Real
Name: Unrevealed CHARIOTEER
Real
Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Alternate reality (Earth-54225) human (Post World War II era)
Occupation: Criminal
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Stanley Digwall, Jovians, Young Marvelman
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile across the world;
formerly operated across Africa, in the vicinity of the
Halikari Desert
First Appearance: "Young Marvelman and the Chariot of Zum," Young Marvelman#114/3 (22nd October 1955)
Powers/Abilities: The Charioteer possessed the
fabled Chariot of Zum which could fly faster
than a jet in the atmosphere, and at light speed in space; it protected
the Charioteer from the perils of high altitudes and of empty vacuum in
outer space, allowing him to survive on Jupiter's surface (or more
probably one of the moons thereof) even when he left the basket. How
long this protection lasted once away from the Chariot remains
unrevealed.
An otherwise unremarkable criminal, the Charioteer
carried a gun and also employed a blowtorch while trying to cut into a
bank vault.
Height: 5'8" (by approximation)
Weight: 140 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Black
History:
(Young Marvelman#114/3
(fb) - BTS) - The man who would become known as the Charioteer was a
criminal operating in Africa in the vicinity of the Halikari Desert. He
was on the run from the cops, especially the Cape Police, but could not
easily get out of Africa as the authorities were watching all the
African airports.
(Young
Marvelman#114/3) - While riding on a horse through the Halikari
the crook witnessed a flying chariot, stirring memories of a tale he
once read in a children's book. When the Chariot landed near to him so
its rider, the archaeologist Stanley Digwall, could collect his
belongings, the crook coshed him and stole the magical vehicle, the
fabled Chariot of Zum, using it to escape his African predicament.
A week later the Charioteer was in the United
States of America and robbed the Ballahoo City Bank. After knocking out
a guard, the Charioteer was in the process of cutting open the vault
with a blow torch when he was interrupted by Young Marvelman. Holding
the unconscious guard at gunpoint as a hostage, the Charioteer managed
to hold Young Marvelman off, then made a dash for the exit. The hero
expected to quickly catch the fleeing felon, but was caught by surprise
as the Charioteer flew off.
A few days later the Charioteer crashed a
jewelry exhibition, smashing into the building in the Chariot. Without
even leaving the basket, the Charioteer snatched up the most valuable
jewels, but was again interrupted by Young Marvelman, who had staked out
the exhibition in anticipation that the Charioteer might strike there.
The hero grabbed the Charioteer's jacket collar, but the villain
activated the Chariot and wrenched himself free. Young Marvelman gave
chase, following the Charioteer all the way into outer space. With the
bullets he was firing simply bouncing off the hero, the Charioteer flew
all the way to Jupiter (see comments) and hid in a crater,
hoping to lose his pursuer.
(Young
Marvelman#114/3 - BTS) - However, he somehow drew the unwanted
attention of some Jovians; he either left the Chariot and encountered
them or they dragged him from his vehicle. Either way, three Jovians
tried to subdue him.
(Young
Marvelman#114/3) - The Charioteer's plight was witnessed by the
arriving Young Marvelman, and while he attacked the Jovians the villain
took the opportunity to run back to the Chariot, intending to slip away
while the hero was occupied. Unfortunately for him Young Marvelman dealt
swiftly with the aliens and caught up with the Charioteer just as he
reached the crater housing the Chariot. The hero flew his captive back
to Earth in the Chariot and delivered the Charioteer to the police.
Comments: Creators not listed. While Mick Anglo created Marvelman, he ran a studio of writers and artists, so it's hard to specify who created which story.
It's not specified whether the Zum that gives
the chariot its name is a person or a place; given the context it could
either, but my guess is that an artifact like the chariot would be more
likely to be named after the person who used it. Of course, it might
simply be named after the activation word (rather than the activation
word being named after a person). Given it was an ancient artifact I
ASSume the Chariot's powers were magical, but there's an outside chance
it was actually high tech, so advanced that it just looked like magic,
like the Berserker's
chariot.
Though there's no characters with an official
height stat to compare him to, and he didn't even manage to get a good
image standing next to Young Marvelman, the Charioteer didn't seem to be
exceptionally tall or short, and seemed a little taller than the teenage
hero.
Not exactly scientifically accurate, the
story has the Charioteer land on Jupiter, a gas planet with no solid
surface; even allowing for the unstated but implied idea that the
Chariot protects its rider from hostile environments even when he's
not in it, he can't actually be on Jupiter unless it's a very
different world in Marvelman's reality. Presumably he actually landed on
one of the moons, which, even though they'd still have an environment
that should kill an unprotected human in seconds, would at least have a
solid surface.
This profile was completed on 08/04/2026, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary's celebratory event to represent Young Marvelman.
Profile by Loki.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Charioteer has no known connections to:
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An ancient scythed bronze chariot of unspecified mythical origins, the Chariot of Zum could fly thousands of feet in the air at speeds rivalling jet aircraft. It was activated by saying the word Zum, at which point it would launch into the sky. If it was impeded by an obstacle in front of it then it would perform a vertical take-off. With no visible means of steering, it was presumably directed where to go by the mind of its pilot, and was capable of performing acrobatics in the air, such as loop the loops. It could also fly in space at light speed. Since the human pilot wasn't swiftly killed by the vacuum, radiation, or extreme temperatures, nor were they apparently impacted by thin air at high altitudes on Earth, the Chariot must have extended some sort of protective field to its pilot, one that persisted for at least a little while after they left the riders' basket. The blades extending out from the wheels could presumably be used as weapons, although the modern day Charioteer never employed them for this purpose. After capturing the Charioteer, Young
Marvelman delivered the Chariot to the State Museum, where it
was put on public display. --Young Marvelman#114/3
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Stanley Digwall was an eminent archaeologist.
While digging alone in the Halikari Desert he unearthed the
fabled Chariot of Zum, discovering it could fly when he stated
the name Zum aloud. After flying it around for a while he landed
to collect his kit, intending to deliver the Chariot to a
museum, but his flight had been witnessed by an unscrupulous
individual who struck the unsuspecting scientist from behind
with a cosh and then stole the Chariot. A week later Digwall was
in the city of Ballahoo in the United States when the Charioteer
robbed the local bank. After the criminal evaded the hero Young
Marvelman thanks to the Chariot, Digwall informed the hero of
the artifact's origins. --Young Marvelman#114/3
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The Jovians were apparently natives to Jupiter (or one of the moons) and encountered the Charioteer when he sought to hide there from the pursuing Young Marvelman. They tried to capture him, but Young Marvelman intervened and beat them up, giving the Charioteer the opportunity to try and get back to the Chariot. --Young Marvelman#114/3
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images: (without ads)
Young Marvelman#114/3 cover
(main image)
Young Marvelman#114/3
cover (Chariot of Zum)
Young Marvelman#114/3,
p2, pan3 (Stanley Digwall)
Young Marvelman#114/3, p8, pan3 (Jovians)
Appearances:
Young Marvelman#114/3 (22nd October
1955) - creators uncredited and unknown
First Posted:
09/09/2026
Last updated: 08/04/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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Chariot of Zum
Stanley Digwall
Jovians