Blue Marvel

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the Golden Age version of the Blue Marvel, see Marvel Boy (Robert Grayson).
Blue Marvel
Artwork from Age of Heroes #3.
Depicting from left: King Hyperion vs. Blue Marvel.
Art by M. C. Wyman.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceAdam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1
(November 2008)
Created byKevin Grevioux (writer)
Mat Broome (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoAdam Bernard Brashear
SpeciesHuman mutate
Place of originEarth
Team affiliationsUnited States Marine Corps
Mighty Avengers
Ultimates
Defenders
Notable aliasesBlue Bomber of Battle
The Man of Marvels
Abilities
  • Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, and mental perception
  • Anti-matter manipulation, absorption and projection
  • Energy manipulation, absorption and projection
  • Nigh-invulnerability
  • Light generation
  • Longevity
  • Flight
  • Trained armed and unarmed combatant
  • Trained hand-to-hand combatant
  • Genius-level intellect

Blue Marvel (Adam Bernard Brashear) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Kevin Grevioux, who originally conceived the character as a child,[1] and Mat Brome, the character first appeared in Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1 (November 2008).[2]

Publication history

Adam Brashear was created by Kevin Grevioux and Mat Broome. He first appeared in Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1.[3][4][5]

In 2013, Blue Marvel appeared as part of

Mighty Avengers.[6]

Fictional character biography

Adam Brashear is a former

dissolved into energy, Brashear became a stable "antimatter reactor" with superhuman abilities, which he used to fight crime under the superhero alias Blue Marvel.[8]

In 1962, Adam received the

University of Maryland
.

Although retired as the Blue Marvel, Brashear continued to have adventures, in the following decades, operating both alone (under the guise of 'Doc Brashear') or with his eldest son Kevin when the boy grew old enough.[10] One adventure in 1972 saw him team up with the vampire hunter known as Blade and the dark magician Kaluu to battle shapeshifting 'Deathwalkers'.[11]

At some point, Adam Brashear studied a mysterious being called the Infinaut who made various attempts to manifest on Earth. In the Infinaut's second manifestation in 1998, Adam and his son Kevin used an anti-matter powered rig to interrupt it. Adam discovered that if the Infinaut had manifested on Earth at his large size, he would have destroyed it.[12]

Conner Sims, the Anti-Man, was a radical who, partly because of his history with Adam Brashear, violently hated racism (he being Caucasian) and, in his power-fueled insanity, sought to eradicate it. When Anti-Man returned and defeated the

Mister Fantastic they came up with a plan to stop Anti-Man. After a surprise confrontation with Sims on the moon, Brashear was left unconscious. Later an extended fight with Anti-Man resulted in Candace Brashear's death. At the conclusion of their battle, Brashear took Anti-Man up to the edge of the ionosphere and siphoned off his remaining "anti-matter energy", which caused his waveform to permanently decohere and collapse.[13]

Afterward, Brashear returned as a full-time superhero in Age of Heroes #3. After a discussion with Uatu the Watcher, he traveled to Uzbekistan to help the Winter Guard subdue the extra-dimensional King Hyperion.[14]

During the 2011 "

Serpent's undersea prison was responsible for sending the submarine into his base.[15]

During the 2013 "

Spectrum (who had been incapacitated by Proxima Midnight's spear) and boost her powers temporarily. Subsequently, Blue Marvel was among those Luke Cage declared to be part of his Mighty Avengers.[17]

During the "Last Days" part of the 2015 "

Black Panther that he is angry they never consulted the other heroes on this, saying they could have prevented all this if they had all worked together.[18]

As part of the 2015 All-New, All-Different Marvel initiative, Blue Marvel appeared as a member of the Ultimates.[19] Blue Marvel's first mission with the Ultimates involved retrieving the incubator that Galactus was brought out of prematurely. Once they put him back into it, he fully emerged as a lifebringer.[20] While in Exo-Space with the Ultimates within their ship the Aboena, Blue Marvel finds that his old enemy Anti-Man has reassembled there.[21] As Blue Marvel wanted to kill Anti-Man where he deemed him too dangerous, he also discovered that his son Kevin was also in Exo-Space who persuaded his father to spare him. Blue Marvel does and has Anti-Man brought onto the Aboena so that he and the Ultimates can fix him.[22]

During the 2016 "

Ulysses Cain experiences a vision that warns Blue Marvel about the impending arrival of the inter-dimensional traveler Infinaut on Earth, which will endanger the planet. This warning gives sufficient time for Blue Marvel, Giant-Man, and the Ultimates to devise a Pym Particle accelerator with which they can shrink Infinaut down to human size, at which point Infinaut greets the heroes.[12]

