Megaton Man
Encyclopedia
Megaton Man is a satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...

 superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...

 created by cartoonist "Dandy Don" Simpson
Don Simpson (cartoonist)
Don Simpson is an American freelance cartoonist, comic book artist and illustrator, most noted for creating Bizarre Heroes, Megaton Man, Border Worlds, and the official comic adaption of King Kong....

. A parody of the superhero genre, Megaton Man is a gigantically-muscled but dim-witted oaf who starred in Simpson's cheerfully absurd stories. Megaton Man is also the title of the creator-owned
Creator ownership
Creator ownership is an arrangement in which the creator or creators of a work of fiction retain full ownership of the material, regardless of whether it is self-published or by a corporate publisher. In some fields of publishing, such as fiction writing, creator ownership is a standard arrangement...

 comic book
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...

 series (published by Kitchen Sink Press
Kitchen Sink Press
Kitchen Sink Press was a comic book publishing company founded by Denis Kitchen in 1970. Kitchen owned and operated Kitchen Sink Press until 1999. Kitchen Sink Press was a pioneering publisher of underground comics, and was also responsible for numerous republications of classic comic strips in...

 beginning in 1984) Simpson wrote and drew, in which the character first appeared and starred. The original Megaton Man series ran for ten issues, but the character was later revived in a limited series, The Return of Megaton Man, and a series of one-shot issues spun off from the concept. In 1994, Simpson left Kitchen Sink to form his own company, Fiasco Comics, through which Simpson self-published his new title Bizarre Heroes, featuring Megaton Man (and many members of his old supporting cast) as part of a large ensemble cast. Bizarre Heroes ended when Fiasco went out of business during the mid-1990s contraction of the American comics industry, but Megaton Man and the rest of the Bizarre Heroes went on to appear in several projects published by Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...

.

Character

Living in Megatropolis in Michigan, USA, Trent Phloog has made a living as superhero Megaton Man, otherwise known as "The Man of Molecules". Whenever he says the magic word "Overkill
Overkill
Overkill is the use of excessive force or action that goes further than is necessary to achieve its goal.-Nuclear weapons:Overkill is especially used to refer to a destructive nuclear capacity exceeding the amount needed to destroy an enemy...

", he explodes. Megaton Mans' costume is metallic blue, with yellow gloves and boots. His allies include X-Ray Boy and Yarn Man, who both assist Megaton Man in battles against his arch foes, Bad Guy and Bulky Guy.

The origins of Megaton Mans' powers remain unknown, but there are two given possibilities:
  1. He was bitten by a radioactive frog (A hint towards Spider-Man
    Spider-Man
    Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...

    )
  2. Megaton Man was the result of a military megasoldier program (A nod towards Captain America
    Captain America
    Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...

    ).


When he first gained his powers, Megaton Man was first known as Megaton Lad, and had a sidekick called Plutonium Pup (A reference to Krypto the Superdog
Krypto the Superdog
Krypto the Superdog is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation, based on the DC Comics character Krypto. The show premiered on Cartoon Network on March 25, 2005 and aired on Kids' WB! in September 2006...

). It wasn't until the death of Plutonium Pup and his 21st birthday when Trent Phloog became Megaton Man.

Due to an error in bureaucratic paperwork, Megaton Man is re-taking his high-school exams, but this is understandable, as he is known to be less than intelligent. During his first run of high school, Megaton Man used to play the clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...

 in the high-school band.

Trent Phloog is married to Stella Starlight, who is known as the superheroine Earth Mother (see below), and the two also had a child together.

In recent times, Megaton Man has discovered both previous and present incarnations
Incarnations
Incarnations can refer to:*Incarnation of supernatural or religious entities*Incarnations of Immortality, a book series by Piers Anthony*Incarnate , a character class in a role-playing game...

 of himself. In particular, Golden Age Megaton Man, Silver-Age Megaton Man, and a Russian Megaton Man, whose costume is red.

Outside Megatropolis, Megaton Man is allied to The Phantom Jungle Girl. Villains outside Megatropolis include Irving the Living Cactus, and the Tomb Team, a band of supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...

 villains including: The Bride of Frankenstein and Dracula's Daughter
Dracula's Daughter
Dracula's Daughter is a 1936 American vampire horror film produced by Universal Studios, a sequel to the 1931 film Dracula. Directed by Lambert Hillyer from a screenplay by Garrett Fort, the film stars Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden, Marguerite Churchill and, as the only cast member to return from the...

.

Others

While visiting Megaton Mountain in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

, Megaton Man was shown a number of alternate Megaton Men in the lair. Among them included:
  • Doc Megaton - Trent Senior Jr. of the 1930s, a parody of Doc Savage
    Doc Savage
    Doc Savage is a fictional character originally published in American pulp magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. He was created by publisher Henry W. Ralston and editor John L...

  • Patsy Megaton - Tomboy
    Tomboy
    A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...

     cousin of the above
  • The Devenger
  • The Shades
  • Megahog
  • Flash Megaton - A parody of Flash Gordon
    Flash Gordon
    Flash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip. Also inspired by these series were comics such as Dash...

