Strange and odd creatures of all kinds and sizes abound in the Marvel Universe. Man-Thing is one of these inventions, and the name pretty much sums it up: it is a man who has been transformed into a Thing. But, where did it come from, and what is the tale behind it? Stan Lee and Marvel’s then-editor Roy Thomas discussed Man-Thing, and once the basics were worked out, Thomas entrusted the scripting duties to Gerry Conway.
Man-Thing is frequently dismissed as “Marvel’s Swamp Thing,” despite the fact that the character and his background are significantly more complicated. For nearly 50 years, Man-Thing has been a part of Marvel Comics. Despite this, Man-Thing has long been overshadowed by DC’s Swamp Thing, leading some to dub him “Marvel’s Swamp Thing.”
While there are some similarities between the two – both are swamp monsters who used to be humans – there are some interesting differences as well. What is more remarkable is that they both debuted just a few months apart, with Man-Thing first appearing in Savage Tales #1 in May 1971 and Swamp Thing following two months later in House of Secret #92.
In this video, we will look at Man-Thing as a stand-alone Marvel character in the hopes of removing him from Swamp Thing’s shadow and giving him the attention he deserves.
Man-Thing Tragic Origin
Man-thing is perhaps one of the less well-known characters in Marvel’s vast library. When he does appear in a book, it’s usually to stand around and intimidate the reader. This book is essentially a gorier, more vulgar retelling of Man-genesis Thing’s narrative, which we’ll look at today for a glimpse into Man Thing’s terrible beginnings.
From Man to Thing
In the first issue of the series, we see that Ted Sallis is a Florida resident who lives in Citrusville. Or at the very least, he did while he was human. Ted is a well-known biologist and chemist who is working on a formula for Uncle Sam called “Operation Rebirth.” He was attempting to duplicate the Super Soldier Serum that gave birth to Captain America. Counter-agents, on the other hand, are hell-bent on stealing Ted Sallis’ formula, raising the stakes in the weapons race.
We are also introduced to Ted’s girlfriend, a gorgeous but slippery woman named Ellen Brandt who is his lab assistant turned fiancé. It turns out that Ted and Ellen are about to be married as soon as his research is over and he will be able to live a peaceful life. However, that was simply not meant to be and the night before he was about to turn in his research, it all went wrong. He heard bizarre guttural noises at night and went to check it out, mistake number one.
He walks into his partner, Eric, performing human experiments using the discarded samples of the serum and watches the mutants in horror, not knowing that he would also become one of them. However, it turns out that Eric works for A.I.M, which stands for Advanced Idea Mechanics and had wanted to steal the formula for the serum all this while. He knocks Eric unconscious and prepares to run away with all his research to Washington but to his surprise, his fiancé also turns out to be an A.I.M agent and she holds him at gunpoint.
He makes a break for escape and jumps out of a window however, Ellen shoots him right through his chest, dealing a fatal blow. After being shot and left for dead, Ted heads into the swamps with his test tubes filled with the formula. He descends to the bottom of the swamps, taking all of his years of testing with him. However, the teeming marsh waters, the much-coveted formula along with the bleeding Sallis, help to form a monster. His formula and the swamp waters combine to produce something mindless, unclean, and unspeakable- The Man-Thing!
The rest of the issue shows how the Man-Thing comes back for revenge on Ellen and Eric. He kills Eric and deforms Ellen’s face so that she suffers for the rest of her life. The end of this issue asks some important questions, the main one being, what makes a monster?
Interestingly, this origin story is strikingly similar to Swamp Thing’s, but where the two split is in the aftermath. Swamp Thing kept Alec Holland’s memories and experiences after his transformation. Sallis had no such luck, and during his change, most of his humanity was obliterated, leaving him with just vague memories of his time as a human. Man-Thing does not speak in the usual sense, yet he has spoken in various representations.
The Nexus of All Realities, a portal to other worlds, is the source of the magical forces that gave life to Man-Thing in the swamp. Man-Thing became the keeper of the Nexus after his change, which often put him in confrontation with numerous scary extradimensional monsters, giving the comic a horror undertone.
The Lore of Man-Thing
The rest of the three issues in the series chronicle the adventures of the Man-Thing. As the story progresses, we come across a variety of evil that is out to cause trouble for lovely folks who appear to be camping or whatever in these bug-infested marshes. The Man-Thing, now the Keeper of the Marshes, patrols the Citrusville, Florida swamps and has the power to burn human flesh if it is unworthy. However, if you have a good attitude and a pure heart, you will not be burned. This is how the legends of this mud monster go.
