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The Man-Thing is a fictional comic book creature created by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, and featured in various Marvel Comics titles, the most prominent of which was written by Steve Gerber.

Man-Thing is a large, slow-moving muck-monster with a vaguely humanoid appearance living in the Florida Everglades near the Seminole reservation. Unlike the intelligent and plant-based Swamp Thing of DC Comics, the Man-Thing is a nearly mindless mass of slime with no particular affinity to any living thing, but who nevertheless often becomes an accidental hero as it stumbles upon various crime and horror scenarios. It is able to sense human emotions, and is enraged by fear and automatically secretes a strong chemical corrosive; anyone feeling fear and clutched by the Man-Thing is prone to be burned (either chemically or mystically), hence the series' tag-line, "Whatever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch." Though fear is understandably most people's response to the creature, typically only villains end up meeting an immolating death at its hands.

Origin

The Man-Thing first appeared in Savage Tales #1 (1971), written by Thomas and Conway and illustrated by Gray Morrow. This story explained the creature's origin, which was roughly similar to Swamp Thing's: Betrayed by his lover, Ellen Brandt, a biochemist, Ted Sallis, while fleeing from agents from Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM) who wanted his formula for a miracle drug (later defined as the "super-soldier serum" used on Captain America), drowned in the swamp and was transformed into the Man-Thing by a combination of his own formula and (it was later explained) magical forces extant in the area. Sallis's mind was apparently extinguished, although it was later shown that he could briefly return to consciousness within his monstrous formDoctor Strange vol. 2 #41, and indeed he has been briefly returned to his human form several timesFear #13, Marvel Two-in-One #1, Marvel Comics Presents #164. A story intended for the much-delayed Savage Tales #2 was ultimately published in Astonishing Tales #12, written by Len Wein before his creation of the continuing Swamp Thing, Alec Holland. (It should be noted that the Swamp Thing that appeared a month after Savage Tales #1 was Alex Olsen, whose origin was not very similar to Man-Thing's.) The story introduced us to Sallis's assistant, an elderly black scientist named Dr. Wilma Calvin. Ka-Zar was the featured lead in that issue, written by Roy Thomas, and the story became a flashback, with Ka-Zar meeting Man-Thing at the end of the issue. In issue #13, also by Thomas, Ka-Zar and Man-Thing destroy the base used by AIM. Issues #15-20 of Astonishing Tales (#14 was a colorized and censored reprint of the Ka-Zar story in Savage Tales #1) deal with Ka-Zar's efforts to destroy the remainder of the serum, aided by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Nick Fury and Bobbi Morse, and Dr. Calvin, who by the end, was the only one with a copy of the formula, in her head alone. The remainder of Ka-Zar's Astonshing Tales run was written by Mike Friedrich.

Man-Thing in comics

The character next appeared in a story by Conway and Morrow in Adventure into Fear #10 (1972), sometimes erroneously claimed to be a reprint due to same authorship, and continued in that series for nine more issues, with Steve Gerber taking over as writer starting in #11.

Steve Gerber

Gerber expanded on the notion of the swamp having mystical properties and in issue #14 made it the "nexus of all realities", thus supplying numerous demons, ghosts, time-travelling warriors, etc., to serve as the Man-Thing's antagonists—though he continued to encounter non-supernatural villains as well, including land developers, fascist vigilantes, and common criminals. The Fear stories introduced a large supporting cast, including the demon Thog the Nether-Spawn, the benevolent Dakimh the Enchanter, and several humans, including the Cult of Zhered-Na (led by Jennifer Kale's father, Joshua; Gerber would feature more of Zhered-Na in his "Tales of Atlantis" stories in Sub-Mariner), who became allies of Dakimh and the Man-Thing, thus circumventing the difficulty of having a protagonist with no mind and no goals. A major villain named Franklin Armstrong Schist (F.A. Schist) was introduced in issue 16, attempting to build an airport in Citrusville. The Fear series ended in a cliffhanger to Man-Thing's own series in issue #19, a bizarre story involving Thog with characters from all times and places (including, briefly Daredevil and the Black Widow). In one particularly bizarre scene, Korrek, Warrior Prince of Katharta, emerges from a jar of peanut butter partially eaten by Andy Kale, with a knife that becomes his sword! After that, Gerber needing something even weirder to join the forces of good, a talking duck named Howard soon stepped onto the scene.

