She-Hulk: Attorney at Law brought The Wrecking Crew into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but they’re much different in the pages of Marvel Comics.
When the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law trailers debuted, viewers could see a lot of Marvel Comics characters. Some of them were easily recognizable. Daredevil was easily the most popular. Fans found out that he was returning during San Diego Comic-Con in his Disney Plus series Daredevil: Born Again. Finding out he was coming back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in She-Hulk made people want to see the show more than ever.
Other heroes and villains weren’t simply identifiable. One that may have slipped under the radar was the Wrecking Crew. They were the ones who tried to sneak up and attack Jennifer Walters and were easily defeated. Something that wouldn’t have happened in the comics.
The Wrecking Crew aren’t the most famous of Marvel villains. However, they are major players in terms of strength. The reason fans may not have noticed them is that they’re a lot bigger in the source material. They didn’t have the same power level as well. If this is all true, who are they in Marvel Comics, why was this changed, and is their debut important to the MCU?
Who are Marvel Comics’ Wrecking Crew?
The Wrecking Crew consists of four members. The Wrecker, Dirk Garthwaite (their leader) was the first to get powers. Dirk was given powers by the Norn Queen after she mistook him for Loki. After being captured and sent to prison, Dirk escapes with three other inmates. He later shares his powers with them. After that, Dr. Eliot Franklin (Thunderball), Henry Camp (Bulldozer), and Brian Calusky (Piledriver) become The Wrecking.
The Wrecking Crew have never hit the big time. However, they’ve had a few memorable moments. On one of the Wrecker’s first crime sprees, he defeats Thor. The Odinson may have been at a lower power level at the time, but it’s still a win. One that Wrecker brags about whenever he can. They’ve also gone up against multiple Avengers teams and almost won. They’ve even survived fighting the Hulk. The problem is they’ve never had any real success or wins in decades.
They’ve always almost beat a team, but never actually win. Luke Cage beat the Wrecker on his own (read New Avengers No. 37 by Brian Michael Bendis for that). The Runaways handed them their lunch in issue No. 1 of Runaways: True Believers. During the final issue of Deadpool: Suicide Kings, Spider-Man, Deadpool, and Punisher beat them on their own. For a group with the powers of Asgard, they spend a lot of time on their backs. This will likely be the case in the MCU.
Marvel Cinematic Universe importance
There will be Marvel Comics fans who aren’t going to like how the Wrecking Crew is portrayed. Could She-Hulk have defeated them easily in the comics? Probably not, but the MCU isn’t the comics. Plus, no matter how powerful the Wrecking Crew are, they’re a bit of a joke.
They’re all talk and power with zero skill. The only one with more than strength is Thunderball. He’s an actual physicist. In recent comics, he’s been more of a good guy than a villain. The rest of them are usually only motivated by money.
The Wrecking Crew not being super powerful isn’t a bad thing. Not every villain is going to be Thanos or Baron Strucker. Sometimes an antagonist needs to be a stepping stone for the heroes. The Wrecking Crew is that in the comics and will be this in the MCU. That was evident in episode 3 of She-Hulk Attorney at Law.
Will they get a win or two? Of course. Otherwise, their defeats won’t mean much. Fans should also expect them to get an upgrade before season 1 of She-Hulk ends. This is how they’ll complete their mission (whatever it was). Even after that, the Wrecker, Thunderball, Piledriver, and Bulldozer will still be Marvel’s punching bag.
What do you think, readers? Did you enjoy the Wrecking Crew’s debut in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law? Let us know in the comments below.