Man-Thing

For the film, see Man-Thing (film).

Man-Thing
Man-Thing #1 (Jan. 1974). Cover art by Frank Brunner.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Savage Tales #1 (May 1971)
Created by	Stan Lee Roy Thomas Gerry Conway Gray Morrow
In-story information
Alter ego	Theodore "Ted" Sallis
Team affiliations	Nexus of All Realities Thunderbolts Daydreamers Legion of Monsters
Notable aliases	.
Abilities	Empathic Senses Superhuman strength and durability Ability to secrete a powerful corrosive chemical agent and a counter agent Ability to teleport himself or others through 'the nexus of all realities'

The Man-Thing is a fictional character, a monster in publications from Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in Savage Tales #1 (May 1971), and went on to be featured in various titles and in his own series, including Adventure into Fear, which introduced the character Howard the Duck.

Steve Gerber's 39-issue run on the series^[1] is a cult classic that was influential on such writers as Neil Gaiman,^[2] who would later write for Swamp Thing.

Man-Thing is a large, slow-moving, empathic, humanoid creature living in the Florida Everglades near the Seminole reservation.

Publication history

As described in the text featurette "The Story Behind the Scenes" in Savage Tales #1 (May 1971), the black-and-white adventure fantasy magazine in which the character debuted in an 11-page origin story, Man-Thing was conceived in discussions between Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee and writer Roy Thomas, and that together they created five possible origins. Lee provided the name, which had previously been used for unrelated creatures in Marvel's early science-fiction/fantasy anthology Tales of Suspense #7 (Jan. 1960) and #81,^[3][4] as well as the concept of the man losing sentience.

As Thomas recalled in 2002:

Stan Lee called me in; it would've been late '70 or early '71. [...] He had a couple of sentences or so for the concept — I think it was mainly the notion of a guy working on some experimental drug or something for the government, his being accosted by spies, and getting fused with the swamp so that he becomes this creature. The creature itself sounds a lot like the Heap, but neither of us mentioned that character at the time.... I didn't care much for the name 'Man-Thing', because we already had the Thing [of the superhero team the Fantastic Four], and I thought it would be confusing to also have another one called Man-Thing.^[5]

Thomas worked out a detailed plot^[6] and gave it to Gerry Conway to script. Thomas and Conway are credited as writers, with Gray Morrow as artist. A second story, written by Len Wein and drawn by Neal Adams, was prepared at that time, but, upon Savage Tales' cancellation after that single issue,^[7] "took a year or two to see print", according to Thomas.^[8] That occurred in Astonishing Tales #12 (June 1972), in which the seven-page story was integrated in its entirety within the 21-page feature "Ka-Zar", starring Marvel's jungle-lord hero. This black-and-white interlude (with yellow highlighting) segued to Man-Thing's introduction to color comics as Ka-Zar's antagonist-turned-ally in this and the following issue (both written by Thomas, with the first penciled by John Buscema and the second by Buscema and Rich Buckler).

The Wein-written Man-Thing story appeared in-between Wein's first^[9] and second^[10] version of his DC Comics character Swamp Thing. Wein was Conway's roommate at the time, and as Thomas recalled in 2008,

Gerry and I thought that, unconsciously, the origin in Swamp Thing #1 was a bit too similar to the origin of Man-Thing a year-and-a-half earlier. There was vague talk at the time around Marvel of legal action, but it was never really pursued. I don't know if any letters even changed hands between Marvel and DC. [...] We weren't happy with the situation over the Swamp Thing #1 origin, but we figured it was an accident. Gerry was rooming with Len at the time and tried to talk him into changing the Swamp Thing's origin. Len didn't see the similarities, so he went ahead with what he was going to do. The two characters verged off after that origin, so it didn't make much difference, anyway.^[11]

Steve Gerber would refer to Man-Thing as an "Un-Man" (eponymous with enemies of Swamp Thing) in Fear #12.

Man-Thing received his own 10-page feature, again by Conway (with Morrow inking pencils by Howard Chaykin), in Adventure into Fear #10 (Oct. 1972), sharing that anthological title with reprinted 1950s horror/fantasy stories. Steve Gerber, who would become Man-Thing's signature writer, succeeded Conway the following issue, with art by Rich Buckler (Mayerik began with issue #13). The feature expanded to 15 pages with #12 (art by Jim Starlin), became 16 pages two issues later, and reached the then-standard 19-page length of Marvel superhero comics with issue #15, at which point the series also went from bi-monthly to monthly. In Fear #11 (Dec. 1972), page 11, Gerber created the series' narrative tagline, used in captions: "Whatever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch!"

After issue #19 (Dec. 1973), Man-Thing received a solo title, which ran 22 issues (Jan. 1974 - Oct. 1975). Following Morrow, the main series' primary pencillers were, successively, Val Mayerik, Mike Ploog, John Buscema, and Jim Mooney. A sister publication was the larger, quarterly Giant-Size Man-Thing #1-5 (Aug. 1974 - Aug. 1975), which featured 1950s horror-fantasy and 1960s science fiction/monster reprints as back-up stories, with a Howard the Duck feature added in the final two issues. The unintentional double entendre in the sister series' title became a joke among comics readers.^[12]

In the final issue, writer Gerber appeared as a character in the story, claiming he had not been inventing the Man-Thing's adventures but simply reporting on them and that he had decided to move on. Gerber continued to write Man-Thing guest appearances in other Marvel titles, as well as the serialized, eight-page Man-Thing feature in the omnibus series Marvel Comics Presents #1-12 (Sept. 1988 - Feb. 1989), and a supporting role in The Evolutionary War, coming to the aid of Spider-Man.^[13] Gerber also wrote a graphic novel that Kevin Nowlan spent many years illustrating, but he did not live to see it published.^[14]

A second Man-Thing series ran 11 issues (Nov. 1979 - Jan. 1981). Writer Michael Fleisher and penciller Mooney teamed for the first three issues, with the letters page of #3 noting that Fleisher's work had received a great deal of negative criticism and that he had been taken off the book. He was succeeded by, primarily, writer Chris Claremont and illustrators Don Perlin (breakdowns) and Bob Wiacek (finished pencils). Claremont's stories introduced Man-Thing and Jennifer Kale to Doctor Strange (whose series he was concurrently writing), after which his material focused on two new supporting characters: John Daltry, Citrusville's new sheriff, and Bobbie Bannister, a formerly wealthy girl who is the only survivor when her parents' yacht is attacked. These characters' stories he resolved by tying them to a resolution for his own War Is Hell series.^[15]

Simon Jowett provided a Man-Thing story in Marvel Comics Presents #164-168 (Early Oct.-Late Nov. 1994). The story was set soon after Sallis' transformation, yet depicted Sallis using a standard personal computer with up-to-date graphics rather than hard-copy files, an example of the floating timeline effect.

