3-D Man was created by writerRoy Thomas and artist Jim Craig. The character was originally created as a tribute to the unsuccessfulHarvey Comics characterCaptain 3-D. 3-D Man was originally supposed to appear as the back-up feature in astereoscopic comic book featuringSpider-Man, but the idea was cancelled and 3-D Man made his premiere inMarvel Premiere #35 (1977).[1] 3-D Man is described as having three times the strength, speed and physicality of an average man.[2] 3-D Man is the alternate persona ofChuck Chandler, a test pilot who was abducted by theSkrulls. Chandler was imbued with powers by a Skrull artifact during his escape, but the same incident connected him with his brotherHal Chandler, with Hal giving up his energy and going into a coma whenever Chuck needs to access the power of 3-D Man. The character retained his association with the Skrulls, and they became his main adversaries.[3] The original 3-D Man remained an obscure character.[2]
The character ofDelroy Garrett was created byKurt Busiek andGeorge Pérez.[2] The character of Garrett is described as a former Olympic sprinter who joined a cult, theTriune Understanding, after he was disgraced for using steroids.[4] Originally known asTriathlon and first appearing inAvengers #8 (1988),[4] he is given the powers of 3-D Man by the Triune Understanding after they steal them from Chandler. Triathlon joinedthe Avengers as the new 3-D Man, but he believed himself to be atoken hire as he was an African American and the team was being accused of racism at the time they allowed him to join. The character played a prominent role during theKang Dynasty story arc, but he was unpopular with readers and was not heavily used.[2] He played another prominent role inAvengers: The Initiative #19, in which he joins theSkrull Kill Krew and uses his abilities to see through the disguises of shapeshifting Skrulls.[5] This ability brings him to kill a defecting Skrull who he believed to be hostile.[4]
An alternate version of Chandler's 3-D Man portrayed him as a hero in the 1950s who joined that world's version of the Avengers.[3]
4D Man is the version ofKyle Richmond fromEarth X, first appearing inUniverse X #0 (2000).[6] He was cursed byMephisto to see the future, and he works alongside Isaac Christians, theGargoyle, to document all of history. This is used as aframing device for 4D Man to be a narrator for the story.[7] 4D Man is ultimately betrayed by the Gargoyle.[6]
8-Ball was created byBob Budiansky andBret Blevins, and first appeared inSleepwalker #2 (1991).[8] 8-Ball has no superhuman powers.[9] Wearing a spherical helmet designed to look like abilliards 8 ball, he wields a concussivecue stick and exploding balls.[10]Screen Rant listed him among the worst Marvel Comics villains introduced in the 1990s.[9]Jeff Hagees is introduced as a defense contractor and engineer who is also a skilledpool player.[8][9] He developsproblem gambling and adopts the villainous persona of 8-Ball to recoup his losses. Initially aSleepwalker villain, 8-Ball goes on to fight various superheroes. He did not achieve popularity as a villain, and he was eventually killed off when he was murdered by theWrecker.[8]
An unnamed character wearing the 8-Ball costume appears in a fight sequence inThe Amazing Spider-Man #600. The third version of 8-Ball is introduced inThe Superior Spider-Man #26. Created byDan Slott,Humberto Ramos, andVictor Olazaba, this version of 8-Ball is created by theHobgoblin when he forms a team of newly created supervillains.[11] The Hagees version of 8-Ball was later resurrected, and for a time he was the cellmate ofMoon Knight, giving him another character to interact with and allowing for character growth.[12] Hagees questions his choices inMoon Knight #25 (2023) after luring Moon Knight into a trap: unhappy with his identity as a failed supervillain and the assumptions that this creates about him, he changes his mind and goes back to save Moon Knight.[8]
803 is aservice robot who joins Agent Venom (Flash Thompson)'s crew.[13] He appears in the seriesVenom: Space Knight, where he plays a sidekick role. The character was created by Robbie Thompson, who described his history as if "C-3PO had stayed withJabba for thousands of years", saying that this made the character "self effacing" and "somewhat suicidal".[14] To help Agent Venom move without his legs, 803 builds him a set of prosthetic legs. This idea inspired editor Jake Thomas to focus on the wounded veteran aspect of Thompson's character, including a partnership between Marvel Comics and theWounded Warrior Project.[15]