| Howard Hughes | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Real Name |
Howard Robard Hughes Jr. |
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Born |
December 24, 1905 |
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Died |
April 5, 1976 |
Origin[]
Howard Robard Hughes Jr. was an American business magnate, aerospace engineer, film producer, and investor. He first rose to fame in Hollywood with films like Hell's Angels (1930) and Scarface (1932), later acquiring RKO Pictures. In aviation, he founded Hughes Aircraft, set world speed records, built groundbreaking planes like the H-1 Racer and the H-4 Hercules ("Spruce Goose"), and expanded Trans World Airlines. Hughes also reshaped Las Vegas through major investments in hotels, casinos, and real estate. Though celebrated for his innovations, he became infamous for his eccentric, reclusive lifestyle driven by OCD, chronic pain, and deafness. He died in 1976, leaving a lasting legacy through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and his business empire.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Howard Hughes from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Famous Stars #6
- Calling All Boys #14
- Jumbo Comics #4
Public Domain Comic Appearances Inspired by Howard Hughes[]
- My Date #4: Howard Howard (based on Howard Hughes) is famous for his womanizing ways, but in reality he is shy and diffident, afraid to admit his feelings for nightclub singer Georgia Stafford. House-Date Harry offers to set the two up and teach Howard how to behave, but his tactics don't work and Swifty has to set things right.
Notes[]
- Stan Lee repeatedly stated he created the Marvel Comics character Iron Man's civilian persona, Tony Stark, drawing inspiration from Howard Hughes' colorful lifestyle and personality. Additionally, the first name of Stark's father is Howard.
- TaleSpin had Howard Huge in the episode "Bearly Alive", an eccentric billionaire hippo obsessed with building the world's largest airplane, the Titanium Turkey.
- Phineas and Ferb: In “De Plane! De Plane!”, the duo attempt to build a plane larger than the Spruce Goose, called the Paper Pelican (so-called because it’s made out of papier maché).
- Also inspired by Hughes was Sir Iknik Blackstone Varrick in The Legend of Korra. Varrick is a brilliant inventor and a wealthy businessman who is effectively the creator of his setting's movie industry (among other things). And calling him "eccentric" would be putting it mildly. Varrick also has an exceedingly stylish 'stache.