| Victor Alvarez | |
|---|---|
 Victor Alvarez / Power Man as part of the unofficial team "The Chosen." Cover ofFear Itself: The Home Front #6. Art byMarko Djurdjević. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Shadowland: Power Man #1 (October 2010) |
| Created by | Fred Van Lente Mahmud Asrar |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Victor Alvarez |
| Species | Humanmutate |
| Team affiliations | Avengers Idea Mechanics Avengers Academy Mighty Avengers Heroes for Hire Thunderbolts Champions |
| Partnerships | Iron Fist Pinpoint |
| Notable aliases | Power Man |
| Abilities |
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Power Man (Victor Alvarez) is asuperhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created byFred Van Lente andMahmud Asrar, the character first appeared inShadowland: Power Man #1 (October 2010).[1] Victor Alvarez is the third incarnation ofPower Man.[2][3] He is the son of thesupervillainShades.[4][5][6]
Victor Alvarez debuted as part of the "Shadowland"crossover inShadowland: Power Man #1, created by writerFred Van Lente and artistMahmud Asrar.[7][8][9] He appeared in the 2010Avengers Academy series. He appeared in the 2011Power Man and Iron Fist series.[10][11][12][13] He appeared in the 2011Fear Itself: The Home Frontanthology series.[14] He appeared as part of theMarvel NOW! initiative in the 2013Mighty Avengers series.[15]
Victor Alvarez appeared in the 2022Thunderbolts series, by writerJim Zub and artist Sean Izaakse.[16][17][18]
Victor Alvarez was first introduced as a teenager from the neighborhood ofHell's Kitchen inNew York City. He is the son of Reina Alvarez andShades. As a child, he was caught in an explosion caused by the villainBullseye that resulted in the deaths of over 100 people including his father. Victor survived by somehow using a technique that drew thechi from the dead bodies around him and temporarily granted him superhuman strength and fortitude.[19]
Some time later during theShadowland storyline, Victor took on the name Power Man and began using his abilities to fight crime as a hero for hire, advertising his services on sites likeCraigslist. Victor's activities eventually drew the attention ofLuke Cage, a member of theAvengers who had once used the Power Man name. Cage and his partnerIron Fist eventually learn that Victor is the son of Shades, a Puerto Rican supervillain that Cage had fought years earlier. Though Victor dislikes both Cage and Iron Fist, he eventually teams up with them to help the other heroes fight the crazedMatt Murdock and his army ofHand ninjas.[20][21]
During theFear Itself storyline, Power Man ends up teleported onto a station in the middle of the Pacific Ocean withAmadeus Cho,Spider-Girl,Thunderstrike andX-23. They end up fighting a group of samurai Shark Men.[22] Power Man is part of the new class of students when theAvengers Academy moves to the former headquarters of theWest Coast Avengers.[23]
During theInfinity storyline, Power Man was with Heroes for Hire while they stoppedPlunderer's men from stealing robot parts. AfterSuperior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus' mind in Peter Parker's body) stops Plunderer, he called Heroes for Hire mercenaries in front of Power Man. While at a café with Luke Cage, Power Man expresses a desire to attack Spider-Man, Luke is more concerned with the consequences for his family. Power Man then plans to start his own version of the Avengers.[24]
Victor Alvarez acquired a range ofsuperpowers after a traumatic explosion during his childhood. He possesses the ability to drawchi energy from his environment.[25] His skin color changes to a glowing red when Victor Alvarez uses this power. It grants him superhuman strength, speed, durability, and agility. This technique is similar to the one that givesIron Fist his abilities, something the hero commented on during his first encounter with Victor Alvarez.[26] He is able to enhance the superpowers of others. He has the ability to change his size.[27] Victor Alvarez can also absorb energy. Additionally, he is a skilled martial artist.
Victor Alvarez wears a yellow and black body suit with metal embellishments, similar to the look of Luke Cage, the first Power Man.[28]
Tom Moore ofLooper included Victor Alvarez in their "Young Marvel Heroes Who Still Need To Appear In The MCU" list.[29]Screen Rant included Victor Alvarez in their "10 Best Street-Level Heroes Not Yet In The MCU" list,[30] and in their "10 Iconic New York City-Based Marvel Superheroes We Haven't Seen In The MCU" list.[31]Comic Book Resources ranked Victor Alvarez 5th in their "10 Iconic Marvel Characters Who Debuted In Comic Events" list.[32]
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