Young Marvelman
| Young Marvelman | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Eclipse Comics (US), Quality Communications (UK) |
| First appearance | Young Marvelman #25, February 1954 (UK) Miracleman #1 (US) |
| Created by | Mick Anglo |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Dickie Dauntless |
| Notable aliases | Young Marvelman |
| Abilities | Superhuman Strength, Speed and Stamina, Invulnerability, Capable of surviving in space without ill effects, Exceptionally intelligent beyond the human norm, Able to cause thunderclaps by clapping his hands, Flight. |
Young Marvelman (also known as Young Miracleman) is a fictional comic book character appearing in Marvelman. The character was created by Mick Anglo and first appeared in Marvelman #101 published in July 1955. He is the alter-ego of Dickie Dauntless. and transformed into superhuman form by saying the word "Marvelman" (later, for legal reasons,"Miracleman"). The character was later adapted by Alan Moore for his updating of Marvelman in Warrior in 1982, appearing at first in flashbacks and a one-shot story in the Eclipse Comics run of Miracleman in issue #6, until returning to the present day in The Silver Age storyline.
Fictional character biography
Following the atomic bombing of Kid Miracleman, Young Miracleman and Miracleman by their creator, Dr. Gargunza, Young Miracleman died as the explosion caused his human and superbody to occupy the same space at once in underspace where the superbodies were stored, while Kid Miracleman survived and Miracleman was left with no recollection of his identity as a superbeing.
When Neil Gaiman began contributing to the series, he had Miracleman clone Young Miracleman during periodic interludes of individual issues in the first collection of Gaiman's Miracleman run, The Golden Age. Following The Golden Age, Gaiman managed to finish three of the six-part Silver Age, though only two of them ever saw print.
In The Silver Age, Young Miracleman's presence and reactions reflect the 1950s superhero attitudes and values and how he reacts to the utopia Miracleman has created on earth, as well as his proclaiming himself God with the freedom to do as he pleases, raising certain questions as to what differences—if any—existed between the malicious Kid Miracleman and Miracleman. Young Miracleman's shock and traumatizing realization that his past was a lie (as revealed to him by Miracleman) shows his unhappiness with the truth, though he slowly tries to accept it and enjoy the peace that his friend and mentor has created while questioning if he truly belongs there, amidst the many superbeings and wonders in the brave new world.
While he is loved by many and happy to travel the world of wonders, he does have dreams of Kid Miracleman in his menacing incarnation which he tries to reject because of his memories of Johnny Bates as his friend and kind, playful demeanor. This is not helped by his knowing that Miracleman killed Johnny Bates so that he would never transform into his alter-ego Kid Miracleman, in spite of Johnny's innocence and Kid Miracleman having developed his own self-awareness separate from Johnny Bates.
After touring New York city after a parade is held in his honor, Dickie returns to Olympus, almost ready to accept the brave new world that Miracleman has created, but still feeling somewhat awkward around Miracleman. It is only after he is about to go to bed that Miracleman comes in to speak with him, discussing his schedule around the world and letting him know that he can do whatever he wants now that he's back, to which Dickie immediately questions if those are the same ideas Kid Miracleman had that drove him mad. Miracleman assures him that he is right in what he does, and then begins to state he and Young Miracleman need to resolve certain things between them, which a confused Young Miracleman has no idea about what he's talking about. Miracleman then kisses Young Miracleman. Miracleman is then seen being punched right through the wall and into space by a shocked and confused Young Miracleman. Tears streaming down his cheeks believing that his friend and mentor may just be a lecherous pedophile, Young Miracleman yells at Miracleman and asks if that was just what he did that caused Kid Miracleman to become the murderous villain that destroyed London. Miracleman tries to reason with him and states that he's made an error in judgment, but Young Miracleman bursts into tears and flies away, asking him not to follow him.
The series ends on this cliffhanger, as Eclipse Comics went out of business shortly after. A few pages that were printed in magazines shown as teasers would have continued into the dreams that had Kid Miracleman taunting Young Miracleman as he lays resting in the Himalayas.
The massive legal entanglements involving Marvelman/Miracleman have ended now that Marvel Comics purchased the rights to the character. However, nothing has been said of the supporting cast.