Marvel took the comic world off guard in recent weeks. Seemingly out of nowhere, the publisher announced that a Miracleman omnibus is coming, which immediately raised eyebrows, considering hardly anyone has thought about the character in years. Then the news spread that the one-shot Timeless released in early January will bring Miracleman into the modern age of Marvel’s Earth-616.
That’s all well and good, but what does he do? Think of Miracleman as a version of Superman in that he can fly, has super strength (what superhero doesn’t, right?), and invulnerability. The difference is that he also possesses telekinesis, telepathy, and superintelligence. That makes him a formidable hero whose abilities rank with any character in Marvel.
The mystery is what role he will play going forward. It should have you looking at these key issues.
MARVELMAN #25
Miracleman’s publishing origin is just as interesting as his fictional tales. He began life as an intentional copy of Captain Marvel. According to Key Collector Comics, after DC sued Fawcett Publications and stopped the company from using Captain Marvel in its comics, it left a hole in the industry. L. Miller & Sons published the United Kingdom Captain Marvel reprints at the time, which was hindered by the lawsuit.
To get around the legal issues, they created their own carbon copy of Captain Marvel. But they changed his name to Marvelman and tweaked his origin ever so slightly.
Thus, Marvelman was born. He was later renamed Miracleman to avoid any copyright infringement with Marvel Comics.
MIRACLEMAN #1
In 1985, Alan Moore breathed new life into the revamped Miracleman with his own self-titled series.
Moore is a legend in the industry who built his reputation on character-driven stories that shine a light on the imperfect and all-too-human aspects of superheroes. From Watchmen to his run on Swamp Thing, Moore brings these characters to life with a complexity that’s unrivaled in the business.
Here, he took Miracleman to new heights, creating an oft-overlooked but nonetheless impressive character in the process.
We can only hope that the modern Marvel writers take plenty of cues from the master.
WARRIOR MAGAZINE #2
If you are looking for a cheaper Miracleman key, then this one is for you.
Warrior Magazine #2 featured the first cover appearance of the renamed Miracleman in his updated costume. Although it is not the first character’s first cover appearance, which occurred on the aforementioned Marvelman #25, this still makes for a nice addition to your Miracleman collection.
THE MIRACULOUS FUTURE
There is so much to be excited about. Adding Miracleman to the current Marvel-616 canon has the potential to be a refreshing addition to the superhero lineup. The key to his success will be to follow on the heels of the creative predecessors and keep him as the complex character he became in the 1980s and forward.
The House of Ideas has writers and artists capable of the task; it’s just a matter of what the Marvel editors have in mind.
*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect
