Radioactive Man (comics)

Infobox comics character
character_name=Radioactive Man


converted=y
caption=The Radioactive Man on the cover of "Thunderbolts: International Incident". (2008)
Art by Marko Djurdjevic.
real_name=Chen Lu
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Journey into Mystery" #93 (Jun. 1963)
creators=Stan Lee
Jack Kirby
alliances=Thunderbolts Masters of Evil Titanic Three
aliases=
powers=Radiation manipulation
immunity to radiatioactivity
cat=super
subcat=Marvel Comics
hero=y
villain=y
sortkey=Radioactive Man (comics)

The Radioactive Man (Chen Lu) is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history

The Radioactive Man character first appeared in "Journey into Mystery" #93 (Jun. 1963) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character was originally a Communist agent, and often worked with other Communist characters, which were consistently portrayed as villains, or at the very least at odds with superheroes. The Radioactive Man was a member of the original Masters of Evil, ["Avengers" #6 (July 1964)] and often worked with other supervillains against the Avengers and Iron Man in particular. The character remained a villain for decades until reforming as a member of the Thunderbolts, ["New Thunderbolts" Vol. 2, #1 (Jan. 2005)] of which he has remained a member since.

Fictional character biography

Radioactive Man I

Chen Lu is a nuclear physicist in the People's Republic of China, and is ordered to find a way to defeat the Thunder God Thor, who thwarts the Red Army's invasion of India. Hiding away in a laboratory, Lu exposes himself to small doses of radiation until he is able to withstand a massive barrage. Becoming a living "Radioactive Man," Lu displays his newfound powers to his superiors and travels to New York City to battle Thor. While the newly-named Radioactive Man is able to initially match Thor, the Thunder God creates a vortex to transport Lu back to China, where he apparently self-detonates. ["Journey Into Mystery" #93 (Jun. 1963)]

The Radioactive Man survives and is coerced by Baron Heinrich Zemo to join the original Masters of Evil in a what becomes a failed bid to destroy the Avengers. ["Avengers" #6 (July 1964)] Years later, Lu joins another version of the group formed by killer robot Ultron, which is also defeated. ["Avengers" 54 - 55 (July - Aug. 1968); 83 (Dec. 1970)] Sometime later the Radioactive Man escapes confinement and travels to Vietnam, where he joins Soviet villains the Titanium Man and Crimson Dynamo and forms a team called the Titanic Three. Acting as free-agent crime fighters in Vietnam, the trio are duped by a con man and petty thief called the Slasher and battle the Avengers until the deception is revealed and the battle ends. ["Avengers" #130 (Dec. 1974)] After a humiliating defeat by Kang, the group finally disbands when the Crimson Dynamo decides to leave to fight Iron Man. ["Giant Size Avengers" #4 (June 1975)] Lu joins another incarnation of the Masters of Evil, this time led by Egghead, but is defeated by Henry Pym and deported back to China. ["Avengers" 228 - 230 (Feb. - Apr. 1983) ] Whilst in China, the Radioactive Man is employed by master villain the Mandarin to kill Iron Man but is ultimately unsuccessful. ["Iron Man" #179 - 181 (Feb. - Apr. 1984)]

Tired of the constant defeats, Lu attempts to reform and joins the Thunderbolts, a team comprised almost entirely of reformed supervillains. ["New Thunderbolts" Vol. 2, #1 (Jan. 2005)] The Commission on Superhuman Activities notes Lu's efforts to reform and allows him to assist Mister Fantastic and Yellowjacket in building a holding prison for dissenting superpowered beings during the Civil War. Lu also joins the group that battles against Captain America's anti-registration invasion force. ["Civil War" #1 - 7 (2006 - 2007)]

During a recent battle with the Thunderbolts against the cosmic entity the Grandmaster, the Radioactive Man absorbs an excessive amount of radiation and is forced to wear a radiation suit at all times. ["Thunderbolts" Vol. 2, #106 (Nov. 2006)] The radiation eventually subsides, but industrialist Norman Osborn convinces the Radioactive Man to retain the suit to distract the American public from his clearly Asian features and quell any lingering fears about his radioactivity. ["Thunderbolts" Vol. 2, #112 (May 2007)] His suit is later destroyed during a battle with the Steel Spider, exposing the Radioactive Man to an on-looking public. ["Thunderbolts" Vol. 2, #114 (July 2007)]

In "", Radioactive Man was with the Thunderbolts when it came to capturing Spider-Man only for him and Songbird to run afoul of Anti-Venom.

Radioactive Man II

A second Radioactive Man appears forms part of a group of mercenaries invading the African kingdom of Wakanda. This version is a Russian named Igor Stancheck and his powers are derived from an unknown source. Launched via missile into the "Great Mound", a large deposit of the mineral vibranium located in Wakanda, the villain kills a scientist and then plans to cause vibrations strong enough to destroy the entire nation. He is, however, defeated by Shuri, the sister of the Black Panther, who uses the Ebony Blade of a Black Knight ["Black Panther" Vol. 4, #5 - 6 (Aug. - Sep. 2005)]

Powers and abilities

Lu is exceptionally intelligent and a brilliant scientist, and as the Radioactive Man can control radiation along the entire spectrum. Lu can emit potentially lethal amounts in concentrated blasts or across a wide area; absorb and convert radiation to physical strength; and form force fields that are powerful enough to deflect Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. He can also emit electromagnetic radiation to deactivate machinery and can concentrate radiation to high temperatures to cauterize wounds. ["Journey Into Mystery" #93 (Jun. 1963)] Chen Lu also emits radiation even in a relaxed state, thereby preventing prolonged human contact. ["Thunderbolts, Breaking Point" (2007)] Radioactive Man can also apparently manipulate the ambient energies powering some others' superhuman abilities, as he defeated the villain Hyperion by draining him of all his energy. ["New Thunderbolts" vol. 2, #107]

Other versions

House of M

Dr. Chen Lu fights alongside Baron Strucker against both mutants and Kree.

Other media

Television

* The Radioactive Man appeared in the The Marvel Superheroes Show as a member of Baron Heinrich Zemo's Masters of Evil. He was voiced by Gillie Fenwick.

Video games

* The Radioactive Man appears as a villain in "" voiced by James Sie.

Notes

References

*comicbookdb|type=character|id=4415|title=Radioactive Man

External links

* [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Radioactive_Man_(Chen_Lu) Radioactive Man] at the Marvel Universe
*imdb character|0036473|Radioactive Man
* [http://en.marveldatabase.com/Chen_Lu_(Earth-616) Radioactive Man] at the Marvel Database Project