Saturday Showcase: the Mirage

 

Desmond Charne aka the Mirage is an interesting Marvel villain from the 70's.  Sure, the costume wasn't the greatest back then, but his costume wasn't the only one that would have you say WTF? back then.  I was just going through some old comics, and I came across a Captain America Scourge storyline that featured this forgotten villain and I decided to educate you new comic readers to the man known as Desmond Charne but better known by his alias, the Mirage. 

Desmond Charne was a former holography technician who wanted to be a supervillain. He used holograph technology which could make him invisible or create 3-D illusions.  He made his criminal debut at Betty Brant and Ned Leeds' wedding, intending to rob them and their guests, but Spider-Man interfered. Alas, his plans were ruined by your friendly, neighborhood, Spider-Man. [Amazing Spider-Man #156]

The next time we see Mirage, he had planned to kidnap the Thing from a hospital, to sell him to the highest bidder. However, Daredevil prevented hiss plans, and defeated him.  [Marvel Two-in-One #96]  No one said he was a successful criminal. (Right Dr. Jay)

Mirage attended the "Bar With No Name" in Medinah County, Ohio and was massacred along with all the other villains present at the incident by the Scourge of the Underworld, sustaining multiple gunshot wounds. He was reported to have survived, as part of a ploy to lure the Scourge into a trap. Dressed as Mirage, Captain America captured Scourge, who was then shot to death by another mysterious assailant.  [Captain America #319-320]

During the "Dark Reign" storyline, Mirage was later among the 18 criminals that were murdered by Scourge of the Underworld to be resurrected by Hood using the power of Dormammu as part of a squad assembled to eliminate the Punisher.

Mirage disguises himself and a number of the criminals as the Avengers out to kill the Punisher. The Punisher uncovers the ruse when he knocks out Mirage (disguised as Captain America) and captures him. He interrogates Mirage about the villain's plans, and leaves him with a grenade in his mouth.

He was saved by his crew only to have the Punisher find him once again but it wasn't the Punisher that finished him.  He was silenced before Frank could get him to talk.  [the Punisher #5-8 (2009), Punisher: In the Blood #2]

The Mirage has returned in many storylines since his "reveal" back in 1976, which is proof you can't keep a bad guy down.  They just don't seem to stay dead.  It is the world of comics you know, lol.

Publication Information

Publisher: Marvel Comics

First Appearance:  The Amazing Spider-Man #156 (May 1976)

Created by Len Wein & Ross Andru

Alter Ego: Desmond Charne

Team Affiliations:

• Grapplers
• Sinister Sixteen

Notable Aliases: Master of Illusion

Powers & Abilities

Genius Electrician, Physicist and Laser Technologist

Carries a handgun and tranquilizer gun

Costume grants him three dimensional holographic image projection

Which one of these fallen villains should I write about next?

Until next time, get your READ on!