Marvel has made a major mistake introducing a new hero that is little more than a Superman rip-off. The character in question, David Colton, had already drawn criticism for seeming derivative. However, a new revelation tying him to yet another superhero legacy seems even more ill-advised.
The revelation came in the closing pages of Avengers: Armageddon #4. Written by Chip Zdarsky, with art by Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar, the series details the global conflict born of Red Hulk invading Latveria. This leaves the X-Men, Avengers, and Fantastic Four scrambling to stop multiple nuclear missile launches. David Colton, a former super-soldier who failed as a Captain America replacement, also took a major role in this conflict, seeking to destroy every nuclear weapon on Earth before the current disaster.
First introduced in Zdarsky’s Captain America series, Colton became “an AWOL ex-soldier with the powers of Sentry” through various encounters with other Marvel heroes. Chief among these was an Origin Box from the new Ultimate Universe, which was what gave him his new powers. However, while of a similar scope, his powers were not precisely the same as those of The Sentry.
Avengers: Armageddon #4 identified the source of Colton’s new power, as he battled Red Hulk. Pondering the recurring dreams of his mother he’d begun having since gaining his powers, Colton became inspired to say a magic word – “Kimota.”
The comic concluded with the wounded Colton being healed and now being clad in a new costume. This, coupled with the magic word, confirmed Colton as a new incarnation of the hero Miracleman.
Marvel’s History with Miracleman explained
The story of Miracleman’s publication is one of the most convoluted in comics history. The character was originally created in 1954 by British comic creator Mick Anglo as a substitute for Captain Marvel. This proved necessary after Fawcett Publications shut down their superhero comics line following a lawsuit by the owners of Superman. At the time, the reprints of the American Captain Marvel comics were popular in England and publisher L. Miller & Son didn’t want to lose their cash cow.
To that end, Anglo kept the concept of a boy who became an adult superhero by saying a magic word. Thus Billy Batson was replaced with Michael Moran, who said the word “Kimota” instead of “Shazam!” to become Marvelman. His appearance was also changed, being given blonde hair and a blue bodysuit with no cape.
His name was later changed to Miracleman in the 1980s. This followed editor Dez Skin hiring Alan Moore to write a deconstructive examination of the character for the anthology Warrior. It was feared Marvel would sue over the name, despite the character predating Marvel Comics.
Ironically, Marvel would start reprinting the old Miracleman comics as well as new stories starting in 2010. This came about after a lengthy legal battle over the ownership of the Miracleman character. In the middle of this, it came to light that Mick Anglo still owned the rights to Marvelman and had never been consulted about the 1982 reimagining. Since this discovery, Marvel has licensed the character from Anglo’s estate. However, the introduction of David Colton as a new Miracleman is the first attempt to bring the hero into the main Marvel setting of Earth-616.
Why Marvel’s new Miracleman is dead on arrival
Given the character’s legacy and name, it is easy to see why Marvel might want to bring Miracleman into their comics. However, there seems little reason to do so beyond the synergy of the name. Beyond that, there is no place for Miracleman in modern comics or the Marvel Universe.
While Alan Moore’s run on Miracleman was revolutionary, it has been rendered redundant by successive comics. Moore topped himself deconstructing superheroes several years later with Watchmen. The Miracleman comics which followed were pretty poor in comparison, even with the involvement of legendary creators like Alex Ross, Kurt Busiek, and Matt Wagner.
Additionally, there have been countless efforts to explore the idea of a Superman mad with power. Indeed, the trope has become such a cliche that even general audiences are familiar with the idea from adaptations ranging from The Boys to Invincible to Brightburn. And even ignoring that, Marvel already has their own dark version of Superman in the Sentry.
Given all that, the new Miracleman seems doomed to be quickly forgotten or remembered only as one of Marvel’s biggest mistakes. Despite his unique heritage, he still comes off as nothing more than yet another dark Superman. And that is the last thing American comics need right now.
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