Beginning in January 1974, Gerber wrote his own Man-Thing series, illustrated most often by Val Mayerik at first and later Mike Ploog, John Buscema and Jim Mooney. The series became Marvel's chief non-superhero fantasy title, and — again like DC's Swamp Thing — was flexible enough to accommodate horror, fantasy, science fiction, crime, and occasional crossovers with superhero characters. Gerber also wrote five longer issues of a parallel series, Giant-Size Man-Thing, whose apparently unintentional double-entendre title became a common joke among comics readers (a "giant-size" comic is one with more pages than a standard comic book). The third issue featured the death of Dakimh's physical form, though his spirit would continue to appear, while the fourth began the solo adventures of Howard the Duck.

The first story arc after concluding the cliffhanger introduced us to Richard Rory and Ruth Hart, and was the first concerted attempt by F.A. Schist to destroy the creature. In the following issue, we learn Rory is fleeing the Foolkiller. Ruth, a nurse involved with a biker gang slain by the Foolkiller soon leaves for New York City without Rory, who continues to deal with the strange forces in the swamp, and forms something of a bond with Man-Thing.

In Man-Thing #7, reality sets in and the energy crisis prevents F.A. Schist from completing his airport. The reason for the airport is now revealed: Schist wants to find the Fountain of Youth. Unfortunately, he learns the hard way that the desired effects of the fountain's water come from bathing in it, not drinking it.

In one bizarre story (#13-14), an astral pirate ship headed by Captain Fate, ended up in the Nexus. A scientist, Dr. Maura Spinner, was the reincarnation of a pirate queen. both were linked with a satyr named Khordes. In a controversial ending Gerber expressed regrets about having written, Spinner stayed with Khordes.

Soon, Gerber was delving into Ted Sallis's past. In a text story in Monsters Unleashed #8 and #9, Sallis was revealed to have slept with an underage girl, whose father sought to kill the current occupant of his shack. In Daredevil #108, Gerber introduced Foggy Nelson's sister Candace, who was being harassed over research she was doing at Empire State University. In issue #113, this was revealed to be the Sallis Papers, research that could have turned the human race into smog-breathing monsters and allow industry to proceed unchecked. In Man-Thing #15, we are introduced to Sainte-Cloud, a young woman who helped him decide to abandon the project. Sometimes this has been erroneously cited as the project that created Man-Thing, though it is made clear in the stories that this is an earlier project.

The final arc of the Gerber series dealt with a hypermasculine laborer named Sorensen forced into retirement at age 65. He went on a rampage as a Mad Viking, killed his daughter Astrid's artist boyfriend, and allied himself with Olivia Selby, who led a bookburning riot at Citrusville High School, leading to the slaughter of several teachers. Man-Thing's involvement led to him being dumped in the local sewage treatment plant, which only increased his ability to leave the swamp, while Richard Rory got fired by the local radio station for speaking out against the book burning on the air. In Rory's attempt to leave for Atlanta, Man-Thing and Carol Selby, Olivia's daughter, demand to go with him. In Atlanta, they meet Robert Nicolle, a man with neither feeling nor physical sensation appearing as the costumed criminal the Scavenger. Dani Nicolle, his sister, has her sensations on overload and must project them into objects called Nightmare Boxes.

Man-Thing #22 was the last of the series, and justified its end with an unusual device: Gerber appeared as a character in the story, and admitted that he had not been inventing the Man-Thing's adventures but simply reporting on them. After witnessing the near-end of the universe—in which the minds of literally everyone except Gerber, Dakimh, and Thog (who was attempting to control the universe with a pyramid of Dani's Nightmare Boxes) were destroyed but then restored—Gerber decided he had to move on to other things. He continued to write cameo appearances for the Man-Thing in other Marvel titles, including The Evolutionary War crossover, and a 12-part Man-Thing serial in the anthology series Marvel Comics Presents, through 1989, largely a commentary on the Iran-Contra scandal.