  • Steve Megaton
  • Captain Megaton Man
  • Wooverine - A lampoon of Wolverine
    Wolverine (comics)
    Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...

  • Phloogthing
  • Wall Man - A pastiche of Spider-Man
    Spider-Man
    Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...

  • Megaton Mouse - Possibly a reference to Mighty Mouse
    Mighty Mouse
    Mighty Mouse is an animated superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox.-History:The character was created by story man Izzy Klein as a super-powered housefly named Superfly. Studio head Paul Terry changed the character into a cartoon mouse instead...

  • Buz Megaton
  • Mr. Megaton
  • Wooverine McBannister
  • Elvis Megaton - The Megaton Man of the 1950s'

X-Ray Boy

There were two incarnations of X-Ray Boy. The existing one (Larry Barton) lives in Livonia, Michigan. He is Megaton Man's sidekick, and has a robotic arm. His x-ray vision derives from his oversized glasses. When he sent off for a pair of x-ray glasses in an advertisement, he was given real x-ray glasses accidentally released by the Pentagon. The powerful vision burnt his left arm off (hence his cybernetic new arm). When asked to give up the goggles, Larry didn't need them, as the powers had fused into his eyes, giving them a green colour. His schoolfriends now have the goggles, as the Pentagon Representatives were accidentally killed by X-Ray Boys' powers. The current X-Ray Boy is a member of the VW Gang.

The 1980s X-Ray Boy was Preston Percy. Hurt by being dropped at a young age, he became evil and formed a group of supervillains known as the Tomb Team. Both versions of X-Ray Boy are heavy smokers.

Yarn Man

Yarn Man (AKA: Bing Gloom) was a member of the Megatropolis Quartet, but is now part of the VW Gang. Yarn Man is so-called because his entire body is made from yarn. Unlike other members of the VW Gang, Yarn Man is the only other "megahero" who has his own sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...

 (Kozmik Kat) and his own personal foe, Irving the Living Cactus (see below). The character of Yarn Man seems very similar to The Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...

 from 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...

. He was based on Spooner, a real life crocheted man from Ann Arbor.

The Phantom Jungle Girl

Donna Blank works as an activist in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

, but when trouble strikes, she becomes The Phantom Jungle Girl. A long-time ally of Megaton Man, she is also known for discovering the secret of Preston Percy and the Tomb Team.

The Phantom Jungle Girl has also made appearances alongside another superhero called The Tick
The Tick
The Tick is a fictional character created by cartoonist Ben Edlund in 1986 as a newsletter mascot for the New England Comics chain of Boston area comic stores. He is an absurdist spoof of comic book superheroes. After its creation, the character spun off into an independent comic book series in...

, a superhero similar in design to Megaton Man. Her boyfriend is the Meddler, a living corpse dedicated to defending Detroit.

There was also an incarnation of The Phantom Jungle Girl from the 1950s, known as The '50s Jungle Girl, and the mother of the current incarnation, who took up the mantle in later days.

Cowboy Gorilla

A talking gorilla from the state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, Cowboy Gorilla was the fourth member of the Megatropolis Quartet, Though disbanded, he continues to aid Megaton Man frequently as part of the VW Gang, but has never got on with Yarn Man.

Gower Goose and Kozmik Kat

Two anthropomorphic animals, Gower Goose and Kozmik Kat are the mascots to Megaton Man and his friends and members of the VW Gang.
  • Kozmik Kat is a feline version of Megaton Man, who speaks fluent English and will gladly attack any predators, within reason. He doesn't believe in violence towards women, and is more laid back than other heroes. Kozmik Kat is officially sidekick to Yarn Man, and preferred the "megahero" business as he is descended from a family of alley-cats, which didn't appeal to him. Kozmik Kat could possibly be a reference to Streaky the Supercat
    Streaky the Supercat
    Streaky the Supercat is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Streaky first appeared in Action Comics #261 , and was created by Otto Binder and Jim Mooney.-Fictional character biography:...

    .

  • Gower Goose is a cowardly goose and a heavy drinker. Although not tough on the side of action, he feels better suited to doing odd jobs for his friends, such as cleaning the dishes and mopping the floor. A good friend of X-Ray Boy, Gower Goose has also had a crush on Mooncat, a member of Tomb Team. Outside his megahero image, Gower Goose is a radio presenter for his own radio station, WUCK (Named after his catchphrase). Gower Goose looks very similar in appearance to Howard the Duck
    Howard the Duck
    Howard the Duck is a comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. The character first appeared in Adventure into Fear #19 and several subsequent series have chronicled the misadventures of the ill-tempered, anthropomorphic, "funny...

    .

Teen Idols

As the X-Thems are a parody of X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...

, the Teen Idols are a parody of Teen Titans. Little is known about their background, except that they operate in Novi, Michigan, and reports say that they have recently disappeared.

