Kid Marvelman
Encyclopedia
Kid Marvelman, later known as Kid Miracleman, is a fictional comic book
character appearing in Marvelman
. In 2009, Kid Miracleman was ranked as IGN
's 26th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
and first appeared in Marvelman #102 published in July 1955 as one of the sidekicks of the title character. He is the alter-ego of Johnny Bates and transformed into superhuman form by saying the word "Marvelman" (later, for legal reasons, "Miracleman").
The character was later adapted by Alan Moore
for his update of Marvelman in Warrior in 1982. Originally, Kid Marvelman wore a yellow version of Marvelman's uniform with a KM emblem. The later, evil version of the character wore a black version (but originally street clothes, namely a business suit).
In Alan Moore's new series, the previously published adventures of the Marvelman Family are treated as the virtual reality
created to program three experimental superhumans created by the British government using captured alien technology. Following the attempted assassination of Kid Marvelman, Young Marvelman
and Marvelman by their creator, Dr. Gargunza via an atomic explosion, the program is cancelled and all knowledge of it buried. Kid Marvelman survives, and believing the others dead, is left alone in the real world (versus Gargunza's virtual reality
, in which he had lived the last few years of his life). Rather than return to human form, he decides to remain in his invulnerable superhuman form, which continues to mature, leaving the Johnny Bates persona in limbo.
By the early 1980s, Kid Marvelman has become a violent, sadistic sociopath and the head of a corporation known as Sunburst Cybernetics. Keeping his true nature a secret, he nurses a deep, unreasoning hatred toward Marvelman, who suddenly re-appears. He locates Marvelman's human identity, and invites him to his corporate headquarters. Kid Marvelman reveals the depths to which he has sunk, murdering his own secretary in front of his former mentor and threatening to do the same to Marvelman's wife. The two battle, the former sidekick easily dominating the hero with vastly increased abilities and new powers (developed through decades of remaining exclusively in superhuman form). Saying "Marvelman" by mistake while gloating over his beaten form, Kid Marvelman reverts to the traumatized, innocent form of young Johnny Bates. He is found at the scene of the battle by the authorities, who place him in a government mental facility. Kid Marvelman lurks within Johnny's mind, trying to tempt him into once more saying the word and allowing the mad superhuman to re-emerge. Johnny gives in at last when he was about to be raped by a group of older boys at a group home. Free again, Kid Marvelman butchers Johnny's rapists, then moves on to everyone else in the facility. He spares a young nurse, telling her that she had been the only one to be kind to him ... then remarks that "they'll say I've gone soft", and punches through her skull.
A battle between Kid Marvelman and Marvelman, Marvelwoman
, Firedrake, and the Warpsmith
s results in Kid Marvelman ravaging London
and horrifically murdering much of the city's population. Throughout the battle, Kid Marvelman shrugs off the others' attacks while inflicting terrible damage on his foes. Marvelman's critically injured ally, the Warpsmith
Aza Chorn, teleports a chunk of debris halfway into Kid Marvelman's head and a girder through his chest, crippling him and forcing him to resume human form to escape the unbelievable pain. A wounded Marvelman cradles Johnny in his arms, assures him everything will be fine, then swiftly kills him, both to end the long suffering he has endured from Kid Marvelman's mind games and to prevent Kid Marvelman from ever escaping again. Marvelman and his allies use the destruction of London as a pretext for taking over Earth's governments.
Following Marvelman's establishment of a global utopia
, the dark allure of Kid Marvelman as an anti-hero
figure makes him the object of admiration and veneration for the rebellious subculture known as "Bateses". Kid Miracleman's injured body is still held in statis in infra-space, right next to Young Miracleman's body.
For legal reasons, Kid Marvelman became Kid Miracleman when the series was republished in the United States. Despite the confusion surrounding ostensibly-similar legal issues pertaining to Superman
and Superboy
, the massive legal entanglements involving Marvelman presumably also apply to this character as well, as Marvelman's origins were mired in confusion from the start.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character appearing in Marvelman
Marvelman
Marvelman, also known as Miracleman for trademark reasons in his American reprints and story continuation, is a fictional comic book superhero created in 1954 by writer-artist Mick Anglo for publisher L. Miller & Son. Originally intended as a United Kingdom home-grown substitute for the American...
. In 2009, Kid Miracleman was ranked as IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's 26th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
History
The character was created by Mick AngloMick Anglo
Michael "Mick" Anglo was a British comic book writer, editor and artist, as well as an author. He is best known for creating the superhero Marvelman, later known as Miracleman.-Biography:...
and first appeared in Marvelman #102 published in July 1955 as one of the sidekicks of the title character. He is the alter-ego of Johnny Bates and transformed into superhuman form by saying the word "Marvelman" (later, for legal reasons, "Miracleman").
