Comet Man
Encyclopedia
Comet Man is a fictional character
in the Marvel Comics universe
.
in 1987, created by Bill Mumy
, Miguel Ferrer
, and Kelley Jones
. Comet Man first appeared in Comet Man #1 (February 1987), and appeared in the rest of the series from Comet Man #2-6 (March–July 1987).
The character subsequently appears in Fantastic Four
#315-317 (June–August 1988), Marvel Comics Presents
#50-53 (May–July 1990), and Captain Marvel
vol. 5 #7 (July 2000).
Comet Man received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89
#2.
. Stephen's parents did not take too well to the news he was leaving for the South Pacific as a Naval pilot. Jack did not know his fiancée was carrying his child. She was moved to Florida, where the child was put up for adoption. Upon his return as a war hero, Jack married; he fathered two more children. Stephen and Rosemary.
John grew up to found top secret intelligence agency known as The Bridge. John held the title of 'The Superior'. When his own dad tells him that he has one son, he becomes enraged and arranges an accident that kills him.
Stephen Beckley had become an astronomer
and astrophysicist. He has a son Benny, by way of Ann. They run the Edmon project, which investigates astronomical incidents. Stephen pilots a craft through a tail of a comet and meets Max
, a being from the so-called Colony Fortisque. Max claims his race is responsible for starting evolution on Earth and other planets in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Beckley escapes; his wife, also a prisoner, dies in a separate attempt. Benny survives and a Dr. Fishler puts him under tests to try and duplicate Stephen's new powers.
Beckley makes an ally in Reed Richards, who gives him a device to allow him to teleport easier. He learns his wife is dead; S.H.I.E.L.D.
tells him of his brother. He finds his son, injured and saves his life. This grants him a copy of Beckley's powers. Stephen seemingly dies. Benny is enraged by the sequence of events he has seen. He kills Fishler and falls into a catatonic state. Hilbert, now repentant, vows to take care of Benny.
'Bridge' assassins attempt to claim Max and his ship. Max's pacifist tendencies evaporate and he erupts into violence. The men flee and Max decides to destroy Earth to neutralize their violent ways. Beckley calmed Max down and agreed to accompany him on a visit to the Fortisquian colony.
'The Superior' almost kills Max and Stephen but they escape to the colony unscathed. Stephen gains more control over his powers on Max's home world. Both return to Earth. Stephen finds his sister and son living with John. Comet Man used his powers to free Benny from his catatonic state. Ultimately, Comet Man learned John was the Superior, who then shot and killed himself.
during the Civil War
, but was defeated. Stephen is being considered as a "potential recruit" for the Initiative
program.
himself over vast distances, from Earth to any location in outer space
. The limits on Comet Man's teleportation range are as yet unknown. Comet Man's teleportation ability is triggered subconsciously when he is in danger. He can utilize his teleportation power consciously through the use of a "psiamplifier" device given him by Reed Richards. Comet Man can teleport himself into the presence of another person by concentrating on that person, even if Comet Man does not know where that person is. Apparently Comet Man subconsciously psionically scans the area to which he teleports himself to make sure he does not materialize within a solid object.
Comet Man can psionically project a portion of his own consciousness into the mind of another human being or the mind of an animal. In this way Comet Man can read the memories of that other human being or animal and can even influence the thoughts and emotions of that person or animal. Comet Man refers to this power as "thought pitching." As a side effect of receiving psionic abilities, Comet Man's capacity for feeling emotions himself has increased.
Comet Man possesses superhuman strength, regeneration, and durability, and psychokinetic ability which he uses to fly, create protective fields, and project destructive blasts.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Marvel Comics universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
.
Publication history
Comet Man was the subject of a limited seriesLimited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
in 1987, created by Bill Mumy
Bill Mumy
Charles William "Bill" Mumy, Jr. is an American actor, musician, pitchman, instrumentalist, voice-over artist and a figure in the science-fiction community. He is known primarily for his work as a child television actor....
, Miguel Ferrer
Miguel Ferrer
Miguel José Ferrer is an American actor and voice actor who is often cast as a villain. His notable roles include Bob Morton, a supporting character in RoboCop , the short tempered FBI agent Albert Rosenfield in Twin Peaks, and Dr...
, and Kelley Jones
Kelley Jones
Kelley Jones is an American comic book artist best known for his runs on Batman with writer Doug Moench and on Sandman with writer Neil Gaiman.-Biography:...
. Comet Man first appeared in Comet Man #1 (February 1987), and appeared in the rest of the series from Comet Man #2-6 (March–July 1987).
