Mister Negative
Mister Negative | |
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Darkforce grants:
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Mister Negative is a
Originally a Chinese gangster and human trafficker, whose real name was never revealed,
Since his conception, the character has been adapted into several forms of media outside of comics, including animated series and video games.
Publication history
Created by Dan Slott and Phil Jimenez, Mister Negative first appeared in "Swing Shift", a story in Free Comic Book Day: The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (2007), which was set in the immediate aftermath of the "Spider-Man: One More Day" storyline. Mister Negative then appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #546 (Jan. 2008), the first issue of the follow-up storyline "Brand New Day".
Fictional character biography
Martin Li is introduced with the backstory of a Chinese immigrant from Fujian province who attempted to travel to America to be with his wife. His mode of transportation, the Golden Mountain, was a slave ship operated by the Snakehead gang as a way to sell Fujian captives as overseas slaves in Kenya. During a storm, the ship's crew evacuated, leaving the captives alone to make a break for the New York shores. Li was the only survivor and spent the following years building a large fortune and dedicating himself to helping those less fortunate.[1]
The story is later revealed to be partially false, though only the Mister Negative persona appears aware of it. It is revealed that Mister Negative was actually one of the crew members of the Golden Mountain. When the ship nearly crashed onto the New York shores, he stole the identity of one of the deceased Fujian slaves (the real Martin Li) who was heading to America for the aforementioned reasons. This gang member was eventually captured by the
Martin Li opens and operates a soup kitchen in Chinatown: the F.E.A.S.T. Project (Food, Emergency Aid, Shelter and Training), where Peter Parker's Aunt May volunteers.[3][4] Neither Peter nor May are aware of Li's dual identity as a Chinatown crime boss under the Mister Negative name.[5] Despite being a crime lord, Li is a seemingly kind and generous man. The F.E.A.S.T. Project has displayed healing powers for people of various illnesses, although the cause of this healing has yet to be revealed.[6]
During the first story of "
Martin Li endorses Bill Hollister for mayor of New York City, putting him against Randall Crowne, adding him to a list of opponents (many of whom become targets of the villain
Mister Negative later recruits
Mister Negative eventually comes across
During the 2008–2009 "
In the X-Men storyline "Serve and Protect", Mister Negative and his Inner Demons are at San Francisco on attempting to murder a widowed woman who still have a child. When two unidentified heroes, then revealed to be the X-Men
During the 2009 storyline "
During the 2010 "
Mister Negative later has an encounter with
During the "Big Time" storyline, Mister Negative is targeted by both Anti-Venom and the new Wraith. When they, along with Spider-Man, interrupt a heroin-smuggling operation, Wraith uses visual recognition software, linked to every television broadcast in New York, to publicly out Mister Negative as Martin Li. When the police approach, Mister Negative and his men retreat. Li is later seen locked in a room by Mister Negative's men who wait for him to change back into their master.[22]
During the 2011 "Spider-Island" storyline, Mister Negative is told of a prophecy that he is destined to be killed by Dagger.[23]
During the 2012 "Avengers vs. X-Men" storyline, Mister Negative and his henchmen invade a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility as a way of taking an advantage of the war between the Avengers and the Phoenix Five, but Hawkeye and Spider-Woman defeat them while having a discussion about their relationship. It is later revealed that they were informed about Mister Negative's plan by Madame Hydra who wanted to get rid of the competition.[24]
During the 2014 "
Following the 2015 "
During the "Sins Rising" arc, a revived
A man claiming to be "Martin Li" shows up at the FEAST building seeking help as the Inner Demons attack.
