MIKE MORGAN

Real Name: Mike Morgan

Identity/Class: Human (Pre-Modern era) (see comments)

Occupation: Hobo (i.e. unemployed)

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Genie

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Genie's bottle;
   formerly his castle;
   formerly mobile

First Appearance: Journey into Mystery I#76/1 (January, 1962)

Powers/Abilities: Possessing no paranormal abilities, Morgan was a rough and rugged middle-aged brute who used his strength to intimidate others.

After finding a bottle containing a Genie, Morgan released the magical entity and was granted three wishes--he utilized the wishes to attain youth, good looks, and great wealth for himself.

But the cruel and selfish Morgan had treated the Genie harshly--he later received his comeuppance when he was imprisoned inside the bottle with the Genie.

Height: 6' (by approximation)
Weight: 180 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Brown







History:
(Journey into Mystery I#76/1 (fb) ) - The past of Mike Morgan is largely unrevealed, but at some point he adopted a transient lifestyle and became a hobo. He would often prey upon his weaker fellow tramps and forcefully take their food; when he had extra food of his own, he never shared with anyone.

(Journey into Mystery I#76/1) - While wandering through the wilderness, Morgan found a sealed glass bottle with a tiny Genie inside; thinking back to the fairy tales he read as a child, he remembered that whoever released a Genie was granted three wishes. Having never passed up the chance to get something for nothing, Morgan uncorked the bottle, and in a billowing cloud of smoke, the Genie materialized before him as a giant.

   Morgan demanded his three wishes--he wanted to be young, handsome, and rich... really rich! But the Genie was uncooperative and refused, for he resented being freed from his bottle because it was quiet and peaceful in there, while the outside world was noisy and filled with humans (whom the Genie detested).

   But since Morgan had freed the Genie, he was the only one who could command the magical giant to return to his bottle (a stipulation which Morgan would exploit to his advantage)--when the Genie threatened to pulverize him for his attempted extortion, Morgan reminded the Genie that he would never be able to get back to the bottle without him.

   Realizing that he was helpless to resist Morgan's coercion (otherwise he would be forever trapped in the loathsome world of humans), the Genie began to grant Morgan's wishes--he first regressed Morgan to the age of twenty; then he gave Morgan a face that he said would make Apollo green with envy. Finally, the Genie gave Morgan wealth beyond his wildest dreams--a furnished castle, complete with servants and beautiful women.

   With the three wishes fulfilled, the Genie asked Morgan to send him back; but despite having youth, good looks, and incredible wealth, Morgan's character was not altered in the least, for he was still cruel and selfish. The spiteful Morgan told the Genie that he was going to keep him around for a while and use him as his stooge, then he ordered the Genie to get on his knees and shine his shoes--although the Genie initially refused, he was forced to submit and obey, for he knew that Morgan was his only chance of getting back to his home. The mean-spirited Morgan continued to humiliate the Genie--he commanded the giant jinn to perform an embarrassing dance for the amusement of his servants, and he even made him do menial chores around his castle.

   But after a while, when the Genie no longer protested the humiliating treatment, Morgan grew weary of his mean little game; after telling the magical giant that he was tired of looking at his ugly face, Morgan finally commanded the Genie to go back to his bottle. The Genie was elated, but he had one request of Morgan--claiming that he was so lonely in his bottle, the Genie asked Morgan if he could take a human with him to keep him company; seeing no harm in the request, Morgan agreed and told the Genie to take whomever he wanted.

   There was a blinding flash, then Morgan was horrified when he saw that he was reduced in size and trapped inside the bottle, alongside the Genie...and the Genie now had a stooge of his own!

   Mike Morgan's final fate is unrevealed.

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Jack Kirby (artist).

This 6-page story--The Genie With the Light Brown Hair!-- was never reprinted; it was basically a re-working of the earlier story of Paul Burk.

An advertisement for a new magazine was lettered along the bottom border of the last page of this story--YOU'VE NEVER READ A COMIC LIKE "THE FANTASTIC FOUR"! GET YOUR SPINE-TINGLING COPY TODAY!--which could imply that this story took place in the early days of the modern Marvel Universe.

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Mike Morgan has no known connections to:

The Genie has no known connections to:

Genie

The Genie was a supernatural being empowered with vast magical abilities. He was entrapped within a corked bottle, but he preferred the peace and quiet within to the outside world, which he considered to be noisy and filled with humans (whom the Genie detested).

He could alter his size, from being small enough to fit in his bottle, to become a towering giant when he was released. The Genie was beholden to grant three wishes to the individual who released him, and he could alter reality to the whims of that person--the Genie's power seemed to be limited only by that person's imagination; the Genie could only return to his bottle at the command of the individual who released him.

Under unspecified circumstances, the Genie's bottle somehow came to be located in a wooded area, and his quiet solitude was interrupted when hobo Mike Morgan discovered it. Morgan uncorked the bottle to release the Genie, then demanded his three wishes. However, the Genie was greatly displeased and initially refused to obey Morgan, but when Morgan threatened to not allow him to return to his bottle, the Genie relented and gave Morgan youth, good looks, and a fabulous castle.

With the wishes granted, the Genie requested of Morgan to allow him to return to his bottle. But the spiteful Morgan kept the Genie around for a while to toy with him and used the Genie as his stooge, forcing the magical giant to perform humiliating menial chores.

Eventually, Morgan got tired of playing his mean little game with the Genie and commanded him to return to his bottle. The Genie asked Morgan if he could take a human with him to keep him company--seeing no harm in his request, Morgan allowed him to do so.

But the Genie had tricked Mike Morgan and took him into the bottle, and the Genie now had a stooge of his own.

--Journey into Mystery I#76/1

Mike Morgan's castle

An immense and luxurious home, it was conjured by the Genie to grant one of Mike Morgan's three wishes.

The castle came complete with furnishings and decor, and it was staffed by servants and beautiful women.

--Journey into Mystery I#76/1

images: (without ads)
Journey into Mystery I#76/1, p4, pan7 (Main Image - young, handsome, and wealthy Mike Morgan (center) surrounded by beautiful women and servants)
Journey into Mystery I#76/1, p4, pan1 (Headshot - older Mike Morgan, before being transformed by Genie)
Journey into Mystery I#76/1, p4, pan3 (Headshot - Mike Morgan regressed to twenty-years old)
Journey into Mystery I#76/1, p2, pan6 (Mike Morgan finds bottle with Genie)
Journey into Mystery I#76/1, p6, pan6 (Mike Morgan trapped with Genie in bottle)
Journey into Mystery I#76/1, p1, pan1 (Genie emerges from bottle; Mike Morgan)
Journey into Mystery I#76/1, p3, pan7 (Genie agrees to grant three wishes to Mike Morgan)
Journey into Mystery I#76/1, p5, pan7 (Genie forced to push lawnmower; Mike Morgan on terrace)
Journey into Mystery I#76/1, p5, pan1 (Mike Morgan's castle (interior); servant, Morgan and Genie speaking)
Journey into Mystery I#76/1, p5, pan2 (Mike Morgan's castle (exterior); Morgan and Genie speaking)

Appearances:
Journey into Mystery I#76/1 (January, 1962) - unidentified writer, Jack Kirby(pencils), Dick Ayers (inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First Posted: 03/08/2019
Last updated: 03/13/2019

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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