Joe Harker

Real Name: Joe Harker

Identity/Class: Normal (?) human

Occupation: Would-be sportsman.

Affiliations: Sir Stanley Harker

Enemies: Bert and Arnold Swizzle (rag-and-bone men)

Known Relatives: Sir Stanley Harker (ancestor, deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: The Harker family's ancestral home, unspecified location in England

First Appearance: Lion (The Last of the Harkers)

Powers/Abilities: As well as dealing with ghostly visitations from ancestors, Joe had one unique talent of his own -  he could stretch his arms to abnormal lengths, so that in sports like wrestling, it was like fighting a human octopus.

History: Young Joe Harker was the last living member of one of England's greatest sporting families. But as time had progressed the family had gradually lost the many trophies and cups it had won over the years, and with the trophies also went the money. Eventually even the family's stately home was at risk of being sold. So Sir Stanley Harker, the ghost of one of his ancestors, teamed up with Joe in order to win enough money to save the ancestral pile, and recover the family honour in the bargain. He was opposed by Bert and Arnold Swizzle, father and son rag and bone merchants who would fall heirs to Harker Hall if Joe went bankrupt.

Comments: Sir Stanley was not the only Harker ghost - among the others was one called Gaylord.

Other ancestral ghosts who helped out their descendants include Firebrand Frobisher and Marcus Britannicus.

Thanks to Robert Kelly for providing information about the villains of the strip, the Swizzles. He notes that "I think you can guess what characters created by Galton and Simpson were the inspiration for the Swizzles! (TV characters Steptoe and Son, for anyone outside the U.K.) However, there was a bit of role reversal with the Swizzles. Here it was the father, Bert, seeking to better himself by acquiring Harker Hall. However, he was constantly being thwarted in his ambitions by his son Arnold's bungling and incompetence.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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