J.M. DeMatteis began writing the character in a backup story in Man-Thing vol. 2, #9 (March 1981), which opened with a fill-in by Dickie McKenzie. DeMatteis would go on to write Man-Thing stories in Marvel Team-Up, The Defenders, Marvel Fanfare, and the limited series Daydreamers, as well as the eight-issue Man-Thing vol. 3 (Dec. 1997 - July 1998), illustrated by Liam Sharp. The two would re-team for the Man-Thing feature in the two-issue Strange Tales vol. 4 (Sept.-Oct. 1998). Four issues were written, but #3 and 4 were never published. Their stories were summarized briefly in Peter Parker: Spider-Man Annual '99, also by DeMatteis, with art by Sharp and others.^[16][17][18]

In the 2000s, Man-Thing has starred in a handful of stories appearing in one-shots and limited series, including Marvel Knights Double Shot #2 (July 2002) by Ted McKeever, and Legion of Monsters: Man-Thing #1 (May 2007) by Charlie Huston and Klaus Janson.

In 2008, writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa retold Man-Thing's origin in Dead of Night Featuring Man-Thing #1-4 (April–July 2008), from the Marvel MAX imprint.^[19] This was followed by an eight-page story in Marvel Comics Presents vol. 2, #12 (Oct. 2008), by writer Jai Nitz and artist Ben Stenbeck.

Man-Thing appeared regularly during The Punisher's Franken-Castle story arc and became a regular member of Thunderbolts with issue #144.

Fictional character biography

Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis, a native of Omaha, Nebraska,^[20] is a young biochemist working in the Everglades as part of Dr. Wilma Calvin's Project: Gladiator team (which also consists of Dr. Barbara Morse, her fiancé, Dr. Paul Allen, and Jim. A Dr. Wendell is later cited as being on the staff after Dr. Calvin is shot),^[21] which is attempting to recreate the "Super-Soldier Serum" of peak-human physicality that had created Captain America.^{[volume & issue needed]} During his work, he at one point treated and worked alongside Dr. Curt Connors shortly after he suffered the amputation of his arm, driving his research that would eventually transform him into the Lizard.^[22] Though warned that the technological terrorist group Advanced Idea Mechanics has been operating in the area, Sallis breaches security by bringing with him his lover, Ellen Brandt (referred to here as "Miss Brandt", but later retconned to be his wife). He destroys his notes to his formula, which he has memorized. Later, at his nearby laboratory, he is ambushed and learns that Brandt has betrayed him. Fleeing with the only sample of his serum, he injects himself with it in hopes of saving himself. However, he crashes his car into the swamp where chemical and, as later explained, magical forces ("the result of all realities gone mad"^[23]) instantly transform him into a slow-moving plant-matter creature with large, solid red eyes,^[24] and three vines in his facial area, often drawn to imitate the features of an elephant. He finds himself unable to speak, with dim memories, attacking the ambushers and Brandt, burning and scarring part of her face with an acid he now secretes in the presence of violent emotions. The Man-Thing then wanders away into the swamp.^[25]

Sallis' mind was apparently extinguished, although on rare occasions he could briefly return to consciousness within his monstrous form,^[26] and even to his human form.^[27] Contrary to Sallis' belief, Dr. Calvin had also memorized the formula for the serum, but refused to duplicate it, even on direct orders from Nick Fury, believing that it will only cause further harm. Fury treats her as an elder and respects her decision, much as he dislikes it.^[28] The magical elements of the metamorphosis are shown when he shuffled between the forms several times early in his life as Man-Thing, under the influence of others with arcane powers.^[29]

Before long, the Man-Thing first encountered Ka-Zar, and agents of A.I.M. Dr. Allen was revealed to be A.I.M's mastermind on the mission; he had killed Dr. Wendell and captured the comatose Dr. Calvin (shot in the back by locals who perceived her as a "witch woman" creating monsters upon her recognition that Man-Thing is Sallis), aware of her knowledge of the formula, while Morse had only pretended to be in love with him on orders from S.H.I.E.L.D., which had suspected him. Man-Thing breaks into A.I.M.'s base, and immolates a terrified Allen, then, after beckoning his friends to leave, sets the base to self-destruct, his friends believing he is committing suicide.^[30]

When next seen, he is catching a baby thrown from a car off a bridge, and knew enough to leave it on the doorstep of the local doctor, Warren B. Thompson, even ringing his doorbell.^[31]

After that, he first encountered the sorceress Jennifer Kale, with whom he briefly shared a psychic link and who knew his true identity, and battled the demon Thog the Nether-Spawn,^[32] who changed him back into Ted Sallis, but would allow him to keep that form only if he killed the Kales. Sallis refused, and was changed by Thog back into the Man-Thing.^[33] Although Thog's dimension was shown to be an illusion, Sallis remembered the experience the next time he regained his human form, while retaining no memories of Man-Thing.^[34]

Visitors to the swamp soon discovered it was a place of mystical properties known as the Nexus of All Realities,^[33] and the Man-Thing visited the extra-dimensional world of Sandt, and met the benevolent Dakimh the Enchanter, who appeared as an enemy to test his physical and Jennifer's psychological prowess.^[35] According to the legend of Zhered-Na, as told by Joshua Kale, Zhered-Na predicted the coming of "a savior men will hate for he will bear the aspect of a monster." Indeed, the powers of Sominus are causing people to become extraordinarily violent throughout the world. After Jennifer, with the aid of Man-Thing, rescues the original Tome of Zhered-Na, things return to normal, and she loses her psychic link to Man-Thing.^[36] This severance resulted in frequent nightmares in which she and Man-Thing battled the Congress of Realities and demons of Sominus, Thog's dimension.^[37]

Developer Franklin Armstrong Schist^[38] attempted to build an airport in Citrusville. He was opposed by Black Eagle and a number of young Seminoles living in the area, the rioting attracting Man-Thing's attention.^[39]

Man-Thing then first encountered Wundarr (later known as the Aquarian),^[40] and then Howard the Duck.^[41] At one point Man-Thing first encountered the Thing; both were briefly restored to their human forms by a duplicate of the Molecule Man who thought he was the latter's son.^[42] Later, he first encountered the Foolkiller.^[43]

Man-Thing became the Guardian of the Nexus of Realities, and found himself facing demons, ghosts, and time-traveling warriors, while continuing to encounter such non-supernatural antagonists as rapacious land developers, fascist vigilantes, and common criminals. Regular visitors included Thog the Nether-Spawn, Dakimh, Howard the Duck, and several humans, including members of the Cult of Zhered-Na^[44] (led by Jennifer Kale's grandfather, Joshua).^[45] Dakimh declared that he, Man-Thing, Jennifer, Korrek, Warrior Prince of Katharta, and Howard were the chosen five needed to defeat Thog, though the latter fell off a cosmic stepping stone, which Dakimh thought would be fatal.^[23]

