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MAD SCIENTIST

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Normal human (1950s era)

Occupation: Scientist, criminal

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Dugan, Homer Ghost, Melvin, Zelda, police (Officer Muldoon, others), other "city" residents

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: "City" near Ghost Town, USA (name unrevealed; likely New York)

First Appearance: Homer, the Happy Ghost I#16/1 (November, 1957)

Powers/Abilities: The man who came to be known as the Mad Scientist has genius intellect, having developed shrinking powder that proportionally reduces living matter to about 10% of its initial height and mass with a standard sprinkle dose; the effect lasts approximately 48 hours before the target is restored to their original state. The Mad Scientist is megalomaniacal and a psychopath with no empathy or conscience. He cares little for his personal appearance and is very ticklish.

Height: 5'4"
Weight: 165 lbs.
Eyes: Dark gray
Hair: Black

History:

(Homer, the Happy Ghost I#16/1 (fb) - BTS) - The man who came to be known as the Mad Scientist developed shrinking powder that proportionally reduced living matter for about 48 hours. He went on a spree sprinkling his powder from a can and shrinking people in a megalomaniacal attempt to take control of the city. A panicked alert was broadcast on television.

(Homer, the Happy Ghost I#16/1) - Young ghosts Dugan, Homer and Melvin, and their pal Zelda the Witch saw the TV report in a shop window, but were caught by surprise by a sprinkling of shrinking powder from the stealthy Mad Scientist; all four were instantly reduced in size. The Mad Scientist ran off to continue his villainy and the now small foursome gave chase. The heroic Homer caught up with the fiend and pretended to be his conscience. Never having had a conscience, the Mad Scientist realized it was a trick and threw more powder on the little ghost, which shrank Homer further. Homer floated behind the Mad Scientist's collar and tickled him. Being very ticklish, he quickly surrendered and confessed to nearby police officer Muldoon. The Mad Scientist admitted he had no growing powder, but that the shrinking powder would wear off in two days.

 

Comments: Created by Stan Lee & Dan DeCarlo.

The Mad Scientist's "shrinking powder" may be a form of size-altering Pym Particles, although the Mad Scientist's are discernible to the average human eye, so they may even be a synthetic form. Presumably, like Pym Particles, the shrinking powder shunts matter into the Kosmos Dimension when reducing subjects. (Pym Particles were discovered by Dr. Hank Pym (aka Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Scientist Supreme), other Stan Lee creations published only a few years later).

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Mad Scientist with his shrinking power has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Homer, the Happy Ghost I#16/1, p1, pan2 (main image)
   p3, pan4 (headshot)
   p3, pan6 (sprinkling)

Appearances:
Homer, the Happy Ghost I#16/1 (November, 1957) - Stan Lee (writer & editor), Dan DeCarlo (pencils & inks)

First posted: 12/28/2025
Last updated: 12/28/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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