Miracle Man
Encyclopedia
The Miracle Man is a supervillain featured in Marvel Comics
, created by Stan Lee
and Jack Kirby
as one of the first enemies of the Fantastic Four
. He was originally depicted as a stage magician with megalomaniacal desires, capable of convincing others through hypnosis
that he has amazing powers. In subsequent appearances, he appears to obtain actual, significant superpowers that allow him to mentally control and rearrange matter, but this turns out to be yet another illusion. The Miracle Man becomes one of the many minor Marvel Comics supervillains to be killed by the Scourge of the Underworld
, but is resurrected by the powerful demon Dormammu
(as a parasite of Hood
).
into an on-stage contest of strength, which he wins as well. Mr. Fantastic voices the fear that the team would be unable to defeat him were he to turn to crime.
The Miracle Man soon declares war on humanity and commits a jewel heist, through the aid of a giant prop monster he animates. The police call upon the Fantastic Four to stop him, but the Miracle Man bests them in a series of encounters and hypnotizes the Invisible Girl
into obeying him. However, after the Human Torch
blinds him with a flare of fire, he is captured easily and his mysterious powers are explained as deriving from nothing more than hypnotism.
The Miracle Man next appears as the villain in a two-issue story arc in Fantastic Four #138-139 (Sept-Oct, 1973). The Fantastic Four encounter him on a remote Indian reservation, while investigating an attack on villages of the tribesmen of Wyatt Wingfoot
. They initially mock him until he demonstrates that he now has actual superpowers, including the ability to control matter and to fire blasts of energy. The Human Torch recounts their first encounter with him to new teammate Medusa
, in a flashback that differs significantly from the original story in Fantastic Four #3, with new art and dialogue captioned by the Torch's narration. The team are depicted as having been unimpressed with the stage show until the Thing volunteers to go on stage, where he is attacked by the convincing illusions of a lion and a monster. Their later fights with the Miracle Man in that story are simplified to omit the hypnotism of the Invisible Girl, and to explain that the villain is blinded when the Human Torch destroys the animated prop monster with a single "nova flash."
The Miracle Man agrees with the Torch's version of their first encounter, and then continues to explain what has subsequently happened to him. He recounts that while in prison, he researched books on the power of "mind over matter." After being released, he explains that he sought out a mysterious band of Native Americans known as "the Silent Ones," who taught him how to mentally control matter; he had then buried his teachers in a rockslide with his newfound powers. Finished with his story, he causes the earth to open up and swallow the Fantastic Four whole in the cliffhanger at the end of issue #138.
In Fantastic Four #139, the heroes have of course survived, and the story continues with the insane Miracle Man creating his own advanced city to rule, complete with inhabitants under his control. Giant and super-strong, he fights with the Thing in hand-to-hand combat while the other heroes fight his creations. The story shifts to show American military commanders being informed by a "professor" that "some outside force" is draining the world's nuclear weapons stockpile of protons, making the weapons unstable and threatening "a worldwide nuclear explosion." Before this dire reality comes to pass, the Miracle Man suddenly vanishes in the midst of an arrogant tirade. The Silent Ones serve as a deus ex machina
, appearing in the clouds to explain that because they are responsible for his madness, they took him away to "cure" him.
In Marvel Two-In-One
#8, the Thing and Ghost Rider
team up against the Miracle Man, who has once again overpowered the Silent Ones to escape from their otherworldly imprisonment. After Ghost Rider proves immune to his powers, and the Thing blinds him with a handful of sand, he is reclaimed by the Silent Ones. He subsequently appears in Defenders
#120-122, having taken refuge in a monastery after the Silent Ones gave him amnesia. He regains his memories and powers, and steals the "Darksoul" from Daimon Hellstrom
, who had travelled to the monastery on a personal quest for meaning. Now professing a desire to help others, the Miracle Man transports himself and the Defenders to the poverty-stricken island of Java
, which he attempts to turn into a paradise. When a blind man refuses to give up his affliction, considering it a divine gift, the Miracle Man is overcome by rage and turns again to violence. Hellstrom regains control over the Darksoul and the Miracle Man loses all of his powers.
In The Thing #24, the Miracle Man is on a mission to regain his powers. While aiding the Rhino
in a fight against the Thing, the Miracle Man is shot dead by the vigilante known as the Scourge of the Underworld
.
The Miracle Man was later among the eighteen criminals, all murdered by the Scourge, to be resurrected by Hood
using the power of Dormammu
as part of a squad assembled to eliminate the Punisher
. He battles the Punisher while posing as a member of the Avengers, and escapes after the fight.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, created by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
as one of the first enemies of the 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 originally depicted as a stage magician with megalomaniacal desires, capable of convincing others through hypnosis
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
that he has amazing powers. In subsequent appearances, he appears to obtain actual, significant superpowers that allow him to mentally control and rearrange matter, but this turns out to be yet another illusion. The Miracle Man becomes one of the many minor Marvel Comics supervillains to be killed by the Scourge of the Underworld
Scourge of the Underworld
The Scourge of the Underworld is the name of a series of fictional characters that have appeared in various series set in the Marvel Comics universe....
, but is resurrected by the powerful demon Dormammu
Dormammu
Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a...
(as a parasite of Hood
Hood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
).
