Psycho-Man

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caption=
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Psycho-Man
real_name=Unknown
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Fantastic Four" Annual #5 (Nov 1967)
creators=Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
alliance_color=background:#c0c0ff
alliances=
previous_alliances=Hate-Monger II
aliases=None known
relatives=None known
powers=
*Genius-level intellect
*Superhuman strength, stamina and durability
*Ability to fire energy blasts
*An object (called a Control-Box) granting him his superhuman physical attributes
*Wears an armored suit|

Psycho-Man is a fictional supervillain from Marvel Comics, created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. He is primarily a foe of the Fantastic Four.

Fictional character biography

Psycho-Man is a mad scientist, the leader of a technocracy that governed a system of worlds within a Microverse. Facing overpopulation, he determined that it would be easier to cross other dimensions than to travel to other systems. Deciding that Earth would be an ideal target due to its inhabitants vulnerabilities to his unique weaponry, he used scientific means to enter the normal-sized universe, though he was only able to achieve microscopic size in this world and has to resort to a human-sized, armored exoskeleton to interact with anything not on a microscopic scale.

Using a portable device capable of influencing people's emotions, Psycho-Man used a number of human subjects to build a larger-scale version of the machine, one capable of covering the world with its emotion-influencing rays. This effort was thwarted by the Human Torch and The Thing, several members of the Inhumans, and the Black Panther, and Psycho-Man was forced to retreat back to the Microverse. He was subsequently followed by the Human Torch, the Thing, and Mister Fantastic, who were forced to let him go in order to deal with a greater threat, Galactus, back in their own dimension. Psycho-Man later faced the Fantastic Four again, as well as a group called the Micronauts who were native to his home dimension, by which time he claimed to be in exile from his homeworld.

Infuriated by his defeat at the hands of the Fantastic Four, Psycho Man became increasingly obsessed in finding the Uni-Power. He planned to steal the Uni-Power, become Captain Universe and then travel to Earth where he would exact his revenge. He scoured the Universe and captured hundreds of people who had been Captain Universe, however by the time he got to them the Uni-Power had moved on. It ended however when the Psycho-Man captured Spider-Man, who broke free and led a revolt against Psycho-Man with the other previous Captain Universe hosts and eventually defeated the villain, leading him to be tossed from his own ship while his former captives took possession of it.

Eventually he returned to Earth and had given up on finding Captain Universe, so he used an android known as H. M. Unger (also known as the Hate-Monger) instead; to stimulate hatred among the population of New York City through demagoguery and chemically-treated pamphlets. The Hate-Monger also succeeded in turning the Invisible Woman into the hateful warrior Malice, sending her to destroy her teammates. After her husband, Mister Fantastic, succeeded in breaking the Invisible Woman free of her conditioning, the Fantastic Four pursued the Psycho-Man back to his home dimension once more, where they found they had conquered a kingdom ruled by their friend Queen Pearla. There the Invisible Woman confronted Psycho-Man and used his own emotion-control device on him by subjecting him to all three emotions simultaneously at maximum intensity, collapsing his nervous system.

Psycho-Man appeared later, to confront Spider-Man, Shadowcat, Douglock and others. Spider-man's experience helped the group escape his influence.

He would also become involved with Captain Marvel and Marvel's evil, alternate-universe future-double Fredd.

He later confronts the newest incarnation of the Fantastic Four - featuring the Black Panther, Storm, the Thing and the Human Torch - after a teleportation accident takes them away from the Marvel Zombies universe and apparently transfers them to his world, where he subsequently apparently strips Storm of her powers before being killed.

Powers and abilities

Though lacking superpowers, Psycho-Man possesses genius-level intelligence and advanced scientific knowledge.

The Psycho-Man's main weapon is a portable emotion-controlling device that projects a ray capable of stimulating the centers of emotion within a person's brain. The device has settings allowing it to produce fear, doubt, and hate, which he can induce for whatever duration and intensity he desires. Though the limits of this device are unknown, he can induce a condition of fear capable of triggering hallucinations and even trigger death due to heart strain.

Psycho-Man also uses a number of suits of armor allowing him to interact with Earth's universe. These suits, which he controls cybernetically, can be altered to provide different capabilities, and have demonstrated sufficient strength to challenge the Thing in physical combat.

Other versions

Ultimate Psycho-Man

Psycho-Man appears in "Ultimate Fantastic Four" #44 (Sept 2007). He is the ruler of Zenn-La, and is called Revka Temerlune Edifex Scyros III, "The king with no enemies". The Silver Surfer is his herald, having been trained as his successor. The name "Psycho-Man" is given to him by Johnny Storm.

Revka uses his mind control powers to make the people of Manhattan worship him, claiming he will bring peace to the world. He then takes them to Zenn-La, to "see what Heaven is like". He erases the memories of all the people and gives them the lives of dead Zenn-la dwellers. He was once ruled old Zenn-La and lost his sanity. After he trained Norrin Radd to be his successor Norrin broke Revka's control of people and Zenn-La destroyed itself. When the Fantastic Four regain their memories and powers he sends out a band of Silver Surfer-like assassins. In the battles aftermath, Psycho-Man lost control of the people and was "reprogrammed."

Revka possesses strong telepathic powers which are further augmented by surgical implants, which also grant him near immortality.

In other media

Psycho Man appeared in the 1990s animated "Fantastic Four" series voiced by Jamie Horton. He intended to use element F for his hate ray to conquer the world, and created Malice in the process.

External links

* [http://marvel.com/universe/Psycho-Man Psycho-Man] at Marvel.com