Publication history
Dwayne McDuffie, who co-created the concept with artist Ernie Colón and wrote Damage Control's initial stories, pitched Damage Control to Marvel as "a sitcom within the Marvel Universe".
Damage Control employees first appear in a five-page story, "The Sales Pitch", in 1988's Marvel Age Annual, and reappeared in 1989 in a serialized seven-page story published in the anthology comic Marvel Comics Presents #19. Subsequently, the employees of Damage Control have been the subject of three four-issue comic book limited series published between 1989 and 1991: Damage Control (May–August 1989) and Damage Control vol. 2 (December 1989 – February 1990, with two issues in December), both by writer McDuffie and penciler Colón, and vol. 3 (June–September 1991) by writer McDuffie and penciler and inker Kyle Baker.
Damage Control was featured in an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #2.
Among its later appearances were those in the 2006 storyline "Civil War"; the series Irredeemable Ant-Man; and the first issue of World War Hulk Aftersmash: Damage Control, a three-issue limited series tying into the 2008 "World War Hulk" storyline.
Fictional history
Damage Control was founded by Anne Marie Hoag and was originally owned by Tony Stark and Wilson Fisk, each owning half the stock of the company. However, Stark felt uneasy cooperating with Fisk, a notorious criminal. The company was headquartered in New York's Flatiron Building.
When Hoag was offered a job in government, she nominated Robin Chapel as her replacement. Stark and Fisk sold their stock in Damage Control: Stark because he did not want to be associated with Fisk and Fisk because he had no confidence in Robin's ability to lead the company. Another company, Carlton Co, took control of Damage Control and tried to make Damage Control more profitable, but in the process angered a lot of employees and nearly ruined Damage Control. Hoag convinced S.H.I.E.L.D. to invest in Damage Control and they loaned her the money to buy back the company. S.H.I.E.L.D. also found out that the sale of Damage Control had been a plot by Fisk to buy back the company for cheap. During the events of "Acts of Vengeance" (an event Fisk helped organize), massive damage was done to the city and Fisk made a large profit when Damage Control was hired to repair the damages.
The confrontation with the Kingpin causes unexpected results. The Damage Control staff find that a movie has been put out, a fictionalized version of their confrontation with the Kingpin. At the wrap party for the premiere, the Damage Control staff is summoned by the Silver Surfer to help deal with Edifice Rex, a former employee who gained cosmic powers. Several of the employees meet and discuss the problem with other cosmic entities, such as Galactus and Lord Chaos. Robin Chapel eventually solves this problem by firing Rex.
Hercules is seen working with Damage Control, on one occasion serving a community service sentence levied as punishment for a drunken rampage. Hercules becomes a full-fledged employee, forced to earn a living after the Constrictor sues him for injuries incurred in his apprehension.
The super-villain Nitro, who instigated the superhero civil war after destroying Stamford, reveals that Walter Declun provided him with Mutant Growth Hormone (MGH). Via Namor, Wolverine learns Declun that is the CEO of Damage Control. This leads Wolverine to Anne-Marie Hoag, Damage Control's president. Hoag had suspected Declun of illegal activities but did not have strong enough evidence to counter his ties with Washington, D.C., and the President. Wolverine confronts Declun, who empowers himself with MGH. During the fight Wolverine appears to kill Declun by stabbing him in the eyes. However, Declun survives the fight.
The company helped clean up New York City after the events of World War Hulk. Tom Foster, the nephew of Bill Foster and the new Goliath, joins the company, as do fellow superhumans Monstro and Visioneer. As a company, Damage Control secures all relevant resources and a makeshift superhero rescue force, as many people were left behind when New York was evacuated.
During the Spider-Island storyline, Damage Control is seen working with the superheroes to clean up the destruction caused by the Spider Queen. Damage Control provides clothing to many New Yorkers, who lost their clothing after being transformed into spider creatures. At least one Damage Control team was infiltrated by the Jackal, who wanted DNA from the spiders.
