FRED MORGAN
Real Name: Fred Morgan
Identity/Class: Normal human (1950s era)
Occupation: Artist (painter)
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: None;
formerly Lois Wayne
Enemies: None
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Unrevealed location,
likely southeastern USA (see comments)
First Appearance: Uncanny Tales#38/4
(December, 1955)
Powers/Abilities: Fred Morgan is a mediocre
artist by his era's standards. He is greedy, selfish and egocentric.
Height: 6'
Weight: 150 lbs.
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair:Blond
History:
(Uncanny Tales#38/4 (fb) - BTS) - Fred Morgan was a
struggling artist (usually portraits) who craved attention. He entered
exhibitions where he could in the hope of winning prize money. His
regular model was Lois Wayne.
(Uncanny Tales#38/4) - Fred completed a portrait of
Lois, hoping to win first prize money at an exhibit, but he felt it
looked drab. Lois suggested adding matching diamond necklace and
earrings. Fred agreed and painted from memory; the jewelry pieces
magically appeared on Lois and looked exactly like what Fred had
painted. Lois was surprised but Fred was suspicious, so he quietly
painted in a box of jewels, which also suddenly appeared. Astonished,
Fred declared they were valuable, then immediately regretted it out of
selfishness, but he saw the potential of creating wealth via the
painting. Fred said that he only wanted to take care of her, but Lois
didn't care about riches and submitted to Fred's wants with a blanket
"anything you say!" Fred painted money into the picture, which
magically appeared. For Lois, it was enough to be happy with Fred, but
Fred only wanted more wealth and then to be rid of Lois as he
progressed into rich society. Fred painted in a mansion with landscaped
gardens and they were magically transported there. Lois grew tired of
Fred's wealth ambition and questioned if he truly wanted to marry her,
but Fred snapped that he never intended marriage; he naively declared
the painting was his genius. Lois left him there. Gripped with greed,
Fred returned to his painting using different models, but the creation
magic no longer worked. At the empty mansion, he consoled himself with
the money he had locked away. Realizing Lois was the key, Fred called
and begged Lois to return so that he could finish the painting. She
acquiesced, but Fred secretly intended to paint a dozen portraits of
her, each with space to add treasures. Hoping she would fall in love
with him again, Fred burned the original painting in the mansion's
backyard in front of her, feigning it was proof that he had changed. However, as the painting burned,
so too did the mansion with all the money; Fred was shocked. Realizing
his true intentions, Lois walked away.
Comments: Created by Carl Wessler & Bill Benulis.
So what triggered the magic paint or canvas? It seems like it all started when Lois suggested painting images on the canvas and she gave a blanket approval with "anything you say!" -- but this magic required her presence. The text identifies it was all magic, but there are no origins (like magicians or supernatural beings) or otherworldly images.
The mansion that appears has the distinct appearance
of an old plantation house from the southeastern USA, so the story is
very likely set in the USA (or the artist is American). However, a
night-time outdoor shot of Morgan's studio shows narrow windy street
lanes and old street lamps and buildings. Perhaps it's meant to be
around New Orleans.
Lois ... Wayne ...? Hm. Get the butler to call a
newspaper reporter to fact-check that!
Wessler writer credit from Grand Comics Database.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Fred Morgan has no known connections to:
Lois Wayne was a regular model for mediocre artist
Fred Morgan. One day, Fred completed a portrait of her for a
competition, but thought it too drab, so she suggested adding matching
diamond necklace and earrings. She was shocked when they magically
appeared on her just as Fred had painted them. Fred quickly deduced
that whatever he added to the canvas would appear in real life, so he
added in jewels and money. Lois loved Fred, but this was unrequited and
she became tired of his obsession with accumulating wealth via the
painting. Fred added a mansion to the painting and the pair were
magically transported there. Fred snapped at her that he never intended
to marry her, only use her, and she walked off heartbroken. She fell in
love with a new man. Meanwhile, Fred discovered that Lois was the key
to manifesting what was in the painting, so he called her up and begged
her to return to help finish it (although he secretly again wished only
to use her to create new paintings). He pretended to be a
changed man and in the mansion backyard, burned the original painting in front of her,
feigning it was proof that he loved her. However, as the painting
burned, so too did the mansion with all the money. Realizing Fred's
true intentions, Lois walked away and returned to her new beau.
--Uncanny Tales#38/4
images:
(without ads)
Uncanny Tales#38/4, p1, pan1 (main image)
p5, pan1 (headshot)
p3, pan1 (Lois Wayne)
p1, pan1 (Lois with portrait painting)
Appearances:
Uncanny Tales#38/4 (December, 1955) - Carl Wessler (writer), Bill
Benulis (art), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 02/14/2026
Last updated:
02/14/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
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