| Son of Vulcan | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Johnny Mann |
|
First Appearance |
Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #46 (May 1965) |
|
Original Publisher |
Charlton Comics |
|
Created by |
Pat Masulli and Bill Fraccio |
Origin[]
Johnny Mann, a scrawny but courageous reporter for an international news syndicate who had lost a leg while serving during the Korean War. Covering a bloody civil war on the Mediterranean island of Cyprete, he complained aloud while standing in the ruins of an ancient temple that the gods play with men's lives while leaving them defenseless against the forces of war and crime.
Taking offense, the Roman gods transported him to Mount Olympus where he was put on trial before Jupiter, all-powerful king of the gods, for his impudence. The war god Mars argued for his immediate destruction, but Vulcan, lame-legged god of fire and forge, spoke up in his defense, and Venus, goddess of love, agreed with Vulcan. In the end, bonding with the orphaned newsman over their similar disabilities, Vulcan agreed to adopt Johnny and share with him god-like powers that would help him fight injustice in the mortal world. Mars often plots against him to make him lose favor with Jupiter or destroy him and was exiled from Olympus for this.
Powers & Abilities[]
By calling on Vulcan's aid, Johnny would transform into a superhuman demigod, whole again and mightily muscled and clad in indestructible Roman-style armor and shield with the power to summon both fire and powerful ancient weapons from his adopted father's forge. However, it was the judgment of Jupiter that his powers could be removed from him at any time if the gods ever decided he was unworthy of them.
Public Domain Appearances[]
- Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #46-48
- Son of Vulcan #49-50
Notes[]
- Like many Charlton Characters such as Tyro Team, Spookman, and Shape, Sun of Vulcan is in the public domain thanks to a lack of a proper copyright notice. This is because any work published without a proper copyright notice between 1923 and 1977 are in the public domain. See FAQ for more details.