History ComicBook / ManThing

'''Man-Thing''' is the name of a MarvelComics character. He first appeared in ''"Savage Tales''" #1 (May, 1971). The character was co-created by author Roy Thomas and his editor Creator/StanLee. His debut story was scripted by Gerry Conway and drawn by Gray Morrow. Man-Thing is not to be confused with DC's ''Comicbook/SwampThing'', which premiered within a month of Man-Thing. The two characters have many parallels, including their backstories (both partially written by LenWein), swampy homes, and being re-imagined by notable comic writers. Both are also similar to an older horror character, TheHeap.

* ComboPlatterSuperpowers: The Man-Thing has quite a variety of powers after his transformation:

** The transformation that turned Sallis into Man-Thing. Not only did he lose his mind, he lost all physical form, Man-Things body isn't flesh and bone, its just swamp muck, roots and other vegetative detritus in humanoid shape.

* AxCrazy: Foolkiller, the Mad Viking.

* BodyHorror: What happens to those who ''drink'' the waters of the Fountain Of Youth, rather than bathe in it. Bathing in it rejuvinates a person with youth, but as Schist discovered, if you drink it, you turn into twisted, corpse-like wraiths cursed with AgeWithoutYouth.
** The transformation that turned Sallis into Man-Thing. Not only did he lose his mind, he lost all physical form, Man-Things body isnt flesh and bone, its just swamp muck and detrius in humanoid shape.
* CameBackWrong / InhumanHuman: Man-Thing.

* {{Cthulhumanoid}}: In appearance at least, and a rare heroic example.

* TheEmpath: Man-Thing's main form of interpersonal interaction.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: As much as a monster he is, F.A. Schist has a wife and a daughter that deeply care for him. It is also what triggers Schist's wife to attempt an (unsuccessful) vendetta against Man-Thing after [[spoiler: Man-Thing kills Schist]]. Schists daughter eventually convinces her mother that Schist likely destroyed himself, and that Man-Thing isnt responsible.

* FreakLabAccident: While working in a swamp trying to recreate ComicBook/CaptainAmerica's super-soldier serum, Dr. Ted Sallis is betrayed and injects himself in an attempt to escape, but crashes into the swamp where he is transformed . . .

* LawyerFriendlyCameo: A recognizable Man-Thing appears in the ''[[WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeons & Dragons]]'' cartoon episode 'Prison Without Walls', penned by SteveGerber after his fallout with Marvel.
** The creature is basically a slightly modified version of a D&D monster called a Shambling Mound, which is obviously derived from Man-Thing, Swamp Thing and The Heap.

* MadArtist: Eugene Spangler is a singer and poetist that is unhealthily obsessed with chaos and madness, and doesn't even care when the Mad Viking bursts in his camp and starts murdering his mates[[spoiler: and then himself.]]

* PlantPerson: Light on the 'person'.

* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: Man-Thing frequently crosses paths with alligators. Eventually they start to avoid him like the plague.
* NighInvulnerability: Man-Thing.

* PullingThemselvesTogether: Almost every Man-Thing combat seems to involve pieces coming off.

* StarsAreSouls: In one issue, Korrek recounts a story where a man ventured into the sky to pick a star to his lover. The stars are made of the souls of warriors, so the upon bringing the thing down it turns into one, kills the man and steals his woman.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: As much as a monster he is, F.A. Schist has a wife and a daughter that deeply care for him. It is also what triggers Schist's wife to attempt an (unsuccessful) vendetta against Man-Thing after [[spoiler: Man-Thing kills Schist]].

Man-Thing became a member (of sorts) of the {{Thunderbolts}}, Marvel's team of redemptive villains, during Jeff Parker's run. Initially intended to be just the team's transportation, thanks to Hank Pym hacking into the Nexus of All Realities, he became one of the team's strongest and most unpredictable members. Eventually, he underwent a RePower, giving him a mind of his own and the ability to speak and be understood by anyone he spoke to. When that version of the Thunderbolts came to an end, Man-Thing returned to his swamp.

* FreakLabAccident: While working in a swamp trying to recreate CaptainAmerica's super-soldier serum, Dr. Ted Sallis is betrayed and injects himself in an attempt to escape, but crashes into the swamp where he is transformed . . .

* WasOnceAMan: Until he tried to keep a recreated version of CaptainAmerica 's SuperSoldier serum away from foreign spies. Cornered and with no options left, he injected the serum into himself, moments before the spies gunned him down. The serum, combined with the mystical energies of the swamp, transformed the scientist into a shambling, mindless monstrosity.

* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: Man-Thing frequently crosses paths with alligators. Eventually they start to avoid him like plaque.

* HealingFactor: as long as he is in the presence of moisture.

