Midas the Golden Man (Spider-Man & Falcon foe)

MIDAS--the GOLDEN MAN

Real Name: Malcolm Merriwell

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Professional criminal

Group Membership: Led gang of thugs

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Eddie, Falcon (Sam Wilson), Ramôn, Redwing, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Taki

Known Relatives: Harrison J. Merriwell (brother)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Formerly the Merriwell Estate, in the suburbs of Connecticut.
The Hot Spot discotheque, Manhattan, New York

First Appearance: Marvel Team-Up I#30 (February, 1975)

Powers/Abilities: Midas used an army of thugs, and he carried a special drug spray which he used to get his victims addicted to drugs.

History:
(Marvel Team-Up I#30 (fb) - BTS) - Malcolm became convinced that his wealthy philanthropist brother was being tricked by charities, and he tried to convince Harrison too cease his spending activities. When Harrison refused, Malcolm became insanely determined to halt Harrison's activities. He established the identity of Midas--the Golden Man, working out of his brother's discotheque, the Hot Spot. Midas plotted to get all inner city kids addicted to drugs, with the motive of wiping out all blacks living in Manhattan. His motives became known to many, including Sam Wilson and Glory Grant.

(Marvel Team-Up I#30 (fb)) - Midas and his men drugged Eddie, Ramôn, and Taki when they entered the Hot Spot disco.

(Marvel Team-Up I#30) - The drugged Ramôn and his friends assaulted Ramôn's cousin, Glory Grant, whose cries alerted Spider-Man, who rushed in and subdued the youths. As the drugs wore off, the three young men revealed what they remembered of their encounter with a golden man. Having heard of this man in gold, Glory revealed his plot to wipe out all blacks living in Manhattan, prompting Spider-Man to head out to the disco to stop him. At the same time, Glory contacted social worker Sam Wilson for assistance, and the Falcon entered the Hot Spot and confronted Midas and his thugs, arriving at the same time as Spider-Man. The two heroes defeated the group of thugs, though Midas himself escaped.
Correctly making a connection between the owner of the Hot Spot and Midas, Spider-Man and the Falcon went after that man: Malcolm J. Merriwell. They headed out to the Merriwell Estate, where they were ambushed by a pair of Midas' thugs (and nary a buzz from the ole' Spider-Sense), knocked out, and bound in metal straps. After taunting the pair, Midas activated the rapid-freeze chamber they were in, but Spider-Man filled the door's seal with his webbing causing it to break open. They were freed by Merriwell's employees and confronted the Merriwell brothers, and they correctly determined that Malcolm was actually Midas. The two easily subdued the uncostumed Midas, with the Falcon literally pulling the rug out from underneath him and knocking him out a window.

Comments: Created by Gerry Conway, Jim Mooney, and Vinnie Colletta.

In Marvel Team-Up I#30, the Falcon referred to Ramôn as Glory's brother, when he's actually her cousin, as confirmed in the Official Marvel Index to Marvel Team-Up#2.

Midas, the Golden Man has a one page profile (not very informative) as one of "Spider-Man's Forgotten Foes!" in Web of Spider-Man Annual#3.
--Markus Raymond

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

King Midas - grandson of Zeus, son of Gordius and Cybele, ruled Phrygia @ 7th century, empowered by the satyr Silenius for forgiving him for tampering with his wine, later given the ears of a donkey for judging the satyr's Marsyas's music superior to Apollo's
Turns everything he touches into gold--Marvel Tales I#159
Mordecai Midas - former ally of Madame Masque + Morgan Stark + Harry Key--Iron Man I#17
MIDAS the MILLION DOLLAR MOUSE - mentioned as Marvel’s "next big character" by Stan Lee--[Nova I#5]
Doctor Midas ( ) - head of Midas Foundation, deliberately exposed self to cosmic radiation for 5 years, took dying form of Ho Yinsen from Sun-Tao, was only able to save his brain, which he later sold to Wong Chu, then sold Chu’s whereabouts to Sons of Yinsen, exposed self to massive dose from power source of Plex Intelligence,
Granted amplified combined powers of Fantastic Four, turn anything to gold with a touch, wears gold armor similar to Mark 1 Iron Man armor
--Marvel Boy#1
MIDAS FOUNDATION (Dr. Midas ) - extremely covert company, experiments of extra-terrestrials and sells their technology--Marvel Boy#1

Harrison J. Merriwell

He is a liberal and wealthy philanthropist, and his family practically created the whole philanthropic foundation concept. His brother became insanely jealous and tried to stop him from wasting all of his money by foiling his efforts and besmirching his name.

--Marvel Team-Up I#30

Eddie, Ramôn, and Taki

Ramôn is the cousin of Glory Grant. He and his friends went to the Hot Spot where they were drugged by Midas, which led to them assaulting Glory until being subdued by Spider-Man.

They are pictured in the hands of three of Midas' thugs.

--Marvel Team-Up I#30

images: (not counting ads)
Web of Spider-Man Annual#3, p37 (Midas body)
Marvel Team-Up I#30, p6, panel 6 (Ramon + thugs)
        p15, panel 4 (Midas face)
        p17, panel 2 (Harrison face)
            panel 4 (Malcolm face)

Appearances:
Marvel Team-Up I#30 (February, 1975) - Gerry Conway (writer), Jim Mooney (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Web of Spider-Man Annual#3 (1987) - Roger Stern (writer), Don Perlin (pencils), Jack Abel (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)

Last updated: 05/15/05

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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