MISTER MILLION

Real Name: Million (first name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Human (World War II Era)

Occupation: Businessman

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Nickie, Mr. Wilson

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: New York City, New York, USA

First Appearance: Daring Mystery Comics I#7 (April, 1941)

Powers/Abilities: Mr. Million's greatest asset is his immense wealth, which he uses to solve problems.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'1")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 190 lbs.)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black

History: (Daring Mystery Comics I#7/6) - One day, Mr. Million was driving through a poor tenement area of New York City when he saw the newsboy Nickie being roughed up by other children who demanded protection money from him. Incensed, Mr. Million exited his car and chased off the older boys. As Mr. Million went to help Nickie get up, Nickie objected to his aid, saying that by helping him, the other boys would think he was a "sissy." Because some of Nickie's newspapers had been spoiled in the fight, Mr. Million offered Nickie some money to make up the loss. However, Nickie was too proud to accept the money.

Intrigued by Nickie's behavior, Mr. Million told his chauffeur to take his car home so that he could shadow Nickie from a distance. He watched as Nickie finished selling his newspapers then went home to an apartment, where he lived with his sickly mother and younger brother. Seeing the dismal circumstances in which Nickie lived, Mr. Million resolved to help Nickie but, knowing the boy's pride, would do so without Nickie knowing it..

Mr. Million went to Nickie's circulation manager, Mr. Wilson, and told Mr. Wilson to give Nickie a corner on Fifth Avenue amongst more prosperous clientele. Further, Mr. Million arranged for people to come and buy all of his newspapers. The last customer gave Nickie a $10 bill then left without receiving his change. Nickie followed the man to Mr. Million's office.

As the last customer reported back to Mr. Million, Nickie burst in. Nickie returned the $10 bill to Mr. Million, reminding him that he didn't want anything he hadn't earned. Mr. Million pleaded with Nickie to reconsider because his mother needed medicine and his little brother needed good food but Nickie refused, saying his father taught him that the only good money was the money you worked for. Instead, Mr. Million offered to give Nickie a chance to work for his money and hired him as his office boy. Nickie accepted the job and with the money he earned, was able to help his family.

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Ray Burley.

Definitely a very odd duck among other 1940s Marvel characters but Mr. Million would have been a pretty familiar figure to kids of the era - "rags to riches" stories were pretty common in children's literature, such as the novels of Horatio Alger. It also brings to mind Harold Gray's comic strip Little Orphan Annie.

I thought "Mr. Million" was an alias but that's the name on his office door. Not the oddest surname in the Marvel Universe though, not by a longshot.

Thanks to Ron Fredricks for cleaning up the main image.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Mister Million should not be confused with:

Nickie

Nickie was a young boy who lived in a tenement district of New York City and sold newspapers under an elevated train to raise money to help his sickly mother and younger brother. Nickie's deceased father taught him that "the only good money was the money you worked for," which gave Nickie a strong work ethic. One day while selling newspapers, Nickie was menaced by some older boys who demanded protection money from him. When Nickie refused, they started to hit him. Mr. Million was passing by and interceded to drive off the boys but Nickie felt that the other boys would now be convinced he was a "sissy" since he needed to be rescued. Nickie's newspapers had been spoiled in the fight but he refused to accept Mr. Million's money for the papers.

Mr. Million secretly observed Nickie going home and saw that Nickie only had enough of his mother's medicine for one more day. To help Nickie without him knowing it, Mr. Million had Nickie's circulation manager Mr. Wilson reassign him to the prosperous Fifth Avenue. As Nickie started selling his newspapers at the new location it started to rain, which spoiled business, but Mr. Million sent people to buy his newspapers in the rain. The customer who bought Nickie's last newspaper gave him a $10 bill then left before Nickie could give him change. Nickie pursued the man to give him his change but when he caught up to the man, he denied being the one who gave him the bill. Certain he had the right man, Nickie followed the man to the offices of Mr. Million and found the two men together. Nickie returned the $10 bill to Mr. Million, reminding him that he would not accept money he hadn't earned. Therefore, Mr. Million hired Nickie as his office boy so that he would earn his salary. With his new job, Nickie was able to afford his mother's medicine and bring home food and gifts for his little brother.






--Daring Mystery Comics I#7/6



Mr. Wilson

Mr. Wilson was the circulation manager for the district in which Nickie sold newspapers. In order to help Nickie without knowing it, Mr. Million arranged for Mr. Wilson to reassign Nickie from the tenement district to Fifth Avenue so that he could earn more money selling newspapers.






--Daring Mystery Comics I#7/6









images: (without ads)
Daring Mystery Comics I#7/6, page 2, panel 6 (main)
Daring Mystery Comics I#7/6, page 6, panel 5 (face)
Daring Mystery Comics I#7/6, page 3, panel 5 (Nickie)
Daring Mystery Comics I#7/6, page 3, panel 7 (Wilson)

Appearances:
Daring Mystery Comics I#7/6 (April, 1941) - unidentified writer, Ray Burley (artist), Joe Simon (editor)

First posted: 06/03/2022
Last updated: 06/03/2022

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 http://www.g-mart.com/ for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters