MISTER ZERO

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human/ghost (presumably -- see comments)

Occupation: Realator

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Big Monk McGak

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: An unidentified small American city

First Appearance: Journey Into Mystery I#68/2 (May, 1961)

Powers/Abilities: Mister Zero could make himself immaterial, and could also alter his form to take on a larger, more ghostly appearance.

History: (Journey Into Mystery I#68/2 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Mister Zero set up his business -- Zero Real Estate -- in a small town.

(Journey Into Mystery I#68/2) - After he was sentenced to a ninety-nine year prison term, criminal Big Monk McGak escaped custody and retrieved his stolen loot. Disguising himself with a fake beard, McGak headed to a small town to look for a hideout, and went to Zero Real Estate.

Claiming himself to be a writer planning on doing a TV series on haunted houses, McGak told Mister Zero that he wanted to see such a place. Mister Zero said he had just the perfect spot, but it really was haunted by a genuine ghost and everyone was scared to go near it, so he refused to take McGak. When McGak became physically threatening to the smaller man, Mister Zero relented and took him to the house.

When the two went inside the dilapidated home, a bat swooped by McGak's face, knocking off his false beard. Mister Zero immediately recognized the fugitive criminal, whose picture was in the newspapers. As McGak tried to grab Mister Zero, his arms went right through him! Mister Zero then assumed a ghostly form and chased McGak from the house. Terrified, McGak ran sobbing to an approaching police car, returned the stolen money, and gave himself up, begging them, "Arrest me! Lock me up! Only don't let it get me! (sob) Please! "

The police later questioned Mister Zero, asking him if he knew what made McGak turn himself in, and smirking, Mister Zero speculated, "Maybe it was his conscience!"

Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

So I guess Mister Zero was supposed to be a ghost, but after reading this story, a wild thought hit me -- with his unusual powers, slight build, and derby hat, Mister Zero reminded me of the Man from the 5th Dimension -- I wonder if there could be some connection?

This story -- "Where Walks the Ghost" -- was reprinted in Monsters on the Prowl#16 (April, 1972).

Profile by John Kaminski

CLARIFICATIONS:
Mister Zero has no known connections to:

• Baron Zero, Amalgam character @ Bruce Wayne: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.#1
• Dr. Zero of Earth-Shadowline @ Critical Mass#5
• Mr. Zrr, extradimensional visitor @ Captain America Comics#67
• Captain Zero, would-be super-hero @ Amazing Spider-Man I#295
• High-Zero, agent of HYDRA @ Namor Annual#4
• Officer Z.E.R.O., police robot @ Thunderstrike#8
• Zero, former assistant of Dr. Kurarkill @ Iron Man I#79
• Zero, robot, ally of Stryfe @ New Mutants I#86
• Zero 1.0, alias of Ghost Rider 2099 @ Ghost Rider 2099#17
• Zero 2.0, copy of Zero 1.0 @ Ghost Rider 2099#1
• Zero Company, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents sent to capture Deathlok @ Deathlok III#2
• Zero Fluid, empowered Jack of Hearts @ Deadly Hands of Kung Fu#23
• Zero G, Alex Power @ Power Pack: Peer Pressure#1
• Zero Man, Franklin Richards of Earth-98 @ Fantastic Four 1998 Annual
• Zero Street, home of the Night People @ Captain America I#201
• Zerotown, home of the Night People @ Captain America I#410
• any other characters with similar names

Big Monk McGak has no known connection to:

• any other big character

Big Monk McGak

A career criminal, McGak was sentenced to ninety-nine years in prison for his crimes. Escaping custody, McGak recovered his ill-gotten gains, then went to a small town looking for a hideout. Going to Mister Zero's real estate office, McGak forced the little man to take him to a supposedly haunted house, but Mister Zero later showed him the error of his ways and left the hardened thug bawling like a baby.

--Journey Into Mystery I#68/2

images:
Journey Into Mystery I#68, p17, pan4 (main image)