Wizard (Marvel)
The Wizard is a male comic supervillain who features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Bentley Wittman
Around 20 years ago, he was known to had met a woman by the name of Salamandra with the two becoming lovers. He, however, found the woman interesting for use as part of an experiment as she was the daughter of a dragon. This saw Benley Whitman using machines to make her pregnant with his child and kept her sedated during the process as Salamandra wanted to abort the offspring. Whilst pregnant, he conducted experiments on the unborn child in an effort to instil powers but when his daughter Cole Whitman was born she proved to hold no abilities. Thus, he was known to had left both Salamandra and their daughter instead to pursue other ventures. (Fantastic Four v1 #515)
Bentley would later encounter Elisha of the Alpha Primitives who wished to free their society from the rule of the Inhuman king. To that end, Wittman provided them neural inhibitors that were used in the uprising. Ultimately, they failed to kill the ruler of the Inhumans though members of the Royal Family whilst investigating the incident keep to leave their hidden city of Attilan and came to New York City. Whilst there, they encountered Elisha who introduced them to Bently Wittman. (Inhumans: Once and Future Kings v1 #2) He would supply the Inhuman princes with technology to help them better control their powers which in turn allowed Black Bolt to speak. (Inhumans: Once and Future Kings v1 #3)
At his hideout, he constructed his newest invention that were his Wonder Gloves which he believed would give him an advantage against the Fantastic Four. Thus, he struck them at their home in the Baxter Building where he overpowered them at a time when the Thing was turned back to normal. Initially, Wittman managed to overpower his foes but he was ultimately deprived off the gloves by the Human Torch with the Wizard quickly escaping the scene to avoid capture. (Fantastic Four v1 #78)
Fantastic Four
Pretending to be a victim by pretending his attempt to use a new drill had gone wrong and he was trapped, he really had enough air for weeks, he was rescued by the Torch and invited him to his high-tech, futuristic mansion on Long Island. There he captured the Torch with ease by pretending to take a three-dimensional photo, but really squirting a liquid onto the Torch. The Torch was then locked in an asbestos cell at gunpoint. The Wizard impersonated the Torch, launching a crime spree to destroy the Torch's reputation. However, the Torch escaped and with help from the Invisible Girl, got photos showing the Wizard had impersonated him and the Wizard was sent to prison. (Strange Tales v1 #102) The Wizard was not in prison for long, after being given a job in the prison hospital for good behavior, he created a chemical formula to melt a way out of his cell. Holing up in his mansion the Wizard issued a challenge to the Human Torch to another duel. The Torch went after the Wizard and was captured once again. After being bailed out by his sister for the second time, the Torch quickly recaptured the Wizard and turned him over to the authorities. (Strange Tales v1 #105) The Wizard was later broken out of prison by Paste-Pot Pete, another foe of the Human Torch. The two then conspired to defeat their mutual foe, framing the Torch for various crimes and acts of treason. Suspecting his old foes involvement, the Torch posed as a wealthy actor from England. With a planted newspaper story, the two criminals fell for the trap. Trapped by the Wizard yet again, the Torch used his ingenuity and flame powers to melt through the various traps. He once again captured the Wizard and Paste-Pot Pete who were incarcerated once again and the Torch was able to clear his name. (Strange Tales v1 #110)
The Wizard's Return
After Intelligencia's defeat, its members scattered around he world to escape capture with Wittman enjoying himself on a cruise ship. He was tracked down by the She-Hulk and Lyra where they managed to successfully capture him. Imprisoned in Gamma Base, he made a deal for better arrangements for his cell whereby he gave up the locations of the other Intelligencia members. (She-Hulks v1 #1) Whilst She-Hulk captured each member, the Wizard vowed to get revenge against her and used his time imprisoned to modify his cell with an anti-gravity field. This allowed him to eventually escape from Gamma Base where he decided to pursue his revenge with him targeting a school dance attended by Lyra in her civilian guise. The Wizard attacked leading to Lyra's human date being badly injured thus ostracizing her from her friends when they came to learn that she was the Savage She-Hulk. (She-Hulks v1 #4)
