THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM

Classification: Terrestrial museum

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Creator: Unrevealed

Possessors: Unidentified director

Visitors: Marvel Boy, Miss Prim, various students

First Appearance: U.S.A. Comics I#7/3 (February, 1943)

History:

(U.S.A. Comics I#7/3) - Miss Prim brought her class of students which included Martin Oksner Burns to see the Philadelphia Museum and visited a wing of the museum containing various sarcophagi. Miss Prim commented on how the mummies had been buried with their personal effects and even blood extracts. One of these was the sarcophagus of Hercules and as Miss Prim showed it to her class, the museum's director commented on how America could use a "champion" like Hercules.

    One of Miss Prim's students leaned against the sarcophagus and caused it to fall over. The sarcophagus landed on Martin Oksner Burns and blood from the mummy of Hercules entered a wound on Martin's person. A doctor was summoned but when he arrived 15 minutes later, he found Martin's injury had already closed up.

    Subsequently, as Martin tried to help Miss Prim enter another wing of the museum, he accidentally spun the museum's revolving door at an incredible speed. From this episode, he discovered he had superhuman strength resulting from his accident.

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Bob Oksner.

    A Philadelphia museum was also seen in the Brotherood I#7; they might be the same building.

    Other stories set in unidentified cities with mummy displays include Amazing Fantasy I#15/3, Mystery Tales I#51 and Spellbound I#10/2.

    This profile was completed on 06/24/2026 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Philadelphia Museum should not be confused with:

the museum director

The unnamed director of the museum helped Miss Prim introduce the so-called sarcophagus of Hercules to her class. The director had strong opinions about America's need for champions like Hercules. The director saw Martin Oksner Burns get struck by the sarcophagus, exposing him to blood from Hercules' mummy, but by the time a doctor was summoned for Martin, his wounds had closed up.






--U.S.A. Comics I#7/3





images: (without ads)
U.S.A. Comics I#7/3, page 3, panel 4 (main)
U.S.A. Comics I#7/3, page 2, panel 1 (supplemental)
U.S.A. Comics I#7/3, page 2, panel 4 (director)

Appearances:
U.S.A. Comics I#7/3 (February, 1943) - unidentified writer, Bob Oksner (artist), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 09/05/2026
Last updated: 06/24/2026

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!
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