Thin Man (comics)

The Thin Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by artist Klaus Nordling'' #4 (August 1940), and published by Marvel predecessor Timely Comics during the time fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. The Thin Man was one of the first "stretching" superheroes, predating Quality Comics's more famous Plastic Man by more than a year and DC Comics's Elongated Man and Marvel Comics's Mister Fantastic by more than twenty years.

Publication history

In his origin story, explorer Bruce Dixon climbs Mount Kalpurthia in Tibet, and finds the lost city of Kalahia, where everyone can turn themselves super-thin at will. He learns their secrets, and leaves the valley to fight crime in America, with Olalla, a pretty Kalahian girl, at his side. Using his special skill, he can slip under doors and surprise criminals. He made no further Golden Age appearances following his debut.

The Thin Man next appeared in 1970s comics in World War II flashback stories, beginning with ''Marvel Premiere'' #29 (April 1976). This story, by writer Roy Thomas and penciller Don Heck, retcons the Thin Man as a founding member of the superhero team the Liberty Legion. His costume was changed in this revival from blue and red to green and yellow, because the red and blue ensemble looked too much like other, better-known members of the superteam. The team made a handful of appearances in 1976 and 1979.

The Thin Man was revived in 1993 for a brief '' Invaders'' series, and then co-starred in the 2004–2005 series '' The New Invaders''.

Fictional character biography

In the 1930s, scientist and explorer Dr. Bruce Dickson attempts to climb Mount Kalpurthia in the Himalayas. There, he encounters the lost civilization of Kalahia, which possessed extremely advanced technology. The Kalahian people expose him to a mutagenic substance which alters his body to give him the same physical abilities as they had: eternal youth, and tremendous physical resilience and flexibility, including the ability to become "thin", or rather, flat.

Dickson learns much of their advanced technology, and falls in love with Olalla, daughter of the Kalahians' leader. The Thin Man, which Dickson has adopted as his superhero name, becomes a member of the stateside team the Liberty Legion during World War II. The Liberty Legion begins battling Nazi agents in the United States. With the Liberty Legion, the Thin Man the Invaders, who are hypnotically controlled by the Red Skull. In 1942, the Liberty Legion encounters the Thing who has traveled back in time, and they aid them in battling Master Man, U-Man, and Skyshark. The Liberty Legion also battled Iron Cross.

At some point, the Thin Man reveals to Captain America that Olalla, whom he has married, has returned to Kalahia. The Thin Man remains in order to serve his country, and when he returns to Kalahia after the war he finds that the Nazis have located the valley and slaughtered all its inhabitants, including his wife. After this, he becomes an obsessed Nazi hunter for decades, eventually discovering that an old foe, the Nazi's Agent Axis