Twenty-something radio DJ Richard Rory moves to Citrusville, initially after being chased there by the Foolkiller. He and nurse Ruth Hart become involved in defending Man-Thing from Schist's attempts to destroy the creature. Rory in particular formed a bond with Man-Thing, while Hart left Rory for Hell's Kitchen, New York City.^[46]

In time, reality set in and the energy crisis prevented Schist from completing his airport. The reason for the airport was then revealed: Schist wanted to find the Fountain of Youth. Unfortunately, he learned the hard way that the desired effects of the fountain's water come from bathing in it, not drinking it, and with a newly fragile body, was done in by Man-Thing.^[47]

Man-Thing and Rory encountered people developing a biosphere and the Cult of Entropy, who revive the Glob (Joe Timms), only for Man-Thing to defeat him,^[48] and a gorgon hillbilly named Maybelle Torke who destroys her husband Zeke's harmless dog, Dawg, while he is trying to protect his master, which got an outraged response in letters pages.^[49] The two lived through trials of the psychologically disturbed, including a suicidal clown, Darrel Daniel, from Garvey's Carnival,^[50] Vietnam veterans damaged by mutagenic chemicals,^[51] and an institutionalized writer named Brian Lazarus in the acclaimed "Song-Cry of the Living Dead Man."^[52] Initially accompanied by Ruth Hart, Ayla Prentiss of Garvey's Carnival accompanied Rory after Hart returned to New York.

Soon, Gerber was delving into Ted Sallis' past. In a text story in Monsters Unleashed #8 and #9, it was revealed that Sallis had slept with an underage girl, whose father sought to kill the current occupant of his shack, believing him to be Sallis. In Daredevil #108, Gerber introduced Foggy Nelson's sister Candace, who was being harassed over research she was doing at Empire State University.^[53] In issue #113, this was revealed to be about the Sallis Papers, research that could have turned the human race into smog-breathing monsters and allow industry to proceed unchecked. In Man-Thing #15, we are introduced to Sainte-Cloud, a young woman who helped Sallis decide to abandon the project. Sometimes this has been erroneously cited as the project that created Man-Thing, though it is made clear in the stories that this is an earlier project. Daredevil encountered Man-Thing and Richard Rory, and battled Death-Stalker over the Sallis Papers, eventually disposing of them in a vat of chemicals.^[54] Sainte-Cloud, who lives in Greenwich Village, relives her experience with Sallis via a hallucinogenic candle that was made by a mysterious candlemaker who had seen Man-Thing in New York City, when F.A. Schist's widow and daughter brought Man-Thing to a theatre in Times Square and displayed him like King Kong, from which he inevitably escaped.^[55]

At one point, an astral pirate ship headed by Captain Fate, ended up in the Nexus. A scientist, Dr. Maura Spinner, was the reincarnation of a pirate queen and both were linked with a satyr named Khordes. In a controversial ending about which Gerber expressed regrets with having written, Spinner stayed with Khordes.^[56]

Dakimh sought his and Jennifer Kale's assistance to help Korrek deal with three villains in Katharta, but the battle is brought to Citrusville, where Man-Thing uses street signs as weapons and Dakimh dies of heart failure. Jennifer places the three villains in cocoons and sends them to outer space. Joshua, Jennifer, and Andy Kale bury Dakimh near the swamp. Man-Thing accompanied them, possibly only intrigued by their sadness.^[57]

Not long after, Man-Thing first encountered Spider-Man, and assisted him in battle against the Lizard.^[58] He would encounter Spider-Man numerous times in the future. Spider-Man would prove sympathetic to him, but would learn very little about him beyond his current abilities.

The final arc of the Gerber series^[59] dealt with a hypermasculine laborer named Josefsen forced into retirement at age 65. He went on a rampage as a Mad Viking, killed his grand daughter Astrid's artist boyfriend, as well as the lead guitarist of the rock band Red Feather, and finally, confronted an "Aladdin Sane"-type of dystopian rocker named "Star" Spangler, who had taken over Sallis' partially-burned shack after the deaths of Sallis' underage flame, her father, and the writer he mistook for Sallis. As the Viking, Josefsen allied himself with Olivia Selby, who led a book burning riot at Citrusville High School, leading to the slaughter of several teachers. Man-Thing's involvement led to him being dumped in the local sewage treatment plant, which only increased his ability to leave the swamp, while Richard Rory got fired by the local radio station for speaking out against the book burning on the air.

Rory attempted to leave for Atlanta, and Man-Thing and Carol Selby, Olivia's daughter, demanded to go with him. In Atlanta, Man-Thing wanders away from the hotel where they are staying the night and encounters a satanic sect about to sacrifice a child and rescues him.^[60] The group then meets Robert Nicolle, a man with neither feeling nor physical sensation, who appeared as the costumed criminal the Scavenger, and whose sister, Dani Nicolle, had her sensations on overload and must project them into objects called Nightmare Boxes.^[61] The Nightmare Boxes are to build a pyramid for the benefit of Thog, but the use of a Nightmare Box containing both Man-Thing and Steve Gerber, working at the behest of Dakimh's spirit, as the top of the pyramid defeats Thog and saves the world. Gerber tells the final issue in first-person, recapping the entire series and saying that he has to stop writing the series because it has become too personal, since he does not want to have to save the world again.^[62] Gerber's involvement is foreshadowed when he twice encounters Richard Rory, who believes he has had a brush with destiny.^[63]

Man-Thing later first encountered Jude the Entropic Man (who had been the Entropist Yagzan before he was killed by the Glob).^[64] Man-Thing then first encountered the supernatural villain D'Spayre and was assisted by Spider-Man. D'Spayre causes him to feel fear and partially self-immolate for the first time.^[65] Man-Thing also encountered Doctor Strange, and aided Strange against Baron Mordo.^[66]

A scientist, Dr. Oheimer, attempted to restore Ted Sallis' mind, now scattered about in ganglia throughout Man-Thing's body, but was slain by government agents.^[67] A love triangle then took Man-Thing to the Himalayas.^[68] Chris Claremont, the writer by this point, introduced himself as a character in the final issue of Volume 2, as Steve Gerber had in the finale of Volume 1. Additionally, Claremont temporarily became the Man-Thing after being stabbed to death with Captain Fate's sword by possessed-Sheriff John Daltry. His and other characters' deaths were later resolved with the intervention of the War is Hell series lead, John Kowalski, now an aspect of Marvel Comics' manifestation of Death.^[69] Man-Thing later appeared briefly alongside the superhero Cyclops, aiding him in a battle against D'Spayre.^[70]

