Man- Thing
First appearance: Savage Tales # 1 ( May 1971)
CO- CREATED by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow for comics anthology magazine
Savage Tales in 1971, Marvel’s Man- Thing never quite got out of the bayou, despite making his debut two months before Swamp Thing.
Dr Ted Sallis was a government scientist who was trying to duplicate the same Super- Soldier serum that transformed Steve Rogers into Captain America. Unfortunately, in a bid to get his research, enemy spies ambushed him in his lab in the swamp. Desperate to keep it out of their hands, Ted injected himself with the serum and escaped into the swamp. Unknown to him, this was no ordinary swamp and had mystical properties that, combined with the serum’s effects, transformed him into a creature made out of vegetable matter!
While Swamp Thing has control over plants, Man- Thing has no such power. Though incredibly strong, he has lost most of his human intellect, and is immune to any form of disease. The tagline “Whatever knows fear burns at the touch of the ManThing” refers to his ability to sense human emotion, specifically fear, which causes him to secrete a poisonous chemical that “burns” his victim.
The similarity between Swamp Thing and Man- Thing can perhaps be attributed to the fact that Man- Thing co- creator Conway and Swamp Thing co- creator Wein used to be be roommates. But that’s as far as the comparisons go, as Man- Thing’s achievements pale in comparison to Swamp Thing’s accolades.
Despite being around for 45 years, its biggest milestones only include a 39- issue run by Steve Gerber ( Howard The Duck) and a 2005 live- action film that wasn’t very good.
While Gerber’s stint helped the character achieve cult status ( the most memorable being his breaking of the fourth wall in his final issue), he is no Alan Moore. Marvel’s subsequent attempts to rejuvenate ManThing’s fortunes with big names like Chris Claremont and J. M. DeMatteis are best forgotten, as well as lame ideas such as recruiting him into the Thunderbolts and the Howling Commandos, as well as granting him access to the Nexus of Realities.