FREDERICK MALLIN

Real Name: Frederick "Fred" Mallin

Identity/Class: Human mutant (post-WWII era)

Occupation: Physician

Group Membership: Unidentified mutant group (Elsa, Steve, probably Mr. Johnson, others)

Affiliations: None

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Meriport

First Appearance: Strange Tales of the Unusual#2/3 (February 1956)

Powers/Abilities: Unrevealed; Fred demonstrated no powers himself, but mentions that mutants have developed teleportation, mind reading and ESP, without making it clear if he has all or some of these powers, if all the mutants in his group have all these powers, or if this is just a random example of the powers mutants can have.

Height: 5'10" (by estimation)
Weight: 155 lbs. (by estimation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Gray

History:
(Strange Tales of the Unusual#2/3 (fb) - BTS) - A mutant, Fred Mallin went to school with Steve, unaware at the time that his friend was also a mutant (see comments). At some point Fred discovered his own mutant nature, and he also became a doctor. Discovering or approached by other mutants, Fred joined a group of fellow mutants, who had a secret place where they trained to use their powers. Considering themselves the first members of the next race of mankind, they believed it was their destiny to bring peace and plenty to the world.

Strange Tales of the Unusual#2/3 - BTS) - Eventually Steve's powers also began to emerge, one of which was the ability to sometimes sense something "other" about his fellow mutants when he was in their proximity. When he realized his boss, Mr. Johnson, wasn't normal, Steve panicked and fled. Agents of the organization trying to catch up with him so they could bring him into the fold, but he mistakenly believed they intended him harm and evaded them for several weeks. Finally Steve decided to enlist Fred's help.

(Strange Tales of the Unusual#2/3) - When Steve turned up at Fred's home in Meriport, Fred asked him in and tried to calm him, getting Steve to explain what kind of trouble he was in. Learning that Steve believed he was sensing aliens who were now trying to hunt him down and kill him to keep their secret from getting out, Fred feared that as soon as Steve detected him he would bolt again, so he tried to get a revolver out of his drawer, intending only to use it to hold Steve long enough to explain the truth. However Steve's senses alerted him just as Fred was pulling the weapon out, and he grappled with Fred over the weapon, punched him, and fled into the night. 

Strange Tales of the Unusual#2/3 - BTS) - Joining up with Elsa, a mutant girl Steve had begun dating before his mutant-sense detected her, Fred tracked Steve as he fled to a set of tourist cabins at the edge of Meriport. Exhausted, Steve rented a cabin, but...

(Strange Tales of the Unusual#2/3) - when he entered it Fred and Elsa were waiting for him. Holding his gun on Steve, Fred told him not to run, but feeling he had nothing to lose Steve attacked him anyway, insisting he would not let them kill him. As Fred tried to tell Steve they had no intention of doing so, Elsa tried to hold Steve back, but Steve still got the gun from him. Now the one being held at gunpoint, Fred hastily explained that they weren't aliens but mutants, just like him. His "extra" sense confirming to him that Fred was telling the truth, Steve calmed down, and accepted their offer to join their group.

Comments: Created by Joe Orlando.

   Since he didn't tell Steve they were both mutants during their childhood friendship, it seems clear that Fred didn't know about Steve being one. At what point in his own life he discovered his mutant nature is less certain; he might have already known when he was friends with Steve, but it seems more likely that it happened after they left school and were no longer hanging out together. I'm also guessing it happened before he became a doctor, but that's really just supposition; for all we know for sure, he might only have learned that he was a mutant a few months prior to Steve. In modern Marvel mutants mostly tend to develop their powers during puberty or later; Steve definitely fell into the late bloomer category, as in the story he seemed to have only recently developed his, powers which included an ability to sense other mutants, though he didn't recognize what the feeling was, just that the other person was somehow different. Since he didn't notice anything off about Fred when they were both kids, I'm assuming that Steve at least didn't have the power as a child. However, it's also worth noting that Steve's ability to sense other mutants was somewhat unreliable; it took him several hours, possibly even weeks to spot Elsa, and several minutes in Fred's company before he realized Fred was one.

   It's unrevealed if all the mutants in the story are part of the same organization or not, though that seems to be the implication. Mr Johnson isn't seen again after Steve flees his original workplace having sensed something alien about his boss, but since agents of the group were waiting for Steve in his apartment by the time he got there, only hours after he'd become aware of Johnson, it seems likely the employer was a member of the group and had alerted them.

   It is interesting that well before Professor X felt the need to gather together mutants to train them in their skills, others were already doing so. They clearly missed "the Strange Ones," perhaps because their powers seemed limited to superior intelligence, but maybe they included the "Weird Woman," Perry Hammond, Johnny Downes, the Unhuman, Ted Lestron, all of whose powers certainly fit the general theme of the ones Fred mentions; heck, maybe the group is Lestron's men with "atomic brains" or are the 1950s generation of Tobias Messenger's Promise.  

   This profile was completed 09/09/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary's celebratory event.

Profile by Loki.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Fred Mallin has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#2/3, p4, pan6 (main image)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#2/3, p5, pan3 (headshot)

Appearances:
Strange Tales of the Unusual#2/3 (February 1956) - writer unknown, Joe Orlando (art), Stan Lee (editor)

First Posted: 09/11/2021
Last updated: 09/09/2021

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.!

Back to Characters