol. 4 #14, Hogan apparently dies; the issue leaves it ambiguous whether Hogan dies naturally or whether it is because Tony Stark digitally interfaced with and shut down Hogan's life support.

Other versions

Amalgam Comics

In the Amalgam Comics Universe, DC Comics's Green Lantern and Marvel's Iron Man are combined to create Iron Lantern. Iron Lantern is secretly Hal Stark, owner of Stark Aircraft, a developer of experimental aircraft. Stark's chief mechanic is Happy Kalmaku (an amalgamation of Marvel's Happy Hogan and DC's Thomas Kalmaku. Happy is in love with test pilot Pepper Ferris (an amalgamation of Pepper Potts and DC's Carol Ferris). Unfortunately for Happy, Pepper is not only in love with Stark, she is also secretly the supervillain Madame Sapphire (a combination of Marvel's Madame Masque and DC's Star Sapphire. Happy Kalmaku first appeared in Iron Lantern #1 (April 1997), published jointly by Marvel and DC. He was created by Kurt Busiek (script) and Paul Smith (art).

Heroes Reborn

In the Heroes Reborn series, Happy Hogan is Stark's public relations chief. He has a brief romantic relationship with Pepper. He is also apparently slain by the villain Rebel but is seen later in a hospital bed.

Ultimate Marvel

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Hogan appears alongside Iron Man in the Ultimates series. He is seen multiple times, some with Pepper Potts, in the control center that assists Stark while he is using the armor. It is implied that Happy and Pepper are in either a long-term friendship, relationship. or marriage.

In the spin-off novel Tomorrow Men by Michael Jan Friedman, it is revealed that, although Hogan has worked with Stark for a long time, he never officially achieved his MIT degree, being expelled from college a couple of courses before he could officially earn the degree after he stood up to a professor who was harassing a female student. He lies to Stark on his application as nobody wanted someone who almost got his degree, even if he himself still has all the necessary knowledge to do his job.

In Ultimate Human, although he is never seen on page, Tony Stark is seen talking to him on a cell phone, and then continuing the conversation after he is in an Iron Man suit. Throughout the conversation; he is portrayed as a sarcastic man, who despite his sarcastic exterior, seems to care about Tony somewhat, heavily warning him that the Iron Man suit is about to explode.

Other media

Television

Happy Hogan appears in The Marvel Superheroes Show (1966).

Happy Hogan will appear as a classmate of Tony Stark in the new series Iron Man: Armored Adventures.

Film

Happy appears in the live-action Iron Man film played by Jon Favreau, who also directed the film. Although he appears briefly in a few scenes, he is shown to be Stark's bodyguard, friend and chauffeur, much like the comics' version. While his relationship with Pepper Potts is not touched upon in the film he is seen briefly talking with her at a party.

In the novelization of the film by Peter David, there is a scene that was not included in the film where Happy speaks with James Rhodes during Tony's disappearance, and he notes his concern about Pepper's emotional state.

Bibliography

• Avengers vol. 1 #9, 16
• Avengers vol. 3 #28
• Black Panther vol. 3 #42
• Force Works #8, 10
• Iron Man vol. 1 #3–4, 21, 26, 59, 61, 63–66, 69–71, 73, 82–83, 86–88, 112, 199–201, 210, 259, 284, 300, 313, 315, 318–319, 327–329
• Iron Man vol. 3 #2–9, 11–18, 20, 23–25, 28–29, 37–39, 41–42, 45–47, 49–51, 59–63, 65–69, 79, 86–89
• Iron Man vol. 4 #13–14
• Iron Man/Captain America '98
• Iron Man: Age of Innocence #1
• Iron Man: Bad Blood #1, 3–4
• Iron Man: The Inevitable #1, 3
• Marvel: Heroes & Legends #2
• Shadow & Light #1
• Spider-Man Team Up #4
• Tales of Suspense vol. 1 #45–48, 60–61, 63–71, 73, 76, 82–87, 89, 91
• Untold Tales of Spider-Man '97
• Warlock vol. 3 #2

As Iron Man

• Iron Man vol. 1 #82–83, 300
• Tales of Suspense vol. 1 #84–86

As Freak

• Iron Man vol. 1 #3–4, 84–85
• Tales of Suspense vol. 1 #74–75

References