Real Name: Jonathan East (see comments)
Identity/Class: Human magic user
Occupation: Former parapsychological researcher, disciple to various mystics
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Synthetic Man;
Unidentified Hindu, Buddhist, and African priests (trainers)
Enemies: Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: His home
First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1 (May, 1968)
Powers/Abilities: Having significantly above-average physical strength for his age, the Sorcerer also possessed various psychic abilities, including: levitating objects, projecting his thoughts to influence others, mentally weakening others, and causing pain by means of sympathetic magic (i.e. use of a voodoo doll [see comments]). He was extremely knowledgeable about ESP, as well as many religions and mystic disciplines of the world.
He was also technologically gifted, having designed and built a Psycho-Intensifier to transmit his mental abilities over great distances.
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 185 lbs.
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Bald with white fringe; formerly gray
History:
(Marvel Super Heroes II#14/1 (fb)) - His past largely unrevealed, the
man known only as the Sorcerer (see comments) possessed natural
abilities to exert his will over others--whether he originally possessed
this power as a result of genetic mutation, research and training, or
other means is unrevealed. "Long years ago," he was once one of the
world's greatest experts on psychic research, and he spent every waking
hour conducting experiments in ESP (Extra-Sensory Perception).
However, he realized that his own abilities were weak and untrained, and sought further discipline under a guru. He briefly entertained the idea of locating the Ancient One (Yao), but decided against it because it would take too much time to find him. After learning all he could on his own through reading and researching from books, he traveled to India, where he was trained in Hindu disciplines. After learning all he could through that method, he went to Tibet, where he was trained in Buddhist disciplines, and learned the power of levitation. He then went on to Dahomey, Africa, where he was trained by a witch doctor in the ritual of Juju (described as the art of mentally controlling one's enemy).
Having now achieved full mastery of his psychic powers, he returned to the USA where he designed and built a Psycho-Intensifier. The Sorcerer now thought to test his prowess by vanquishing the hero Spider-Man, whom he perceived as the most dangerous man of all. He first caused Spider-Man to suffer from weakness and loss of equilibrium. The Sorcerer then applied pressure to the head of a Juju doll of Spider-Man, causing the hero to have an intense migraine headache.
Wishing to receive proper credit for his planned defeat of Spider-Man, the Sorcerer then mailed the Juju doll addressed to "Spider-Man, General Delivery, New York," and included his return address on the package. He realized that eventually the box would be opened by the police, and the world would learn who it was that had defeated Spider-Man.
The Sorcerer then used his Psycho-Intensifier to cause Spider-Man (as Peter Parker) to book a flight to New Orleans. Shortly after arriving, Spider-Man was directed to a warehouse, where he was attacked by the Synthetic Man, into which the Sorcerer was projecting his mind (see comments). Spider-Man, still suffering from the headache and some residual weakness, was initially unable to stop the Synthetic Man, who overpowered him.
But contrary to the Sorcerer's plans, the post office regarded his package as a practical joke and had it returned to sender. Just as the Synthetic Man prepared to deliver the final blow to Spider-Man, a mailman rang the Sorcerer's doorbell to return the package--the shrill sound of the doorbell had changed the mystic pitch of the Sorcerer's Psycho-Intensifier just enough to cause a deadly psychic feedback, which destroyed the brain of the Sorcerer and apparently killed him.
With its guiding force gone, the Synthetic Man turned and passed by Spider-Man, then walked off a dock into the Gulf waters.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Ross Andru, and Bill Everett.
The Sorcerer has an entry in Marvel Legacy: The 1960s Handbook. His real name was revealed in Marvel Atlas#1.
A minor point of interest: I think this story came out when the Comics Code Authority would not let comic books have the word "voodoo" in them, so the Sorcerer used a Juju doll.
There's no reason to believe the Synthetic Man would be destroyed by sea water, so it may still be wandering around at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico/Gulf of America.
I assume the Sorcerer animated the Synthetic Man with telekinesis, but that wouldn't explain why it walked into the sea--after the Sorcerer was apparently dead--instead of just collapsing; maybe the Synthetic Man was actually a mindless artificial life-form created for the Sorcerer by Arnim Zola, who was known to create other subservient life-forms (e.g. "Big Bird", Doughboy, Man-Fish, Pseudo-Hulks).
And according to a caption on the first page, this
20-page story--"The Reprehensible Riddle of... The Sorcerer!"-- was
originally intended for the regular Amazing Spider-Man series,
but usual artist John
Romita had sprained his wrist, so Ross Andru stepped in to draw
this as a fill-in story; but Romita recovered in time to draw the
previously planned story, so Andru's story was published in Marvel
Super-Heroes instead.
