Black Marvel

Black Marvel
The Black Marvel's debut Cover art by Alex Schomburg
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Mystic Comics #5 (March 1941)
Created by	Al Gabriele (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Dan Lyons
Team affiliations	Slingers
Abilities	Excellent hand to hand combatant Peak physical condition

The Black Marvel (Daniel Lyons) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Al Gabriele with an unknown writer, he first appeared in Mystic Comics #5 (March 1941), published by Marvel's 1940s forerunner Timely Comics during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books.

The Black Marvel appeared in the multi-character omnibus title Mystic Comics #5-9 (March 1941 - May 1942). His first-appearance origin story was reprinted in Marvel Super-Heroes #15 (July 1968).

The character also starred in a story in All Winners Comics #1 (Summer 1941), which was written by Lee and reprinted in The Golden Age of Marvel Comics, Vol. 2. The cover was also reprinted in Giant-Size Invaders vol. 2, #2 (Dec. 2005).

Man-to, the last chief of a tribe of Blackfeet was dying and sought a worthy successor. His medicine man, Running Elk, arranged a series of tests for potential candidates, but over a hundred prospective braves tried and failed to reach the standard required. Dan Lyons was the last contestant, the son of a white man whose life Man-to had saved many years before. Wishing to repay this debt, he braved the tests. He outran a deer, swam upstream faster than the salmon and proved himself an incredible marksman on the archery range, getting four consecutive bullseyes while blindfolded. When other arrows were fired at him, he caught them in the air. He then wrestled a bear and snapped its neck, slaying it. Satisfied, Man-to gave Dan the sacred costume of the Black Marvel, along with the responsibility to right wrongs and destroy those who would prey on the helpless. He also gave him a long bow, telling him to notch it every time he performed a good deed. Only when he had one hundred notches would he be truly worthy of calling himself "The Black Marvel."

His first public adventure saw him stopping a raid on the city armory, carried out under cover of darkness after the crooks created a black-out by attacking the electrical plant. In his next adventure, the Black Marvel stops Nazi agents from killing a refuge who has escaped the regime in Germany.