Molten Man

Molten Man
Cover of Amazing Spider-Man #133. Art by Ross Andru.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Amazing Spider-Man #28 (September 1965)
Created by	Stan Lee Steve Ditko
In-story information
Alter ego	Mark Raxton
Team affiliations	Exterminators[1]
Abilities	Superhuman strength, endurance and durability Fire abilities Genius intelligence

Molten Man is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in Amazing Spider-Man #28 (September 1965.) The character was introduced as a supervillain, but has acted as a superhero in recent years.

Fictional character biography

Mark Raxton was born in New York City. He was a scientist who could not wait to use his skills to become rich, and once worked at Oscorp Industries, Inc., as the laboratory assistant to Dr. Spencer Smythe, creator of the Spider-Slayers. Raxton and Smythe developed an experimental new liquid metallic alloy for the Spider-Slayers from a radioactive meteor, but Raxton attempted to steal it and sell it for his own profit. In the ensuing fight with Smythe in the laboratory, Raxton spilled the liquid alloy all over himself, his skin absorbing it and turning golden. Fearing for his life, Raxton ran for the nearest hospital, only to discover that the alloy had changed him for the better when he angrily punched an irate motorist's hood, buckling it. Realizing the great potential his new abilities afforded him, Raxton, now calling himself the Molten Man turned to crime to further his gains. Peter Parker, as Spider-Man, was forced to nearly miss his high school graduation to stop the Molten Man's first crime spree.^[1] He was released from jail before long, only to continue his criminal activities. However, he was once again defeated by Spider-Man.^[2]

Eventually, his body begins to give off intense heat and to consume itself. His metal skin became molten, and he stole meteor fragments from a museum to attempt a cure. An encounter with Spider-Man resulted in his submergence in the polluted East River, which temporarily reversed the deterioration.^[3]

After a few more encounters with Spider-Man, it was revealed that Peter's friend Liz Allan was Raxton's stepsister. Raxton broke into a pharmaceutical company to steal chemicals which would reverse his condition permanently. When the procedure failed, he went berserk and kidnapped Liz. Liz was saved by Spider-Man, but the Molten Man was buried beneath the laboratory.^[4] He later resurfaced at the same site and once again sought his sister out. Spider-Man prevented the Molten Man from hurting her, knocking him into a swimming pool, thus extinguishing his flames and cooling his molten properties. He was then taken to the Vault.^[5] Raxton realized that his stepsister was the only member of his family who had not abandoned him. He was eventually released from the Vault and approached Liz once again, this time to apologize. Spider-Man misunderstood his intentions and battled him once more. Reconciled with Raxton, Liz and her husband Harry Osborn gave Raxton a job as head of security at Osborn Industries.^[6] Molten Man later teamed up with Spider-Man and the second Green Goblin against Tombstone and Hammerhead.^[7] Molten Man was then kidnapped along with Liz, Normie Osborn, and Spider-Man by Harry Osborn, who had suffered a mental lapse, making him the evil Green Goblin once again. Molten Man was saved by Spider-Man.^[8] Molten Man and Spider-Man have since become friends, and Molten Man has occasionally used his powers to come to Spider-Man's aid against other supervillains. A few times he has been a bodyguard for Peter Parker's friends and family when disasters overwhelm the city.

However, in the months following the Clone Saga, Raxton was abducted by Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, and brainwashed. Under mind control, Molten Man attacked and killed Osborn's henchwoman Alison Mongraine, the only person who knew of the location of Peter and Mary Jane's baby. While Molten Man has since recovered from the mind control, he still bears a heavy burden of guilt over the incident.

Sometime after Harry Osborn's death, Raxton is called in when mysterious forces kidnap Liz Allan's son, Normie. He uses his brawn and brains to help Spider-Man and the Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich uncover what happened.

Raxton is later pressed into a super-villain group again when the Chameleon approaches him and threatens to kill Normie if Raxton does not join his 'Exterminators'.^[9] Raxton is then forced to attack Liz Allan.

Civil War

During the Civil War, Molten Man and Scarecrow were used as bait for Captain America's Secret Avengers only for the Punisher to arrive. Raxton is left in critical condition after being attacked by Punisher.

Mind On Fire

Raxton next appears, still in bad condition, under the care of Liz Allen. When Harry Osborn comes to visit Liz and Normie, he and Liz get into an argument. Hearing Liz speak Harry's name, Raxton suddenly awakens and attacks him, screaming that Harry has hurt his family for the last time, and will "die for real".^[10] Spider-Man intervenes, but has trouble fighting Raxton, whose powers have grown greatly out of control. Spider-Man manages to trap Raxton in asphalt, and Harry provides him with a cure that Oscorp had been working on upon studying the statuesque remains of Charlie Weiderman. The cure works perfectly, returning Raxton to his original human state. Although he finally was rid of the alloy, he still retained his powers; such as his super strength and energy manipulation, and a new power to incinerate anything by producing fire from his palms. Harry built him a special suit using a part of the alloy and his DNA to help him control his powers.^[11]

