MAN-THING
Classification: Artificial life-form
Creator: Red Skull (Johann Shmidt) (via the Cosmic Cube)
User/Possessors: Red Skull
Enemies: Captain America (Steve Rogers)
Aliases: "My artificial man" (as called by Red Skull)
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense I#81/2 (September, 1966)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: The golem-like Man-Thing was formed from rocks and topsoil by the power of the Cosmic Cube. It had great strength -- despite its ungainly size, it was quite agile. Virtually mindless, the silent Man-Thing was controlled by the Red Skull's mental commands.
History:
(Tales of Suspense I#81/2) - After obtaining the reality-altering Cosmic Cube
from its Keeper,
the Red Skull was confronted by Captain America. The Skull
demonstrated an inkling of the near-omnipotent device's power to Cap,
then he used the Cube to create the Man-Thing and sent the artificial
being to humble his foe in battle.
As the Man-Thing approached him, Captain America launched a direct attack and swung his shield at it, but the Man-Thing ducked under the blow and threw a punch at Cap, knocking him to the ground. The creature then picked up a rock and smashed it downward, but the hero rolled and dodged the attack.
Although he realized he was outmatched by the Man-Thing's strength, Captain America knew he had a greater knowledge of leverage and combat tactics, so he employed those skills to push the simulacrum off balance, then toppled it and pinned it to the ground. But before he could throw another punch, the Man-Thing vanished before the hero's eyes -- the Red Skull explained that rather than permit his creation to meet defeat at the hands of his hated enemy, he instead used the Cube to wish the Man-Thing into Limbo.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
This creature only appeared on three pages of the story, and it was referred to as the "Man-Thing" twice -- first, in Captain America's thought balloon, and again, in a caption.
The Red Skull created the Man-Thing clad in brown boots and brown shorts -- I guess the nefarious Nazi was worried about offending the Comics Code.
Since the Man-Thing was sent to Limbo, I wonder if it ever wandered into Immortus.
In regards to the Cosmic Cube's fate at the end of this story: Drunk with power, the overconfident Skull engaged Captain America in hand-to-hand combat. Cap knocked the Cube from the Skull's grasp just as the villain ordered it to destroy the island they were on. The Cube was buried on the sea floor until it was briefly recovered by the Sub-Mariner (see Amalga-Beast).
And a BIG Thank You to James Sharpe for the original scans! New scans by Ron Fredricks.
Profile by John Kaminski.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Man-Thing has no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
Tales of Suspense I#81/2, p4, pan3 (Main Image - Man-Thing being formed by Red Skull with Cosmic Cube (background))
Tales of Suspense I#81/2, p5, pan1 (fully-formed Man-Thing attacks Captain America)
Tales of Suspense I#81/2, p4, pan4 (Man-Thing lumbers toward Captain America)
Appearances:
Tales of Suspense I#81/2 (September, 1966) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Frank Giacoia (inks). Artie Simek (letters)
First Posted: 02/07/2010
Last updated: 12/15/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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