Molten Man (Mark Raxton) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.[1] Once a chemical engineer who longed to get rich, Mark Raxton was caught in an accident that saw his body get covered by an experimental organic-liquid metal alloy, which granted him superpowers, including the ability to generate extreme heat and radiation. Turning to a life of crime, he started off as an enemy of the superheroSpider-Man, but eventually was redeemed. He is also the stepbrother of Liz Allan.
The character has made appearances in several forms of media, including animated series and video games. A creature based on the "Molten Man" appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), which was actually an illusion created by a series of drones operated by Mysterio.
Mark Raxton was born in New York City. He was a scientist who could not wait to use his skills to become rich and once worked at Oscorp Industries as the laboratory assistant to Dr. Spencer Smythe, creator of the Spider-Slayers. Raxton and Smythe developed an experimental new liquid metallic alloy for the Spider-Slayers from a radioactivemeteor, but Raxton in his greed and impatience, attempted to steal it and sell it, ignoring Smythe's protests that it needed further testing. In the ensuing fight with Smythe in the laboratory, Raxton spilled the liquid alloy all over himself, his skin absorbing it and turning golden.[3] Fearing for his life, Raxton ran for the nearest hospital, only to discover that the alloy had changed him for the better when he angrily punched an irate motorist's hood, buckling it. Realizing the great potential his new abilities afforded him, Raxton, calling himself the Molten Man, turned to crime to further his monetary gains. Peter Parker, as Spider-Man, nearly missed his high schoolgraduation to stop the Molten Man's first crime spree.[4] Raxton was later released from jail, only to continue his criminal activities. However, he was once again defeated by Spider-Man.[5]
In his third encounter with Spider-Man, it was revealed that Peter's friend Liz Allan was Raxton's stepsister, and the Molten Man's metallic skin had begun to give off intense heat and to consume itself. His metallic skin became molten and he steals meteor fragments from a museum to attempt a cure. An encounter with Spider-Man resulted in his submergence in the polluted East River, which temporarily reversed the deterioration.[6]
In another encounter, Raxton broke into a pharmaceutical company to steal chemicals which would reverse his condition permanently. When the procedure failed, he went berserk and demanded to speak to Liz, who agreed to talk to him and also tried to convince him to surrender. Liz was saved by Spider-Man and the Molten Man became buried beneath the laboratory.[7] He later resurfaced at the same site and once again sought his stepsister. Spider-Man prevented the Molten Man from hurting her, knocking him into a swimming pool which extinguished the Molten Man's flames and cooled his metallic skin. He was then taken to the Vault, a prison for superhuman criminals.[8]
Raxton realized that his stepsister was the only member of his family who had not abandoned him. He was eventually released from the Vault and approached Liz to apologize. Spider-Man misunderstood his intentions and battled him once more. Reconciled with Raxton, Liz and her husband Harry Osborn gave Raxton a job as head of security at Osborn Industries.[9] The Molten Man later teamed up with Spider-Man and the second Green Goblin against Tombstone and Hammerhead.[10] The Molten Man was then kidnapped along with Liz, Normie Osborn and Spider-Man by Harry Osborn, who had suffered a mental relapse, making him the Green Goblin once again. The Molten Man was saved by Spider-Man.[11] The Molten Man and Spider-Man have since become friends, and the Molten Man has occasionally used his powers to aid Spider-Man against other supervillains.[volume&issueneeded] A few times he has been a bodyguard for Peter Parker's friends and family when disasters overwhelm the city.[volume&issueneeded]
In the months following the Clone Saga, Raxton was abducted by Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, and brainwashed. Under mind control, the Molten Man attacked and killed Osborn's henchman Alison Mongraine, the only person who knew of the location of Peter and Mary Jane's baby.[12] Although the Molten Man has since recovered from the mind control, he still bears a heavy burden of guilt over the incident.[volume&issueneeded]
Sometime after Harry Osborn's death, Raxton is summoned when mysterious forces kidnap Liz Allan's son, Normie Osborn. The Molten Man uses his brawn and brains to help Spider-Man and the Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich uncover what happened. Raxton is later pressed into a supervillain group again when the Chameleon approaches him and threatens to kill Normie if Raxton does not join his 'Exterminators'.[13] Raxton is consequently forced to attack Liz Allan.[volume&issueneeded]