What Makes Man-Thing Practically Invincible
Man-Thing is virtually unstoppable. He can be killed, but as long as there is foliage around, he regenerates his body, similar to Healing Factor. He possesses superhuman strength. Because he is often depicted demonstrating various degrees of strength, it is uncertain how strong he is. Through Nexus points, Man-Thing may also teleport to different parts of the world in a sense. The Man-Thing can’t be killed, and he’s gone through a lot. He’s had his arm severed, been blasted by celestials, and been split in half by Ares, the god of war.
He has the ability to breathe underwater. He also has the ability to ooze past objects, such as bars, and he does not require power to break free. He can easily walk right through the bars. The last of his abilities is the ability to perceive emotions. Joy, courage, love, and so on. Making him feel calm and reserved, instilling favorable thoughts in him is the way to go. Hatred, rage, and fear are all negative emotions and it hurts him if you make him go crazy. As a result, he secretes an ooze capable of burning practically everything, even Luke Cage’s skin.
He also secretes a substance that acts as an anti-venom against the burning ooze. Man-Thing can also command The Nexus of All Realities and use its limitless cosmic power against his foes, making him even more lethal when he’s enraged.
Man-Thing is also a formidable opponent with regard to pure physical strength. In Incredible Hulk# 197, he battled the Hulk and even sent the Green Goliath flying. Man-Thing has also faced off against the Thing in Marvel Two-in-One #1, as well as the entire Marvel Champions Team, who were eventually defeated in Marvel Champions #23 – An Adventure Into Fear! Man-Thing is claimed to be capable of lifting a thousand pounds.
Man-Thing is shown at a greater level of ability in Fear Itself. As fear spreads across the planet, Man-Things’ power grows, first freeing him from his connection to the Nexus Of All Realities and enabling him to teleport wherever he wants at will, and later allowing him to modify reality on a very detailed scale, which includes selectively turning individuals into alternate reality equivalents of themselves. Man-Thing is also one of the only characters who has been revealed to be resistant to the Marvel Zombies epidemic.
Many of these abilities are shared by Swamp Thing and Man-Thing, but Man-Thing lacks Swamp Thing’s power to control and manipulate plant life. Man-Thing’s powers are likewise strongly dependent on the swamp, thus he must remain in there to maintain them.
Insane Versions Of Man-Thing In Various Forms Of Media
Being such a bizarre creature to grace the pages of Marvel comics, Man-Thing has also appeared in other forms of media.
He has appeared in a couple of movies. The Man-Thing appears in the 2006 American monster film Man-Thing, played by Conan Stevens. The Man-Thing is also voiced by Jon Olson in Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell. This variant is a Howling Commandos member.
He has also had multiple appearances on television. The Man-Thing is voiced by Dave Boa in the episode “This Man-Thing, This Monster!” of The Super Hero Squad Show, in which he teams up with the Werewolf by Night and a dimensionally-displaced Iron Man to save the former’s girlfriend, Ellen, from Dracula. The Man-Thing then appears in the episodes “Blade” and “The Howling Commandos” of the Ultimate Spider-Man series.
This variant is a Howling Commandos member. He also features in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode “Hulking Commandos” from the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. series. This variant is a Howling Commandos member. In the film Guardians of the Galaxy, the Man-Thing makes an appearance. During this episode, “Groot! Rocket! Man-Thing!”.
In Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, the Man-Thing makes a guest appearance in Jill Valentine’s ending. In Marvel Avengers Academy, The Man-Thing was an unlockable playable character. In Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, the Man-Thing appears as a boss and a playable character that can be unlocked.
He protects the Nexus of All Realities, which Kang the Conqueror needs to build Chronopolis, his inter-dimensional city. In a bonus assignment, the Man-Thing, Morbius, the Living Vampire, and N’Kantu, the Living Mummy construct a parade float for the HYDRA Empire’s Red Skull Honorary Parade in order to dispel public dread of them. The Man-Thing is a playable character in the Marvel Contest of Champions that may be unlocked.
Ted Sallis – “Song For Ted Sallis” is another incredible representation of the Man-Thing. The Mountain Goats wrote and performed this song, which depicts the narrative of Ted Sallis’ transformation into the Man-Thing. It was released on September 6, 2018, as the opening track on the Hex of Infinite Binding EP.
Swamp Thing has loomed above Man-Thing for a long time. Man-Thing, on the other hand, has only had infrequent appearances and a SyFy channel movie; the latter has had two movies, two TV episodes, and a cartoon. However, this could change in the near future. In commemoration of the character’s 50th anniversary, Steve Orlando will write a trilogy of one-shots featuring him, in which he will pair up with the Avengers, Spider-Man, and the X-Men.
On the exterior, Man-Thing and Swamp Thing appear to be similar, yet a closer examination reveals that they are very different. Man-history Thing’s stories are as complex and varied as Swamp Thing’s, and the character’s longevity, despite his rare appearances, speaks to his excellence.