MAN-THING of Earth-8130MAN-THING of Earth-8130
Real Name: Brent (first name unrevealed)
Identity/Class: Alternate reality (Earth-8130)
Occupation: Guardian of the Nexus of Realities
Group Membership: Perhaps the Nexus Guardians (although it seems likely it would have had no idea of any such affiliation)
Affiliations: None identified
Enemies: Man-Thing (Ted Sallis)
Known Relatives: None identified
Aliases: None;
referred to in passing as "another monster," "it," "the creature," "opponent," "the monster," and "a guardian" (of the swamp)
Base of Operations: The Everglades swamps surrounding the Nexus of Realities around Citrusville, Florida on Earth-8130
First Appearance: What If I#26/2 (April, 1981)
Powers/Abilities: The Man-Thing is superhumanly strong and durable, with a powerful tail it could use for balance as it walked erect on its hind legs, and as a weapon with which to strike. It can sense fear in others, and can set afire on contact those experiencing fear.
It appeared to have a partial plant (swamp-muck) composition, possibly indicating that, like its predecessor, it was only semi-solid and that some physical attacks might simply pass through it without harming it. Its mutated nature presumably protect it to some degree from the survival requirements of normal alligators, though it likely depends on the swamp and its Nexus-energies for survival; it is likely vulnerable to dessication and perhaps extreme cold or heat, although even if destroyed while within its swamp, it may be able to completely reform or take a new form.
Any other abilities it may have possessed are unrevealed, as it was only seen in action in 7 panels.
Height: Approximately 7' tall
Weight: Approximtely 600 lbs.
Eyes: Presumably green-ish brown
Hair: None; green-brown swamp grasses hung from his form
History:
(What If I#26/2 - BTS) - The Man-Thing (Ted Sallis) regained his
intelligence via the experiments of Dr. Karl Oheimer, but lacked any of
his previous humanity and plotted to control all reality.
(What If I#26/2) - As US government scientists futilely tried to replicate the Man-Thing's powers in captured alligators and other creatures, they discovered that the creatures were affected by some energy (the Nexus power) within the swamp water. When Man-Thing (Sallis) attacked the facility via controlling the local plant life, one of the panicked scientists hurled a syringe (full of a large dose of the Super-Soldier serum they had isolated from a sample of the Man-Thing); it missed the Man-Thing and instead struck a restrained alligator.
That evening, as the serum had begun to work its way through the Nexus-energy-infused alligator, the creature began to change, and it tore free of its bonds. Sensing strong emotions from deep in the swamps, it followed these to confront Sallis. Failing to control the creature by manipulating Nexus energy, Sallis concluded the Nexus had caused the creature to be formed, and that the Nexus was trying to protect itself by destroying him. Though fighting to protect his own power, Sallis failed to realize that he was afraid, while his virtually mindless opponent had no such emotions; and as "whatever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch," Sallis burst into flames and perished.
Slogging away, the new Man-Thing did not contemplate the dead thing that was Sallis. The swamp was at peace again, and it had a new guardian.
Comments: Created by Steven D. Grant, Herb Trimpe, and Bob Wiacek.
Although this creature is referred to as "another monster," "it," "the creature," "opponent," "the monster," and "a guardian" (of the swamp), there is one panel in narration, where he burns the Man-Thing (Sallis) that they use the signature "whatever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch"; the Man-Thing in that phrase clearly refers to that creature, so that's good enough for me to call it Man-Thing.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The gator Man-Thing of Earth-8130 should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads)
What If I#26/2, pg. 11, panel 3 (transformation; main image);
pg. 12, panels 3-4 (battling Man-Thing (Sallis)
Appearances:
What If I#26/2 (April, 1981) - Steven
D. Grant (penciler), Herb Trimpe (penciler), Bob Wiacek (inker),
Mark Gruenwald (assistant editor), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Last updated: 02/26/15
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.!