The character was later adapted by Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
for his update of Marvelman in Warrior in 1982. Originally, Kid Marvelman wore a yellow version of Marvelman's uniform with a KM emblem. The later, evil version of the character wore a black version (but originally street clothes, namely a business suit).
In Alan Moore's new series, the previously published adventures of the Marvelman Family are treated as the virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
created to program three experimental superhumans created by the British government using captured alien technology. Following the attempted assassination of Kid Marvelman, Young Marvelman
Young Miracleman
Young Marvelman is a fictional comic book character appearing in Marvelman. The character was created by Mick Anglo and first appeared in Marvelman #101 published in July 1955. He is the alter-ego of Dickie Dauntless. and transformed into superhuman form by saying the word "Marvelman"...
and Marvelman by their creator, Dr. Gargunza via an atomic explosion, the program is cancelled and all knowledge of it buried. Kid Marvelman survives, and believing the others dead, is left alone in the real world (versus Gargunza's virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
, in which he had lived the last few years of his life). Rather than return to human form, he decides to remain in his invulnerable superhuman form, which continues to mature, leaving the Johnny Bates persona in limbo.
By the early 1980s, Kid Marvelman has become a violent, sadistic sociopath and the head of a corporation known as Sunburst Cybernetics. Keeping his true nature a secret, he nurses a deep, unreasoning hatred toward Marvelman, who suddenly re-appears. He locates Marvelman's human identity, and invites him to his corporate headquarters. Kid Marvelman reveals the depths to which he has sunk, murdering his own secretary in front of his former mentor and threatening to do the same to Marvelman's wife. The two battle, the former sidekick easily dominating the hero with vastly increased abilities and new powers (developed through decades of remaining exclusively in superhuman form). Saying "Marvelman" by mistake while gloating over his beaten form, Kid Marvelman reverts to the traumatized, innocent form of young Johnny Bates. He is found at the scene of the battle by the authorities, who place him in a government mental facility. Kid Marvelman lurks within Johnny's mind, trying to tempt him into once more saying the word and allowing the mad superhuman to re-emerge. Johnny gives in at last when he was about to be raped by a group of older boys at a group home. Free again, Kid Marvelman butchers Johnny's rapists, then moves on to everyone else in the facility. He spares a young nurse, telling her that she had been the only one to be kind to him ... then remarks that "they'll say I've gone soft", and punches through her skull.
Miraclewoman
Miraclewoman is a fictional superheroine appearing in the Eclipse Comics comic book Miracleman.In the Miracleman comic, Miraclewoman is the analog of other feminine super heroines such as Wonder Woman and Mary Marvel. Her given name is Avril Lear, but she also uses the alias of Dr. McCarthy.-...
, Firedrake, and the Warpsmith
Warpsmith
The Warpsmiths are fictional aliens in several science fiction comics by Alan Moore and Garry Leach.-Publication history:Created by Alan Moore when he was a teenager for a small publication by an arts lab in his native Northampton, England...
s results in Kid Marvelman ravaging London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and horrifically murdering much of the city's population. Throughout the battle, Kid Marvelman shrugs off the others' attacks while inflicting terrible damage on his foes. Marvelman's critically injured ally, the Warpsmith
Warpsmith
The Warpsmiths are fictional aliens in several science fiction comics by Alan Moore and Garry Leach.-Publication history:Created by Alan Moore when he was a teenager for a small publication by an arts lab in his native Northampton, England...
Aza Chorn, teleports a chunk of debris halfway into Kid Marvelman's head and a girder through his chest, crippling him and forcing him to resume human form to escape the unbelievable pain. A wounded Marvelman cradles Johnny in his arms, assures him everything will be fine, then swiftly kills him, both to end the long suffering he has endured from Kid Marvelman's mind games and to prevent Kid Marvelman from ever escaping again. Marvelman and his allies use the destruction of London as a pretext for taking over Earth's governments.
Following Marvelman's establishment of a global utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
, the dark allure of Kid Marvelman as an anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
figure makes him the object of admiration and veneration for the rebellious subculture known as "Bateses". Kid Miracleman's injured body is still held in statis in infra-space, right next to Young Miracleman's body.
For legal reasons, Kid Marvelman became Kid Miracleman when the series was republished in the United States. Despite the confusion surrounding ostensibly-similar legal issues pertaining to Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
, the massive legal entanglements involving Marvelman presumably also apply to this character as well, as Marvelman's origins were mired in confusion from the start.
External links
- Warrior index
- Kid Marvelman at International Superheros