BOY-THING

Real Name: Boy-Thing

Identity/Class: Semi-sentient terrestrial plant matter

Occupation: None

Group Membership: Formerly Legion of the Unliving (Baroness Blood/Lily Cromwell, the Carpathian, the Rat Bomber, Sarge, Shadow Colonel/Xarus, Snowsnake)

Affiliations: The Avengers (Black Panther/T'Challa, Blade/Eric Brooks, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider/Robbie Reyes, Iron Man/Tony Stark, She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, Thor/Thor Odinson), Daimon Hellstrom;
formerly the Legion of the Unliving

Enemies: Cosmic Ghost Rider (Frank Castle of an unidentified reality), Firelord (Pyreus Kril), Gladiator (Kallark), Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd), Terrax the Tamer (Tyros), Winter Guard (Crimson Dynamo/Dmitri Bukharin, Darkstar/Laynia Krylenko, Red Widow, Ursa Major/Mikhail Ursus, Vanguard/Nikolai Krylenko);
formerly the Avengers (Black Panther/T'Challa, Blade/Eric Brooks, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider/Robbie Reyes, She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, Thor/Thor Odinson)

Known Relatives: Theodore Sallis (Man-Thing, progenitor)

Aliases: "Little Guy," "That Little Swamp Monster," "You Beautiful Bundle of Turnip Greens"

Base of Operations: Avengers Mountain;
formerly mobile

First Appearance: (vision, unidentified): Avengers VII#12 (March, 2019);
(fully seen): Avengers VII#14 (April, 2019)

Powers/Abilities: Boy-Thing is a semi-sentient creature composed of vegetation and plant matter. As such, he is not harmed by physical attacks and he is capable of growing and extending his form as needed, an ability he often uses to provide wooden weaponry such as stakes, spikes, swords and flight-capable wings composed of plant matter. He also uses this ability for locomotion via swinging on tendrils.

Since his form is not harmed by physical attacks, Boy-Thing's body has been used as a sort-of shield or armor. For example, he once expanded his form to protect the Avengers from being crushed and he has also been able to extend his form completely over a person to act as a suit of armor.

Boy-Thing seems to possess slightly higher intelligence than his progenitor, the Man-Thing, as Boy-Thing has been seen responding to orders and even steering a vehicle. He also possesses a rudimentary form of telepathy, allowing those touching him to sense his emotions.

Like the Man-Thing, Boy-Thing's form exudes a dissolving chemical in the presence of fearful emotions that burns anyone feeling the fear.

Height: 2'0" (by approximation)
Weight: 10 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Red
Hair: None (though the vegetation composing his body is typically green)

History: (Avengers VII#15 (fb) - BTS) - The vampire Shadow Colonel trimmed a tissue sample from the Man-Thing in the Florida Everglades and from the sample, the Colonel grew a new creature, which he dubbed the Boy-Thing and hoped to use to create an endless supply of wooden stakes.

(Avengers VII#12 - BTS) - When the Avengers' Black Panther met with the Asgardian Odin to discuss recent events involving vampires, Odin showed Black Panther a vision of the vampire Shadow Colonel (with the Boy-Thing on his shoulders) assembling his vampiric Legion of the Unliving, warning Black Panther that the Shadow Colonel was assembling powerful allies to usurp the vampire throne.

(Avengers VII#14) - Boy-Thing was strapped to the Shadow Colonel's shoulders as the Legion of the Unliving destroyed Castle Dracul in Transylvania.

(Avengers VII#15) - The Shadow Colonel retrieved the Boy-Thing and again had him strapped to his shoulders as the Legion of the Unliving destroyed a vampire sect in Madripoor. As the Shadow Colonel spoke of whom among the Legion of the Unliving he trusted most, he explained to the other Legion members how he had grown the Boy-Thing from a sample of a swamp monster in the Everglades. He then remarked on how the Boy-Thing provided him an endless supply of wooden stakes before gunning down some of the Madripoor vampires. The Boy-Thing remained on the Shadow Colonel's shoulders as the Colonel ordered the controlled Ghost Rider to slaughter the vampire children.

(Avengers VII#16) - The Boy-Thing remained on the Shadow Colonel's shoulders as the Avengers arrived to halt the Shadow Colonel's plans. When the Legion escaped, the Boy-Thing was brought along as the Legion ventured to Federal Penal Colony No. 9 in Sol-Iletsk, Russia, where they used vampire blood to create new vampires of the prisoners.

(Avengers VII#17) - The Boy-Thing was still strapped to the Shadow Colonel's shoulders as the Legion of the Unliving took down Russia's Winter Guard. When the Avengers infiltrated the prison and battled the Legion, the Shadow Colonel fiercely fought Blade and the Boy-Thing began creeping down the Shadow Colonel's arm to generate wooden spikes. During the fight, Blade managed to grab a hold of the Boy-Thing's arm as the Shadow Colonel blasted Blade with optic blasts, the force of which hurled Blade and the Boy-Thing back. Utilizing Boy-Thing as a wooden weapon against the Shadow Colonel, Blade chopped off one of the Colonel's arms before the Boy-Thing went airborne. Shocked, the Shadow Colonel exclaimed the Boy-Thing's name and Blade nearly informed the Colonel that the Boy-Thing did not like that name before the Colonel punched Blade into the ground. Blade then picked up the Boy-Thing and allowed it to rest on his shoulders as Blade prepared to finish off the Colonel. Generating wooden spikes over both of Blade's hands, the Boy-Thing assisted Blade in decapitating the Shadow Colonel. The Boy-Thing then remained on Blade's shoulders as the remaining Legion members escaped and Blade returned to Avengers Mountain with the Avengers.

