Griffin

Griffin (Johnny Horton) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the father of Yo-Yo Rodriguez. Publication history Griffin first appeared in Amazing Adventures #15 (Nov. 1972) and was created by Steve Englehart and Tom Sutton. Fictional character biography John "Johnny" Horton was born in Tacoma, Washington. He later became a punk in the New Orleans gangs trying to make a name for himself until a Chicago man used him for some local muscle. Impressing his employer, Horton wanted to be more than a cheap hood resulting in the Chicago man bringing him to the Secret Empire to be made into a supervillain. Horton did not know what the Secret Empire did. An unnamed scientist/surgeon that worked there followed the Empire's orders by surgically grafting a mane, large wings, lion-like paws, and a spiked prehensile tail to his body as well giving him an experimental mutagenic serum. The Empire's #1, #3, and #6 were present at this surgery. When Horton recovered, his face had become white and he was now a freak. Thus, he became the professional criminal known as the Griffin due to his resemblance to the mythological creature.