| Straw Man | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Dead of Night #11 (August 1975) |
| Created by | Scott Edelman (writer) Rico Rival (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Notable aliases | Scarecrow, Skirra Corvus |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength Invulnerability except from fire Fear inducement Plant manipulation Portal creation Weather manipulation |
TheStraw Man, originally called theScarecrow, is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics.
The Scarecrow was created by writerScott Edelman and artist Rico Rival and first appeared inDead of Night #11 (August 1975).[1][2]Gil Kane andBernie Wrightson provided the cover art.[3] ArtistBill Draut was to have drawn the first appearance of the Scarecrow, but did not complete the assignment.[4] The Scarecrow was originally scheduled to appear as a feature inMonsters Unleashed andGiant-Size Werewolf, but both of those series were cancelled before the Scarecrow feature could appear. It was then rescheduled forDead of Night[5] and after that series was cancelled as well, the character was to have a self-titledScarecrow series, but it was not published.[6] Edelman and artist Ruben Yandoc produced a follow-up story which appeared inMarvel Spotlight #26 (February 1976),[7] and the story was eventually concluded byBill Mantlo andRon Wilson inMarvel Two-in-One #18 (August 1976).[8]
Many years later, he was brought back in the pages ofDr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #31 (July 1991)[9] in which he took on the name "the Straw Man" to differentiate himself from the costumed killer named theScarecrow. He subsequently appeared in issues #38[10] and 40, meetingDaredevil in the latter issue.[11]
The Scarecrow did not speak in his early appearances. However, in his later appearances he did and he pretended to be a newscaster named "Skirra Corvus", Latin for "Scarecrow".
The Scarecrow is an extra–dimensional magical entity, possibly a demon, which takes vengeance on its enemies. He lives inside apalimpsest painting of a laughing scarecrow purchased by Jess Duncan and opposes the centuries-old Cult of Kalumai.[1] The Scarecrow battled demons at a police station to recover the Horn of Kalumai, which would have allowed Kalumai to travel to Earth.[7] Kalumai later spread his influence through the painting into a man who was mutated into a fiery creature and then fought theThing and the Scarecrow.[8] The Straw Man was invited by theDweller-in-Darkness to join theFear Lords, but he betrayed them toDoctor Strange.[11]
During theFear Itself storyline, the Straw Man fought againstNightmare's attempt to use the fear brought by theSerpent to become the King of Fear.[12]
The Straw Man possesses superhuman strength, plant and weather manipulation, the ability to command crows, the ability to create portals and the ability to induce fear in others. He is invulnerable to everything, except for fire.[13]
The Straw Man was ranked #30 on a listing of Marvel Comics' monster characters.[14]
This Scarecrow only had three Bronze Age appearance but he was bursting at the seams with potential (and with hellspun demonic straw).