Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rochester.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!teddy!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!rochester!stuart From: stuart@rochester.UUCP Newsgroups: net.comics Subject: The Family of Wolverines Message-ID: <5408@rochester.UUCP> Date: Wed, 16-Jan-85 14:37:51 EST Article-I.D.: rocheste.5408 Posted: Wed Jan 16 14:37:51 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 20-Jan-85 00:57:31 EST Sender: stuart@rochester.UUCP Organization: U. of Rochester, CS Dept. Lines: 38 From: Stuart FriedbergExcuse the amateur biology, the real COMICS question is at the end. Over the holidays, I learned about the zoological family _Mustildae_, (my spelling may be incorrect), which contains the badger, otter, fisher, skunk, mink, wolverine, and weasel. All of these creatures have a well-deserved reputation for being vicious fighters capable of successfully taking on animals many times their weight. They are generally carnivorous, with long, flexible bodies carried close to the ground. The shapes of their heads are similar, usually triangular. Many of these animals can emit a strong musk. The skunk and the wolverine in particular are noted for this. The badger, skunk and wolverine (maybe others) have prominent light strips in their fur. The badger is a burrower; the otter and fisher are semi-aquatic, although at least the fisher climbs trees very well; the skunk is renowned for its smell; the fisher is reputed to be the only animal that can eat porcupines without fear of infection or internal damage from the quills; mink are noted for breeding like, well, mink; and the wolverine is so cunning at raiding human traps and so ferocious a fighter the northern Indian tribes believed it to be an incarnation of the Devil. And finally, (almost?) all the members of this family are natives of North America. Now for the comics question: Wolverine is very aptly named, given the geographical distribution of real wolverines, their reputation as fighters and their fairly small size. (The physical description is not very close, though!) What I would like to know is when/where other comic characters with the names of Badger, Otter, Fisher (as the animal, not an angler), Skunk, Mink or Weasel may have appeared and what their significant power/method/ personality traits might be. A "thumbnail" sketch would be fine. Reply to me personally or to the net as you think appropriate, Stu Friedberg {seismo, allegra}!rochester!stuart stuart@rochester