Make mine Miracleman….but which one?

Yet another chapter in the long, twisted saga of Marvelman/Miracleman has been revealed: a NEW Miracleman has just debuted in the pages of Marvel’s AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #4. David Colton previously appeared as a new Captain America in Chip Zdarsky’s Captain America run…now it’s been revealed that he got his powers from some form of Miracleman and has taken up the mantle for Earth-616!

The story of Miracleman – originally known as Marvelman – cannot be easily summarized here. In fact, we ran a years long history of the character and the various legal battles surrounding him here on the Beat years ago. You can buy the collected edition on Lulu as Poisoned Chalice: The Extremely Long and Incredibly Complex Story of Marvelman (and Miracleman) by Pádraig Ó Méalóid. The tale involves Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Todd McFarlane, Dez Skinn, Mick Anglo, Rick Veitch and more. 

The very short version is that Marvelman was a 50s superhero in British comics created by Mick Anglo. In the 80s, Alan Moore and Gary Leach revamped the character for a UK publishers but it was published in the US by Eclipse Comics, now renamed Miracleman because of objections from Marvel Comics. Moore being at the height of his comics writing powers, it was a powerful reinvention that stalled out when Eclipse went bankrupt. Then Todd McFarland bought the Eclipse assets, including Miracleman, and a never published continuation by Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham. This became a pawn in a legal battle between Gaiman and McFarland over the character Angela and for decades, the character was in limbo, while fans cried for his return and the story to be finished…until 2009, when Marvel reached a deal that allowed for reprints of the classic Anglo stuff, the Moore material, AND the continuation by Gaiman. And in 2013 an actual return was announced and was the biggest news at NYCC. 

The modern return of Miracleman kind of fell flat, however. Gaiman and Buckingham finished the second story arc of a planned trilogy but the final chapter will likely never be seen given charges of abuse by Gaiman that have seen his work dropped by publishers.    

Got all that? I may have missed five hundred steps or so. 

ANYHOO, any IP that people talk about for 70 years has to have value right? So Marvel has introduced a NEW MIRACLEMAN! People had been guessing about this for a while now, but the hints had been dropping for years, as related by AIPT:

Marvel dropped a much bigger hint at the end of 2021’s Timeless #1, which closed with Miracleman’s distinctive “M” symbol among its glimpses of Marvel’s future. The following year brought another eyebrow-raising development when Marvel celebrated the character’s 40th anniversary with variant covers depicting Miracleman alongside Marvel mainstays including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Moon Knight, and Black Panther.

At the time, however, those covers were just that: covers. Miracleman still wasn’t actually running around the Marvel Universe.

That changes with Avengers: Armageddon #4.

Now apparently Colton has gotten his powers from an Origin Box which might be from the Ultimate Universe, but I guess more Miracleman is in the 616 Universe. But he’s also a 21st century Captain America who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, while OG Cap was thawing from ice and…thinking about this has me so confused I’m just going to quote the press release:

On stands now, AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #4, the penultimate issue of the five-issue event series by Chip Zdarsky, Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar that ushers in the next era of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, delivered a game-changing revelation: theunparalleled—powers was none other than MIRACLEMAN

A pioneer of modern super hero storytelling, MIRACLEMAN remains one of the medium’s most revolutionary characters. Now, the character returns in the Marvel Universe as his awesome power finds a new champion in David Colton, the 21st-century Captain America introduced in the opening arc of Chip Zdarsky’s acclaimed Captain America run.

Colton’s transformation couldn’t come at a more pivotal moment. AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON is reenergizing the Marvel Universe—and comic shops with sold-out printings—as the Avengers face a battle that will forever change how the world sees them as protectors. Now, David Colton assumes the mantle of MIRACLEMAN, who once deconstructed the very idea of what it means to be a super hero, to help usher in this new age. But as Colton embraces his new power and brings it to the forefront of the fight, will there be an Earth left standing to avenge?

“Dave Colton is a fascinating, complicated character, now much more so as he takes on the mantle of Miracleman,” Avengers Editor Wil Moss shared. “Chip has BIG plans for him that will affect not just the Avengers, but the entire Marvel Universe. This is the beginning of something really special.”

AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #4 went on sale yesterday with a SPOILER VARIANT cover by Michael Cho. The final cover for AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #5 has also been revealed, showing David Colton as Miracleman, and there is also a top secret cover by John Romita Jr. Secrets and mysteries – this one has it all. 

Colton-Miracleman will apparently be a member of November’s new Avengers title by Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto. But the question remains: do people care more about Miracleman’s crazy history than reading about his adventures? Can anything top Alan Moore? Moore’s take on the character was a radical reinvention that upended superhero conventions – something fresh and exciting in the 80s but ho hum in the world of The Boys and Invincible.

Perhaps the most radical thing possible today would be a newish character that readers just enjoy reading about. And most important to me: when will Miracleman appear in Marvel Strike Force? 

AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #4 (OF 5)
Written by CHIP ZDARSKY

Art by DELIO DIAZ & FRANK ALPIZAR

Cover by DIKE RUAN

Spoiler Variant Cover by MICHAEL CHO

On Sale Now!

AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #5 (OF 5) – 75960621563800511

Variant Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR. – 75960621563800541