Young Miracleman
| Young Marvelman | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Eclipse Comics (US), Quality Communications (UK) |
| First appearance |
Marvelman #101, July 1955(UK) Miracleman #1(US) |
| Created by | Mick Anglo |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Dickie Dauntless |
| Notable aliases | Young Marvelman |
| Abilities | Superhuman Strength, Speed and Stamina, Invulnerability, Capable of surviving in space without ill effects, Exceptionally intelligent beyond the human norm, Able to cause thunderclaps by clapping his hands, Flight. |
Young Marvelman (also known as Young Miracleman) is a fictional comic book character appearing in Marvelman. The character was created by Mick Anglo and first appeared in Marvelman #101 published in July 1955. He is the alter-ego of Dickie Dauntless. and transformed into superhuman form by saying the word "Marvelman" (later, for legal reasons,"Miracleman"). The character was later adapted by Alan Moore for his updating of Marvelman in Warrior in 1982, appearing at first in flashbacks and a one-shot story in the Eclipse Comics run of Miracleman in issue #6, until returning to the present day in The Silver Age storyline.
Following the atomic bombing of Kid Miracleman, Young Miracleman and Miracleman by their creator, Dr. Gargunza, Young Miracleman died as the explosion caused his human and superbody to occupy the same space at once in underspace where the superbodies were stored, while Kid Miracleman survived and Miracleman was left with no recollection of his identity as a superbeing.
When Neil Gaiman began contributing to the series, he had Miracleman clone Young Miracleman during periodic interludes of individual issues in the first collection of Gaiman's Miracleman run, The Golden Age. Following The Golden Age, Gaiman managed to finish three of the six-part Silver Age, though only two of them ever saw print.
In The Silver Age, Young Miracleman's presence and reactions reflect the 1950s superhero attitudes and values and how he reacts to the utopia Miracleman has created on earth, as well as his proclaiming himself God with the freedom to do as he pleases, raising certain questions as to what differences—if any—existed between the malicious Kid Miracleman and Miracleman. Young Miracleman's shock and traumatizing realization that his past was a lie (as revealed to him by Miracleman) shows his unhappiness with the truth, though he slowly tries to accept it and enjoy the peace that his friend and mentor has created while questioning if he truly belongs there, amidst the many superbeings and wonders in the brave new world.
While he is loved by many and happy to travel the world of wonders, he does have dreams of Kid Miracleman in his menacing incarnation which he tries to reject because of his memories of Johnny Bates as his friend and kind, playful demeanor. This is not helped by his knowing that Miracleman killed Johnny Bates so that he would never transform into his alter-ego Kid Miracleman, in spite of Johnny's innocence and Kid Miracleman having developed his own self-awareness separate from Johnny Bates.
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