Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja

Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja
Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja #1 (August 1989). © Marvel Comics. Pencils by Ron Wagner, inks by Bob McLeod.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Publication date(s)	August 1989 - September 1990
No. of issues	16
Main character(s)	John Doe Alfie O'Meagan
Creative team
Written by	Larry Hama
Penciller(s)	Ron Wagner (all issues except #8) Dale Keown (issue #8)
Inker(s)	Fred Fredericks
Letterer(s)	Janice Chiang
Colorist(s)	Mark Chiarello Bob Sharen

Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja is a comic book about an American ninja set in an unspecified near future where World War III has started. It was written by Larry Hama between 1989 and 1990, based largely on his success writing the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic, which he wrote concurrently with The Nth Man (and also features a modern ninja as one of the main characters). Nth Man and Alfie O'Meagan first appeared in Marvel Comics Presents #25 (August 1989). The series was meant to last for 24 issues, but was cancelled after 16. In spite of this, Hama was able to resolve the storyline early. Ron Wagner, who penciled the series for its entire run, attributes its commercial failure to its being set in a standalone universe instead of the popular Marvel Universe, as well as the absence of costumed characters.

The series starts in medias res, with American soldiers parachuting into war-torn Moscow, in an attempt to rescue the Nth Man. Using TV news commentary as a plot exposition device, it is revealed that the war was caused by Alfie O'Meagan, using his psychic abilities to neutralize all nuclear weapons on the planet, upsetting the balance of power.

During the course of the story, we learn that Alfie has grown up in an orphanage alongside John Doe (the "Nth Man" of the title). Doe was adopted by an elderly Japanese man, who worked for the CIA's "Black Ops" division. Doe was raised as a ninja, taught to kill without regret. While in the orphanage, O'Meagan had visions of possible futures (the "could-be's"), and over time his powers grew, so that he was able to control matter and produce other effects that were against the physical laws of the universe.