Cardiac (Elias Wirtham) is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
, appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. The character was created by writer David Michelinie and penciller Erik Larsen and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #342 in December 1990.
Wirtham is portrayed as an anti-hero, once a physician and surgeon, he was driven to become a vigilante after the death of his brother Joshua, which he sees as being caused by corporate greed. He has upgraded his physical body, replacing his heart with a beta-particle reactor which allows him to channel energy through a vibranium weave mesh under his skin. This has given him enhanced speed, agility, and reflexes as well as being able to channel the energy through his fists. His unyielding approach to justice has bought him into conflict with a number of heroes, most notably Spider-Man.
Publication history
Created by writer
David Michelinie
David Michelinie (; born May 6, 1948) is an American comic book writer best known for scripting Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and '' Iron Man'' and the DC Comics feature Superman in ''Action Comics''. Among the characters he created o ...
and penciller
Erik Larsen
Erik J. Larsen (born December 8, 1962) is an American comic book artist, writer, and publisher. He currently acts as the chief financial officer of Image Comics. He gained attention in the early 1990s with his art on Spider-Man series for Marvel ...
, he first appeared as Elias Wirtham in ''
The Amazing Spider-Man
''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...
'' #342 (December 1990)
[''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #342 (December 1990)] and as Cardiac in ''
The Amazing Spider-Man
''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...
'' #344 (February 1991).
Fictional character biography
Wirtham is a physician and surgeon, and the owner and administrator of a biological research firm. Elias Wirtham is driven by his brother's death to research life-saving medical practices. His brother Joshua's death was the result of corporate greed. A corporation had a cure for his condition ready, but did not distribute the medicine due to it not being a "profitable" time for them, hence Cardiac's motivation against corporations. As a part of his research, Elias replaces his heart with a beta-particle reactor, which supplies energy throughout
vibranium
Vibranium () is a fictional metal appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, noted for its extraordinary abilities to absorb, store, and release large amounts of kinetic energy. Mined only in Wakanda, the metal is associated w ...
weave mesh under his skin. This energy, channeled through his muscles, increases his speed, agility, and reflexes, and can also be fired through his fists or the power staff he wields. He adopts the moniker "Cardiac" in reference to the source of his power.
[''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #376 (April 1993)]
Fighting resumes
Cardiac becomes a vigilante, believing himself an instrument of justice. He first encounters
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
while raiding Sapridyne Chemicals, a company owned by
Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a villainous entrepreneur, head of Hammer Industries and a frequent adversary of the superhero Iron Man. As he ex ...
which possesses chemicals vital for the production of
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...
. Hammer hires the
Rhino
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
to kill Cardiac for raiding his company, but Cardiac defeats him.
[''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #344 (February 1991)] Cardiac next destroys the house and property of Albert Brukner, a corrupt
Savings & Loan broker, and then attacks a subsidiary of
Stane International
Iron Monger is an alias used by multiple fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first character to use the alias is Obadiah Stane, who first appeared in ''Iron Man'' #163 (Oct. 1982). The Iron Mong ...
that manufactured dangerous electronic dolls for children. He invades Stane International itself to destroy designs for a sonic missile that produce the effects of
nerve gas
Nerve agents, sometimes also called nerve gases, are a class of organic chemicals that disrupt the mechanisms by which nerves transfer messages to organs. The disruption is caused by the blocking of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme that ...
.
Cardiac targets a filmmaker whose film is
indirectly responsible for a boy murdering his own family. However, Cardiac incidentally encounters
Styx and Stone
File:Villainarena.jpg, Depiction of the many Spider-Man villains in a dream sequence of Spider-Man in ''The Sensational Spider-Man'' (vol. 2) #32. Art by Sean Chen. , frame
rect 3 99 33 165 Morbius
rect 0 55 43 98 Hydro-Man
rect 34 99 43 128 C ...
and is inadvertently embroiled in a fight between Styx, Stone, and Spider-Man. At different times fighting each of them, Cardiac eventually cooperates with Spider-Man; together, they defeat Styx and Stone. Afterward, Spider-Man attempts to restrain Cardiac, but he escapes.
Cardiac subsequently battles
Code: Blue.
He returns periodically to perform his version of justice. He will kill criminals, but he is often bothered by his conscience as a result. When he targets a shipment of drugs, Cardiac again encounters Spider-Man, defeating the hero. Cardiac destroys the shipment, saying that he wasn't "there to destroy a misguided hero". Cardiac helps
NightWatch to take down the corrupt corporation which gave him his powers. Cardiac also confronts
Johnny Blaze and
Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider.