Michael Fleischer

A second Man-Thing series began in November 1979, written by Michael Fleisher and later, Chris Claremont and illustrated by Jim Mooney and Don Perlin.

Fleischer introduced a scientist, Dr. Oheimer, who attempted to restore Ted Sallis's mind, now scattered about in ganglia throughout Man-Thing's body. A series of plot holes lead to the end of the project and Dr. Oheimer's death, and a negative result was predicted in What If Vol. 1, #26. The next issue introduced a melodramatic love triangle that took Man-Thing to the Himalayas. Fleischer's work took a great deal of negative criticism and he was taken off the book.

Chris Claremont

Chris Claremont began writing the series with issue #4 (the story in which was concluded in Doctor Strange vol. 2, #41, to tie it with a series he was already writing), after previously working with the character in Marvel Team-Up #68, in which he introduced a concept many fans found ludicrous: certain supernatural creatures, in this case, D'Spayre, who appared for the first time in that issue, could cause Man-Thing to feel fear and spontaneously combust. This concept appeared again, to much more severe effect, in What If #26 and Heroes Reborn: The Return #1. Many found DeMatteis's revival of the character in his following appearance, Marvel Team-Up vol. 2 #4, to be quite awkward.

As Gerber had kept the focus on his own original characters, Claremont's arc focused on newly-orphaned upper-class cheerleader Bobbie Bannister and Citrusville Sheriff John Daltry. The series lasted through issue #11, in which Claremont not only introduced himself as a character as Gerber had, but, after being stabbed to death by John Daltry (posessed by the sword of Captain Fate), temporarily became the Man-Thing. Temporary deaths by all the characters, including Dr. Strange, guided by a retconned version of Claremont's earlier character, John Kowalski, now an aspect of Death, resolved the issue. At about the same time, Claremont gave Man-Thing a guest appearance in The Uncanny X-Men #144, which re-introduced D'Spayre as a major X-Men foe.

J.M. DeMatteis

J.M. DeMatteis began writing the character in a backup story in Man-Thing Vol. 2, #9, which opened with a fill-in by Dickie McKenzie. After writing him in Marvel Team-Up, Defenders, and sporadic stories in Marvel Fanfare, and the limited series, Daydreamers, DeMatteis wrote a third series with the character in 1997, illustrated by Liam Sharp, for eight issues, the two-issue Strange Tales volume 5, and Spider-Man Annual '99. His series returned to the beginning, bringing Ellen Brandt back into the story, half of her face hideously scarred by Man-Thing on their first encounter (apparently ignoring Tony Isabella's story in Monsters Unleashed #5). Man-Thing was also reunited with Howard the Duck, met Namor the Sub-Mariner, again incorporating the Zhered-Na mythos, and finally united Ellen and Ted with K'Ad-Mon, revealed to be Spyros, from Gerber's Son of Satan arc in Marvel Spotlight, who is in fact the Biblical Adam.

Other Appearances

Man-Thing also appeared as a cameo in issue #19 ("Retreat" by Steve Englehart and Paul Gulacy) of the martial arts comic book Master of Kung Fu, which starred Shang-Chi, the son of Fu Manchu. Man-Thing was accompanied with a man called Lu Sun who look after it. The Man-Thing saved Lu Sun and Shang-Chi's lives from Fu Manchu's assassins at the end just when Shang-Chi fell into a sandpit trap. The assassins died from being burned by Man-Thing when they attacked it while in fear.

When Man-Thing appeared in Hulk #4, K'Ad-Mon had apparently left. What happened to Ellen Brandt is unclear.

In his first Ultimate Marvel appearance, Man-Thing teamed with Spider-Man in Ultimate Marvel Team Up #10, unwittingly saving the superhero from the Lizard.

