Real Name: Manoo

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (race unrevealed) (1960s era)

Occupation: Law-enforcer

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Billy Jones

Enemies: Extraterrestrial criminal (name unrevealed)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: An unidentified planet in "an outer galaxy"; temporarily in an unidentified American small town

First Appearance: Amazing Adventures I#2/1 (July, 1961)

Powers/Abilities: Manoo could alter his form (apparently a trait common to his people (see comments)); the limits of his shape-shifting ability are unknown (He was only depicted as having assumed the likeness of a middle-aged Caucasian male), but while transformed, Manoo cast no shadow.

Manoo traveled to Earth in a spacecraft (see comments).

Height: 8' (by approximation) (variable)
Weight: 600 lbs. (by approximation) (variable)
Eyes: Black (variable)
Hair: None (variable)

History:
(Amazing Adventures I#2/1 (fb) - BTS) - Manoo's past is largely unrevealed, but he was pursuing a criminal of his race through space. Manoo fired upon the criminal's spacecraft, causing it to crash on Earth. After landing his own spacecraft near a small town in the vicinity of the crash-site, Manoo assumed human form and covertly began searching through the town for the criminal.

(Amazing Adventures I#2/1 (fb) ) - But unknown to Manoo, town resident Billy Jones had stumbled upon the criminal while taking a shortcut through the woods. The criminal tricked Billy, telling the boy that it was Manoo who was the criminal that he was trying to bring to justice. Claiming to be too weak to search for Manoo himself, the criminal told Billy it was up to him to find and slay Manoo before he menaced the whole planet. The criminal informed Billy that Manoo had probably disguised himself in human form, but he would be recognizable by the fact that he cast no shadow; the fugitive gave Billy an electro-ray gun with which to kill Manoo.

   Billy searched the entire town, looking for a person without a shadow, but had no success; he finally thought of searching the town's theatre, which had been closed all season. Entering the dark and empty theatre, Billy spotted a man (or what appeared to be a man) prowling up on the catwalk, so he shone his flashlight at the figure and saw that the "man" was shadowless -- Billy then knew he had finally found Manoo!

   Billy aimed the ray gun at the figure, but as he tried to squeeze the trigger, the boy's conscience wouldn't let him kill someone who hadn't harmed him, no matter how dangerous they were supposed to be. Before Billy's eyes, the figure on the catwalk began to change, and Manoo resumed his natural form, causing the startled Billy to drop the ray gun; Manoo picked up the weapon and asked Billy to tell him where he got it. After Billy told him his story of the encounter with the other alien, Manoo revealed to the boy that he had been duped. Manoo enlisted Billy's aid to capture the criminal and had Billy pretend to take him prisoner. But as he held the ray gun and marched the "captured" Manoo back to the criminal's spaceship in the woods, Billy was still unsure which alien was telling the truth.

   Suddenly, the criminal stepped out of the bushes and asked Billy why he hadn't killed Manoo as ordered; Billy explained that he thought it would be better if Manoo were taken back to his own world so he could stand trial and be punished. The criminal pointed his own gun at Manoo to immediately execute him, so Billy threw the ray gun to Manoo, and both aliens fired at each other simultaneously -- the beams of their respective weapons collided, but it was a draw, for neither ray blast could pass the other. With their weapons exhausted, both aliens leaped at each other and began a physical struggle.

   For tense minutes, neither alien combatant could get the upper-hand, until the fugitive blew a powdery substance at Manoo, temporarily blinding him. Manoo fell to the ground and the criminal picked up a fallen tree branch, preparing to bludgeon Manoo with it; Billy picked up a round stone and threw it at Manoo's foe, staggering the alien long enough for Manoo's eyes to clear. Manoo took advantage of Billy's intervention and resumed the fight, ordering the fugitive to surrender -- while he fearfully watched, Billy said a silent prayer, hoping that he had made the right choice.

   Suddenly, the criminal seized Billy and held him over his head, threatening to kill the boy unless Manoo surrendered. Manoo agreed to yield, but he begged the fugitive to spare Billy's life -- Billy at last knew the truth and realized that Manoo couldn't possibly be a ruthless criminal. Then Billy grabbed hold of a tree limb and pulled himself free of the criminal's grasp, which allowed Manoo a chance to deliver one final punch to knock the fugitive unconscious.

   With the fight over, Manoo and Billy complimented each other for their combined efforts; Manoo rewarded Billy for his help by giving him a giant diamond. As Manoo carried his unconscious prisoner back to his hidden spacecraft, he and Billy bid each other farewell.

(Amazing Adventures I#2/1) - A few months later, Billy Jones used the wealth the diamond had brought him to purchase the most exclusive school in the area, Farnsworth College (see comments).

(Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone and the Monster Hunters#1 - BTS) - Doctor Druid heard very different accounts about Manoo's appearance at Farnsworth College where Manoo had become an urban legend (the above and the one from Marvel Monsters: Where Monsters Dwell#1/3; see comments). According to him stories about Manoo had gone around Farnsworth College since the 1960s and though he was sure there was some truth to it due to the similar description of Manoo he wasn't sure which parts of the stories were actually true.

Comments: Created by Larry Lieber (writer) and Jack Kirby (artist).

Perhaps the shape-shifting ability of Manoo's race could be attributed to tampering by the Celestials (...much like the Skrulls and the Xartans).

Manoo's spaceship was never depicted in the story. The cover of this issue showed the tail-end of a rocketship-type spacecraft -- however since Manoo himself appeared to be scarier and more menacing on the cover than in the story, this depiction of his spacecraft may not be totally accurate.