Raxton next appears, still in poor condition, under the care of Liz Allan. When Harry Osborn comes to visit Liz and Normie, he and Liz argue. Hearing Liz speak Harry's name, Raxton awakens and attacks him, screaming that Harry has hurt his family for the last time and will "die for real".[15] Spider-Man intervenes, but he has trouble fighting Raxton, whose powers have grown out of control. Spider-Man manages to trap Raxton in asphalt, and Harry provides him with a cure that Oscorp had been working on upon using volunteer Charlie Weiderman, the other "Molten Man". The cure is successful, returning Raxton to his original human state. Although he finally was rid of the alloy, he still retained his powers, such as super strength, energy manipulation and a new power to incinerate anything by producing fire from his palms. Harry built him a special suit, using a part of the alloy and his DNA, to help him control his powers.[16]
When Liz Allan became the head of Alchemax, she used the company's cutting-edge technology to cure Raxton of his condition. Even though he was constantly monitored, he was no longer a threat to society and started working as a member of Alchemax's security force. As Alchemax and Parker Industries competed for a contract to build a new prison, Raxton and Tiberius Stone used Raxton's connections to hire the Ghost to sabotage Parker Industries.[17]
Powers and abilities
Originally, Mark Raxton was given unnatural powers after the exposure to an experimental liquid metal alloy obtained from a meteor discovered by Spencer Smythe. His body completely absorbed its organic properties, turning all of these external tissues into a solid metallic substance, as well as trunks, belt, and boots he wore right before the accident. As a result, the Molten Man possesses superior strength and high resistance to physical injury. His skin is composed of a frictionlessmetal that causes things to slip off, including Spider-Man's webbing. Raxton's metallic fingers are sensitive enough to pick locks (making him an expert safe cracker).[18] He can generate fierce flames, incinerating anybody who tries to touch him or shooting fire-like blasts at his foes. At one time, his body became molten lava, allowing him to project radiation and heat up to 300°F (149°C).[19] In this form, the Molten Man's metallic skin would reach a critical stage at which point it could actually dissolve, slowly at first, then faster, and eventually be burned away by its own temperature.[20]
Additionally, unlike most of Spider-Man's more thuggish villains, the Molten Man had brains to complement his raw physical strength. An intelligent, but very sane scientist, Raxton was smart enough to learn from his own mistakes and not fall for the same trick twice. He is a college graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering.
Other versions
Ultimate Marvel
In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Mark Raxton is a guitarist in a local punk rock band, the name of which is later revealed to be "Molten Man". One of their songs includes the lyrics "I am your molten man and I'm melting on you".[21]
He first appears in the story "Dumped", in Ultimate Spider-Man #78. He asks Mary Jane Watson on a date. She reluctantly accepts, but spends most of the evening talking about Peter Parker, who has just broken up with her. Raxton remains a gentleman the entire time. Later, he encounters Mary Jane at the mall, and upon learning that the boy she was with was Peter, tells her "Good for you", and leaves without further incident.[21]
He later appears in Ultimate Spider-Man #88, the third part of the "Silver Sable" storyline. In the story, a student from Parker's high school dresses up as Spider-Man and runs out in front of the press. He is revealed to be Mark Raxton, who tries to promote his band Molten Man before being dragged away by police.[22]
The Molten Man, renamed Mark Allan, appears in the second season of The Spectacular Spider-Man,[23] voiced by Eric Lopez.[24] This version is Liz Allan's biological brother who served time in juvenile detention for stealing a car to pay off gambling debts six months prior to the series. In the episode "First Steps", he returns to Midtown High and quickly becomes smitten with Mary Jane Watson, whom he ends up dating. However, he eventually backslides into gambling and becomes indebted to Blackie Gaxton, his former bookie. In "Subtext", seeing no other way to pay off his debts, Mark becomes a test subject for the Green Goblin's experiments and is injected with a special solution by Miles Warren that gives him metallic skin and pyrokinetic abilities. Secretly controlling Mark's abilities, the Goblin manipulates him into fighting Spider-Man as the Molten Man, though Mark is ultimately defeated and taken into police custody. As of the episode "Opening Night", Mark was remanded to the Vault until he is released by the Goblin to hunt down Spider-Man, who was there to test the prison's security. Mark and the inmates nearly succeed until they are eventually knocked out by gas released by Walter Hardy and subsequently re-incarcerated.
