MASKED MARVEL

Real Name: Adam Austin

Identity/Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Adventurer, comic book writer

Group Membership: Marvel Comics

Affiliations: Nicole Boose, Tom Brevoort, Edwin Jarvis, Willie Lumpkin, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Eddie Ward; Wolverine

Enemies: Electro (Max Dillon)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: New York City, New York

First Appearance: Young Avengers#12 --and other Marvel Comics published the same month (August, 2006)

Powers/Abilities: Masked Marvel has an energy sphere surrounding his right hand that possesses anti-gravity properties that allow him to fly. It also can form a force field, changing size as it is needed and can create an "atomic punch," a very powerful strike.


History:

(X-Men II#189/2 (and other Marvel books from that year) (fb)-BTS) - Adam Austin received superhuman powers in an accident. At some point he adopted the Masked Marvel costume, and stopped several small robberies, including one in which he was aided by Spider-Man (Peter Parker).

(Young Avengers#12/2 (fb)-BTS) - Adam Austin worked as a fill-in writer for Marvel. Meanwhile, a mysterious new hero named the Masked Marvel arrived in town, performing heroic deeds.

(Young Avengers#12/2) - Adam and Eddie met with Marvel's Nicole Boose to pitch a Masked Marvel series. While there, Electro arrived, ticked off something fierce because he had recently been portrayed as having fainted during an encounter with the Avengers in one of Marvel's comics. Adam sneaked away and turned into the Masked Marvel, defeating Electro with one punch. Afterwards, Adam and Eddie met with Tom Brevoort, and Adam continued his pitch, suggesting the Masked Marvel's comic alter-ego would be a comic writer, as that's what he (Adam) knew (the whole "write what you know" thing).

(X-Men II#189/2) - Eddie had Adam/Masked Marvel pose in-costume in their apartment so that Eddie could use him as a model for the comic page he was in the process of drawing. Eddie confessed that he wasn't sure he was cut out to be a hero. Nicole called to see how progress on the pitch was going, and suggested the Masked Marvel could guest star in an upcoming issue of Spider-Man. Adam was hesitant since he had met Spider-Man and the comics and Daily Bugle portrayed him more as a monster or villain than a hero. As Masked Marvel, Adam went to Avengers Tower to try to meet Spider-Man again, and was met at the front desk by Edwin Jarvis (or a Skrull posing as him - see comments). After Jarvis left to fetch some tea and coffee, Masked Marvel was confronted by Wolverine who, at first, feigned to attack the hero, but then told Adam that he was just testing him. Stating that the Masked Marvel had potential, Wolverine also remarked that there was something odd about the scent he was picking up from Adam, one he'd never come across before. As they talked, Wolverine told Adam that there was no shame in not wanting to be a hero, but that he'd never know if he was capable of it until he tried. Just then, Spider-Man swooped in to take Wolverine out of the aim of a powerful energy beam. The three heroes witnessed a huge spaceship hover over New York, releasing giant ant-like robots, which proceeded to attack buildings. Hoping he was up to it, Masked Marvel told the others to take out the ant-bots and he'd handle the mothership.

Later, Adam and Eddie visited Nicole at the Marvel offices, using this battle (which the heroes presumably won) as part of his pitch. Unfortunately, Nicole had to break the news that the push for the Masked Marvel had been downgraded to two back-up stories instead. Adam swore he'd write the two best back-up stories ever.

(Civil War Battle Damage Report#1 - BTS) - Masked Marvel was among those considered by Iron Man as a potential Initiative recruit.

Comments: Created by Karl Kesel and David Hahn.

These two back-up stories were apparently made available in some issues of those particular two months. To my knowledge, these are the only two in the series (this is supported by the "in joke" at the end of the second story).

Profile by Madison Carter.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Masked Marvel has no known connections to

Eddie Ward
Eddie is a comic book artist, and had previously done fill-in work on an issue of The Falcon. While he and Adam tried to pitch a Masked Marvel book to Marvel, he tried to throw in his own character, a take-off of himself named Dynamic Crusader. After the Masked Marvel defeated Electro, Tom Brevoort recognized Eddie and praised him for his Falcon work. After they got the gig, Eddie had Adam pose in-costume to use as a model for his art work for the Masked Marvel comics.


 

--Young Avengers#12/2 (X-Men II#189

images: (without ads)
Young Avengers#12, story 2, page 6, panel 1 (main image)
                                                      page 8, panel 6 (Adam & Eddie)

Young Avengers#12/2 (August, 2006) - Karl Kesel (writer), David Hahn (artist), Nicole Boose (editor)
X-Men II#189 (September, 2006) - Karl Kesel (writer), David Hahn (artist), Nicole Boose (editor)

Last updated: 11/17/08

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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