Publication history
The Miracle Man is introduced in Fantastic Four #3 (Mar, 1962) as an arrogant stage magician who harbors megalomaniacal desires. The Fantastic Four attend his stage show, and the Miracle Man directly taunts them during his display of ostensibly superior powers, which includes such feats as levitation, transforming himself into mist, and enlarging himself to giant form. He goads the enraged ThingThing (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...
into an on-stage contest of strength, which he wins as well. Mr. Fantastic voices the fear that the team would be unable to defeat him were he to turn to crime.
The Miracle Man soon declares war on humanity and commits a jewel heist, through the aid of a giant prop monster he animates. The police call upon the Fantastic Four to stop him, but the Miracle Man bests them in a series of encounters and hypnotizes the Invisible Girl
Invisible Woman
Susan "Sue" Storm Richards is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics...
into obeying him. However, after the Human Torch
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
blinds him with a flare of fire, he is captured easily and his mysterious powers are explained as deriving from nothing more than hypnotism.
Later appearances
Wyatt Wingfoot
Wyatt Wingfoot is a fictional, comic-book supporting character in the Marvel Comics universe, who first appeared in Fantastic Four #50 . While having no superpowers, he has spent much time in the company of the Fantastic Four due to his friendship with Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, and his...
. They initially mock him until he demonstrates that he now has actual superpowers, including the ability to control matter and to fire blasts of energy. The Human Torch recounts their first encounter with him to new teammate Medusa
Medusa (comics)
Medusa is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Medusa first appeared in Fantastic Four #36 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
, in a flashback that differs significantly from the original story in Fantastic Four #3, with new art and dialogue captioned by the Torch's narration. The team are depicted as having been unimpressed with the stage show until the Thing volunteers to go on stage, where he is attacked by the convincing illusions of a lion and a monster. Their later fights with the Miracle Man in that story are simplified to omit the hypnotism of the Invisible Girl, and to explain that the villain is blinded when the Human Torch destroys the animated prop monster with a single "nova flash."
The Miracle Man agrees with the Torch's version of their first encounter, and then continues to explain what has subsequently happened to him. He recounts that while in prison, he researched books on the power of "mind over matter." After being released, he explains that he sought out a mysterious band of Native Americans known as "the Silent Ones," who taught him how to mentally control matter; he had then buried his teachers in a rockslide with his newfound powers. Finished with his story, he causes the earth to open up and swallow the Fantastic Four whole in the cliffhanger at the end of issue #138.
In Fantastic Four #139, the heroes have of course survived, and the story continues with the insane Miracle Man creating his own advanced city to rule, complete with inhabitants under his control. Giant and super-strong, he fights with the Thing in hand-to-hand combat while the other heroes fight his creations. The story shifts to show American military commanders being informed by a "professor" that "some outside force" is draining the world's nuclear weapons stockpile of protons, making the weapons unstable and threatening "a worldwide nuclear explosion." Before this dire reality comes to pass, the Miracle Man suddenly vanishes in the midst of an arrogant tirade. The Silent Ones serve as a deus ex machina
Deus ex machina
A deus ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object.-Linguistic considerations:...
, appearing in the clouds to explain that because they are responsible for his madness, they took him away to "cure" him.
In Marvel Two-In-One
Marvel Two-in-One
Marvel Two-In-One was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that featured the Fantastic Four member, the Thing, in a different team-up each issue with a different character. The series continued from the team-up stories starring the Thing in the final two issues of Marvel...
#8, the Thing and Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)
Ghost Rider is a fictional character, an antihero in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is the second Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and preceding Daniel Ketch.Johnny Blaze was portrayed both in the 2007 film Ghost Rider and...
team up against the Miracle Man, who has once again overpowered the Silent Ones to escape from their otherworldly imprisonment. After Ghost Rider proves immune to his powers, and the Thing blinds him with a handful of sand, he is reclaimed by the Silent Ones. He subsequently appears in Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
#120-122, having taken refuge in a monastery after the Silent Ones gave him amnesia. He regains his memories and powers, and steals the "Darksoul" from Daimon Hellstrom
Daimon Hellstrom
Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:He first appeared in Ghost Rider Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics...
, who had travelled to the monastery on a personal quest for meaning. Now professing a desire to help others, the Miracle Man transports himself and the Defenders to the poverty-stricken island of Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, which he attempts to turn into a paradise. When a blind man refuses to give up his affliction, considering it a divine gift, the Miracle Man is overcome by rage and turns again to violence. Hellstrom regains control over the Darksoul and the Miracle Man loses all of his powers.
In The Thing #24, the Miracle Man is on a mission to regain his powers. While aiding the Rhino
Rhino (comics)
The Rhino is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr., the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 The Rhino (Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich) is a fictional character that appears in comic...
in a fight against the Thing, the Miracle Man is shot dead by the vigilante known as the Scourge of the Underworld
Scourge of the Underworld
The Scourge of the Underworld is the name of a series of fictional characters that have appeared in various series set in the Marvel Comics universe....
.
The Miracle Man was later among the eighteen criminals, all murdered by the Scourge, to be resurrected by Hood
Hood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
using the power of Dormammu
Dormammu
Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a...
as part of a squad assembled to eliminate the Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
. He battles the Punisher while posing as a member of the Avengers, and escapes after the fight.