The Molten Man appears in the Spider-Man episode "Brand New Day", voiced by Imari Williams.[26] This version is a mutant volcanic creature, crime boss, and rival of Mister Negative.
Film
A member of the Elementals inspired by the Molten Man appears in Spider-Man: Far From Home.[27] Director Jon Watts described his take for the creation: "There's so many Spider-Man villains from the rogues gallery that I wanted to dig a little bit deeper than what anyone might be expecting...villains like Hydro-Man and Molten Man, who may not be on the highest list. But that opened up such amazing visual possibilities and poses really dangerous challenges for Spider-Man".[28] Identified as the Fire Elemental, Mysterio claimed it used its abilities to feed off of metal and energy from Earth's core to destroy his Earth. The Fire Elemental attacks Prague during the Signal Festival, though Spider-Man and Mysterio defeat it. Not long after, the web-slinger discovers all of the Elementals were illusions created by Mysterio and his fellow ex-Stark Industries employees to obtain Tony Stark's technology and fraudulently establish Mysterio as a hero.
Gwendolyne Maxine "Gwen" Stacy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in those featuring Spider-Man. A college student and the daughter of George and Helen Stacy, she is the first romantic interest for Peter following his high school graduation before she is murdered by the Green Goblin. Her death has haunted Peter ever since, and stories published long afterwards indicate she still holds a special place in his heart. Gwen is posthumously subjected to numerous cloning experiments by her former professor Miles Warren, Peter's clone Ben Reilly, and an A.I. of Harry Osborn, the latter resulting in the creation of the Kindreds, and Ben briefly resurrecting Gwen in "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy" (2016–2017), with the embodiment of Death herself confirming in Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider (2017–2018) that all clones Ben created of deceased people had their souls intact on being brought back, while clones of living people had unique souls of their own. In the alternate realities of Ultimate Marvel and Spider-Gwen, a still-living Gwen respectively becomes their universe's versions of Carnage and Spider-Woman.
The Hobgoblin is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most of whom are depicted as enemies of the superhero Spider-Man and belong to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery, most of whom are brainwashed by the Winkler Device into becoming Hobgoblins. Created by writer Roger Stern and artist John Romita Jr., the first incarnation of the Hobgoblin was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #238 as a criminal mastermind equipped with Halloween-themed weapons similar to those used by the Green Goblin.
The Chameleon is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #1. The Chameleon is the first ever antagonist of the superhero Peter Parker / Spider-Man. He is a master of disguises who is known for his ability to impersonate virtually anybody. The character is also the half-brother of Kraven the Hunter. This relationship helped evolve him as a major villain compared to his original depiction of being just a solo villain in the original issue of The Amazing Spider-Man. He has also been a member of the Sinister Six and the Sinister Twelve at various points in his history.
Harold Theopolis "Harry" Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31.