Other Heroes of the Fiascoverse

The "Bizarre Heroes" as they have been called since their debut are the other minor heroes of the Fiascoverse, but all of them seem to operate within Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

. These are:

Anti-Matter Woman

Anti-Matter Woman (Andrea Revell) is another superheroine in Megatropolis. Originally called Negative Woman, the name was altered in order not to be confused with Negative Woman of DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

' Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol
The Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...

.

Captain Keystone

Little is known about Captain Keystone, but he is known to be an elder superhero of Megatropolis. He is a tutor to all superheroes in Michigan, and his powers are unknown. The idea of a superhero mentor could possibly refer to Captain Atlantis (sometimes Captain Newfoundland), a Canadian hero who tutored other heroes such as Captain Canada.

Earth Mother

Formerly "See-Thru Girl", Earth Mother is a superheroine in Megatropolis who is often accompanied by Miss Megaton Man. In reality, she is Stella Starlight, wife to Megaton Man. The change of name was because the original was too risqué.

The Meddler

Little is known about this bandaged mummy-style vigilante save that he is a living corpse. He has had a relationship with the Phantom Jungle Girl.

Pteranoman

Liberal senator Pete Teriano wears a costume which makes him look like an anthropomorhic Pterosaur
Pterosaur
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles of the clade or order Pterosauria. They existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period . Pterosaurs are the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight...

.He is assisted by Lisa Kopernick and the Cave Babes.

The Slick

A young vigilante armed with a gun that shoots an adhesive substance. Seems similar to Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...

.

The Kickstand Kid

The first villain Megaton Man encountered after changing from Megaton Lad, The Kickstand Kid was a young boy in an enormous robotic body with guns built into almost every part of the machine. As bullets have no effect on Megaton Man, The Kickstand Kid was easily defeated. He seems to bear some resemblance to Gizmo
Gizmo (comics)
Gizmo is a fictional character, a supervillain from DC Comics. He was created by George Pérez and Marv Wolfman, and he first appeared in The New Teen Titans #3 as a founding member of the Fearsome Five, a supervillain team that frequently fought the Teen Titans and the Outsiders.-Mikron...

 of the Teen Titans.

Dr. Software

A foe of the now-disbanded Megatropolis Quartet, Dr. Software plagued Megaton Man frequently, and still does following the disbanding of his rivals' "megahero" team. Dr. Software was also responsible for the capture and holding to ransom of a newspaper journalist, Pamela Jointly (a possible reference to Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....

).

Bad Guy & Bulky Guy

Two clumsy cousins, Bad Guy and Bulky Guy are both behemoths residing in Megatropolis, who cause as much havoc as possible for the various incarnations of Megaton Man. They have frequently been defeated by not only Megaton Man, but Golden Age Megaton Man, Miss Megaton Man and Anti-Matter Woman.

Irving the Living Cactus

Not a foe of Megaton Man himself, but an enemy of Yarn Man. Irving is able to use his spikes to pin himself to Yarn Man and slowly rip his fibre-body apart. He was supposedly killed by an electric shock from X-Ray Boy in a ghost-town west of Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

, but was merely dehydrated. When he was thrown into a river filled with chemically-polluted water, Irving was resurrected in a new anthropomorphic form, and has sworn revenge against the VW Gang.

The Tomb Team

A team of supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...

 entities residing in the catacombs of Ypsilanti Cemetery in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

, the Tomb Team can all only speak German, and are led by Megaton Mans' 1980's sidekick, Preston Percy. The Tomb Team are supposedly killed after a battle with Megaton Man, Yarn Man and Cowboy Gorilla while en route to Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

, but interference by Count Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...

 has led to the revival of the Frankenstein creations and revival attempts are being made on Dracula's Daughter
Dracula's Daughter
Dracula's Daughter is a 1936 American vampire horror film produced by Universal Studios, a sequel to the 1931 film Dracula. Directed by Lambert Hillyer from a screenplay by Garrett Fort, the film stars Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden, Marguerite Churchill and, as the only cast member to return from the...

.

Members of the Tomb Team include:
  • Forbidden Frankenstein - A purple behemoth who previously battled solo with Megaton Man.
  • The Bride of Frankenstein - Beautiful wife of the above, who can speak English as well as German.
  • Dracula's Daughter
    Dracula's Daughter
    Dracula's Daughter is a 1936 American vampire horror film produced by Universal Studios, a sequel to the 1931 film Dracula. Directed by Lambert Hillyer from a screenplay by Garrett Fort, the film stars Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden, Marguerite Churchill and, as the only cast member to return from the...

     - Green-skinned daughter of Dracula, who is somehow able to move about in daylight. Since the Draculas emigrated to Cleveland from Transylvania
    Transylvania
    Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...

    , Dracula's Daughter has constantly pestered her father, and it is her vampire bite that places Cowboy Gorilla out of action for a time.
  • An unnamed Werewolf (Deceased)
  • The Mooncat - A spoiled nurse who became a demoness after giving a bad image to The Phantom Jungle Girl in a brief superhero gig.
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