Blazing Skull

Blazing Skull
As part of the New Invaders (bottom left). Promotional art for New Invaders #1 (Aug. 2004), by Scott Kolins
Publication information
Publisher	Timely Comics (now Marvel Comics)
First appearance	Mystic Comics #5 (March 1941)
Created by	Bob Davis (writer / artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Mark Anthony Todd
Species	Human Mutate
Team affiliations	Defenders Invaders
Notable aliases	Steve Valiant, Richard Stetson, Skull, Koos, Smoking Head
Abilities	Superhuman strength Immunity to fire Regenerative healing factor Flame generation and projection Ability to make his tissues invisible while leaving his bones visible

The Blazing Skull (Mark Anthony Todd) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created during the Golden Age of Comic Books by Marvel's predecessor, Timely Comics, and first appeared in Mystic Comics # 5 (March 1941). The character's writer and artist creators are unknown. The Blazing Skull fell into obscurity after the 1940s, and was revived in the 1990s.

The Blazing Skull should not be confused with Marvel's unrelated supernatural motorcyclist the Ghost Rider, who is depicted with a flaming skull. Also, the unrelated Marvel character Skull the Slayer (James Scully) briefly used the alias "Blazing Skull."

The Blazing Skull debuted in "The Story of Mark Todd", a nine-page tale in the 1941 comic that also introduced cover character the Black Marvel and fellow superhero the Terror. He continued to appear in Mystic Comics through issue #9 (May 1941), with at least one story ("The Thing", in #8) confirmed to have been penciled by Golden Age great Syd Shores.

A simulacrum of the Blazing Skull briefly appeared, along with simulacra of the Patriot, the Fin, and the Golden Age Angel and Vision, to aid the superhero team the Avengers in The Avengers #97 (March 1972).

The actual Blazing Skull starred in a solo period adventure, set during World War II, in Midnight Sons Unlimited #9 (May 1995). Nearly 10 years later, he was reintroduced into modern-day continuity in the four-part story arc "Once an Invader" in The Avengers vol. 3, #82-84 (July-Sept. 2004) and in the quirkily numbered New Invaders #0 (Aug. 2004). The Blazing Skull appeared through the final issue, New Invaders #9 (June 2005).