DOOMSDAY MAN
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Human mutate, citizen of the United
States
Occupation: Supervillain, energy thief
Group Membership: Energy Drainers (Cold Air Crook, Thermal Thief, Wattage Waster)
Affiliations: Unrevealed
Enemies: Campbell Kids (Clean Clara, Reading
Ricardo, Soap Box, TV Tanya), Captain America (Steve Rogers)
Known Relatives: Unidentified
Aliases: Unrevealed
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly Energy Museum
First Appearance: Captain America and the Campbell
Kids I#1 (1980)
Powers/Abilities: The Doomsday Man was a living
energy sponge, able to drain all known types of energy including solar,
thermal, hydro-electric, nuclear and even life force. The Doomsday Man
needed the energy he absorbed to sustain himself, but he could also use
it for a variety of effects: he could fire bolts of energy, including
solar powered ones he called his 'sun bursts'. He also generated a form
of solid, pitch black force he referred to as 'negative energy'. The
negative energy was able to take in and store energy and could be
mentally controlled by Doomsday Man and others who used it as personal
flying platforms. Doomsday Man believed himself powerful enough to drain
the entire world of energy.As soon as he is cut off from external power
sources, he rapidly fades away into nothingness.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'2")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 200 lbs.)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Unrevealed
History:
(Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Doomsday Man formed the Energy Drainers along with Thermal Thief and Wattage Waster. They shared a common goal: to waste as much (man-made) energy as possible. They planned to attack the Energy Museum's science fair and steal secret weapons that would allow them to drain the energy of the entire world.
(Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1 - BTS) - Unbeknownst to Doomsday Man and the others, Captain America had been invited to give a guided tour of the museum to Clean Clara, Reading Ricardo, Soap Box and TV Tanya. These four, bright kids had each come up with an energy based science exhibit that was on display at the fair. Thermal Thief was the first to make his presence known. Cap managed to knock out Thermal Thief by kicking him off the hydro-electric exhibit, only to be instantly attacked by Wattage Waster. She siphoned off power from the dam's electrical generators to fire bolts of electricity at the Avenger.
(Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1) - Wattage Waster's attack left Cap open to the Doomsday Man who came up from behind and drained Cap's own energy with his touch.
(Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1 - BTS) - Cap was saved by Soap Box who pedaled his soap box race car at full speed towards the nearby geothermal exhibit. The car slammed into the geyser, which led to a blinding steam cloud filling the room, distracting the Energy Drainers long enough for Cap to break free.
(Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1) - Using his power to create a floating disc of solid, negative energy, Doomsday Man carried off the other Energy Drainers, telling Cap and the kids about the secret weapons hidden in the museum that would allow them to rule the world. As they flew off, they dared their opponents to find a way to defeat them before they located the weapons.
(Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1 - BTS) - In preparation for their final showdown against the Energy Drainers, Cap took the four kids to their exhibits. He showed them the various ways in which they could have conserved energy. Cap reasoned that the key to beating the Energy Drainers was by becoming Energy Savers. Captain America left the kids in the relative safety of their exhibits while he went looking for the villains.
(Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1 - BTS) - Clean Clara, Reading Ricardo, Soap Box and TV Tanya watched Cap's fight against the Energy Drainers from a safe distance. The hero made short work of both Thermal Thief and Wattage Waster.
(Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1) - Doomsday Man, now directly fueled by the sun's solar power, as well as the various energy exhibits at the museum, was next to attack. Captain America could not dodge his solar bursts and was knocked out while the four kids watched in horror.
(Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1 - BTS) - The Doomsday Man carried the defeated Captain America up towards the Energy Museum's huge skylight. There, he used his powers to tie Cap to a solar space station, a bank of solar panels, that turns sunlight into usable energy which he fed into a huge negative energy disc that he figured would make him unbeatable.
(Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1) - The Doomsday Man continued to gloat, taunting the helpless hero until he suddenly experienced a loss of power. The four kids were busy shutting down the energy museum's exhibits. Realizing who was behind this attack, Doomsday Man tried to fry Reading Ricardo, Clean Clara and Soap Box but they managed to get away to continue their work. Unable to chase them all at the same time, Doomsday Man couldn't stop Clara from deactivating the hydroelectric generator and he also failed to catch up with Soap Box and Ricardo before they shut down the wind power, geothermal and synfuel exhibits. Doomsday Man went after Soap Box, even destroying his race car, but not before the young boy closed the solar skylight's shades.
(Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1 - BTS) - Without access to any source of power, Doomsday Man instantly dropped to the floor unconscious. As a result, Captain America was also freed from the solar space station.
(Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1) - Moments later, the Doomsday Man wasted away. Without power to steal or energy to drain, he could no longer hold himself together. As he vanished, he begged for someone to help him. However, Cap and the kids stood by and watched him seemingly perish while congratulating themselves on a job well done.
Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo, Alan Kupperberg, Herb Trimpe, Dan Green.
The Energy Drainers were created by Marvel for a special
educational campaign launched by the U.S Department of Energy... and the
Campbell Soup Company? I suppose 'corporate synergy' counts as a type of
energy.
They also appeared in a
PSA that featured a slightly different line up from the comic. The
Doomsday Man was replaced by a character called 'Cold Air Crook' and Cap
referred to them as 'The Energy Wasters'.
For a bunch of throwaway villains, the Energy Drainers actually look
pretty decent and the Doomsday Man's muted, dim and dusky costume is
positively inspired. There's nothing in the story that explicitly
prohibits it from taking place on Earth-616, so it's possible the
Doomsday Man was able to eventually reform himself using negative
energy.
Profile by Norvo
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Doomsday Man should not be confused with
Images: (without ads)
Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1, p28, pan1 (main image)
Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1, p29, pan1 (close up)
Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1 p11, pan3 (fights Captain
America)
Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1 p32, pan3 (dies)
Appearances:
Captain America and the Campbell Kids I#1 (1980) - Bill Mantlo (writer),
Alan Kupperberg & Herb Trimpe (pencils), Dan Green (inks)
First Posted: 07/01/2024
Last Updated: 07/01/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
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