SORCERER

Real Name: Johnny Morton

Identity/Class: Human mutant/magic-user? (Pre-Modern era) (see comments)

Occupation: None

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: Ellen (mother), Jack Morton (father), Tom Morton (uncle)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: mobile;
    Pre-Modern era

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish I#12/2 (text piece) (October, 1960)

Powers/Abilities: The Sorcerer could make his toy train follow him anywhere he went. This power relied on the Sorcerer being self-confident, and when he started to doubt his ability he lost it.

History: (Tales to Astonish I#12/2 (fb) - BTS) - Five year old Johnny learned that he could make his toy train follow him around on command, and his parents took to calling him the Sorcerer.

(Tales to Astonish I#12/2) - The Sorcerer's uncle Tom came to visit, and tried to figure out how he commanded the little train. When the Sorcerer told Tom there was no trick, such as a magnet or string Tom lost his temper. The Sorcerer's faith in himself was shattered, and he found that he could no longer make the train follow him.

Comments: Created by an unnamed writer.

As with many 1950's and 1960's Marvel monster stories, this story is not confirmed as part of Earth-616 continuity, but there's nothing to exclude it either.
--Leave it in unless something rules it out!--Snood.

My guess is that the young Sorcerer was a mutant who possessed telekinetic powers. I know mutant abilities normally manifest during puberty, but there are always exceptions.

Tom yells at the Sorcerer, and he loses his power. Why does Tom want to travel to India and revisit the magicians he met there? Does he want to yell at them and see if they lose their powers too? What a jerk.

PROFILE BY FUTURE

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:


Ellen

The Sorcerer's mother.

--Tales to Astonish I#12/2


Jack Morton

The Sorcerer's father. Jack was fascinated by the letters his brother Tom sent, detailing wonders from around the world. He invited Tom to live with his family for a while.

--Tales to Astonish I#12/2


Tom Morton

The Sorcerer's uncle, also known as "Traveling Tom." He was a seaman who had been all over the world and could speak fifteen different languages. He lost his temper when he couldn't figure out how the Sorcerer commanded his toy train. When the train stopped moving, it hit him that the Sorcerer could only move it because he believed he could. Tom planned to return to India, where he had seen similar feats of a seemingly magical nature.

--Tales to Astonish I#12/2


Last updated: 12/24/04

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

Back to Characters