Man-Thing became embroiled in Project: Glamor,^[71] a U.S. government conspiracy involving Ted Sallis' "super-soldier" serum related to the Iran-Contra Scandal. Numerous soldiers are being transformed into monsters in attempts to recreate the serum, while the executives financing the scheme are forced to testify before Congress.^[72] Later, the extra-dimensional Quagmire came into this reality through the Man-Thing's body. It appeared like a pregnancy, with Jennifer Kale and Quasar serving as midwives for the delivery of an adult criminal.^[73] Later, Jennifer and Quasar have to reassemble their friend's body when it is blasted apart by a war amongst the Nexus guardians of each reality. Quasar ends the war with the Star Brand that he obtained to escape from the New Universe (when he returned, he arrived in Man-Thing's swamp and kissed him on the forehead).^[74]

After Onslaught, Man-Thing was somehow summoned to the biosphere at Charles Xavier's Massachusetts Academy, where he helped Franklin Richards, Leech, Artie Maddicks, Tana Nile, and Howard the Duck escape from a rampaging Black Tom Cassidy.^[75] Apparently, he helped the group escape from a dark swordsman through various dimensions, and during this time, gained the ability to talk, though he did not speak much like Ted Sallis of old.^[76] He expressed that he had no idea how he was doing this, and in fact, he was not. Everything they were seeing, including a world based on Dr. Seuss and a version of Duckworld in which Howard is seen as a hero and celebrity, as well as Man-Thing's speaking, are all products of Franklin's mutant mental abilities. When Franklin is willing to accept that even the dark swordsman, a figure representing the apparent death of his family, was his own creation, the group is returned to Man-Thing's swamp.^[77] Man-Thing becomes Franklin's self-appointed protector, but when Franklin loses the pocket universe he carries to an alligator, his fear draws Man-Thing to turn on him. Although Franklin is able to destroy the alligator, with much sadness, in order to retrieve it, before Man-Thing can touch him, this close call presents him as a superfluous threat to Franklin in the perception of a Celestial. This Celestial causes Man-Thing to feel fear, self-immolate, and collapse into the swamp.^[78]

This was not the end of Man-Thing. He somehow merged with a Norn Stone Bearer named Carl Shuffler, a postal worker in New York City. He initially manifested himself non-physically and with extremely high power, causing all those in Shuffler's very presence to burn at the slightest knowing of fear, with no contact. Eventually developing into a hybrid of Shuffler and Man-Thing's features, they are separated by Spider-Man, who gets a dose of the enormous empathic power of Man-Thing and learns that the latter's body, now sloughed off by a surviving Shuffler, is being reformulated in the Everglades.^[79]

The immense psychic energy created by Man-Thing's return draws his wife, Ellen Brandt Sallis, to return to the Citrusville area. She is still half-scarred from the Man-Thing's touch. The existence of the scars contradicts the story in Monsters Unleashed #5 in which her second husband, Leonard, a plastic surgeon, fixes her. Recognizing him as her husband, she tries to save Man-Thing from a hail of bullets; Doctor Strange saves them both. Man-Thing is also set-upon an enormous mission—the Nexus of All Realities has shattered due to the return of the non-mutant heroes lost in Franklin's pocket universe after conquering Onslaught, and he must reassemble the pieces, and Ellen is to be his guide, though she knows not how.^[80] A being calling himself Mr. Termineus is interested in both of them, as well as a little boy named Job Burke, who is actually the Sallis' son, who had been put up for adoption. He presents them with a singing staff that apparently has much power, including the ability to lead and transport them to the pieces, and sometimes it is able to sing through Man-Thing, temporarily turning him white when it does so.^[81]

The first piece of the Nexus found is trapped within the mind of Eric Simon Payne (also known as Devil-Slayer), who is now in a mental institution in Charles, Massachusetts where Ellen had once been a patient.^[82] The next was in Howard the Duck, who had been kidnapped by the Cult of Entropy, who wanted to help along the multi-world destruction.^[83] The third was held by Cleito, wife of Poseidon, and Namor intervened, as her tomb was sacred to all Atlanteans and he would not allow its desecration. A sea deity called Evenor transforms Man-Thing back into Ted Sallis, and takes him, Ellen, whom he has turned into an undine, and Namor back to ancient Atlantis, where a living Cleito gives up the piece willingly.^[84] The fourth went into outer space and began turning a dead world into a live one. K'Ad-mon, an entity that had taken possession of Man-Thing through the staff, spoke in a brutal and hypermasculine (in Ellen's words) fashion and fought the Silver Surfer in order to reclaim the fragment.^[85]

Soon after, the Burkes learned of the existence of Mr. Termineus and the identity of Job's biological parents. The story breaks off when Payne and Sorrow (another of the asylum inmates; both made mystics in issue #5) intervene in his gambit.^[86] The story continued in issues 3 and 4, but they were never published. Summaries based on DeMatteis' unillustrated scripts appear on the K'Ad-mon and Ellen Brandt pages on Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe, provided to the site by the author.^[16][17]

When Man-Thing next appears, in Peter Parker: Spider-Man Annual '99, his body, now white, is now fully the vessel of K'Ad-mon, while Ted and Ellen saved the multiverse by merging fully with the Nexus. This was possible because Ted Sallis was "of the lineage." The couple is both fully merged and fully individual, and Ted has to leave Ellen in charge of the Nexus over the course of the story. A footnote refers us to the "as-yet unpublished" stories in Strange Tales 3 & 4. K'Ad-mon is described as being the first soul on the planet. The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe goes so far as to say, based on communications with DeMatteis, that this is Adam, who had previously appeared as the entity Spyros, whom Daimon Hellstrom encountered during Gerber's Marvel Spotlight run.^[17][87] In this issue, K'Ad-mon departs from Man-Thing's body, and Ted must repossess it, sending Spider-Man through multiple realities to rescue Ellen, drained to a thread. Spider-Man is shocked that Man-Thing could be married, can sing, and wonders when he got bleached, but he complies. In spite of the weakness of Ellen, Man-Thing speaks (not sings) with the voices of Ted and Ellen of how he foiled a plot that K'Ad-mon had been forced to allow, because the two of them are "only human".

When we next see Man-Thing in Hulk #4, he still has his long, shamanistic "hair," but he is once again green and silent. In Hulk #6, this Man-Thing is said to have a dim memory of the K'Ad-mon experience, but in Hulk #7, the story's villain, Owen Candler, is revealed to be a plant monster who only thinks it is Owen Candler, just like Swamp Thing. All of his vegetable matter, people, and animals, including Betty Ross Banner and this Man-Thing, collapse into nonexistence after he is burned to death by Man-Thing, who still has this ability in spite of apparently not being the real thing.