The character subsequently appears in Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
#315-317 (June–August 1988), Marvel Comics Presents
Marvel Comics Presents
Marvel Comics Presents was an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics originally from 1988 to 1995; it returned for a second volume in 2007-2008.-Volume 1:The first volume was released on a biweekly basis and lasted for 175 issues...
#50-53 (May–July 1990), and Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics)
Captain Marvel is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Most of these versions exist in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe.- Publication history :...
vol. 5 #7 (July 2000).
Comet Man received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#2.
Early life
Dr. Stephen Beckley was the son of Jack Beckley of the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. Stephen's parents did not take too well to the news he was leaving for the South Pacific as a Naval pilot. Jack did not know his fiancée was carrying his child. She was moved to Florida, where the child was put up for adoption. Upon his return as a war hero, Jack married; he fathered two more children. Stephen and Rosemary.
John grew up to found top secret intelligence agency known as The Bridge. John held the title of 'The Superior'. When his own dad tells him that he has one son, he becomes enraged and arranges an accident that kills him.
Stephen Beckley had become an astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and astrophysicist. He has a son Benny, by way of Ann. They run the Edmon project, which investigates astronomical incidents. Stephen pilots a craft through a tail of a comet and meets Max
Max (Comet Man)
Max is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He is an alien, a member of the extraterrestrial race known as the Fortisquains, created by the Beyonders.-Publication history:...
, a being from the so-called Colony Fortisque. Max claims his race is responsible for starting evolution on Earth and other planets in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Origin
However, Max had accidentally vaporized Beckley when they meet. He uses his technology to recreate Beckley, which grants him various superpowers. Upon return to Earth, Beckley is taken prisoner by David Hilbert, an old friend and secret 'Bridge' operative. He undergoes various tests. Beckley's wife continues to believe he is dead.Beckley escapes; his wife, also a prisoner, dies in a separate attempt. Benny survives and a Dr. Fishler puts him under tests to try and duplicate Stephen's new powers.
Beckley makes an ally in Reed Richards, who gives him a device to allow him to teleport easier. He learns his wife is dead; S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
tells him of his brother. He finds his son, injured and saves his life. This grants him a copy of Beckley's powers. Stephen seemingly dies. Benny is enraged by the sequence of events he has seen. He kills Fishler and falls into a catatonic state. Hilbert, now repentant, vows to take care of Benny.
'Bridge' assassins attempt to claim Max and his ship. Max's pacifist tendencies evaporate and he erupts into violence. The men flee and Max decides to destroy Earth to neutralize their violent ways. Beckley calmed Max down and agreed to accompany him on a visit to the Fortisquian colony.
'The Superior' almost kills Max and Stephen but they escape to the colony unscathed. Stephen gains more control over his powers on Max's home world. Both return to Earth. Stephen finds his sister and son living with John. Comet Man used his powers to free Benny from his catatonic state. Ultimately, Comet Man learned John was the Superior, who then shot and killed himself.
The Initiative
Stephen tried to help some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents trying to take down the Superhuman Registration Act violator CybermancerCybermancer (comics)
Cybermancer is a fictional character, a superheroine published by Marvel Comics. The real Suzie Endo first appears in Force Works #4 , and was created by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Tom Tenney.-Fictional character biography:...
during the Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
, but was defeated. Stephen is being considered as a "potential recruit" for the Initiative
Fifty State Initiative
The Fifty State Initiative, often referred to as simply The Initiative, is a fictional governmental plan that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to The Avengers...
program.
Powers and abilities
Comet Man can teleportTeleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
himself over vast distances, from Earth to any location in outer space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
. The limits on Comet Man's teleportation range are as yet unknown. Comet Man's teleportation ability is triggered subconsciously when he is in danger. He can utilize his teleportation power consciously through the use of a "psiamplifier" device given him by Reed Richards. Comet Man can teleport himself into the presence of another person by concentrating on that person, even if Comet Man does not know where that person is. Apparently Comet Man subconsciously psionically scans the area to which he teleports himself to make sure he does not materialize within a solid object.
Comet Man can psionically project a portion of his own consciousness into the mind of another human being or the mind of an animal. In this way Comet Man can read the memories of that other human being or animal and can even influence the thoughts and emotions of that person or animal. Comet Man refers to this power as "thought pitching." As a side effect of receiving psionic abilities, Comet Man's capacity for feeling emotions himself has increased.
Comet Man possesses superhuman strength, regeneration, and durability, and psychokinetic ability which he uses to fly, create protective fields, and project destructive blasts.