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MERVIN MEGABUCKS

Real Name: Mervin Megabucks

Identity/Class: Normal human

Occupation: School student

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Bruno, Dr. Frank, Slyme, Dr. Stein, his assorted servants

Enemies: Joey Jordan, Top Dog

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Briefly impersonated Joey Jordan when minds were switched into each other's bodies

Base of Operations: Megabucks Estate, USA

First Appearance: Top Dog#1/2 (April, 1985)

Powers/Abilities: Mervin Megabucks has no special powers beyond an average pre-teen boy. However, he is arrogant, greedy, demanding, conceited and bullying. He has vast wealth (presumably inherited) to provide tremendous resources including a large estate with a palatial manor, personal servants, multiple excessively large cars, rooms filled with cash, flying robot guards, android servants plus a remote lab in a mountainous corner of the estate with advanced technology and two well-paid (but eccentric) scientists.

Height: 70 lbs.
Weight: 4'7"
Eyes: Dark grey
Hair: Black

History:

(Top Dog#1/2 (fb) - BTS) - Exceedingly wealthy Mervin Megabucks went to the same school as Joey Jordan, who had just befriended a unique and intelligent dog called Top Dog that could speak English.

(Top Dog#1/2) - Mervin was being chauffeured in his oversized car by his valet Slyme when it broke down; Mervin threatened to replace Slyme and the car unless it was immediately fixed. By chance, Joey and Top Dog appeared, and Mervin heard the dog playfully speak. Wishing to protect Top Dog and keep it a secret, Joey laughed it off and lied. But Mervin was greedy for new and unusual things, and so offered huge money for Top Dog; Joey refused, so Mervin just stole Top Dog in the smoke caused by the repaired car. Mervin and Slyme took Top Dog back to the Megabucks Estate and threatened the dog if he attempted to leave. Mervin took Top Dog out to his palatial kennel (with personal butler, maid and chef) and Mervin heartlessly kicked out his previous dog (because it couldn't talk). Top Dog ran off to escape but Mervin set flying robot guards that easily caught him. As Top Dog refused to talk, Mervin banished him to a hot box confinement room. Joey eventually found Top Dog and convinced him to call Mervin, who released the dog, but Joey appeared and pretended he was throwing his voice. Joey and Top Dog fled; Top Dog downed the flying robots with fountain water. The pair bounded over the wall using money bags; Top Dog briefly called out to the gobsmacked Mervin to taunt him.

(Top Dog#6/1) - Accompanied by Slyme, Mervin used a telescope to spy on Joey and Top Dog splashing in a small lake, hoping to hear Top Dog talk. Mervin confronted the pair and Top Dog pretended to bark; again, Mervin offered money but Mervin refused. Seeking to force Top Dog to go to him, Mervin went to his oddball scientists Dr. Frank and Dr. Stein, who offered their ready-made hypno beam. The two scientists hypnotized Top Dog and brought him to Mervin under their command. Frank and Stein began simple affection modification technique to make the captivated Top Dog like Mervin over Joey, but Mervin wanted more machinery and argument arose that helped draw Top Dog out of his daze. Quickly ascertaining the situation, Top Dog snarled viciously and chased the nasty trio around the lab, breaking equipment. Thinking Top Dog had voluntarily left him for Mervin, Joey went to Megabucks Manor to farewell the dog. Terrified of Top Dog's vicious dog act, Mervin released him back to Joey.

(Top Dog#12 (fb) - BTS) - Mervin devised a new plan with Doctors Frank & Stein to exchange his mind with Joey's to convince Top Dog to talk.

(Top Dog#12) - At the School Science Fair, Mervin duped Top Dog into pulling a special kite, but Mervin then use a remote control to activate a rocket that flew the pooch to the Megabucks Estate Lab. Mervin broke the remote and duplicitously invited Joey to see that Top Dog was okay. Once there, Mervin showed him the new Mind Transfer Machine developed by Doctors Frank & Stein, and forced Joey to undergo the process with him; for the next 24 hours, Mervin's mind would be in Joey's body while Joey's mind would be in Mervin's body. Joey (in Mervin's body) was tied up while Mervin (in Joey's body) encouraged Top Dog to talk; the dog was unable to and Mervin became angry. Joey freed himself and confronted Mervin; Top Dog understood what had happened. Unable to score Top Dog, Mervin set out to ruin Joey's reputation, but his plans backfired. Joey used Mervin's voice-activated code to donate his financial empire to charity. Discovering this, Mervin rushed home and manually overrode the transfer. However, a brief tussle knocked Mervin into the Mind Transfer Machine, causing chaos. Joey's mind was returned to his body, but Mervin's body was transfered into the dog Bowser, one of the test animals, but he could still speak. Mervin angrily targeted Joey and Top Dog, but was suddenly struck with itchy pain from fleas, and the good boys fled the Estate. Mervin could not be changed back immediately due to the damaged machine and had to stay a talking dog for 24 hours.

Comments: Created by Lennie Herman, Warren Kremer, Jacqueline Roettcher.

This profile was completed on 06/30/2026, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary's celebratory event to represent Top Dog.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Mervin Megabucks has no known connections to:

Bruno

Bruno was Mervin Megabucks' first dog, but the rich boy heartlessly kicked out the dog in favor of Top Dog, a new and novel dog that could speak English. Bruno timidly left his oversized kennel so that the kidnapped Top Dog could live there. Top Dog eventually escaped, but Bruno's fate is unrevealed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Top Dog#1/2

Slyme

Slyme was Mervin Megabucks' personal valet and chauffeur. He loyally followed Mervin's every order and tolerated Mervin's whims. He helped kidnap Top Dog on Mervin's orders and did not flinch when the nasty boy threatened Top Dog. Slyme only spoke up when Mervin kicked out his old pet dog Bruno. He later helped Mervin spy on Joey and Top Dog, and again with a later kidnapping. At one point, Slyme mistakenly grabbed Mervin, not realizing he was in Joey's body, during the mind transfer chaos. When the Mind Transfer Machine broke, Slyme's body was briefly inhabited by a chicken's clucking mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Top Dog#1/2 (6/1, 12

images: (without ads)
Top Dog#1/2, p5, pan1 (main image)
Top Dog#1/2, p10, pan2 (headshot with remote control)
Top Dog#1/2, p1, pan2 (in car)
Top Dog#1/2, p4, pan6 (money rooms)
Top Dog#1/2, p5, pan5 (Bruno)
Top Dog#1/2, p9, pan7 (Slyme)

Appearances:
Top Dog#1/2 (April, 1985) - Lennie Herman (writer), Warren Kremer (pencils), Jacqueline Roettcher (inks), Sid Jacobson (editor)
Top Dog#6/1 (February, 1986) - Lennie Herman (writer), Warren Kremer (pencils), Jacqueline Roettcher (inks), Sid Jacobson (editor)
Top Dog#12 (February 1987) - Dave Manak (writer), Warren Kremer (pencils), Jon D'Agostino (inks), Sid Jacobson (editor)

First posted: 09/19/2026
Last updated: 06/30/2026

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.

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix!

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