At any rate, he is back to is old form when he discovers a mystical disturbance affecting Danielle Moonstar and Arcadia Deville, reuniting him with Jennifer Kale, who had been teaching t'ai chi to members of X-Force.^[88] There, he imparts knowledge to Moonstar by empathic means via touching her forehead. This allows Moonstar to fire a mystic arrow at the right location in the Citadel generated by the Deville of an alternate reality.^[89] Some time later, an unnamed mad scientist captured Man-Thing and injected him with distillations of various emotions to see his visceral reactions, but once Man-Thing oozed out of his bonds, the scientist felt fear and was destroyed.^[90]

Later, Man-Thing and other beings, such as Vermin, Nightmare, Carrion, and Gator Grant become possessed and attack Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler) at the Florida carnival where he was once imprisoned, all bent on obtaining the Soulsword.^[91] Nightcrawler initially believes this to be the work of the demon The Hive, or perhaps Belasco, but The Hive possessed only Wagner's ex-boss, Jardine, and briefly, Wolverine (as well as his brother years before).^[92] Eventually, Mephisto reveals himself as the one who was in control of Man-Thing and the others. Dr. Hank McCoy, the Beast, tells Wagner that the burns he received from Man-Thing were not severe enough to leave a scar.^[93]

Some time later, he is captured by the DeFlyte family, the wealthiest in Citrusville, who feast on his body each day, to the point that only his head and shoulders remain. The DeFlytess hire a new gardener named Esperanza, who is appalled by what she sees, and places two flowers from the swamp on the tray, the DeFlytes collapsed in sleep around the dinner table. This is enough for Man-Thing to regenerate fully and destroy his captors, all of whom end up with their intestines spilled.^[94]

During the Civil War storyline, two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are sent to the Everglades to register the Man-Thing with the Superhuman Registration Act. As the Man-Thing is mentally unfit to sign documents, this is actually a cover for a corrupt S.H.I.E.L.D. boss to take out one disreputable member and put another one in his place while he retires on stolen gold. The attempt to destroy Man-Thing fails.^[95]

A young member of the undead surfaces in the swamp to which Man-Thing's arm can be quickly seen, terminating the zombie before it resurfaces. He is next seen walking away in the distance.^[96] It is later indicated that he will be part of the Midnight Sons team to track down renegade Marvel Zombies who have been able to transport themselves to different coordinates.^[97] Later, after a disastrous attempt by Michael Morbius to eradicate the zombie threat, Dormammu, Lord of the Dark Dimension, tempts Jennifer Kale with dark powers, but she refuses, summoning Man-Thing by breaking a glass orb containing mud from the Florida swamps. Man-Thing swings at the astral projection of Dormamu, his fist passing through it harmlessly. Shortly after, Jennifer introduces Man-Thing to the other members of the Midnight Sons (Michael Morbius "The Living Vampire", Daimon Hellstrom "Son of Satan", and Jacob "Jack" Russell "Werewolf by Night").

Morbius' "cure" for the zombie virus caused the virus to become airborne, no longer needing a host body to infect others. The result was a cloud that, according to Jennifer "...is so bloated with blood and gore, it's discharging the viscera...in the form of infected rain...which is sucking any life it comes in contact with back up into itself...like some grotesque parody of the water cycle." Man-Thing chases the head of an alternate-reality Deadpool, carried by an alternate-reality Simon "Cadaver" Garth, into the infected rain where he can draw strength from the earth to heal himself, providing resistance to the life-draining rain.

The rain kills the superhumans Ogre, Razor Wire, and Lightning Fist (members of Roxxon Blackridges security force), and assembles their bodies into an amalgam zombie. It appears that Zombie Deadpool has some control over this new zombie, and with it, stabs Man-Thing through the chest with a street lamp, lifting him off the ground. Without the earth to replenish him, Man-Thing is exposed to the rain, dissolving his body and killing him.^[98] However, Man-Thing quickly grows back and helps the Midnight Sons by burning the amalgam zombie that was attacking them.^[99]

In the Dark Avengers series during the Dark Reign storyline, Man-Thing is torn apart by the titular team and captured.^[100] Later Man-Thing is seen protecting Moloids who are collecting and spiriting away the Punisher's body parts after he is dismembered and decapitated by Daken on the orders of Norman Osborn.^[101] He and Morbius, the Living Vampire were able to revive Punisher as a Frankenstein-like monster called FrankenCastle.^[102] After a fight with Samurai-like monster hunters from the Hunter of Monster Special Forces, Man-Thing manages to get FrankenCastle to join his Legion of Monsters.^[103]

Man-Thing also appeared in an issue of Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #6, where he encounters the head of the zombie Deadpool once again, and still holds a grudge against him for attempting to kill him. Man-Thing even attempts to kill the agents of A.I.M and the standard timeline Deadpool to simply get to the head. However, the entire group quickly escapes, due to the Man-Thing's slow speed. Although when Deadpool and the head of Zombie Deadpool are captured by agents of HYDRA while fleeing, Man-Thing puts aside his possible hatred for the head and assists Deadpool.^[104]

During the Heroic Age storyline, Steve Rogers in his new identity of Captain Steve Rogers has brought Man-Thing in to serve as the transportation for the Thunderbolts team overseen by Luke Cage in order to atone for some of the deaths it has caused. Hank Pym warns Luke Cage not to let it sense his fear or his corrosive chemicals that secretes will damage his unbreakable skin. Luke Cage then asks Man-Thing if they can cooperate, holding out his arm. Man-Thing grasps it with his own. Since Cage feels no pain, it is apparent that Man-Thing agrees.^[105]

During the Fear Itself storyline, Man-Thing is driven on a rampage due to the fear and chaos he senses on the part of the citizenry causing Frankenstein's Monster, Howard the Duck, Nighthawk, and She-Hulk to become the Fearsome Four in order to stop Man-Thing.^[106]

Powers and abilities

Man-Thing is a former scientist who was transformed into a creature composed of vegetable matter through the synergistic interaction of mystical energy and chemical mutagens. Though the creature now lacks a normal human intellect and has shed any desire to communicate with human society, it nevertheless often becomes an accidental hero as it stumbles upon various crime and horror scenarios.

Although he is often described as a nearly mindless mass of slime with no particular affinity to any living thing, his actions are more akin to an autistic and mute human. In the pages of the Thunderbolts, Dr. Henry Pym has expressed the view that the Man-Thing is sentient, though difficult to communicate with.^[107] For example, he once rescued an infant and left the child with a doctor (which would require an understanding of the function of a doctor and the ability to navigate to a specific address).^[108] He is shown to understand concepts such as how to ring a doorbell,^[31] how to put an arm in a sling,^[109] and even how to flip an auto-destruct switch.^[30] The change in Man-Thing's intellect can partly be explained by fact that its brain, sensory organs, and central nervous system are now organized in a completely different fashion than a human; for instance, Man-Thing's auditory receptors are in his forehead.^[40] Regardless of what level of humanity the creature still possesses, it can discern when a person's motivations are evil, which causes it pain and motivates it to lash out.^[110]

The Man-Thing possesses a variety of superhuman powers, described below, that are derived from the interaction of the scientific formula created by Ted Sallis and the mystical energies of the Nexus of Realities.