In one of the earliest What If...? storylines, several issues were devoted to the question of "What if the Fantastic 4 All received the Same Powers?" (such as all of them being able to control fire). During the story where they all became "Things", Susan Storm became a mute monstrosity that appeared nearly identical to the Man-Thing. Also, in the Ultimate Fantastic Four #3, when the 4F are affected by the energy from the N-Zone, the Man-Thing is shown for a moment. Can be supposed that Man-Thing and the FF share some elemental bound, being as they are representations of earth (Thing), fire (Human Torch), water (Mr. Fantastic) and air (Invisible Woman), or perhaps is just a reference to the mentioned What if issue.

Superhuman abilities

The Man-Thing possesses a variety of superhuman powers that are derived from the interaction of the scientific formula created by Ted Sallis and the mystical energies of the Nexus of Realities.

He possesses some degree of superhuman strength that has varied considerably during his comic book appearances. Initially, the Man-Thing was only slightly stronger than Captain America, who can lift approximately 800 pounds. During later appearances, the Man-Thing possessed sufficient superhuman strength to stand toe to toe with villains who were able to lift in excess of 100 tons.

The Man-Thing's body is practically invulnerable to harm. Because his body isn't entirely solid, but composed of the muck and vegetative matter of the swamp, fists, bullets, knives, energy blasts, etc. will either pass entirely through him or will harmlessly be lodged within his body. Even if a vast portion of the Man-Thing's body were to be ripped away or incinerated, he would be able to reorganize himself by drawing the necessary material from the surrounding vegetation.

The Man-Thing is also able to ooze his body through openings or around barriers that would seem too small for him to pass. The smaller the opening, the longer it will take for him to reorganize his mass upon reaching the other side.

Unusual psychic and mystical forces react in what passes as the "brain" cells located throughout his body. These unique forces render the Man-Thing extremely sensitive to emotions. Emotions that are mild and generally considered positive arouse curiosity and the Man-Thing will sometimes observe from a distance. However, emotions that are often viewed as negative, such as violent emotions, rage, anger, hatred, fear, cause the Man-Thing great discomfort and might provoke him into an attack. Once provoked into violent actions, his body secretes highly concentrated sulfuric acid that can burn human beings to ashes within a matter of seconds. Even individuals that have high levels of superhuman durability have proven unable to withstand this potent acid. While the Man-Thing is absent of violent emotions, his body produces a type of foamy, soapy mucus that neutralizes the acid.

The Man-Thing is dependent upon the swamp he inhabits for his continued survival. He is able to leave the swamp, and has done so on many occasions, for a considerable length of time. However, his body will slowly weaken and eventually lapse into dormancy if not returned to the swamp or exposed to clean water. His exposure to the Citrusville waste treatment plant (in Vol. 1, #17) greatly enhanced his ability to leave the swamp.

Ultimate Man-Thing

Ultimate Man-Thing is similar to his traditional counterpart and seems to share the same abilities and possibly origin. He has encountered Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four in this reality.

Comic spin-offs

Gerber introduced Howard the Duck in a Man-Thing story in Adventure into Fear #19. Howard, who was displaced from an all-duck planet via the swamp's nexus of realities, later acquired his own series.

The Foolkiller, a vigilante who used a ray-gun to disintegrate not only criminals but anyone he considered foolish, was introduced in issue #3 this series as well, bent on slaying disc jockey Richard Rory, introduced the previous issue. When Rory served time for trumped-up kidnapping charges, he accidentally created another Foolkiller when he revealed too much detail about the previous one and the whereabouts of his gear. This Foolkiller became an occasional villain in other Marvel comics. Both Rory and this second Foolkiller, along with nurse Ruth Hart (who appeared in Man-Thing #s 2-5) were supporting characters in Gerber's Omega the Unknown, while David Anthony Kraft made Rory a potential love interest for She-Hulk. A third version of the character, who was in internet communication with the second, starred in Gerber's 1990 Foolkiller miniseries.

