VICTOR SAGE
Real Name: Victor Sage
Identity/Class: Human technology user (2060 AD; see comments)
Occupation: Scientist; possibly elected president of Earth
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: His supporters
Enemies: A comet
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: An unidentified Earth city in 2060 AD
First Appearance: Strange Worlds I#5/2 (August, 1959)
Powers/Abilities: Victor Sage was a highly intelligent and respected scientist (in some unspecified field) with an interest in politics, and his belief was that science could solve all of mankind's problems. While campaigning to become leader of the world, the usually logical Sage was seduced by the adoration of the cheering crowds, and he developed a haughty and egocentric personality. Sage later learned a lesson in humility when Earth was threatened by a catastrophic event to which he could not find a solution; as a last resort he turned to the power of prayer. He was humbled by the experience and became a better man.
Height: 5' 10" (by
approximation)
Weight: 160 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Silver-grey
History: (Strange Worlds I#5/2 (fb) - BTS) - The past of Victor Sage is unknown, but he had become renowned as the world's greatest scientist.
(Strange Worlds I#5/2) - By 2060, Earth was united under one government, and a new world president was to be elected; for the first time in history, a scientist was running for that high office--Victor Sage. As he addressed the citizens of the world via video screens and made his campaign speech, he promised that he would use his knowledge to take humanity to the stars, for the universe belonged to mankind alone. Sage gained the popular support of the people, but the crowd's cheering and enthusiasm fed his starved ego, and his once-rational mind was filled with pride and conceit. Not only did he believe the praise heaped upon him, he never wanted it to stop. He over-confidently began to think of himself as indispensable, and he distorted the value of his own worth to an incredible degree.
An orbital observatory detected a runaway comet hurtling towards Earth, and as the fiery mass raced nearer to the panic-stricken planet, Sage took command of teams of scientists. They began to create the most devastating explosives ever imagined, which were loaded into missiles and launched at the fireball. But the heat of the comet destroyed the missiles before they could reach their target (see comments), and the people of the world began to lose hope, for they had put all their faith and trust in Sage to save them. As the fiery doom drew nearer and nearer, Sage worked around the clock, but he could find no solution to stop the runaway comet. The flaming celestial object began to heat the planet's atmosphere, and as timber areas dried and burst into flame, the polar regions began to thaw, and the oceans themselves seemed to be evaporating. Everyone realized the end of world was near, and even Sage lost hope, for his conceit had convinced him that no power in the universe could do what he himself could not.
In what seemed to be Earth's final hours, the people of the planet had no recourse but to turn to a faith they had neglected for years, and countless voices raised in prayer to a Higher Power for salvation; for the first time Victor Sage saw himself as he really was--a petty mortal, helpless before something far greater than himself--and he, too, prayed for forgiveness. Suddenly, the flaming comet swerved in its path, away from Earth, as if brushed aside by a giant unseen hand. Everyone in the world rejoiced as Earth was saved, and all over the globe people bowed their heads humbly as they realized their prayers had been answered.
As he gazed out the window at the stars in the night sky above, the newly-reverent Victor Sage had seen the error of his ways. He solemnly pledged that if he were elected president of Earth, he would never let the world forget that no matter what glories mankind might attain, there was a glory in the vastness of the universe far greater than their own.
Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Steve Ditko (artist)
An egomaniac with funny hair running for president? Could never happen in real-life...(*cough-cough*Donald Trump)
Unfortunately, there were really no full-body images of Victor Sage in this 5-page story.
The future world depicted in this story is likely not Earth-616 (the mainstream Marvel Universe), but rather a divergent Earth.
The runaway comet in this story is scientifically inaccurate. A comet is primarily composed of rock and ice and is vaporized as it approaches the Sun, which creates its fiery "tail". A real comet doesn't generate heat and light like a star, so the world wouldn't have been set afire. Of course, that runaway "comet" could have been something else, entirely...
In regards to the name "Victor Sage": Steve Ditko would kind of reuse this name for another character a few years after this story appeared. After Ditko left Marvel in 1966, he would eventually work at the now-defunct Charlton Comics in the late 1960s, where he created several characters for their line of "Action Heroes," including The Question, whose secret identity was Vic Sage. The Charlton characters were acquired by DC Comics in 1983, and were then incorporated into the DC Universe.
This story reminds me of a joke I once heard:Profile by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Victor Sage has no known connections to:
The runaway comet has no known connections to:
A huge celestial fireball that was headed on a collision course with Earth in the year 2060. It threatened global destruction with its fiery heat. Scientist Victor Sage rose to the challenge of stopping the threatening comet, but he was unable to come up with a way to destroy it. As the comet drew closer and it looked like the end of the world was near, all the people of Earth turned to prayer for salvation, and the runaway comet was miraculously diverted away from the world.
--Strange Worlds I#5/2
A multitude of citizens of Earth in 2060 AD, a majority of them seemed to be in favor of electing scientist Victor Sage to be president of the planet because they felt the he could solve the world's problems. When a runaway comet was on a collision course with Earth, they put their faith in Sage to find a solution. But when the respected scientist failed to stop the fireball, they returned to a faith they had neglected for years and prayed. Their prayers were answered when the comet was miraculously diverted away from Earth.
--Strange Worlds I#5/2
images: (without ads)
Strange Worlds I#5/2, p1, pan4 (Main Image, Victor Sage)
Strange Worlds I#5/2, p2, pan3 (Headshot, Sage listening to crowd's cheers)
Strange Worlds I#5/2, p5, pan1 (Sage praying for forgiveness)
Strange Worlds I#5/2, p5, pan6 (Sage swearing to be humble)
Strange Worlds I#5/2, p2, pan5 (runaway comet flying through space)
Strange Worlds I#5/2, p5, pan3 (runaway comet is miraculously diverted from Earth)
Strange Worlds I#5/2, p1, pan2 (Sage's supporters watching him on large video screen)
Strange Worlds I#5/2, p2, pan1 (crowds cheering Sage (at podium))
Appearances:
Strange Worlds I#5/2 (August, 1959) - unidentified writer, Steve Ditko (artist)
Last updated: 11/25/15
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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