During the 2015 "God Butcher" storyline, Blue Marvel and the Mighty Avengers, along with the rest of humanity, have been killed by Loki. Blue Marvel's reanimated corpse appears as part of a legion of undead heroes sent against Old King Thor by the God of Mischief, but are ultimately defeated by The God of Thunder.[23]

Powers and abilities

Blue Marvel has the ability to absorb energy from matter-anti-matter annihilation, which originates from the inter-dimensional universe called the Negative Zone.[citation needed]

Blue Marvel possesses vast superhuman strength. He has been observed moving a meteor the size of Arkansas and routinely lifting and flying an aircraft carrier a considerable distance with ease. The uppermost limits of Blue Marvel's strength is unknown, but it is in the same ballpark as

Monica Rambeau, but further boosted her electromagnetic abilities. It is not known if this ability is limited to electromagnetic particles only, or if the Blue Marvel is able to affect all matter, allowing him to alter an object's molecular composition or transmute elements.[29] Brashear/Blue Marvel has exhibited the ability to emit light from his body.[30][31] Blue Marvel ages much slower and lives much longer than normal human beings.[22][32] He has been trained by the US Marines in armed and unarmed combat.[33][34][35]

According to Brashear, he is a stable "antimatter reactor," but from his broader explanation what he appears to do is channel

subatomic level in the facility where he first gained his abilities, or exotic particles generated by the experiment somehow became quantum entangled with Brashear.[9]

Brashear holds a

Marianas Trench at a location known only to Namor the Sub-Mariner.[8]
Brashear normally wears gauntlets on both arms that channel and augment his vast powers. Blue Marvel is able to create portals from technology that he invented that far exceeds any technology currently on earth. Blue Marvel's main weakness is Neutronium, a substance from the Exo-Space.

Reception

Critical response

Adam Barnhardt of

ComicBook.com asserted, "Adam Brashear has been a fan-favorite since his introduction some 13 years ago and has been a heavy-hitter cosmic character that could make a major splash in the Marvel Cinematic Universe."[36] Brandon Bush of Syfy referred to Blue Marvel as Marvel's "Black Superman," writing, "Blue Marvel's rivalry with his BFF-turned-nemesis, his relationships with other characters of diverse racial backgrounds and political alignments, and the suppression of such a powerful hero bring out another piece of Blue Marvel's relevance to the political discussions of today. While addressing the symbolic pitfalls of white savior complexes and the complicated nature of race relations in the '60s, his story augments the significance of political presence and action. Using characters such as Blue Marvel to discuss critical and even "touchy" subjects such as changing policy, leadership, behavior, and societal views helps to raise awareness of issues in African American communities. Showcasing powerful Black characters who are at the forefront of these conversations on the comic book pages and on our silver screens can be helpful toward showcasing more diversity and increasing empathy."[37] Marco Vito Oddo of Collider included Blue Marvel in their "7 Most Powerful Avengers Who Aren't in the MCU" list, saying, "While there's no doubt that Blue Marvel is one of the most powerful Avengers to be ever presented by Marvel Comics, the fascinating aspect of the character is his backstory."[38]

CBR.com ranked Blue Marvel 1st in their "Marvel Comics: The Most Powerful African American Characters" list,[41] 1st in their "10 Marvel Heroes We Want To See In The MCU's Phase 5" list,[42] 4th in their "10 Best New Avengers Of The Decade" list,[43] 4th in their "10 Strongest Male Avengers" list,[44] 5th in their "The 8 Fastest Avengers" list,[45] 7th in their "10 Strongest Black Superheroes" list,[46] 8th in their "Most Powerful Marvel Characters Not Yet Seen In The MCU" list,[47] and 19th in their "25 Smartest Characters In The Marvel Universe" list.[48]

Literary reception

Volumes

Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel - 2008

According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1 was the 115th best selling comic book in November 2008.[49][50]

Daniel Crown of

CBR.com ranked the Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel comic book series 9th in their "10 Marvel Comics That Deserve A Sequel" list.[52]

Other versions

Blue Marvel appears briefly in What If? Secret Invasion #1 (February 2010).