Mister Negative is among the crime lords that attend the wedding of
During the "
Powers and abilities
It initially appears that Martin Li has no knowledge of his evil side. During "New Ways To Die", Li took Eddie Brock into a back room he calls his inner sanctuary, where he claims to play a game of
Prior to his transformation, "Martin Li" was a member of the Snakehead gang, whose true name has not yet been revealed. Both the Martin Li and Mr. Negative personas are the result of experimental drug tests done by Maggia chemist Simon Marshall, the same tests that powered
During an encounter in The Amazing Spider-Man #621, Mr. Negative displays a degree of superhuman strength high enough to send Spider-Man flying through two buildings with a single blow. Mr. Negative also demonstrates superhuman reflexes during his battle with the Hood, dodging bullets or cutting them in half with his sword. He also has the power to charge up knives and swords with black electrical energy, a form of Darkforce energy, and he can corrupt people he touches in the same manner, bringing them under his control. A corrupted person's clothes change his colors to his photographic negatives, and all who are corrupted praise their new master with proclamations like "Mr. Negative was never born, so he is ever living", or "He is attached to nothing, thus he is one with all."[1] The effectiveness of his corruption varies depending on how good the affected person was before their conversion: White Dragon, a villain himself, gained vastly increased stamina and endurance, but was still easily dispatched (his clothes reverted to normal once he was killed). Conversely, Spider-Man, a hero in every respect, was corrupted into a spiteful and angry villain, despising every value he held dear (even his Uncle Ben's memory) and no more above killing.[15] Spider-Man is able to break the hold his malevolent side has over him when he is on the verge of killing Betty Brant, as he remembers the love he once had for her upon getting close. Mr. Negative's corrupting touch appears to be ineffective against beings with supernatural powers, as Hood is unaffected when Negative attempts to corrupt him; Mr. Negative claims that this is because the Hood's soul belongs to Dormammu, a being even darker than he is.[2] It has since been revealed that while Negative can renew his influence on others, he cannot corrupt someone once that individual has broken free of his influence already, allowing Peter Parker to infiltrate his plan by using the fact that he had been corrupted by Negative as Spider-Man without his foe knowing his secret identity.[27]
Mr. Negative's alternate Martin Li persona seems to have the power to cure others: in
Mr. Negative also has access to advanced technology and secret laboratories, in which he is able to give his subjects medical care far more advanced than that available to the general public.[11]
In the 2018 Spider-Man game, Mr. Negative also possesses the ability to project powerful electricity-like blasts of negative energy from his hands.
Reception
- In 2020, CBR.com included Mister Negative in their "Spider-Man: The Best New Villains of the Century" list.[35]
Other versions
Infinity Warps
In Warp World, a world folded in half during the
Spider-Ham
An alternate universe incarnation of Mr. Negative from Spider-Ham's universe called Mr. Negatiger appears in the graphic novel Hollywood May-ham. Additionally, the Inner Demons, which consists of humans, appear as well.
In other media
Television
- A Siege Perilous shard. After hearing the "prime" Spider-Man call Spider-Man Noir "Mister Negative", Li takes the name for himself and uses his abilities on his boss, Kid Arachnid, and Joe Fixit's gang before swaying Hammerhead's remaining gang members to his side. Li attempts to use his abilities on all of New York City, but is ultimately defeated by the Spider-Men and Fixit, who strip him of his powers and restore everyone he petrified to normal.
- Mister Negative appears in the Spider-Man (2017) episode "Brand New Day", voiced by Eric Bauza. This version is a rival of fellow crime lord Molten Man who becomes afraid of the Superior Spider-Man.[37]
Video games
- Mister Negative appears as a playable character in Marvel Strike Force.
- Mister Negative appears as a playable character in Marvel Contest of Champions.[38]
- Mister Negative appears as a playable character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 via the "Cloak and Dagger" DLC.[39]
- Mister Negative appears as a boss in Otto Octavius, who also holds a grudge against Osborn and was inspired by Li's actions. Joining Octavius' Sinister Six, Li is sent to find and steal the antidote for the Devil's Breath after Octavius releases the virus upon New York in an attempt to expose Osborn's crimes to the public. Despite locating the Oscorp lab where the antidote is kept, Li is defeated a second time by Spider-Man, who tries to help him overcome his darker half and desire for revenge. Before he can respond, Li is knocked aside by Octavius, who deems him useless and steals the Devil's Breath antidote.