He was with the Intelligencia at their Geo-Base 1 headquarters in the Arctic when it came under attack from the Sinister Six. During the battle, Wittman confronted Sandman with the two deciding not to fight one another due to their friendship as members of the Frightful Four. Flint admitted that he was working with Octavius as he could help him with his daughter. Bentley told Marko that he would have helped him had Sandman approached him but before the two could come to an agreement then Doctor Octopus sent the Wizard into orbit with the Zero Cannon. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #676)
He came afflicted with a brain tumour that caused him to respond in erratic and a mad-like manner. (Fantastic Four v1 #610) This saw him create a number of clones of himself which included a young version called Bentley-23. The other adult subjects were retrofitted to control power suits and attack the Fantastic Four but were defeated. Afterwards, the Four found and defeated the Wizard who was taken into custody with the young Bentley-23 taken into care. (Fantastic Four v1 #570)
He later retreated to one of A.I.M.s secret bases on an outlier island when they were approached by the Invisible Woman and his child clone 23 who had tracked them down. His child had claimed the name Bentley-23 and that they had approached him with an invitation from Doctor Doom to a gathering of scientists that had were to come with solutions to defeat members of the Interdimensional Council of Reeds. (FF v1 #3)
Overview
Personality and attributes
He first took the title The Wizard as a stage name, using his technology to perform feats of stage 'magic'. (Fantastic Four Unlimited v1 #5)
For a time, he was a lover of Salamandra and had a daughter with her named Cole Whitman but abandoned them when the child showed no powers. (Fantastic Four v1 #515) He also had a younger clone son of himself who was referred to as Bentley-23. (Fantastic Four v1 #570)
He had a desire to prove himself to be any man's superior. (Strange Tales v1 #102)
Powers and abilities
He grew up possessing near-superhuman levels of genius, and used these skills to great success in a variety of fields, having been a chess champion, renowned escape artist, and become rich selling his advanced scientific inventions to the wealthy. (Strange Tales v1 #102)
In addition, he was knowledgeable in genetics to the point in allowing him to create clones. These included modified hunter-killer clones that utilised DNA-based processing, redundant intelligence centers, transuniversal point-to-point streaming and other such features with them being powered plutonium-powered brain. (Fantastic Four v1 #570)
It was said that the Wizard's helmet only shielded his brainwaves when he was wearing it. (FF v1 #3)
One of his creations were his multi-powered Wonder Gloves that gave him superhuman strength, could fire shock bolts, create whirling typhoon-spheres, generate a forcefield, (Fantastic Four v1 #78) A double-intensity blast from the power glove was strong enough to knock out certain superhuman foes. (Fantastic Four v1 #94)
The Wizard was responsible for creating the Anti-Grav Discs that could attach to a person and cause them to float in the air. (Fantastic Four v1 #42)
He once created a suit that allowed him to appear as the Human Torch. This had hundreds of jets that he could turn on automatically which would cause it to burst into flames whilst the inside living prevented him from being burnt. A miniature rocket motor allowed him to fly across the air as the Torch. (Strange Tales v1 #102)
Notes
- The Wizard was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby where he made his first appearance in Strange Tales v1 #102 (November, 1962).
Alternate Versions
In other media
Television
- In Spider-Man, the Wizard appeared as an antagonist in the 1981 animated television series episode "Under the Wizard's Spell" where he was voiced by actor Brad Crandall.
- In Fantastic Four, the Wizard appeared as an antagonist in the animated television series episode "And the Wind Cries Medusa" where he was voiced by actor Ron Perlman.
- In Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes, the Wizard appeared in the animated television series episode "Frightful" where he was voiced by actor Jonathan Holmes.
- In Ultimate Spider-Man, the Wizard appeared as an antagonist in the animated television series where he was voiced by actor Tom Kenny.
Video games
- In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, the Wizard appeared as a mini-boss in the video game where he was voiced by actor Danny Mann.
Appearances
- Strange Tales v1: (1962)
- Fantastic Four v1:
- She-Hulks v1:
- Amazing Spider-Man v1:
- FF v1:
- Superior Carnage v1:
- Inhumans: Once and Future Kings v1:
- Power Pack:
External Links
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