It is able to sense human emotions, and is enraged by fear and automatically secretes a strong chemical corrosive; anyone feeling fear and clutched by the Man-Thing is prone to be burned (either chemically or mystically), hence the series' tag-line, "Whatever knows fear burns at the touch of the Man-Thing." Though fear is understandably most people's response to the creature, both for his monstrous appearance and the physical danger of his touch, typically only villains end up meeting an immolating death at its hands. Many survive being burned, notably Ellen Brandt,^[111] Kurt "Nightcrawler" Wagner,^[112] whom he does not even scar,^[93] and Mongu, whose hand he permanently attaches to his axe,^[113] either due to intervention or dissipation. Unusual psychic and mystical forces react in what passes as the "brain" cells located throughout his body. These unique forces render the Man-Thing extremely sensitive to emotions. Emotions that are mild and generally considered positive arouse curiosity and the Man-Thing will sometimes observe from a distance. However, emotions that are often viewed as negative, such as violent emotions, rage, anger, hatred, and fear, cause the Man-Thing great discomfort and might provoke him to attack. Once provoked into violent actions, his body secretes highly concentrated sulfuric acid that can burn human beings to ashes within a matter of seconds. Even individuals that have high levels of superhuman durability have proven unable to withstand this potent acid. While the Man-Thing is devoid of violent emotions, his body produces a type of foamy, soapy mucus that neutralizes the acid.

Although Man-Thing's superhuman strength varies considerably in his comic book appearances, it has been established that the creature possesses physical strength beyond the limitations of any human athlete. Initially, the Man-Thing is only slightly stronger than Captain America,^{[volume & issue needed]} but in later appearances, the Man-Thing possesses sufficient superhuman strength to stand toe to toe with much stronger villains.^{[volume & issue needed]} He is able to lift a 2,000 pound automobile when sufficiently moved to do so.^[23]

The Man-Thing's body is practically invulnerable to harm. Because his body is not entirely solid, but composed of the muck and vegetative matter of the swamp, fists, bullets, knives, energy blasts, etc. will either pass entirely through him or will harmlessly be lodged within his body. Even if a vast portion of the Man-Thing's body were to be ripped away or incinerated, he would be able to reorganize himself by drawing the necessary material from the surrounding vegetation. Devil-Slayer once sliced him nearly in half,^[114] and he has survived being incinerated by a Celestial,^[115] although his healing from the latter has been the longest and most complex in his lifetime.^[116]

Due to the construction of his body, the Man-Thing is able to ooze his body through openings or around barriers that would seem too small for him to pass though. The smaller the opening, the longer it will take for him to reorganize his mass upon reaching the other side. This ability,^[117] can be defeated mystically.^[113]

The Man-Thing was once dependent upon the swamp he inhabits for his continued survival; his body would slowly weaken and eventually lapse into dormancy if not returned to the swamp or would be greatly damaged if exposed to clean water. His exposure to the Citrusville waste treatment plant^[118] greatly enhanced his ability to leave the swamp, as he became a self-contained ecosystem, feeding off his own waste products.^[119] He generally leaves the swamp of his own accord only if he senses a mystical disturbance. Man-Thing has also demonstrated himself susceptible to possession by other entities.^[120]

Although the Man-Thing lacks a normal human intellect, in its life as Ted Sallis, it possessed a Ph.D. in biochemistry.^{[volume & issue needed]} Sallis is legally dead, but his identity is known to numerous living people, including Wilma Calvin, Ellen Brandt, Stephen Strange, Owen Reece, Ben Grimm, Thog, and Jennifer Kale, and anyone they may have told. His identity as Man-Thing could not be considered secret, but his existence is generally believed to be a hoax, and an obscure one at that.^[95][116] In-universe, knowledge of his existence is rarely tied to the experiments of Sallis, as are speculations as to any human identity he may have had. Despite having appeared in Citrusville many times, many there still believe him to be a rumor.^[121]

Comic book spin-offs

Dr. Barbara Morse was introduced in the second Man-Thing story by Len Wein/Neal Adams, although because of publication delays, she was introduced in Astonishing Tales #6, with the Wein/Adams story presented as flashback. Morse became the costumed hero Mockingbird in Marvel Team-Up #95 and went on to become a prominent member of Avengers West Coast, eventually sacrificing her life to save her husband, Clint "Hawkeye" Barton, from Mephisto.^[122] Until recently, her spirit fought alongside Daimon Hellstrom to eliminate demons from his Hell;^[123] however, she has appeared alive during the Secret Invasion crossover.^{[volume & issue needed]} At the end of Secret Invasion, Mockingbird was revealed to be alive and had been one of the early captures of the Skrulls.^{[volume & issue needed]} Morse has joined the New Avengers and has had adventures alongside Hawkeye.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Jennifer Kale debuted in Fear #11, which was the first story Steve Gerber wrote for Marvel after his initial tryout. She went on to appear in two team books, The Legion of Night, created and written by Gerber and partially composed of several other Gerber-created supporting cast members such as Martin Gold and Dr. Katherine Reynolds, and Bronwyn Carlton and Bryan Walsh's Witches in which she teamed with Satana and Topaz under the tutelage of Doctor Strange.

Gerber introduced Howard the Duck in a Man-Thing story in Adventure into Fear #19. Howard, who was displaced from a planet of anthropomorphics in another dimension via the swamp's Nexus of All Realities, later acquired his own series, which was written by Gerber for the first 27 issues.

The Foolkiller, a vigilante who used a ray-gun to disintegrate not only criminals but anyone he considered foolish, was introduced in issue #3 of this series, bent on slaying disc jockey Richard Rory, introduced in the previous issue. When Rory served time for trumped-up kidnapping charges, he accidentally created another Foolkiller when he revealed too much detail about the previous incarnation and the whereabouts of his gear. This Foolkiller became an occasional villain in other Marvel comics. Both Rory and this second Foolkiller, along with nurse Ruth Hart (who appeared in Man-Thing # 2-7) were supporting characters in Gerber's Omega the Unknown, while David Anthony Kraft made Rory a potential love interest for She-Hulk. A third version of the character, who was in internet communication with the second, starred in Gerber's 1990 Foolkiller miniseries. A second series by Greg Hurwitz, featuring a fourth Foolkiller, appeared in 2008.

