Madman (Marvel Comics)

Template:Infobox comics character Madman (Philip Sterns) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Peter David and artist Jeff Purves, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #362 (November 1989).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is the brother of the Leader, and an enemy of the Hulk.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Publication history

Philip Sterns debuted in The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #362 (November 1989), and as the Madman in The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #364, created by Peter David and Jeff Purves.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Fictional character biography

A former classmate of Bruce Banner at the California Institute of Technology, Sterns possesses a love/hate obsession with Hulk, originating from his envy and fascination with his former peer.<ref name=":03">The Incredible Hulk #364 (December 1989)</ref> In an attempt to emulate the Hulk, Sterns exposes himself to gamma radiation, transforming into a monster with abnormal strength and developing multiple personality disorder.

Calling himself the Madman, Sterns hatches a plot to kill the Hulk by injecting him with a poison that rapidly deteriorates his body.<ref name=":03" /> Samuel Sterns, the Leader and Phil's brother, comes to aid the Hulk so he can help him track down the Madman for an antidote.<ref>The Incredible Hulk #366 (February 1990)</ref> In the ensuing battle, the Hulk manages to cure himself and poison the Madman, leaving the cure to the poison just out of reach.<ref>The Incredible Hulk #367 (March 1990)</ref>

Later, the Madman revealed that he simply increased his mass to grab it and recovered in time. He masquerades as a researcher in the Red Skull's "New World Order" organization. Here, he helped to engineer the transformation of a captured S.H.I.E.L.D. agent into the power-mimicking creature Piecemeal.<ref name="IH408">The Incredible Hulk #408 (August 1993)</ref>

In the series Thunderbolts, the Madman resurfaces and has been seen supplying gamma technology on the island of Kata Jaya. He encounters Red Hulk's incarnation of the Thunderbolts and is killed by the Leader.<ref>Thunderbolts (vol. 3) #6 (March 2013)</ref>

Powers and abilities

Like the Hulk, the Madman has immense strength and durability.<ref>The Incredible Hulk #407 (July 1993)</ref> He is unable to grow in strength further, but possesses additional shapeshifting abilities. He is also a gifted genius, with knowledge of nuclear physics and robotics.<ref>Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #6 (February 2009)</ref>

In other media

• Philip Sterns / Madman appears as a boss in Hulk, voiced by Paul Dobson.<ref name="btva">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Philip Sterns / Madman makes a non-speaking appearance in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes episode "Hulk vs. the World" as an inmate of the Cube.

External links

• Madman at Marvel.com