--Ron Fredricks
Profile by Snood. Expansion by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Sorcerer (Jonathan East) has no connection to:
The Psycho-Intensifier should not be confused with:
The Synthetic Man has no known connections to:
|
The residence of the Sorcerer (Jonathan East), it appeared to be a typical middle-class brownstone building located somewhere in New York City. But inside, it contained a vast collection of occult objects, along with the Sorcerer's Psycho-Intensifier. From the comfort of his home, the Sorcerer remotely conducted his campaign of psychic attacks against Spider-Man. The front door on the exterior of the building was equipped with a doorbell, and an ordinary mailman unintentionally brought about the defeat of the Sorcerer by simply ringing the doorbell. --Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1 |
|
|
Built by the Sorcerer (Jonathan East), it was a single-unit device that greatly amplified the range of his psychic powers; two cables connected the Psycho-Intensifier to a headband, which the Sorcerer wore upon his forehead. Its maximum range was unrevealed, but from his home in New York City, the Sorcerer was able to transmit his psychic abilities to New Orleans (a flying distance of approximately 1100 miles). The Sorcerer first used it to manipulate Spider-Man (as Peter Parker) into taking a flight to New Orleans; he then transmitted his thoughts to activate the Synthetic Man, which battled Spider-Man. |
|
|
But during the confrontation, a mailman unexpectedly rang the doorbell of the Sorcerer's home--the shrill sound of the bell changed the mystic pitch of the Psycho-Intensifier, and the resulting mental feedback destroyed the Sorcerer's mind. --Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1 |
|
|
Used by the Sorcerer (Jonathan East [...who also referred to it as the Hollow Man]), the Synthetic Man was 10 feet tall (...at least its crate was, as per Spider-Man estimation). It possessed Class 25 Strength, and could alter its body from rock-hard to a pliable form able to deform with any impact. It could also fire a concussive force blast from its jeweled headband. The giant robot was remotely controlled by the Sorcerer from his New York City home--he projected his consciousness into the Synthetic Man with his Psycho-Intensifier. Stored in a New Orleans warehouse, the Synthetic Man was contained in a large crate. After manipulating Spider-Man (Peter Parker) into taking a trip to New Orleans and going to the warehouse, the Sorcerer activated the Synthetic Man and had it punch its way out of the crate. |
|
|
Spider-Man soon found himself outmatched by the artificial creature: its strength was greater than his, his strongest punches could not harm the Synthetic Man's alternately rock-hard and rubbery-pliable body, and he barely managed to dodge its projected force beam. But although the Synthetic Maan nearly defeated the weakened Spider-Man, the Sorcerer was apparently killed when his Psycho-Intensifier was disrupted by the sound of his ringing doorbell. Consequently, with no guiding force to control it and give it orders, the Synthetic Man simply walked past Spider-Man, then stepped off a dock and dropped into the sea. --Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1 |
|
images:
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p10, pan2 (main image - Sorcerer, wearing
psycho-intensifier headband)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p7, pan3 (in flashback, Sorcerer studies
occult books)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p7, pan5 (in flashback, Sorcerer levitates
bowl)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p7, pan6 (in flashback, Sorcerer watches
Juju ritual)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p20, pan5 (Sorcerer, apparently dead after
mental feedback from psycho-intensifier has destroyed his mind)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p2, pan2 (Sorcerer's home [exterior])
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p2, pan3 (Sorcerer's home [interior])
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p8, pan1 (psycho-intensifier; Sorcerer [background])
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p10, pan3 (Sorcerer's hand activates
psycho-intensifier)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p19, pan3 (psycho-intensifier, disrupted by
sound of ringing doorbell)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p19, pan4 (Sorcerer gets hit by
psycho-intensifier's mental feedback)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p13, pan6 (Synthetic Man smashes out of
crate)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p14, pan1 (Spider-Man punches rubbery
Synthetic Man, to no effect)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p15, pan7 (Synthetic Man fires force blast
from its headband)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1, p20, pan2 (Synthetic Man begins to walk off
dock; Spider-Man [foreground})
Appearances:
Marvel Super-Heroes II#14/1 (May, 1968) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Ross
Andru (pencils), Bill Everett (inks), Stan Goldberg (colors), Sam Rosen
(letters)
First posted: 04/23/2003
Last updated: 12/10/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel
Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should
check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!