VIDEOMAN
(of Earth-8107)

Real Name: Inapplicable

Identity/Class: Extradimensional/alternate reality (Earth-8107) electrical energy construct

Occupation: Criminal

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Blaster, Electro, Grabber

Enemies: Blue Hero, G.P. Doole, J. Jonah Jameson, Spider-Friends (Firestar/Angelica Jones, Iceman/Bobby Drake, Spider-Man/Peter Parker), "Flash" Thompson

Known Relatives: Inapplicable

Aliases: "The Creature from the Game," "Static Face," Video Man, Video-Man

Base of Operations: Electro's underground lair beneath a park in New York City, New York, USA

First Appearance: Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode, "Video-Man" (October 24, 1981)

Powers/Abilities: An electrical entity, Video-Man was capable of altering his shape as well as blasting beams of energy (including both fire and ice) from his hands. He was also capable of bringing characters from video game to electrical life as well as transporting people into any nearby Video-Man arcade cabinets.

He could travel vast distances via any electrical outlets or telephone lines. He could also draw power from mutant electrical impulses in thoughts and drain their electrical power into himself.

Height: Variable
Weight: Variable
Eyes: Red and green (see comments)
Hair: None


History: (Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode - "Video-Man") - The Video Man arcade video game was developed by the man who would later become the criminal Electro under unrevealed circumstances. The game proved to be very popular, so much so that three arcade cabinets were sent to the home of millionaire G.P. Doole, the Diamond Exchange and the Ft. Richard rec center. After that, under unrevealed circumstances, Electro created an electrical energy construct based on the Videoman character from his arcade game.



Electro then sent his creation to Earl's Arcade, an arcade near the campus of Empire State University (ESU). Videoman stepped out of his arcade cabinet there before a horrified "Flash" Thompson. Perhaps in remembrance of his many defeat at the hands of Thompson within the game, the Videoman construct promptly blasted the jock out of the arcade and across the street. When Firestar arrived on the scene, she fought Videoman but the battle was interrupted when Videoman blasted Thompson again, this time sending the young man into the Video-Man game itself. Ignoring Firestar's flames, Videoman escaped the arcade via a nearby electrical socket before fleeing by using the telephone wires to break into the science building at ESU. Ignoring the following Spider-Friends' attacks, Videoman easily broke into the lab and teleported himself and a load of a newly developed space alloy back to Electro's hideout.




Videoman was next ordered to attack the Diamond Exchange, where the mutant hero Iceman had stopped a robbery. Iceman tried to freeze the creature but Videoman blasted him with his eye beams and sent him to the same game as Thompson. He then stole a load of gold bars and went back to Electro. Videoman next attacked Ft. Richard and Firestar, who had come to investigate, was blasted by Videoman into the game as well before Videoman stole a load of cooper from the base and headed back to Electro. Videoman later appeared at the home of millionaire G.P. Doole and got into his vast collection of arcade games. Spider-Man was there on a hunch and the two fought but Spider-Man's webs proved useless against Videoman. The hero eventually drove the creature away by yanking a Whiz arcade game into the electrical being, disrupting it enough to make it flee into an outlet. Reappearing in Doole's vault, Videoman stole Doole's platinum and returned to Electro. When Spider-Man tracked down Electro, Videoman attacked the interfering wall-crawler and they fought throughout Electro's lair, destroying consoles as they went. Spider-Man then jumped between Videoman and Electro, prompting Electro and Videoman to both fire at the wall-crawler. When Spider-Man leaped out of the way, their shots connected and caused an explosion that seemingly disintegrated Videoman.




(Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode - "The Origin of the Iceman") - Despite the presumed notoriety of a video game character being linked with several crimes, a billboard advertising the Video-Man video game still stood in New York. A Video-Man (spelled without the hyphen) arcade cabinet was in a pile of trash being taken to a junkyard. Dumped out of the truck, the machine was struck by lightning, restoring Videoman's sentience. The same storm also caused a nearby building to catch fire, attracting the Spider-Friends. Battling the Spider-Friends, Videoman proceeded to drain the electrical impulses from Iceman's thoughts, apparently removing his powers. After the Spider-Friends left, the arcade cabinet was hit by lightning again, physically freeing Videoman from cabinet. His first free act was to draw more power from a nearby telephone pole. Growing larger, Videoman then blasted a Video-Man arcade game billboard near the junkyard before leaping into the phone lines and speeding away.


Following Iceman's thought patterns, Videoman appeared before the startled Spider-Friends and attacked them. Ignoring Firestar's fireballs, Videoman promptly froze the flaming Firestar with an ice ray. Easily blasting aside Spider-Man, Videoman then ignored the team and escaped into the nearby Daily Bugle building, traveling inside as an electrical impulse inside a series of power cords. From the roof, he made his way down to the Bugle television station, appearing right behind J. Jonah Jameson as he was beginning his editorial. Jameson expressed disbelief, stating "I thought they pulled the plug on you!" seconds before Videoman blasted and sent Jameson into the arcade cabinet in the junkyard. Arriving too late to save Jameson, the Spider-Friends were mostly ignored by Videoman, who did blast Iceman with a form of ray that reverted him back to Bobby Drake. Videoman then turned his attention to Firestar, hitting her with eye beams that weakened her before Videoman escaped to the press room and drew more energy from the presses, growing even larger before departing via a nearby telephone.