Other versions

The Adventures of the X-Men

In The Adventures of the X-Men, which is set in the world of the X-Men animated series (Earth-921031), Storm and Jean Grey are inadvertently teleported to Man-Thing's swamp from the Mojoverse. The three battle D'Spayre, who appears as a fake preacher trying to lead people up a suicide tower that is drawing energy out of the Nexus of All Realities. D'Spayre, working for the Dweller-in-Darkness, is burned by Man-Thing when he fears failure. After their defeat of D'Spayre, Jean makes a psychic link with Man-Thing (which she had done earlier to learn his origin) and is imparted information that she believes is the most important thing in the world. Jean is forced to become the Phoenix once more, using the information obtained from Man-Thing, destroys the M'Kraan Crystal, and in doing so, ends the universe. However, one survivor is sent into the universe to come, Galactus, thereby implying that the animation continuity takes place eons before the mainstream Marvel continuity.^[124]

Mutant X

The Mutant X comic book series depicts a Marvel Universe in which characters' counterparts are vastly different. In the Mutant X Annual '99 (1999), Doctor Strange, the sorcerer supreme of Earth, reveals himself to be the Man-Thing. He returns in Mutant X Annual '01 (2001) and Mutant X #32 (June 2001).

Earth-691

Amazing Adventures volume 2 #38 tells the story of what happened when Killraven stumbled across the Miami Museum of Cultural Development and became caught up in the projected dreams of an astronaut from the "Mars launch in 1999." During the hallucination, Killraven encountered distorted versions of numerous Marvel characters. Rather ambiguously, the awakened astronaut later described the figures as "all the heroes from my youth" but he also often referred to them as "myths." The only Marvel character that is definitely "real" in the projected nightmare is the Man-Thing who appears as part of an actual memory of an encounter that the astronaut had with the creature in the Florida Everglades.

Marvel Super Hero Squad

Man-Thing appears in issue #10 of Marvel Super Hero Squad.^[125]

Ultimate Man-Thing

Ultimate Man-Thing, in the alternate-universe Ultimate Marvel imprint, is similar to his traditional counterpart in mainstream continuity. In his first appearance, he teamed with Spider-Man in Ultimate Marvel Team Up #10, unwittingly saving the superhero from the Lizard. Additionally, in Ultimate Fantastic Four #7, during a flashback that transformed Reed and his colleagues into the Fantastic Four, the Man-Thing is shown for a moment.

What If

The second story in the alternate-reality anthology What If #26 (April 1981) asked, "What if the Man-Thing had Regained Ted Sallis' Brain?" Written by Steven Grant, with art by penciller Herb Trimpe and inker Bob Wiacek. In the story, an alligator Dr. Oheimer was working on became the new Man-Thing while Sallis self-immolated at his own fear.

What If vol. 2, #11 (March 1990) featured the Fantastic Four in four scenarios written and penciled by Jim Valentino, showing what might have happened if the team-members had all had the same powers as one another. In "What if the Fantastic Four had All Become Monsters Like the Thing?", Sue Storm's appearance was that of the Man-Thing. In this form she had lost all but her very basic intelligence and could no longer speak.

In other media

Television

• Man-Thing appeared in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "This Man-Thing, This Monster", voiced by Dave Boat. He teams up with Iron Man and Werewolf by Night in order to rescue Werewolf by Night's girlfriend Ellen from Dracula.

Film

Main article: Man-Thing (film)

• Man-Thing, a TV-movie directed by Brett Leonard and written by Hans Rodionoff,^[126] premiered on the U.S. Sci Fi Channel, under the Sci Fi Pictures label, on April 30, 2005.^[127][128] An uncut version appeared on DVD June 14, 2005.^[127] Produced by the studio Lionsgate, it is based loosely on a Steve Gerber storyline involving the unscrupulous land developer F.A. Schist.^{[citation needed]} Three characters are named after some of the original comics' creators: Robert Mammone as "Mike Ploog", William Zappa as "Steve Gerber", and director Leonard himself as "Val Mayerik" (misspelled "Mayerick" in the credits).

Miniature Gaming

There are four Man-Thing miniatures, all with the same sculpt, but different levels of powers, in the Heroclix Mutant Mayhem set which was released in 2004.

Video games

• Man-Thing makes a cameo appearance in Jill Valentine's ending, in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds.
• In Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, one of Nemesis' costumes is based on Man-Thing.^[129]

