Psycho-Man

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Psycho-Man first appeared in Fantastic Four Annual #5 (Nov. 1967) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.^[1]

Discover more about Publication history related topics

Fantastic Four (comic book)

Fantastic Four (comic book)

Fantastic Four is the name of several comic book titles featuring the team Fantastic Four and published by Marvel Comics, beginning with the original Fantastic Four comic book series which debuted in 1961.

Annual publication

Annual publication

Annual publications, more often simply called annuals, are periodical publications appearing regularly once per year. Although exact definitions may vary, types of annuals include: calendars and almanacs, directories, yearbooks, annual reports, proceedings and transactions and literary annuals. A weekly or monthly publication may produce an Annual featuring similar materials to the regular publication. Some encyclopedias have published annual supplements that essentially summarize the news of the past year, similar to some newspaper yearbooks.

Stan Lee

Stan Lee

Stan Lee was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which would later become Marvel Comics. He was the primary creative leader for two decades, leading its expansion from a small division of a publishing house to a multimedia corporation that dominated the comics and film industries.

Jack Kirby

Jack Kirby

Jack Kirby was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew up in New York City and learned to draw cartoon figures by tracing characters from comic strips and editorial cartoons. He entered the nascent comics industry in the 1930s, drawing various comics features under different pen names, including Jack Curtiss, before ultimately settling on Jack Kirby. In 1940, he and writer-editor Joe Simon created the highly successful superhero character Captain America for Timely Comics, predecessor of Marvel Comics. During the 1940s, Kirby regularly teamed with Simon, creating numerous characters for that company and for National Comics Publications, later to become DC Comics.

Psycho-Man first appears in the 1967 Fantastic Four annual, as the leader of a technocracy that governs a microscopic system of worlds in the Microverse.^[2] Due to overpopulation on these worlds, the character decides that the macroscopic world will be an ideal new base. Using technology from the mainstream Marvel universe, Psycho-Man remains microscopic in size but is able to function by controlling a suit of advanced human-sized armor. Using a portable device capable of influencing people's emotions, Psycho-Man enslaves a number of human subjects to build a larger version of the machine, with the intent of subjugating the world. The plan, however, is thwarted by Fantastic Four members the Human Torch and the Thing, by the Royal Family of the Inhumans and by the Black Panther; Psycho-Man is forced to retreat back to the Microverse.^[3]

The character reappears in the title Fantastic Four when Mister Fantastic, the Human Torch and the Thing travel to Psycho-Man's realm to find the Herald of Galactus, the Silver Surfer. Becoming aware of the threat of Galactus, Psycho-Man allows the heroes and the Surfer to leave unopposed.^[4] In the title Micronauts the diminutive heroes are joined by the entire Fantastic Four and battle Psycho-Man, who at this time claims to be in forced exile.^[5] Psycho-Man reappears in the title Fantastic Four and uses an android based on the villain the Hate-Monger to incite hatred amongst the population of New York City.^[6] Psycho-Man succeeds in transforming the Invisible Woman into the entity Malice and sends her to destroy the remainder of the Fantastic Four. Mister Fantastic frees his wife from the conditioning and they pursue Psycho-Man to the Microverse, where the villain is forced to experience a number of negative emotions simultaneously by the Invisible Girl after she turned his own equipment against him. The villain lapses into a coma and Susan Richards, in recognition of the personal growth she experienced during this mission, changes her name to the Invisible Woman.^[7]

Reduced to a minuscule size after an accidental exposure to Ant-Man's shrinking gas, Spider-Man finds himself in the Microverse face-to-face with Psycho-Man. After a failed attempt to drain the Captain Universe power from Spider-Man (a power he no longer possesses), Spider-Man escapes from Psycho-Man's prison to find an alien universe that Psycho-Man has shrunk and demanded they make him king. After a battle with Psycho-Man, Spider-Man, with the help of the beings of this shrunken universe, is able to destroy the device that controls Psycho-Man's power to manipulate the sizes of things, causing Psycho-Man to shrink and Spider-Man to return to normal size.^[8]

In the fourth volume of the title Captain Marvel, the Kree hero Genis-Vell has an encounter with Psycho-Man in the Microverse when the villain temporarily controls Marvel's ally, Drax the Destroyer.^[9] The character launches another attack on New York City in the title Marvel Knights 4 but is defeated once again by the Invisible Woman;^[10] appears in an issue of the fourth volume of the Black Panther and battles a new version of the Fantastic Four (the Black Panther; the mutant Storm; the Thing and the Human Torch).^[11]

