VINCENT FARNSWORTH

Real Name: Vincent Farnsworth

Identity/Class: Human mutant (Pre-Modern era)

Occupation: Business owner

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Henry Marsh

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: None (see comments)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: His office atop the Farnsworth Safe and Vault Company, somewhere in an unidentified American city

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense I#6/3 (November, 1959)

Powers/Abilities: Farnsworth was apparently a mutant with the ability to move through solid matter; the method he used to accomplish this feat--whether by decreasing his atomic density, teleportation, "phasing," or by some other means entirely--is unrevealed, as is the extent of his power, and whether or not he had any additional powers.

Although an older man, well into his middle-age, Farnsworth first manifested his power after he accidentally got locked inside a safe--up until that point, he had been unaware of his mutant nature.

A wealthy businessman, Farnsworth owned a company that manufactured safes and vaults.

Height: 6' (by approximation)
Weight: 180 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Black (with graying temples)

History:
(Tales of Suspense I#6/3 (fb) - BTS) - The past of Vincent Farnsworth is largely unrevealed, but he apparently led a seemingly normal life; at some point, he founded a company that manufactured safes and vaults.

(Tales of Suspense I#6/3 (fb) ) - While at a social club for lunch, Farnsworth was having a discussion with his friend, Henry Marsh. Marsh made the wild claim that mutants--people with superior powers, who could read minds, defy gravity, and even move right through solid walls--existed in the world. When the incredulous Farnsworth questioned why the fantastic people didn't reveal themselves, Marsh responded that in many cases, the mutants weren't even aware of the powers they possessed, but those who were conscious of being mutants kept their superior powers a secret, because normal men would fear and distrust them. Although his skeptical friend scoffed at his idea, Marsh insisted that one day Farnsworth and the rest of the world would realize he was right.

   But Farnsworth was unconvinced by the theory, and he told Marsh that his whole ridiculous idea was just the result of his reading too many science-fiction stories. Afterward, Farnsworth left the club and had his chauffeur drive him back to his office at his company.

   Later, near the end of the business day, a pair of employees wheeled a prototype for a new safe into Farnsworth's office for him to approve; when he saw how much effort it was for the men to move the heavy safe, Farnsworth remembered Marsh's silly theory and sarcastically expressed that the men could have just moved it with their thoughts if they were mutants!

   Farnsworth began to look over the safe, but when he climbed in to inspect the vault's interior, Joe the janitor accidentally bumped the door shut while he was mopping the floor, and Farnsworth was locked inside.

   Farnsworth futilely called for help--unfortunately for him, the new safe was not only fireproof and burglarproof, but soundproof as well. Farnsworth began to panic in fear of suffocating, but a strange sensation came over him, and he felt himself moving through space... then he inexplicably found himself on the floor, outside the safe!

   As he walked home that night, Farnsworth thought over his miraculous escape from the safe, and he realized there was only one possible explanation: Henry Marsh was right about there being mutants in the world, and he--Vincent Farnsworth--was one of them! Farnsworth theorized that in his moment of stress, a chemical reaction in his body had set off a force which enabled him to move through solid matter. But Farnsworth decided that no one must ever know of his power, because he would be feared and shunned by humanity.

(Tales of Suspense I#6/3) - One week later, Farnsworth was at the social club again; Henry Marsh approached him and asked if he had changed his mind since they last spoke about the possibility of mutants existing. Making no mention of his own uncanny personal experience, Farnsworth only told Marsh that he was still unconvinced by his idea.

   But Vincent Farnsworth was left with his own suspicions: Since it seemed that anybody could be a mutant, was Henry Marsh perhaps one as well?

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Joe Sinnott.

This 4-page story--The Mutants and Me!--foreshadowed the anti-mutant hysteria that would be seen a few years later when the X-Men were introduced.

As genetic mutations can sometimes run in families, could Vincent Farnsworth be related to mutants Lucius Farnsworth and/or Craig Farnsworth (see clarifications)--perhaps brothers and/or cousins?

In X-Men: The Hidden Years, John Byrne once did a storyline involving Tobias Messenger that reintroduced some of the pre-Marvel mutants (Tad Carter and the Yellow Claw's mutants (including Craig Farnsworth))--I wonder if Byrne ever had any plans to reintroduce either Lucius or Vincent?

And a big THANK YOU to Dennis Giansante for originally scanning this story for me!

Profile by John Kaminski. Expansion by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Vincent Farnsworth has no known connections to:

Henry Marsh has no known connections to:

Henry Marsh

An associate of Vincent Farnsworth, Marsh believed that human mutants with paranormal powers secretly existed in the world.

Marsh told his theory to Farnsworth--although he initially scoffed at Marsh's ideas, Farnsworth later changed his mind after accidentally discovering that he himself was a mutant.

Later, Farnsworth had his suspicions that Marsh was also a mutant.

--Tales of Suspense I#6/3

Vincent Farnsworth's safe

The prototype of a new product manufactured by the Farnsworth Safe and Vault Company, it was made of high carbon steel, and was completely burglarproof and fireproof. It was brought into Vincent Farnsworth's office for his approval.

At the end of the business day, Farnsworth began to look over the safe, and he climbed inside to inspect the interior. But while Farnsworth was within the vault, Joe the janitor accidentally bumped the door while he was mopping the floor, and unknowingly locked Farnsworth inside the safe.

Although Farnsworth called for help, he could not be heard outside the safe's thick walls, and he feared he would suffocate. But then a strange feeling of dizziness overcame Farnsworth, and he felt as though he were floating in space.

The next thing he knew, Farnsworth inexplicably found himself on the floor outside the safe--he had apparently manifested the mutant ability to pass through solid matter.

--Tales of Suspense I#6/3

images: (without ads)
Tales of Suspense I#6/3, p1, pan1 (Main Image - Vincent Farnsworth)
Tales of Suspense I#6/3, p2, pan5 (Headshot - Vincent Farnsworth)
Tales of Suspense I#6/3, p4, pan1 (within locked safe, Vincent Farnsworth first manifests his power)
Tales of Suspense I#6/3, p4, pan2 (within locked safe, Vincent Farnsworth's power somehow allows him escape)
Tales of Suspense I#6/3, p4, pan3 (bewildered Vincent Farnsworth finds himself outside locked safe; Joe the janitor (right))
Tales of Suspense I#6/3, p1, pan1 (Henry Marsh tells Vincent Farnsworth about his theory of mutants)
Tales of Suspense I#6/3, p1, pan2 (Henry Marsh)
Tales of Suspense I#6/3, p4, pan7 (Henry Marsh (left) asks Vincent Farnsworth if he's changed his mind about mutants)
Tales of Suspense I#6/3, p2, pan6 (Vincent Farnsworth begins to inspect safe)
Tales of Suspense I#6/3, p3, pan1 (Vincent Farnsworth climbs inside safe)
Tales of Suspense I#6/3, p3, pan3 (Joe the janitor bumps safe door while mopping floor, accidentally locking Vincent Farnsworth inside)

Appearances:
Tales of Suspense I#6/3 (November, 1959) - unidentified writer, Joe Sinnott (pencils and inks), Stan Goldberg (colors), Ray Holloway (letters), Stan Lee (editor)

First Posted: 02/12/2006
Last updated: 03/02/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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