The Sinister Six are a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, mainly those featuring Spider-Man. The members are drawn from the character's list of enemies, with the original members forming the team in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. Led by Doctor Octopus, the team in its premiere followed swiftly the very early appearances of many of the most enduring members of Spider-Man's rogue's gallery: Vulture, Sandman, Electro, Mysterio, and Kraven the Hunter. While Doctor Octopus has generally remained its leader, the Sinister Six has had multiple variations of composition.
The Spider-Slayers are a series of fictional robots appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Spencer Smythe, they were designed specifically to hunt down, capture, or kill Spider-Man. A new generation of Spider-Slayers was later created by Spencer's son, Alistair.
Elizabeth "Liz" Allan, also known as Elizabeth Allan-Osborn and commonly misspelled as "Liz Allen", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In the character's earliest appearances, she was a popular girl at the high school Peter Parker attends. She has been a regular supporting character in the various Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Venom series in an on-and-off basis, and has ties to the Green Goblin and Molten Man. She is married to Harry Osborn, the mother of their son Normie Osborn, and the CEO of Alchemax. Liz Allan would later become Misery upon being bonded to the Symbiote that is a hybrid of the Anti-Venom and Carnage Symbiotes.
Ultimate Spider-Man is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint. Ultimate Spider-Man exists alongside other revamped Marvel characters in Ultimate Marvel titles including Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four and The Ultimates.
Oscorp, also known as Oscorp Industries, is a fictional multibillion-dollar multinational corporation appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, predominantly in stories about Spider-Man. The company was founded by Norman Osborn and has appeared in numerous media adaptations. It first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #37 and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Normie Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the grandson of Norman Osborn and the eldest son of Harry Osborn.
Professor Mendel Stromm is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has also been known as the Robot Master and Gaunt.
Norman Virgil Osborn is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the character debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 as the first and best-known incarnation of the Green Goblin. He has since endured as one of the superhero Spider-Man's most prominent villains and is regarded as one of his three archenemies, alongside Doctor Octopus and Venom.
The Green Goblin is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the first and best-known incarnation is Norman Osborn, who is generally regarded as one of the archenemies of the superhero Spider-Man, along with Doctor Octopus and Venom. Originally a manifestation of chemically induced insanity, others such as Harry Osborn would take on the persona. The Green Goblin is a Halloween-themed supervillain whose weapons resemble bats, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns and in most incarnations uses a hoverboard or glider to fly.
The Green Goblin, a Marvel Comics supervillain and one of the archenemies of Spider-Man, alongside Doctor Octopus and Venom, was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14. The character has since been substantially adapted from the comics into various forms of media, such as feature films, television series and video games.
Alchemax is a fictional megacorporation appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Originally depicted as a prominent feature of the Marvel 2099 alternate future universe, it has since been introduced into the present day comics taking place on Earth-616.
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. Since the introduction of Peter Parker as a character in 1962, with the superhero alter-ego, Spider-Man, a number of these locations have been prominently featured in connection with storylines specific to this character. These have then been carried over to depictions of Spider-Man in film, video games, and other media. There follows a list of those features.
"Go Down Swinging" is a four-issue comic book storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man, first published by Marvel Comics between March and May 2018 and featuring the fictional superhero Spider-Man. The story overall received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the art, action, and the ending.
The Kindreds, or simply Kindred, is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Introduced in 2004 as Gabriel and Sarah, the alleged twin children of Norman Osborn and Gwen Stacy, with Gabriel becoming the Grey Goblin and later the second American Son, their true origin is later revealed during the Sinister War story-arc as a series of constantly dying and recreated clones of Peter Parker and Gwen, created by a corrupted A.I. copy of Harry Osborn, that were then transformed into demonic revenants by Mephisto as Kindred.
↑ Manning, Matthew K. (2012). "1960s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.). Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. Dorling Kindersley. p.30. ISBN978-0-7566-9236-0. Mark Raxton was a corrupt partner of [Spencer] Smythe's who worked with him on a liquid metal alloy project.
↑ Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017). Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History. DK Publishing. p.110. ISBN978-1465455505.
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