JIMMY BINN
Real Name: Jimmy Binn
Identity/Class: Human, citizen of the United States of America (Pre-Modern era)
Occupation: Stock clerk
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Tooloo
Enemies: None
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Unrevealed
First Appearance: Strange Tales I#48/5 (July, 1956)
Powers/Abilities: Jimmy Binn possesses no superhuman abilities.
Height: Unrevealed
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Dark brown
History:
(Strange Tales I#48/5 (fb) - BTS) - Jimmy Binn held a physically demanding job in the stockroom of a department store, where he routinely lifted boxes of merchandise. Although he maintained a healthy lifestyle and practiced good health habits, he remained of average build and ability. Aware of his limitations, he occasionally admired individuals with greater physical strength and skill.
(Strange Tales I#48/5) - While on summer vacation to the beach Jimmy envied the powerful athletes and acrobats performing near the shore, believing he could never be like them. Lacking self-confidence, he questioned his worth, even as someone who could "lift a ton a day" in his stockroom job, albeit one box at a time. At that moment, Jimmy was approached by a peculiar figure, a short, broad-shouldered man in a sagging old bathing suit and derby hat who introduced himself as Tooloo. The odd man spoke in riddles, suggesting that Jimmy was in a psychological state he called "noplace", a condition of lacking both purpose and self-acceptance. Tooloo urged Jimmy to understand that strength starts with mindset.
When Tooloo wandered toward the group of beach acrobats and musclemen, they mocked him, then physically assaulted him, tossing him around like a plaything. Jimmy shouted for them to stop, but the conflict escalated. In a sudden reversal, Tooloo demonstrated unexpected strength and agility, effortlessly hurling each of the four musclemen into wire beach baskets and trash receptacles with acrobatic grace. Spectators, once jeering, now applauded Tooloo, impressed by his poise and control. Jimmy watched, stunned. He realized that the little man, previously seen as clownish, had not only humbled the beach's strongest men but had done so with dignity and confidence. As they walked together afterward, Tooloo bought him custard, continued to speak cryptically, and eventually revealed that he was not merely a stranger: "I am you," he told Jimmy. Before fading from Jimmy's side, Tooloo told him that if he believed in himself, worked with focus and desire, he could become the strong, confident person he wished to be. Jimmy then fell asleep under a tree.
When he woke, he dismissed it all as a dream, until he noticed red welts on his ribs, exactly where Tooloo had repeatedly nudged him. Realizing something truly strange had occurred, Jimmy began to reimagine his future and flexed his arm with new purpose.
Comments: Created by Bob Powell.
Jimmy's story is one of introspection and awakening. While he begins as a quiet observer, doubting his value and abilities, his encounter with Tooloo forces him to reconsider the limits he's placed on himself. Whether dream or reality, the experience leaves him changed.
The black-and-red illustration from Amazing Adventures appears to represent Tooloo as seen through Jimmy's transformed perception. The exaggerated muscles, confident pose, and simplified art style differ greatly from the real Tooloo's earlier description as an awkward, middle-aged figure in a saggy swimsuit. This symbolic image reflects Jimmy's revelation, that the power Tooloo displayed might reside within Jimmy himself. By the end of the story, Jimmy no longer sees Tooloo as an external figure but as a mirror of his own potential.
Muscle Man was reprinted in Amazing Adventures I#6/2 (November, 1961), which also showed a new image depicting what Tooloo might've looked like
Profile by MarvellousLuke
CLARIFICATIONS:
Jimmy Binn has no known connections to
A mysterious man in a drooping bathing suit and derby hat, Tooloo appeared on the beach and struck up a conversation with the disillusioned Jimmy Binn. Tooloo claimed that Jimmy was in a state of "noplace," a psychological condition of disconnection and self-doubt. After a brief philosophical exchange, Tooloo confronted four muscular beach performers who harassed and physically attacked him. In response, Tooloo easily bested them, tossing them into beach baskets in front of an astonished crowd.
Tooloo continued to mentor Jimmy afterward, revealing cryptically that he was, in some sense, "Jimmy himself." The experience changed Jimmy's perspective. While it's unclear if Tooloo was real, imaginary, or symbolic, Jimmy's physical bruises suggest a real-world encounter with lasting emotional impact.
--Strange Tales I#48/5
Images: (without ads)
Strange Tales I#48, p21, pan1 (main image)
Amazing Adventures I#6, p20, pan1 (supposedly Tooloo)
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#48/5 (July, 1956) - writer unrevealed, Bob Powell (Artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Amazing Adventures I#6/2 (November, 1961)- writer unrevealed, Bob Powell (Artist), Stan Lee (editor)
First Posted: 03/21/2025
Last Updated: 03/21/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com