The first s ...
during Blaze's mission to rescue his missing son from an evil corporation. When
Wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
seemingly goes on a rampage after having fallen under the influence of an alien, Cardiac is one of the many superheroes who attempts to stop him. Pairing with
Solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
is not enough, and they are swiftly defeated. Wolverine turns Cardiac's weapon on a nearby building. Cardiac is stunned and buried under several large chunks of masonry.
The Initiative
Elias was listed as a "potential recruit" for the
Initiative
In political science, an initiative (also known as a popular initiative or citizens' initiative) is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a pu ...
program, according to ''Civil War: Battle Damage Report''.
Fear Itself
During the ''
Fear Itself'' storyline, Cardiac deals with the fear and chaos in his area when he comes across Charles Davies, CEO of Jerixo Healthcare, and tries to help his son who has
meningitis
Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or ...
.
Working with Superior Spider-Man
As Dr. Elias Wirtham, he opens the new Hospital for Emergency Aid and Recuperative Therapy (H.E.A.R.T.) in the former site of
Mister Negative
Mister Negative is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man, the Punisher, and Cloak & Dagger. The character was created by Dan Slott and Phil Jime ...
's homeless shelter. As Cardiac he has stolen items to help aid patients being treated there. On a trip to "procure" a device to help a girl with severe brain damage from "The Boneyard" (a police impound for confiscated supervillain items), he fights with the
Superior Spider-Man
Superior may refer to:
*Superior (hierarchy), something which is higher in a hierarchical structure of any kind
Places
*Superior (proposed U.S. state), an unsuccessful proposal for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to form a separate state
*Lake ...
(
Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus (Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius), also known as Doc Ock for short, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in ''Th ...
' mind in Peter Parker's body). Due to Peter's interference with Doctor Octopus, Cardiac is able to temporarily stun Spider-Man with a strong blast and escape with the Neurolitic Scanner (a device that Doctor Octopus had invented to develop his mind link to his tentacles), but not without being tagged by an old spider-tracer.
[''The Superior Spider-Man'' #7 (April 2013)] Wirtham is preparing the Neurolitic Scanner that he previously stole to scan the brain of his patient Amy Chen to find a damaged area of her brain. It becomes difficult due to the complexity of the device. Cardiac replies that the only one who can handle it properly is Otto Octavius. When Wirtham is preparing for his surgery, the alarms at H.E.A.R.T. Clinic activate. As Wirtham changes into Cardiac, he notices a
Spider-Tracer as Otto arrives. Otto demands that Cardiac surrenders the Neurolitic Scanner, and Cardiac refuses. They battle in the hospital. While Otto tries to fend off the attacks, Cardiac tries to delay him but fails. Otto finds the Neurolitic Scanner on Amy's head and even tries to retrieve it, but Peter refuses to allow him to do so until Cardiac manages to stop him. Otto demands an explanation, and Cardiac reveals that when Otto tried to kill the planet with his Heat Satellites, he didn't considered about those who were already sick like Amy (whose parents died in an accident caused by his scheme), and she barely survived with severe brain damage. Otto feels remorse for this and decides to help Cardiac with the surgery, offering to perform the surgery himself. Even though Otto is having minor afflictions with his hand, the surgery is a success. Cardiac thanks Spider-Man for the help, and Otto replies that he was wrong about him and offers his help on anything which makes Cardiac allow Otto to borrow the Neurolitic Scanner.
Dr. Wirtham oversees the operation of
Aunt May
Maybelle "May" Parker-Jameson (née Reilly), commonly known as Aunt May, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Making her first full appeara ...
's leg and tells her that her leg is now fully healed upon completion of the surgery. When Otto has plans to make artificial legs for
Flash Thompson
Eugene "Flash" Thompson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 196 ...
with him being the first subject for this operation, Wirtham worries about some last-minute add-ins to the procedure. When the Superior Spider-Man gets the
Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
symbiote on him and gets it under his control, he knocks Cardiac aside.
When the Goblin Underground is attacking Manhattan, Cardiac is seen fighting the
Goblin King's minions. While Cardiac was away fighting the Goblin King's minions, the Goblin King has the H.E.A.R.T. Clinic destroyed.
[''The Superior Spider-Man'' #29]
Powers and abilities
Cardiac's heart has been surgically replaced with a compact beta-particle reactor, which grants Cardiac power. He has the ability to channel beta particles through the neural web of his vibranium-mesh skin into his muscles thereby endowing him with superhuman strength and regeneration, and enhanced speed, agility, reflexes and endurance, and he can channel these particles through external objects (such as his pulse staff and hang glider). He wields his pulse staff which fires concussive force bolts in a distinctive pulse-like energy signature, and rides a beta-propelled stingray hang-glider, which were both invented by Wirtham and his associates.
His vibranium-mesh skin is also able to stop a couple bullet s