Cardiac (Marvel)
Cardiac is a male comic superhero who features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Elias Wirtham
When Elias Wirtham's older brother Joshua died of an incurable disease, Elias devoted himself to medicine, intending to save lives in honor of his brother's memory. In medical school, he roomed with Dr. Kevin Trench, and as his career began he befriended biotechnician Gerald Stone and industrialist Tony Stark, among others. Learning of a miracle drug that could have saved Joshua's life, Elias directed his flourishing company to take over the drug manufacturer. After acquiring the business assets, Elias was horrified to learn that the drug had been developed years ago, but the company had withheld releasing it in order to earn more money. Thus, his brother had died needlessly due to corporate greed with Elias vowing to bring such people to justice. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #360)
Now disgusted by his brother's meaningless death, Elias subjected himself to experiments that replaced his heart with a beta particle reactor, and fused a Vibranium mesh into his skin. Assuming the costumed guise of Cardiac, he set out to avenge the deaths of innocents at the hands of individuals who were untouchable by the law. When he targeted Justin Hammer's company Sapirdyne Chemicals for manufacturing cocaine, he encountered Hammer's enforcers Rhino and Boomerang, as well as the heroic Spider-Man. Cardiac admired Spider-Man as a hero, and made repeated fruitless attempts to recruit Spider-Man as his ally. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #345)
He came to track down Albert Brukner next to Suburbia at his pristine mansion residence. Cardiac attacked the site as Brukner attempted to escape with his money. Elias came to destroy the man's home and vehicle leaving him ruined as a result before departing the scene. He then heard of the actions of Techtoy that had produced mechanical dolls that had malfunctioned and killed a person. Thus, he targeted the factory leading to a confrontation with its security along with Spider-Man. During the fight, Cardiac was injured and fell on a conveyer line where he was nearly killed by the factory machines. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #359) After being saved by Spider-Man, Cardiac made his escape where he repaired the damage done to his pseudoskin. From his home, he began to investigate Techtoy and decided to meet with some people he sponsored in his civilian persona. Thus, he attended a charity at the Lincoln Centre where he met with a councilwoman whose campaign he had helped sponsor in order to see her own ties to the board of Techtoy. From her, he came to learn the name Joe Faulkner who was a head at Stane and Techtoy where as Cardiac he confronted the businessman at his company. Before he could eliminate Faulkner, Spider-Man arrived at the scene looking to stop Cardiac from committing murder. During this encounter, he came to reveal part of his origin to Spider-Man who empathised with Cardiac but refused to allow him to murder a man. Their argument though allowed Faulkner to call in Stane security that targeted both vigilantes. This forced the two to work together with the armored corporate security managing to delay the two masked man long enough to allow Faulkner to escape. The authorities arrived at the scene where the businessman attempted to have them target the vigilantes. However, the police had received word that Joe Faulkner was producing munitions in a built-up area and thus arrested him. Though denied killing the man, Cardiac was satisfied and departed in secret but not before leaving a note for Spider-Man stating that he intended to continue his crusade to bring immoral people to justice. This left Spider-Man saddened as this placed the two vigilantes on opposing sides as a result. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #360)
Cardiac next targeted Stane International's Techtoy Company for manufacturing nerve drugs. While pursuing controversial filmmaker William Gant, Cardiac encountered Gerald Stone, who had become a mercenary with his partner Styx. As Wirtham, he learned that the energy-draining Styx had become a living cancer whom Stone was attempting to cure. Wirtham pretended to offer his help to Stone, but instead tried to slay Styx to prevent him from further killing. Styx and Stone faced Cardiac when Spider-Man arrived. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #377) Cardiac's next target was faulty building manufacturer Steven Polk, but the police's Code: Blue Team saved Polk's life. John Blaze and Vengeance later helped Cardiac expose Child, Inc., a charity that was secretly selling children; the trio successfully freed the children. (Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance v1 #22)
After the Civil War, Elias was listed as a 'potential recruit' for the Initiative program. (Civil War: Battle Damage Report v1 #1)
Overview
Personality and attributes
As a masked vigilante, he came to take the name of Cardiac. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #344)
In his civilian persona, he was noted for being a serious and ruthless man. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #360)
The death of his older brother led to the young Elias vowing to become a healer and the best that ever was in the world. Wirtham had decided that he would save lives in order to honor the ones who would never live again. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #360) According to him, too many people had forgotten the meaning of responsibility and that he would be there to remind them. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #359)
Sometimes, he did wonder if he would ever lead a normal life. However, he reminded himself that he was not normal and that he chose the life of being a masked vigilante as a promise he made to his brother Josh. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #359)
He had said that sometimes miracles had to be made. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #342)
Elias came to become a vigilante after learning that a miracle drug that could have saved his brothers life had been developed but withheld for economic reasons. Thus, his older sibling died as a result of corporate greed. Wirtham decided then that someone had to bring such people's crimes into account as they were protected by their positions of power and technicality. As such, he came to become Cardiac in order to bring such people to justice even if this resulted in cold-blooded murder. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #360)
As a physician, he took an oath to protect life yet this came to clash with his desire to find justice. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #344) As a vigilante, he considered himself to be an instrument of justice and a scourge of those society would not reprove. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #376)
It was known that he had an older brother with the two sharing a love as deep as the soul. He had idolised his older sibling and was shattered when his brother died as victim of a rare incurable disease. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #360)
He had admired the exploits of Spider-Man for years and thought it would be an honor to work alongside the hero. Despite that, the two differed on their approach leading to a clash between the pair. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #344)
Powers and abilities
Originally, Elias Wirtham was an ordinary human being with no special inherent powers or abilities. From a young age, he decided to become a healer where the world of science and scalpels became his life. It was noted that he had been good in his studies due to his strong motivation. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #360) Wirtham was noted to had been trained to be a doctor. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #342)
Extensive damage to his body could break the pseudskin coating that covered the cybernetic changes made to his body. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #360)
He had built a pulse staff that could disguise itself as a walking staff. A microscopic surge of energy coursing through it could result in it adopting its staff configuration. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #344)
Elias came to build the most powerful medical and biological research empire on the East Coast. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #344) With his money, he was able to put financial support to a person's political campaigns and called upon these connections for information to be used as Cardiac. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #360)
He used to reside at Wirtham Tower that was located adjacent to Midtown's Blessing Hospital. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #344)
Notes
- Cardiac was created by David Michelinie and Erik Larsen where he first appeared as Elias Wirtham in Amazing Spider-Man v1 #342 (December, 1990) before appearing as Cardiac in Amazing Spider Man v1 #344 (February, 1991).
Appearances
- Amazing Spider-Man v1: (1990)
- Superior Spider-Man v1:
- Valkyrie: Jane Foster v1:
External Links
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