Psycho-Man is killed by the Red Hulk during a tournament organized by the Grandmaster, but restored to life with other fallen characters when the tournament is completed.^[12]

It is revealed that Psycho-Man has a daughter, who calls herself Psycho-Woman, who uses an "emotional modifier" device, far superior to her father's technology. She engineered a series of events that led to Johnny Storm impregnating a woman, in hopes of using the child's genetics to create a cosmic energy-powered army. Hiding in Johnny's body, she was apparently incinerated when he "flamed on".^[13]

Psycho-Man attempted to take control of the students of Avengers Academy while they were out on a 'field trip' with substitute teacher Spider-Man.^[14] He was defeated when Spider-Man's will power proved sufficient to shake off his influence thanks to his old experience with the Psycho-Man. Spider-Man rallied the other students to fight back and throw off his control, simultaneously giving Spider-Man the chance to connect to his students and prompt them to prove their worth as heroes.^[15]

During the "Fear Itself" storyline, Psycho-Man takes advantage of the fear and chaos caused by the Serpent and his Worthy by plotting to use Man-Thing as the ultimate fear bomb for Earth and other worlds. Psycho-Man has to deal with the Fearsome Four (consisting of Howard the Duck, She-Hulk, Nighthawk, and Frankenstein's Monster). Psycho-Man brings forth an alternate version of the Fantastic Four (consisting of Spider-Man, Wolverine, Gray Hulk, and Ghost Rider) from another dimension and brainwashes them into fighting the Fearsome Four. Howard the Duck uses his secret weapon - a device called the "No Thing" - which defeats Psycho-Man and the alternate Fantastic Four.^[16]

When the mysterious Quiet Man mounted an attack on the FF, one of the villains he recruited to aid in his assault was the Psycho-Man, whose dimensional technology helped the Quiet Man access the forces of Counter-Earth created by Franklin Richards, recruiting and brainwashing its heroes as part of his plans. However, the Psycho-Man's role in his plan also allowed Reed to defeat the Quiet Man, whose plan depended on the idea that the villains would withdraw and allow the Quiet Man to present himself as the hero who exposed Reed's attack, as Reed correctly deduced that the Psycho-Man wouldn't give up control over two worlds. The Psycho-Man was defeated when Valeria managed to calculate how to hack his equipment and use it to make the Quiet Man's forces withdraw.

During the aftermath of the "Secret Empire" storyline, Psycho-Man then appears in Colorado causing a riot until he is thwarted by the Champions. Before escaping, Psycho-Man's emotion-controlling device affects the time-displaced Cyclops which causes him to behave strangely. He then appears in a facility in Alabama, where he affects the scientists with his device and uses them to attack the Champions until Cyclops defeats him by attacking him from behind, nearly killing him.^[17]

Discover more about Fictional character biography related topics

Fantastic Four (comic book)

Fantastic Four (comic book)

Fantastic Four is the name of several comic book titles featuring the team Fantastic Four and published by Marvel Comics, beginning with the original Fantastic Four comic book series which debuted in 1961.

Annual publication

Annual publication

Annual publications, more often simply called annuals, are periodical publications appearing regularly once per year. Although exact definitions may vary, types of annuals include: calendars and almanacs, directories, yearbooks, annual reports, proceedings and transactions and literary annuals. A weekly or monthly publication may produce an Annual featuring similar materials to the regular publication. Some encyclopedias have published annual supplements that essentially summarize the news of the past year, similar to some newspaper yearbooks.

Emotion

Emotion

Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. Emotions are often intertwined with mood, temperament, personality, disposition, or creativity.

Human Torch

Human Torch

The Human Torch is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of a similar, previous character, the android Human Torch of the same name and powers who was created in 1939 by writer-artist Carl Burgos for Marvel Comics' predecessor company, Timely Comics.

Inhumans

Inhumans

The Inhumans are a superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many people associate the name "Inhumans" with this particular team of superpowered characters.

Silver Surfer

Silver Surfer

The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in the comic book Fantastic Four #48, published in 1966.

Micronauts (comics)

Micronauts (comics)

The Micronauts are comic books featuring a group of characters based on the Mego Micronauts toy line. The first title was published by Marvel Comics in 1979, with both original characters and characters based on the toys. Marvel published two Micronauts series, mostly written by Bill Mantlo, until 1986, well after the toy line was cancelled in 1980. In the 2000s, Image Comics and Devil's Due Publishing each briefly published their own Micronauts series. Byron Preiss Visual Publications also published three paperback novels based on the Micronauts. In 2016, IDW Publishing published a new comic book series. A live-action film version of the Micronauts was in development by Hasbro Studios and Paramount in 2015.

