Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Bill Sienkiewicz, Billy Mumy, Comet Man, Comics, entertainment, Kelly Jones, marvel, miguel ferrer

Miguel Ferrer's Contribution To The Marvel Universe – The Comet Man

Yesterday's passing of actor Miguel Ferrer was covered by almost everyone, focusing on his long list of roles to his familiar ties to George Clooney. Rarely mentioned were his days as a drummer, touring with his mother, Rosemary Clooney, or with Bing Crosby. He was also in a band called Seduction of the Innocent with Bill Mumy, Steve Leialoha and Max Allan Collins and they would play at the San Diego Comic Con.

But it's his other connection to comics I wanted to mention today. A comic miniseries and character he created with Mumy and Kelly Jones – The Comet Man. The six-issue mini-series ran in early 1987 (just shy of 30 years ago). Comet-Man is Dr. Stephen Beckley, an astronomer and astrophysicist who runs the Edmon project that looks into astronomical incidents. Beckley pilots a craft into the tail of a comet and mets Max, a being from a race the claims to have started evolution on Earth and other planets. But Max accidentally vaporizes Beckley when they meet and uses his technology to restore him, but gives Beckley some superpowers.

Upon returning to Earth, Beckley is captured by a group called The Bridge, a top secret intelligence agency run by The Superior / John Gallagher (who is Beckley's older brother but Stephen doesn't know). Beckley escapes, but they had captured his wife who dies in custody but his son, Benny, gets put under tests to duplicate Stephen's powers. Beckley befriends Reed Richards (good guy to know) who gives him a device that helps him control his teleportations. He learns from SHIELD about his wife's death and that John is his brother (but not that he's The Superior). Beckley finds his son injured and saves his life by granting him a copy of his own powers. But doing so makes it look like Stephen died, sending Benny into a rage and killing one of the doctors working on him. Benny then goes catatonic and Stephen recovers, leaving Benny in the hands of one of the repented doctors who experimented on him.

Bridge then sent assassins against Max, but between Comet Man and Max learning he can be violent… it didn't go well for the assassins. Beckley then traveled with Max to Colony Fortisque where he better learned to use his powers. Stephen would then return to Earth to find Benny was now in the care of his sister Rosemary and his older brother John who was then forced to pay for his crimes as the Superior.

Comet Man tried to help some SHIELD Agents during Civil War against Cybermancer and came up as a potential candidate for the Initiative after.

Comet Man can teleport great distance, deep into outer space, either when desired or when in danger. He can also project part of himself into the minds of other humans or animals. He can read their memories and effect their thoughts and emotions. He possesses superhuman strength, and durability, a regenerative healing factor and telekinesis which he uses to fly, create protective fields, and project destructive blasts.

Covers for the Comet Man series were done by Bill Sienkiewicz.

I remember reading and linking this series a lot when it came out. Wish they would've done more.

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