Purple Man

Purple Man
Purple Man. Art by Tom Grummett.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Daredevil #4 (October 1964)
Created by	Stan Lee (writer) Joe Orlando (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Zebediah Killgrave
Species	Human Mutate
Abilities	Skilled manipulator High-level intellect Mind control Regenerative healing factor

The Purple Man (Zebediah Killgrave) is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Joe Orlando, he first appeared in Daredevil #4 (October 1964). His body produces pheromones which allow him to verbally control the actions of others. Initially a recurring enemy of Daredevil, in the 2000s he emerged as the archenemy of Jessica Jones and her husband Luke Cage.

The character was portrayed by David Tennant in the 2015 opening season of the Netflix TV series Jessica Jones, for which Tennant received critical praise, and for which the character was included on Rolling Stone's list of the "40 Greatest TV Villains of All Time".

Purple Man first appeared in Daredevil #4 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Joe Orlando.

Zebediah Kilgrave was born in Rijeka, Croatia. A physician turned international spy, he was sent to infiltrate a chemical refinery. During the mission, he was accidentally doused with a chemical that turned his hair and skin purple. Caught outright and questioned, Kilgrave offered a weak, inadequate alibi to his captors. Much to his surprise, he was believed and released. Several more incidents of this nature demonstrated that the nerve gas had given Kilgrave the superhuman ability to command the wills of other people. Calling himself the Purple Man, Kilgrave embarked on a criminal career.