(Avengers VII#21) - The Boy-Thing was on Blade's shoulders as Blade commented on the Frost Giant blood smell on She-Hulk, who had just returned from duty in the War of the Realms. Informing She-Hulk that he was departing to find Dracula, Blade rode his motorcycle off Avengers Mountain and the Boy-Thing generated plant matter wings for Blade to fly with.

(Avengers VII#22) - The Boy-Thing was still on Blade's shoulder as the Avengers took a look at Ghost Rider's Hell Charger after it seemingly threatened to kill Ghost Rider. He remained there as Blade and the Avengers attempted to exorcise the demon that appeared to be possessing the Charger.

(Avengers VII#23) - When the demon began possessing parts of Avengers Mountain, Blade released the Boy-Thing and suggested he get somewhere safe. Boy-Thing replied with a "mrrp" and Blade agreed that he also hated demons. A short time later, when Avengers Mountain itself was possessed and began trying to crush the Avengers inside, the Boy-Thing expanded his body around the Avengers to keep the Avengers safe. Happy to be saved, the Avengers then watched as the Boy-Thing expanded his plant matter body to entrap the demon-possessed Celestial that made up Avengers Mountain. As the demon began to fear what was happening, the Boy-Thing burning touch began frying the Celestial, hurting it and surprising exorcist Daimon Hellstrom, who was curious where the Avengers had acquired their own Man-Thing. Boy-Thing's burning of the Celestial eventually forced the demon into its own form, which stood revealed as the alternate reality Cosmic Ghost Rider.

(Avengers VII#24) - As the Cosmic Ghost Rider began to attack the Avengers, the Boy-Thing extended his form into tendrils and grabbed Cosmic Ghost Rider but the Rider released a burst of hellfire to repel Boy-Thing, making the fight personal for Blade.

(Avengers VII#27 (fb)) - While the Avengers prepared for an outer space mission, Black Widow visited Avengers Mountain to accompany them and the Boy-Thing produced a rose for the Black Widow as he hung from the ceiling.

(Avengers VII#28) - Days later, Blade began to burn thanks to the red sun the Avengers were near and when Silver Surfer showed up to prevent the Avengers from stopping a trio of Galactus heralds from killing the latest Star Brand wielder, Ghost Rider ordered Boy-Thing to take the wheel of his Hell Charger as he dealt with Silver Surfer. Soon, Black Widow ordered Boy-Thing to move over as she took the wheel but the Hell Charger eventually crashed on a nearby planet. Boy-Thing immediately checked on Blade and when a group of alien criminals attacked the Charger, Black Widow had Boy-Thing retrieve her War Widow armor from the Charger's trunk and she engaged the criminals.

(Avengers VII#29) - When the Silver Surfer tracked Black Widow, Ghost Rider and Blade to the planet, Blade realized Ghost Rider had been incapacitated in the crash so he prepared to fight the Silver Surfer despite dying from red sun exposure. Boy-Thing decided to help Blade by covering Blade's entire body in his own plant-like form, creating a sort of protective armor around Blade to prevent further sun damage. Blade (with Boy-Thing acting his armor) then confronted the Silver Surfer, stabbing the Surfer with a Boy-Thing-created sword that burned the Surfer due to the Surfer's fear of the strange combination creature.

(Avengers VII#30 (fb)) - Former Galactus heralds Firelord and Terrax the Tamer soon showed up as well and Blade (still wearing Boy-Thing as armor) regrouped with the other Avengers against the heralds to keep the latest Star Brand wielder, Suzanne Selby, a pregnant Earth woman, safe. Boy-Thing continued to act as Blade's protective armor as the Shi'ar's Gladiator showed up as well, prepared to execute Selby. Blade and Boy-Thing briefly fought against Gladiator until Selby died giving birth to her baby, who inherited the Star Brand.

Comments: Created by Jason Aaron and David Marquez.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Boy-Thing has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Avengers VII#23, p4, pan2 (Boy-Thing, main image)
Avengers VII#14, p2, splash page (Boy-Thing, headshot)
Avengers VII#17, p12, pan5 (Boy-Thing being pulled off of the Shadow Colonel)
Avengers VII#21, p10, pan2 (Boy-Thing generating wings for Blade)
Avengers VII#27, p9, pan1 (Boy-Thing producing a rose)
Avengers VII#30, p5, pan3 (Blade in Boy-Thing body armor)

Appearances:
Avengers VII#12 (March, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Ed McGuinness, Cory Smith (pencils), Mark Morales, Karl Kesel, Scott Hanna (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#14 (April, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), David Marquez (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#15 (April, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), David Marquez (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#16 (May, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), David Marquez (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#17 (May, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), David Marquez (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#21 (September, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Jason Masters (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#22 (September, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Stefano Caselli (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#23 (October, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Stefano Caselli (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#24 (November, 2019) - Jason Aaron (writer), Stefano Caselli, Luciano Vecchio (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#27 (January, 2020) - Jason Aaron (writer), Ed McGuinness (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#28 (February, 2020) - Jason Aaron (writer), Ed McGuinness (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#29 (March, 2020) - Jason Aaron (writer), Ed McGuinness, Paco Medina (pencils, inks), Mark Morales (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers VII#30 (March, 2020) - Jason Aaron (writer), Ed McGuinness (pencils), Francesco Manna (pencils, inks), Mark Morales (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)

First Posted: 02/04/2020
Last updated: 02/04/2020

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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