Saturday Showcase: Man-Thing

Has you seen the Disney+, Marvel Studios Holiday Special Werewolf by Night yet?  If you haven't, do yourself a favor and watch it now.  Then you will realize why my showcase today is on Man-Thing.  

As the story goes, a young biochemist, Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis, is working in the Everglades as part of Dr. Wilma Calvin's Project: Gladiator.  Her team, which includes Dr. Barbara Morse and her fiancé Dr. Paul Allen, and an assistant named Jim.  The team is attempting to recreate the Super-Soldier Serum that had created Captain America. In Web of Spider-Man it is revealed that Sallis at one point treated and worked alongside Dr. Curtis Connors shortly after Connors' arm was amputated, driving the research that would eventually transform Connors into the Lizard.

Though warned that the technological terrorist group Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) has been operating in the area, Sallis breaches security by bringing with him his lover, Ellen Brandt. He destroys his notes to his formula, don't worry, he memorized them. Later, he is ambushed by two thugs 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 scientific and, as Man-Thing #1 later explained, magical forces combine to instantly transform him into a slow-moving plant-matter creature with large, solid red eyes. He is unable to speak, and with dim memories, he attacks the ambushers and Brandt, burning and scarring part of her face with an acid that he now secretes in the presence of negative emotions. The Man-Thing then wanders away into the swamp.

He surfaces from time to time, to help those in need.  Even though the memories of Theodore Sallis are believed to be gone, the Man-Thing can control who he hurts with his abilities, therefore leading the readers to believe that  there is good and him and he is not the monster that people make him out to be.

He has fought with many heroes and battled many foes in his lifetime.  One thing that is always certain is that he always returns to the swamp.  Because of his appearance and the fear that it brings, he would rather live a life of solitude than being hunted like a creature. The heroes of the world know that if they need Ted's help, he will be there but they also know he would rather be left alone.

Powers & Abilities

• Superhuman Strength, Durability and Stamina
• Empathic Senses
• Chlorokinetic Regeneration
• Size Alteration
• Corrosive-Chemical Secretion
• Teleportation
• Portal Creation
• Fear Empowerment
• Reality Guardianship
• Plant Manipulation

Publication Information

Publisher:  Marvel Comics

First Appearance: Savage Tales #1 (May 1971)

Created by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, & Gray Morrow

Alter Ego:  Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis

Species: Swamp Monster/Human Mutate

Team Affiliations:

• Nexus of All Realities
• Midnight Sons
• Thunderbolts
• Daydreamers
• Legion of Monsters
• Avengers of the Supernatural
• Ancient Order of the Shield
• S.T.A.K.E.

Partnerships:  Howard the Duck

Notable Aliases:  Vorgornus Koth

Until next time, get your READ on!

Saturday Showcase: Brother Voodoo

Jericho Drum aka Brother Voodoo

    On of my favorite characters from Marvel's "Magical" Universe has always been Brother Voodoo?  I guess being from Louisiana, my attention to his name is what got me first, but then as a read comics in which Brother Voodoo appeared, I was intrigued by his use of magic and his connections to the dead.  This made for entertaining reading, especially when he would fight side by side with Moon Knight.

Side by Side with Moon Knight

    Brother Voodoo also known as Jericho Drumm, first appeared in Strange Tales #169 (Sept. 1973). The character was created by publisher Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Len Wein, and artist John Romita Sr.  In 2009, Brother Voodoo replaced Dr. Strange for a brief period as the Sorcerer Supreme and was then called Doctor Voodoo, but he will always be Brother Voodoo to me.

    Brother Voodoo starred in his own feature in the Marvel comic-book series Strange Tales #169-173 (Sept. 1973 - April 1974), and in a backup feature in the black-and-white horror-comics magazine Tales of the Zombie #6 (July 1974, in a story continuing from Strange Tales #173) and #10 (March 1975). He has gone to guest-star very sporadically in other Marvel series, into the 21st century.

At odds with the Werewolf by Night

BIO:

   Returning to his native Haiti (born in Port-au-Prince) after many years of education and practice as an accredited psychologist in the United States, Jericho Drumm discovers that his twin brother, Daniel Drumm, the local houngan, is dying, a victim of a voodoo sorcerer who claims to be possessed by the spirit of the serpent-god Damballah, based on the Loa Damballa. Just before he dies, Daniel makes his brother vow to visit Daniel's mentor, Papa Jambo. Jericho does, and becomes Jambo's student. After studying under the aged houngan for several weeks, Jericho gains a greater mastery of voodoo practices than his own brother, becoming a houngan in his own right. Papa Jambo then performs a rite that summons Daniel's spirit from the dead and joins it with Jericho's own. Having fashioned a worthy successor, Papa Jambo dies.

    This spirit "fusion" was key in Jericho taking the name "Brother Voodoo".  Jericho challenges the priest, who goes by the same name as his god Damballah, and his cult. With the help of his brother Daniel Drumm's spirit possessing one of the cult members, Jericho removes Damballah's artifact of power (wangal), causing Damballah's snakes to turn on him and evidently destroying Damballah's cult. Brother Voodoo becomes Haiti's houngan supreme and champion, and establishes a sprawling mansion as a base of operations. He places the wangal in a safe, its combination known only to Brother Voodoo and his manservant Bambu.

Avenger's Alliance

POWERS & ABILITIES:

Brother Voodoo possesses numerous mystical and quasi-physical powers derived from the Loa, the spirit-gods of voodoo. He can easily enter into a trance-like state in which he does not feel the heat from fire and his skin becomes impervious to burning. He can also control flame and lower life forms. Brother Voodoo can mystically create smoke accompanied by the sound of drums. The smoke conceals his presence while he is able to see through it. He has the ability to command certain living things by a mystic sort of hypnotism, most effective over animals and plants. He can summon the Loa to request transport for himself and others instantaneously if they deem it necessary to his mission.

Brother Voodoo can also summon the spirit of his brother Daniel Drumm from within his body, doubling his own strength. He can send the spirit to possess another person's body and then has total control over their actions.

Brother Voodoo also has more mundane escapist talents, once entering Strange's building, not through magic, but through the chimney. He has extensive knowledge of voudoun (voodoo) thanks to training by Papa Jambo, as well as conventional medicine and psychology with a Ph.D. in psychology.

He wears a mystic medallion that serves as a focus of his powers and as a focus for his contact with his personal loas. He has, at times, employed conventional firearms.

Dueling with his Demons

VITALS:

• Publisher - Marvel Comics
• First Appearance - Strange Tales #169 (Sept. 1973)
• Created By - Len Wein, John Romita Sr., Stan Lee, and Roy Thomas

    Team Affiliations:

1. Avengers Unity Division
2. Heroes for Hire
3. S.H.I.E.L.D. Paranormal Containment Unit
4. New Avengers
5. Savage Avengers

    Notable Aliases:

1. Doctor Voodoo
2. Sorcerer Supreme
3. Houngan Supreme
4. Lord of the Loa
5. He-Who-Has-Died-Twice
6. Voodoo Lord
7. Master of All Reptiles, the Voudoun, and the Spirit World

Dum Dum Dum...

Well, I hope you liked today's showcase.  Until next time, get your Read on!

Moon Knight Monday

Werewolf by Night #32 was Moon Knight's introduction to the world.  Man has he changed for the better since then!