MASTER

Real Name: James Sinoda

Identity/Class: Insane human

Occupation: Former leader of a small society; Previous occupation unrevealed

Group Membership: Led an army of "Freaks"

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Frankenstein Monster, James (a trapeze artist), Derek McDowell, Julia Winters

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: A run down mansion on the outskirts of Manhattan, New York City

Appearances: Monsters Unleashed#6 (June, 1974); (fully seen) Monsters Unleashed#7 (August, 1974)

Powers: The Master possessed some training in voodoo-like necromancy, enabling him to reanimate the dead through the use of a voodoo doll in their image. Those reanimated by him possessed all of their normal mental abilities and memories, although they were completely subject to his control. When he ceased to need one, it would drop dead at his desire.

He controlled an army of deformed men, some of which were exceptionally agile or strong, but mostly relied on numbers and the fear they caused.

History: James Sinoda believed he was the most handsome man in the world and could have any woman he wanted. However, when Julia Winters turned him down for a date, his world was shattered. Believing himself to have been turned ugly by her rejection, Sinoda fashioned a hideous mask to make his appearance match they way he felt about it.

Sinoda was trained in a voodoo-like necromancy by unknown parties. He also assembled an army of hideously deformed men to serve him. These men believed him to be disfigured like themselves, and he led them with a plan to gain revenge on the beautiful people of the world.

Sinoda, now known as the Master, learned of the revival of the Frankenstein Monster, and sought to add his power to that of his army. To this end, he reanimated the body and mind of Derek McDowell, who had taken possession of the Monster's corpse, revived it and used it for his own ends. McDowell had been killed and his corpse had undergone some decay, prior to his reanimation. Through a convoluted story involving several brain transfers, the mind of a trapeze artist, also named James, came to inhabit the reanimated form of McDowell. The artist befriended the Monster, but was then manipulated to lead it to the Master's mansion. After their arrival, the Master promptly terminated his animation of McDowell's body, causing it to die again, and taking the artist's mind with it.

The Monster was shocked by the death of its new friend, and when the Master took credit for it, it attacked him. The Monster was far more powerful than the Master's army, but the Master dropped him with a gas grenade, and then had him chained to the wall. The Master's men abducted Julia Winters to be the first beautiful person to feel their wrath. As the Master revealed his name and history to Julia, he went so far as to pull off his mask, revealing his true face. Enraged at his deceit and betrayal, his deformed army lunged forth to attack him. When his former servants refused to obey him, the Master pulled out a handgun and managed to take out a few of them before he was over-run by their numbers. While the Master was receiving a heavy beating, the Monster pulled free from his shackles. In the process, the wall on which he had been held was so badly damaged that it collapsed. The roof soon followed, crushing both the Master and his former army.

The Frankenstein Monster managed to save Julia Winter from the collapsing roof, but once outside, he was mistaken for one of those who had kidnapped her, and attacked by the police. The Monster twice slaughtered a squad of police to save her, and even convinced himself that she cared for him. Unfortunately for him, once she awoke, she was as terrified of him as anyone else, and he wandered off on his own again.

Comments: Created by Doug Moench and Val Mayerik.

This entire series of stories ("Frankenstein 1974") is supposed to have actually taken place in 1974, prior to modern continuity, and this was reaffirmed in the Marvel: The Lost Generation limited series.

An odd little story, just what we'd expect from Moench in the 1970s. Don't try to question it, just enjoy.

See the entry (eventually) on Derek McDowell for the whole brain/mind transfer business.

Clarifications: The Master should not be confused with: