ADAM TYLER

Real Name: Adam Tyler

Identity/Class: Human (Post-World War II Era)

Occupation: Physicist

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Blind Jonathan, Martha

Enemies: The Mutates of Earth-53759's 2053 A.D.

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Manhattan, New York, USA (circa 1953)

First Appearance: Strange Tales I#20 (July, 1953)

Powers/Abilities: Adam was a brilliant physicist with advanced knowledge of relativity theory and time warps. He designed his own time machine single-handedly.

Height: 5'11" (by approximation)
Weight: 175 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown

History: (Strange Tales I#20/5) <1953> - As Adam was preparing to marry his fiancee Martha, he was gravely concerned about the future of mankind, fearing that instead of harnessing atomic energy to benefit mankind, humanity might destroy itself with atomic weapons. As he mused about potential outcomes, he realized that with his knowledge of the theory of relativity, he could design his own time machine. He completed the device just before his wedding to Martha, promising to her he would return without explaining what he was doing. 

    Adam set the time machine to the year 2053, heand was shocked to step into a world (Earth-53759) which had been ravaged by atomic war. Civilization had collapsed as all of New York's buildings were now rubble. Soon, he came upon survivors of the atomic war, humans whose bodies were grotesquely twisted from radiation exposure. Adam explained where he had come from and at this, the mutated people were enraged, blaming Adam as one of the men of the era who were responsible for the atomic war. Adam tried to escape to his time machine but some of the mutated people reached it first and began smashing it with wooden clubs. Adam fled into the wild, pursued by the mutates.

(Strange Tales I#21/4) - After some time in the wild, Adam returned to the machine to see the mutates had left it. Gathering up the broken parts, he began to affect repairs but had to abandon them when the mutates returned. Fleeing again, Adam went to the remains of the Museum of Natural History, where he met Blind Jonathan, an old mutate who had lost his sight. Blind Jonathan had heard of Adam and, despite his handicap, tried to find and strangle Adam. Adam avoided Jonathan's lunge and quickly explained that he wanted to return to 1953 and warn the world about the consequences of atomic war. Adam was convinced this atomic war was the fault of "the Communist barbarians" and that by preventing the cause of the war, he could render this future non-existent. Adam hoped to bring some proof of what he had seen to 1953. Hearing this, Blind Jonathan suggested he return to the past with Adam to vouch for what he had witnessed. For the next several days, Adam made journeys back to the time machine to make repairs at night. Finally, the machine was fully functional, and Adam guided Blind Jonathan to the machine with him. The mutates saw them enter, but Adam quickly shut himself and Blind Jonathan inside the machine then set his controls for the year 1953.

    Emerging from the machine in 1953, Adam was met by three of his scientist colleagues and Martha, who were concerned over his long disappearance. Adam explained he had journeyed to 2053 but his colleagues didn't believe the time machine worked. Adam knew they would be skeptical so turned to usher Blind Jonathan in but found the machine was empty; because Blind Jonathan had not been born in 1953, he could not be taken to that era. Adam tried to desperately to convince his colleagues but they still seemed dubious. 

    Later, Adam sat in front of his television set, brooding over a news report of "the evil plotters of the Kremlin" and their atomic tests. Adam still yearned to somehow prevent atomic war.

Comments: Created by an unknown writer and John Forte.

    Adam's adventure owes more than a little to H.G. Wells' The Time Machine.

    Adam's belief that atomic war would come about because of the USSR was in vogue at the time but as would be later made clear, no matter which side in the Cold War started an atomic war, it would mean the annihilation of both sides -- a major factor in why the Cold War dragged on as long as it did and why many stories written in that era assumed it would either stretch on for centuries or end in annihilation.

    The rules of time travel change with the writer, as it is all theoretical. Certainly we've seen people travel into the past before they were born, but perhaps each time machine is different, utilizing different energies and being bound by different rules.
--Snood

    This profile was completed 7/26/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20^th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Adam Tyler has no known connection to:

• Bobby Tyler, a boy who built a built a fantastic fan, @ Journey into Mystery I#82
• Mandy Tyler, ally of Morbius, @ Morbius I#7
• Or any other fellows named "Tyler"

Adam's time machine

Adam designed his own time machine; it was large enough for only one person to enter comfortably. With this device, he journeyed from 1953 to an alternate future 2053. Unfortunately, the outraged mutates of 2053 smashed the machine, temporarily stranding Adam in 2053. Adam slowly made repairs by entering the machine at night when he was less likely to be observed. After a few days, the machine was fixed and Adam brought Blind Jonathan inside, intending to use him as proof of the outcome of atomic war; however, Jonathan vanished from the machine during the return trip to 1953 as he did not already exist in that year. Adam returned home safely but could not convince his colleagues of what he had experienced.

--Strange Tales I#20/5 (#21/4,

Blind Jonathan

Martha

    Martha was Adam's fiancee. She seemed to know little about his work, and he did not explain anything about his time machine to her prior to leaving 1953. 

    Martha was present when Adam returned from 2053 but she seemed unconvinced by his story of his adventure in the future. 

    Martha and Adam's wedding had been set just prior to his departure; presumably they were eventually married.

--Strange Tales I#20/5 (#21/4,

Save... (the date) Martha...

The mutates of 2053

The mutates (also called "monstrosities") of Earth-53759's 2053 A.D. were survivors of the atomic war who lived in the ruins of Manhattan, their bodies twisted from the effects of radiation. 

    When Adam Tyler journeyed to 2053 and met these beings, they were incensed to learn he was from the era which led to atomic war. Blaming him for their destruction, they smashed his time machine. Adam attempted to make repairs while dodging attacks from the club-wielding fanatics.

--Strange Tales I#20/5 (#21/4,

images: (without ads)
Strange Tales I#21/4, page 1, panel 2 (Adam Tyler, main)
Strange Tales I#20/5, page 4, panel 6 (Adam Tyler, headshot)
Strange Tales I#20/5, page 3, panel 1 (Adam's time machine)
Strange Tales I#21/4, page 3, panel 5 (Blind Jonathan)
Strange Tales I#20/5, page 2, panel 1 (Martha)
Strange Tales I#20/5, page 5, panel 2 (mutates)

Appearances:
Strange Tales I#20/5 (July, 1953) - unknown writer, John Forte (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Strange Tales I#21/4 (August, 1953) - unknown writer, John Forte (artist), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 09/02/2021
Last updated: 08/29/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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