Professor Merridew (Museum; Power Man and Iron Fist character)

PROFESSOR MERRIDEW

Real Name: Merridew (first name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Human scientist

Occupation: Museum curator

Group Membership: Metropolitan Museum staff

Affiliations: Professor Bradford, Iron Fist (Daniel Rand-K'ai), Professor Llewelyn, Power Man (Luke Cage)

Enemies: Cult of the Living Pharaoh, Living Monolith (Ahmet Abdol)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Metropolitan Museum, 1000 5th Avenue, New York, New York;
formerly mobile throughout Manhattan within one of the sarcophagi of Tutankhamen

Education: Presumably possesses a Ph.D. in some field of study involving Central American Indians (as he was referred to as professor)

First Appearance: Power Man#56 (April, 1979)

Powers/Abilities: Professor Merridew has no superhuman powers (see comments).

He is an expert on the culture, history, etc. of Central American Indians. He is also experienced as a museum curator.

Height: Unrevealed; approximately 5'8"
Weight: Unrevealed; approximately 160 lbs.
Eyes: Brown?
Hair: Black (male pattern baldness, with black beard)

History:

(Power Man#57 (fb) - BTS) - A specialist in Central American Indians, Professor Merridew became the curator of the Metropolitan Museum (of Art, presumably).

(Power Man#57 (fb)) - While trying to master information on the Pharaohs, Professor Bradford (on staff at the Metropolitan Museum, specializing in the tribes of Western Europe) unearthed a pyramidal crystal while digging in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.

(Power Man#57 (fb) - BTS) - When the Tutankhamen exhibit was to be sent to the Metropolitan Museum, curator Professor Merridew and his staff, Bradford and Llewelyn (specializing in Mediterranean cultures) realized they needed an Egyptian expert.

(Power Man#57 (fb)) - Allegedly acting as a liaison from the Egyptian government, Professor Abdol contacted the Metropolitan Museum's curator in search of a position, and they welcomed him.

Bradford turned over the pyramidal crystal to Abdol, who dubbed it the Cheops Crystal and claimed that with it he could prove the ancient theories of pyramid energy once and for all.

(Power Man#57 (fb) - BTS) - Abdol looted the Tutankhamen artifacts from the Metropolitan Museum, replacing them with replicas.

Abdol convinced museum curator Professor Merridew (apparently unaware of the theft) to employ Heroes for Hire (Power Man and Iron Fist) to watch over the artifacts while the museum doors were closed.

(Power Man#56 - BTS) - Via arrangement with their executive secretary, Jennie Royce, Dr. Abdol and Professor Merridew met with Power Man and Iron Fist, seeking to hire them to watch over the Tutankhamen artifacts while the museum doors were closed.

(Power Man#57 (fb) - BTS) - Abdol hired Senor Suerte (Jaime Garcia) to steal the counterfeit artifacts, knowing the heroes would stop Suerte and his agents, but wishing to ensure that Merridew would discover the theft at a time when the heroes would standing handily by to take the blame.

(Power Man#56 - BTS) - The first night of the heroes' watch, a group led by Senor Suerte broke into the museum.

Power Man and Iron Fist defeated and captured the group, though Suerte escaped; however, Merridew found all of the artifacts had been replaced with forgeries, and the Heroes for Hire business was held financially responsible for the loss. Realizing they had been duped, the heroes investigated and learned Abdol was the Living Pharaoh/Monolith.

(Power Man#57 (fb) - BTS) - Abdol trapped Merridew, Bradford, and Llewelyn with Tutankhamen's sarcophagi, which had been buried for millennia beneath the Valley of the Kings, absorbing the ancient power.

Abdol then set the three sarcophagi (each apparently within an armored truck driven by one of Abdol's Cult of the Living Pharaoh members) in a triangular energy field focused around the crystal, which served to channel cosmic power to Abdol sufficiently to transform him into the Living Monolith without having to block the rays from Havok (the mutant Alex Summers, whose powers somehow interfered with Abdol's).

(Power Man#57 - BTS) - Power Man and Iron Fist investigated the Halwani consulate (of which Fist had learned from Havok during their stint as Defenders for a Day).

The heroes made short work of the Cult of the Living Pharaoh members present and found the Tutankhamen artifacts (though the sarcophagi in which Tut himself was to be resting was missing); they observed the glowing Cheops crystal along with a compass aligned to magnetic north; and they took the crystal and headed in that direction.

(Power Man#57 - BTS) - In their northward trek, Cage and Iron Fist observed a Cultist driving an armored truck; subduing the driver, they broke into the truck and found Merridew trapped within one of sarcophagi. The Monolith felt his power supply diminish as they freed Merridew, who revealed the nature of the Monolith's power source.

(Power Man#57 - BTS) - Iron Fist phoned the police to inform them of the locations of the sarcophagi holding Bradford and Llewelyn, after which Cage and Iron Fist headed to the theater district to join the fight against the Monolith.

(Power Man#57 - BTS) - Without the power triangulated by the Cheops Crystal, the Monolith reverted back to a powerless Abdol, who was captured.

(Power Man#57) - When Iron Fist asked what they should do about the Cheops Crystal, Merridew noted that it wasn't of any known archeological value. Considering that as long as it existed that it was a threat to human lives and to the real archeological treasures of the world, Iron Fist summoned his Iron Fist power and shattered the Cheops Crystal.

Comments: Created by Mary Jo Duffy, Trevor von Eeden, and Frank Springer.

While there is nothing else in the story to support it, Merridew's expression and phrasing -- especially when they opened his sarcophagus -- always made me suspect that he was actually allied with Abdol and then feigned innocence and betrayed Abdol to save his own ass.

It would be an interesting plot, to me, at least, if Merridew, Bradford, and Llewelyn gained some level of power from their exposure to the energies of the Cheops Crystal, Tutankhamen's sarcophagi, etc.

I misplaced my issues when it came time to scan the images. Thanks to Loki for the assist in the top two images (I'd scanned the others in advance while doing the Cheops Crystal profile)

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Professor Merridew should be distinguished from:

Other "Mer" or museum characters

Professor Bradford

Bradford was on staff at the Metropolitan Museum (of Art, presumably), specializing in the tribes of Western Europe.

(Power Man#57 (fb)) - While digging in Egypt's Valley of the Kings in the process of trying to master information on the Pharaohs, Professor Bradford unearthed a pyramidal crystal.

(Power Man#57 (fb) - BTS) - When the Tutankhamen exhibit was to be sent to the Metropolitan Museum, curator Professor Merridew and his staff, Bradford and Llewelyn, realized they needed an Egyptian expert.

(Power Man#57 (fb)) - Allegedly acting as a liaison from the Egyptian government, Professor Ahmet Abdol (secretly the Living Pharaoh/Monolith) contacted the Metropolitan Museum's curator in search of a position, and they welcomed him.

Bradford turned over the pyramidal crystal to Abdol, who dubbed it the Cheops Crystal and claimed that with it he could prove the ancient theories of pyramid energy once and for all.

(Power Man#57 (fb) - BTS) - Abdol looted the Tutankhamen artifacts from the Metropolitan Museum, replacing them with replicas.

(Power Man#57 - BTS) - Power Man and Iron Fist investigated the Halwani consulate, made short work of the Cult of the Living Pharaoh members present and found the Tutankhamen artifacts (though they realized the sarcophagi in which Tut himself was to be resting was missing).

(Power Man#57 - BTS) - Cage and Iron Fist located and freed Merridew from being trapped within one of sarcophagi. The Monolith felt his power supply diminish as they freed Merridew, who revealed the nature of the Monolith's power source.

(Power Man#57 - BTS) - Without the power triangulated by the Cheops Crystal, the Monolith reverted back to a powerless Abdol, who was captured.

-- Power Man#57

Professor Llewelyn

Bradford was on staff at the Metropolitan Museum (of Art, presumably), specializing in Mediterranean cultures.

Bradford turned over the pyramidal crystal he had unearthed in Egypt's Valley of Kings to Abdol, who dubbed it the Cheops Crystal and claimed that with it he could prove the ancient theories of pyramid energy once and for all.

(Power Man#57 (fb) - BTS) - Abdol looted the Tutankhamen artifacts from the Metropolitan Museum, replacing them with replicas.

(Power Man#57 - BTS) - Without the power triangulated by the Cheops Crystal, the Monolith reverted back to a powerless Abdol, who was captured.

-- Power Man#57

images: (without ads)
Power Man#56, pg. 12, panel 4 (full, in motion)
            panel 5 (face)
    #57, pg. 14, panel 5-6 (sarcophagus of Tutankhamen; exterior and interior (with Merridew);
        pg. 17, panel 2(better face)

Appearances:
Power Man#56-57 (April-June (bi-monthly), 1979) - Mary Jo Duffy (writer), Trevor von Eeden (penciler), Frank Springer (inker), Allen Milgrom (editor)
note: Despite the cover label of Power Man and Iron Fist, it was still just Power Man in the indicia.

Originally posted: 02/09/2018
Last updated: 02/15/2018

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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