Spider-Man and Firestar tracked Videoman down to a nearby power station. Blasting away with his eyebeams, Videoman nearly hit Spider-Man with heat rays similar to Firestar's powers. When Firestar attacked, Videoman siphoned more energy from her, sending her into a tailspin. Turning his attention to a nearby arcade, Videoman blasted two machines and brought their main characters to life. Blaster, a flying saucer, and Grabber, an eating sphere, then went after the two heroes. When an arriving Bobby Drake tried to distract him, Videoman blasted Drake into an arcade game. Videoman was then caught in the crossfire between Blaster and Grabber and the resulting explosion vaporized Videoman and destroyed the Video-Man arcade game, freeing both Jameson and Iceman.

Comments: Created by Christy Marx and Marvel Productions, Ltd. (see Appearances list for list of artists involved).

Video-Man's eyes go from red to green throughout the episodes. Maybe an indicator of mood?

One of the many games seen was a "I Love Lum." Maybe there was a Rumiko Takahashi fan on staff?

I don't think it's just a coincidence that Grabber somewhat resembles Pac-Man, a popular video game character of the time. Additionally, Blaster could be a nod to Space Invaders. --Proto-Man

Despite the episode titled "Video-Man" and instances where his name is spelled "Video Man," the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe's entry on Earth-616's Videoman confirms that this Earth-8107 construct's name is spelled "Videoman." --Proto-Man

Profile by David Lawrence.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Earth-8107's Videoman construct has no known connections to:

Blaster

Star of the Blaster arcade game, this flying saucer-like character was given electrical life by Videoman and Blaster immediately attacked the heroic Firestar. He was soon drawn by Firestar into attacking Videoman by mistake and was ultimately blown to atoms in the resulting explosion.

Blaster was capable of firing lasers.

--Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode,  "The Origin of the Iceman"

Blue Hero

Blue Hero was the player-controlled character of the Video-Man arcade game. Whoever was playing the arcade game at the time would take control of the Blue Hero and duel with the computer-controlled Videoman until the player earned one hundred points. "Flash" Thompson often earned the high score on the arcade near ESU.





--Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode, "Video-Man" (seen only on a video screen)

Grabber

Star of the Grabber arcade game, this sphere-like creature was given electrical life by Videoman. Grabber went after Spider-Man, chasing him around a power station. He was soon tricked into firing upon Videoman and Blaster was vaporized by the energies unleashed.

Grabber was capable of eating his enemies and could chew through most substances in addition to firing lasers from his eyes.



--Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode, "The Origin of Iceman"

images: (without ads)
Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode, "Video-Man" (Videoman main image, within arcade game, glowing & Blue Hero image)
Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode, "The Origin of the Iceman" (Videoman headshot, at giant size, vs. Firestar, sending victim into video game, three-way destruction, Blaster & Grabber images)

Appearances:
Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode, "Video-Man" (October 24, 1981) - Christy Marx (writer), Jan Green, Rick Hoberg, Cullen Houghtaling, Larry Houston, Sherman Labby, Will Meugniot, Dick Sebast, Bob Schaffer, Don Shepard, Hank Tucker, Warren Tufts (storyboards), Bruce Bennett, Norm Cabral, Dan Faucett, Neil Galloway, Greg Garcia, Gary Graham, Rick Graham, Karl Hepworth, Stuart Heimdall, Elaine Hultgren, Boyd Kirkland, Debra Pugh, Dave Sharp, Roy Smuth, Tom Tholen, Grant Wilson, Roy Wilson, Bob Foster (layouts), Gerry Chiniquy, Steve Clark, John Gibbs, Sid Marcus, Bob Richardson, Nelson Shin, Arthur Vitello (animation directors)
Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends cartoon episode, "The Origin of the Iceman" (September 18, 1982) - Donald F. Glut (writer), Jan Green, Rick Hoberg, Cullen Houghtaling, Larry Houston, Sherman Labby, Will Meugniot, Dick Sebast, Bob Schaffer, Don Shepard, Hank Tucker, Warren Tufts (storyboards), Bruce Bennett, Norm Cabral, Dan Faucett, Neil Galloway, Greg Garcia, Gary Graham, Rick Graham, Karl Hepworth, Stuart Heimdall, Elaine Hultgren, Boyd Kirkland, Debra Pugh, Dave Sharp, Roy Smuth, Tom Tholen, Grant Wilson, Roy Wilson, Bob Foster (layouts), Gerry Chiniquy, Steve Clark, John Gibbs, Sid Marcus, Bob Richardson, Nelson Shin, Arthur Vitello (animation directors)

First Posted: 03/11/2021
Last updated: 03/11/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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