In other media

Television

Video games

References

  1. ^ "'Underworld' Screenwriter Kevin Grevioux Tackles Racism in 'Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel'". mtv.com. Retrieved 2011-09-15.
  2. ^ Dodge, John (2020-10-03). "Avengers: How One of Marvel's Strongest Heroes Just Tapped Out His Powers". CBR. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  3. Marvel.com
    , 25 July 2008.
  4. ^ CCI: The 'Return' of "The Blue Marvel", Comic Book Resources, 25 July 2008.
  5. ^ Barrios, William (25 February 2022). "A Chronological Look At The Most Popular Black Superheroes, Past And Present". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  6. ^ "Marvel's MIGHTY Reveals Two New Members, One Big Surprise". Newsarama. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
  7. ^ a b "Legend of the Blue Marvel #1 Review". WorldofBlackHeroes. 2010-09-12. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
  8. ^ a b Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #4 (April 2009). Marvel Comics.
  9. ^ a b Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #2–3 (Feb.–March 2009). Marvel Comics.
  10. ^ Mighty Avengers vol. 2 #9
  11. ^ Mighty Avengers vol. 2 #11-13
  12. ^ a b The Ultimates vol. 2 #9. Marvel Comics.
  13. ^ Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #5 (May 2009). Marvel Comics.
  14. ^ Age of Heroes #3 (Sept. 2010). Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ Fear Itself: The Home Front #4. Marvel Comics.
  16. ^ Mighty Avengers vol. 2 #2. Marvel Comics.
  17. ^ a b Mighty Avengers vol. 2 #3. Marvel Comics.
  18. ^ Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #8. Marvel Comics.
  19. ^ Avengers vol. 6 #0. Marvel Comics.
  20. ^ The Ultimates vol. 2 #1–2. Marvel Comics.
  21. ^ The Ultimates vol. 2 #3. Marvel Comics.
  22. ^ a b The Ultimates vol. 2 #4. Marvel Comics.
  23. ^ Loki: Agent of Asgard #12 (May 2015). Marvel Comics.
  24. ^ Ashford, Sage (2022-04-29). "The 8 Fastest Avengers, Ranked". CBR. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  25. ^ a b c Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #2
  26. ^ Moure, Dylan (2022-02-12). "Who Is Blue Marvel: Origin & Powers of Avengers' Galactus-Beating Hero". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  27. ^ Dodge, John (2020-10-03). "Avengers: How One of Marvel's Strongest Heroes Just Tapped Out His Powers". CBR. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  28. ^ Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1–5 (Nov. 2008–May 2009). Marvel Comics.
  29. ^ Ashford, Sage (2021-11-22). "Marvel: The 10 Strongest Male Avengers". CBR. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  30. ^ Mighty Avengers vol. 2 #12 (July 2014). Marvel Comics.
  31. ^ Barrios, William (25 February 2022). "A Chronological Look At The Most Popular Black Superheroes, Past And Present". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  32. ^ Ashford, Sage (2020-02-24). "Marvel: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Blue Marvel". CBR. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  33. ^ Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1
  34. ^ The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #1
  35. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (2021-10-08). "7 Most Powerful Avengers Who Aren't in the MCU (Yet)". Collider. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  36. ComicBook.com
    . Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  37. ^ "Why Blue Marvels matter: The importance of Black identity in superhero stories". Syfy. 2020-07-22. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  38. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (2021-10-08). "7 Most Powerful Avengers Who Aren't in the MCU (Yet)". Collider. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  39. ^ Prom, Bradley (2022-11-26). "10 Strongest Avengers Still Missing From The MCU". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  40. ^ Prom, Bradley (2022-10-28). "MCU: 10 New Heroes Who Should Be Introduced In Phase Five". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  41. ^ Anderson, Jack (2020-01-17). "Marvel Comics: The Most Powerful African American Characters". CBR. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  42. ^ Allan, Scoot (2022-08-22). "10 Marvel Heroes We Want To See In The MCU's Phase 5". CBR. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  43. CBR.com
    . Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  44. CBR.com
    . Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  45. CBR.com
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  48. CBR.com
    . Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  49. ^ "Comichron: November 2008 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". www.comichron.com. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  50. ^ "Top 300 Comics Actual--November 2008". icv2.com. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  51. ^ Crown, Daniel (2008-11-06). "Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1 Review". IGN. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  52. CBR.com
    . Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  53. ^ Mecchi, Jason (2021-05-05). "10 Best Lego Marvel's Avengers Characters". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  54. ^ "Blue Marvel (Character)". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  55. ^ Ng, Alan (November 28, 2017). "Marvel Future Fight Players Backlash After Netmarble Intros Loot Box". Product-Reviews.net. Archived from the original on 2019-08-27.
  56. ^ Pocket Gamer staff. "Marvel Future Fight tier list of best characters". www.pocketgamer.com. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  57. CBR.com
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  58. ^ Adler, Kai (2022-11-24). "Marvel Snap: 10 Best Cards To Combo With Onslaught, Ranked". DualShockers.com. Retrieved 2023-01-09.

External links

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