Powers and abilities

Molten Man was given superhuman powers after exposure to an organic liquid metal alloy obtained from a meteor discovered by Spencer Smythe. His skin completely absorbed the experimental alloy, turning all of the external tissues of his body into a solid metallic substance, as well as the trunks, belt, and boots he was wearing at the time of the accident. As a result, Molten Man possesses superhuman strength and his skin is composed of a frictionless metal that grants him a high degree of resistance to physical injury. Raxton's metallic fingers are sensitive enough to pick locks (making him an expert safe cracker), and his skin is so slick he cannot be restrained with Spider-Man's webbing. Molten Man's skin can also generate intense heat, burning anybody who tries to touch him and shooting flaming projectiles at his foes. At one time, his skin was like molten lava, allowing him to project radiation and heat up to 300 °F (149 °C). In his molten form, the Molten Man's skin may reach a critical stage at which point his skin could actually melt off him.

Additionally, unlike most of Spider-Man's more thuggish villains, Molten Man had brains to compliment his raw physical strength. An intelligent and completely sane scientist, Molten Man was smart enough to learn from his mistakes and not fall for the same trick twice. He is a college graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering.

Other versions

Ultimate Molten Man

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Mark Raxton is a guitarist in a local punk rock band, the name of which is later revealed to be "Molten Man" (Ultimate Spider-Man #78). In #78 one of their songs has the lyrics "I am your molten man, and I'm melting on you".

He first appears in the story 'Dumped', in #78, where he asks Mary Jane Watson on a date, and she reluctantly accepts, but she spends most of the evening talking about Peter Parker, who had just broken up with her. Raxton remains a gentleman the entire time. Later, he encounters Mary Jane at the mall, and upon learning that the boy she was with was Peter, tells her "Good for you," and leaves without further incident.

He later appears in #88, part three of the 'Silver Sable' storyline, where a class member of Peter's high school dresses up as Spider-Man and runs out in front of the press. He is revealed to be Mark Raxton, who shouts advertisements for his band 'Molten Man' before being dragged away by police.

In other media

Television

Molten Man in The Spectacular Spider-Man.

• Molten Man appears in the second season of The Spectacular Spider-Man^[12] voiced by Eric Lopez. In this series, he is renamed Mark Allan and is Liz Allan's biological brother (rather than half-brother). Mark Allan also incorporates elements of Betty Brant's brother, Bennett Brant from the original comics, with his gambling connections to Blackie Gaxton. Mark is introduced in "First Steps", the fifth episode of Season 2, as a troubled youth recently returning to Midtown High after spending six months in juvenile hall. He is regretful about his criminal past, having stolen a car to repay debts accumulated through gambling losses. Similar to his Ultimate universe counterpart, he has a romantic connection to Mary-Jane Watson who (along with his sister, Liz) try to convince Mark not to gamble his life away. In "Subtext", the eleventh episode of Season 2, Norman Osborn and Miles Warren combine to transform the unwitting Mark into the Molten Man, by injecting nanobots into his bloodstream, under the pretence that undergoing the procedure will clear the debt accrued by his recent backslide into gambling. Mark is then blackmailed by Osborn, in the guise of the Green Goblin, to eliminate Spider-Man in exchange for the device which controls his transformation process. During the ensuing confrontation with Spider-Man, he is suspended between two lamp posts by webbing and deluged by a fire hydrant in an effort to quell his flames, but it fails to work. Green Goblin (watching the incident from a safe distance) exclaims to himself, "Oh well, that's what I get for betting on an amateur!" and deactivates the nanobots by remote before Mark is taken to jail. In "Opening Night", Molten Man is shown as an inmate at the Vault. Green Goblin releases him and Rhino from solitary as Green Goblin reactivates Molten Man's powers since Molten Man is still in debt to the Green Goblin. Molten Man does his part by flooding the ventilation system with lava. He ends up knocked out by the knock-out gas unleashed by Walter Hardy.

Video games

• Molten Man appears in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2^[13], voiced by Andrew Kishino. He is among the supervillains under the control of the Control Nanites used by S.H.I.E.L.D. In the Pro-Registration campaign, he is used to assist the heroes in fighting Goliath. In the Anti-Registration campaign, he and She-Hulk are shown attacking Cloak and Dagger until the heroes arrive. When the nanites take control, Molten Man is among the supervillains that attacks both sides. He will attack the heroes after they replaced the power cores needed to power up the portal that leads out of Prison 42.

Bibliography

• Amazing Spider-Man'#28, 35, 132-143, 171-173, 181, 440-441, 581, Annual #13
• The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 1 63, 189-190, 201
• Punisher War Journal Vol. 2 #2
• Sensational Spider-Man Vol. 2 29-31
• Spider-Man Unlimited Vol. 1 #1
• Spider-Man: Legacy of Evil #1
• Web of Spider-Man Vol 1 61-62, 103

References

External links

• Molten Man at Marvel.com