Film

A Man-Thing telefilm, directed by Brett Leonard and based loosely on a Gerber storyline involving the unscrupulous land developer F.A. Schist, appeared on the Sci Fi Channel in 2005 under the Sci Fi Pictures label. It starred Matthew Le Nevez, Rachel Taylor, and Jack Thompson.

The movie's plot took many liberties with the source material (most of which seem to have been intended to conform the character more closely to the more popular Swamp Thing). Among these are: moving the setting from the Florida Everglades to Louisiana (though the film was actually made in Australia), and changing the creature's powers from burning those who "know fear" to being able to manipulate the swamp's vegetation. The movie character is also represented in a significantly more antagonistic light than the comic-book version. Man-Thing's former identity remained Ted Sallis, though in the film he is portrayed as a Native American shaman instead of a scientist. Consequently, the Man-Thing's origin is somewhat different, though the Nexus of All Realities is still involved. Additionally, in a nice tip-of-the-hat to the original comics series, a major character is named Mike Ploog.

The film was originally intended for a 2004 video release, then upgraded to a theatrical release for Halloween, then back to video and later to the Sci Fi Channel television release it received in 2005.

Superhero films

Similar characters

The Man-Thing has often been erroneously described as Marvel's attempt to imitate the similar and more famous DC Comics character Swamp Thing, but this is unlikely given that both debuted within a few months of one another, Man-Thing, in fact, appearing first. Gerry Conway and Len Wein were good friends and roommates at the time that they created both Man-Thing and Swamp-Thing. They merely took their ideas to different comics. Further discrediting the idea that Man-Thing is an imitation of Swamp Thing is the fact that Len Wein wrote the second Man-Thing story before he wrote the first story of the ongoing Swamp Thing, although its publication was severely delayed and appeared afterwards, after a change in the Comics Code allowed the more brutal nature of Man-Thing to appear in a color comic.

A predecessor of both was Hillman Publications' the Heap, who debuted in what was intended as a one-time appearance in the feature "Skywolf" in Air Fighters #3 (Dec. 1942). Created by writer Harry Stein and artist Mort Leav, the Heap later became a popular character in return appearances and later an ongoing solo feature. Early depictions of the Heap look highly similar to the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies character Gossamer, a completely orange-furred, practically featureless monster in sneakers who menaced Bugs Bunny in the 1946 animated short "Hair-Raising Hare" before going on to other appearances (named "Rudolph" in one).

A literary predecessor was the title creature of "It", a Theodore Sturgeon short story that first appeared in the pulp magazine "Unknown" in 1940.

Bibliography

Original stories

Ultimate Man-Thing

Guest appearances

This list is complete through July 1981

Non-Continuity Appearances

Reprints

  • Monsters Unleashed #3 (Nov. 1973)
Reprints Savage Tales #1 story
  • Monsters Unleashed Annual #1 (1975)
Reprints Monsters Unleashed #5 story
Reprints Marvel Two-in-One #77.
  • Book of the Dead #1-4 (Dec. 1993)
Reprints stories from Savage Tales #1, Fear #11, Fear #12, and The Man-Thing Vol. 1, #11.
Reprints Man-Thing movie prequel #1-3, Savage Tales #1 & Adventure into Fear #16 stories
  • The Essential Marvel Two-in-One (2005)
Reprints Marvel Two-in-One #1 (and other issues).
Reprints Fear #16 with Tomb of Dracula #10 and the first Satana story from Vampire Tales #2
  • The Essential Man-Thing (2006) (Forthcoming)
Reprints Savage Tales #1, Astonishing Tales #12-13, Adventure Into Fear #10-19, Man-Thing #1-14; Giant-Size Man-Thing #1-2; Monsters Unleashed #5, 8-9.

References

2005 films | Defenders members | Fictional elementals | Fictional empaths | Fictional immortals | Fictional monsters | Fictional scientists | Films based on Marvel comics | Marvel Comics mutates | Marvel Comics titles | Marvel Legends | Plant characters | SciFi Channel original movies

Man-Thing

 

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