 The cover toComet Man #3, art byBill Sienkiewicz | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication information | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | Comet Man #1 (February 1987) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Bill Mumy,Miguel Ferrer andKelley Jones | ||||||||||||||||||||
| In-story information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Alter ego | Doctor Stephen Beckley | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Species | Human (empowered) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of origin | Earth-616 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Team affiliations | Fantastic Four | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Abilities | Superhuman strength and durability Teleportation Force field generation Concussive blast projection Astral projection Flight viatelekinesis Accelerated healing factor | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 | This article'slead sectionmay be too short to adequatelysummarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead toprovide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article.(August 2023) |
Comet Man (Stephen Beckley) is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The character first appeared inComet Man #1,dated February1987.
The character was created partly due to wide public interest in the passing ofHalley's Comet.[1] It was the first comics work ofBill Mumy and his friendMiguel Ferrer. Mumy who had achieved fame as achild actor, playing Will Robinson in the science fiction seriesLost in Space. Ferrer was also an actor soon to have a major career breakthrough due to a prominent role inRoboCop.[2] Mumy and Ferrer wanted to craft a character harking back to theGolden Age of Comic Books, and started off as a fictional comic title in a script in a proposed episode ofThe Twilight Zone.
After meeting Marvel editor-in-chiefJim Shooter atSan Diego Comic-Con, they decided to try out the character as a comic;Comico also showed an interest in the project before a deal was signed with Marvel.Kelley Jones, recently of Marvel's licensedMicronauts title, was assigned as artist.[2] He was pleased with the opportunity to draw a comic set in a quasi-realistic universe, as opposed to the science fiction stylings of the Microverse.Comet Man was planned to be part of the sharedMarvel Universe, with the initial six-issue limited series featuring guest appearances from theHulk,Captain America and theFantastic Four.[1]
TheComet Man limited series hit newsstands in October 1986.[3] Shortly before, the creation was noted byRolling Stone in their 'Where are They Now?' column.[4] The series featured covers byBill Sienkiewicz.[5] Despite Mumy and Ferrer being interested in writing further adventures for the character, no further issues of the title appeared. Instead the character would make a guest appearance the following year inFantastic Four #315–317, written bySteve Englehart. In 1990, the original team reunited for a brief four-issue run on the character in theanthologyMarvel Comics Presents #50–53.
The character was then unseen for a decade until a surprise reappearance inPeter David'sCaptain Marvel in 2000, redesigned by artistChrisCross, before once again vanishing into obscurity before a minor cameo in 2007'sCivil War: Battle Damage Report #1.
Jack Beckley chose to serve as a pilot with theUnited States Air Force in theSouth Pacific. Unknown to him, he left his fiancée carrying his child; to avoid ascandal, the girl's family moved her toFlorida and had her son, John, put up for adoption. When Jack returned, she kept John's birth a secret and the pair married, having son Stephen and daughter Rosemary. When John grew up and founded the intelligence organisation called the Bridge, he tracked his real parents down only for Jack to treat him coldly. In revenge John sabotaged their plane, killing both of them.[6]
Stephen Beckley became anastronomer andastrophysicist, earning a doctorate. He married former astronaut Ann Beckley, and the couple had a son called Benny. Together they also ran the Edmund Project, which investigated astronomical incidents. On a mission, Stephen piloted a craft through a tail ofHalley's Comet and appeared to be killed. Instead, hemet an alien called Max, a being from Colony Fortisque. Max claimed his race is responsible for starting evolution on Earth and other planets in theMilky Way Galaxy, and reconstituted Beckley in a body with superhuman powers. He returned toEarth and told his friend David Hilbert, only to find out he represented the sinister Bridge. Stephen was captured and underwent various tests.[7] He was able to escape after discovering the true extent of his powers and took on the identity of Comet Man, but when Stephen returned home he found his wife and son had been kidnapped by the Bridge.[8] His rescue attempt was nearly derailed through a coincidental run-in with theHulk and aMandroid.[9] This attracted attention from old acquaintanceReed Richards, who invited Comet Man toFour Freedoms Plaza and helped him hone his powers. However, when Comet Man tried to teleport to Ann he arrived in her coffin, his wife having been killed in an unsuccessful escape attempt.[10] Through theFantastic Four he was linked up withNick Fury ofS.H.I.E.L.D., who told him more of the Bridge and revealed they were being run by John, styling himself as the Superior. Comet Man was able to rescue his badly-injured son from the Bridge, giving Benny a duplicated version of his powers as a result.[6] Through Hilbert, he discovered that the Superior's plan was to capture Max but the Bridge's agents turn out to be no match for the alien, who also teleports himself and Comet Man away from his ship before John can trigger a nuclear device. Angered, the powerful alien briefly considered destroying Earth in revenge, but Comet Man was able to persuade him not to, and accompanied Max to the Colony Fortisque.[11]
The pair met the Fantastic Four again while Comet Man was training on Arcturus IV, helping them defeat the alien Nuwali.[12] Comet Man returned to Earth after the Fortisque society grew wary of his human values affecting them. On returning he found out that his sister Rosemary was looking after the comatose Benny. However, he did not realise that Rosemary's husband John Gallagher was the Superior. He was able to communicate with Benny, who was able to point out John's true identity to Comet Man. Benny then used his powers to make John kill himself.[13]
Sometime later Comet Man returned to space with Max, but would once again visited Earth when Benny began using his powers, drawing the attention of the superheroCaptain Marvel (Genis-Vell). After a confrontation, Captain Marvel agreed to let Comet Man take his son into space to learn more control over his powers.[14]
Later, Stephen tried to help some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents trying to take down the Superhuman Registration Act violatorCybermancer during theCivil War, but was defeated.[15] Stephen was considered a "potential recruit" for theInitiative program.[16]
Comet Man canteleport himself over vast distances, from Earth to any location inouter space. The limits on his teleportation range are as yet unknown. The ability is triggered subconsciously when he is in danger; he can utilize his teleportation power consciously through the use of a "psiamplifier" device, given to him by Reed Richards. Comet Man can teleport himself into the presence of another person by concentrating on that person, and subconsciously psionically scans the area to which he teleports himself to make sure he does not materialize within a solid object. He can also psionically project a portion of his own consciousness into the mind of another being; Comet Man refers to this power as "thought pitching." As a side effect of receiving psionic abilities, his capacity for feeling emotions himself has increased. Comet Man possesses superhuman strength, and durability, a regenerative healing factor and telekinesis which he uses to fly, create protective fields, and project destructive blasts.[17]
Adam Dennis ofComic Book Resources suggested the character could make an interesting addition to theMarvel Cinematic Universe.[18] Following Ferrer's death,Dan Wickline commented positively on the series onBleeding Cool.[5]