** [[FailureHero perpetual loser]] Richard Rory, who appeared in several of Gerber's works.

** Man-Thing frequently appears as one of the members of the Parliament of Trees in ''SwampThing''.

'''Man-Thing''' is the name of a MarvelComics character. He first appeared in ''"Savage Tales''" #1 (May, 1971). The character was co-created by author Roy Thomas and his editor StanLee. His debut story was scripted by Gerry Conway and drawn by Gray Morrow. Man-Thing is not to be confused with DC's ''Comicbook/SwampThing'', which premiered within a month of Man-Thing. The two characters have many parallels, including their backstories (both partially written by LenWein), swampy homes, and being re-imagined by notable comic writers. Both are also similar to an older horror character, TheHeap.

Savage Tales was a one-shot publication, though it would be revived as a regular series in 1973. In the meantime Man-Thing gained a regular series in the {{horror}} anthology 'Adventure Into Fear'. He became an unlikely hit for writer SteveGerber, who pushed genre boundaries with the character, providing inspiration for later writers like NeilGaiman.

* HaveAGayOldTime: ''Giant-Size Man-Thing''.

* HollywoodAcid: Man-Thing is scary enough for the unwary as a shambling plant monster, but the fact that he secrets a deadly corrosive when he encounters fear scares the hell out of people who know about him too.

* RedEyesTakeWarning: For those who know fear burn at the Man-thing's touch! And there is plenty of reason to be afraid of an ugly nigh infinitely regenerating giant with super human strength who does not want you in its swamp.

** SuddenlyVoiced: Is able to speak a UniversalLanguage in his recent ''Red She-Hulk'' appearances. But he still has no mouth.

Unlike Comicbook/SwampThing, Man-Thing was a mindless creature living mostly by instinct, hardly aware of his former life. An empathic creature, he often came to the aid of the weak and confronted those who expressed strong negative emotions, since, due to latent psychic empathy, strong negative emotions caused him great pain. Man-Thing has a particular loathing for fear, which comes up often throughout the series, since it is the emotion a giant swamp monster is most likely to elicit. Writing stories around a mindless, unchanging character proved difficult, but Gerber showed remarkable variance in the types of stories and characters he was able to fit into this rather limited concept. As usual, he tried to bring a sense of realism and psychological depth to the series, and fans responded.

* NatureHero

'''Man-Thing''' is the name of a MarvelComics character. He first appeared in ''"Savage Tales''" #1 (May, 1971). The character was co-created by author Roy Thomas and his editor StanLee. His debut story was scripted by Gerry Conway and drawn by Gray Morrow. Man-Thing is not to be confused with DC's ''Comicbook/SwampThing'', which premiered within a month of Man-Thing. The two characters have many parallels, including their backstories (both partially written by LenWein), swampy homes, and being reimagined by notable comic writers. Both are also similar to an older horror character, TheHeap.

* WasOnceAMan: Until he tried to keep a recreated version of CaptainAmerica 's SuperSpoldier serum away from foreign spies. Cornered and with no options left, he injected the serum into himself, moments before the spies gunned him down. The serum, combined with the mystical energies of the swamp, transformed the scientist into a shambling, mindless monstrosity.

* EverythingsWorseWithWolves: When Man-Thing is accidentally teleported to Himalayas, he is instantly attacked by wolves.

Gerber's {{Retool}} of the character helped the Man-Thing get his own series, prefiguring AlanMoore's similar reimagining of Comicbook/SwampThing; but while Moore's experimentation with the medium garnered him praise and notoriety, Gerber struggled throughout his career with censorship and creator's rights. Gerber introduced Comicbook/HowardTheDuck in the pages of Man-Thing, and was soon fighting Marvel over creative control and ownership of the character, costing Gerber his job and leading to a legal case resulting in his bankruptcy.

-->-- Gerber's signature tagline for the series

* AscendedMeme: In ''Thunderbolts'', a mystical transformation Man-Thing goes through, combined with the events of ''Comicbook/FearItself'', temporarily turn him into a literal "Giant Size Man-Thing"; he is even called such by Songbird.
** It's not the [[http://www.comicvine.com/man-thing/29-4988/all-images/108-211172/manthing1997gs/105-1900064/ first time]] the meme's ascended, either.
* AuthorAvatar: [[FailureHero perpetual loser]] Richard Rory, who appeared in several of Gerber's works.
** The last issue also has Steve appearing as himself, telling us that he's just been [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis retelling stories]] told to him by Dakimh.
* AxCrazy: Foolkiller, the Mad Viking.

* KnightTemplar: The {{Foolkiller}}.

In 2007, a [[Film/{{Man-Thing}} TV movie was released]] based loosely upon Gerber's plot about a thoughtless developer trying to drain Man-Thing's swamp. Outside of the authors it inspired, the series is best remembered for its larger collections, infamously titled [[AccidentalInnuendo 'Giant Size Man-Thing']].