Joseph Kragowski in X51 1-FB

[lettsmonster]

Joseph Kragowski, formerly colonel, now general at the Pentagon, appears in a FB sequence on pgs. 14 and 15 of X51 1.

Suggested addition:

KRAGOWSKI, COL. JOE
X51 12-FB
2001 8
2001 9
*X51 1-FB (add)

Not sure how we adjust a character's heading for a change in a character's rank.

Thanks!

[StrayLamb]

Two characters listed as Gen. Simon Kragg and Col. Joe Kragowski are actually one and the same individual. In X-51 1, his name is given as Joseph Kragowski. In all of his early appearances in 2001 & Machine Man, he's referred to as Col. Kragg, and in IH2 235-237 he's named Simon Kragg, but he's clearly the same individual.

KRAGG, GEN. SIMON
IH2 235
IH2 236
IH2 237
MM 10
M/CP 10/3
MM/BSTN '98

KRAGOWSKI, COL. JOE
X51 12-FB
2001 8
2001 9

I suggest these two chronologies be merged into the following listing, with his Machine Man 1-9 appearances added in..

KRAGOWSKI, GEN. JOSEPH/"SIMON KRAGG"
X51 12-FB
2001 8
2001 9
MM 1
MM 2
MM 3
MM 4
MM 5
MM 6
MM 7
MM 8
MM 9
IH2 235
IH2 236
IH2 237
MM 10
M/CP 10/3
MM/BSTN '98

[Leoparis]

I had neglected that post because I had never heard of Joseph Kragowski. But I knew Colonel Simon Kragg and that is why I think there is a problem with adopting Kragowski. I do not like the idea of the X 51 series trumping the original character appearances in 2001, Machine Man and Incredible Hulk series. In IH 235 his friend Peter Spaulding calls him "Simon." "Joseph" only appears on a computer screen in X 51 1, "Joe" is from the narrative voice in X 51 12. The X 51 series also misnames Senator Brickman's first name as "Myles" instead of "Miles" and misnames the Red Skull's last name as "Shmidt." The writer, editor and letterer were sleeping at the wheel.

As even the dialog in X 51 1 makes clear he only goes by Kragg.
The first names could be combined as "Joe Simon." Joseph would be his first name, hence why he's listed as such in computer records, Simon the one he actually uses. The Marvunapp site lists him as "General Kragg" with "real name: Joe Kragowski."

Kragg, Gen. / Joseph Simon Kragowski
X51 12-FB
2001 8
2001 9
MM 1
MM 2
MM 3
MM 4
MM 5
MM 6
MM 7
MM 8
MM 9
IH2 235
IH2 236
IH2 237
MM 10
M/CP 10/3
MM/BSTN '98
X51 1-FB* (do not forget to add this appearance)

[Russ Chappell]

It sounds to me like "Kragg" is just a nickname, a shortening of his true last name, not a codename with a secret identity or alias. I tend to lean toward:

KRAGOWSKI, GEN. JOSEPH SIMON "KRAGG"

like

ROSS, GEN. THADDEUS E. "THUNDERBOLT"

[Leoparis]

Okay, one last try at saving this character's name.

Nicknames usually replace the first name, not the last name. Ross is never called General Thunderbolt while Kragg has always been called Colonel Kragg and Kragg by scientists, troops, Spalding, invading alien Ten-For, Machine Man, congressman Brickman, other congressmen, and the narrator until the X 51 series unfortunate revision.

His case is actually precisely like Kraven. Kraven is a shortening of his last name, Kravinoff, revealed 22 years later by adding an Eastern European ending, but that is the name he is using and everybody else is using. Kraven is not a codename and is yet the name under which he is listed.

Note: The characters from the Machine Man series must be cursed. "Peter Spalding" is mentioned dozens of times in the original series by other characters, by the narrator, even on a written note and because Stern used "Spaulding" in Incredible Hulk, the original spelling is cast aside.

[Russ Chappell]

Nicknames usually replace the first name, not the last name.

Sorry. It happens plenty of times.

Other Marvel characters?
Dennis "Buck" Bukowski
Nathaniel Alexander "Blackbird" Byrd
Percival "Pinky" Pinkerton

Other fictional characters?
Barney Miller character Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz
Doc Savage associate William Harper "Johnny" Littlejohn
Happy Days character Arthur "Fonzie" "The Fonz" Fonzarelli

The real world?
Anthony "The Mooch" Scaramucci
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne
Chrissy had a college instructor named Xanopoulis who told his students to call him "Professor X."

Real world military figures?
American general/president Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower ("Ike" was a shortening of Eisenhower, according to Wikipedia)
American general George B. "Little Mac" McClellan
British field marshal Bernard "Monty" Montgomery

All of these are nicknames that are based on last names, most of them to shorten it. I see no reason to think that's not the case here. And I think this does "save the character's name."

[Somebody]

But is it like those? Leoparis seems to be suggesting using Kragowski as the primary name is more like saying Stanley "Lee" Lieber or Jacob "Kirby" Kurtzberg.

[Leoparis]

Not only that but were these generals commonly called, i.e. by all those who addressed or mentioned them,
General Ike ?
General Little Mac ?
General Monty ?

The answer is no, not commonly. The nicknames, even though they were based on the last name, replaced the first name in usage.
That is not the case for Kragg. Spalding first used Col. Kragg and Kragg in the Machine Man series and when he knows him better calls him "Simon" so "Kragg" is never used as a nickname.

Those military figures examples plead in my favor. Same for the other examples. The usage is Pinky Pinkerton, not Percival Pinky; Buck Buckowski, not Dennis Buck, Ozzy Osbourne, not John Michael Ozzy, Johnny Littlejohn not William Harper Johnny.

If Kragg was a nickname, we wouldn't have the usages we have and we would have an instance of Kragg Kragowski, which we don't.

[StrayLamb]

Probably not particularly relevant or helpful, but i knew a guy with the unfortunate name of Albert Hall. His workmates all called him Al, but his family and close friends called him Bert. My friend Bob McKinlay was always called Robert at home, Bob by his friends, and Macca by his workmates. Kragg may have allowed a casual shortening of his last name while he was a Colonel, told Spalding to call him Simon, possibly reserving his middle name for people he liked, and went by the more formal Joseph Kragawski when he was promoted to General.

[Col_Fury]

I had a buddy in high school named Charles MacDonald King. His family called him Charles, his friends called him Mac, and at work he answered to Chuck.

So there's that.