NORMAN CRANE
Real Name: Norman Crane
Identity/Class: Extratemporal human technology user (1950s to 2889 AD)
Occupation: (1959 AD) Screenwriter; (2889 AD) unrevealed (see comments)
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: (1959 AD) Griffith Cartwright, (2889 AD) unidentified associates
Enemies: None
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile in time and space; (temporarily) California in 1959 AD; (originally) Earth in 2889 AD
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery I#52/4 (May, 1959)
Powers/Abilities: Although seemingly an ordinary human with no enhanced abilities, Norman Crane was actually a time traveler from his native era of the 29th Century. He was able to adapt to life in the comparatively primitive 20th Century, where he used his creative imagination to become a renowned screenwriter in the movie industry.
Crane possessed an environmental containment suit equipped
with circuitry to transport himself through time and space.
Height: 6' (by
approximation)
Weight: 170 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unknown
Hair: Brown
History: (Journey into Mystery I#52/4 (fb) - BTS) - Nothing is known of Norman Crane's past, but for unrevealed reasons he put on a time-transporter suit, said goodbye to his associates, and traveled from his future world of 2889 AD back to 1959 AD (see comments). He materialized in "Time Station 364," an abandoned house overlooking Long Beach and the Pacific Ocean that was rumored to be haunted. Crane established himself in the film industry, where he worked for producer Griffith Cartwright at Miracle Productions, and he gained the reputation of being a top-notch Hollywood screenwriter.
(Journey into Mystery I#52/4) - One day, Crane ran up to Mr. Cartwright, eager, to tell his boss about the plot of a new science fiction movie he thought up: "Travelers in Time". Crane explained the synopsis of his proposed film to Cartwright--it involved time travelers from the future materializing in supposedly haunted houses, which explained the unnatural events--the strange noises, the moving of furniture--that occurred in houses that were supposed to be empty. But Cartwright found Crane's idea to be too fantastic and far-fetched, and he advised Crane to take some time off to rest, and perhaps visit a psychiatrist.
Crane got in his car and drove up along the western
seaboard--he decided he would follow Cartwright's advice and take a rest
for awhile, but he'd do it after he got home. By nightfall, Crane
reached a gloomy weather-beaten house overlooking the beach, a house
rumored to be haunted. He went inside the abandoned home, put on
his time-transporter suit, then activated it and dematerialized.
Crane went back to the future, to his home in the year
2889 AD. Greeted by his associates, Crane told them: "Everything's
okay...you can keep 'em coming! The people back in the Twentieth
Century still don't suspect us!" (see comments).
Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and
Carl Burgos (artist)
It was never revealed exactly what Norman Crane's motives were for
traveling to the past. Maybe he was a college student doing research
on the 20th Century. Or maybe he and his associates were operating a
"time-tourism" agency. Or, considering his final words, maybe the
three of them were up to something more sinister.
Due to the time traveling nature of the story and the future Crane originated it is likeley that the story did not occur on Earth-616 (the main Marvel Universe), but on an alternate Earth.
--Markus Raymond
Profile by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Norman Crane has no known connections to:
Griffith Cartwright has no known connections to:
Said to be "Hollywood's most imaginative producer," he was at the set of a movie filming at Miracle Productions studio when screenwriter Norman Crane ran up to him. Crane told Cartwright about his idea for a new science fiction movie involving time travel. But Cartwright found Crane's story too far-fetched, and advised the screen-writer to take some time off to relax. Cartwright never knew that Crane was actually a time traveler from the future.
--Journey into Mystery I#52/4
An unidentified man and woman living in the year 2889, they said good-bye to Norman Crane when he traveled back to 1959, and later greeted him when he returned home.
--Journey into Mystery I#52/4
Norman Crane's home was a utopian world free from disease and war and suffering. With their advanced science, 29th Century mankind had mastered all of nature's deep secrets, including the secrets of time and space.
--Journey into Mystery I#52/4
images: (without ads)
Journey into Mystery I#52/4, p1, pan1 (main Image)
Journey into Mystery I#52/4, p2, pan5 (headshot, Crane explaining plot of his proposed movie)
Journey into Mystery I#52/4, p3, pan3 (Crane in time-transporter suit, vanishing into past)
Journey into Mystery I#52/4, p1, pan1 (Griffith Cartwright)
Journey into Mystery I#52/4, p3, pan5 (Headshot, Griffith Cartwright)
Journey into Mystery I#52/4, p3, pan2 (Crane's associates)
Journey into Mystery I#52/4, p3, pan1 (world of the year 2889)
Appearances:
Journey into Mystery I#52/4 (May, 1959) - unidentified writer, Carl Burgos (artist)
Last updated: 10/25/15
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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