Although this would be Manoo's only Earth-616 (mainstream Marvel Universe) appearance, he would be seen twice in recent times in stories set outside of continuity:

1. In Marvel Monsters: Where Monsters Dwell#1/3 (December, 2005), Manoo was portrayed as a malicious alien whose body was engineered to generate holographic illusions. Manoo disguised himself as female college student Billie Jones, but "Billie's" true shadow betrayed "her" as actually being Manoo. (though this account was told by students at Farnsworth College as well according to Doctor Druid--Markus Raymond)

2. In Age of Sentry#3/2 (January, 2009), Sentry introduced Manoo to Millie the Model (Millie Collins), who gave some romantic advice to the lovelorn alien.

Perhaps Farnsworth College had some connection to millionaire Lucius Farnsworth, or businessman Vincent Farnsworth.

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Manoo has no known connections to:

Billy Jones has no known connections to:

Billy Jones

A poor boy with no family, he lived in a small town. Billy had earned a scholarship to attend an exclusive high school, where he was a top student. But Billy was a social outcast amongst his peers because he couldn't afford to join any clubs or to go out of town, and he was ridiculed by the other wealthy students.

After school-hours, Billy worked at Mr. Miller's grocery store. One day, Billy was walking to work through a shortcut in the woods when he came upon the wreckage of a crashed spacecraft. The alien occupant warned Billy about Manoo, who the alien claimed was a dangerous criminal and a menace to the world. The alien gave Billy an electro-ray gun and sent him on a mission to kill Manoo.

Because all the time he was spending on his search for Manoo was interfering with his work-performance, Billy was fired from his job at the grocery store.

Billy finally found Manoo, but his conscience prevented him from killing the alien; he later learned from Manoo that he had been duped, for it was the first alien who was actually the criminal.

Billy helped Manoo capture the criminal, and Manoo gave him a giant diamond as a reward for his assistance -- Billy thereby became one of the richest men in the country.

When he graduated high school a few months later, Billy got the last laugh on the snobbish students who had belittled him -- they were excitedly planning to attend Farnsworth College, the most exclusive university in the area; but Billy had used his wealth to purchase the academic institution, and he had changed the admissions policy so that it would only admit students who couldn't afford tuition.

--Amazing Adventures I#2/1

Extraterrestrial criminal

"One of the most dangerous criminals in the known galaxy" (as per Manoo), he was being pursued by Manoo when the law-enforcer fired upon his spacecraft. The criminal crashed near a small town; he later tricked Billy Jones to be his pawn and sent the boy to kill Manoo.

Billy eventually learned the truth and assisted Manoo in arresting the criminal, and Manoo took the captured criminal back to their homeworld to be punished.

The criminal's arsenal of weapons included two electro-ray guns (One of which was used by both Billy Jones and Manoo), along with a container of a powdery substance which caused temporary blindness.

(While speaking to Billy about his race, the criminal told him, "...we have the power to transform ourselves," but the fugitive never altered his appearance -- perhaps this was due to an injury he sustained when he crashed.)

--Amazing Adventures I#2/1

Extraterrestrial criminal's spaceship

A spacecraft used by a criminal of Manoo's race, presumably it was capable of interstellar travel.

The criminal was being pursued by Manoo; when the law-enforcer fired upon the criminal's spacecraft, it crashed in a wooded ravine near an American small town.

The wrecked vehicle and its occupant were later discovered by Billy Jones.

--Amazing Adventures I#2/1

Manoo's giant diamond

Somewhat larger than a bowling ball, it came from Manoo's homeworld, where it was regarded to be worthless.

But since he knew it was considered valuable on Earth, Manoo gave it to Billy Jones as a reward for helping him capture a criminal from his planet, and thus Billy became very wealthy.

--Amazing Adventures I#2/1

images: (without ads)
Amazing Adventures I#2/1, p7, pan3 (Main Image -- Manoo on theatre catwalk (Billy Jones in foreground))
Amazing Adventures I#2/1, p9, pan2 (Headshot -- Manoo reveals truth to Billy Jones)
Amazing Adventures I#2/1, p6, pan5 (on theatre catwalk, Manoo (in human form) casts no shadow when Billy Jones aims flashlight at him)
Amazing Adventures I#2/1, p10, pan2 (extraterrestrial criminal (left, red trunks) aims gun at Manoo (right, green trunks), as Billy Jones (center) throws gun to Manoo)
Amazing Adventures I#2, cover (Manoo's spaceship outside school window)
Amazing Adventures I#2/1, p3, pan2 (Billy Jones discovers spaceship crash-site)
Amazing Adventures I#2/1, p3, pan5 (extraterrestrial criminal lies to Billy Jones about Manoo)
Amazing Adventures I#2/1, p13, pan7 (Billy Jones (center, blue suit) by three snobbish students, as high school teacher (right) reveals that Billy is wealthy)
Amazing Adventures I#2/1, p3, pan3 (extraterrestrial criminal, found by Billy Jones)
Amazing Adventures I#2/1, p11, pan1 (extraterrestrial criminal (left, red trunks) blows powder to blind Manoo (right, red trunks))
Amazing Adventures I#2/1, p3, pan1 (extraterrestrial criminal's crashed spaceship, discovered by Billy Jones (foreground))
Amazing Adventures I#2/1, p13, pan2 (Manoo gives giant diamond to Billy Jones)
Amazing Adventures I#2/1, p13, pan3 (Billy Jones holding giant diamond, Manoo (right))

Appearances:
Amazing Adventures I#2/1 (July, 1961) - Larry Lieber (writer), Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks), Artie Simek (letters), Stan Lee (editor)
Marvel Monsters: Where Monsters Dwell#1/3 (December, 2005) - Jeff Parker (writer), Russell Braun & Jimmy Palmiotti (artists), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone and the Monster Hunters#1 (January, 2006)

First Posted: 06/24/2018
Last updated: 06/24/2018

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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