Mercury Man
Encyclopedia
Mercury Man was a very short-lived superhero published by Charlton Comics
in their Science Fiction
anthology title Space Adventures after they stopped published Captain Atom
stories in the early 1960s.
Mercury Man would appear in Space Adventures #44 and 45 (February and May 1962), and was the cover feature for #44. The first story was reprinted in AC Comics
Men of Mystery #32. Art was by Rocke Mastroserio
. The second story had art by Charles Nicholas and Sal Trapani.
In many ways, Mercury Man was similar to other nuclear-powered superheroes of the time, such as Captain Atom
, Doctor Solar
, and Nukla
. He would be more interested in stopping foreign powers (I.E., communists) than criminals.
Mercury Man was actually an unnamed (in the first story) man from Mercury, the last of his people. The people of Mercury, like the people of Earth in the 1950s, were developing nuclear power, and a nuclear war destroyed them. Mercury Man was a scientist experimenting in metals, and a nuclear blast transformed him into the metallic Mercury Man. As Mercury Man he could fly through space without a space suit, was nearly invulnerable, had vaguely-defined nuclear powers, and some mental powers (he came to Earth after telepathically contacting a female American scientist and possible future love interest). He also had wing-like ears and small wings on his ankles like the Roman god Mercury or the Greek Hermes. In the first story, he came to Earth and stopped a nuclear attack on the United States. At the end of the story he was able to be transformed into a normal human, but able to transform back into Mercury Man, leaving the character open to future stories.
The second story (he is just referred to as "Merco"), puts him in a slightly different outfit (now red instead of blue, with an "M" on his belt buckle), but with pointed ears (like Mr. Spock) in his human form (which no one comments about). He has to "transform into his metallic form" to obtain his superpowers. This time he takes a group of warmongers to the devastated planet of Mercury, so they can see the results of nuclear war. And leaves them there when they refuse to mend their ways (and had damaged the space capsule he brought them in).
Mercury Man was not one of the characters purchased by DC Comics
.
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
in their Science Fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
anthology title Space Adventures after they stopped published Captain Atom
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
stories in the early 1960s.
Mercury Man would appear in Space Adventures #44 and 45 (February and May 1962), and was the cover feature for #44. The first story was reprinted in AC Comics
AC Comics
AC Comics is a comic book publishing company started by Bill Black.AC Comics specializes in reprints of Golden Age comics from now-defunct companies whose properties lapsed into public domain and were not reprinted elsewhere...
Men of Mystery #32. Art was by Rocke Mastroserio
Rocke Mastroserio
Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio , who sometimes signed his work "Rocke M.", "RM", "Rocke" or "RAM", was an American comic book artist best known as a penciler and inker for Charlton Comics.-Early career:...
. The second story had art by Charles Nicholas and Sal Trapani.
In many ways, Mercury Man was similar to other nuclear-powered superheroes of the time, such as Captain Atom
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
, Doctor Solar
Solar (comics)
Solar is an American fictional comic book character. Originally known as Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom, he first appeared in a comic book published by Gold Key Comics in the 1960s. He has since appeared in other incarnations in books published by Valiant Comics in the 1990s, and Dark Horse Comics...
, and Nukla
Nukla
Nukla is a fictional superhero published by Dell Comics in the mid 1960s. He was created by writer Joe Gill and artist Sal Trapani . The character made his debut in Nukla #1 .-Fictional character background:Nukla was really Matthew Gibbs, a handsome blond CIA spy and pilot...
. He would be more interested in stopping foreign powers (I.E., communists) than criminals.
Mercury Man was actually an unnamed (in the first story) man from Mercury, the last of his people. The people of Mercury, like the people of Earth in the 1950s, were developing nuclear power, and a nuclear war destroyed them. Mercury Man was a scientist experimenting in metals, and a nuclear blast transformed him into the metallic Mercury Man. As Mercury Man he could fly through space without a space suit, was nearly invulnerable, had vaguely-defined nuclear powers, and some mental powers (he came to Earth after telepathically contacting a female American scientist and possible future love interest). He also had wing-like ears and small wings on his ankles like the Roman god Mercury or the Greek Hermes. In the first story, he came to Earth and stopped a nuclear attack on the United States. At the end of the story he was able to be transformed into a normal human, but able to transform back into Mercury Man, leaving the character open to future stories.
The second story (he is just referred to as "Merco"), puts him in a slightly different outfit (now red instead of blue, with an "M" on his belt buckle), but with pointed ears (like Mr. Spock) in his human form (which no one comments about). He has to "transform into his metallic form" to obtain his superpowers. This time he takes a group of warmongers to the devastated planet of Mercury, so they can see the results of nuclear war. And leaves them there when they refuse to mend their ways (and had damaged the space capsule he brought them in).
Mercury Man was not one of the characters purchased by 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...
.