- Mister Negative appears in Marvel Snap.[41]
- Mister Negative appears in Marvel Puzzle Quest.[42]
- Mister Negative appears as a boss in Jefferson Davis. Putting his desire for revenge aside, Morales helps Li escape and seek out Peter to stop Kraven. After Venom infects New York with his symbiotes, Li helps Morales free Peter from trace amounts of Venom left behind in his body, turning it into Anti-Venom, before willingly turning himself over to the police.[43]
Collected editions
Title | Material Collected | Published Date | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Dark Reign: The Underside | Dark Reign: Mister Negative #1–3 and Dark Reign: Lethal Legion #1–3, Dark Reign: Zodiac #1–3, Dark Reign: Made Men | December 23, 2009 | 978-0785141600 |
Dark Reign: Mister Negative | Dark Reign: Mister Negative #1–3 | March 25, 2010 | 978-0785141648 |
Spider-Man: Brand New Day — The Complete Collection Vol. 4 | Dark Reign: Mister Negative #1–3 and Amazing Spider-Man #592–601 and Annual #36, Spider-Man: The Short Halloween, Amazing Spider-Man: American Son Sketchbook and material from Amazing Spider-Man Family #7 | December 20, 2017 | 978-1302907990 |
Notes
References
- ^ Lanning, Andy (i), Pattison, Ronda, Mossa, Andres (col), Lanphear, Dave (let), Wacker, Stephen (ed). "The Last Stand of Mr. Negative" Dark Reign: Mister Negative, no. 1 (Aug. 2009). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ a b c d Van Lente, Fred (w), Gugliotta, Gianluca (p), Gugliotta, Gianluca (i), Pattison, Ronda, Mossa, Andres, Fabela, Antonio (col), Lanphear, Dave (let), Wacker, Stephen (ed). "Negative Reinforcement" Dark Reign: Mister Negative, no. 3 (Oct. 2009). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ ). "Brand New Day" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 546 (Feb. 2008). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ a b Slott, Dan (w), McNiven, Steve (p), Vines, Dexter (i), Holowell, Morry (col), Petit, Cory (let), Brennan, Tom; Wacker, Stephen; Brevoort, Tom (ed). "Crimes of the Heart" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 547 (March 2008). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ a b Slott, Dan (w), McNiven, Steve (p), Vines, Dexter (i), Stewart, Dave (col), Petit, Cory (let), Brennan, Tom; Wacker, Stephen; Brevoort, Tom (ed). "Blood Ties" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 548 (March 2008). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #568. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Slott, Dan (w), Martín, Marcos, Pulido, Javier (p), Martín, Marcos; Pulido, Javier (i), Rodríguez, Javier (col), Caramagna, Joe (let), Brennan, Tom; Wacker Stephen; Brevoort, Tom (ed). "Mysterioso, Part 3: Smoke & Mirrors" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 620 (April 2010). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Slott, Dan (w), Lark, Michael (p), Gaudiano, Stefano (i), Hollingsworth, Mat (col), Caramagna, Joe (let), Brennan, Tom; Wacker, Stephen; Brevoort, Tom (ed). "Out for Blood" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 621 (April 2010). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ). "Freak the Third" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 558 (July 2008). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ). "Face Front, Part 2: 'Nuff Said!" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 591 (June 2009). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ ). "Death of a Wise Guy" The Amazing Spider-Man: Extra!, no. 1 (Sept. 2008). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Slott, Dan (w), Romita, John Jr. (p), Janson, Klaus (i), White, Dean (col), Petit, Cory (let), Brennan, Tom; Wacker Stephen; Brevoort, Tom (ed). "New Ways To Die, Part Two: The Osborn Supremacy" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 569 (Oct. 2008). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Slott, Dan (w), Romita, John Jr. (p), Janson, Klaus (i), White, Dean (col), Petit, Cory (let), Brennan, Tom; Wacker Stephen; Brevoort, Tom (ed). "New Ways to Die, Part Five: Easy Targets" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 572 (Nov. 2008). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Slott, Dan (w), Bachalo, Chris (p), Townsend, Tim, Sibal, Jon, Mendoza, Jaime, Bachalo, Chris (i), Fabela, Antonio, Bachalo, Chris (col), Wooton, Rus (let), Brennan, Tom, Wacker, Stephen (ed). "Black & White" The Amazing Spider-Man: Extra!, no. 2 (March 2009). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ a b Van Lente, Fred (w), Gugliotta, Gianluca (p), Pattison, Ronda (col), Lanphear, Dave (let), Wacker, Stephen (ed). "Battle for Chinatown" Dark Reign: Mister Negative, no. 2 (Sept. 2009). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ X-Men: To Serve and Protect (2011). Marvel Comics.
