The Dire Wraiths?

You got it.

The thread is yours, Hultquist

Okay, this one shouldn’t be too hard (I'm saving my 'old-timey' questions for the other trivia thread ). Who was the first super-villain (and I use the term loosely – the guy was a bit of a stiff) James Rhodes fought when Tony Stark originally passed the mantle of Iron Man to him?

Nope... although given the recent discussion of Hulk and Wonder Woman fan fic on the other thread, perhaps you should guess 'Wood Man' over there and see where it gets you

Super Dead Guy ?
Mortuary Man?
The Undertaker?

'Stiff' was not intended to be a hint, I was merely denoting the villain's C-List status. Now if I had wanted to drop a hint, I might have said that Rhodey engaged in a heated battle with said villain.


And didn't Mortuary Man manage the Undertaker?
(As you can see, I appear to have been bitten by the wiseacre bug today)

Nah, it was Paul Bearer who managed the 'Taker.

Firebrand ???

Yep, that's why I said it. I am told that he actually got into the mortuary business when he managed under the name Percy Pringle, and that the connection played a role in the creation of the Paul Bearer character. So PB really was 'Mortuary Man!'

And while an educated guess, the answer to the question is not Firebrand. Keep at it!

Radioactiveman?

Magma? (I heard he can fire lava balls or something)

Magma is correct. Not, of course, the New Mutant, but a third-rate villain who essentially carried a lava tank and gun around on his back. Prior to fighting Rhodey he had appeared only once, in a Marvel Team-Up story. I can't say that I've kept track of him since, so I don't know if he's had his gadgetry souped up.

Anyhow, the thread is yours Blackheart, ask away!