Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja

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Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja
Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja #1 (August 1989). © Marvel Comics. Pencils by Ron Wagner, inks by Bob McLeod.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Genre	Superhero
Publication date	August 1989 - September 1990
No. of issues	16
Main character(s)	John Doe Alfie O'Meagan
Creative team
Written by	Larry Hama
Penciller(s)	Ron Wagner (all issues except #8) Dale Keown (issue #8)
Inker(s)	Fred Fredericks
Letterer(s)	Janice Chiang
Colorist(s)	Mark Chiarello Bob Sharen

Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja is a comic book about an American ninja set in an unspecified near future where World War III has started. It was written by Larry Hama between 1989 and 1990, based largely on his success writing the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic, which he wrote concurrently with The Nth Man (and also features a modern ninja as one of the main characters). Nth Man and Alfie O'Meagan first appeared in Marvel Comics Presents #25 (August 1989). The series was meant to last for 24 issues, but was cancelled after 16.^[1] In spite of this, Hama was able to resolve the storyline early. Ron Wagner, who penciled the series for its entire run, attributes its commercial failure to its being set in a standalone universe instead of the popular Marvel Universe, as well as the absence of costumed characters.^[2]

Plot

The series starts in medias res, with American soldiers parachuting into war-torn Moscow, in an attempt to rescue the Nth Man. Using TV news commentary as a plot exposition device, it is revealed that the war was caused by Alfie O'Meagan, using his psychic abilities to neutralize all nuclear weapons on the planet, upsetting the balance of power.

During the course of the story, we learn that Alfie has grown up in an orphanage alongside John Doe (the "Nth Man" of the title). Doe was adopted by an elderly Japanese man, who worked for the

(the "could-be's"), and over time his powers grew, so that he was able to control matter and produce other effects that were against the physical laws of the universe.

The storyline is complex, following numerous characters through war zones, plague-ridden post-Apocalyptic landscapes, inside a video game, alien worlds, and various points in time and space. Alfie gains vast power, while losing his sanity. When the Soviet Union launches biological weapons, Alfie's attempt to turn them harmless backfires.

Using a narrative jump of one year (which was forced upon writer Larry Hama in order to wrap up the story, due to the cancellation of the series), we see that the biological weapons were turned into a mutagenic virus, and millions are transformed into psychotic, cannibalistic "moots". The conclusion of the story makes use of a paradox, and Doe and O'Meagan are shown to be responsible for their own origins.

Relationships to other Marvel Comics

The series is not set within the primary setting of the Marvel Universe and the characters of those series are treated as fictional comic book characters. O'Meagan draws upon those comics as inspiration transforming his size and appearance to resemble that of Galactus, and that of a female character to resemble the Silver Surfer.

Alfie O'Meagan

Alfie O'Meagan
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Marvel Comics Presents #25 (August 1989)
Created by	Larry Hama
In-story information
Abilities	Psychokinesis, telepathy, unspecified psychic ability to warp reality

The name "Alfie O'Meagan" can be recognized as a pun on

God as the beginning and the end. That and the secular English idiom's use of the phrase to denote "the beginning and end" provide a clue to the time-twisting resolution to the Nth Man saga.

Fictional character biography

Alfie O'Meagan (his adopted name) is first portrayed a child, with various

which can re-arrange molecules on a massive scale.

Alfie is troubled by

]

Alfie eventually uses his psychic powers to stop all the world's nuclear weapons from working. This has the unexpected side-effect of triggering a conventional war between the USSR and the USA, which ultimately becomes World War III.^[volume & issue needed]

Other appearances

The

pushed "Cancel" on the remote control of Alfie's television, which nullified everything that had occurred.

References