References

1. ^ Gerber's run is continuous from Fear #11-19, and Man-Thing #1-22, as well as the concurrent Giant-Size Man-Thing #1-5, and Monsters Unleashed #8-9, and these were followed quickly by a story in the The Rampaging Hulk #7 for a total of 39 issues. In addition, Gerber also wrote Man-Thing into Marvel Two in One #1, three issues of Daredevil as well as Iron Man Annual #3, which are not here counted among the 39.
2. ^ Neil Gaiman Journal: "Steve Gerber", February 11, 2008
3. ^ Tales of Suspense #7 (Jan. 1960): "I Fought the Molten Man-Thing!", writer unknown, at the Grand Comics Database
4. ^ http://chronologyproject.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4073&sid=37aa7778a4232117321b5e4ac8a3eee3&p=25609#p25609
5. ^ Roy Thomas interview, Alter Ego #81 (Oct. 2008), p. 20
6. ^ The three-page, single-spaced plot for the 11-page story is reprinted in Alter Ego #81 (Oct. 2008), pp. 22-23
7. ^ The magazine was later revived, beginning with issue #2 (Oct. 1973)
8. ^ Thomas interview, p. 21
9. ^ The character Alex Olsen, introduced in DC's House of Secrets #92 (July 1971)
10. ^ The character Alec Holland, introduced in DC's Swamp Thing #1 (Nov. 1972)
11. ^ Thomas interview, p. 25
12. ^ As Thomas, for one, recalled: "Giant-Size Man-Thing later had a decidedly funny ring to it, but not 'Man-Thing' in itself". (Thomas interview, p. 21)
13. ^ Web of Spider-Man Annual #4
14. ^ http://www.lonely.geek.nz/mtgraphicnovelmia.html
15. ^ Man-Thing vol. 2 #10-11, guest starring John Kowalski
16. ^ ^{a b} Ellen Brandt at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
17. ^ ^{a b c} K'Ad-Mon of the Fallen Stars at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
18. ^ Cleito at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
19. ^ Aguirre-Sacasa talks "Dead of Night featuring Man-Thing", Comic Book Resources, February 13, 2008
20. ^ noted only in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
21. ^ Dr. Wilma Calvin at the Appendix to the Marvel Universe
22. ^ Web of Spider-Man Volume 2 Issue 6
23. ^ ^{a b c} Man-Thing #1
24. ^ They were yellow in Fear #10-13, but red in the Astonishing Tales issues, and all subsequent issues from Fear #14 to the present.
25. ^ Savage Tales #1 (May 1971) / Astonishing Tales #12 (June 1972; Wein/Adams segment
26. ^ Doctor Strange vol. 2, #41 (June 1980); Peter Parker: Spider Man Annual '99--Daydreamers depicts him speaking, but this is revealed to be a psychic projection from Franklin Richards. Similarly, K'Ad-mon speaks through him in several issues of Man-Thing vol. 3 and Strange Tales vol. 4.
27. ^ Adventure into Fear #13 (April 1973), Marvel Two-in-One #1 (Jan. 1974), Marvel Comics Presents #164 (Oct. 1994), Man-Thing vol. 3 #5, 7, 8
28. ^ Astonishing Tales #13, 15-20 (#14 was a censored and colorized version of the Ka-Zar story that also appeared in Savage Tales #1); Ka-Zar vol. 2 #4
29. ^ Marvel Comics Presents #164-167
30. ^ ^{a b} Astonishing Tales #13
31. ^ ^{a b} Fear #10
32. ^ Fear #11
33. ^ ^{a b} Fear #13
34. ^ Marvel Two-in-One #1
35. ^ Adventure into Fear #14 (June 1973)
36. ^ Fear #15
37. ^ Fear #17-19
38. ^ F.A. Schist at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
39. ^ Fear #16
40. ^ ^{a b} Fear #17
41. ^ Fear #19
42. ^ Marvel Two-In-One #1
43. ^ Man-Thing #3
44. ^ Cult of Zhered-Na at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
45. ^ Joshua Kale at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
46. ^ Man-Thing #6; Omega the Unknown #2
47. ^ Man-Thing #7-8
48. ^ Giant-Size Man-Thing #1
49. ^ Man-Thing #9-10
50. ^ Man-Thing #5 & 6
51. ^ Man-Thing #11
52. ^ Man-Thing #12
53. ^ Sanderson, Peter (2007). The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City. New York City: Pocket Books. pp. 30–33. ISBN 1-14653-141-6. 
54. ^ Daredevil #113-115
55. ^ Giant-Size Man-Thing #2
56. ^ Man-Thing #13–14
57. ^ Giant-Size Man-Thing #3
58. ^ Giant-Size Spider Man #5
59. ^ Man-Thing #16, Giant-Size Man-Thing #4, Man-Thing #17-22)
60. ^ Giant-Size Man-Thing #5
61. ^ Nightmare Boxes at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
62. ^ Man-Thing #22
63. ^ Man-Thing #3-4. Steve Gerber at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
64. ^ Marvel Two-In-One #43
65. ^ Marvel Team-Up #68
66. ^ Man-Thing Vol. 2 #4; Doctor Strange Vol. 2 #41
67. ^ Man-Thing vol. 2 #1
68. ^ Man-Thing vol. 2 #2-3
69. ^ Man-Thing vol. 2 #10-11
70. ^ The Uncanny X-Men #144
71. ^ Project: Glamor at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
72. ^ Marvel Comics Presents #1-10
73. ^ Marvel Comics Presents #29
74. ^ Quasar #50; 31
75. ^ Generation X #25
76. ^ Daydreamers 1-2
77. ^ Daydreamers #3
78. ^ Heroes Reborn: The Return #1
79. ^ Marvel Team-Up vol. 2, #4
80. ^ Man-Thing vol. 3 #1-2
81. ^ Man-Thing vol. 3 #4
82. ^ Man-Thing vol. 3 #3-5
83. ^ Man-Thing vol. 3, #5-7
84. ^ Man-Thing vol. 3 #7-8
85. ^ Strange Tales vol. 4, #1
86. ^ Strange Tales vol. 4 #2
87. ^ Marvel Spotlight #17
88. ^ X-Force #97
89. ^ X-Force #100
90. ^ Marvel Knights: Double Shot #2
91. ^ Nightcrawler vol. 3 #9-10
92. ^ Nightcrawler vol. 3 #11
93. ^ ^{a b} Nightcrawler vol. 3 #12
94. ^ Legion of Monsters: Man-Thing #1
95. ^ ^{a b} Marvel Comics Presents (vol. 2) #12
96. ^ Marvel Zombies 3 #1
97. ^ Marvel Zombies 3 #4
98. ^ Marvel Zombies 4 #3
99. ^ Marvel Zombies 4 #4
100. ^ Dark Avengers #10
101. ^ Dark Reign - The List - The Punisher #1
102. ^ Punisher vol. 7 #11
103. ^ Punisher vol 7 #12
104. ^ Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #6
105. ^ Thunderbolts #144
106. ^ Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #1
107. ^ Thunderbolts #144,
108. ^ As demonstrated in such issues as Fear #10, Man-Thing vol. 2, #9, and Heroes Reborn: The Return #1.
109. ^ Fear #12
110. ^ Fear #12; Man-Thing #1, etc.
111. ^ Savage Tales #1, Monsters Unleashed #5, Man-Thing vol. 3, #1-8
112. ^ Nightcrawler vol. 3, #10
113. ^ ^{a b} Fear #14
114. ^ Man-Thing vol. 3, #4
115. ^ Heroes Reborn: The Return #1 / Marvel Team-Up vol. 2, #4
116. ^ ^{a b} Marvel Team-Up vol. 2, #4
117. ^ First demonstrated in Astonishing Tales #13
118. ^ Man-Thing #17 (May 1975)
119. ^ Man-Thing #19
120. ^ Defenders #98; Man-Thing vol. 3 #4; Strange Tales vol. 4 #1-2; Peter Parker: Spider-Man Annual '99
121. ^ Shadows & Light #2; Man-Thing vol. 3 #1
122. ^ Avengers West Coast #100.
123. ^ Thunderbolts Annual '00; Hellcat (2000) limited series 1-3
124. ^ The Adventures of the X-Men #11-12
125. ^ Marvel Super Hero Squad #10
126. ^ Richards, Dave. Hans Rodionoff on 'Man-Thing' the Movie, the Comic and More, Comic Book Resources, May 12, 2004
127. ^ ^{a b} ComicBookMovie.com (March 8, 2005): "Man-Thing Web Page is Online", by Bob Gough
128. ^ Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Man-Thing
129. ^ http://uk.gamespot.com/special_feature/marvelcapcom-breakdown/image-feature/index.html?image=28

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External links

• Man-Thing at the Marvel Universe wiki
• Man-Thing at the Internet Movie Database
• Man-Thing at the Grand Comics Database
• Man-Thing at the Comic Book DB
• Man-Thing at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
• Index to Man-Thing comics
• Ho, Oliver. "Swamp Monsters and Stoners: When Mainstream Comics Tuned In, Turned On and Dropped Out", PopMatters.com, August 24, 2010