- ^ a b Slott, Dan (w), Martín, Marcos (a), Rodríguez, Javier (col), Caramagna, Joe (let), Brennan, Tom; Wacker Stephen; Brevoort, Tom (ed). "Mysterioso, Part 1: Un-Murder Incorporated" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 618 (March 2010). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ). "Shed" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 633 (Aug. 2010). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Slott, Dan (w), Siqueira, Paulo (p), Santos, Amilton, Paris, Charles, Siqueira, Paulo (i), D'Auria, Fabio (col), Sabino, Joe (let), Wacker, Stephen (ed). "Imbalanced" Shadowland: Spider-Man, no. 1 (Dec. 2010). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Van Lente, Fred (w), Dragotta, Nick (p), Dragotta, Nick (i), Simpson, Brad (col), Cowles, Clayton (let), Brennan, Tom (ed). "The Extremist: Conclusion" Web of Spider-Man, vol. 2, no. 10 (Sept. 2010). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ). "Origin of Species, Part One" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 642 (Nov. 2010). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ). "The Return of Anti-Venom, Part Two: Revelation Day" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 664 (Aug. 2011). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ). Spider-Island: Cloak & Dagger, no. 1 (Oct. 2011). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ). "Ready! Aim..." The Avengers, vol. 4, no. 30 (Nov. 2012). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ). The Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 3, no. 5 (Oct. 2014). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Slott, Dan (w), Buffagni, Matteo (p), Buffagni, Matteo (i), Gracia, Marte (col), Caramagna, Joe (let), Lowe, Nick; Lewis, Devin (ed). "The Dark Kingdom - Part 1: Turnabout" The Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 4, no. 6 (March 2016). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ a b Slott, Dan (w), Buffagni, Matteo (p), Buffagni, Matteo (i), Gracia, Marte (col), Caramagna, Joe (let), Lowe, Nick; Lewis, Devin (ed). "The Dark Kingdom - Part 2: Opposing Forces" The Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 4, no. 7 (April 2016). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Slott, Dan (w), Buffagni, Matteo (p), Buffagni, Matteo (i), Gracia, Marte (col), Petit, Cory (let), Lowe, Nick; Lewis, Devin (ed). "The Dark Kingdom - Part 3: Black & White" The Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 4, no. 8 (April 2016). New York: Marvel Comics.
- ^ The Amazing Spider-Man: The Sins of Norman Osborn #1. Marvel Comics.
- ^ The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 5 #58. Marvel Comics.
- ^ The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 5 #59. Marvel Comics.
- ^ The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 6 #31. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 6 #38. Marvel Comics.
- ^ The Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War First Strike #1. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Zachary, Brandon (2020-04-30). "Spider-Man: The Best New Villains of the Century (So Far)". CBR. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ^ Infinity Wars: Weapon Hex #1. Marvel Comics.
- ^ "Brand New Day". Spider-Man. Season 2. Episode 45. October 20, 2019. Disney XD.
- ^ Catig, Gary (May 30, 2021). "Mister Negative Is The 200th Champion In 'Marvel Contest of Champions'". comicon.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- ^ Dinh, Christine (March 20, 2018). "Pick Up the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 'Cloak & Dagger' DLC Pack Now". Marvel Comics. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ^ Penagos, Ryan [@AgentM] (July 19, 2018). "Stephen Oyoung & Nicole Elise are on the #SpiderManPS4 cast! He plays Martin Li aka Mister Negative! She plays Sliver Sable! New story trailer showed Sable & Miles & more! @Marvel @MarvelGames #SDCC2018 #AgentMLovesSDCC #MarvelSDCC" (Tweet). Retrieved July 20, 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Mister Negative - MARVEL SNAP Card". untapped.gg. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- CBR.com. Archivedfrom the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- ^ Bunn, Glenn (21 July 2023). "Spider-Man 2 Bringing Back Mr. Negative, Miles Actor Explains Story Impact". Screen Rant. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
External links
- Mr. Negative at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Mister Negative at Comic Vine
- Inner Demons at Comic Vine
- Mister Negative on Marvel Database, a Marvel Comics wiki