For years, a question hovering over Marvel Comics has been when, not if, the publisher would incorporate Miracleman into its canon of heroes. Originally created by Mick Anglo in 1954’s Marvelman #25, multiple legal battles prevented the hero from expanding and becoming more popular. But once those ended in Marvel’s favor, it got to work on republishing the old runs penned by Anglo, Alan Moore, and Neil Gaiman, and seeded his arrival in recent books every now and then.
Days before release, this week’s Avengers Armageddon #4 from Chip Zdarsky, Delio Diaz, and Frank Alpizar had its big moment spoiled: Miracleman’s fully integrated into the Marvel Universe.
Only, this man isn’t Mike Moran as he was in previous stories—it’s David Colton, the modern day Captain America previously built up in Zdarsky and Valerio Schiti’s Steve Rogers solo. Introduced in the first arc as a kid who enlisted because of 9/11 (and subsequently injected with the Super-Soldier Serum), Colton and Steve worked together in the early days of the latter’s modern day awakening. A covert mission to rescue U.S. diplomats from Latveria ended with Colton, already cynical from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, having a breakdown that ended with him killing dozens of Latverians and eventually defeated in a fight with Steve.
During the current Armageddon event, Colton was shot by an enhanced soldier and saved by Wolverine with an Origin Box. The box, which held the power of an unknown hero from the recent Ultimate Universe, both healed him and left him with a drive to fix the world. But it was only after Red Hulk exploded in his face, and seeing a vision of his mother, that Colton uttered the word “Kimota” to become Miracleman in full.
Thus, a long game has reached its conclusion, or at least part of it. However Armageddon ends, Marvel has already confirmed that Colton as Miracleman will join the Avengers team of Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s upcoming run alongside Captain Marvel and Spider-Man. Along with filling out a role of the team’s second god-powered person, there’s the question of what effects the Origin Box is leaving on him. Zdarsky’s already said to have “big plans” for him that span the team and wider Marvel Universe, which always bodes well.
Don’t be surprised if and when those answers eventually come, either in the Avengers book or maybe even a Miracleman solo by another writer down the line. Likewise, it wouldn’t be surprising if the first half of that name changed to “Marvelman”: the name had to be changed back in the day, but with publishing rights fully in its hands, Marvel may be able to change the name. And if that’s the case, maybe that means a movie will be on the horizon, too?
Until then, Miracleman’s story will continue with Avengers: Armageddon #5 on October 21, followed by Avengers #1 on November 4.
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