Exile

Exile

Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suffer exile, but sometimes social entities like institutions are forced from their homeland.

Android (robot)

Android (robot)

An android is a humanoid robot or other artificial being often made from a flesh-like material. Historically, androids were completely within the domain of science fiction and frequently seen in film and television, but advances in robot technology now allow the design of functional and realistic humanoid robots.

Hate-Monger

Hate-Monger

The Hate-Monger is the name of several different fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

New York City

New York City

New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over 300.46 square miles (778.2 km2), New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States and more than twice as populous as Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest city. New York City is located at the southern tip of New York State. It constitutes the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. by both population and urban area. With over 20.1 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and 23.5 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020, New York is one of the world's most populous megacities, and over 58 million people live within 250 mi (400 km) of the city. New York City is a global cultural, financial, entertainment, and media center with a significant influence on commerce, health care and life sciences, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, dining, art, fashion, and sports. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy, and is sometimes described as the capital of the world.

Invisible Woman

Invisible Woman

The Invisible Woman is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Fantastic Four #1. Susan Storm is a founding member of the Fantastic Four and was the first female superhero created by Marvel during the Silver Age of Comic Books.

Psycho-Man possesses advanced intelligence and, in experimental and combat situations, uses a portable emotion-controlling device called the "Control-Box" that projects a ray capable of stimulating the centers of emotion within a person's brain. The device has settings allowing it to trigger fear, doubt and hate at varying degrees of intensity. Being a microscopic being, Psycho-Man uses and remotely controls an advanced body armor (with varying abilities) when appearing on Earth. The character also possesses a space vessel for transport.

Ultimate Marvel

Psycho-Man appears in Ultimate Fantastic Four #44 (Sept 2007).^[18] He is the ruler of Zenn-La, and is called Revka Temerlune Edifex Scyros III, "The king with no enemies". The Silver Surfer is his herald, having been trained as his successor. The name "Psycho-Man" is given to him by Johnny Storm. Revka uses his mind control powers to make the people of Manhattan worship him, claiming he will bring peace to the world. He then takes them to Zenn-La, to "see what Heaven is like". He erases the memories of all the people and gives them the lives of dead Zenn-la dwellers. He once ruled old Zenn-La and lost his sanity. After he trained Norrin Radd to be his successor Norrin broke Revka's control of people and Zenn-La destroyed itself. When the Fantastic Four regain their memories and powers he sends out a band of Silver Surfer-like assassins. In the battle's aftermath, Psycho-Man lost control of the people and was "reprogrammed." Revka possesses strong telepathic powers which are further augmented by surgical implants, which also grant him near immortality.

Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe

In the limited series Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, the X-Men send Deadpool to a mental hospital for therapy. However, the doctor treating him is actually Psycho-Man in disguise, who attempts to torture and brainwash Deadpool into becoming his personal minion, seeking to create an army of supervillains under his control. The procedure fails, but leaves Deadpool mentally unhinged; as a result, he kills Psycho-Man by repeatedly smashing him against a desk and begins assassinating every superhero and supervillain on Earth one by one.^[19]

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Ultimate Fantastic Four

Ultimate Fantastic Four

Ultimate Fantastic Four is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Fantastic Four comic book franchise as part of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. The Ultimate Fantastic Four team exists alongside other revamped Marvel characters in Ultimate Marvel titles including Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men, and The Ultimates.

Silver Surfer

Silver Surfer

The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in the comic book Fantastic Four #48, published in 1966.

X-Men

X-Men

The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee, the team first appearing in The X-Men #1. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to low sales, following its 1975 revival and subsequent direction under writer Chris Claremont, it became one of the most recognizable and successful franchises of Marvel Comics. They have appeared in numerous books, television shows, the 20th Century Fox X-Men films, and video games. The X-Men title may refer to the superhero team itself, the eponymous comic series, or the broader franchise including various solo titles and team books such as the New Mutants, Excalibur, and X-Force. This team of heroes marks a striking resemblance to another superhero team conceived by DC Comics called Doom Patrol, that released three months prior to release of the X-Men.

Deadpool

Deadpool

Deadpool is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in New Mutants #98. In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is initially depicted as a supervillain of the New Mutants and X-Force, though later stories would portray him as an antihero. Deadpool is the alter ego of Wade Wilson, a disfigured Canadian mercenary with superhuman regenerative healing abilities. He is known for his tendency to joke incessantly and break the fourth wall for humorous effect.

Television

• Psycho-Man appears in the Fantastic Four episode "Worlds Within Worlds" voiced by Jamie Horton.