Madman (Marvel Comics)

Superherobox


caption = Madman runs amok in London, from "The Incredible Hulk", vol. 2, #409. Sept. 1993. Pencils by Gary Frank, inks by Cam Smith. Glynis Oliver, colorist.
character_name = Madman
publisher = Marvel Comics
debut = "Incredible Hulk" #363 (December 1989) (as Phil Sterns)
"Incredible Hulk" #364 (mid-December 1989) (as Madman)
creators = Peter David (script)
Jeff Purves (pencils)
alter_ego = Phillip Sterns
full_name =
species =
homeworld =
alliances =
aliases =
supports=The Leader
powers =
*Superhuman strength and durability
*Density control
*Size manipulation
*Shapeshifting

Madman (Philip Sterns) is a supervillain within the fictional Marvel Comics universe. The character is portrayed as one of the Hulk's enemies, and as the brother of Samuel Sterns, better known as the The Leader. He first appeared as Philip Sterns in "Incredible Hulk" #363 (December 1989), and as Madman in "Incredible Hulk" #364.

Fictional character biography

A former schoolmate of Bruce Banner, Sterns develops a deranged love/obsession with Banner's "career" as the Hulk. Sterns subjects himself to a multitude of experiments involving gamma-radiation to emulate his "hero." This results in Sterns turning into a distorted monstrosity possessed of vast superhuman strength, and develops multiple personality disorder. From this point, a much stronger, arguably deranged, personality gives him ‘orders’ to carry out.

Calling himself Madman, Sterns hatches a plot to kill the Hulk, giving him a poison injection that rapidly deteriorates his physical state. This puts the Hulk in conflict with various members of his rogues’ gallery, most notably the Abomination, turning weaker and more emaciated for every battle. Samuel Sterns, the Leader and Phillip's brother, comes to the Hulk's aid and helps him track down Madman to find the antidote. He explains that Madman "scares him," but can’t force himself to kill his brother. During the ensuing battle, Madman suffers a psychological breakdown, completely submerging his original personality, and Hulk manages to cure himself, as well as poison Madman, leaving the latter on the verge of death, with the remedy dropped barely out of reach.’’Incredible Hulk’’ vol.2, #367]

Later Madman reveals that he simply increased his mass to grab it, and used the time to masquerade as a researcher in the Red Skull's "New World Order" organization. Here he helped to engineer the transformation of a captured S.H.I.E.L.D. agent into the power-mimicking creature known as Piecemeal, and installed a safety override, making it answerable only to himself.’’Incredible Hulk’’ vol.2, #408]

When tracking the creature, he finds it in confrontation with the Hulk in the vicinity of Loch Ness, and knocks out his enemy from behind. He dumps the Hulk into the lake saddled with iron weights, but is disappointed when the latter takes longer than expected to escape. During the ensuing gang-up, Madman continues to make disorderly, deranged remarks. When Perseus, a retired Pantheon member the Hulk was visiting, tries to intervene, Madman indifferently kills him, but the Hulk punches him away. [’’Incredible Hulk’’ vol.2, #407-#408]

While the Hulk seemingly kills Piecemeal, Madman decides to take off in a stolen jet. The Hulk overtakes and starts to dismantle the jet, and Madman triggers a pilot-chair parachute, remarking that he's not interested in killing Hulk, since it would be dull to not annoy him anymore, and detonates the plane.

After landing in London, he immediately holds the British prince Charles hostage on top of Buckingham Palace, and demands to be declared king of England. As Hulk comes to the rescue, Madman states that the latter should understand the demands to use great power and shifts from crying to irreverently upbeat within seconds, dropping the prince towards the ground. The Hulk catches up, while Madman is in the middle of a temper tantrum about everybody "ganging up on him," and manages to knock him down. Madman once again voices his "love"/admiration for Hulk/Banner, but takes the opportunity to escape as the London Bridge collapses underneath them.’’Incredible Hulk’’ vol.2, #409]

Powers and abilities

Like the Hulk, Madman has vast superhuman strength. Unlike the Hulk, Madman is unable to become stronger as he becomes angrier, but he is capable of creating significant boosts in his size, density and power, making him greatly exceed the Hulk's calm state for brief periods of time. Allegedly being at least twice as strong as the base level of the 'merged'/'professor' incarnation in this mode, and once knocked out the latter with a single punch to the head through the advantage of surprise.’’Incredible Hulk’’ vol.2, #407] He has also claimed to be able to assume many different appearances, including the scientist spying on the "New World Order".’’Incredible Hulk’’ vol.2, #408]

Other media

Video games

In The Hulk video game, Madman appears as one of the major bosses. He works with his brother, The Leader, to create a world ruled by gamma creatures. Madman first appears kidnapping Betty Ross, and putting her in a gamma chamber. The Hulk comes to rescue Betty and battle him. He returns near the end of the game, in the Leader's base, and teams up with Halflife to kill Bruce Banner. However, Banner turns into the Hulk, and battles the duo. Madman flees in the middle of the boss fight, leaving Halflife at the mercy of the Hulk. When the base is collapsing, he tries to battle the Hulk one more time. He is presumably killed in the final fight, after the Leader's base was destroyed, and he was left behind. He was voiced by Paul Dobson.

References

External links

*http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/madmanhulk.htm